Carrie Lam: The controversial leader of Hong Kong

Carrie Lam, a skilled bureaucrat handpicked by Beijing to lead Hong Kong, has become one of the most divisive figures in the politically turbulent city.

The chief executive sparked months of protests last year after proposing a law that would have allowed extraditions to mainland China.

She warned protesters not to push Hong Kong into an “abyss” as the rallies grew into a mass democracy movement even after the bill was withdrawn.

The city’s first female leader went on to back the controversial national security law imposed on Hong Kong by Beijing in June.

A long-serving civil servant

Ms Lam, a Roman Catholic, was born into a working-class family in Hong Kong.

The 63-year-old is often described as a “workaholic”, regularly sleeping just three or four hours a night.

She began her career in the civil service, joining as a fresh graduate from the University of Hong Kong in 1980.

Two years later she was sent to the University of Cambridge to study for a diploma in Development Studies. It’s here she also met her future husband, the mathematician Lam Siu-por.

In 2004, Ms Lam was appointed as Director-General of the Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office in London, a top role representing the city in the UK.

She returned to Hong Kong in 2006 and climbed up the ranks as an unassuming bureaucrat, known for her strong work ethic and drive.

The following year Ms Lam gave up her British nationality in order to serve as secretary for development.

Her husband and two children retained their British passports. Ms Lam’s husband resides in the UK along with one of their sons. The other lives in mainland China.

The first female leader

The former civil servant was sworn into office as chief executive by Chinese President Xi Jinping on 1 July 2017, the 20th anniversary of Hong Kong’s return to Beijing.

In her acceptance speech she said: “Hong Kong, our home is suffering from quite a serious divisiveness and has accumulated a lot of frustrations. My priority will be to heal the divide.”

She reportedly never backs down in a political battle, threatening to resign if she does not get her way. This tough stance has earned her the nickname the “good fighter” .

But her election was controversial in Hong Kong where the chief executive is not directly elected but chosen by a committee of 1,200 people who are said to represent the city.

She was the candidate favoured by Beijing and won with a total of 777 votes, a number that became one of her nicknames.

Political crisis

Ms Lam’s time in office has been marred by the controversial extradition bill she proposed in 2019.

She argued it was necessary to protect the city against criminals. But many in the territory feared the law could be used to target political opponents of the Chinese state.

The bill triggered months of sometimes violent protests that grew into a broader movement for democracy including universal suffrage, a demand that was at the heart of the city’s earlier 2014 Umbrella Movement.

Ms Lam became a lightening rod for the demonstrations with many calling for her resignation.

In a leaked audio recording of a private meeting last September she was heard blaming herself for igniting the political crisis and telling business leaders she would quit if she could. She later denied ever offering to resign.

Even after the chief executive eventually withdrew the bill the protests continued, petering out earlier this year as the coronavirus pandemic took hold.

Shortly after, Beijing proposed a controversial security law for Hong Kong that was swiftly imposed by June.

Protesters decried the legislation, calling it the “end of Hong Kong”, and with it Ms Lam who they view as “China’s puppet”.

The law also triggered criticism from countries including the US and UK for eroding the freedoms guaranteed to Hong Kong when it was returned to China in 1997.

But Ms Lam has defended the legislation, saying it was not all “doom and gloom”.

“Compared with the national security laws of other countries, it is a rather mild law,” she has said. “Its scope is not as broad as that in other countries and even China

Carrie Lam: Hong Kong’s leader says she has to keep piles of cash at home

Hong Kong’s Chief Executive, Carrie Lam, has said in a TV interview that she has to keep “piles of cash” at home as she has no bank account.

This is because of sanctions imposed on her by the US Treasury, she said.

The sanctions on Ms Lam and other officials were in response to China’s new security law for Hong Kong.

Her revelation has prompted social media quips about how the government manages to transport the leader’s generous salary to her home.

