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OCTOBER 7 (GMT) – OCTOBER 8 (AEST), 2020

AUSTRALIAUKNORTH AMERICA

Trump reports ‘no symptoms’

President Donald Trump, said to be making progress in his recovery from COVID-19, tweeted his eagerness to return to the campaign trail. As Trump convalesced out of sight in the White House, the administration defended the protections it has put in place to protect the staff working there to treat and support him. Trump again publicly played down the virus after his return from a three-day hospitalization, though even more aides tested positive.

Pence, Harris prepare for debate

Vice President Mike Pence and his Democratic challenger, California Sen. Kamala Harris, are poised to meet for a debate that will offer starkly different visions for a country confronting escalating crises. The faceoff in Salt Lake City is the most highly anticipated vice presidential debate in recent memory.

Tassie devils return to mainland

Tasmanian devils, the carnivorous marsupials whose feisty, frenzied eating habits won the animals cartoon fame, have returned to mainland Australia for the first time in some 3000 years. “Seeing those devils released into a wild landscape – it’s a really emotional moment,” said Liz Gabriel, director of conservation group Aussie Ark, which led the release effort in partnership with other conservation groups.

Local lockdowns ‘not working’

Local lockdown restrictions are “not working”, confusing and even “counter-productive”, leaders of northern cities have warned as the rate of coronavirus cases almost doubled in a week. Leaders in Manchester, Liverpool, Newcastle and Leeds warned Health Secretary Matt Hancock that they would not support further “economic lockdowns” and called for new powers to tackle the resurgence.

Supply chain woes spur concern

Concerns have been raised over the supply of vital testing materials for a range of conditions, including COVID-19, following a supply chain problem with pharmaceutical giant Roche. Earlier, Roche said it had experienced a “very significant drop” in its processing capacity due to a problem with its Sussex distribution centre, the only one in the UK. It has been reported that the shortage includes vital reagents, screening kits and swabs.

‘Auckland Autumn cluster’ over

New Zealand has a new COVID-19 milestone to celebrate – the recovery of the last people to have caught the virus in the country’s second wave. Health officials announced the effective end of the ‘Auckland Autumn cluster’ with the return to health of the last six Kiwis to have caught COVID-19 in the community. The fresh cluster, identified in August, brought to an end a 102-day run without fresh cases in New Zealand.

NEW ZEALANDUKNORTH AMERICA

YOUR DAILY TOP 12 STORIES FROM FRANK NEWS

FULL STORIES START ON PAGE 3

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OCTOBER 7 (GMT) – OCTOBER 8 (AEST), 2020

AUSTRALIAASIANORTH AMERICA

Biden questions second debate

Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden says he and President Donald Trump “shouldn’t have a debate” if he still has COVID-19. Biden said he’s “looking forward to being able to debate him” but said “we’re going to have to follow very strict guidelines.” He said he doesn’t know Trump’s status since the president returned to the White House after being hospitalized at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center for three days after a COVID-19 diagnosis.

Singed lion cub on the mend

An orphaned mountain lion cub who was badly burned in a Northern California wildfire is being treated at the Oakland Zoo after being rescued. The male cub, believed to be four to six weeks old, had his whiskers singed off and his paws severely burned. A state firefighter battling the Zogg Fire in Redding rescued him last week. As a result, he was named Captain Cal, after the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection’s mascot.

Community virus-free days over

After nearly two weeks of no new locally acquired coronavirus cases in NSW, health authorities have detected three new infections. Premier Gladys Berejikilian said NSW had reached 12 days without recording a single locally acquired case, but flagged three new cases would be counted in the next day’s recording period because they were reported after the daily deadline.

Negative views of China on rise

Negative perceptions of China have increased sharply among people in several advanced democracies, especially in Australia and Britain, according to a survey from the Pew Research Center. The survey comes as China is engaged in multiple trade and diplomatic disputes with its neighbors and other countries, driven in part by a more aggressive diplomatic approach.

North Korean ex-envoy defected

A senior North Korea diplomat who vanished in Italy in late 2018 lives in South Korea under government protection, lawmakers say. If confirmed, Jo Song Gil, North Korea’s former acting ambassador to Italy, would be the highest-level North Korean official to defect to rival South Korea since the 1997 arrival of Hwang Jang-yop, a senior ruling Workers’ Party official who once tutored leader Kim Jong Un’s father, late leader Kim Jong Il.

Commission fronts up to errors

The Electoral Commission has come under fire after a string of mistakes in the first week of advance voting. In one electorate, the white circle where voters tick for their preferred party was missing and at an Auckland polling station staff couldn’t find the Māori roll. Early voting numbers skyrocketed compared with previous years. More than 370,000 people cast their ballot in the first four days of advance voting.

