Six In The Morning Friday 4 September 2020

 

Portland suspect shot dead by police during arrest

Police in the US have shot dead a man suspected of fatally shooting a right-wing activist during protests in Portland, Oregon, officials say.

Michael Reinoehl, 48, was being investigated for the killing of a supporter of President Trump during last weekend's tension.

Reinoehl earlier said he acted in self-defence when he shot Aaron Danielson, a supporter of the Patriot Prayer group.

Refugee Covid case sparks 'closed camps' fears on Lesbos

Greek government suggests need for ‘closed and controlled’ structures but NGOs fear virus is pretext for increased restrictions

Katy Fallon

Fri 4 Sep 2020 12.30 BST

The first recorded coronavirus case in Moria refugee camp on Lesbos, where just under 13,000 people are living in a space designed for 3,000, has led to fears that the government will use the pandemic as a pretext to create closed camps.

Notis Mitarachi, the minister for migration, told local news that the coronavirus situation demonstrated the need for “closed and controlled” structures. The migration ministry also released a statement on Thursday, which said that plans to create closed structures on the islands of Lesbos and Chios were progressing.

Iran: Surge in torture and abuse of activists as authorities fear renewed protests

Allegations of rampant torture inside country’s detention centres

Borzou Daragahi

International Correspondent

@borzou

Mounting fear of another wave of anti-government protests over Iran’s botched handling of the coronavirus pandemic and the ensuing economic calamity have prompted authorities to step up repression of dissidents and civil society to alarming levels.

In recent weeks, the regime has menaced dissidents involved in peaceful protests with the death penalty, increased mass arrests, stepped up disappearances and allegedly ramped up torture inside detention centres, according to human rights monitors.

NATO demands probe into Moscow's Novichok programme after Navalny poisoning

NATO on Friday called for an international probe into the poisoning of Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny and demanded Moscow reveal its Novichok nerve agent programme to the global chemical weapons watchdog.

After an emergency meeting of NATO's ruling council, alliance chief Jens Stoltenberg said all countries were united in condemning the "horrific" attack on Navalny.

Germany, where Navalny is being treated, briefed the other 29 nations on the case and Stoltenberg said there was "proof beyond doubt" Novichok was used.

Tokyo Olympics will be most costly Summer Games, Oxford study shows

By STEPHEN WADE

The Tokyo Olympics are already the most expensive Summer Games on record with costs set to go higher, a wide-ranging study from Britain's University of Oxford indicates.

The Tokyo cost overrun already exceeds 200%, lead author Bent Flyvbjerg explained in an interview with The Associated Press. This is even before several billion more dollars are added on from the one-year delay from the COVID-19 pandemic.

Flyvbjerg is an economist at Oxford's Said Business School. His entire study is available here, and it's set to be published on Sept. 15 in the journal “Environment and Planning A: Economy and Space." It's titled “Regression to the Tail: Why the Olympics Blow Up.”

It's the worst disaster of the pandemic. But WHO chief says our lack of concern shows 'moral bankruptcy'

By Emma Reynolds, CNN

Updated 0750 GMT (1550 HKT) September 4, 2020

They are among the greatest victims of coronavirus, yet elderly people continue to be dismissed, despite growing evidence of the devastating effects the pandemic has had on them.

Earlier this week, World Health Organization (WHO) Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said he had heard people describing high Covid-19 death rates among older people as "fine."

"No, when the elderly are dying it's not fine. It's a moral bankruptcy," he told a news conference. "Every life, whether it's young or old, is precious and we have to do everything to save it."