In an interview broadcast on Friday night, she said she was “using cash every day for all the things”.

“Sitting in front of you is a chief executive of the Hong Kong SAR (Special Administrative Region) who has no banking service made available to her,” she told local English TV channel HKIBC.

“I have piles of cash at home, the government is paying me cash for my salary,” she added.

She also added that it was “very honourable” to be “unjustifiably sanctioned” by the US government.

She is said to be one of the highest paid leaders in the world

Mohsen Fakhrizadeh: Iran vows to avenge scientist’s assassination

Iran’s president has blamed Israel for the killing of a top nuclear scientist on Friday, and said it would not slow down the country’s nuclear programme.

Hassan Rouhani also said Iran would retaliate over Mohsen Fakhrizadeh’s killing at a time of its choosing.

Fakhrizadeh was killed in an ambush on his car by gunmen in the town of Absard, east of the capital Tehran.

Israel has not commented, but it has previously accused him of being behind a covert nuclear weapons programme.

Fakhrizadeh was Iran’s most renowned nuclear scientist, who headed the ministry of defence’s research and innovation organisation.

His killing threatens to escalate tensions over Iran’s nuclear programme with the US and its close ally Israel.

How has Iran reacted?

President Rouhani said his country would respond “in due course” but that Fakhrizadeh’s killing would not push Iran into making hasty decisions, in televised comments on Saturday.

“Iran’s enemies should know that the people of Iran and officials are braver than to leave this criminal act unanswered,” he said in a televised cabinet meeting.

“In due time, they will answer for this crime,” he added.

In an earlier statement, the president accused the “the mercenaries of the oppressive Zionist regime” – referring to Israel – of being behind the attack.

“The assassination of martyr Fakhrizadeh shows our enemies’ despair and the depth of their hatred… His martyrdom will not slow down our achievements.”

There has been no comment from Israel on the killing. The New York Times quotes three US officials, including two intelligence officials, as saying Israel was behind the attack.

Fakhrizadeh’s name was specifically mentioned in Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu’s presentation about Iran’s nuclear programme in April 2018.

Hossein Dehghan, military adviser to Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, vowed to “strike” the perpetrators like thunder.

Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif called on the international community to “condemn this act of state terror

Halima Aden quits runway modelling over religious views

American model Halima Aden says she is quitting runway modelling as it compromises her religious beliefs.

The 23-year-old has appeared on the cover of British Vogue, Vogue Arabia and Allure.

Writing on Instagram, she said the coronavirus pandemic had given her time to stop and think about what her values are as a Muslim woman.

“Being a ‘hijabi’ is truly a journey with lots of highs and lows,” she said.

Talking about accepting modelling jobs that went against her religious views, she said: “I can only blame myself for caring more about opportunity than what was actually at stake.”

She added that problems came from there being a “lack of Muslim women stylists” within the industry who could understand why wearing a hijab was so important.

She’s received support online from model sisters Bella and Gigi Hadid and also from Rihanna.

Halima was born in a Kenyan refugee camp to Somali parents before moving to America aged six.

She was spotted by international modelling agency IMG Models at 18 while appearing in the Miss Minnesota USA pageant as a semi-finalist.

She was the first woman to wear a hijab in the pageant and soon became known for bringing a modest dress code to the world’s most famous fashion week shows.

She’s gone on to star in campaigns for Rihanna’s Fenty Beauty and Kanye West’s Yeezy brand.

In her Instagram Stories, she praised Rihanna for letting her wear the hijab she wore to set.

She says she’s compromised her religion many times as part of her job – including missing prayer times set out in the Islamic faith or agreeing to model without a hijab on, using another item of clothing to cover her head.

She added that she had “sobbed” in her hotel room after shooting some campaigns over not speaking up about what she thought was right.

“The truth is I was very uncomfortable,” she wrote on Instagram.

“This just ain’t me,” she added.

