Australia

Great Barrier Reef has lost half of its corals

since 1995

Dead or dying coral is 'bleached' of its colour

Australia's Great Barrier Reef has lost more than half of its corals since 1995 due to
warmer seas driven by climate change, a study has found.

Scientists found all types of corals had suffered a decline across the world's largest reef
system.
The steepest falls came after mass bleaching events in 2016 and 2017. More mass
bleaching occurred this year.

"There is no time to lose - we must sharply decrease greenhouse gas emissions

ASAP," the researchers said.

The study, published in the journal Proceedings of the Royal Society B, was conducted
by marine scientists at the ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies in
Queensland.

Scientists assessed the health and size of coral colonies across the reef from 1995 to
2017.
 Great Barrier Reef suffers third mass bleaching
 Australia downgrades reef outlook to 'very poor'
 They found populations had dropped by more than 50% in all coral sizes and species,
but especially in branching and table-shaped corals.
These are the large, structural species which usually provide habitats for fish and other
marine life.

The loss of more complex coal structures means habitats for fish are also wiped out

Prof Terry Hughes, a study co-author, said these coral types had been "worst affected"
by the back-to-back mass bleachings which damaged two-thirds of the reef.

Bleaching occurs when corals under stress drive out the algae - known as
zooxanthellae - that give them colour.

Corals can recover if normal conditions return, but it can take decades.

A study in 2019 found that damaged coral colonies had struggled to regenerate
because most of the adult corals had died.

 Barrier Reef 'coral babies' in mass decline

"A vibrant coral population has millions of small, baby corals, as well as many large
ones," said lead author Dr Andy Dietzel.

"Our results show the ability of the Great Barrier Reef to recover - its resilience - is
compromised compared to the past, because there are fewer babies, and fewer large
breeding adults."

What is the reef's outlook?

Last year, the Australian government's official agency on the reef confirmed that human-
driven warming remained the biggest threat to the reef's long-term survival.
Stretching over 2,300km (1,400 miles), the reef was designated a World Heritage site in
1981 for its "enormous scientific and intrinsic importance".

But in the past decade in particular, it has been vastly damaged by warmer seas which
have killed off coral, dispersed other sea life and sped up growth of algae and other
contaminants.
Drones and scientific facilities could help the reef
"We used to think the Great Barrier Reef is protected by its sheer size - but our results
show that even the world's largest and relatively well-protected reef system is
increasingly compromised and in decline," said Prof Hughes.

In March, scientists reported the reef had suffered its third mass bleaching event in five
years. The full scale of the damage was still being assessed.

Global temperatures have already risen by about 1C since pre-industrial times. The UN

has warned that if that rise reaches 1.5C, 90% of the world's corals will be wiped out.

Lebanon

Lebanon tightens restrictions further

Martin Patience

BBC Middle East correspondent, Beirut

EPACopyright: EPA

Officials fear a continuing rise in cases could overwhelm Lebanon's fragile health services Image caption:
Officials fear a continuing rise in cases could overwhelm Lebanon's fragile health services

Like many countries, Lebanon is currently witnessing a surge in the number of recorded
coronavirus cases.

The big fear is that the country’s battered health system will simply be overwhelmed as it
grapples with the effects of an economic meltdown and the destruction of the Beirut blast in
August.
With relatively limited resources to fight the virus - there are, for example, just 206 beds in the
country’s intensive care units set aside for coronavirus patients - the authorities are using tough
lockdowns to try to curb its spread.

The caretaker government has ordered more than a 150 villages into lockdown for a week. It has
also ordered bars and nightclubs to close until further notice.

But trust in the government is almost non-existent in Lebanon and many people may choose to
ignore the latest restrictions.

El Salvador

El Salvador bar attack: Six people shot

dead

IMAGE COPYRIGHTEPA
National Civil Police director Mauricio Arriaza Chicas said three men had been involved
in the attack

Five men were killed while they were drinking and playing dominoes inside a bar in El
Salvador's capital, San Salvador, on Sunday.

