Top story: ‘President was aware’, says Ukraine fixer
Hello, Warren Murray with a mix of Friday’s news picked for you.
Donald Trump has been hit with new allegations of wrongdoing by an agency within his own administration over the Ukraine affair. As the Senate opened an impeachment trial, the Government Accountability Office released a finding on Thursday morning that suspending military aid for Ukraine broke laws about disbursement of congressionally appropriated funds.
The Senate has begun the trial preliminaries: the supreme court chief justice, John Roberts, was sworn in to preside. He then swore in the 100 senators – 53 Republicans, 45 Democrats and two independents – as jurors. Each senator signed an “oath book” signifying a pledge of impartiality. Little else of substance took place and the Senate is due to start the trial proper at 1pm on Tuesday.
Depending whether the trial is allowed to hear from witnesses, key testimony may come from Lev Parnas – who has given damning accounts of how Trump personally directed an effort to pressure Ukraine to investigate Joe and Hunter Biden. Soviet-born Parnas acted as an intermediary. “He [Trump] was aware of all my movements,” Parnas told MSNBC. “I wouldn’t do anything without the consent of Rudy Giuliani or the president.”
Guardian exposes Grenfell conflict – Boris Johnson has told Grenfell survivors he will investigate the role of Benita Mehra in the public inquiry into the fire, after the Guardian revealed she had links through a charity to Arconic, the company that made the tower’s cladding. The prime minister met representatives of the Grenfell community at a pre-arranged visit to Downing Street on Thursday night shortly after it emerged that Mehra was previously president of a charity that received a £71,000 donation from the philanthropic arm of Arconic.
‘Fracking by stealth’ – Campaigners have warned the fracking moratorium announced by the UK government does not apply to a process where acid is injected into the earth to dissolve or fracture rock. No permits have yet been granted for acid stimulation in England, but companies commonly use acid wash to clean wells, and activists fear lack of monitoring could lead to “fracking by stealth”. More than 500 academics, politicians and campaigners have signed an open letter calling on the government to ban the practice over fears companies may use it to get around the moratorium.
Carillion’s toll on hospitals – Two new hospitals whose construction was halted by the collapse of Carillion have been delayed by two more years and will run hundreds of millions of pounds over budget, the National Audit Office has reported. The Royal Liverpool, originally scheduled to open in 2017, is now forecast to be completed in the autumn of 2022. The 669-bed Midland Metropolitan in Sandwell, due to open in October 2018, is now expected to open in July 2022. Jon Trickett MP, the shadow cabinet office minister, said the delays were “completely unacceptable … The Conservatives must take responsibility for being asleep at the wheel.”
‘Self-regulation not working’ – Social media firms should have to hand over data about who their users are and why they use the sites to reduce suicide among children and young people, psychiatrists have said. “We will never understand the risks and benefits of social media use unless the likes of Twitter, Facebook and Instagram share their data with researchers,” said Dr Bernadka Dubicka, from the Royal College of Psychiatrists. The government plans to set up a new online safety regulator and the college says it should be given the power to compel firms to hand over data. “Self-regulation is not working,” said Dubicka.
Get well soon – Soul Circus or Keswick Mountain Festival? Gong bath or forest bathing? Our travel team list five of the UK’s best adventure and wellness festivals, combining active, healthy days with nights of partying, in an increasingly popular format where outdoor pursuits meet live music.
Today in Focus podcast: The fallout in Iran
International correspondent Michael Safi discusses the mistakes and dangerous miscalculations that have been made by Iran in the wake of Qassem Suleimani’s death. And parliament’s youngest MP, Nadia Whitmore, talks about her new role.
Turmoil in Iran
Lunchtime read: ‘They will destroy you’
A decade ago, a new spirit of tolerance of the avant garde blossomed in Russia. But these days, it’s impossible to know where the lines are – as the country’s most celebrated director discovered to his cost.
Sport
Andy Murray’s battle to regain full fitness has taken another worrying turn and his quest to return full-time to the Tour must be in serious doubt. Moeen Ali has claimed he was made a scapegoat for England’s Test failings when he was in the side and he is not ready to make his return after taking a break from cricket’s long form. The Crystal Palace goalkeeper Lucy Gillett has said she was subjected to sexist abuse from male fans at Coventry United on Sunday.
Hull KR prop Mose Masoe suffered a “career-ending” spinal injury in Sunday’s pre-season game against Wakefield, head coach Tony Smith has confirmed. Kenenisa Bekele has agreed to race Eliud Kipchoge in a London Marathon for the ages in April. The new England Women’s head coach, Lisa Keightley, has challenged her players to reach the final of the ICC Twenty20 World Cup in Australia next month. Internazionale have agreed a €1.5m (£1.3m) fee with Manchester United for the full-back and club captain Ashley Young. And Derby have been charged by the English Football League with breaching the financial regulations of the Championship following a review of the controversial sale of Pride Park to the club’s owner, Mel Morris.
Business
Asian stock markets have followed Wall Street higher after China reported 6.1% economic growth in 2019 and Washington and Beijing signed their interim trade agreement. Shanghai, Tokyo, Hong Kong, the Kospi and Sydney all rose. China’s economic growth was the lowest since 1990 but forecasters pointed to improved activity in December. Look for $1.307 or €1.174 for your pound. The FTSE is about 15 points into positive territory before the open.
The papers
The Guardian leads with the millionaires who own both a betting company and a company that treats betting addicts. The Times has “Anger over witch hunt in hospital” – the saga of West Suffolk hospital where bosses demanded fingerprints from doctors after someone wrote a letter expressing concern about a patient’s death.
“Harry and Meghan let Frogmore staff go”, reports the Mail. The prince features on more than one front page, after he helped launch the rugby league world cup. The Metro gets it all into the furniture: “Game over – Harry on the ball for what could be his last official job as a senior royal”. The Mirror’s splash: “Harry and palace clash over money deals”.
The Telegraph says: “Big Ben Brexit bongs row descends into farce” as if the idea wasn’t one from the start. “I gateau get away” – not bad from the Sun as Sandi Toksvig quits Bake Off. Take a deep breath before you read the FT headline out loud: “City watchdogs set up drive to wean banks off Libor benchmark”. The Express is campaigning for a desperately sick boy: “Please … don’t let my son die” – Ayden Cochrane, 13, needs a “wonder pill” for cystic fibrosis. The i highlights a “Vegan boost as 40% of meat eaters cut back”.
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