In February this year, she told the BBC: “Modesty is not for one culture, it is not for one group of women. Modesty is the oldest fashion staple.

“It has been around since the beginning of time. It is going to be around for another 100 years. It’s an option, just another option for people to participate in.”

Rescue operations are under way in northern Zimbabwe, where dozens of illegal miners are believed to be trapped underground after the collapse of an old mine shaft.

Mining without the proper permits has been on the rise in the gold-rich country due to high levels of joblessness and the Covid-19 lockdown.

The authorities say at least six people have already been rescued, and more than 20 others could still be trapped.

Accidents caused by explosions and flooding are common in illegal mining, which is often carried out under dangerous conditions and with little regard for safety standards.

Zimbabwe is rich in minerals such as platinum, diamonds and gold. Small-scale miners account for over half of the gold produced in the country.

Huge crowds of fans have gathered at Argentina’s presidential palace, as they seek to pay their final respects to football legend Diego Maradona.

Three days of national mourning have begun after the national hero died of a heart attack on Wednesday aged 60.

Many people wept, blew kisses or said prayers as they filed past the footballer’s coffin.

But there were tense scenes outside as police pushed back large numbers of people still queuing to get in.

Maradona’s coffin – draped in Argentina’s national flag and football shirt, bearing his trademark number 10 on the back – was expected to be on public display until Thursday afternoon ahead of a procession through the streets of Buenos Aires.

But by mid-afternoon queues stretched back for more than a kilometre, and police clashed with mourners as they tried to close off the palace in anticipation of the wake.

There were reports of tear gas being used as officers in riot gear struggled to hold back the crowd.

Later the authorities extended access to the casket for a few more hours. After that the motorised funeral cortege is due to set out for the Bella Vista cemetery on the outskirts of the city.

Maradona’s family and former teammates took part in a private ceremony earlier in the day.

One of the greatest football players of all time, Maradona had a troubled personal life marked by cocaine and alcohol addiction. He had successful surgery on a brain blood clot earlier in November and was to be treated for alcohol dependency.

Local media said the preliminary results of an autopsy showed Maradona had suffered “acute heart failure”. A spokesman told AFP news agency he would be laid to rest in a cemetery on the outskirts of Buenos Aires, where his parents were also buried.

The former Argentina attacking midfielder and manager died at his home in Tigre, near Buenos Aires. The last person to see Maradona alive was his nephew Johnny Esposito, according to statements gathered by officials.

Maradona is survived by five children and his former wife, 58-year-old Claudia Villafane, who he split with in 2004 after 20 years of marriage.https://emp.bbc.com/emp/SMPj/2.36.6/iframe.htmlmedia captionWatch all of Maradona’s World Cup goals

Maradona, who played for clubs including Barcelona and Napoli, was captain when Argentina won the 1986 World Cup, scoring the famous “Hand of God” goal against England in the quarter-finals.

To score the goal, Maradona used his hand to deflect the ball past England goalkeeper Peter Shilton, but the referee did not see it. It was one of the most controversial World Cup moments ever.

Former Tottenham midfielder Ossie Ardiles, who played alongside Maradona at the 1982 World Cup, said he was “a god” in Argentina, in Naples and all around the world.

Fans mourn ‘eternal’ giant

The death has triggered an outpouring of grief in Argentina and across the world. At 22:00 on Wednesday (01:00 GMT) – an hour chosen to match the number on his shirt – stadiums across Argentina switched on their floodlights to honour his memory.

Fans flocked to La Bombonera, Boca Juniors’ stadium in Buenos Aires, where many were in tears. One fan of the star’s former club had tears in his eyes as he explained how much Maradona meant to him.

“Maradona for me is the greatest thing that happened to me in life. I love him as much as my father and it’s like my old man died,” Cristian Montelli, 22, told Reuters news agency.

“If I die young, hopefully upstairs I can play ball and watch a Boca game with him.”

