SEPTEMBER 1 (GMT) – SEPTEMBER 2 (AEST), 2020

YOUR DAILY TOP 12 STORIES FROM FRANK NEWS

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NORTH AMERICA UK AUSTRALIA

Trump, Biden clash over violence Students return to classrooms Support to extend emergency

The battle over who can keep Americans Education unions are calling for a A six-month extension to the Victorian safe after recent deadly protests has temporary ban on school absence government’s state of emergency powers emerged as the sharpest dividing line for fines as thousands of pupils return is expected to pass parliament after an the presidential campaign’s final weeks to classrooms in England and Wales. intervention by the Greens. Victorian as Joe Biden condemned the violence Approximately 40 per cent of schools Greens upper house MP Samantha and President Donald Trump defended are expected to welcome back students Ratnam returned from maternity leave to a supporter accused of fatally shooting for the start of the autumn term, despite vote for the government’s amended bill. “I two men. While the president blamed concerns being raised about their ability felt it was just too important that I had to Biden, his Democratic foe, for siding with to reopen safely. It will be the first time be here today,” she said as she arrived at “anarchists,” Biden, in his most direct many pupils in England have stepped parliament with two-month-old Malala. attacks yet, accused Trump of causing the into a classroom since March. divisions that have ignited the violence.

NORTH AMERICA UK NEW ZEALAND

Drone deliveries move closer Record number of crossings Gunman designated terror entity

Getting an Amazon package delivered More than 1450 migrants arrived in the The Christchurch mosque shooter has from the sky is closer to becoming UK by small boats in August despite been designated as a terrorist entity a reality. The Federal Aviation a vow from Priti Patel to make the by Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern. Administration said it had granted dangerous route “unviable”. In recent The designation under New Zealand Amazon approval to deliver packages by weeks the Home Office has sought to legislation freezes the assets of terrorist drones. Amazon said that the approval blame French authorities and “activist entities and makes it a criminal offence is an “important step,” but added that it lawyers” for rising numbers of crossings to participate in or support the activities is still testing and flying the drones. It did and difficulties removing asylum seekers of the designated terrorist entity. Earlier, not say when it expected drones to make once they arrive in Britain. Australian Brenton Tarrant who carried deliveries to shoppers. out the mosque attacks in March 2019, was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of ever leaving jail.

1 SEPTEMBER 1 (GMT) – SEPTEMBER 2 (AEST), 2020

YOUR DAILY TOP 12 STORIES FROM FRANK NEWS

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EUROPE WORLD AUSTRALIA

Poll workers describe fraud Hard times for farmers, hunger JobKeeper extension passed

Even before the August 9 presidential The coronavirus pandemic has brought JobKeeper wage subsidies are being split election in Belarus ended, a poll worker hard times for many farmers and has into a two-tiered system and extended in Minsk said she was asked to sign a imperiled food security for many millions for another six months. Labor has waved document summing up its result, with the both in the cities and the countryside. through the six-month extension after vote totals left blank. Another worker who United Nations experts are holding an failing to introduce a wage floor for pointed out violations during the vote- online conference to brainstorm ways workers who are no longer eligible for counting was fired on the spot. In the to help alleviate hunger and prevent the the scheme. Independent senator Rex small city of Vitebsk, a poll worker signed problems from worsening in the Asia- Patrick also could not secure enough a document with falsified results in favour Pacific region – a challenge made doubly support for an amendment to force of President Alexander Lukashenko and difficult by the loss of many millions of businesses that have paid dividends or later was wracked with guilt for betraying jobs due to the crisis. executive bonuses to repay the wage the trust of the voters. subsidies.

EUROPE WORLD NEW ZEALAND

Russia’s virus cases top 1 million Talks held amid rising tensions Hipkins wants students at school

Russia’s tally of confirmed coronavirus Indian and Chinese military commanders There is no good reason to keep children cases surpassed one million as held talks for a second day following a away from school despite the COVID-19 authorities reported 4729 new cases. new escalation in tensions along their outbreak, Education Minister Chris With a total of 1,000,048 reported cases, contested border in the Ladakh region. Hipkins says. Around 250,000 children Russia has the fourth largest caseload in Both of the Asian giants have accused were expected to return Monday as the world after the US, Brazil and India. the other of fresh provocations, including Auckland moved to alert level 2.5. but Experts say the true toll of the pandemic allegations of soldiers crossing into many stayed away. Principals say parents is much higher than all reported figures, each other’s territory, months after their are more fearful following Auckland’s due to limited testing, missed mild cases deadliest standoff in decades. second outbreak and they would rather and concealment of cases by some not take the risk of sending their children governments, among other factors. back to school.

