Top story: China doctor a ‘hero who told the truth’
Good morning, this is Graham Russell bringing you today’s news.
The government has significantly widened its response to the coronavirus epidemic, urging travellers from a range of countries to isolate themselves if they feel ill, after a third Briton tested positive for the virus. Health officials added eight destinations including Thailand and Japan to the list of at-risk areas, after it emerged that a middle-aged man had contracted the virus in Singapore. Recent travellers with a cough, fever or shortness of breath were told to stay indoors and call NHS 111, “even if symptoms are mild”.
In China the death of Li Wenliang, the doctor punished for sounding the alarm about the virus, has sparked fury at Beijing’s handling of the crisis, spiralling into calls for freedom of speech. “They owe you an apology, we owe you our gratitude. Take care, Dr Li,” said a Weibo post from Xiakedao, an account housed under the overseas edition of the People’s Daily, a Communist party outlet. Online posts about Li’s death were viewed more than 1.5bn views overnight, but were eclipsed views of posts translated as saying “we want freedom of speech” before they were censored. “In the eyes of the people, Dr Li was the hero who bravely told the truth,” said a state-affiliated financial newspaper, the Economic Observer.
The vast majority of coronavirus cases – more than 31,000 – are in China, where there have now been 636 deaths. There have been more than 260 confirmed cases and two deaths in 28 other countries.
We are covering all the latest updates here.
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XR investigation – Counter-terrorism police ordered a formal assessment of the threat posed by Extinction Rebellion a year ago, showing its interest in the group began earlier and was more extensive than previously thought. The confidential assessment, Rising Up, concluded XR was not a terrorist or extremist threat. An XR spokesperson said police should make the report publicly available. Separately, the police watchdog has warned the public is increasingly not bothering to report some less serious crimes as dwindling resources mean their claims are often not investigated.
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‘I’ve got to kill somebody’ – The 18-year-old who admitted pushing a boy from the 10th floor of the Tate Modern art gallery in London told his carers a year earlier of his plans to kill, an investigation has claimed. In an audio recording, Jonty Bravery allegedly tells his carers he wants to go to central London and visit a tall landmark to push somebody off it. Care provider Spencer & Arlington told the BBC they had “no knowledge or records of the disclosure” but had reported the concerns to the Care Quality Commission.
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From dock to centre stage – In 1999, following his impeachment trial, Bill Clinton said he was “profoundly sorry”. In 2020, Donald Trump took a decidedly different tack: “It was all bullshit,” he said in the East Room of the White House following his acquittal, blaming “dirty cops” in US intelligence for investigations into not only Ukraine but also his dealings with Russia. The president has begun his victory lap, Julian Borger writes, but there is plenty yet to come out on the Ukraine affair. In the meantime, says Tom McCarthy, it’s time to brace for a Trump unleashed, with suggestions his sights are set on controlling the justice department.
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Prince’s birthday honour scrapped – Councils around the country will no longer be required to fly the flag on the birthday of Prince Andrew as the fallout from his friendship with Jeffrey Epstein continues. The Duke of York turns 60 on 19 February, but the occasion will not be marked by a flying of the union flag. He has also asked the Ministry of Defence to defer a promotion to admiral until he is able to fully resume royal duties
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Grade I listed, despite the odd Beatle – A Liverpool pub that was once the haunt of the Beatles has become the first Victorian drinking den in England to receive a Grade I heritage listing. The Philharmonic Dining Rooms are regarded as “the pinnacle of the ‘gin palace’ form of pub” and features mahogany fireplaces, mosaic-clad bar counters and Instagram-friendly gents with imitation marble urinals.
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Today in Focus podcast: Why are the Oscars still so white?
When the lists of nominees for the major film awards in 2020 were announced, there was, once again, a glaring anomaly. Not a single person of colour was nominated in the Baftas acting categories, while the Oscars managed only Cynthia Erivo for her part in Harriet. So what explains the glacial pace of change? Guardian arts and culture correspondent Lanre Bakare tells Anushka Asthana that there have been plenty of false dawns over the years in the quest for greater diversity. Also today: Joan E Greve on a hectic week of US politics after Donald Trump was formally acquitted in his impeachment trial and the Democratic party’s Iowa caucuses descended into farce.
Lunchtime read: Mary Lou McDonald’s remarkable rise
Sinn Féin’s Mary Lou McDonald finds herself leading a remarkable turnaround. The personable Dubliner has reinvigorated the party Irish voters used to shun. Opinion polls ahead of tomorrow’s Irish election show her approval ratings soaring, writes Rory Carroll, and Sinn Féin becoming the Irish Republic’s most popular party. Commentators are calling it a historic breakthrough for the republican movement that could realign Irish politics after a century of domination by two centrist parties, Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael.
Sport
Eddie Jones has claimed he is subjected to verbal abuse by members of the public on a daily basis and says it comes with the territory of being the England coach. Jones’s men need to pull together quickly against Scotland at Murrayfield at the weekend or they may find the forecast storm is the least of their worries. World Athletics has insisted it will not let running-shoe technology spiral further out of control despite the release of another “gamechanging” Nike marathon shoe on Wednesday.
Manchester City have confirmed that Raheem Sterling will miss Sunday’s Premier League clash with West Ham due to a hamstring injury. Heather Watson and Harriet Dart will head Great Britain’s bid for a place in the new-look Fed Cup finals in the absence of Johanna Konta in Bratislava. The all-female W-Series has had a global impact, with the 2020 calendar expanded from six to eight races and 12 of the 18 drivers already announced coming from different countries. And Edwin Moses, the two-time Olympic 400m hurdles champion, has spoken to the Guardian about his fight against doping, his amazing unbeaten streak and meeting Nelson Mandela.
Business
One in four cash machines now charge a fee to withdraw money, Which? says today in research that shows the collective amount people are paying to withdraw their money has surged from £75m in 2018 to £104m last year. The economic impact of the coronavirus is deepening as Fiat said it might have to shut a plant in Europe due to lack of parts from China and S&P said it was downgrading its forecast for the Chinese economy by 0.75% to 5% for this year. The FTSE 100 is expected to open down 0.2% while the pound is at $1.294 and €1.178.
The papers
The Guardian splashes on the spreading coronavirus epidemic: “Coronavirus fears rise as first Briton tests positive,” is the headline. The i has “UK virus alert raised: quarantine for Asia travellers”. The Telegraph carries a large picture of Donald Trump holding a newspaper with the headline “Trump acquitted”.
Its main story is “Public has given up on police, says watchdog”, in which it says a failure to investigate crimes has eroded trust. The FT also carries a picture of Trump – with Boris Johnson – under the headline “‘Apoplectic’ Trump vented fury at UK leader for Huawei decision”. The Times also leads on the same story: “Failing police ‘rumbled’ by weary public” . It also carries a large picture of the doctor who tried to warn about the coronavirus, who has died.
The Mirror’s splash is “IRA’s Brexit plot to bomb ferry”, which details claims about an “explosive device” allegedly found by police on a lorry headed for the UK. The Mail carries its joint investigation with the BBC into the warning signs displayed by the Tate Modern attacker. The Express carries a picture of Prince Andrew and the Queen and the headline “Andrew refuses honour for sake of Queen”. And the Sun features an image of Loose Women stars Linda Robson and Brenda Edwards on a night out.
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