Diego Maradona: Argentina legend dies aged 60

Football legend Diego Maradona, one of the greatest players of all time, has died at the age of 60.

The former Argentina attacking midfielder and manager suffered a heart attack at his Buenos Aires home.

He had successful surgery on a brain blood clot earlier in November and was to be treated for alcohol dependency.

Maradona was captain when Argentina won the 1986 World Cup, scoring the famous ‘Hand of God’ goal against England in the quarter-finals.

In a statement on social media, the Argentine Football Association expressed “its deepest sorrow for the death of our legend”, adding: “You will always be in our hearts.”

Declaring three days of national mourning, Alberto Fernandez, the president of Argentina, said: “You took us to the top of the world. You made us immensely happy. You were the greatest of them all.

“Thank you for having existed, Diego. We’re going to miss you all our lives.”

Maradona played for Barcelona and Napoli during his club career, winning two Serie A titles with the Italian side.

He scored 34 goals in 91 appearances for Argentina, representing them in four World Cups.

Maradona led his country to the 1990 final in Italy, where they were beaten by West Germany, before captaining them again in the United States in 1994, but was sent home after failing a drugs test for ephedrine.

During the second half of his career, Maradona struggled with cocaine addiction and was banned for 15 months after testing positive for the drug in 1991.

He retired from professional football in 1997, on his 37th birthday, during his second stint at Argentine giants Boca Juniors.

Having briefly managed two sides in Argentina during his playing career, Maradona was appointed head coach of the national team in 2008 and left after the 2010 World Cup, where his side were beaten by Germany in the quarter-finals.

He subsequently managed teams in the United Arab Emirates and Mexico and was in charge of Gimnasia y Esgrima in Argentina’s top flight at the time of his death.

Football world pays tribute

Brazil legend Pele led tributes to Maradona, issuing a brief statement which read: “One day we’ll kick a ball together in the sky above.”

Former England striker and Match of the Day host Gary Lineker said: “By some distance the best player of my generation and arguably the greatest of all time. After a blessed but troubled life, hopefully he’ll finally find some comfort in the hands of God

Beneath are his wonder pictures

Coronavirus: How Europeans are preparing for Christmas and New Year

For months now, coronavirus restrictions have dictated where millions of Europeans can travel to and who they can see when they get there.

So with Christmas fast approaching, governments are having to make tough decisions on whether to ease restrictions in time for the holiday period.

Here’s a breakdown of what’s been announced so far.

Italy: Warnings against festive holidays

Many Italians head to the ski slopes over Christmas and New Year, but Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte has warned against these traditional breaks. “We cannot afford it,” he said.

It means popular ski resorts in the Alps and Dolomites are likely to lose out on billions of euros in festive revenue.

Mr Conte is looking for a European consensus, on keeping the ski resorts shut and on other measures too.

“I think it is a European problem,” Mr Conte told La7 television. “If Italy decided to shut down all its ski lifts without any support from France, Austria and the other countries, then Italian tourists would risk going abroad and bringing the [virus] back home.” France’s ski resorts will also stay shut and the leader in the German state of Bavaria backs temporary closures, but Austrian tourism officials believe they can offer safe holidays once restrictions are eased on 7 December and they disapprove of the Italian plan. Swiss resorts are already open.

Italy is currently seeing the highest number of deaths since the end of March and the prime minister has told Italians to expect a “more sober Christmas, without Christmas Eve gatherings, hugs and kisses”.

Many Italian regions are under partial lockdown and travel between them is restricted. These measures will remain in place until 3 December, but reports suggest an emergency decree may see the rules relaxed after this date.

The exact details of the decree are still being discussed by ministers. The beloved Italian Christmas market, however, has already been banned.

But it’s not all bad news: Mr Conte has reassured children that Babbo Natale (Father Christmas) will definitely be visiting as he is exempt from global travel restrictions. Phew.

