The Guardian - World

Morning mail: stranded travellers return, Epstein docs unsealed, Trump hacked

Thu, 22 Oct 2020 20:07:10 GMT

Friday: Dfat bungle reveals identities of Australians stranded overseas as 150 board flight in London. Plus: Ghislaine Maxwell deposition unsealed

Good morning, this is Imogen Dewey bringing you the main stories and must-reads on Friday 23 October.

Iraq's prime minister says country on tightrope between US and Iran

Thu, 22 Oct 2020 20:05:23 GMT

Mustafa al-Kadhimi also urges Europe to assist the Middle Eastern nation’s debt-ridden economy

Iraq’s prime minister, Mustafa al-Kadhimi, has warned that he is being forced into an impossible balancing act between the US and Iran, as he urged Europe to come to the aid of his country’s debt-ridden economy.

Appointed as prime minister in June, Kadhimi – a British citizen and former journalist –came to power after unprecedented street protests over corruption, and has since governed with a simple programme of early elections, better security and preventing the collapse of his oil-dependent economy.

Ghislaine Maxwell deposition unsealed after court ruling

Thu, 22 Oct 2020 19:33:03 GMT

Document contains details about Jeffrey Epstein relationship
Maxwell charged with involvement in Epstein’s sexual crimes

A court document containing detailed information about Ghislaine Maxwell and her relationship with the late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein was unsealed on Thursday morning in New York just moments before a court-imposed deadline.

This document, an April 2016 deposition, is among about a dozen long-awaited Maxwell files that have been unsealed, with the first filing involving Epstein accuser Virginia Giuffre’s lawyer alleging the British socialite avoided a question “about allegedly ‘adult’ sexual activity related to Jeffrey Epstein”.

Furlough replacement scheme: the winners and losers

Thu, 22 Oct 2020 19:19:57 GMT

Hospitality sector and eligible self-employed may benefit, but many will miss out

Rishi Sunak has responded to growing pressure over the level of government support for parts of the country facing tough new coronavirus restrictions with a last-minute expansion of the new furlough scheme.

Calls for a Covid 'kava bubble' as supply from Pacific to Australia dries up

Thu, 22 Oct 2020 19:00:33 GMT

With little of the homemade Pacific brew available in Australia, prices have skyrocketed, and there’s been a spike in seizures at the border

The questions are asked quietly, but urgently: “Kava, do you have any? Do you know where to get any? Have you heard what they are paying for it in Sydney?”

When Pasifika meet in Australia, it is often kava that dominates: now, it is the absence of it.

Trump's Twitter hacked after Dutch researcher claims he guessed password – report

Thu, 22 Oct 2020 18:12:57 GMT

Victor Gevers claimed he had access to president’s account, De Volkskrant reported, but Twitter said ‘we’ve seen no evidence’

Donald Trump’s Twitter account was allegedly hacked last week, after a Dutch researcher correctly guessed the president’s password: “maga2020!”, Dutch media reported.

Victor Gevers, a security expert, had access to Trump’s direct messages, could post tweets in his name and change his profile, De Volkskrant newspaper reported.

Canary Islands added to UK travel corridor list

Thu, 22 Oct 2020 17:28:02 GMT

Holidays to the Spanish islands will be on sale in time for half-term. The Maldives, Mykonos and Denmark also added to list

Last-minute holidays to the Canaries will be back on sale in time for a half-term getaway after the islands were added to the UK travel corridor list.

Holidaymakers will be able to visit any of the eight main islands in the archipelago without the need to quarantine for 14 days on their return. The move comes into effect from 4am on Sunday (25 October), the transport Grant Shapps confirmed on Twitter on Thursday.

Room for improvement with test and trace, says Patrick Vallance – video

Thu, 22 Oct 2020 17:15:16 GMT

Sir Patrick Vallance said there was ‘room for improvement’ with test and trace in the UK as only about two-thirds of the close contacts reached are done so within 48 hours of the case entering the system, according to performance figures released on Thursday.