NEW ZEALANDASIANORTH AMERICA

YOUR DAILY TOP 12 STORIES FROM FRANK NEWS

FULL STORIES START ON PAGE 6

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OCTOBER 7 (GMT) – OCTOBER 8 (AEST), 2020

NORTH AMERICA

California Sen. Kamala Harris, left, and Vice President Mike Pence. - AP

Pence, Harris prepare for vice presidential debateVice President Mike Pence and his Democratic challenger, California Sen. Kamala Harris, are poised to meet for a debate that will offer starkly different visions for a country confronting escalating crises.

The faceoff in Salt Lake City is the most highly anticipated vice presidential debate in recent memory. It will unfold while President Donald Trump recovers at the White House after testing positive last week for the coronavirus and spending several days in the hospital, a serious setback for his campaign that adds pressure on Pence to defend the administration’s handling of the pandemic.

For Harris, the debate is her highest-profile opportunity to vocalize how the Democratic presidential nominee, Joe Biden, would stabilize the US, especially when it comes to resolving the pandemic and addressing racial injustice. She will be able to explain her views on law enforcement, an area in which she’s viewed warily by some progressives, given her past as a prosecutor.

Ultimately, the debate is a chance for voters to decide whether Pence and Harris are in a position to step into the presidency at a moment’s notice. It’s hardly a theoretical question as the 74-year-old Trump combats the virus, and Biden, at 77, would become the oldest person to become president if he’s elected.

While the debate will likely cover a range of topics, the virus will be at the forefront.

Pence and Harris will appear on stage exactly 12.25 feet (3.7m) apart separated by plexiglass barriers. Anyone in the small audience who refuses to wear a mask will be asked to leave.

Pence, who was with Trump and others last week who have since tested positive, has faced questions about whether he should be at the debate at all. The vice president has repeatedly tested negative for the virus, and his staff and doctors insist he does not need to quarantine under Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines. ■

President Donald Trump. - AP

NORTH AMERICA

Trump making progress, reports ‘no symptoms’President Donald Trump, said to be making progress in his recovery from COVID-19, tweeted his eagerness to return to the campaign trail.

As Trump convalesced out of sight in the White House, the administration defended the protections it has put in place to protect the staff working there to treat and support him. Trump again publicly played down the virus on Twitter after his return from a three-day hospitalization, though even more aides tested positive, including one of his closest advisers, Stephen Miller.

In one significant national coronavirus action, Trump declared there would be no action before the election on economic-stimulus legislation – an announcement that came not long after the Federal Reserve chairman said such help was essential for recovery with the nation reeling from the human and economic cost of the pandemic. Stocks fell on the White House news.

As for Trump’s own recovery, his doctor, Navy Cmdr. Sean Conley, said in a letter that the president had a “restful” night at the White House and “reports no symptoms.”

Meanwhile, Trump was grappling with next political steps exactly four weeks from Election Day. Anxious to project strength, Trump, who is still contagious with the virus, tweeted that he was planning to attend next week’s debate with Democrat Joe Biden in Miami and “It will be great!”

Biden, for his part, said he and Trump “shouldn’t have a debate” as long as the president remains COVID positive.

Biden told reporters in Pennsylvania that he was “looking forward to being able to debate him” but said “we’re going to have to follow very strict guidelines.”

Elsewhere in the government, the scope of the outbreak was still being uncovered. The nation’s top military leaders including the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Gen. Mark Milley, and the vice chairman, Gen. John Hyten, were in quarantine after exposure to Adm. Charles W. Ray, the vice commandant of the Coast Guard. ■

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OCTOBER 7 (GMT) – OCTOBER 8 (AEST), 2020

UK

- PA

Supply chain woes spur COVID teseting fearsConcerns have been raised over the supply of vital testing materials for a range of conditions, including COVID-19, following a supply chain problem with pharmaceutical giant Roche.

Earlier, Roche said it had experienced a “very significant drop” in its processing capacity due to a problem with its Sussex distribution centre, the only one in the UK.

It has been reported that the shortage includes vital reagents, screening kits and swabs.

In addition to providing these chemicals and parts used in COVID-19 tests, Roche also provides materials for a wide range of procedures including blood and urine tests, as well as diabetic care.

Roche warned the issues with the supply chain may not be resolved for two to three weeks, but is prioritising the dispatch of COVID-19 and antibody tests.

In a letter seen by the PA news agency, the company told customers to activate their local contingency plans “and recommend that you look to prioritise essential services only”.