France: Travel restrictions lifted over Christmas

After weeks of national lockdown, President Emmanuel Macron has restrictions will start being eased from 28 November. But the majority of lockdown measures will stay in place until just ahead of the festive break on 15 December.

Shops, theatres and cinemas will reopen in time for Christmas and people will be able to visit their families over the festive period. “We will be able to travel without authorisation, including between regions,” Mr Macron said in a TV address.

It’s worth noting that France has been under a second national lockdown since late October. But on 15 December, this will be replaced by a nationwide curfew from 21:00 to 07:00. The curfew won’t apply on Christmas Eve and New Year’s Eve, however.

Restaurants and schools will not reopen until at least 20 January, and this is dependent on daily cases dropping below 5,000. Bars, cafes and nightclubs are closed indefinitely.

Religious services will be free to take place from 28 November with a limit of 30 people.

The decision to keep France’s hugely popular ski resorts shut has come as a huge disappointment, with local mayors complaining of months of work wiped out. Mr Macron said they could reopen in January “under favourable conditions” but echoed the Italian prime minister’s push for a European agreement.

Germany: A cap on social gatherings

Draft guidelines agreed by the leaders of Germany’s 16 states aim to limit social gatherings over Christmas, and are set to be formalised after a video conference with Angela Merkel later on Wednesday.

From 1 December, two households and a maximum of five people will be able to meet. Children aged under 14 are not included in this limit.

But there could be a temporary easing of the rule with up to 10 people able to meet between 23 December and 1 January. The limit of two households may also be increased.

The plan calls for discussions “with religious communities on measures to reduce contacts at religious services”.

Germany’s “lockdown light” would continue until 20 December. Bars, restaurants and entertainment venues are closed but schools and shops are open. This is expected to be extended over the festive period.

Most major Christmas markets have already been cancelled, but some local ones are outlining plans to go ahead on a reduced scale.

As for New Year, fireworks displays have been cancelled while letting them off in the street is likely to be discouraged.

Spain: Terrace parties and limited gatherings

The Spanish government is planning a “different” festive period with a limit of six people allowed at parties, reports say.

It is set to recommend that social gatherings in the run-up to Christmas be held on restaurant terraces or other outdoor locations.

Spanish families also traditionally celebrate the Feast of the Three Kings with a parade on the evening on 5 January and the government will recommend that celebrations do not take place.

The plan also recommends ventilating indoor spaces and maintaining social distancing where necessary. But more broadly, Health Minister Salvador Illa has said “nothing is set in stone”.

“We need to find consensus about [Christmas restrictions]. When it’s decided we will announce the measures,” he said.

Catalonia’s government is hoping to allow gatherings of up to 10 people for Christmas. “We will make our own decisions,” a spokeswoman for the region said.

While in Madrid, officials are asking the government to approve a mass testing programme at pharmacies in the run-up to Christmas to allow people to meet safely over the festive period

The Duchess of Sussex, Meghan Markle, has revealed she had a miscarriage in July, writing in an article of feeling “an almost unbearable grief”.

“I knew, as I clutched my firstborn child, that I was losing my second,” Meghan said in a piece for the New York Times.

Meghan and Prince Harry, the Duke of Sussex, had their first child, Archie, on 6 May 2019.

Meghan wrote that “loss and pain have plagued every one of us in 2020”.

She said in a morning in July this year, she felt a “sharp cramp” and hours later, from a hospital bed, watched “my husband’s heart break as he tried to hold the shattered pieces of mine”.

Meghan, 39, shared her experience to urge people to “commit to asking others, ‘are you OK?'” over the Thanksgiving holiday in the US.

The duke and duchess moved to California to live away from the media spotlight, after stepping back as senior royals in January.

“Losing a child means carrying an almost unbearable grief, experienced by many but talked about by few,” the duchess wrote in her article.

“In the pain of our loss, my husband and I discovered that in a room of 100 women, 10 to 20 of them will have suffered from miscarriage.

