Morning mail: Italy blocks vaccine delivery, Meghan opens up, NZ earthquake

Good morning, it’s Friday 5 March and this is Imogen Dewey with news on federal parliament’s ongoing misogyny backlash, New Zealand’s withdrawn tsunami warning, and, of course, the latest on the pandemic.

Italy has blocked the export of 250,000 doses of the Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine to Australia in the first such intervention under the EU’s controversial export authorisation scheme – alarming those concerned that the EU is moving towards a protectionist approach to vaccine supply. Germany’s vaccination committee has reversed its guidance not to administer this vaccine to over-65s, in light of new studies. Predicting a time lag on vaccine impact, the World Health Organisation is urging Europeans to “get back to basics” (e.g. quarantine, test and trace) to prevent a Covid resurgence.

As new data suggests local attitudes to the vaccine may fall along political lines, the medicines regulator has said a full-page advertisement signed by Clive Palmer in The Australian yesterday questioning Covid-19 vaccination “contains factual inaccuracies”.

Scott Morrison faces a growing clamour for an independent investigation into the contested rape allegation against Christian Porter, as the attorney general acknowledged he may have had contact with his accuser after 1988. A panel of influential women used their Q+A appearance last night to add to the calls – and decried a misogynistic culture in parliament, in light of reports that defence minister Linda Reynolds referred to alleged rape victim Brittany Higgins as a “lying cow” (in comments unrelated to the alleged rape). Higgins has demanded an apology from Reynolds, who did not deny the comments.

A severe 7.2-magnitude earthquake struck off the east of New Zealand’s North Island this morning, prompting a tsunami warning that was later withdrawn – although residents have been asked to stay alert and keep away from beaches and marine areas.

Australia

Australia has called on Myanmar’s security forces to cease the violent response to protests, condemning the killings of minors as “indefensible” – but stopped short of outlining any additional sanctions against military figures, even as 38 people were killed on the deadliest day since last month’s coup.

New Zealand police have charged a man over a threat made online to the Linwood Islamic centre and the Al Noor mosque, the sites of the two Christchurch shootings in 2019.

Mehreen Faruqi has rejected a request by far-right commentator Lauren Southern to remove and apologise for a tweet. The Sky News Australia contributor complained the Greens senator’s tweet referencing the Christchurch terrorist and her promotion of the ‘Great Replacement’ theory was “defamatory”.

Polystyrene foam commonly used to package consumer goods will be phased out in Australia by mid-2022 as part of a national plan to combat mounting plastic waste.

“Threatening letters sent to Asian councillors and a surge in race hate attacks during the pandemic have renewed calls for a centralised hate tracker,” writes Naaman Zhou, asking how anti-Chinese sentiment in Australia “seeped into the mainstream”.

The world

People waste almost a billion tonnes of food a year, a UN report has revealed. On average around the world, 74kg of food are discarded per person each year in homes alone.

The European parliament has postponed setting a date for ratifying the trade and security deal with Britain after Boris Johnson was accused of breaking international law for a second time over Northern Ireland.

Refugee rescuers have been charged in Italy with complicity in people smuggling. Staff of charities including Save the Children and MSF are among dozens facing sentences of up to 20 years over humanitarian work.

Israel’s environmental protection minister has said Iran was responsible for a recent oil spill that ravaged its shores and has claimed – without evidence – the incident was a form of “environmental terrorism”.

US customers have flocked to buy copies of Dr Seuss titles after six of the children’s author’s books were withdrawn because of racist portrayals of people of colour.

Recommended reads

“Meghan’s Oprah trailer signals a no-holds-barred take on ‘the firm’,” writes Caroline Davies. “And Buckingham Palace’s unprecedented inquiry into allegations of bullying by Meghan has not de-escalated the rising tensions leading up to Sunday’s broadcast” – particularly as news emerges that the Palace didn’t let the Sussexes know about it. The teaser signals the “never complain, never explain” era is well and truly over. And as Prince Harry shares fears of his mother’s history repeating, Scotland Yard has announced there will be no investigation into allegations the journalist behind Diana’s controversial 1995 TV interview used fake documents to persuade her to take part.

“Australia’s bizarre and outdated classification laws are an embarrassment, and they are coming back to haunt the federal government with its clumsily drafted online safety bill.” So writes Jarryd Bartle, who accepts said bill has admirable aims, but believes it “empowers the eSafety commissioner to strip porn, kink and sexually explicit art from the internet.”

What is cryptoart, how much does it cost and can you hang it on your wall? You might have heard of it in context of the $US600,000 Nyan Cat gif or the more recent Kings of Leon NFT Album, or maybe you need a quick explainer. Follow along as Patrick Lum explains the phenomenon to Lucy Clark.

Plus: Each month we add 20 new songs to our Spotify playlist. Read about 10 of our favourites this March.

Listen

Relying on casuals in aged care will weaken the royal commission’s reforms, experts are warning. Unions and aged care professionals are outraged that the royal commission into the sector – despite handing down 148 recommendations – has not recommended a clear path away from the “overcasualisation” of the system’s workforce.

On today’s episode of Full Story, Lenore Taylor and the news team ask if the Morrison government will make the radical changes needed to improve the lives of older Australians.

Full Story is Guardian Australia’s daily news podcast. Subscribe for free on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or any other podcasting app.

Sport

“This AFL season will surely be better than the last,” writes Scott Heinrich (bravely, one might add). “Australia is not out of the woods when it comes to the pandemic but there is no way the coronavirus could wreak havoc on the nation, on sport, on the AFL, like it did in 2020.”

Two Super Rugby teams are again shaping to form the core of the national squad this year and beyond; channeling, as Bret Harris writes, the spirit of 1999.

Media roundup

A Queensland health worker has reportedly had an anaphylactic reaction to the Pfizer vaccine, the Brisbane Times reports. China will overhaul Hong Kong’s electoral system, according to the Sydney Morning Herald, claiming a responsibility to put “patriots” in power. The Australian reports that the ALP is likely to formally recognise Palestine ($), if Anthony Albanese becomes PM.

Coming up

Scott Morrison will meet with state and territory leaders at national cabinet to discuss the coronavirus pandemic response.

A judgment on Johnson and Johnson’s appeal in the pelvic mesh implants case will be handed down.

The longlist for the 2021 Stella prize has been revealed – it will be announced on 22 April.

And if you’ve read this far …

You might hear about delays from leaves on London trains (maybe even the occasional swan), but this week a cat was found on a train roof at Euston station – a whisker away from hitching an extremely fast ride up north, and perilously close to the 25,000 volt overhead lines.

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