2 SEPTEMBER 1 (GMT) – SEPTEMBER 2 (AEST), 2020

President Donald Trump. - AP One of Amazon’s planned delivery drones. - AP

NORTH AMERICA NORTH AMERICA Trump, Biden clash Amazon drone deliveries over violence, unrest move closer to reality

The battle over who can keep Americans safe after Getting an Amazon package delivered from the sky is recent deadly protests has emerged as the sharpest closer to becoming a reality. dividing line for the presidential campaign’s final weeks as Joe Biden condemned the violence and President The Federal Aviation Administration said it had granted Donald Trump defended a supporter accused of fatally Amazon approval to deliver packages by drones. shooting two men. mazon said that the approval is an “important step,” but added that it is still testing and flying the drones. It did not say While the president blamed Biden, his Democratic foe, for when it expected drones to make deliveries to shoppers. siding with “anarchists,” Biden, in his most direct attacks yet, The online shopping giant has been working on drone accused Trump of causing the divisions that have ignited delivery for years, but it has been slowed by regulatory hurdles. the violence. He delivered an uncharacteristically blistering Back in December 2013, Amazon CEO and founder Jeff Bezos speech and distanced himself from radical forces involved in said in a TV interview that drones would be flying to customer’s altercations. homes within five years. Biden said of Trump, “He doesn’t want to shed light, he Last year, Amazon unveiled self-piloting drones that are fully wants to generate heat, and he’s stoking violence in our cities. electric, can carry five pounds of goods and are designed to He can’t stop the violence because for years he’s fomented it.” deliver items in 30 minutes by dropping them in a backyard. Trump blames radical troublemakers stirred up and backed At the time, an Amazon executive said deliveries to shoppers by Biden. But when he was asked about one of his own would be happening “within months,” but more than 14 supporters who was charged with killing two men during the months have passed since then. mayhem in Kenosha, Wisconsin, he declined to denounce the Seattle-based Amazon is the third drone delivery service killings and suggested that 17-year-old Kyle Rittenhouse was to win flight approval, the FAA said. Delivery company UPS acting in self defense. and a company owned by search giant Google won approval After a confrontation in which he shot one man, police say, last year. ■ Rittenhouse was chased by two others. The teenager, who was illegally carrying the firearm, was charged with homicide after killing two people and injuring a third. “That was an interesting situation,” said Trump. “He was trying to get away from them, I guess, it looks like, and he fell. And then they very violently attacked him. … He was in very big trouble. He would have been – you probably would’ve been killed.” Trump’s refusal to condemn the shootings could add to tensions and the reaction in Kenosha when he visits. He’s going despite pleas from Wisconsin’s Democratic governor to stay away for fears of sparking further tumult. Trump said his appearance could “increase enthusiasm” in Wisconsin, which is a hotly contested battleground state. ■

3 SEPTEMBER 1 (GMT) – SEPTEMBER 2 (AEST), 2020

- PA A group of people thought to be migrants are brought into Dover, Kent, by Border Force officers following a small boat incident in the Channel. - PA

UK UK Thousands of students Record number of return to classrooms channel crossings

Education unions are calling for a temporary ban on More than 1450 migrants arrived in the UK by small school absence fines as thousands of pupils return to boats in August despite a vow from Priti Patel to make classrooms in England and Wales. the dangerous route “unviable”.