“Yet despite the staggering commonality of this pain, the conversation remains taboo, riddled with (unwarranted) shame, and perpetuating a cycle of solitary mourning.

“Some have bravely shared their stories; they have opened the door, knowing that when one person speaks truth, it gives license for all of us to do the same.”

Russian police have raided the Jehovah’s Witnesses nationwide and made arrests in a new criminal case against the banned Christian-based group.

The Investigative Committee (SK) posted a video on YouTube showing SK men in balaclavas breaking into a flat and seizing piles of foreign currency.

The SK – which operates like the FBI – said “conspiratorial meetings” had been held at a Moscow flat since June 2019.

In 2017 Russia’s Supreme Court banned the Jehovah’s Witnesses as “extremist”.

According to the SK, the Moscow group “studied religious literature… propagandising Jehovah’s Witnesses teachings”. It said they “indoctrinated and recruited new members among the capital’s residents and in other regions, to participate in the banned religious movement”.

What’s next?

Dozens of the faith’s followers are being prosecuted in Russia for practising their religion.

In July the UK government voiced concern about Russia’s crackdown on Jehovah’s Witnesses, saying the state had “criminalised the peaceful worship of 175,000 Russian citizens and contravened the right to religious freedom that is enshrined in the Russian constitution”.

In December 2018 Russian President Vladimir Putin said he could not understand why followers of the religion were being persecuted.

The Russian Orthodox Church welcomed the ban in 2017. A senior Orthodox cleric, Metropolitan Hilarion, called the Jehovah’s Witnesses a “totalitarian sect” on Russian TV.

He said: “It’s hard to deny that these cultists will remain and continue their activity… but at least they’ll stop openly claiming to be a Christian faith, in other words, in the market place of existing Christian confessions this product will no longer be on display.

“And I think that’s all for the best. It’ll save families, people’s lives”.

The Jehovah’s Witnesses were founded in the US in the late 19th Century and stick to a very literal reading of the Bible, rejecting the interpretations of many Christian scholars and the Christian doctrine of the Trinity.

They believe that the final battle between good and evil will happen soon. They are also pacifists, carry out door-to-door preaching and oppose blood transfusions.

Tributes have been paid to “immense” former France rugby union international Christophe Dominici, who has died aged 48.

Dominici was best known for helping France knock New Zealand out of the 1999 Rugby World Cup.

A witness saw him climb the roof of a disused building at Saint-Cloud park, near Paris, on Tuesday before falling, officials say.

Prosecutors have opened an inquiry into the cause of his death.

“So much sadness. Christophe Dominici was an immense player, an artist. His sudden death is a shock,” said sports minister Roxana Maracineanu.

Dominici played 67 times for his country and won the French championship five times with Stade Français before retiring in 2008. In recent years he had worked as a pundit for French radio and TV.

His 1999 World Cup semi-final performance spurred France to a sensational comeback, as he darted down the left of the pitch and seized the ball ahead of two New Zealand defenders to score a try. The All Blacks were leading the game at the time and had the brilliant Jonah Lomu in their line-up.

Known as Domi, he was 1.72m (5ft 6in) tall and earned a reputation for weaving runs that could change the course of a match. He played in four Six Nations-winning teams, including two Grand Slams.

His death has stunned the world of rugby. France’s rugby federation said the national sport was “in mourning after the tragic death of our wing Christophe Dominici”.

it added: “We’re particularly thinking of his family and loved ones.”

A similar message came from the other big rugby union nations. The Welsh Rugby Union said: “Adieu, Christophe Dominici… what a player.”

US President-elect Joe Biden has formally introduced the first people he has chosen for his cabinet, as the transition of power gathers pace.

If confirmed, Avril Haines would be the first female director of national intelligence and Alejandro Mayorkas the first Latino homeland security boss.

John Kerry will be climate envoy, while foreign policy veteran Antony Blinken is nominated for secretary of state.

