Extraordinary party revolt and public criticisms reflect anger over aide’s lockdown breaches

System allows fans following a match on TV, the radio or online to encourage – or berate – players via their smartphones

Far-right activist claims to be investigating case of woman accused of lying about abuseThe family of a 19-year-old woman accused of lying about being groomed and abused in a Cumbrian town have appealed for calm after the far-right activist Tommy Robinson turned up claiming to be a journalist investigating the case.Robinson, whose real name is Stephen Yaxley-Lennon, ignored pleas from woman’s family to stay away from Barrow-in-Furness, where she was remanded in custody last week on charges of perverting the course of justice. Continue reading...

France defends tracking app amid privacy concerns and Hungary aims to lift state of emergency

Chris Lower and wife Margie, who has stage four cancer, have made plans that depend on their deal with the investment firmEarlier this year, Margie and Chris Lower cleaned out their tiny corner of tropical paradise in Mission Beach, preparing to hand the keys of their fisherman’s shack to investment firm Mayfair 101.Margie, who has stage four bowel cancer, had wanted to be closer to hospitals for medical treatment and family. She imminently needs about $60,000 from the sale of their home to pay for a course of immunotherapy. Continue reading...

Tow truck industry in greater Toronto area has recently become a hotbed for organized crime looking to profit from lax regulationPolice in Canada have arrested 20 people and brought hundreds of charges – including first-degree murder – in their latest attempt to disrupt violent turf wars between rival tow-truck operators.York regional police, which oversees a region north of Toronto, announced the arrests on Tuesday as part of an investigation dubbed Project Platinum. Continue reading...

Producer who worked with artists such as Shabba Ranks, Garnett Silk and Morgan Heritage was a maverick of the dancehall eraRenowned Jamaican record producer Robert “Bobby Digital” Dixon died in a Kingston hospital on 21 May, aged 59. The cause of death was kidney disease.One of the most respected producers of the dancehall era, Dixon transformed contemporary reggae several times over, enjoying tremendous international success with Shabba Ranks, Garnett Silk, Sizzla Kalonji and Morgan Heritage. He is also considered as an architect of the reggaeton genre that swept Latin America in the early 1990s, since some of its earliest hits sampled his work with Ranks. Continue reading...

Momentous ruling comes six years after extradition request first filed for alleged child sex abuserAn Israeli court has ruled that the alleged child sex abuser Malka Leifer is mentally fit to stand trial and can be extradited to Australia, where the former Melbourne headteacher is wanted on 74 sexual assault charges.The pivotal ruling comes six years after Australian police first filed an extradition request, and follows dozens of hearings and setbacks in a dramatic court saga in Jerusalem that has deeply strained relations between Israel and Australia. Continue reading...

Report also warns of ‘dire impact’ of pandemic worldwide with large number of children failing to return to school after lockdowns easeThe suspension of vaccination programmes, school closures and a surge in domestic violence during coronavirus lockdowns are likely to derail a decade’s worth of progress for children, according to new global research.The Kidsrights Foundation on Tuesday published its annual rankings of children’s rights in 182 countries with Iceland scoring top for the second year running followed by Switzerland, Finland and Sweden. Continue reading...

Poor communication between authorities had impact on 14-year-old’s county lines exploitation, review findsOffficials failed to capitalise on a “reachable moment” with Jaden Moodie, the 14-year-old who was ultimately murdered in gang violence, when he was arrested three months before his death more than 100 miles from his home in possession of 39 wraps of crack cocaine.Moodie was knocked off his moped and set upon by four youths who stabbed him fatally nine times in January 2019 in the middle of the street in Leyton, east London. Continue reading...

Governments and WHO face pressure to ban commercial trade in wild animals, but experts say this would criminalise a way of life for millions of people

The closure of Moriah college and Waverley college comes just a day after all students resumed classes in New South Wales

Children at risk of forced labour; WHO says don’t assume cases will keep declining; US brings forward Brazil travel ban to Tuesday

Syrian mercenaries are just part of Istanbul’s plan for supremacy in the eastern MediterraneanThe first time Wael Amr got on a plane was not quite what he had hoped for. Air travel in films led him to imagine how glamorous it would be to leave Syria’s rebel-held Idlib province for an exotic holiday abroad.Instead, in March the 22-year-old – who had signed up with Turkish military recruiters and travelled over the border to Turkey – took his first ever plane journey from Turkey to Libya, where he is now fighting on a dangerous frontline in someone else’s war. Continue reading...