A sixth, who worked at a junkyard opposite, was shot dead as he fled on hearing the
gunfire.
 Police said three men were involved in the attack and that one man had been arrested
in connection with the shooting.

In total, violence claimed 13 deaths across El Salvador on Sunday.

The spike in homicides comes a month after online newspaper El Faro alleged that the
government of President Nayib Bukele had granted favours to imprisoned street gang
leaders in exchange for a reduction in violence and backing at the polls.

In an interview with BBC Central America correspondent Will Grant last month, El
Salvador's Director of Prisons Osiris Luna Meza denied any such deal had been done.
 El Salvador granted favours to jailed gang leaders, report says
 Did El Salvador's government make a deal with gangs?

El Salvador has one of the highest murder rates in the world, many of them gang
related.
But in the first half of the year, the number of homicides fell by 62.8% compared to the
same period in 2019, according to official figures.

President Bukele, who took office in June 2019, claims much of the credit for that drop.
He was elected on a promise to drive down El Salvador's crime figures. His "territorial
control plan" consists of concentrating security forces in areas worst hit by gangs.

Since he took office, there have been more than 30 days in which no murder was
reported. Mr Bukele, who is a keen user of social media, has celebrated those days on
Twitter.

On Sunday, he was quick to post on Twitter, but this time writing that he had convened
a meeting of his security cabinet to "tackle the spike in homicides".
He said he wanted to see "concrete results" from police.
IMAGE COPYRIGHTEL SALVADOR POLICE
Police said they had detained a man in connection with the attack
Police said the man they had detained after Sunday's attack on the bar was a gang
member but they have not yet commented on a possible motive.

Local media said the bar owner was among the victims, whose ages ranged from 19 to
63.

Witnesses said the attackers had entered the bar and opened fire at close range without
uttering a word.

Brazil

Covid Brazil: Millions to return to poverty if

handouts stop - report
 Coronavirus pandemic
 IMAGE COPYRIGHTPEDRO VILELA/GETTY
The government handouts have helped alleviate the economic impact of the pandemic
The end of Brazil's monthly emergency payments introduced during the Covid-19
pandemic could send 15 million people back into poverty, a study says.

More than 67 million people have received the handouts, helping alleviate the impact of
the crisis.

As a result poverty fell to a historic low of 50 million people, said Fundação Getulio
Vargas (FGV), a think tank.

The government wants to keep parts of the scheme but there are concerns about its
cost.

President Jair Bolsonaro's efforts are stalled in Congress. There are disagreements,
even among his supporters, over how to fund the programme without breaking a
constitutional spending cap amid worries about the country's budget deficit.

The president - who came to office last year with an agenda of austerity and reforms -
saw his popularity rise because of the handouts, introduced in April and due to end in
December.

They started at 600 reais (£83; $107) before being cut by half in August, with an
estimated cost to the Treasury of $57.6bn.

 The Brazilians being dealt a double blow by virus

 Pandemic poses extra threat in fire-ravaged Amazon
 Tracking the global pandemic

Official estimates suggest 44% of Brazil's households have received the payments.
Most of them are in the northern and north-eastern regions, which have the highest
levels of poverty in the country.

Anyone living on less than half of the minimum wage - or $93 - is considered to be in
poverty.

"The return to poverty of those 15 million people is even a conservative estimate," said
economist Marcelo Neri, head of social policies at the FGV, a leading higher education
institute.

"Brazil was the country in Latin America that had the most generous handout
programme but it wasn't the one with the best [fiscal] conditions... We'll see [whether it
worked] in a year's time."

Levels of poverty, as well as extreme poverty - when someone lives on less than $1.90
a day - are expected to rise in other Latin American countries where economies have
been badly hit by the pandemic.