President Trump has now agreed that the transition process should start.

However, he still refuses to concede defeat. He said the General Services Administration (GSA), which oversees the handover, must “do what needs to be done” but continues to repeat unsubstantiated claims that the 3 November election was “rigged”.

Mr Biden can now access millions of dollars in funds, national security briefings and key government officials to properly prepare to take over the presidency on 20 January.

In a very brief appearance in the White House press room on Tuesday, Mr Trump praised the work of his administration, hailed the Dow Jones stock index for passing the 30,000 mark and left without taking questions.

Mr Biden is projected to beat President Trump by 306 votes to 232 in the US electoral college when it meets to formally confirm the winner on 14 December. This is far above the 270 votes he needs.

On Tuesday, Governor Tom Wolf said he had certified the victory of Mr Biden in Pennsylvania, one of the key swing states. Another, Michigan, certified the same result on Monday.

Who has Biden picked?

Many of the choices are Mr Biden’s colleagues from the Barack Obama administrations.

Presenting his nominations, Mr Biden said the team would “make us proud to be American”.

Mr Biden presented six key picks on Tuesday:

• Antony Blinken was nominated as secretary of state – the most important foreign policy position. He is expected to manage a Biden foreign policy agenda that will emphasise re-engaging with Western allies
• Ex-US Secretary of State John Kerry will lead the incoming administration’s effort to combat climate change. He was one of the leading architects of the Paris climate agreement, which President Trump withdrew from
• Avril Haines, a former deputy director of the CIA, was nominated as the first female director of national intelligence
• Alejandro Mayorkas was the first Latino nominated to serve as secretary of homeland security. He previously served as deputy secretary of homeland security under President Obama
• Jake Sullivan was named White House national security adviser. Mr Sullivan served as Mr Biden’s national security adviser during Mr Obama’s second term
• Long-time diplomat Linda Thomas-Greenfield was nominated US ambassador to the UN. She also served under President Obama, including as assistant secretary of state for African affairs between 2013 and 2017

One choice that is expected but has not been announced yet is former Federal Reserve chair Janet Yellen as Treasury secretary

Most of the picks, although not Mr Kerry nor Mr Sullivan, will need confirmation by the Senate. Rejection of a nominee is rare. The last was in 1989, although some nominees have withdrawn from consideration.

Mr Biden’s first TV interview as president-elect is scheduled to air in the US on Tuesday evening.

It is not yet clear when Mr Biden will be given his first classified national security briefing as incoming president. The so-called Presidential Daily Brief gives Mr Trump details of the latest international threats and developments

Trial of ex-president Sarkozy a landmark for France

He was nicknamed the “bling-bling” president for what many in France saw as his lavish tastes – but now Nicolas Sarkozy faces the stark reality of a soulless courtroom.

He has gone on trial accused of corruption and influence-peddling, for allegedly trying to bribe a magistrate in return for information about an investigation into his party finances.

Mr Sarkozy is the first ex-president in modern France to appear in the dock.

He led France from 2007 to 2012.

His first court appearance was brief, however. The session was suspended after 30 minutes – until Thursday – because a key figure in the case, former senior judge Gilbert Azibert, is required to have a medical examination.

He is 73 and did not appear in the dock with his co-accused – Mr Sarkozy, 65, and the ex-president’s former lawyer Thierry Herzog. There is a question mark over the court proceedings because of the general coronavirus disruption.

The trial is set to run until 10 December. If found guilty, Mr Sarkozy could face a 10-year prison sentence and €1m (£889,000) fine.

Another former right-wing president, Jacques Chirac, was given a two-year suspended prison sentence in 2011 for diverting public funds and abusing public trust. The offences dated back to his time as mayor of Paris.

But he did not appear in court, owing to ill health. He denied wrongdoing.

What’s this case all about?

French magistrates have spent years investigating allegations of corruption dating back to Mr Sarkozy’s election campaigns and period in office.