Jazz musician who was key to Davis’s sound was the last surviving player on the classic albumJimmy Cobb, the jazz drummer and last surviving player on Miles Davis’s seminal 1959 album Kind of Blue has died from lung cancer at age 91.Cobb was key in helping to achieve the cool disposition of a handful of Davis’s masterworks, including 1959’s Porgy and Bess, 1960’s Sketches of Spain, 1961’s Someday My Prince Will Come, the 1962 live set Miles Davis at Carnegie Hall and Live at the Black Hawk sessions. Continue reading...

Boris Johnson shows no sign of removing backing from chief adviser after his breach of lockdown rules

Data shows that of the 859 application lodged since September, only 30 have been acceptedA cashless debit card “opt out” scheme introduced last year to allow people to exit the controversial program has been plagued by long delays, leaving participants trapped on income management.Data provided to the Senate estimates process reveals the Department of Social Services is taking an average of five months to process claims from participants proving they are financially responsible. Continue reading...

Embroidered serviette used during coronation also went for several times its estimate

Data shows premature deaths drastically higher in lowest socioeconomic areas, with smoking, obesity and lack of essential services a driving factorWhile Australians have among the highest life expectancy in the world, premature deaths associated with inequality and living in remote and regional areas are contributing to a stagnation in the nation’s overall life expectancy.Researchers from the University of Melbourne analysed de-identified death registration data from the decade to the end of 2016. The data recorded age of death and place of residence, allowing analysts to match it to location remoteness and socioeconomic profile. Continue reading...

Detectives have established a crime scene after they were called to the house on Monday morningPolice have established a crime scene at a Brisbane home after the “sudden” death of a four-year-old.Emergency services arrived at the Cannon Hill around 9am on Monday morning. Bent Street was cordoned off as detectives worked to determine the cause of death. Continue reading...

Remnants of ex-Tropical Cyclone Mangga whip up 100km/h wind gusts, dust storms and heavy rain as Perth and state’s south prepares for onslaughtSome 50,000 homes in Western Australia are still without power as the state continues to be battered by wild weather for a second day in a row, in a “rare event” described as a “once-in-a-decade” storm.The state has experienced the wildest autumn weather in years, as the remnants of ex-Tropical Cyclone Mangga collided with a cold front and trough, whipping up gusts of about 100km/h. Continue reading...

China says it will rush through anti-sedition law as police fire teargas at protestersBeijing has vowed to force controversial national security laws on Hong Kong “without the slightest delay” as police in the semi-autonomous territory fired teargas at protesters demonstrating against the unprecedented decision.Speaking in Beijing, China’s foreign minister, Wang Yi, said enacting the proposed anti-sedition law to stop anti-government protests that have persisted for the past year had become a “pressing obligation”. Continue reading...

Charities fear for safety of lone youngsters as draft text of Brexit negotiations shows Britain wants to end sanctuary

In blocking the UN plan, the leaders of the US, China and Russia are responsible for more conflict and chaosTwo months have passed since António Guterres, the UN secretary-general, called on warring parties around the world to lay down their weapons and help fight another battle – against Covid-19. “The fury of the virus illustrates the folly of war,” Guterres said. “That is why I am calling for an immediate global ceasefire … It is time to put armed conflict on lockdown.”

Roads, rail and buses receive funds to increase capacity and ensure space for social distancingRoads, railways, buses and trams are to receive a £283m funding package to improve public safety and protect services, the transport secretary has announced.Grant Shapps said the funding – £254m for buses and £29m for trams and light rail – would increase both frequency and capacity of services while ensuring there is enough space on vehicles to allow for social distancing. Continue reading...