Brazil's vice-president says the authorities have struggled to enforce social distancing
measures

Meanwhile, the pandemic in Brazil has shown signs of easing in recent weeks. Shops
and other businesses have started to reopen but there are fears unemployment will rise
sharply as the country is likely to face a deep recession.

Brazil - which has a population of 212 million - is one of the world's hardest-hit countries
by Covid-19. Around five million cases have been confirmed with nearly 149,000
deaths, the health ministry says. Official numbers suggest women and black people are
the worst affected.
President Bolsonaro - who caught Covid-19 himself and recovered - has been widely
criticised for his handling of the pandemic. He downplayed the virus at the beginning,
saying it was just a "little flu", and opposed measures suggested by health experts, such
as social distancing.
US

Covid on campus: Students fed up with

being blamed for virus spike

Covid cases have surged at US colleges and universities, with students often blamed for
contributing to the spread. What do young people think of the pandemic response and
those officials pointing the finger at their behaviour?

At the end of September, the death of Chad Dorrill, an otherwise healthy 19-year-old
student in North Carolina, from Covid-complications was a shocking reminder that
America's young people aren't invincible.

There have been at least 178,000 cases and 70 coronavirus-related deaths on US

campuses since the beginning of the pandemic, a New York Times survey found.

Between early August and September, cases among Americans aged 18-22 more than
doubled, according to the US Centers for Disease Control.

We asked our voter panel to weigh in.

Callahan Macy, from Springfield, Missouri, is a business major at Missouri State
University, where he is also the College Republicans President.
I am not surprised by the news [of the 19-year-old's death], it was going to happen with
in-person classes starting up again. We are yet to have a Covid death at our campus,
but it would not surprise me if it happened.

The US has made several clear attempts to stop the spread of the virus. Even in
education, attempts are being made to reduce infections, but they have been pitiful.
Universities are filling rooms with 30 or more people at a time, while only allowing room
for 3ft (1m) of social distance between students. These measures won't do much for 30
people sitting in a room for 50+ minutes.

The majority of the student population is following school policy. Universities should
take responsibility for increased infections, instead of shifting blame onto the student
body.

Trump is trying to give US citizens confidence. It may have been better to say nothing at
all. However, I know choosing to project panic and worry would be the wrong choice.

Anna Moellenbeck, from Des Moines, Iowa, is an international studies

and political science student at Miami University in Oxford, Ohio.

I have many friends here at my university that have had Covid. To think that this
could've happened to one of them rattles me. It seems like it's all around me. I know
there's a lesser chance I'll be affected, but there's a big chance I can spread it.

College students' main complaints are the university's policies for making us come back
and compromise our safety in order for the university to make money. At my university,
students aren't getting a huge "discount" even though our classes are online and many
amenities are shut down.

I would like to see more frequent testing from universities, but unfortunately college
students have an invincible attitude towards coronavirus.

I already knew I was voting for Biden. He is the only one that can make things at least a
little better.

I think that [Trump's response] is ignorant and selfish. He received the best medical
care in the world but tries to compare his experience to be the same as everyone else's.
One of my family members became really sick with Covid, and while he didn't die, he
will have long lasting damage to his lungs. I saw him on death's door, and I can't
imagine how upsetting the comment was for the friends and family of the 200,000+
Americans who have passed due to this disease.

Nigeria

End Sars protest: Nigeria police to free all

protesters
 IMAGE COPYRIGHTREUTERS
Protesters have used social media to rally crowds

Nigeria's police chief has ordered the unconditional release of all demonstrators arrested
during protests against police brutality.

This was a key demand of protesters who have rallied against the hated Special Anti-
Robbery Squad (Sars) in major cities for seven days.

Amnesty International said that 10 people were killed in the protests.

Rallies have continued despite President Muhammadu Buhari announcing on Sunday

the disbandment of Sars.

