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YOUR DAILY TOP 12 STORIES FROM FRANK NEWS

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NORTH AMERICA UK AUSTRALIA

Trump warns against ‘Sleepy Joe’ Satellites to launch from hub Funds to battle bushfires

On the eve of the final presidential Aerospace company Lockheed Martin The NSW government will spend $192 debate of the 2020 campaign, President will transfer its satellite launch operations million on night-time aerial firefighting, Donald Trump has painted a dystopian from Space Hub Sutherland to Shetland new equipment and better mental picture of the United States under Joe Space Centre. Officials say the health supports for emergency services Biden and congressional Democrats, site could support a total of 605 jobs in as part of its response to the state’s saying “they’ll decide which businesses Scotland by 2024, including 140 locally bushfire inquiry. Premier Gladys can exist and which will be outlawed.” and 210 across the wider Shetland Berejiklian established the inquiry in “They will decide which rights you can region. A further 150 jobs will be created January in the midst of a catastrophic and keep and which are going to be revoked,” through wider manufacturing and unprecedented bushfire season in which Trump said. “They will reeducate your support services, according to the UK 25 people died, almost 2500 homes were children, which they tried and we Space Agency. razed and more than 5.5 million hectares stopped, but they will do it. were burned.

NORTH AMERICA UK NEW ZEALAND

Voting ‘makes things better’ Residents rescued amid flooding Fishing crew in good spirits

Former President Barack Obama has Residents have been rescued from Hundreds of Russian fishing crew at a blasted President Donald Trump’s flooded properties and motorists from COVID isolation hotel in Christchurch are handling of the coronavirus pandemic, cars stranded in water following heavy said to be in good spirits and those who his response to racial unrest and his rain in the north east. The Scottish have the virus are doing well. Eighteen of fundamental unfitness for the job in his Fire and Rescue Service said it was the 237 foreign workers at the Sudima first in-person campaign pitch for Joe called to reports of flooding in Ellon, Hotel are infected with COVID-19. They Biden, his former vice president. With Aberdeenshire. Several appliances were will all be tested again with more positive less than two weeks until Election Day, sent to the scene and residents were cases expected. Sealord is one of the Obama urged voters not to sit out the rescued from six properties. three companies which brought the crew November 3 election. into the country to work on its deep-sea trawlers.

1 MONTH XX (GMT) – MONTH XX (AEST), 2020

YOUR DAILY TOP 12 STORIES FROM FRANK NEWS

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NORTH AMERICA EUROPE AUSTRALIA

FBI: Russia, Iran have voter info Hopes fade for missing dolphin Bosses want air travel back

US officials are accusing Iran of Hope is fading in the search for Australian businesses are urging state being behind a flurry of emails sent missing Fungie, a celebrity dolphin and federal leaders to restart domestic to Democratic voters in multiple that transformed the economic life of travel by Christmas, warning border battleground states that appeared to a harbour town on the west coast of restrictions are costing $319 million a be aimed at intimidating them into Ireland over four decades. Boats and day. More than 34,000 local aviation voting for President Donald Trump. The a team of divers have been searching workers have been sacked or stood announcement at a rare, hastily called for Fungie after he disappeared off the down during the coronavirus pandemic. news conference just two weeks before coast of Co Kerry more than a week ago. The Business Council of Australia warns the election underscored the concern The resident dolphin has been part of many more jobs are at risk if state border within the US government about efforts the fabric of Dingle since 1983, after he restrictions remain in place. by foreign countries to undermine arrived in the harbour and never left. American confidence in the vote.