Top lawyers and politicians from 23 countries express grave concerns over ‘assault’ on city’s rights and freedomsSenior foreign policy lawmakers and senior politicians from 23 countries, among them the former Hong Kong governor, Chris Patten, have warned that a new Chinese security law for the city is a “comprehensive assault” on its rights and freedoms and “cannot be tolerated”.In a strongly worded statement, the 186 signatories said they had “grave concerns” about the legislation and feared it would jeopardise the city’s future. Continue reading...

The US journalist talks about being hacked by intelligence services, his dealings with whistleblower Edward Snowden, and why he loves detective fictionBarton Gellman is an investigative journalist celebrated for his reports on 9/11, former US vice-president Dick Cheney and the surveillance state. He was the only mainstream journalist that Edward Snowden approached in 2013 to publish his revelations about far-ranging cyber surveillance by the US National Security Agency. His new book, Dark Mirror, is an account of his interactions with Snowden and the struggle to expose the US government’s assault on privacy.The spectrum of opinion on Edward Snowden runs from heroic whistleblower to shameless traitor. What’s your own understanding of the man?

Four men and a woman charged with murder of student killed in drive-by shooting in BlackburnFour men and a woman have appeared in court charged with the murder of a “remarkable and inspirational” law student killed in a drive-by shooting.Aya Hachem, 19, was shot from a passing car as she shopped for groceries near her home in Blackburn on Sunday afternoon. She was not the intended victim, police said. Continue reading...

Influential thinktank warns that UK will need to extend transition period in wake of coronavirus or risk very hard borderA new Brexit border in the Irish Sea will not be ready by Boris Johnson’s end-of-year deadline, according to a new analysis that warns more than 60 administrations, government departments and public bodies will be involved in overseeing the new system.Ministers finally admitted last week that there would be some checks on certain goods entering Northern Ireland from the rest of the UK from next January, when the Brexit transition period comes to an end. Continue reading...

Muhammad Zubair, one of two people who survived a plane crash in Pakistan, has described his escape from the burning aircraft after a second failed attempt to land in Karachi on the eve of the Muslim festival of Eid. The Pakistan International Airlines Airbus A320 with 99 passengers and eight crew members aboard crashed into a crowded residential district on Friday afternoon

Last governor of former British colony says UK must stand up to Beijing rather than kowtowChina has betrayed the people of Hong Kong and the UK has a moral, economic and legal duty to stand up for them, Chris Patten, the last governor of the former British colony, has said.Beijing is set to impose new national security legislation on Hong Kong after a sustained campaign of pro-democracy protests last year in the city, which enjoys many freedoms not allowed on mainland China. Continue reading...

Author Bernardine Evaristo, broadcaster Hugh Pym, playwright James Graham and more pen letters to themselves, to be opened in May 2021James Graham, playwright Continue reading...

Da 5 Bloods highlights the experience of veterans who fought for their country only to be treated as second-class citizensWhen Dedan Kimathi Ji Jaga returned from combat in Vietnam, he painted his walls black, covered his windows and sat in darkness all day. His injuries and post-traumatic stress were severe, but as with many African American soldiers in 1968, the US government gave him little support.“They summarily released me back to the streets with no aid,” said the 72-year-old California resident. Continue reading...

Data breach included names, home addresses and national identification numbersIndonesia is investigating how 2.3 million voters’ personal information was leaked online, the election commission said.The data breach, which included names, home addresses and national identification numbers, appeared to be from the 2014 election voter list, the General Election Commission revealed on Friday. Continue reading...

Islamic prayer said near scene where law student, who fled Lebanon as a child, died

Donald Trump has demanded that states reopen churches, synagogues and mosques for in-person services, threatening to 'override' governors who refuse. The president said he was identifying houses of worship as 'essential services' and suggested he was correcting the 'injustice' that liquor stores and abortion clinics had reopened in some states while places of worship had not

Foundation seeks to convert part of historic building into mosque and community centreA plan to convert part of the famous Trocadero building in Piccadilly Circus in London into a mosque has sparked objections from people who say a place of worship in an area noted for its bars and nightlife is inappropriate.The Aziz Foundation, a charity that offers educational grants and scholarships to Muslims, has applied to Westminster city council for permission to convert the basement and ground floor of the Trocadero into a place of worship and a community centre. Continue reading...

