News Daily: Australian deputy PM ban and NHS cyber worries
Hello. Here's your morning briefing:
ReutersAustralia's deputy PM disqualified from office
Australia's High Court has ruled that the country's deputy prime minister should be barred from office. Barnaby Joyce, it says, was wrongly elected last year because he held dual citizenship which, under the constitution, prohibited him from running for parliament. Mr Joyce, who renounced his New Zealand citizenship in August, has said he will re-contest his seat in Australia's lower house in any by-election.
The court said four other politicians had also been invalidly elected. Mr Joyce's departure - whether temporary or permanent - strips Liberal Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull of his one-seat majority.
NHS 'could have prevented' cyber-attack
A cyber-attack on the NHS in May caused the cancellation of at least 6,900 appointments and raised concerns about security. A report by the National Audit Office adds to them, finding that a third of trusts in England were affected by the WannaCry ransomware. The NAO also says an assessment of 88 trusts prior to the attacks found none to have reached the required cyber-security standards. "There are more sophisticated cyber-threats out there than WannaCry," warns NAO boss Sir Amyas Morse, "so the Department [of Health] and the NHS need to get their act together to ensure the NHS is better protected against future attacks."
Trump allows release of some JFK files
Journalists and historians will be busily sifting through paperwork after US President Donald Trump allowed the release of 2,800 files on his predecessor John F Kennedy. In the 54 years since JFK was shot dead in Dallas, dozens of conspiracy theories have been put forward. Mr Trump said the American people should be "fully informed about all aspects of this pivotal event". But, after reportedly being lobbied by the FBI, CIA, Department of State and other agencies, he decided some files would be not be released because of national security concerns.
What is best time for heart surgery?
When looking at the odds of surviving open heart surgery, the time of day the procedure takes place isn't normally near the top of the list of concerns. But maybe it should be. Research published in the Lancet suggests the body's internal clock - or circadian rhythm - means that the patient can cope better with the stresses involved in the afternoon. One of the researchers, Prof Bart Staels, from France's Institut Pasteur de Lille, said he and his colleagues didn't want to frighten people, adding that it would be impossible to operate only after lunch.
University admissions: The art of the personal statement
By Judith Burns, education reporter
So, you've chosen your preferred courses and universities and started to fill in your personal details, education, qualifications and details of any paid jobs. So far, so straightforward - but here comes the awkward bit. The personal statement, required from everyone applying to university through the Ucas admissions service, is a major source of angst. Personal statements are written, rewritten, scrutinised by parents and teachers and rewritten again, taking up at least as much time and effort as any other piece of work this term.
What the papers say
Several newspapers concentrate on news that the number of arrests in England and Wales has almost halved in nine years. The Daily Mail claims police are being accused of "soft justice", while the Daily Telegraph quotes a former home secretary saying this shows people they can "get away with" breaking the law. Elsewhere, the Guardian reports that High Street spending is falling at its fastest rate since the 2009 recession, and the Daily Star says the BBC show EastEnders has been "blasted" for showing a mugging by a gang of knife-wielding clowns.
Daily digest
Catalan crisis Spanish senate to vote on emergency powers
Mental health Young people "not getting the help they need"
Flying job-destroyers? The drones patrolling distribution warehouses
Seven days quiz Who's moved in with New Zealand's prime minister-elect?
If you see one thing today
If you listen to one thing today
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Today's lookahead
Today It's the 100th anniversary of the birth of anti-apartheid campaigner Oliver Tambo, with commemorations taking place in South Africa.
10:05 England's men's rugby league team take on Australia in the opening match of the World Cup in Melbourne. The match is being shown live on BBC Two.
On this day
1968 An estimated 6,000 marchers face up to police outside the United States embassy in London, as they protest against the war in Vietnam.