Approximately 40 per cent of schools are expected to welcome In recent weeks the Home Office has sought to blame back students for the start of the autumn term, despite French authorities and “activist lawyers” for rising numbers of concerns being raised about their ability to reopen safely. crossings and difficulties removing asylum seekers once they It will be the first time many pupils in England have arrive in Britain. stepped into a classroom since March, when schools were But despite the deployment of RAF planes and the closed except to look after vulnerable children and those of appointment of a clandestine Channel threat commander, keyworkers. large numbers of people have continued to attempt the The National Association of Head Teachers (NAHT) said the perilous crossing. Government should temporarily scrap fines for parents who More suspected migrants were seen arriving in the Port of do not send their children back to class due to fears around Dover on Tuesday morning and Border Force remains active in coronavirus. the English Channel. NAHT general secretary Paul Whiteman said: “If you are a The news comes after the Ministry of Defence announced parent and you are worried about safety, a fine is unlikely to that a drone used in Afghanistan is to be deployed to the make you feel any safer. Dover Strait to help monitor crossings. “The Government understands this, but the threat of fines Charities have continued calls for the Government to still remains, so we’re urging the Government to take the threat establish safe and legal routes for migrants to claim asylum of fines off the table for the coming term. instead of crossing the Channel in small boats. “This would send a powerful signal to parents and families More than 1450 migrants are known to have reached the and could well mean that more of them are willing to bring UK in small boats in August, data analysis by the PA news their children back to school, which is what we all want to see.” agency shows. The school leaders’ union said while it hoped attendance This is believed to be the record for a single month and is would be “as close to 100 per cent as possible”, it understood almost as much as June and July combined. “there will be some families who do not yet feel ready to In January 2020 just 94 migrants successfully made it to return”. the UK across the Channel, but better weather and increased Its recent survey of more than 4000 school leaders in success appear to have led to a spike in crossings in the England and Wales found that 97 per cent plan to reopen their summer months. schools to all pupils at the start of the autumn term, with the Last month also saw a new single-day record for migrant date varying across the country. arrivals set, with at least 235 migrants making it to the UK on The remaining three per cent, which were not immediately August 6. reopening, were planning transition periods for new pupils This is despite Home Secretary Patel’s vow last year that the or phasing entry to alleviate students’ anxieties, according to crossings would be an “infrequent phenomenon” by now, and the survey. ■ her recent pledge to make the route “completely unviable”. ■

4 SEPTEMBER 1 (GMT) – SEPTEMBER 2 (AEST), 2020

- AAP Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern. - RNZ / Dom Thomas

AUSTRALIA NEW ZEALAND Support secured to Shooter designated extend emergency as terrorist entity

A six-month extension to the Victorian government’s The Christchurch mosque shooter has been designated state of emergency powers is expected to pass as a terrorist entity by Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern. parliament after an intervention by the Greens. The designation under New Zealand legislation freezes the Victorian Greens upper house MP Samantha Ratnam returned assets of terrorist entities and makes it a criminal offence from maternity leave to vote for the government’s amended to participate in or support the activities of the designated bill. terrorist entity. “I felt it was just too important that I had to be here today,” Earlier, Australian Brenton Tarrant, 29, who carried out the she said as she arrived at parliament with two-month-old mosque attacks on March 15, 2019, was sentenced to life in Malala. prison without the possibility of ever leaving jail. He had earlier “The chief health officer needs the certainty to continue what admitted 51 charges of murder, 40 of attempted murder and has been the effective work to bring down this second wave.” one charge of terrorism. MP and MP Ardern said the designation was an “important have also indicated they will vote in favour of the demonstration of New Zealand’s condemnation of terrorism six-month extension. and violent extremism in all forms. The trio’s support gives the government 20 votes in the “This designation ensures the offender cannot be involved in 40-member upper house, meaning the bill should pass despite the financing of terrorism in the future. We have an obligation the coalition’s opposition and Adem Somuyrek’s decision to to New Zealand and to the wider international community to abstain from voting. prevent the financing of terrorist acts,” she said. Premier Daniel Andrews originally sought a 12-month There are currently 20 terrorist entities designated under extension to the state of emergency powers, which allows the New Zealand law, including the mosque shooter, police said. chief health officer to issue public health directions. Under Section 22 of the Terrorism Suppression Act 2002, the These include stay-at-home orders, the requirement that prime minister may designate individuals or groups as terrorist people with the virus self-isolate and the use of mandatory entities, on advice from officials, police added. face masks. Details of the designations process and the statements of The current state of emergency is due to expire on case supporting designation of these entities can be found on September 13 along with Melbourne’s stage four lockdown and the New Zealand Police website. ■ regional Victoria’s stage three rules. Unions representing Victoria’s police, doctors, nurses and paramedics all publicly called for the powers to be extended. But MPs have been inundated with calls urging them to vote down the extension. Patten said the majority of people who had contacted her misunderstood the bill. “This is not about a lockdown. This is about ensuring that if someone has COVID, they stay isolated,” she said. Victoria recorded 70 new virus cases on Tuesday. ■