Sedition legislation would allow Chinese security forces on to streets and may mean end of city’s autonomyAround this time last year, criticism was mounting in Hong Kong over a proposed bill that would allow people wanted by the Chinese authorities to be sent to the mainland. Demonstrators marched on the city’s legislature and scuffles broke out between pro-democracy and pro-Beijing lawmakers.Within a few weeks, more than a million people took to the streets, decrying legislation they believed would mark the end of Hong Kong and the freedoms that set it apart from China. A protest movement was born and for months the city was engulfed in violent street battles, in what has been described as Hong Kong’s worst crisis since the 1997 handover of the former British colony to Chinese control. Continue reading...

Hong Kong officials indicate powers will be used to try to suppress pro-democracy protestsChina’s proposed new security law for Hong Kong will allow Beijing’s security forces to operate in the city, where local authorities have indicated the powers will be used to try to suppress the pro-democracy protests that broke out almost a year ago.The US secretary of state, Mike Pompeo, said on Friday that the legislation was effectively a “death knell” for Hong Kong’s status as an autonomous city. He urged China to “reconsider its disastrous proposal [and] abide by its international obligations”. Continue reading...

Tony Hadley answers plea for help from quiz player accused of mispronouncing singer’s nameA quiz contestant in Singapore has prevailed in a battle with a radio station that denied him a cash prize over his pronunciation of the Spandau Ballet singer Tony Hadley’s name – after winning support from the celebrity himself.Muhammad Shalehan emailed Hadley after being refused the S$10,000 (£5,750) prize on the grounds that he had mispronounced Hadley’s name in a competition in which callers must identify celebrities in a sound clip. Continue reading...

President bans people returning home for festivities to mark end of Ramadan; China abandons GDP target; Trump defies mask plea

Putin ally reportedly flown to Moscow for treatment, Russian state news agencies report

Prime minister condemns Beijing for linking its 2018 detention of two Canadians with arrest of Huawei executiveBeijing’s linking of its detention of two Canadians in China to the arrest of a Chinese executive in Vancouver shows it does not understand the meaning of an independent judiciary, Justin Trudeau said on Thursday.China detained the former Canadian diplomat Michael Kovrig and businessman Michael Spavor in December 2018, nine days after the arrest on a US warrant of the Huawei executive Meng Wanzhou in Vancouver. Continue reading...

Hassan Akkad, a Bafta-winning filmmaker who is working as an NHS cleaner, has thanked the British public after the government announced it would scrap the NHS surcharge for migrant health workers and would no longer exclude them from the NHS bereavement scheme. ‘You restored my faith and my colleagues’ faith in this country,’ he said

Proposed legislation would effectively end one country, two systems status, say criticsChina plans to push through sweeping national security laws for Hong Kong at its annual meeting of parliament, in a move that critics say will effectively end the territory’s autonomy.Beijing has been making it clear it wants new security legislation passed since huge pro-democracy protests last year plunged Hong Kong into its deepest turmoil since it returned to Chinese rule in 1997. Continue reading...

Matt Hancock has said antibody tests suggest that 17% of people in London and 5% of people in the rest of the country may have had coronavirus. Hancock said the government has signed a deal with pharmaceutical companies Roche and Abbott that will lead to 10m antibody tests being available in the UK

State chief minister says areas of city will have to be rebuilt from scratch after deadly stormThe Indian city of Kolkata has been left devastated by the worst cyclone it has seen in 100 years, which swept through India and Bangladesh on Wednesday and killed at least 84 people.Kolkata, home to almost 15 million people, bore the brunt of Cyclone Amphan, which tore roofs off buildings, smashed windows, pulled down trees and pylons and overturned cars. Continue reading...

Locals, NGOs and politicians express fears for world’s most vulnerable as charity announces withdrawal from 18 countries due to financial impact of Covid-19Oxfam International’s announcement that it will close operations in countries including Afghanistan and Haiti has prompted fears that regions are being abandoned just as the coronavirus pandemic makes them more vulnerable.Oxfam said the impact of Covid-19 on its finances had forced it to fast-track a global restructuring programme, which entails the closure of 18 country offices. Continue reading...