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Barack Obama campaigns for Joe Biden in Philadelphia. Photograph: Michael M Santiago/Getty Images

Thursday briefing: Iran and Russia 'interfere' as Obama lays into Trump

This article is more than 3 years old
Barack Obama campaigns for Joe Biden in Philadelphia. Photograph: Michael M Santiago/Getty Images

Democrats spammed to vote for Trump or ‘we will come after you’ … Martin Bashir ‘seriously unwell’ with Covid … South Korea’s kimchi in peril

Top story: ‘Won’t protect us – can’t even protect himself’

Good morning, Warren Murray with news from all quarters.

Russia and Iran have obtained some US voting registration information and are attempting to influence the upcoming election, Donald Trump’s national intelligence director has said overnight. The rare news conference by the controversial Trump appointee John Ratcliffe was held as Barack Obama made a campaign trail appearance in support of Joe Biden.

Barack Obama likens Donald Trump to 'crazy uncle' in Joe Biden rally speech – video

Ratcliffe said Iran was using spoofed emails and videos “to imply that individuals could cast fraudulent ballots, including from overseas”. The FBI director, Christopher Wray, also spoke, warning against buying into misinformation about election results. “You should be confident your vote counts. Early unverified claims to the contrary should be viewed with a healthy dose of skepticism,” said Wray. Democratic voters have reportedly received threatening emails falsely claiming to be from the far-right Proud Boys, warning “we will come after you” if the recipients do not vote for Trump.

Ratcliffe, a conservative Republican, attempted to portray the scams as intended to smear the president – an irony considering Trump and many of his supporters have been among those spreading baseless claims to discredit the voting process. Democrats accused Ratcliffe of misusing his office as a “partisan hack”. On the stump in Philadelphia, Barack Obama gave a rousing stump speech in support of Joe Biden, saying of the president’s record on coronavirus: “Donald Trump isn’t suddenly going to protect all of us. He can’t even take the basic steps to protect himself.” Rudy Giuliani has been kept busy explaining how he tucks in his shirt while lying down after being filmed prostrate with his hand down his pants after being lured to the hotel room of a female fake reporter for the new Borat film. And a reminder that our Guardian US colleagues cordially invite you to receive their weekly briefing, Fight to Vote, on all things election-oriented.


Coronavirus latest – Martin Bashir, the senior BBC journalist, is “seriously unwell” with Covid-19, the BBC has announced. Rishi Sunak is today expected to announce his fourth package of support for business in as many months amid mounting pressure to help hard-hit companies in lockdown affected regions. The pandemic has slashed up to 34% from private rents in London, while other cities led by Edinburgh have also reported a decline, as the move to home working prompts people to move out of cities into the suburbs, smaller towns and rural areas where they can have a bigger home for less money surrounded by more green space. Official figures show one in three households have experienced income cuts, with young adults and BAME people worst hit. The Financial Conduct Authority said 12 million adults were struggling to pay their bills, up by two million since coronavirus struck in February. France has surpassed a million cases since the pandemic began while Germany has for the first time recorded 10,000 cases in a day – these and other developments at our global live blog.


‘Quiet hero’ of the republic – The French teacher decapitated while returning home from school has been posthumously awarded the Légion d’honneur, hours after France’s anti-terrorism prosecutor said the killer had paid two pupils from the school to identify his victim. Samuel Paty, 47, was killed on Friday after showing his class two cartoons of the prophet Muhammad as part of a discussion on free speech.

'The face of the republic': Macron pays tribute to killed teacher Samuel Paty – video

Paty was “a quiet hero”, a visibly moved President Emmanuel Macron said in a 15-minute speech as he bestowed the honour. “He was the victim of stupidity, of lies, of confusion, of a hatred of what, in our deepest essence, we are … On Friday he became the face of the Republic.”


Push to deport rough sleepers – Foreign rough sleepers face being deported from Britain under an immigration crackdown when the Brexit transition period ends. Rough sleeping will become grounds for refusal of, or cancellation of, permission to be in the UK. Charities described the move as a “huge step backwards” that would prevent vulnerable people from asking for help. The Home Office said the rule would be used sparingly, for example where rough sleepers declined offers of support – but clearing homeless people from the streets is said to be a priority of Boris Johnson and his ministers. The policy is expected to be highly divisive: in 2017 a Home Office policy to deport rough sleepers from countries in the European Economic Area was ruled unlawful by the high court.