Boris Johnson and Rishi Sunak presented a new package of government support grants during a televised briefing and also discussed vaccines and local restrictions

UK coronavirus live: Boris Johnson gives briefing after chancellor unveils new business support measures

US signs anti-abortion declaration with group of largely authoritarian governments

Thu, 22 Oct 2020 17:06:13 GMT

Move is part of a campaign by Trump administration to reorient US foreign policy in a more socially conservative direction

The US has today signed an anti-abortion declaration with a group of about 30 largely illiberal or authoritarian governments, after the failure of an effort to expand the conservative coalition.

The “Geneva Consensus Declaration” calls on states to promote women’s rights and health – but without access to abortion – and is part of a campaign by Trump administration, led by secretary of state, Mike Pompeo, to reorient US foreign policy in a more socially conservative direction, even at the expense of alienating traditional western allies.

China warns Canada to halt ‘blatant interference’ as feud continues

Thu, 22 Oct 2020 16:15:02 GMT

Canada concluded China’s actions against ethnic Uighurs in the Xinjiang province constituted a genocide and called for sanctions

China has warned Canadian lawmakers to halt their “blatant interference” in its internal affairs, in the latest episode of a rumbling diplomatic feud between the two nations.

Earlier this week, a Canadian parliamentary committee concluded China’s actions against ethnic Uighurs in Xinjiang province constituted a genocide and called for sanctions against officials complicit in the government’s policy.

Greek court jails Golden Dawn leaders as it rejects calls for delay

Thu, 22 Oct 2020 15:28:29 GMT

Far-right party’s founder, Nikos Michaloliakos, declares himself ‘proud’ to be imprisoned

A three-member court has ended one of the most critical trials in Greece with a ruling that nearly the entire leadership of the neo-Nazi Golden Dawn will be imprisoned with immediate effect for operating a criminal gang under the guise of being a political party.

In a historic decision likely to have ramifications for other extremist far-right groups, the tribunal rejected requests for the sentences of Golden Dawn’s founder, Nikos Michaloliakos, and other former MPs to be suspended pending appeal. Instead, the judges ordered that only 12 of the 51 defendants they had found guilty could remain free pending appeal.

'Covid parties' could become the norm, immunology expert says

Thu, 22 Oct 2020 14:51:49 GMT

Suggestion prompts warning that long-term effects of virus are not yet known

Parties in which young people try to catch Covid-19 to gain immunity could become the norm if the virus is not eradicated, a Cambridge professor has suggested, prompting others to caution that the long-term effects of infection are not yet known.

Paul Lehner, professor of immunology and medicine at the University of Cambridge, told a briefing held by the Science Media Centre that the virus could be here to stay and that there might be “Covid parties” for the young to expose them to coronavirus while their risk was low.

Joe Biden plans special commission to suggest supreme court reforms

Thu, 22 Oct 2020 14:51:31 GMT

Democrat says court system is ‘getting out of whack’ and says commission would have 180 days to make recommendations

Joe Biden has confirmed he would appoint a special commission to study the US court system over 180 days, if he is elected next month, to provide reform recommendations relating to the supreme court and beyond.

In response to questions about the US supreme court during an interview for this Sunday’s 60 Minutes news magazine, the former vice-president and Democratic presidential nominee told CBS TV managing editor Norah O’Donnell that the court system is “getting out of whack” and that “there’s a number of alternatives that go well beyond ‘packing’”, ie increasing the number of seats on the nine-justice supreme court bench.

Brexit: £3bn standoff over UK-EU scientific collaboration

Thu, 22 Oct 2020 14:40:44 GMT

Sector calls for compromise to ensure UK researchers stay in Horizon Europe

The UK’s post-Brexit collaboration with European scientists hangs in the balance after it emerged that the EU offer of staying in the Horizon research programme could leave London with a £3bn deficit.