5 SEPTEMBER 1 (GMT) – SEPTEMBER 2 (AEST), 2020

A woman casts her ballot at a polling station during the presidential election in Minsk, Officials seen wearing face masks in Russia’s Red Square in Moscow. - AP Belarus on August 9th. - AP

EUROPE EUROPE Belarus poll workers Russia’s confirmed virus describe election fraud cases top one million

Even before the August 9 presidential election in Belarus Russia’s tally of confirmed coronavirus cases surpassed ended, a poll worker in Minsk said she was asked to sign one million as authorities reported 4729 new cases. a document summing up its result, with the vote totals left blank. With a total of 1,000,048 reported cases, Russia has the fourth largest caseload in the world after the US, Brazil and India. Another worker who pointed out violations during the vote- Experts say the true toll of the pandemic is much higher than counting was fired on the spot. all reported figures, due to limited testing, missed mild cases In the small city of Vitebsk, a poll worker signed a document and concealment of cases by some governments, among other with falsified results in favour of President Alexander factors. Lukashenko and later was wracked with guilt for betraying the As of Tuesday, Russia has lifted most lockdown restrictions in trust of the voters. the majority of the country’s regions. In the three weeks since the election that kept Lukashenko Last month, Russian authorities announced approval of the in power with a landslide win, hundreds of thousands of first ever COVID-19 vaccine – a move that Western experts met people have protested what they say was a rigged outcome. with skepticism and unease as the shots were only tested on Demonstrations and strikes in the country have been met by a few dozen people. Last week, officials announced starting a police crackdown including mass detentions, beatings and advanced trials of the vaccine among 40,000 people. criminal charges against organisers. It remains unclear whether vaccination of risk groups – such The Associated Press interviewed election workers who said as doctors and teachers – announced earlier this year will be they saw ballot fraud or were pressured to falsify results in part of the trials or carried out in parallel. ■ favour of Lukashenko. In addition, other evidence has been posted online showing falsifications and other irregularities. To many in Belarus, where Lukashenko has ruled with an iron fist since 1994 and has been accused of rigging previous elections, his victory last month seemed clearly implausible. His main opponent, former English teacher Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya, drew crowds of tens of thousands of people after she entered the race in place of her husband, Sergei, a popular opposition blogger who was jailed before the election. She had managed to unite fractured opposition groups, channeling the growing frustration over the country’s weak economy and Lukashenko’s swaggering dismissal of the coronavirus pandemic. When the results were announced, however, the Central Election Commission said Lukashenko won 4.6 million votes, or 80 per cent, and Tsikhanouskaya got only 588,000, or 10 per cent. ■

6 SEPTEMBER 1 (GMT) – SEPTEMBER 2 (AEST), 2020

- AP An Indian soldier keeps guard top of a vehicle as a convoy moves on the Srinagar- Ladakh highway at Gagangeer, in Indian-controlled Kashmir. - AP

WORLD WORLD Virus brings hard times India, China hold talks for farmers, hunger amid rising tensions

The coronavirus pandemic has brought hard times for Indian and Chinese military commanders held talks for a many farmers and has imperiled food security for many second day following a new escalation in tensions along millions both in the cities and the countryside. their contested border in the Ladakh region.

