Top story: ‘Doing everything we can to find Sarah’
Hello, this is the Guardian morning briefing for Wednesday with me, Warren Murray.
A serving Metropolitan police officer has been arrested in connection with the disappearance of Sarah Everard in south London. The Met said in a statement last night that officers had arrested a man at an address in Kent. “He has been taken into custody at a London police station where he remains,” the statement said. A woman was arrested at the same location on suspicion of assisting an offender and also taken into custody. Everard, a 33-year-old marketing executive, went missing after leaving a friend’s house in Clapham at about 9pm on 3 March.
Assistant Commissioner Nick Ephgrave said: “The arrest this evening is a serious and significant development. We will continue to work with all speed on this investigation but the fact that the arrested man is a serving Metropolitan police officer is both shocking and deeply disturbing.
“I understand there will be significant public concern but it is essential that the investigative team are given the time and space to continue their work.” Everard’s family was being kept updated with developments, the Met said. “This is a significant development in our inquiry,” said DCI Katherine Goodwin. “This is a fast moving investigation and we are doing everything we can to find Sarah. We have seen an overwhelming response from the public and I repeat my request for anyone with information that may be relevant to come forward, no matter how insignificant it may seem.”
* * *
‘Whole family is saddened’ – The Queen has said issues raised by the Duke and Duchess of Sussex will be dealt with “privately” by the royal family. In a statement last night the monarch said: “The whole family is saddened to learn the full extent of how challenging the last few years have been for Harry and Meghan. The issues raised, particularly that of race, are concerning. While some recollections may vary, they are taken very seriously and will be addressed by the family privately.” In an interview with Oprah Winfrey, Meghan revealed she was left feeling suicidal, while the couple said a member of the royal household asked how dark their unborn son’s skin would be.
Fallout has extended to the media with Piers Morgan quitting ITV’s Good Morning Britain after making critical remarks about Meghan and stalking off set during an on-air row. Meanwhile the Society of Editors was in turmoil with some of its board said to be “deeply angry” over a statement it put out claiming racism was never a factor in coverage of Meghan. Katharine Viner, the editor-in-chief of the Guardian, was among those to speak out: “Every institution in the United Kingdom is currently examining its own position on vital issues of race and the treatment of people of colour. As I have said before, the media must do the same. It must be much more representative and more self-aware.” The MP Holly Lynch has said the hounding of the Duchess of Sussex shows parliament must take further action against press bullying. In the Oprah interview, Harry suggested a cross-party letter from 72 female MPs to Meghan in 2019 – arranged by Lynch, and “calling out the colonial undertones of articles and headlines written about Meghan”, had been of greater support than his own family.
* * *
Midweek catch-up
> Rules are being introduced to make appliances such as fridges, washing machines and TVs cheaper to run and longer lasting. There will be a legal requirement to supply spare parts, as part of measures to keep things working up to 10 years longer, cut carbon emissions and reduce the UK’s 1.5m tonnes of electrical waste a year.
> More than 300 jobs are expected to go at Evans Cycles’ 55 stores with hundreds of remaining staff put on zero-hours contracts as Mike Ashley’s Frasers Group aims to slash costs, despite booming trade for bike retailers during the pandemic.
> China could invade Taiwan within the next six years as Beijing works to supplant American military power in Asia, US Admiral Philip Davidson has told senators, also calling for defences against Chinese missiles to be installed on the island of Guam.
> Nancy Pelosi has hailed a $1.9tn Covid relief bill as “historic” and “transformative” as the US House of Representatives prepares to give its final approval today.
* * *
‘No point’ reporting sexual assault – Virtually all young women in the UK have been subjected to sexual harassment, according to a survey. The YouGov survey of more than 1,000 women, seen exclusively by the Guardian, exposes a damning lack of faith in the UK authorities’ desire and ability to deal with sexual harassment – 96% of respondents did not report it, with 45% saying it would not change anything. They included women who had been groped, followed and coerced into sexual activity. Claire Barnett, executive director of UN Women UK, said women were “constantly modifying their behaviour in an attempt to avoid being objectified or attacked”.
* * *
£22bn spent, no trace of result – There is no evidence the government’s £22bn test-and-trace programme in England helped reduce coronavirus infection levels, parliament’s spending watchdog has concluded. The public accounts committee has challenged ministers to justify the “staggering investment of taxpayers’ money” and criticised the use of private consultants who are paid up to £6,624 a day while NHS workers are faced with only a 1% pay rise. Labour has demanded the government release 100 Covid-related contracts, accusing ministers of handing out taxpayer money to those with “close links” to the Conservatives “without any transparency”. In global coronavirus news, Japan is moving towards hosting the Tokyo Olympics without overseas fans – more developments at our live blog.