The letter adds: “In September we moved from our old warehouse to a new automated warehouse capable of much higher volumes.

“However, during the transition we encountered some unforeseen issues and a very significant drop in our processing capacity. Since then we have worked around the clock to prioritise and manage orders as well as increase this capacity”.

PA understands the issue has not had an impact on COVID-19 tests at this point.

However, concerns have been raised about the future supply of tests for the virus and the impact on making diagnoses and monitoring in other aspects of medicine.

An NHS spokesperson said: “Roche has alerted hospitals to an issue with their supply chain, and they will be working urgently to resolve this issue.” ■

A mobile advertising vehicle displaying a coronavirus high risk area warning in Oldham,

Greater Manchester. - PA

UK

Local lockdowns not working, leaders warnLocal lockdown restrictions are “not working”, confusing and even “counter-productive”, leaders of northern cities have warned as the rate of coronavirus cases almost doubled in a week.

Leaders in Manchester, Liverpool, Newcastle and Leeds warned Health Secretary Matt Hancock that they would not support further “economic lockdowns” and called for new powers to tackle the resurgence.

Professor John Edmunds, who is advising the Government’s coronavirus response, joined the criticism of local measures and said new national restrictions were needed immediately.

The calls came as the UK-wide seven-day rate increased to 125.7 COVID-19 cases per 100,000 people from 63.8 a week ago, according to analysis by the PA news agency.

The leaders of Leeds, Manchester and Newcastle city councils – Judith Blake, Sir Richard Leese and Nick Forbes – joined Liverpool mayor Joe Anderson to write to the Health Secretary to say they are “extremely concerned” with the rise in cases.

“The existing restrictions are not working, confusing for the public and some, like the 10pm rule, are counter-productive,” the Labour politicians wrote.

They called for additional powers to punish those who break rules, for new restrictions to be developed by police, council and public health experts and for a locally-controlled test and trace system.

“We want to be clear however that we do not support further economic lockdowns,” the leaders added.

Professor Edmunds, who sits on the scientific advisory group for emergencies (Sage), agreed local measures had failed and said more stringent lockdown restrictions are needed to bring the pandemic under control.

“These local restrictions that have been put in place in much of the north of England really haven’t been very effective,” he said. ■

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OCTOBER 7 (GMT) – OCTOBER 8 (AEST), 2020

NEW ZEALAND

- 123RF

Last virus community case in NZ recoversNew Zealand has a new COVID-19 milestone to celebrate – the recovery of the last people to have caught the virus in the country’s second wave.

Health officials announced the effective end of the ‘Auckland Autumn cluster’ with the return to health of the last six Kiwis to have caught COVID-19 in the community.

The fresh cluster, identified in August, brought to an end a 102-day run without fresh cases in New Zealand.

Kiwis can now start a new streak, as authorities erase all restrictions a second time.

Health Minister Chris Hipkins said the news was cause for celebration.

“This is a big milestone. New Zealanders have once again through their collective actions squashed the virus,” he said.

“The systems that have been developed and strengthened since our first wave of COVID-19 have worked very effectively to chase down the virus, isolate it, and eliminate it.”

Earlier, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said there was a 95 per cent chance the virus is not in the community.

NZ hasn’t reported a local case since September 24.However, it isn’t totally gone from New Zealand.Health officials are still finding cases within the country’s

border regime, identifying three on Wednesday from Kiwis returning home, all within managed isolation.

There are 37 people in quarantine with the virus, including one being treated in an Auckland hospital.

New Zealand’s pandemic death toll is 25. ■

A Tasmanian devil. - AP

AUSTRALIA

Tassie devils roaming the mainland againTasmanian devils, the carnivorous marsupials whose feisty, frenzied eating habits won the animals cartoon fame, have returned to mainland Australia for the first time in some 3000 years.

“Seeing those devils released into a wild landscape – it’s a really emotional moment,” said Liz Gabriel, director of conservation group Aussie Ark, which led the release effort in partnership with other conservation groups.

The 11 most recently released devils began exploring their new home once they were freed from round, white cages at the nearly 1000-acre Barrington Tops wildlife refuge in New South Wales state, about 190km (120 miles) north of Sydney.

Tasmanian devils went extinct in mainland Australia before the arrival of Europeans. Scientists believe the introduction of carnivorous dingoes, a surge in the indigenous human population, and a devastating dry season causedd by a prolonged El Nino caused the devil to migrate to present-day Tasmania, said University of Tasmania ecologist Menna Jones.

