Good morning, this is Emilie Gramenz bringing you the main stories and must-reads on Tuesday 25 August.
Top stories
A young man in Hong Kong has been diagnosed with coronavirus more than four months after he recovered from a first episode of the disease. It suggests that immunity to the virus can be short-lived and has raised more questions about vaccines against Covid-19. Here’s a breakdown of six of the most promising treatments for Covid-19 so far. And here’s a guide to convalescent plasma, a method that was contentiously given an emergency authorisation by Donald Trump for Covid-19 patients in the US.
Australians are prepared to countenance much stronger surveillance measures to ensure people diagnosed with Covid-19 remain in quarantine while they recover, according to the latest Guardian Essential poll. A survey of 1,068 respondents shows 60% of the sample would support compulsory tracking bracelets during self-isolation for people diagnosed with coronavirus. The aged care royal commission has criticised the Morrison government for failing to establish independent monitoring and reporting of aged care quality outcomes. An inquiry heard a security guard at a Melbourne hotel who contracted coronavirus received no infection control training and wasn’t clear on his obligation to tell his superiors if he felt unwell. And after Covid, there’s no getting excited about budget predictions.
The Republican party has formally nominated Donald Trump for re-election on the first day of a national convention meant to strike a contrast with Democrats and, in the president’s own words, deliver a “very uplifting and positive” message. Basking in chants of “Four more years! Four more years!”, Trump accused Democrats of trying to “steal” the election by expanding absentee voting during the coronavirus pandemic. He went so far as to say it was impossible for him to lose a fair contest in November.
Australia
Employers who use approved payroll software could be provided “safe harbour” against prosecution and penalties for wage underpayment under a plan put forward by the small and family business ombudsman.
Labor has claimed victory in the Northern Territory election, with the latest result count confirming the party will hold at least 13 seats in the 25-member assembly.
The Morrison government has proposed lifting a ban on the importation of exotic parrot species into Australia. Experts are concerned it could lead to the introduction of diseases and feral pests and an increase in illegal wildlife trade.
A judge has said nine-year-old Indigenous boy Quaden Bayles has an arguable case that he was defamed by columnist Miranda Devine. Justice Anna Katzmann has approved moves to serve court documents on the New York-based columnist.
The world
At least 90 people are feared trapped in the debris of a five-storey building that collapsed to the south of India’s financial capital of Mumbai, according to police in Maharashtra state.
Tests indicate that Alexei Navalny was the victim of a poisoning and he is being treated with atropine, the same antidote used after the 2018 nerve agent attack in Salisbury, according to the German clinic where the Kremlin critic is a patient.
A police officer is being investigated by the justice department in the US state of Wisconsin after a man appeared to be shot in the back. The shooting prompted hundreds to protest in the city of Kenosha, about 40 miles south of Milwaukee.
TikTok, the fast-growing video sharing app, has announced it is suing the US government over an executive order banning transactions with the Chinese company in the US. TikTok said it strongly disagreed with the White House’s position that the company was a national security threat.
Recommended reads
The early 70s was a seismic time for feminism, but the music industry was in no mood for a women’s lib banger. But that didn’t deter Helen Reddy. A Stan Original biopic I Am Woman stars Tilda Cobham-Hervey as Reddy. It follows the Australian star from her earliest days as a club singer in New York – where she arrived in 1966 with $235, a suitcase and her daughter Traci – to first topping the Billboard charts in 1972 and performing at the 1989 women’s march in Washington.
The events that have unfolded at AMP over recent weeks prove company directors today need to be as worried about good corporate governance as delivering a strong bottom line. The resignation of the chair of AMP, David Murray, on Monday and the demotion of one of its senior executives over the company’s response to a sexual harassment complaint, is a clear indicator to boards that environmental, social and governance issues are now regarded by shareholders as inextricably linked to a company’s value as an investment.
Prolific and versatile, the potato is one of the most consumed vegetables on planet Earth and a staple in our diets. They’re also easy to grow. Doing so is an activity best suited to a purpose-built unit – known as a spud tower. Here’s how to build one.
Listen
Will Scott Morrison take responsibility for the aged care crisis in Victoria? As Covid-19 tore through aged care homes during Victoria’s second wave, state and federal governments attempted to shift blame for the rising death toll. Political editor Katharine Murphy examines what has happened and who has ultimate responsibility.
Full Story is Guardian Australia’s daily news podcast. Subscribe for free on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or any other podcasting app.
Sport
After the war comes peace. While both sides now privately downplay the theatrics of the trans-Tasman Super Rugby discord and contend there is no need for a public armistice, it appears New Zealand has quietly pulled back in its endeavours to pressure Australia to cut teams. Rugby Australia appears to have emerged a winner, but there is still plenty for it to do.
The Miami Dolphins will allow up to 13,000 socially distancing fans to attend their home opener against Buffalo on 20 September. The decision has divided political leaders and upset Bills coach Sean McDermott.
Media roundup
In the Sydney Morning Herald, landowners in fire-prone areas will be required to carry out hazard-reduction burns on their properties as part of the Berejiklian government’s response to the Black Summer bushfires. The Australian reports that Deputy PM Michael McCormack is facing a destabilisation campaign led by senior Nationals MPs and party figures. Queensland is set to pinch Melbourne’s AFL grand final in a deal expected to cost Victoria’s economy more than $50m, according the the Australian Financial Review.
Coming up
Sentencing continues for the Australian gunman who pleaded guilty to murder and terror charges over the Christchurch mosque attacks that killed 51 people.
Victoria’s Covid-19 Inquiry resumes.
Federal court justice Darryl Rangiah is expected to deliver a judgment on whether to order a new trial between Clive Palmer and Western Australia on the state’s hard borders.
And if you’ve read this far …
KFC has admitted its famous Finger Lickin’ Good slogan is not quite right for the era of face masks and official hand-washing advice, launching a new advertising campaign with a change of focus. The fast food chain says it will need to move on, at least temporarily, from the tagline it has used on and off for more than six decades.