Protesters responded to that announcement with scepticism, saying they believed that
Sars officers were still deployed.
 Africa Live: More updates from around the continent
 The young protesters who forced Buhari to back down
 Nigeria's 60-year struggle for unity

Some of Nigeria's biggest music stars, including Davido and Falz, threw their weight
behind the demonstrators, who have been galvanising support on Twitter under the
#EndSARS hashtag.

On Tuesday, they marched in the oil hub of Port Harcourt in defiance of a ban on
demonstrations imposed by the state governor.
Protests were also held in the commercial hub, Lagos, the country's capital, Abuja, and
four other cities.

What did the police chief say?

Mohammed Adamu announced the release of all protesters at a meeting with the
National Human Rights Commission.

He did not say how many of them were in detention.

Mr Adamu added Nigerians had the right to protest peacefully and ordered officers to
stop using force against them. He acknowledged that the protesters' concerns were
genuine and said they would be addressed by the government.

IMAGE COPYRIGHTREUTERS
Protesters accuse the police of torture and extra-judicial killings

The meeting also agreed that an independent panel would be set up to investigate
allegations of abuse against Sars, and other police units.

On Monday, Mr Buhari promised that the disbandment of Sars was only the first step
towards "extensive" reforms within the police force.

Huge victory for protesters

Analysis by Nduka Orjinmo, BBC News, Abuja

The police chief's announcement is a massive victory for the protesters. It shows that
the government is under enormous pressure. It is difficult to predict whether the
demonstrations will now end. The level of mistrust between the government and
protesters is high.

The protesters have also got a taste of their power, and they may decide to continue
their campaign. They would very much like to see punitive action against police and
other security officers blamed for the deaths of demonstrators.

Although Amnesty International says 10 people have been killed, other reports suggest
that the number is lower.

The protest movement does not have an organised leadership. Much of its success is
down to online influencers - especially a group of women who have been organising
medical supplies and funding, including bail for detainees - and celebrities who have
supported the protests from the onset.

Protesters are most likely to listen to these two groups and the government will be
hoping that they call for an end to the demonstrations.

How did Sars operate?

The latest round of protests were prompted by footage of officers pulling two men out of
a hotel in Lagos into the street and shooting one of them.

The footage, leaked to the media, provoked outrage and led many to share stories of
brutality attributed to the unit.

Who is policing Nigeria's police?

Earlier this year Amnesty said it had documented at least 82 cases of torture, ill
treatment and extra-judicial execution between January 2017 and May this year.
The victims were mainly men aged between 18 and 35 from poor backgrounds and
vulnerable groups. Many of those tortured were beaten with sticks and machetes and
denied medical attention, the group said.

The "systemic use of torture... points to an absolute disregard for international human
rights laws and standards", Amnesty said.

Why didn't reform work?

The #EndSARS hashtag was first thought to have been used in 2018, but it emerged
once again a fortnight ago.

There have been earlier attempts to reform the notorious squad. In 2018 Vice-President
Yemi Osinbajo ordered that its management and activities be overhauled.

Then last year, a specially formed Presidential Panel on the Reform of the Special Anti-
Robbery Squad recommended reforms along with the dismissal and prosecution of
named officers accused of abusing Nigerians.

IMAGE COPYRIGHTREUTERS
Nigerian police have used tear gas and water cannon to diisperse protesters

At the time, President Buhari gave the head of police three months to work out how to
implement the recommendations, but critics say little changed.
Previously police chiefs ordered a reform of Sars in 2017, in the aftermath of a viral
video of a man allegedly killed by police, and also in 2010 when instructions were given
to disband satellite offices.

Yet it appears the unit continued to exist after each of these announcements
Vatican

Vatican: Italian woman arrested in fraud

scandal

IMAGE COPYRIGHTREUTERS
Cardinal Giovanni Becciu was removed from his post last month

Police in Milan say they have arrested a 39-year-old Italian woman, who has worked for
Cardinal Angelo Becciu, a senior Vatican official who was demoted last month over
embezzlement claims.