NORTH AMERICA WORLD NEW ZEALAND

Spacecraft collects samples Astronauts return to Earth safely Safety mission for lethal highway

NASA’s Osiris-Rex spacecraft crushed A trio of space travelers have safely Officials are launching a campaign rocks and sent rubble flying as it briefly returned to Earth after a six-month to reduce the fatalities on one of the touched an asteroid, a strong indication mission on the International Space country’s most lethal highways. Eight that samples were collected for return Station. The Soyuz MS-16 capsule people have died on the Napier-Taupō to Earth, officials. Scientists won’t know carrying NASA astronaut Chris Cassidy, Rd (State Highway 5) since December last until next week how much was gathered and ’ Anatoly Ivanishin and year, including 37-year-old Tino Tagiilima at asteroid Bennu – they want at least a Ivan Vagner landed on the steppes of just three days ago. RNZ went out on the handful of the cosmic rubble. But close- Kazakhstan southeast of the town of road with police to learn about the issues up pictures and video of the touch-and- Dzhezkazgan at 2:54 GMT Thursday. After on the dangerous road. go operation raised hopes that goal was a brief medical checkup, the three will achieved. be taken by helicopters to Dzhezkazgan from where they will depart home.

2 MONTH XX (GMT) – MONTH XX (AEST), 2020

President Donald Trump. - AP Former President Barack Obama. - AP

NORTH AMERICA NORTH AMERICA Trump warns against Obama urges voters ‘Sleepy Joe Biden’ to cast Trump out

On the eve of the final presidential debate of the 2020 Former President Barack Obama has blasted President campaign, President Donald Trump has painted a Donald Trump’s handling of the coronavirus pandemic, dystopian picture of the United States under Joe Biden his response to racial unrest and his fundamental and congressional Democrats, saying “they’ll decide unfitness for the job in his first in-person campaign which businesses can exist and which will be outlawed.” pitch for Joe Biden, his former vice president.

“They will decide which rights you can keep and which are With less than two weeks until Election Day, Obama urged going to be revoked,” Trump said. voters not to sit out the November 3 election. He cast Trump “They will reeducate your children, which they tried and we as uninterested in leading America through the unprecedented stopped, but they will do it. challenges the country is facing. “If you want your children to grow up in a free nation where “He hasn’t shown any interest in doing the work or helping they can speak their minds and practice their religion and live anybody but himself and his friends,” Obama said at a drive-in by their values, then you must defeat Sleepy Joe Biden and the rally of about 300 cars. “This is not a reality show. This is reality, radical left,” Trump told the crowd in Gastonia, North Carolina. and the rest of us have had to live with the consequences of Biden, who has stepped off the campaign trail in favor of him proving himself incapable of taking the job seriously.” debate prep, expects Trump to get personal. The former vice Obama’s visit to Philadelphia underscores the significance of president and his inner circle see the president’s approach Pennsylvania, the swing state that Biden himself has visited the chiefly as an effort to distract from the coronavirus, its most this campaign season. Trump has prioritized the state as economic fallout and other crises. well, and his aides acknowledge that his path to victory would With less than two weeks until Election Day, Biden is leading narrow considerably without the state’s 20 electoral votes. most national polls and has a narrower advantage in the The president was in Erie, one of a handful of Pennsylvania battleground states that could decide the race. counties that Obama won twice before it flipped to Trump. More than 42 million people have already cast their Obama offered a defense of the nation’s decency and ballots. ■ personal validation that Biden and his running mate, California Sen. Kamala Harris, can live up to it. “America is a good and decent place, but we’ve just seen so much nonsense and noise that sometimes it’s hard to remember,” he said. “I’m asking you to remember what this country can be … I’m asking you to believe in Joe’s ability and Kamala’s ability to lead this country out of these dark times and help us build it back better.” During his speech and at an earlier roundtable with black men, Obama talked up the Democrats’ plans to confront the coronavirus while dealing with the country’s social and economic tensions, including disparities deeply rooted in racism. ■

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An artist’s impression of the future Lockheed Martin UK Pathfinder Launch from Shetland - PA Space Centre. - PA

UK UK Satellites to launch Residents and motorists from Shetland hub rescued amid flooding

Aerospace company Lockheed Martin will transfer its Residents have been rescued from flooded properties satellite launch operations from Space Hub Sutherland and motorists from cars stranded in water following to Shetland Space Centre. heavy rain in the north east.

