An intelligence analyst at the US Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has said he was put under pressure to downplay the threat of Russian interference in the 3 November election as it “made the president look bad”.

In a whistleblower complaint, Brian Murphy said he had been demoted for refusing to alter reports on this and other issues such as white supremacy. The directives were illegal, he said. The White House and DHS have both denied the allegations. US intelligence agencies concluded that Russia had interfered in the 2016 election but President Donald Trump has rejected allegations that his election victory was influenced by Russia, at times questioning findings from his own agencies. An inquiry led by former FBI director Robert Mueller found no evidence of a criminal conspiracy between Mr Trump’s 2016 presidential campaign team and Moscow.(BBC)…[+]

Actress Dame Diana Rigg, famous for roles including Emma Peel in TV series The Avengers and Olenna Tyrell in Game of Thrones, has died at the age of 82. Her daughter, actress Rachael Stirling, said she died of cancer, after being diagnosed in March. “She spent her last months joyfully reflecting on her extraordinary life, full of love, laughter and a deep pride in her profession,” she added. Dame Diana also played the only woman who became Mrs James Bond. She played Tracy, who married George Lazenby’s 007 in the 1969 film On Her Majesty’s Secret Service.

Lazenby said he was “so sad” to hear of her death, while Bond producers Michael G Wilson and Barbara Broccoli also paid tribute.(BBC)…[+]

A group of nine vaccine developers has announced a “historic pledge” to uphold scientific and ethical standards in the search for a coronavirus vaccine. The firms, including Pfizer and Merck, said they would only apply for regulatory approval after vaccines went through three phases of clinical study.

It comes amid global debates about the safety of vaccines made this year. US President Donald Trump has said he wants one available in the US before November’s election. No vaccine has yet completed clinical trials, according to the World Health Organization (WHO) – leading some scientists to fear the search for a vaccine is being politicised, and public trust could be damaged. In their pledge, the nine biopharmaceutical firms did not mention Mr Trump but said they believed their action would “ensure public confidence” in the development of any inoculation.(BBC)…[+]

Amazon says it has banned foreign sales of seeds in the US after thousands of Americans received unsolicited packets of seeds in the mail, most from China. The online retail giant told the BBC that it will now only allow the sale of seeds by sellers based in the US. US officials said gardeners should not plant seeds of unknown origin.

The packages are believed to be part of a global “brushing” scam to gain positive reviews for online selling sites. Amazon’s new guidelines, in effect since 3 September, also prohibit the sale of seeds within America by non-US residents. It added that sellers may be banned if they do not follow the new guidelines. But the retailer has not confirmed if its ban will extend to other countries. News of the policy change was first reported by the Wall Street Journal.At least 14 plant species have been identified among the mystery packages, including mint, lavender and roses. (BBC)…[+]

As many as eight million people have been ordered to evacuate areas of Japan threatened by an approaching storm.

Typhoon Haishen is expected to intensify in the coming hours, bringing heavy rain, storm surges and winds of more than 100mph (160km/h). On the south-western Kyushu island, at least 142,000 households have already been left without power. The typhoon will move past Kyushu later on and is expected to make landfall on Monday in South Korea. The country has raised its typhoon warning to the highest level. Haishen comes days after Maysak, one of the region’s strongest typhoons in years. 

Haishen has led to the closure of factories, schools and businesses across western Japan. Hundreds of flights and train services have also been cancelled. Japan’s weather agency urged residents to exercise their “most serious caution” for possible record rains and high waves along the coast. Yoshihisa Nakamoto, director of the agency’s forecast division, told reporters that surging tides may also cause flooding in low-lying areas, particularly around river mouths.(BBC)…[+]

A further 2,988 cases of coronavirus have been reported in the UK in the past 24 hours, government data showed.

It is the highest number reported on a single day since 22 May and a rise of 1,175 on Saturday, according to the UK government’s coronavirus dashboard. Health Secretary Matt Hancock said he was “concerned” about a rise in cases “predominantly among young people”. Two further deaths within 28 days of a positive test were recorded, taking the total number of UK deaths to 41,551. Mr Hancock added: “It’s so important that everybody does their bit and follows the social distancing because it doesn’t matter how old you are, how affected you might be by this disease, you can pass the disease on to others.” “So don’t pass the disease on to your grandparents if you’re a young person, everybody needs to follow the social distancing.” Despite the sharp rise in cases, Mr Hancock said the government was right to reopen schools “because of the impact on children of not getting an education”, adding that workplaces which have reopened are “Covid-secure”.(BBC)…[+]

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex have reached a deal with streaming giant Netflix to make a range of programmes, some of which they may appear in. “Our focus will be on creating content that informs but also gives hope,” said Prince Harry and wife Meghan. “As new parents, making inspirational family programming is also important to us,” they continued.

Netflix chief Ted Sarandos said he was “incredibly proud” the royal couple had made the company “their creative home”. The multi-year deal will encompass documentaries, docu-series, feature films, scripted shows and children’s programming. It comes six months on from the couple stepping down from royal life and moving to California to live away from the media spotlight. “Our lives, both independent of each other, and as a couple have allowed us to understand the power of the human spirit: of courage, resilience, and the need for connection,” said the couple in a statement.(BBC)…[+]

The most powerful elected US Democrat, Nancy Pelosi, has visited a hair salon in San Francisco, breaking rules that only allow service outdoors, in order to control the spread of coronavirus. Ms Pelosi was also seen with a face mask around her neck rather than over her mouth. She has criticised President Donald Trump for not wearing a mask.

A spokesman said she did not realise she was breaking her home city’s rules. Mr Trump said she was being “decimated” after lecturing everyone else. Thousands of California businesses have shut as part of measures to fight coronavirus. The footage obtained by Fox News showed the House of Representatives speaker inside the premises of eSalon on Monday. A stylist, who was wearing a mask, was shown following her. Mrs Pelosi – who always wears masks in public – often admonishes Republicans to “listen to the science” on the pandemic.(BBC)…[+]