Today in Focus podcast: The global vaccine divide
The speed at which the world’s scientists have managed to create several effective Covid vaccines has been close to miraculous. But as Michael Safi says, the richest countries have taken the lion’s share.
Lunchtime read: Dirty digger at 90
As executive chairman of News Corp – home to the Wall Street Journal, the Sun, the Times and the Australian newspapers, among others – and co-chairman of Fox Corporation, broadcaster of Fox News and NFL games, Rupert Murdoch remains firmly in control of a formidably powerful media empire. However, the long-term implications of his Fox network’s rightwing editorial stance, and that of a number of its news publishing assets, pose an increasing succession problem.
His younger son James – once seen as the heir apparent – has disavowed the family business, lumping it in with US media groups that “propagated lies” unleashing the “insidious and uncontrollable forces” during the Capitol riot. James has resigned from the board of News Corp, putting Lachlan Murdoch first in line. But “Lachlan doesn’t have universal support across the family”, one source tells Mark Sweney, and his future intentions if and when he does take over are unclear. The succession drama may still have a while to unfold: Rupert Murdoch’s mother, Dame Elisabeth, lived until the age of 103.
Sport
Juventus beat 10-man Porto 3-2 in the second leg of their Champions League last-16 tie but were knocked out on away goals on a thrilling night in Turin while in Germany, Erling Braut Haaland scored twice as Borussia Dortmund reached the quarter-finals with a 5-4 aggregate win over Sevilla. Wayne Barnes has been laying down the law with the England squad this week after a high penalty count in the opening three rounds contributed to the champions relinquishing their title early. Japan’s government has decided to stage the Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics without overseas spectators because of fears among the population over the potential spread of Covid-19, the Kyodo news agency has reported.
Jos Buttler has defended his involvement in the IPL, saying it will be great preparation for the Twenty20 World Cup in India in October. A review into abuse in British gymnastics has received submissions from nearly 400 people, with 39 cases considered so serious they have been passed to local authorities because of child safeguarding reasons or concerns of ongoing criminal conduct. Women and girls face double the risk of concussion and developing brain injuries from playing sport, but the issue is largely being ignored, British MPs have been told. The NBA is looking into Miami Heat centre Meyers Leonard’s use of an antisemitic slur during a Twitch stream. Cameron Smith has been hailed as an “undisputed legend” of rugby league after the Australian finally announced his retirement from the sport on the eve of the new NRL season. And the former England fast bowler Joey Benjamin has died at the age of 60.
Business
Some of the UK’s biggest pension funds with holdings worth nearly £900bn have committed to cutting the carbon emissions of their portfolios to net zero by 2050 or earlier. The decision by funds including those of the Church of England, Lloyds Banking Group and the National Grid is the latest sign that big investors have increased their focus on the climate crisis. The FTSE100 is expected to fall around 0.7% this morning despite a bounce in Asian stocks overnight. The pound will fetch you $1.385 and €1.167.
The papers
A more detailed look at the front pages today in Martin Farrer’s review. Our usual summary follows. The Telegraph goes with “Issue of race concerning, but recollections may vary, says Queen”, while the Times has “Queen says racism claim will be handled in private”.
The Mail splashes on a poll claiming a “huge backlash” against the Sussexes. “Poll: now strip them of their titles”, the splash headline says, above a story reporting that 51% of people surveyed want the couple sanctioned, with 28% against. The Guardian front-page story is headlined “Royals respond to race row: ‘We will address this in private’”, and also reports on the related departure of Piers Morgan: “ITV drama as Morgan storms off and quits”. But its main story is about a funding crisis in local government: “Revealed: true scale of the cash crisis facing councils”.
The Sun’s front page is “Recollections may vary” beneath a picture of Meghan and the Queen in happier times, while the Express also has “Recollections may vary says Queen”. The Mirror has a more upbeat line on the Sussexes: “Queen: We will always love you”. The i leads on “NHS pay rise: public says 1% not enough” and the FT has “England’s £23bn test and trace programme condemned by MPs”. The Scotsman leads with “Mother’s Day reunions as social restrictions eased” while the Herald reports on sexual harassment allegations against the SNP chief whip, Patrick Grady, who has stood down pending a party investigation.
Sign up
The Guardian Morning Briefing is delivered to thousands of inboxes bright and early every weekday. If you are not already receiving it by email, you can sign up here.
For more news: www.theguardian.com
