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Main article: Nerve agent ‘unequivocally’ used in Navalny
Warren Murray with you and here he is on Thursday again, right where we expected to find him.
World leaders demand responses from the Kremlin after Germany announced that Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny was poisoned with a novichok-type nerve agent. The “unequivocal” finding was confirmed by Angela Merkel, the German chancellor.
The White House described the poisoning as “completely reprehensible” and a US source said that the use of the same chemical agent deployed against Sergei Skripal in Salisbury in 2018 showed that Russian President Vladimir Putin was prepared to be bold. UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson called the findings “outrageous” and said: “The Russian government must now explain what happened to Mr Navalny.” Navalny remains in a medically induced coma while German doctors treat the poisoning.
Most recent coronavirus – The government is expected to announce the reimposition of 14 days of quarantine for arrivals from Portugal today, while Scotland will begin to quarantine arrivals from Greece. Wales is calling for only arrivals from the Greek island of Zante to be quarantined. Welsh Health Minister Vaughan Gething has asked the central government for an urgent meeting to consider the potential risk from Greece. Routine weekly Covid tests will be conducted on the population of England in an attempt to prevent a second wave of winter. Health Secretary Matt Hancock said the government will expand testing capacity and launch community pilots testing repeat tests in schools and universities, as well as in the general population. Researchers at the University of Cambridge say that swab tests can miss between 30% and 50% of cases and that people should receive a fingerstick blood test at the same time to ensure an accurate result.
A Covid-19 vaccine for healthcare workers and high-risk groups could be available in November, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) have reportedly informed US officials. Critics fear the Trump administration is trying to rush a vaccine to gain political advantage, so it is released before Election Day, possibly without the necessary safety tests. To someone so committed to ending the pandemic, it might seem counterintuitive that the president is simultaneously pushing to accelerate cuts to US funding for the world’s top health agency, the WHO. Stay up to date with the latest news on our live global blog.
‘Bullying, misogyny, cronyism’ – The powerful union GMB has been described as “institutionally sexist” in an independent report. Lawyer Karon Monaghan QC concludes that women have been subjected to sexual harassment and are “underrepresented in all ranks of the GMB,” with branches “often organized in a way that deters female members from participating.” “Bullying, misogyny, cronyism and sexual harassment are endemic within the GMB. The culture at GMB is one of heavy drinking and late-night socializing, lewd gossip and a lack of professionalism. “GMB General Secretary Tim Roache resigned this year following anonymous allegations of misconduct. Barbara Plant, the GMB’s national president, said she would act on the report: “On behalf of GMB, I apologize to all those who have experienced sexual harassment or intimidation within the union. It is clear that real and lasting change is needed for us to become a safe and inclusive place for all “.
Channel rush weather warnings – At least 409 migrants have reached the shores of the United Kingdom in small boats crossing the English Channel, a new record for a single day. Dozens of people took advantage of the flat seas in the Strait of Dover on Wednesday. Hundreds were intercepted in the water, while others managed to land on the beaches. It brings the total number of people who have crossed the sea to Britain in 2020 to more than 5,600 according to the PA news agency. More than 350 migrants rescued from the Mediterranean have been transferred to a quarantine ship off Sicily, aid workers report. The 353 migrants, who had been aboard the Sea-Watch 4, included those rescued last week by the Louise Michel, a 30-meter boat sponsored by British street artist Banksy.
Fear where you want – Couples could soon be free to marry on the beach, in a private garden, at sea or by video conference in an emergency, in accordance with proposed changes to outdated marriage laws covering England and Wales. One of the oddities of current laws, dating back to 1836, is that only Jewish and Quaker weddings are allowed outdoors. The Law Commission has suggested that weddings be allowed “on beaches, in parks, in private gardens, and on the grounds of current wedding venues.” Currently, couples have to choose between a civil or religious ceremony; the commission recommends a new legal framework “that could allow non-religious belief organizations (such as humanists) and / or independent celebrators to carry out legally binding weddings.
‘Sounds like a thud’ – The collision of two black holes produced a gravity wave that the scientists were able to reproduce through their sound system. “It just sounds like a thud,” said Alan Weinstein, a physicist at Caltech University. “It doesn’t really sound like much on a speaker.” The accident happened about 7 billion years ago, when the universe was half its current age, but it is only being detected now because it happened so far away. It is the largest known cosmic event since the Big Bang, and resulted in the first known medium-size black hole, previously thought unlikely to exist.
Podcast Today in Focus: Is School Safe?
As millions of children in England and Wales return to class, the Observer’s science editor, Robin McKie, weighs the potential impact on health.
Is the school safe?
Lunchtime Reading: The Christchurch Testimonies
More than 90 people spoke at the sentencing hearing of the gunman responsible for New Zealand’s deadliest terrorist attack. Here we document your evidence.
Sport
After just three days at Flushing Meadows, it appears that there is no one left at the 2020 US Open with a realistic chance of stopping Novak Djokovic after the Serb took four sets to beat Kyle Edmund in the second round. However, there was a huge surprise in the women’s draw on day three, as No.1 seed Karolina Pliskova withdrew from the tournament after a 6-1, 7-6 (2) loss to the Frenchwoman. Caroline Garcia. A stunned Adam Yates took the lead overall in the 2020 Tour de France after Julian Alaphilippe of Deceuncink-Quick-Step was penalized 20 seconds for taking an illegal feed in the final kilometers of stage five, from Gap to Privas. Dean Henderson has signaled his intention to sack David de Gea as Manchester United’s first-choice goalkeeper and insisted he will not settle for a place on the Old Trafford bench. Gareth Bale has accused Real Madrid of making things “very difficult” for him by blocking his departure from the Bernabéu and has said that he would be open to a return to the Premier League. And Guy Mitchell, who had his right eye removed at the age of five, has become the first rider with one eye to win a race in Britain.
Deal
Most Asia-Pacific stock markets have risen today, although Singapore and Jakarta fell, after Wall Street posted its biggest daily gain since July despite uncertainty about the global outlook. The FTSE is aiming to be 25 points higher at the open, while the pound is worth $ 1,333 and € 1,127 at time of writing.
The papers
the Telegraph seems to be doing everything possible but dragging us to the loom at the moment: “The campaign to get Britain back to work fails.” He is happier about other things though: “New BBC boss orders Rule, Britannia U-turn” – finally, a chance to report on someone other than the prime minister and his ministers making a radical change. Others are also warming up their vocal cords, including the Quick: “Britannia rules! BBC U-turn over Proms protest ”.
the guardian He leads with “Pressure on Putin, as Germans say rival was poisoned with novichok.” the me presents the story as “Kremlin indicted for new novichok attack”. That story goes on top of the Times but his leadership is “Interior Ministry exposed on immigration failures”, which includes record number of Channel crossings and “flawed and unsafe” hostile environmental policy. the Mirror has “Lineker Exclusive: Why a Refugee Comes to Live With Me” – we’ve followed that one here.
Another day, another thing where Gavin Williamson got it wrong: “The exams could have been done,” says the MeterAs Ofqual claims, the education secretary ignored his advice. And in the FOOT: “Johnson and Sunak warn of tough economic prospects and tax increases” as prime minister and chancellor try to meet amid outcry from conservatives.
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