“The financial negotiations are not in a good position and the offer that the [European] commission has made to the UK is not appealing,” Vivienne Stern, the director of Universities UK International, told a Lords Brexit committee on Thursday.

CDC rewrites definition for coronavirus 'close contact'

Thu, 22 Oct 2020 14:37:41 GMT

New definition includes people who come into close contact with infected individuals in multiple short bursts over 24-hour period

The leading US federal public health agency has rewritten its definition of who is at risk of contracting coronavirus to include people who come into close contact with infected individuals in multiple short bursts over a 24-hour period.

The new definition of “close contact” issued on Wednesday by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) will sharply expand the pool of those deemed in danger of being infected by the virus.

'We need prison time': Purdue's belated guilty plea gets skeptical reaction

Thu, 22 Oct 2020 14:25:57 GMT

While the guilty plea was welcomed, there was also anger over the US justice department’s failure to prosecute executives

Lawyers and public relations firms for the Sackler family who own Purdue Pharma have spent months pushing an aggressive campaign to deny that the company’s powerful painkiller, OxyContin, unleashed the devastating US opioid epidemic.

They manipulated statistics and attacked critics to paint the company and the Sacklers as victims of an unwarranted smear campaign driven by a sensationalist media and grasping addicts trying to lay their hands on the billions of dollars of profits generated by a legitimate drug.

Adele – every song ranked!

Thu, 22 Oct 2020 13:59:00 GMT

As the all-conquering queen of the blockbusting weepy ballad makes her return, hosting Saturday Night Live this weekend, we sift through her back catalogue, from No 1 hits to bonus Japanese tracks

Released on the flipside of 2008 single Cold Shoulder, Now and Then really sounds like a B-side. A gently wistful two-chord acoustic ballad, it’s notable only as point of comparison: Adele’s voice sounds noticeably mannered next to her later work.

Corona demons tower over India's Durga Puja festival

Thu, 22 Oct 2020 13:48:17 GMT

Artisans preparing Hindu festival have responded creatively to the pandemic and its problems

Every autumn the streets of Kolkata come alive with the sounds of Durga Puja. The Hindu festival, which celebrates the triumph of good over evil, is marked in West Bengal and neighbouring states as a time for dancing, drumming, eating and worship.

Yet the festival’s most defining feature is the pandal– towering displays of religious sculptures depicting the story of Durga Puja: the moment that the Hindu goddess Durga triumphed over the demon Mahishasura.

Nigerian president criticised over response to protests crackdown

Thu, 22 Oct 2020 13:36:36 GMT

Muhammadu Buhari urged to address nation after shootings by security forces on Tuesday

Nigeria’s president, Muhammadu Buhari, has been criticised for his muted response after security forces opened fire on people protesting against police brutality in Lagos on Tuesday, drawing international condemnation.

Security forces shot live ammunition to disperse crowds who had gathered in defiance of a government curfew. Amnesty International said at least 12 people died in the shooting in the Lekki and Alausa areas of the city.

Amy Coney Barrett committee vote due before Trump and Biden head for debate – live

Thu, 22 Oct 2020 12:41:16 GMT

1.41pm BST

The number of Americans filing new claims for unemployment benefit has fallen to its lowest level since the Covid-19 crisis began.

Around 787,000 new ‘initial claims’ for jobless support were filed last week. That’s the smallest increase since March, when the US economy began to lock down.

#BREAKING
US Weekly Initial Jobless Claims: 787K Vs 860K Est.,
Previous No. 898K Revised down to 842K.#Jobless

1.38pm BST

US immigration officers allegedly tortured Cameroonian asylum seekers to force them to sign their own deportation orders, in what lawyers and activists describe as a brutal scramble to fly African migrants out of the country in the run-up to the elections.

Many of the Cameroonian migrants in a Mississippi detention centre refused to sign, fearing death at the hands of Cameroonian government forces responsible for widespread civilian killings, and because they had asylum hearings pending.