Officials say the spaceport site could support a total of 605 The Scottish Fire and Rescue Service (SFRS) said it was called to jobs in Scotland by 2024, including 140 locally and 210 across reports of flooding in Ellon, Aberdeenshire. the wider Shetland region. Several appliances were sent to the scene and residents A further 150 jobs will be created through wider were rescued from six properties. manufacturing and support services, according to the An SFRS spokesman said: “We were alerted at 4:53am on UK Space Agency. Thursday October 22 to reports of flooding affecting a number The agency confirmed that Lockheed Martin’s plans to of properties in and around Bruce Crescent and Provost move its UK Pathfinder Launch to Lamba Ness on would Davidson Drive in Ellon, Aberdeenshire. continue to deliver long-term value. “Operations control mobilised two fire appliances and two The move will also help establish a sustainable, commercial specialist water rescue units and firefighters worked to assist launch market as part of the UK’s programme several people to places of safety from around six houses LaunchUK, it added. which had been affected by the flood waters. The aerospace firm is in discussions with a preferred partner “Crews remain in attendance as they work to make to provide services for its UK Pathfinder Launch, which would the area safe and assist with the pumping of water from take place from Shetland Space Centre. affected homes.” Ivan McKee, Scottish Government Minister for Trade, In Angus, the A92 was closed after three cars became Investment and Innovation, said: “This is an extremely exciting stuck in flood water between Arbroath and Montrose at time for the emerging space sector globally, and Scotland is around 4:10am. situated at the very forefront of this. The fire service sent several appliances including two “The transfer of Lockheed Martin’s UK Pathfinder satellite specialist water rescue units to the scene. launch to Shetland Space Centre will enhance Scotland’s Firefighters rescued three people who were trapped in existing vertical launch capability and enable us to target a their vehicles. wider market base through a complementary offer across Police said there were no reports of any injuries. multiple .” There was also flooding on the A90 at Toll of Birness in Nik Smith, UK country executive at Lockheed Martin, Aberdeenshire. said: “From the outset our focus has been on realising the Police advised motorists to drive with care in the area. greatest economic benefit for the UK through the spaceflight The Scottish Environment Protection Agency issued seven programme. flood warnings and six flood alerts across Tayside, the north “The transfer of our UK spaceflight operations to Shetland east and northern Scotland on Thursday. ■ will not only broaden launch options available in the UK, but also ensure the economic benefits of these endeavours are felt more widely.” ■

4 MONTH XX (GMT) – MONTH XX (AEST), 2020

NSW has set aside $192 million to better prepare the state after the Black Summer The Sudima Hotel in Christchurch which is being used as an isolation facility. - RNZ / Nate bushfires. - AAP McKinnon

AUSTRALIA NEW ZEALAND Government funds to Russian fishing crew battle ‘devastating’ fires not feeling too unwell