Cecilia Marogna says she was paid €500,000 ($587,000; £454,000) by Cardinal Becciu.
Ms Marogna was arrested after an Interpol warrant was issued at the Holy See's
request, according to reports.

Both Ms Marogna and Cardinal Becciu have denied any wrongdoing.

In interviews with Italian media in recent days, Ms Marogna confirmed that she had
been paid €500,000 by Cardinal Becciu through a company she operated in Slovenia.
She said she received the money to provide "parallel diplomacy" to help missionaries in
conflict areas.
 A senior Vatican source told Reuters news agency that Ms Marogna was suspected of
"embezzlement and aggravated misappropriation in complicity with others".

The cardinal allegedly authorised the payments to Ms Marogna while serving as number
two in the Vatican's Secretariat of State, which manages the Church's donations.

 Cardinal forced out in rare Vatican resignation

"I didn't steal a single euro," Ms Marogna told newspaper Domani.

She has also denied allegations that she is the cardinal's mistress, telling the
newspaper Corriere della Sera that she is a "political analyst and intelligence expert"
with "a network of relationships in Africa and the Middle East" to protect the Vatican's
representatives abroad.

Cardinal Becciu, 72, unexpectedly resigned last month, revealing he was told to do so
by Pope Francis.

He said he was suspected of giving Church money to his brothers.

The cardinal was involved in a controversial deal to invest in a luxury London building
with Church funds, which has since been the subject of a financial investigation.

The cardinal has denied any wrongdoing and has defended the London property deal.
Resignations at this level of the Vatican are extremely rare.

Israel
Israel unblocks big immigration of Ethiopian
Jews

IMAGE COPYRIGHTGETTY IMAGES

Ethiopian Jews have emigrated to Israel in small numbers in recent years

Israel has approved a plan to bring 2,000 Ethiopian Jews to the country, marking a major
step towards ending a decades-long saga over their fate.

They are part of about 8,000 members of a community who have been waiting to come
to Israel for years.

Known as Falash Mura, their right to settle in Israel is a contentious issue as their
background rules out automatic citizenship available to most Jews.

Secret operations brought thousands of Ethiopian Jews to Israel in the 1980s.

Many members of the Falash Mura have familial connections to that community, which
is known as the Beta Israel. However, they have only been allowed to emigrate to Israel
on a case-by-case basis, and thousands remain in camps in Gondar and Addis Ababa
in Ethiopia.

Ethiopian Israeli minister: 'We have a common struggle against racism'

 The Falash Mura community descends from members of the Beta Israel who were
converted to Christianity by European missionaries in the late 1800s. They have since
returned to practising Judaism but are not officially recognised by Israel's interior
ministry as fully Jewish.

The issue of whether they should be allowed to come to Israel at all is a divisive one,
even among Ethiopian Jews in Israel. While some Ethiopian Jews in Israel support their
right to settle there, others object, seeing them as non-Jewish Ethiopians.

 How Mossad smuggled Ethiopia's Jews to Israel

 The plight of Ethiopian Jews in Israel
 Operation Solomon: Airlifting 14,000 Jews out of Ethiopia

Israel's recently appointed Ethiopian-born Immigration Minister, Pnina Tamano-Shata,

welcomed the cabinet's decision, tweeting that she felt "very happy and excited" at the
news.

She has previously vowed to bring the rest of the Falash Mura community to Israel as
soon as the end of next year.

Ethiopian Jews were first brought to Israel from refugee camps in Sudan in a series of
secret operations in the early 1980s by Israel's Mossad intelligence agency on the
orders of the then Prime Minister Menachem Begin.

Further operations followed, concluding with a mass airlift from Ethiopia in 1991.
The Ethiopian Jews' integration in Israel has been challenging, with the community
suffering disproportionately high levels of unemployment and poverty as well as
discrimination, although their situation has shown signs of improvement in recent years.