Ten Things You Need to Know Today: Tuesday 25 Aug 2020

1. Trump claims opponents may ‘steal’ US election

Donald Trump has warned the Republican Party that its opponents may “steal” November’s election. “They’re using Covid to defraud the American people,” the president told delegates on day one of the party convention in North Carolina. “The only way they can take this election away from us is if this is a rigged election,” he added. Trump also warned of a “rigged” election in 2016, when trailing in the polls.

‘Fumigate him out’: what happens if Donald Trump refuses to accept defeat?

2. First Covid-19 reinfection confirmed in Hong Kong

Researchers in Hong Kong have confirmed the first case of Covid-19 reinfection, after the virus was discovered for a second time in a man who tested positive twice at airport screenings four and half months apart. Experts say that the news shows that long-term immunity cannot be guaranteed and casts doubt on whether a one-off vaccine will be able to deliver protection.

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Can you be infected with coronavirus twice?

3. Zaghari-Ratcliffe says UK delaying release to avoid offending Trump

Lawyers for jailed British-Iranian mother Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe claim the British government has delayed securing her release from jail in Iran for fear of offending the Trump administration. Zaghari-Ratcliffe has been under effective house arrest in Tehran since March, when she was given temporary release during the pandemic having already served four years of a five year sentence for espionage.

Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe: jailed mother ‘traumatised’ by escalating Iran crisis

4. Alexei Navalny poisoning confirmed by German clinic

A German clinic has confirmed that Russian dissident Alexei Navalny was the victim of a poisoning. Berlin’s Charite hospital said the Vladimir Putin critic is being treated with atropine, the same antidote used after the 2018 nerve agent attack in Salisbury. His supporters suspect poison was placed in a cup of tea he drank at an airport in Tomsk, after Navalny fell ill on an internal flight in Russia on Thursday.

Has Alexei Navalny fallen foul of a ‘Putin poisoning’?

5. Protests in Wisconsin after Jacob Blake shooting

Police and protesters have clashed for a second night in Wisconsin after officers shot a black man on Sunday. Jacob Blake is reportedly in a stable condition after he was shot multiple times as he tried to get into a car in the city of Kenosha. Footage of the shooting went viral on social media, sparking protests and leading county officials to impose a curfew. Reports suggest up to 200 members of the National Guard were to be deployed on Monday.

Donald Trump ‘twists stats’ with police brutality against whites claim

6. One in eight Covid hospital cases ‘caught on-site’

One in eight hospital cases of Covid-19 were “caught on-site”, according to a new study. Researchers at King’s College London said the relatively low rate of discovery shows there was effective infection control in place. Lead author Dr Ben Carter said: “The majority of these patients had already been in hospital for a long time. They were older, frailer and had pre-existing health conditions.”

Coronavirus can spread through hospital ward ‘in ten hours’

7. Controversy as military chiefs plan to mothball tanks

Military chiefs are planning to wrap up the use of Britain’s tanks as part of radical proposals to modernise the armed forces, reports The Times. Other military assets will be given priority under the plans, which have already controversy among skeptics of the plan. “We simply will not be viewed as a credible leading Nato nation if we cannot field close-combat capabilities,” said one critic.

Is the British Army still fit for purpose?

8. BBC confirms Land of Hope and Glory will be played

The BBC has confirmed that orchestral versions of Land Of Hope And Glory and Rule Britannia will be performed at the Last Night Of The Proms. The presence of the traditional anthems had allegedly been thrown into doubt due to their association with colonialism and slavery but the broadcaster said the culmination of the annual celebration of classical music will include “familiar, patriotic elements”.

Should the UK pay slavery reparations and which institutions could owe money?

9. Thailand to kickstart tourism under ‘safe and sealed’ plan

Thailand is preparing to welcome back international tourists from October, provided they’re willing to spend several weeks in the kingdom and stick to designated areas. Under the program dubbed “Safe and Sealed,” tourists will initially be permitted to fly into Phuket Island, but will then be required to quarantine in a designated resort for 14 days before heading further afield.

Quarantine-free travel: which countries are safe to visit?

10. Broadcaster says generation of black talent has missed out

Racism in British television has forced out a generation of black talent who quit because they were being ignored or worn down by their experiences, according to the broadcaster and historian David Olusoga. He added that the BBC’s recent use of the N-word on air had “genuinely damaged faith in the BBC among many black people” and would not have happened if there were more black staff in newsrooms.

How racist is Britain today?