Top story: EU wants clarity, says Labour leader

Hello there – it’s Warren Murray bringing you the news at this stage of proceedings.

Jeremy Corbyn has shadowed Theresa May through the corridors of power in Brussels, letting EU leaders know how Labour will seek to block a hard Brexit – and how he would execute Britain’s departure from the EU if he were prime minister.

On the same day Theresa May pleaded with European leaders to come up with a Brexit deal she can sell to the British public, Corbyn met with EU negotiator Michel Barnier, the prime ministers of Italy, Greece and Portugal, and Antonio Tajani, president of the European parliament, as well as addressing leftwing EU politicians. “I think there is a lot of bemusement ... Their message is that they want clarity,” said Corbyn, who called for an end to “insults and divisive posturing” as the EU leaders’ summit begins. If Labour were in power he would change the dynamic of the talks by legislating immediately on issues such as EU nationals’ status, Corbyn said. Labour is pushing for MPs to get a vote on the final withdrawal agreement as a safeguard against crashing out of the EU.

The Brexit “divorce bill”, of course, continues to hold up vital trade talks. May admitted at a dinner in Brussels last night that things had got off to a bad start. She told her continental counterparts the “clear and urgent imperative must be that the dynamic you create enables us to move forward again”. EU leaders will meet without May today and there are hopeful signs they will plan for a December start to trade discussions with Britain. “Both sides have to move,” said Angela Merkel, the German chancellor, last night. “We are going to achieve a good result, there will be a good outcome.”

Bush and Obama lash Trump – Both the past two US presidents have effectively denounced Donald Trump in speeches making veiled but obvious reference to how low he has dragged politics and public debate. America needed to reclaim its spirit and identity, they said in separate appearances.

Play Video 1:57 Barack Obama rebukes Donald Trump in all but name - video

“Instead of our politics reflecting our values, we’ve got politics infecting our communities,” said Barack Obama in Virginia, at a rally supporting the Democratic candidate for governor. “We’ve got folks who are deliberately trying to make folks angry, to demonise people who have different ideas, to get the base all riled up because it provides a short term tactical advantage.”

Earlier, George W Bush, celebrated as a muddler of words, was thoughtful and timely as he warned of a threat to democracy itself.

Play Video 2:00 George W Bush: US politics 'vulnerable to outright fabrication' – video

“Bigotry in any form is blasphemy against the American creed,” Dubya told a New York audience. “Bullying and prejudice in our public life sets a national tone, provides permission for cruelty and bigotry, and compromises the moral education of children.” Bush entreated Americans to reclaim their identity, including the “dynamism” that immigration had brought to the United States. “To renew our country, we only need to remember our values.”

Oxbridge fails on diversity – Nearly one in three Oxford colleges failed to admit a single black British A-level student in 2015, while six colleges at Cambridge failed on the same measure that year. Efforts to increase diversity have gone backwards as 80% of places at the universities go to students from the richest backgrounds. “This is social apartheid and it is utterly unrepresentative of life in modern Britain,” said the Labour former education minister David Lammy whose campaigning brought the data to light. Figures also show disadvantaged regions have missed out on efforts by Oxbridge to take in more students from outside the south of England. We have opened a reader callout where you can share your experience on these issues.

‘Wish I had taken responsibility’ – Quentin Tarantino has told of his regret at not acting after Harvey Weinstein allegedly molested women including Tarantino’s then-girlfriend Mira Sorvino. “I knew enough to do more than I did,” said the director of Pulp Fiction, Reservoir Dogs and The Hateful Eight, all distributed by Weinstein. Tarantino said that when he first heard about the behaviour he “chalked it up to a 50s-60s era image of a boss chasing a secretary around the desk. As if that’s OK. That’s the egg on my face right now.” The Oscar winner Lupita Nyong’o is among the latest to tell how Weinstein made sexual advances. The LAPD has announced it is investigating claims Weinstein raped an Italian model in 2013 – the mogul’s lawyers have said any sex was consensual.