The NSW government will spend $192 million on night- Hundreds of Russian fishing crew at a COVID isolation time aerial firefighting, new equipment and better hotel in Christchurch are said to be in good spirits and mental health supports for emergency services as part of those who have the virus are doing well. its response to the state’s bushfire inquiry. Eighteen of the 237 foreign workers at the Sudima Hotel are Premier Gladys Berejiklian established the inquiry in January infected with COVID-19. in the midst of a catastrophic and unprecedented bushfire They will all be tested again with more positive cases season in which 25 people died, almost 2500 homes were expected. razed, more than 5.5 million hectares were burned and billions Sealord is one of the three companies which brought the of animals perished. crew into the country to work on its deep-sea trawlers. The independent inquiry handed down 76 recommendations Chief executive Doug Paulin managed to speak to some in July, and all were accepted by the government in August. of them. The $192 million will be spent across five years in the “We’ve been able to find out that they’re feeling positive, hope NSW can avoid a repeat of last summer’s horror they’re feeling well looked after,” Paulin said. bushfire season. “They appreciate the lengths that the facility are going to “Last season’s bushfires had a devastating effect on the to make sure they’re kept isolated and that protocols are whole of NSW and this funding will go a long way in ensuring being followed.” we never see the same impact again,” NSW Treasurer Dominic Those who have tested positive are not feeling too unwell Perrottet said. he said. The funds include:$36 million for a new first responder “As far as we know none of them have any significant adverse mental health strategy, $2.5 million for updates to the Fires affects [and are] feeling very well-managed in that facility.” Near Me app, $23 million for PPE for frontline firefighters and Paulin said hey understand they will probably have to stay in $17 million for upgrades to firefighting trucks. isolation longer. The state’s aerial firefighting fleet and training facilities will That also means the trawlers are left sitting in port but he also receive a $5.4 million boost, and $9.5 million will be spent said that’s not the company’s top priority. on improving the fire trail network. “Our concern is around the welfare of our crew, there will The inquiry recommended landowners across NSW likely be a delay because the Ministry of Health need to work be obliged to conduct more hazard-reduction burns on through everyone being COVID-19 free before they leave their properties and that more hazard-reduction burns be the facility then it needs to be cleaned before the next plane conducted in closer proximity to endangered communities. arrives into the country.” The NSW government was also advised to buy more Anna Filippochkina from the Russian cultural centre in medium-sized water-bombing aircraft, update equipment, Christchurch is worried about the crew being sick so far training and mental health support for firefighters, and trial from home. military-style water-bombing tactics. She hasn’t spoken to the crew directly but expects anyone More measures to address the inquiry’s recommendations in their situation would find it stressful. will be considered in future budgets, the treasurer said. ■ She said the Russian community is going to come up with a plan to make the workers feel more at home. ■

5 MONTH XX (GMT) – MONTH XX (AEST), 2020

John Ratcliffe, the US government’s top intelligence official. - AP In this image taken from video released by NASA, the Osiris-Rex spacecraft touches the surface of asteroid Bennu. - AP

NORTH AMERICA NORTH AMERICA Russia, Iran have voter Spacecraft collects information, FBI says asteroid samples

US officials are accusing Iran of being behind a flurry NASA’s Osiris-Rex spacecraft crushed rocks and sent of emails sent to Democratic voters in multiple rubble flying as it briefly touched an asteroid, a strong battleground states that appeared to be aimed at indication that samples were collected for return to intimidating them into voting for President Donald Earth, officials said. Trump. Scientists won’t know until next week how much was gathered The announcement at a rare, hastily called news conference at asteroid Bennu – they want at least a handful of the cosmic just two weeks before the election underscored the concern rubble. But close-up pictures and video of the touch-and-go within the US government about efforts by foreign countries to operation raised hopes that goal was achieved. spread false information meant to suppress voter turnout and “We really did kind of make a mess on the surface of this undermine American confidence in the vote. asteroid, but it’s a good mess, the kind of mess we were hoping The activities attributed to Iran would mark a significant for,” said lead scientist Dante Lauretta of the University of escalation for a nation that some cybersecurity experts Arizona at Tucson. regard as a second-rate player in online espionage, with the It was the first asteroid-sampling effort by the US, coming announcement coming as most public discussion surrounding four years after the spacecraft rocketed from Cape Canaveral election interference has centered on Russia, which hacked and two years after it reached Bennu. Japan has taken asteroid Democratic emails during the 2016 election, and China, a samples twice. Trump administration adversary. Osiris-Rex scored a near bull’s-eye, reaching down with “These actions are desperate attempts by desperate its robot arm to within a yard (metre) of its intended target adversaries,” said John Ratcliffe, the government’s top zone in the center of boulder-rimmed Nightingale Crater. The intelligence official, who, along with FBI Director Chris Wray, sampling container on the arm made contact with the black, insisted the US would impose costs on any foreign countries crumbly terrain for about six seconds and pushed at least that interfere in the 2020 US election and that the integrity of three-quarters of an inch (two cm) into the ground, crushing a the election is still sound. large rock in the process, officials said. “You should be confident that your vote counts,” Wray said. As planned, pressurised nitrogen gas fired onto the surface “Early, unverified claims to the contrary should be viewed with a second later, to kick up a shower of debris so the spacecraft a healthy dose of skepticism.” could suck up as much dust and as many pebbles as possible. Wray and Ratcliffe did not describe the emails linked to Iran, The spacecraft quickly backed away and, by Wednesday, was but officials familiar with the matter said the US has linked a safe 50 miles (80km) from Bennu. Tehran to messages sent to Democratic voters in at least four Several hours passed before the pictures started pouring battleground states that falsely purported to be from the neo- in. Lauretta said he was up until the wee hours Wednesday, fascist group Proud Boys and that warned “we will come after overjoyed at what he saw. He watched the touch-and-go video you” if the recipients didn’t vote for Trump. about 100 times – “it’s just so cool” – then went to sleep. The officials also said Iran and Russia had obtained voter “I dreamed of a wonder world of Bennu regolith particles registration data, though such data is considered easily, floating all around me,” he said. ■ publicly accessible. ■

