Good morning, this is James Murray bringing you the main stories and must-reads on Monday 9 March.

Top stories

Italy’s decision to put 16 million people in the north of the country in quarantine led to widespread panic as thousands tried to flee to the south. The decision was made after more than 1,200 new cases were reported on Saturday. The whole of Lombardy, including its financial capital of Milan, and 14 other severely affected provinces, have been shut down until 3 April as Italy grapples to contain the spread of a virus that has so far killed 366 people and infected 7,375. Austria’s chancellor, Sebastian Kurz, said it was only a matter of time until other European countries imposed crackdowns similar to Italy and China. In China, the spread of coronavirus appears to be slowing. On Saturday, there were 99 new cases, its first daily increase of less than 100 since 20 January. In Australia, the number of confirmed cases has risen to 75, and a third person has died after testing positive for Covid-19. The 82-year-old man was a resident at the BaptistCare-run Dorothy Henderson Lodge aged care home, and had been in hospital since 1 March. Seven other people tested positive at the home.

Sports Australia has refused to respond to questions about its role in the Morrison government’s controversial sports grants program asked by a Senate committee on 28 February. Guardian Australia reveals that after being denied an extension to answer the questions, Sport Australia refused to say what it knew about the government’s colour-coded spreadsheets and when changes to them had been made.

Australia have won the Women’s Twenty20 World Cup after a resounding victory over India at the MCG. Rapid half centuries from Alyssa Healy and Beth Mooney helped the hosts reach 184-4 in their 20 overs, and India could only manage 99 in reply. Claiming their fifth Twenty20 world title, Australia’s captain, Meg Lanning, said theirs was the “complete performance”. The MCG welcomed 86,174 fans, falling just 4,641 short of beating the record for women’s sport.

Australia

Melbourne doctors have rallied to support a medic who saw 70 patients last week while recovering from what he thought was a mild cold. Dr Chris Higgins later tested positive for Covid-19 but GPs have demanded an apology from the Victorian health minister, Jenny Mikakos, after she said she was “flabbergasted”.

A Queensland police officer is alleged to have taken a photo of a domestic violence victim’s personal details from a computer screen. The senior detective is the second officer in Queensland known to be accused of using police computer systems to obtain details related to a domestic violence complainant.

The energy minister, Angus Taylor, will sign an agreement in Washington to secure access to the US petrol and crude oil supply. Australia has an international obligation to have 90 days worth of supply but in August it had only enough petrol and crude oil to last 28 days.

The skywhale is once again gracing Canberra’s skies. She had been absent for six years, nine months and 27 days but now one of Australia’s most memorable and polarising artworks is home.

The world

Facebook Twitter Pinterest King Salman reads a document as he receives two newly appointed Saudi ambassadors at his palace. Photograph: Bandar Aljaloud/EPA

Images of King Salman have been released by Saudi Arabia after a new purge of at least three princes alleged to have been plotting a coup. Saudi royal guards carried out the arrests on Friday, which included one of the monarch’s brothers and a nephew.

Joe Biden has the support of another former Democratic presidential hopeful, after Kamala Harris gave him her endorsement. Harris promised she would “do everything in my power” to ensure Biden beats the Vermont senator Bernie Sanders for the party’s nomination.

Israel’s parliament has beefed up the security detail protecting Benny Gantz, the main electoral challenger to Benjamin Netanyahu, after deeming various death threats against him to be credible. The threats came after last week’s volatile and inconclusive election in which Netanyahu, the prime minister, was unable to capture the parliamentary majority needed to form a government.

Princess Shamsa Al Maktoum, the daughter of Sheikh Mohammed Al Maktoum, the billionaire ruler of Dubai, called UK police shortly after being kidnapped. The roles of the Foreign Office and Cambridgeshire police are being questioned after an investigation into the abduction of the princess on a British street was allowed to lapse.

Recommended reads

Facebook Twitter Pinterest Lucy Peach: ‘Hormones are really powerful.’ Photograph: Festival of Dangerous Ideas

Lucy Peach is the period preacher. The Australian folk singer tracked her periods for a year and now wants women to change the way they think about their menstrual cycle. “Hormones are really powerful,” she says. “They affect how you feel throughout the whole day. And this suite that we have as part of the menstrual cycle is just an untapped resource.” Peach followed her hormonal changes closely and used them as inspiration for songwriting in her show My Greatest Period Ever.

Eleanor Gordon-Smith writes about her use of sleeping pills against the backdrop of a lifetime of insomnia. “Bad sleepers know the countdown. If I go to sleep now I’ll get three hours, now two, now one, now showtime.” Suffering from disturbing nightmares, Gordon-Smith sometimes relies on benzodiazepine, but her doctor is reluctant to prescribe it as it can be highly addictive. There is a clash between the medical profession’s fears about addiction, and patient’s need for medication. But how can that be resolved? The stakes are high: “Not sleeping simply isn’t an option. The membrane that separates us all from madness is frighteningly thin.”

Listen

Guardian Australia’s news podcast Full Story looks at whether the coronavirus will cause a worldwide recession. Amid travel restrictions, China’s shutdown and a falling stock market, the global implications of the disease are having a dramatic effect on the world’s economy. Guardian Australia’s senior business reporter, Ben Butler, explains just how bad the fallout could be for Australia.

Full Story Will the coronavirus trigger a recession? Sorry your browser does not support audio - but you can download here and listen https://audio.guim.co.uk/2020/03/06-24361-FS_Corona_econ.mp3 00:00:00 00:25:43

Sport

The Bahrain Grand Prix will go ahead but behind closed doors. The second round of the Formula One season is the latest sporting event to be placed off limits to the public because of the virus.

Manchester United have beaten rivals Manchester City in a win that keeps United in the Premier League’s fifth spot. The victory is a further sign that the faith shown by the board in Ole Gunnar Solskjær is being repaid.

Media roundup

Australia’s major news websites are again focused on coronavirus, with the Sydney Morning Herald reporting that officials are looking for patients at St Vincent’s hospital who may have been exposed to the virus after a man who presented to the hospital tested positive for Covid-19. The Australia Financial Review front page leads with the news of oil prices crashing in response to a split in Opec. The front page of the Australian reports that Scott Morrison has ditched any hopes of delivering a surplus and will instead fund a stimulus package of $10bn to ward off a recession.

Coming up

The funeral of Hannah Clarke and her three children, Aaliyah, six, Laianah, four, and Trey, three, takes place in Brisbane.

If you’ve read this far …

Firefighters in North Yorkshire have tackled a blaze that broke out after a pig swallowed a pedometer which then combusted in its pen after excretion. The fire was caused by “nature taking its course” and copper from the pedometer battery reacting with dry hay and the pigpen’s contents. The local fire service said a hose reel had been used “to extinguish the fire and save the bacon”. No animals were harmed.

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