Tuesday’s top story: Harvey Weinstein facing fresh charges in Los Angeles after New York conviction. Plus, how nature saved a writer from addiction

This article is more than 6 months old

This article is more than 6 months old

Good morning, I’m Tim Walker with today’s essential stories.

Film mogul faces up to 25 years behind bars

Harvey Weinstein and his defence team tackled his rape trial in New York in the same way he once approached awards season: attack, dominate, cast doubt. But to no avail. The disgraced film producer was on Monday found guilty by jurors on two charges, in a victory for the #MeToo movement that he inadvertently helped to create. With his career and his reputation in tatters, Weinstein faces up to 25 years in prison – not to mention fresh charges in Los Angeles.

Hollywood reaction. The US film industry reacted with relief to the conviction, with Weinstein accusers including Ashley Judd, Rose McGowan and Annabella Sciorra hailing the verdict as a step forward.

Cultural moment. Weinstein’s fall and the #MeToo movement have also generated a glut of films, TV shows and books inspired by the scandal.

Middle East and Europe gripped by spread of coronavirus

Facebook Twitter Pinterest A tourist in a protective face mask takes a selfie outside the Duomo in Milan, as Italy attempts to contain its Covid-19 outbreak. Photograph: Miguel Medina/AFP via Getty Images

A seventh person has died from Covid-19 in Italy, as the authorities grapple with the worst coronavirus outbreak in Europe. Across the Middle East there are fears the disease has infiltrated a Shia Muslim pilgrimage route, with the Iranian shrine city of Qom thought to be a hub of the virus. And the Seoul government has said it will test all 200,000 members of the secretive Shincheonji Church of Jesus, thought to be at the centre of the outbreak in South Korea, where the number of infections is nearing 1,000.

Pandemic debate. The World Health Organization is still playing down fears of a coronavirus pandemic despite some experts saying its worldwide spread is all but inevitable.

Stock markets. After a precipitous fall on Monday, stock markets have steadied. But experts warned of further drops as the crisis continues.

Democrats coming to terms with Sanders as likely nominee

Facebook Twitter Pinterest Bernie Sanders speaks at a rally in Texas. Photograph: Paul Ratje/AFP via Getty Images

The Democratic party establishment is struggling to come to terms with the fact that Bernie Sanders is its probable presidential nominee. On Monday Joe Biden and the Bloomberg campaign criticised Sanders for his positive comments about Fidel Castro in a 60 Minutes interview – remarks that could alienate the Cuban community in Florida, a key swing state. Sanders said he opposed the “authoritarian nature” of Castro’s regime, but added: “He had a massive literacy program … Is that a bad thing?”

Bloomberg’s black vote. In the latest part of the Guardian’s analysis of Michael Bloomberg’s campaign, Daniel Strauss asks whether African Americans will overlook the former New York mayor’s stop-and-frisk past if they think he can beat Trump.

Mourners pay tribute at emotional Kobe Bryant memorial

This video has been removed. This could be because it launched early, our rights have expired, there was a legal issue, or for another reason. Vanessa Bryant, Michael Jordan and Shaquille O'Neal pay emotional tribute to Kobe Bryant – video

A tearful Michael Jordan, Shaquille O’Neill and Kobe Bryant’s widow Vanessa paid tribute to the late basketball hero and his 13-year-old daughter, Gianna, at a memorial service in Los Angeles on Monday. Thousands of fans packed into the Staples Centre, home of Bryant’s team the Lakers, for an event that opened with a performance by Beyoncé and was attended by a host of NBA stars and celebrities.

Helicopter lawsuit. Vanessa Bryant has filed a lawsuit against the owner of the helicopter that crashed in fog last month, killing Kobe and Gianna Bryant as well as seven other victims.

Cheat sheet

The trauma inflicted on migrant children and their parents by the Trump administration’s family separation policy constitutes torture, a not-for-profit medical group has concluded in an in-depth report on its psychological impact.

The Pentagon has said it staged a military exercise last week in which it simulated a “limited” nuclear exchange with Russia, to demonstrate the feasibility of fighting a battle with nuclear weapons , without it resulting in a world-ending conflict.

Apple may have to disclose the details of censorship demands made by China and other countries – potentially exposing the tech giant’s kowtowing to Beijing – under new human rights commitments being demanded by shareholder groups.

A California couple in their 70s survived for a week on fern fronds and puddle water after getting lost on a Valentine’s Day hike in woods north of San Francisco.

Must-reads

Facebook Twitter Pinterest Al Pacino in his first TV role, with Logan Lerman in Amazon’s Hunters. Photograph: Christopher Saunders/Amazon Studios/Prime Video

The shameless Nazi-killing catharsis of Hunters

Critics have complained that Amazon’s new drama Hunters is unsubtle, gory and loose with the facts about the Holocaust. But as a Jewish writer, Charles Bramesco says he found this Nazi-hunting thriller to be a cathartic and empowering revenge fantasy.

How I found solace in nature, and fear for its future

Recovering from addiction and depression, Lucy Jones took comfort from long walks in nature, and later from growing plants. But as she learned about the healing power of the natural world, she writes, she also began to feel grief at its destruction.

The Native American families with a legacy of violent deaths

Thousands of Native American women and girls have been killed in the US over the years. But this crisis afflicts some families more than others: an untracked number of Indigenous people have more than one relative missing or murdered, as Hallie Golden discovers.

China’s secretive wildlife farm industry

Almost 20,000 farms breeding unusual species including peacocks, porcupines, ostriches and boar have been shut down across China amid the spread of the coronavirus – a crisis that has laid bare the vast scale of this hitherto secretive industry, reports Michael Standaert.

Opinion

Harvey Weinstein was long considered immune to justice, says Moira Donegan. His conviction is a victory for the #MeToo movement, but also a symbol of how far we still have to go.

For all the controversy it created, the #MeToo movement has claimed relatively few high-profile arrests, even in cases where evidence is abundant and the number of public accusers reaches into the dozens.

Sport

Jurgen Klopp’s still-unbeaten Liverpool side have claimed their 21st consecutive home league victory, against West Ham, equalling the all-time English record, setting a new Premier League record – and equalling Manchester City’s record of 18 successive league wins.

Deontay Wilder has blamed his knockout defeat to Tyson Fury on the elaborate, 40lb costume he wore on his way into the ring on Saturday night, claiming it tired his legs before the fight.

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