Human rights pressure on China – A UN council has demanded that China set free and compensate three activists held on charges of subversion. Leaked papers seen by the Guardian call for the release of Christian church leader Hu Shigen and lawyer Zhou Shifeng, who have been jailed for seven years, and lawyer Xie Yang, who is under virtual house arrest. Chinese authorities have rounded up hundreds of human rights defenders since 2015. The UN’s working group on arbitrary detention said the men were detained and made to confess “in total or partial non-observance of the international norms relating to the right to a fair trial”. China is a member of the human rights council and is supposed to co-operate with the working group, though its determinations are non-binding.

Kiwis get Labour government – New Zealand’s prime minister elect Jacinda Ardern has promised to urgently address climate change, tackle inequality and improve women’s lives in the home and workplace. The country has its third female prime minister, and its youngest in 150 years, after Labour leader Ardern stitched together a governing coalition with New Zealand First and the Greens. After an inconclusive election, NZ First leader Winston Peters took nearly a month to decide who to support out of Labour or National (the latter won more seats).

Facebook Twitter Pinterest Jacinda Ardern has become New Zealand’s prime minister in a coalition deal. Photograph: Marty Melville/AFP/Getty Images

Ardern becomes PM less than three months after taking the reins of her party. “We have found allies in this parliament who wish to join with us in building a fairer New Zealand, ” she told her caucus on Friday afternoon.

Lunchtime read: Emmanuel Macron – the man behind the handshake

The handshake, the never-rumpled composure, the gift of the gab, the countenance that conveys command and compassion at the same time.

Facebook Twitter Pinterest The man faces of Emmanuel Macron. Photograph: Guardian Design Team

They are qualities endearing to the public and devastating to his political rivals – and in a week travelling with President Emmanuel Macron of France, the author Emmanuel Carrère saw them deployed again and again. But as Macron seeks to reshape France, and revitalise Europe, how long can he keep up the momentum?

Sport

The doctor at the centre of the Team Sky and Bradley Wiggins Jiffy bag scandal has resigned from his position at British Cycling.

Everton look likely to face Uefa disciplinary action after their Europa League defeat to Lyon descended into a melee, with a few of the home crowd involved in an ugly brawl sparked by the captain Ashley Williams. In Serbia, a moment of Olivier Giroud magic earned Arsenal victory over 10-man Red Star Belgrade. Amid growing calls for urgent reform of the FA in the wake of the Eni Aluko affair, Labour has declared it has “lost confidence” in the leadership of English football’s governing body and called for decisive action.

Lewis Hamilton has said he has no plan to join the protests that have been taking place across the US by kneeling during the national anthem before the US Grand Prix in Austin this weekend.

Business

Asian stocks were up this morning and the US dollar was bolstered by the Senate approving a budget blueprint for the 2018 fiscal year that could pave the way for tax cuts. Shares in New Zealand were flat after Jacinda Ardern’s Labour party secured a governing coalition. The NZ dollar fell sharply.

Overnight the pound was buying US$1.31 and €1.11.

The papers

The Times splashes with news that David Davis will present an “upbeat” Brexit assessment to the cabinet about what would happen if Britain left the UK with no EU deal. The Guardian meanwhile leads on the report that nearly a third of Oxford University colleges failed to admit a single black British A-level student in 2015.

Facebook Twitter Pinterest Guardian front page, 20 October 2017.

The Sun has a picture of a police officer with painted fingernails on its front and the headline: “The boys in blue varnish”. It says there has been criticism of the Avon and Somerset police force for wearing the varnish to highlight slavery. The Mail’s front has a story claiming staff at one of the UK’s biggest abortion providers felt encouraged to ensure women went through with the procedure because of a linkage to performance-related pay. The Mirror has a picture of a tearful Penny Lancaster on its front as she tells of how she was drugged and sexually assaulted as a teenage model. The FT splashes with Alphabet’s $1bn investment in the ride-sharing company – and Uber’s biggest rival – Lyft. The Telegraph says the telecoms and consumer watchdog will say mobile phone customers are being routinely overcharged for services.



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