President Donald Trump has said it is “certainly possible” that his Supreme Court pick will be involved in a ruling revisiting the landmark 1973 decision that legalised abortion in the US. Mr Trump said he did not discuss abortion rights with Amy Coney Barrett before choosing her for the top court. But Ms Coney Barrett was “certainly conservative in her views”, he said. She has been chosen to replace the late liberal Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg but awaits Senate confirmation. Democrats and women’s rights advocates fear Judge Barrett, a socially conservative jurist, could play a decisive role in any ruling overturning the 1973 judgment to legalise abortion, known as Roe v Wade. Should Judge Barrett’s nomination be confirmed, conservative-leaning justices will hold a 6-3 majority on the Supreme Court, shifting its ideological balance for potentially decades to come. Mr Trump said he did not know how the judge would vote on the issue if her nomination was approved.(BBC)…[+]

A long-serving police officer has been shot dead at Croydon Custody Centre in south London.  The male sergeant was shot in the chest before the suspect turned the firearm on himself, sources have told the BBC. The man had been brought to the custody suite in a police vehicle and the shooting happened during questioning about Covid-19, the BBC was told. A minute’s silence has been held for the officer described by the Met Police chief as a “much-loved colleague”. The victim, who has not been named, is thought to have been a few weeks away from retirement and was described as “one of a kind” by a colleague. BBC Home Affairs correspondent Danny Shaw said it was believed the suspect – who is critically ill in hospital – was known to counter-terrorism police having been on their radar in the past, though the Met Police has not officially confirmed that.(BBC)…[+]

Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, who died a week ago, has become the first woman in US history to lie in state at the US Capitol in Washington DC. The liberal icon died from pancreatic cancer after 27 years on the nation’s top court.

Thousands have been paying their respects as she lay in repose outside the Supreme Court building this week.  Ginsburg, who died aged 87, was an outspoken advocate for gender equality and civil rights. She has been mythologised by liberals and feminists as a barrier-breaking leader. Dubbed by her fans as the Notorious RBG, she also became the first justice to have two days of viewing at the Supreme Court. Given the sheer number of visitors coming to pay their respects, organisers determined one day would not be enough.

Makeshift memorials lined the court steps as the lines of those attending Ginsburg’s public viewings snaked around the National Mall. Her casket was kept outside the Supreme Court earlier this week to allow for outdoor visitation in light of Covid-19. The formal ceremony – in which she is lying in state at the US Congress – is invite-only, also due to the pandemic. It is being attended by senior elected officials. Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden and his wife are also present.(BBC)…[+]

The US president’s son, Eric Trump, has tweeted a video that falsely claims Democratic candidate Joe Biden used a teleprompter to help him answer questions in a television interview. Eric Trump wrote “Unreal”, above a 26-second video with the headline: ‘Biden caught red-handed using a teleprompter’. Telemundo, which broadcast the interview, said the claims were false and that it “has never allowed someone who is being interviewed on its news programmes to read answers from a teleprompter”.(BBC)…[+]

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has unveiled an “ambitious plan for an unprecedented reality” amid rising Covid-19 cases. His expansive new legislative agenda includes new investments and initiatives to help the country recover from the pandemic.

It came with a vow to support Canadians “through this crisis as long as it lasts, whatever it takes”. Opposition parties have criticised the Liberals’ plan.  The Conservatives said it lacked a commitment to fiscal restraint and failed to address the needs of “everyday Canadians”. The four-pronged approach to the pandemic an d the recovery was delivered on Wednesday by Governor General Julie Payette, the Queen’s representative in Canada, in a Speech from the Throne. Mr Trudeau warned Canadians in a televised address following the speech that a second wave of the pandemic was “already under way”. “We’re on the brink of a fall that could be much worse than the spring,” he said.(BBC)…[+]

US President Donald Trump has refused to commit to a peaceful transfer of power if he loses November’s election.

“Well, we’ll have to see what happens,” the president told a news conference at the White House. “You know that.”

Mr Trump also said he believed the election result could end up in the US Supreme Court, as he again cast doubt on postal voting. More states are encouraging mail-in voting, citing the need to keep Americans safe from coronavirus.

Every losing presidential candidate in modern times has conceded. If Mr Trump were to refuse to accept the result of the election, it would take the US into uncharted territory and it is not clear how it would play out. However President Trump’s opponent, Democrat Joe Biden, has previously said that in this scenario he believes the military would be deployed to remove Mr Trump from the White House.(BBC)…[+]