Good morning.
Joe Biden and Britain’s new prime minister, Rishi Sunak, agreed during talks on Tuesday to work together to support Ukraine and stand up to China, the White House has said.
They spoke for the first time a few hours after Sunak became Britain’s third prime minister this year, inheriting an economic crisis after the resignation of Liz Truss, whose tenure lasted 45 days.
In recent days Biden has appeared to publicly criticise Truss’s doomed economic strategy, in a rare intervention by the US president. Relations between the two countries have also been somewhat strained in recent years amid tensions over post-Brexit arrangements in Northern Ireland. The White House holds concerns over the impact on peace in the region.
Biden and Sunak reaffirmed the “special relationship” between the US and Britain, and said they would work together to advance global security and prosperity, the White House said in a summary of the conversation.
What else was said? The White House said Biden and Sunak also agreed to “address the challenges posed by China”, which Washington has identified as its biggest geopolitical and economic rival on the world stage.
What else did Sunak do on his first day in office? He chose his new cabinet. After earlier pledging to bring “integrity and accountability” as prime minister he made a gamble by restoring Suella Braverman to the Home Office less than a week after she was forced to resign for a security breach.
Meanwhile, Biden mispronounced Sunak’s name, as he congratulated him during a Diwali celebration at the White House on Monday.
Trump 2024 campaign seeks to recruit man who smeared John Kerry – reports
As he prepares a possible new presidential campaign, Donald Trump is seeking to recruit an operative who was behind a group that famously questioned the Vietnam war record of the 2004 Democratic nominee, John Kerry, the Washington Post reports.
The operative who ran Swift Boat Veterans for Truth, Chris LaCivita, worked for one Trump-aligned political action committee during the 2020 election and now runs another. He is also a consultant for Ron Johnson, a Trump-supporting Wisconsin senator fighting for re-election.
The Post cited four anonymous sources. It also reported LaCivita’s response: “Thank you for the opportunity but I don’t comment on rumours!!”
Despite deepening legal jeopardy on numerous fronts, Trump dominates polling regarding potential Republican nominees in 2024 and continues to tease a third White House run.
Will he actually run? The Post said Trump was “telling allies he plans to run for president again” but also said many “longtime advisers do not want a role in the 2024 bid after a slate of federal investigations have ensnared many of them – and they fear a bruising battle he could lose”.
Progressive Democrats retract Biden Ukraine letter after furious debate
The chair of the progressive caucus of the US House of Representatives, Pramila Jayapal, has retracted a letter sent by 30 of the members urging Biden to engage in direct talks with Russia to end the war in Ukraine after a heated debate within the Democratic party about future strategy over the conflict.
In a statement issued on Tuesday afternoon, Jayapal made a dramatic U-turn, scrapping the letter that had been sent to the White House the previous day and implying it had all been a mistake. “The letter was drafted several months ago, but unfortunately was released by staff without vetting,” she said.
Jayapal went on to regret what she said was conflation of the progressive Democratic call for a diplomatic end to the Ukraine war with a recent statement by the Republican leader in the House, Kevin McCarthy, which threatened an end to aid for the stricken country should the Republican party take back the House in next month’s midterm elections.
Jayapal said: “The letter sent yesterday has been conflated with GOP opposition to support for the Ukrainians’ just defense of their national sovereignty. As such, it is a distraction at this time and we withdraw the letter.”
What in the letter caused the most criticism? The most controversial aspect of the letter was the proposal that Biden should explore “incentives to end hostilities, including some form of sanctions relief” for Russia.
In other news …
Mumia Abu-Jamal, the best known of the African American radicals incarcerated for decades for their actions during the black liberation struggle of the 1970s and 80s, is petitioning a Pennsylvania court for a new trial after the discovery of fresh evidence that casts doubt on his conviction.
A woman who accused Harvey Weinstein of raping her in 2013 testified on Tuesday that the attack left her wanting to “destroy” herself. The woman, who was in Los Angeles at the time for a film festival, is the first of eight Weinstein accusers due to testify in a courtroom in Los Angeles.
Mourners have gathered at the grave of Mahsa Amini to mark 40 days since her death, defying heightened security measures in Iran as part of a bloody crackdown on protests led by women. Dozens of men and women shouted “Woman, life, freedom” and “Death to the dictator” at Aichi cemetery.
Workers at Amazon are increasing pressure on the world’s largest retailer with strikes and protests aimed at improving working conditions and wages as the company continues to fend off unionization efforts. In the meantime, workers across the US allege the company is conducting a harsh crackdown on unionization activities.
Stat of the day: Illegal fishing spurs billions in losses for developing countries, study says
Developing countries are losing billions of dollars due to illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing, which siphons off revenue through illicit financial flows, according to a study by the Financial Transparency Coalition. The study reveals the top 10 companies involved in IUU fishing are responsible for nearly a quarter of reported cases: eight are from China, one is from Colombia and another from Spain. “Illegal fishing is a massive industry directly threatening the livelihoods of millions of people across the world,” said Matti Kohonen, one of the report’s authors.
Don’t miss this: How tattoo removal became a booming business
When 18-year-old Olivia Cerda got a vivid tableau featuring a dragon and a tiger permanently etched across her entire back, there was not much thinking behind the decision. Intense regret surfaced immediately, writes Mattha Busby. A few years later, she inquired about removing it professionally but was quoted far more than she could afford. Advancing technology, soaring demand and widening availability of services has seen prices fall, leading to a boom for the tattoo removal industry. What was once a symbol of permanence can now be erased – perhaps the ultimate testament to our increasingly throwaway society.
… or this: TikTok in danger of being major vector of election misinformation
In the final sprint to the US midterm elections TikTok risks being a key vector for election misinformation, experts warn, with the social media firm’s huge user base and its design making it particularly susceptible to such threats. Preliminary research published last week from the digital watchdog Global Witness and the Cybersecurity for Democracy team at New York University suggests the video firm is failing to filter large volumes of election misinformation in the weeks leading up to the vote.
Climate check: Cut meat consumption to two burgers a week to save planet, study suggests
Meat consumption should be reduced to the equivalent of about two burgers a week in the developed world, and public transport expanded about six times faster than its current rate, if the world is to avoid the worst ravages of the climate crisis, research has suggested. The State of Climate Action 2022 report examined global progress on 40 indicators that would be key to halving global greenhouse gas emissions by 2030. The researchers found a gloomy picture, with just over half the indicators well off track and five heading in the wrong direction.
Last thing: ‘World’s dirtiest man’ dies in Iran at 94, months after first wash
An Iranian hermit nicknamed the “world’s dirtiest man” for not taking a shower for more than half a century has died at the of 94, state media has reported. Amou Haji was reported not to have bathed with water or soap in more than 60 years, fearing it would make him sick. The Iranian, who lived in the southern province of Fars, had avoided previous attempts by villagers to get him clean. But local media say he finally succumbed to pressure and washed a few months ago, and became ill shortly afterwards. He died on Sunday.
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