‘We let victims down’ – The Met has apologised and admitted that errors made in a police investigation of a vicious racist attack were the result of discrimination by officers. Niyad Farah, 38, was left unconscious after being punched and dragged during an attack by seven white men on Kilburn Lane, in north-west London, in the early hours of 22 December 2019. Farah said an officer asked questions that suggested she and friends with her might have been buying drugs from the men, and no statement was taken from her for two months. CCTV footage was not obtained and subsequently lost. After months of complaints from Farah and coverage by the Newsnight programme, the Met has launched an internal investigation, saying: “This was an appalling attack and we are sorry for letting the victims in this case down.”


Crisis fermenting – Extreme weather has destroyed cabbage crops and left the kimchi lovers of South Korea facing a dire shortage of their main ingredient. The spicy pickle accompanies almost every meal in South Korea and has become a popular “superfood” internationally.

People take part in a kimchi making event in Seoul. Photograph: Jung Yeon-Je/AFP/Getty Images

Prices have risen by up to 60% just before the start of the traditional kimchi-making season when people season cabbage with chilli powder, garlic, and other ingredients before leaving it to ferment. The communal kimjang tradition of home-brewing kimchi is recognised by Unesco. South Koreans eat more than two million tonnes of kimchi a year.

Today in Focus podcast: US polls – can they be trusted?

The Guardian US data editor, Mona Chalabi, casts a sceptical eye over the US polling industry that is once again predicting defeat for Donald Trump. Has it learned lessons from 2016?

Today in Focus

US polls – can they be trusted?

00:00:00
00:29:42

Lunchtime read: Blurred legacy of the International Brigades

In the 1930s, thousands of men and women around the world enlisted to fight fascism in Spain. Many survivors went on to play a key role in the fight against the Nazis – but, in some cases, later became powerful servants of brutal regimes, writes Giles Tremlett.

The German Thälmann battalion of the International Brigades circa 1936. Photograph: Keystone-France/Gamma-Keystone/Getty Images

Separately, Helena Smith has the story from Greece of how female lawyers and judiciary have been at the forefront of bringing down the neo-fascist group Golden Dawn – in court proceedings that have put more Nazi leaders and sympathisers in the dock than at any time since Nuremberg.

Sport

Jürgen Klopp believes Fabinho’s ­confidence and stature in the heart of Liverpool’s defence will continue to grow after the Brazilian produced a dominant display in the 1-0 victory at Ajax. Manchester City recovered from a shaky start to come from behind and beat Porto 3-1 in their opening Group C match while Real Madrid fell to a shock 3-2 defeat at home against an under-strength Shakhtar Donetsk in a stunning upset. The backlash against the decision to drop doping charges against the world 400m champion Salwa Eid Naser has intensified with the woman she beat to gold last year and the World Anti-Doping Agency president expressing their “concerns”. Marcus Rashford, the England and Manchester United striker, has vented his “despair” as Labour’s plea for free school meals to be extended over the holidays to stop children going hungry fell on closed ears in government.

Maro Itoje’s hopes of captaining the British & Irish Lions tour of South Africa appear to have suffered a setback with England players unavailable for the pre-tour match against Japan next summer because of Premiership regulations. George Ford has emerged as an injury doubt for England’s Six Nations finale against Italy a week on Saturday, potentially forcing Eddie Jones into an overhaul of his midfield for the crucial trip to Rome. Carly Telford has had almost a year playing mother hen on international duty and as England prepare to face Germany on Tuesday the goalkeeper has reprised the role for the latest training camp. And he Australian rider Ben O’Connor won the 17th stage of the Giro d’Italia, a 203km mountain trek from Bassano del Grappa, as João Almeida retained the overall lead at the end of a quiet day for the top contenders.

Business

Asian stocks have followed Wall Street lower as investors watch whether Washington can agree an economic aid plan in the two weeks before the presidential election. Market benchmarks in Shanghai, Tokyo, Hong Kong and Seoul retreated, as they did in New Zealand, Australia, Singapore and Jakarta. The FTSE is lower as well at time of writing while the pound is worth £1.312 and €1.108 at present.

The papers

“So cruel” – the Mirror sides with Marcus Rashford who has spoken of his despair that the government won’t repeat its holiday meals scheme for needy children. The Metro leads with “Pope blesses gay weddings” while the Guardian’s splash is “No 10 criticised for ‘immoral’ plan to deport rough sleepers”.

Guardian front page, Thursday 22 October 2020.

The Times has “Worried young help to slow spread of Covid-19” while the Mail is all incredulity with “Covid police chief – even I don’t know the rules”. The Telegraph says “Care staff ordered to work in one home only” amid concerns over the spread of coronavirus among the elderly.

The Express says “Finally the penny drops! EU agrees to respect our sovereignty”, after a speech by Michel Barnier broke the impasse in trade talks. The FT’s on that story but naturally with a different angle: “Sterling rallies as Brexit talks restart in final push for a deal”.

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