Australia storms: tennis ball-sized hail hits parts of Queensland as NSW warned of flash-flooding Queensland has been hit with tennis ball-sized hailstones, with a warning more are likely to fall as a series of dangerous supercell thunderstorms race across the state’s south-east. Severe thunderstorms formed along the Great Dividing Range from the New South Wales border to Wide Bay, north of the Sunshine Coast, on Saturday before pushing towards the coast throughout the afternoon. More were expected during the evening, the Bureau of Meteorology warned. “The situation is volatile and continuing to change quickly,” a spokesman said. “Some of these storms are fast-moving and fast-forming, so people should consider whether they need to be outside or on the road at the moment.” “These thunderstorms are a significant threat to property and life,” the bureau tweeted.
Immunity to Covid-19 could be lost in months, UK study suggests People who have recovered from Covid-19 may lose their immunity to the disease within months, according to research suggesting the virus could reinfect people year after year, like common colds. In the first longitudinal study of its kind, scientists analysed the immune response of more than 90 patients and healthcare workers at Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS foundation trust and found levels of antibodies that can destroy the virus peaked about three weeks after the onset of symptoms then swiftly declined. Blood tests revealed that while 60% of people marshalled a “potent” antibody response at the height of their battle with the virus, only 17% retained the same potency three months later. Antibody levels fell as much as 23-fold over the period. In some cases, they became undetectable.
Internal tensions and a resignation to virus' spread govern President Trump's pandemic response Internal struggles among the medical advisers have divided the White House for weeks, with advisers like Fauci and other members of the task force pushing a forward-leaning stance on coronavirus against resistance from the top down. Now, with two months to go until the election, the White House is focused on reopening the economy and mitigating the virus to a limited extent, or just enough to keep hospitals from being completely overwhelmed. The internal goal is to keep things just under control until a vaccine comes out, two senior administration officials said. "You can't stop it!" one senior official said of the internal thinking on the virus.
Liverpool's Sadio Mané to self-isolate after testing positive for Covid-19 Liverpool have been handed another setback with their influential winger Sadio Mané testing positive for Covid-19. The forward is the second player at Anfield to test positive in a matter of days following Thiago Alcântara’s result which forced Liverpool’s new signing into a period of self-isolation. Mané, who has been in fine form for the Premier League champions, will now miss Sunday’s game at Aston Villa.
US 2020 election could have the highest rate of voter turnout since 1908 More than 50 million Americans have cast ballots in the US presidential election with 11 days to go in the campaign, a pace that could lead to the highest voter turnout in over a century, according to data from the US Elections Project on Friday. The eye-popping figure is a sign of intense interest in the contest between Republican Donald Trump and Joe Biden, his Democratic challenger, as well as Americans’ desire to reduce their risk of exposure to Covid-19, which has killed more than 221,000 people across the United States. Many states have expanded in-person early voting and mail-in ballots ahead of election day on 3 November, as a safer way to vote during the coronavirus pandemic. The high level of early voting has led Michael McDonald, the University of Florida professor who administers the US Elections Project, to predict a record turnout of about 150 million, representing 65% of eligible voters, the highest rate since 1908.
Trump replaces campaign manager Brad Parscale in major shake-up Donald Trump is replacing his campaign manager Brad Parscale, the contentious figure leading the president’s re-election efforts for the last two years, in a major shakeup of campaign staff. Parscale will be demoted to senior adviser, and Bill Stepien, the deputy campaign manager, will take over the top position. Trump made the announcement on Facebook on Wednesday evening, with Twitter temporarily unavailable due to a hacking. Parscale has been under pressure since June after failing to materialize the hundreds of thousands of supporters at Trump’s campaign rally in Tulsa that he initially touted. At the time, the president’s daughter and son-in-law, Ivanka Trump and Jared Kushner were reportedly “pissed” that Parscale had promised huge crowds after only 6,200 turned up. The reshuffle comes as Trump lags behind in polls, trailing his Democratic opponent Joe Biden by 15-points in a Quinnipiac national poll released Wednesday.
Trump answers for pair of Black pastors who were asked if police violence is systemic The two pastors were James Ward and Sharon Ward, who said they were pastors for Julia Jackson, the mother of Jacob Blake. Blake, a Black man, was shot seven times in the back by a Kenosha police officer, sparking demonstrations in the city. The Wards were the only African Americans seated at the dais for a roundtable on public safety and were the only participants to bring up Blake's shooting before the President took questions from the press. When a reporter asked the Wards whether, like other Black community leaders, they believed police violence was a systemic issue, Trump interjected, "I don't believe that. I think the police do an incredible job and I think you do have some bad apples." He added, "You do have the other situation, too, where they're under tremendous pressure and they don't handle it well.
Lakers overwhelm shorthanded Heat in Game 2 to take control in NBA finals Anthony Davis got most of his points with a feathery shooting touch. LeBron James flexed his muscle to bulldoze his way to damage. And whenever the lead looked even the tiniest bit threatened, the Los Angeles Lakers had an answer. The NBA finals are halfway to a coronation. US election 2020: Trump threatens to fire Fauci as Harris warns over nation's 'moral direction' – live How much impact can a few thousand faked emails telling voters in Florida and Alaska to “vote for Trump or else” have on voters compared with Trump directly ordering the Proud Boys, a neo-fascist street gang, to “stand back and stand by” before a television audience of 73m people? And what kind of false tale of voter fraud could Iran possibly seed that could undermine Americans’ faith in the electoral process more than the disinformation about voter fraud and mail-in ballots coming straight from the White House and Trump’s campaign? “‘Don’t trust the electoral system, don’t trust the CDC, don’t trust your neighbor because they’re probably antifa, don’t trust the left,’” Claire Wardle, the executive director of First Draft, a group that researches and combats disinformation, said of Trump’s re-election message.
Israel returns to partial lockdown with immediate weekend shutdown Israel has reimposed some lockdown measures following a vigorous second surge in the number of coronavirus infections, putting in place stringent weekend shutdowns in which shops, hairdressers and attractions will be closed. The government announced the measures in the early hours of Friday morning, following a marathon emergency cabinet session called after daily infection rates climbed to close to 2,000. Gyms and fitness studios will also be closed at all times, while restaurants, which opened again in May, will return to takeaways and deliveries only. All indoor gatherings of 10 or more people will be banned.
Obama counseled 'a small group' of NBA players amid boycotts The source also confirmed that Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James was on the call. It was Paul, the source said, who organized the discussion. News of the call was first reported by Shams Charania, who reports for both The Athletic and Stadium. Donald Trump's malignant spell could soon be broken Barring a twist inconceivable even by the standards of 2020, we will soon know the result of the US presidential election – and it will almost certainly be a cause for rejoicing. Donald Trump, the man who has haunted the world’s dreams and sparked a thousand nightmares, has all but lost. On 20 January 2021, he will probably leave the White House – or be removed if necessary.
Nigeria protests: Prison set on fire as death toll rises to at least 56 Unrest continued on Thursday when gunshots rang out in the affluent Ikoyi neighborhood of Lagos, an eyewitness told CNN. Adukeo Ogundiya, a 22-year-old staying at a hotel opposite the Ikoyi correctional facility, said she saw fire and smoke coming out of the prison. "I saw people jumping out and the fire is getting really crazy, everywhere the clouds were dark," she told CNN. "Then for [sic] next 30 minutes there were [sic] shooting, they opened fire, just shooting." Ogundiya said she wasn't sure who was shooting, and saw people in plain clothes jumping over fences. Military personnel were deployed and all roads leading to the prison are blocked.