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A sculpture of Fungie in Dingle, Co Kerry, where the dolphin has gone missing. - PA NASA astronaut Chris Cassidy sits in a chair shortly after landing near town of Dzhezkazgan, Kazakhstan. - AP

EUROPE WORLD Hope fades in search Astronauts return to for missing dolphin Earth from ISS safely

Hope is fading in the search for missing Fungie, a A trio of space travelers have safely returned to celebrity dolphin that transformed the economic life Earth after a six-month mission on the International of a harbour town on the west coast of Ireland over Space Station. four decades. The Soyuz MS-16 capsule carrying NASA astronaut Chris Boats and a team of divers have been searching for Fungie Cassidy, and Roscosmos’ Anatoly Ivanishin and Ivan Vagner after he disappeared off the coast of Co Kerry more than landed on the steppes of Kazakhstan southeast of the town a week ago. of Dzhezkazgan at 2:54 GMT Thursday. After a brief medical The resident dolphin has been part of the fabric of Dingle checkup, the three will be taken by helicopters to Dzhezkazgan since 1983, after he arrived in the harbour and never left. from where they will depart home. Fungie established Dingle Peninsula as a tourist destination, The crew smiled as they talked to masked members of the creating many jobs for local people and attracting millions of recovery team, and NASA and Roscosmos reported that they tourists over the years. were in good condition. Fungie was named the oldest solitary dolphin in the world As part of additional precautions due to the coronavirus, by Guinness World Records last year and the local tourism the rescue team members meeting the crew were tested for industry is often bustling with boat trips to see the male the virus and the number of people involved in the recovery bottlenose dolphin. effort was limited. People are afraid the dolphin is either dead or has left with a Cassidy, Ivanishin and Vagner spent 196 days in orbit since pod of other dolphins. arriving at the station on April 9. Caroline Boland, from Dingle Peninsula Tourism Alliance, NASA’s Kate Rubins and Roscosmos’ Sergey Ryzhikov and said: “When Fungie appeared here in 1983 there was no such Sergey Kud-Sverchkov arrived at the orbiting outpost a week thing as tourism – emigration was rife, fishing was under threat ago for a six-month stay. and there were no jobs. Before the crew’s departure, Russian cosmonauts were able “Fungie never left and he quickly became part of community. to temporarily seal the air leak they tried to locate for several “It was only as the story of Fungie spread that people started months. The small leak has posed no immediate danger to the arriving and asked to go out and see the dolphin, and that’s station’s crew, and Roscosmos engineers have been working how the boat trips started. on a permanent seal. “Fungie is like family to everyone in Dingle and people are In November, Rubins, Ryzhikov and Kud-Sverchkov are devastated he is missing, it is very raw to talk about and people expected to greet NASA’s SpaceX first operational Crew Dragon are starting to grieve. mission comprising NASA astronauts Mike Hopkins, Victor “Fungie lived in the mouth of the harbour and he brought a Glover and Shannon Walker, and Japan Aerospace Exploration wonderful spirit to the landscape and culture here. He created Agency astronaut Soichi Noguchi. It follows a successful Demo- extra magic and the community embraced him. 2 mission earlier this year. ■ “You couldn’t put a value on how he has inspired us all and he brought a magical experience to the bay.” ■

