Top story: Sturgeon accuses PM of ‘politicising’ virus
Morning everyone. I’m Martin Farrer and these are the top stories and features this morning.
Every person aged over 50 and children in the first year of secondary school will be given a free flu jab this autumn as the government attempts to prevent the NHS from being overwhelmed this winter by a resurgence of Covid-19. Contracts have been secured for 30m doses of flu vaccine, double the number that were administered last year. The government is also converting a fish medicine factory in Essex to produce Covid-19 vaccines. Face masks will be compulsory in takeaways, banks and post offices as well as shops, supermarkets, shopping centres and stations in England from today. A study in 31 countries has found that a lack of hospital beds and staff means the UK will take longer than other countries to recover from the pandemic.
Scotland’s first minister, Nicola Sturgeon, has accused Boris Johnson of using the coronavirus crisis as a “political weapon” after he hailed the “sheer might” of the union on his first visit north of the border since December. The prime minister denied the charge but said Scotland had benefited from the centralised furlough payment system. And as Beverley Knight restarted live performances at the London Palladium, a fund set up by director Sam Mendes to help people who have lost their jobs in theatre has raised £1.6m.
The head of the World Health Organization has hit back at Mike Pompeo, after the US secretary of state accused the health agency of being under Chinese control, calling the comments “unacceptable”. Donald Trump has cancelled his plans to hold part of the Republican convention in Jacksonville, Florida next month in another major retreat over coronavirus. The number of cases in the US has passed 4 million and more than 1,100 deaths were reported on Wednesday in the biggest daily total since May. You can catch up with all the developments around the world at our live blog.
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China ‘tyranny’ – Mike Pompeo has issued another strongly worded attack on China, calling on nations around the world to unite against the threat of Beijing’s “new tyranny”. He told an audience in California that “if the free world doesn’t change China, China will change us”. The US justice department charged four Chinese researchers with visa fraud on Thursday, alleging they lied about their ties to the military. China responded by closing the US consulate in Chengdu on Friday. Our Beijing correspondent looks at why president Xi Jinping seems so willing to assert his country’s strength.
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Near miss – An Iranian passenger jet was forced to change direction quickly to avoid a collision with two American fighter planes that came close to the aircraft over Syrian airspace, according to reports from Tehran. Several passengers were reportedly injured during the incident. The US military said the planes had operated in a “standard” way and had kept a safe distance.
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Ashley allegation – Workers at Mike Ashley’s Sports Direct warehouse appear to be working for less than the minimum wage, renewing the concerns about the billionaire’s treatment of workers. A Guardian undercover investigation at Sports Direct’s distribution centre in Derbyshire has revealed that workers are told they cannot leave the premises while taking their 30-minute unpaid break. Experts say this means the break should count as paid working time, and puts the staff below the legal minimum of £8.72 to about £8.20.
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AOC attack – The US congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez has launched an impassioned attack on America’s sexist culture of “accepting violence and violent language against women” in the wake of being verbally abused by a Republican lawmaker earlier in the week. In a dramatic moment in the House of Representatives, Ocasio-Cortez said: “This issue is not about one incident. It is cultural.”
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Maxwell ruling – An extensive collection of “extremely personal” documents about Ghislaine Maxwell could be made public after a ruling by a US judge in the civil cases over her involvement with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. Maxwell has tried to keep these records secret because they concern “intrusive questions about her sex life”. Maxwell also faces criminal charges over her alleged involvement with Epstein’s sex trafficking of minors, which she denies.
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‘Time to move on’ – Jenni Murray is standing down as the presenter of BBC Radio 4’s Woman’s Hour after 33 years in the job. “It’s time to move on,” said Murray, 70, who was once described as having one of the most beautiful voices on radio. In her long stint she has tackled wide-ranging subjects, held politicians to account and shed light on devastating stories of persecution and rape from women around the world.
Today in Focus podcast
When coronavirus swept through Italy, prime minister Giuseppe Conte appealed to fellow member states and Brussels for help. But as Daniel Boffey discovered, the distress calls from Rome and other stricken capitals too often went unanswered.
Lunchtime read: The furious return of Alanis Morissette
As she prepares to release her first album for eight years, singer-songwriter Alanis Morissette talks about her addictions (“work, love and food”), suffering post-partum depression, and how she has survived at the top of the music industry for 25 years despite abuse and her manager stealing $7m from her. “If I didn’t have a whole team of therapists, I don’t think I’d still be here,” she says. Meanwhile, one of the female stars who has followed in Morissette’s footsteps, Taylor Swift, has surprised fans by releasing a new album. You can read our five-star review of Folklore here.
Sport
Joe Root expects Jofra Archer to put a troubled week behind him when the crucial third Test against West Indies starts later today after bowling at “the speed of light” in the nets. Mike Tyson will make his widely speculated return to the prize ring for an exhibition bout against four-division world champion Roy Jones Jr on 12 September. In an interview with the Guardian, Leroy Sané has explained why he turned down the chance of a glorious finale at Manchester City to join Bayern Munich this month and how Pep Guardiola took his game “to a completely different level”. The European Tour has provided support to Andrew Johnston after the Englishman withdrew following nine holes of the British Masters, citing unease over the post-lockdown environment. England could be missing a host of frontline stars when they go in pursuit of the Six Nations title in October with Premiership clubs set to keep hold of their Test players for the domestic final. Super League clubs have unanimously agreed pay cuts with their playing squads, after weeks of discussions with players and the Rugby League Players Association. And the NFL team formerly known as the ‘Redskins’ will go by the Washington Football Team for the 2020 season, while the NHL’s newest team finally has its name: the Seattle Kraken.
Business
Consumer confidence has flatlined this month, according to a new survey, as shoppers fret about redundancies and health risks. The findings cast doubt on the ability of Britain’s economy to pull off a V-shaped recovery from the coronavirus-induced slump. The FTSE100 is expected to fall 0.7% this morning while the pound is up at $1.275 and €1.098.
The papers
The Times leads with “Flu jabs for half of the population” and the Telegraph also has that story on its front page but leads with another virus-related story, claiming that “Sainsbury’s and Asda refuse to enforce mask rules”. The Mirror splashes on “Brits back virus mask laws” but the i says its poll reveals “Public still reluctant to wear masks”.
The Guardian splash is “Sturgeon says PM is using virus as ‘political weapon’”, with a striking picture of Boris Johnson handling two giant crabs on his visit to Scotland yesterday. The Scotsman has the same story and picture but a slightly different take: “Johnson: ‘Covid-19 shows we can bounce back stronger together’”. The Mail focuses on “UK fury as Russia fires star wars missile” and the Express says “Priti’s new spy laws to target hostile states”. The FT leads with “Johnson to impose curbs on ads for junk food amid anti-obesity drive”.
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