“I think any one of those three factors alone probably wouldn’t have caused extinction – but the three of them together likely caused the devil to become extinct on the mainland,” she said.

Devils have been protected in Australia since 1941, and conservationists have worked to bolster their populations for years, citing their importance as top predators who can suppress invasive species – like foxes and feral cats – and in turn protect smaller species and biodiversity.

One of the biggest blows to conservation efforts came in the 1990s when a communicable cancer called devil facial tumour disease – which passes between devils through their bites while mating and causes large tumours that prevent them from eating – reduced the population from some 140,000 to as few as 20,000.

Some experts question whether the introduction would have that hoped-for level of impact. ■

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OCTOBER 7 (GMT) – OCTOBER 8 (AEST), 2020

NORTH AMERICA

An orphaned mountain lion cub who was badly burned in a Northern California wildfire.

- AP

Singed mountain lion cub on the mendAn orphaned mountain lion cub who was badly burned in a Northern California wildfire is being treated at the Oakland Zoo after being rescued.

The male cub, believed to be four to six weeks old, had his whiskers singed off and his paws severely burned.

A state firefighter battling the Zogg Fire in Redding rescued him last week.

As a result, he was named Captain Cal, after the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection’s mascot.

The cougar, who now weighs about five pounds, was taken to the zoo’s veterinary hospital, where he was cleaned and given antibiotics, pain medications and fed a milk formula for kittens through a syringe.

X-rays determined he didn’t have any lung damage from smoke or bone damage to his paws.

A vet said he is currently eating on his own and acting feisty, both promising signs for his recovery.

Mountain lions usually stay with their mothers until they are about two years old in order to learn survival skills.

But this the animal was orphaned and now can’t learn those skills so he’ll be placed in a zoo once he’s ready to leave the veterinary hospital.

“We’re cautiously optimistic that this cub will now survive and thrive,” said Dr. Alex Herman, director of veterinary services at the zoo. ■

Democratic presidential candidate former Vice President Joe Biden. - AP

NORTH AMERICA

Biden questions second debate if Trump is sickDemocratic presidential candidate Joe Biden says he and President Donald Trump “shouldn’t have a debate” if he still has COVID-19.

Biden said he’s “looking forward to being able to debate him” but said “we’re going to have to follow very strict guidelines.”

He said he doesn’t know Trump’s status since the president returned to the White House after being hospitalized at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center for three days after a COVID-19 diagnosis.

Biden told reporters while boarding his plane back to Delaware in Hagerstown, Maryland: “I think if he still has COVID, then we shouldn’t have a debate.”

The next debate is scheduled for October 15, with a third debate slated for October 22.

Biden’s campaign said he tested negative for COVID-19 earlier Tuesday. ■

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OCTOBER 7 (GMT) – OCTOBER 8 (AEST), 2020

ASIA

People watch a TV showing an image of Jo Song Gil, the North Korea’s former ambassador

to Italy, right, during a news program in Seoul, South Korea. - AP

North Korean ex-envoy to defected to SouthA senior North Korea diplomat who vanished in Italy in late 2018 lives in South Korea under government protection, lawmakers say.

If confirmed, Jo Song Gil, North Korea’s former acting ambassador to Italy, would be the highest-level North Korean official to defect to rival South Korea since the 1997 arrival of Hwang Jang-yop, a senior ruling Workers’ Party official who once tutored leader Kim Jong Un’s father, late leader Kim Jong Il.

South Korea’s spy agency had earlier told lawmakers that Jo left his official residence in Rome with his wife in November 2018 and was under protection at an unspecified location outside the European country.

Lawmaker Ha Tae-keung, a member of the intelligence committee in the National Assembly, wrote on Facebook that Jo arrived in South Korea in July 2019 and is under the protection of the South Korean government.

Ha said he was confirming Jo’s arrival on behalf of the committee to prevent a media frenzy, after a South Korean TV station reported about his defection this week. Ha said the committee decided not to provide further details about Jo for his safety.

Jeon Hae-cheol, the committee’s chairman, said Jo came to South Korea voluntarily after expressing wishes to resettle here several times. Jeon said Jo didn’t want his arrival to be publicised because of worries about relatives in North Korea, according to Jeon’s office.

Neither lawmaker said how they obtained the information. It’s likely that they were briefed about Jo by the National Intelligence Service, the country’s main spy agency, as committee members routinely meet NIS officers for discussions on North Korea.

The NIS said it was checking reports about Jo’s arrival. South Korea’s foreign and unification ministries said they couldn’t confirm the reports. ■

- AP

ASIA

Negative views of China rise sharply Negative perceptions of China have increased sharply among people in several advanced democracies, especially in Australia and Britain, according to a survey from the Pew Research Center.