United Nations experts are holding an online conference Both of the Asian giants have accused the other of fresh to brainstorm ways to help alleviate hunger and prevent provocations, including allegations of soldiers crossing into the problems from worsening in the Asia-Pacific region – a each other’s territory, months after their deadliest standoff in challenge made doubly difficult by the loss of many millions of decades. jobs due to the crisis. Details of the talks weren’t immediately disclosed. The two The UN Food and Agricultural Organization forecasts that the countries have amassed soldiers and equipment in the region number of undernourished people will increase by up to 132 in recent months. million in this year, while the number of acutely malnourished India said its soldiers had thwarted “provocative” movements children will rise by 6.7 billion worldwide due to the pandemic. by China’s military last weekend. In turn, China’s defence “We are facing two pandemics. COVID-19, which beyond its ministry accused Indian troops of crossing established lines of health toll is crushing livelihoods, and hunger, a scourge the control and creating provocations along the disputed border. international community pledged to eradicate by the end of Both India and China have provided little information, but this decade,” Qu Dongyu, the FAO’s director-general said in a media in the two countries have given extensive coverage to commentary ahead of the virtual meeting. the escalating tensions. Disruptions due to outbreaks of the illness and restrictions The standoff is over disputed portions of a pristine on businesses and travel to control them run the gamut, landscape high in the Karakoram mountains that boasts the from crops going unharvested by migrant workers unable to world’s highest landing strip, a glacier that feeds one of the reach their jobs to transport problems to farm families selling largest irrigation systems in the world, and is a critical link in livestock and equipment to survive. the FAO said in a report China’s massive “Belt and Road” infrastructure project. prepared ahead of the meeting. India unilaterally declared Ladakh a federal territory and The combined impacts of COVID-19, natural disasters separated it from disputed Kashmir in August 2019, ending such as typhoons and drought, diseases and pests such as its semi-autonomous status and straining the already prickly locusts have highlighted the need to build stronger capacity to relationship between New Delhi and Beijing. China was among “manage multiple risks to food systems,” the report said. the countries to strongly condemn the move, raising it at The FAO is urging faster deployment of high-tech tools international forums including the UN Security Council. such as drones and smartphone apps to monitor crops, pests According to some Indian and Chinese strategic experts, and other farming conditions as part of a transformation of India’s move exacerbated existing tensions with China, leading food systems to make them more resilient and reduce risks, to the deadly June border clash. especially for the most vulnerable small farmers in poor The disputed and undemarcated 3500-km (2175-mile) countries. ■ border between India and China, referred to as the Line of Actual Control, stretches from the Ladakh region in the north to the Indian state of Sikkim. ■

7 SEPTEMBER 1 (GMT) – SEPTEMBER 2 (AEST), 2020

Prime Minister Scott Morrison, standing, speaks to the House of Representatives at Education Minister Chris Hipkins. - RNZ / Dom Thomas Parliament House in Canberra. - AAP

AUSTRALIA NEW ZEALAND JobKeeper extension Hipkins: No good reason passes parliament to keep kids from school

JobKeeper wage subsidies are being split into a two- There is no good reason to keep children away from tiered system and extended for another six months. school despite the COVID-19 outbreak, Education Minister Chris Hipkins says. Labor has waved through the six-month extension after failing to introduce a wage floor for workers who are no longer Around 250,000 children were expected to return Monday eligible for the scheme. as Auckland moved to alert level 2.5. but many stayed away. Independent senator Rex Patrick also could not secure Principals say parents are more fearful following Auckland’s enough support for an amendment to force businesses that second outbreak and they would rather not take the risk of have paid dividends or executive bonuses to repay the wage sending their children back to school. subsidies. Hipkins said he wouldn’t be asking students to go back if he The two-tiered system replaces flat $1500 subsidies paid thought it would put them at risk. each fortnight. “All of the new cases that we’re seeing of COVID-19 in the People who worked less than 20 hours a week before the Auckland community are coming from known contacts so crisis struck will be paid $750 a fortnight, while all others will these were people who were already isolating so they wouldn’t be receive $1200. be in school and they wouldn’t be in the workplace,” he said. The maximum payment will come down to $1000 from “That should give people reassurance that this cluster is December to March. being contained and therefore our decision to move down to Prime Minister Scott Morrison described the wage subsidy alert level 2 is a justified one.” scheme as the most significant economic intervention in Hipkins said cases where there was a connection with a Australia’s history. school were identified some time ago, the students and those “We are now extending and transitioning,” Morrison told around them had been tested, and the incubation period had coalition colleagues. long passed. “Transitioning and looking to a day when Australian “We wouldn’t be asking schools to reopen if we thought that communities don’t need JobKeeper and when Australians can was going to place students at risk. then run their businesses and hold their jobs sustained by a “There is no good reason not to be sending your kids back to vibrant and growing economy instead.” ■ school at the moment.” While schools can use masks there was no plan to make them mandatory. “One of the challenges with young people is that it’s difficult to make sure that they keep them on and sometimes if you’ve got kids taking masks on and off the value of those masks quickly disappears and you potentially increase risk. “The current health advice is that in a school setting masks wouldn’t necessarily increase protection and in fact could do the opposite.” ■

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