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Your morning briefing: What you should know for Thursday, October 22

Sunak to unveil support package for firms hit by Tier 2 restrictions

The Chancellor is today expected to unveil new support package to help firms in parts of the country under Tier 2 coronavirus restrictions.

Rishi Sunak will outline his plan to help firms, particularly pubs and restaurants, who have seen their trade drop as a result of the restrictions in the "high" Covid-19 category.

Currently businesses in Tier 2 areas such as London and Birmingham do not benefit from the same Government aid as those in Tier 3, including business grants and higher wage subsidies, because they can remain open.

Obama on Trump's handling of pandemic: He can't even protect himself

Barack Obama launched a blistering attack on Donald Trump’s handling of the pandemic as he took to the campaign trail less than two weeks before the US election.

At a drive-in rally on behalf of Democratic nominee Joe Biden , the former president said Mr Trump “isn’t suddenly going to protect all of us”.

"He can't even take the basic steps to protect himself,” he told those gathered at the event in Philadelphia.

Macron leaders tributes to teacher beheaded in France

French President Emmanuel Macron has described a history teacher beheaded by an Islamist radical as a "quiet hero" dedicated to instilling democratic values in his pupils.

Samuel Paty was targeted close to his school near Paris for showing cartoons of the Prophet Muhammad in class. His killer, 18-year-old Abdullakh Anzorov, was shot dead by police.

Mr Macron said Mr Paty had tried to teach his pupils how to become citizens. "He was killed precisely because he incarnated the Republic”, the president said.

Unsettled weather continues after storm brings heavy rain and gale force winds

Unsettled weather is set to continue across the UK after Storm Barbara bought heavy rain and strong winds to southern England.

Storm Barbara, named by Spanish meteorologists, brought miserable weather to much of the UK yesterday.

Multiple weather warnings were issued as the Met Office said around 10-15mm of rain was due to fall, with as much as 30-50mm in a few locations.

Another yellow weather warning for rain has been issued across the north of Scotland as the remnants of the storm is expected to cause some flooding on roads this morning.

Vaccine trial to continue following review of volunteer's death

Trials of a coronavirus vaccine being developed by Oxford University will continue following a review of the death of a volunteer.

The university is in advanced stages of testing a Covid-19 immunisation being developed with AstraZeneca, with volunteers in countries including Brazil, the UK and the US.

The institution said it has investigated the case but found "no concerns about safety" around the vaccine.

Banksy’s 'Show Me The Monet' smashes expectations at auction

Banksy's reimagining of Claude Monet's Impressionist water lilies has fetched more than £7.5 million at auction, easily surpassing expectations.

Show Me The Monet was created in 2005 and adds abandoned shopping trolleys and a traffic cone to the famous garden scene.

It was sold at a Sotheby's event in London following a near nine-minute battle between five collectors, the auction house said.

On this day...

1797: The first parachute descent was made, over the Parc Monceau in Paris, by Andre-Jacques Garnerin, from a balloon.

1811: Franz Liszt, composer - creator of the symphonic poem - and piano virtuoso was born near Sopron, Hungary, in what was then the Austrian Empire.

1881: The first edition of the British magazine Tit-Bits was published.

1883: The Metropolitan Opera House in New York opened with a performance of Gounod's Faust.

1910: American-born Dr Hawley Crippen was convicted at the Old Bailey of poisoning his wife Cora. He was hanged on November 23 at Pentonville Prison.

1937: The Duke and Duchess of Windsor arrived in Berlin to meet Hitler, study housing conditions and hear a concert by the Nazi District Orchestra.

1966: KGB master-spy George Blake escaped from Wormwood Scrubs where he was serving a 40-year sentence.

1974: A bomb exploded in Brooks Club in London, near a restaurant where opposition leader of the time Edward Heath was dining.

1987: The first volume of the Gutenberg Bible was sold in New York for £3.26-million, becoming the most expensive printed book ever sold at auction.