The survey comes as China is engaged in multiple trade and diplomatic disputes with its neighbors and other countries, driven in part by a more aggressive diplomatic approach.

The survey conducted in 14 democratic countries with advanced economies showed a majority of people had an unfavorable view of China. It was conducted from June 10 to August 3 among 14,276 adults across the 14 countries via telephone.

In Australia, 81 per cent said they have an unfavorable view of China, according to the survey, a rise of 24 per centage points from last year.

The rise corresponds with higher tensions in the bilateral relationship after Australia led the call for an international investigation into the origins of the coronavirus. China responded on the trade front, suspending imports of Australian beef, putting high tariffs on barley from the country and starting an anti-dumping probe into imports of Australian wine.

While the survey showed Australia had the sharpest increase in negative attitudes toward China, other countries also showed an upward trend: Those with an unfavorable view toward China hit 74 per cent in Britain, a rise of 19 percentage points compared to last year; 71 per cent in Germany, a rise of 15 points; and 73 per cent in the US, a rise of 13 points.

The 14 countries surveyed were the US, Canada, Belgium, Denmark, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Spain, Sweden, the UK, Australia, Japan and South Korea. The margin of error for the survey ranged from 3.1 per centage points in South Korea to 4.2 per centage points in Belgium.

In most countries surveyed, those with higher income levels were equally likely as those with lower levels of income to hold the negative views. ■

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OCTOBER 7 (GMT) – OCTOBER 8 (AEST), 2020

Electoral Commission fronts up after errorsThe Electoral Commission has come under fire after a string of mistakes in the first week of advance voting.

In one electorate, the white circle where voters tick for their preferred party was missing and at an Auckland polling station staff couldn’t find the Māori roll.

Early voting numbers skyrocketed compared with previous years.

More than 370,000 people cast their ballot in the first four days of advance voting – nearly 150,000 more than the same period at the last election.

But in catering for the streams of people wanting to have their say ahead of election day, mistakes have been made.

Wellington barrister Graeme Edgeler thought the most serious of those, was the missing tick box next to the Vision New Zealand party, but he said it was unlikely to make an impact.

“It’s the type of thing that if this was Election Day, and this has suddenly happened then it could be a problem,” Edgeler said.

“It’s in fact probably useful it’s happened during the advanced vote period because it will be able to be picked up well before the vast majority of people vote, so that hopefully, it won’t make enough of a difference to make a difference.”

Edgeler said as long as the voter had made their intention known, their vote for Vision NZ would be counted, despite the missing tick box.

But that did not offer any consolation to the party leader Hannah Tamaki who said it was sabotage.

Tamaki said: “Don’t they say every vote counts?“What if I’m 1000 votes down party vote to get to a

threshold?“Where will we know the variances? How will we know that I

could not have got those?“So to me, every vote counts. Every opportunity for a person

to vote is important to them. It’s their democratic right.” ■

NEW ZEALAND

- 123RF

Community virus-free days in NSW overAfter nearly two weeks of no new locally acquired coronavirus cases in NSW, health authorities have detected three new infections.

Premier Gladys Berejikilian said NSW had reached 12 days without recording a single locally acquired case, but flagged three new cases would be counted in the next day’s recording period because they were reported after the daily deadline.

“Concerningly, overnight, we’ve had three cases of community transmission. None of those cases are related to each other. Two are from southwestern Sydney and one is from western Sydney,” she said.

The new cases were announced hours after Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk confirmed even a single case of community transmission in NSW would send it back to square one in its quest to have the border re-open.

She has said the border would re-open on November 1 only if NSW had 28 days with no community transmission of COVID-19.

A deflated Berejikilian again implored her Queensland counterpart to reconsider her “unrealistic” stance.

“We’re always going to have cases pop up because we’re in a pandemic, but we’re also in an economy which is open,” she said.

“I say to the Queensland government, I appreciate you will probably come out today and say the 28 days is ticking from the start. Until the end of the pandemic, it is unlikely that NSW will get to 28 days with no community transmission.”

NSW Health said no new locally acquired cases were recorded in the 24 hours to 8pm on Tuesday, but three returned travellers in hotel quarantine were diagnosed.

NSW Health remains concerned about low testing rates over the past week.

There were 5970 tests reported in the 24-hour reporting period, compared with 5385 in the previous 24 hours.

NSW Health maintains at least 8000 people should be tested every day. ■

Healthcare workers conduct COVID-19 tests at a drive-through testing centre in Rozelle,

Sydney. - AAP

AUSTRALIA