This case is linked to a long-running investigation into the right-wing politician’s suspected use of secret donations to fund his 2007 presidential campaign.

The prosecution alleges that Mr Sarkozy and lawyer Thierry Herzog sought to bribe Gilbert Azibert with a prestigious job in Monaco in return for information about that investigation.

It is known as the “wiretapping case” in France, because phone calls between Mr Sarkozy and Mr Herzog were tapped in 2013-2014, in which Mr Sarkozy used the alias “Paul Bismuth” and they discussed Judge Azibert.

French media report that Mr Sarkozy was heard telling Mr Herzog “I’ll get him promoted, I’ll help him.”

Mr Sarkozy denies any wrongdoing – and he points out that Judge Azibert did not get the Monaco position.

“Gilbert Azibert got nothing, I made no approach [on his behalf] and I’ve been rejected by the Court of Cassation,” Mr Sarkozy said in 2014, referring to his battle to clear his name.

In October 2013 magistrates dropped him from their investigation into claims that he had accepted illicit payments from L’Oreal heiress Liliane Bettencourt for his 2007 presidential campaign.

What are Mr Sarkozy’s other trials and tribulations?

Prosecutors suspect that Mr Sarkozy and several associates received millions of euros of Libyan cash to fund his 2007 presidential campaign. At that time the late Libyan dictator Col Muammar Gaddafi was in power.

In 2018 Mr Sarkozy was charged with corruption, illegal campaign financing and benefiting from embezzled public funds.

Last month, magistrates also charged him with “membership in a criminal conspiracy”. The charges could lead to a trial.

Mr Sarkozy has rejected all the charges.

In January this year magistrates also placed a former Sarkozy aide, Thierry Gaubert, under formal investigation.

“My innocence is once again trampled on by a decision that presents no evidence at all of any illicit financing,” Mr Sarkozy wrote on Facebook.

In a separate case, he is due to go on trial from 17 March to 15 April 2021 over the so-called Bygmalion affair, in which he is accused of having fraudulently overspent in his 2012 presidential campaign. His 2012 re-election bid was unsuccessful

The coronavirus vaccine developed by the University of Oxford is highly effective at stopping people developing Covid-19 symptoms, a large trial shows.

Interim data suggests 70% protection, but the researchers say the figure may be as high as 90% by tweaking the dose.

The results will be seen as a triumph, but come after Pfizer and Moderna vaccines showed 95% protection.

However, the Oxford jab is far cheaper, and is easier to store and get to every corner of the world than the other two.

So the vaccine will play a significant role in tackling the pandemic, if it is approved for use by regulators.

“The announcement today takes us another step closer to the time when we can use vaccines to bring an end to the devastation caused by [the virus],” said the vaccine’s architect, Prof Sarah Gilbert.

The UK government has pre-ordered 100 million doses of the Oxford vaccine, and AstraZeneca says it will make three billion doses for the world next year.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson said it was “incredibly exciting news” and that while there were still safety checks to come, “these are fantastic results.

The vaccine has been developed in around 10 months, a process that normally takes a decade.

There are two results from the trial of more than 20,000 volunteers in the UK and Brazil.

Overall, there were 30 cases of Covid in people who had two doses of the vaccine and 101 cases in people who received a dummy injection. The researchers said it worked out at 70% protection, which is better than the seasonal flu jab.

Nobody getting the actual vaccine developed severe-Covid or needed hospital treatment.

Prof Andrew Pollard, the trial’s lead investigator, said he was “really pleased” with the results as “it means we have a vaccine for the world”.

However, protection was 90% in an analysis of around 3,000 people on the trial who were given a half-sized first dose and a full-sized second dose.

Prof Pollard said the finding was “intriguing” and would mean “we would have a lot more doses to distribute.”

The analysis also suggested there was a reduction in the number of people being infected without developing symptoms, who are still thought to be able to spread the virus.