7 MONTH XX (GMT) – MONTH XX (AEST), 2020

- AAP - RNZ

AUSTRALIA NEW ZEALAND Bosses want air travel Police step up efforts on to return by Christmas lethal State Highway 5

Australian businesses are urging state and federal Officials are launching a campaign to reduce the leaders to restart domestic travel by Christmas, warning fatalities on one of the country’s most lethal highways. border restrictions are costing $319 million a day. Eight people have died on the Napier-Taupō Rd (State Highway More than 34,000 local aviation workers have been sacked or 5) since December last year, including 37-year-old Tino stood down during the coronavirus pandemic. Tagiilima just three days ago. The Business Council of Australia warns many more jobs are RNZ went out on the road with police to learn about the at risk if state border restrictions remain in place. issues on the dangerous road. “Every day flights remain grounded costs Australia Hawke’s Bay road policing officer Constable Steven Knox $69 million or $2.1 billion a month,” BCA chief Jennifer was driving towards Napier on a sunny day, when he spotted a Westacott said. dangerous manoeuvre. “When you add in international aviation losses at $250 A driver attempted to pass another vehicle, despite double million a day or $7.6 billion per month, we are talking about an yellow lines – about 150m out from a passing lane. enormous hit to our economy.” “Quite ironically, he’s saying he’s been up since 5am, and he’s Westacott said the economic recovery would be faster driven from Auckland and was starting to feel a little bit tired as and stronger if agreement could be reached on a national well,” Knox said after talking to the driver. timetable and transparent protocols for removing domestic “So I’ve enforced a little bit of a break for him, where he’s got travel restrictions. out and had a bit of a stretch, and he’s been issued a ticket for “We are not asking for a free-for-all,” she said. the unsafe passing manoeuvre which unfortunately for him, “We need a highly-targeted, careful and gradual reopening comes with 35 demerit points.” of the economy based on health advice with robust nationally Knox said the driver should have been more patient. consistent systems in place.” “There was no need to do that passing manoeuvre, if a The Business Council wants national cabinet – which meets vehicle was coming around the corner coming the other way, it for the first time in five weeks – to unveil a travel plan. could’ve been a little bit different.” The first steps towards international travel have already Knox is also a member of the serious crash unit, and he begun with New Zealanders allowed into Australia under a attends some of the worst crashes in the region. one-way arrangement. “Fatalities, which are a very tough thing for us and everyone Asked whether the travel bubble could be extended to other else to be involved in, and it’s something that we don’t like countries, Tourism Minister Simon Birmingham said: “Let’s attending and we feel we need to do more to stop those crawl before we walk.” fatalities from happening.” Victoria has recorded five new cases of coronavirus as He said the road often got all the blame, but that was not health authorities race to contain an outbreak that has put five the full story and the crashes he analysed were mostly down Melbourne suburbs and a public housing block on alert. to driver behaviour. Experts are also monitoring the extremely rare case of a There are some problems with this part of the state highway Victorian reinfected with the virus. – potholes and tight corners for example – but Knox said it Only six coronavirus reinfections have been recorded across could not be an overnight fix. ■ the world. ■

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