Kobe and Gianna Bryant among crash victims
The world was mourning basketball legend Kobe Bryant and his second daughter Gianna on Sunday after news emerged that they were killed, along with seven others, when his Sikorsky S-76 helicopter crashed in Calabasas, California. Reuters, ESPN and NPR have details. CNN shares a series of tweets from Earvin "Magic" Johnson paying tribute to Bryant. Sunday night’s Grammy Awards opened with a tribute from Lizzo, Fox News reports. Bryant, who won an Oscar in 2018 for animated short “Dear Basketball”, was building an entertainment empire, according to Vanity Fair. The Guardian has a life in pictures. The New York Post says Gianna was following in her father’s footsteps on the basketball court.
Coronavirus death toll at 80
The Coronavirus has now claimed 80 lives and may have spread to infect more than 100,000 people, The Guardian reports in a ticker update. 95% of fatalities have been in Hubei province, where the virus originated. But in what is being called a game changer, Chinese health authorities have said that the virus can spread before victims show symptoms, CNN and the BBC report. In an analysis of how the virus is hitting China’s economy, CNBC says that overall travel on the first day of the Lunar New Year dropped 28.8% from 2019, and that around $1.6 billion has been released in subsidies to help tackle the health crisis. Reuters says five people in the United States have been diagnosed with the virus.
Salvini fails in Emilia-Romagna
Matteo Salvini’s League candidate has come up short in the right-wing party’s attempt to oust centre-left Democratic party incumbent Stefano Bonaccini as governor of the Emilia-Romagna region, France24 reports. The defeat is a blow to Salvini’s efforts to return to national government. The Guardian says he had turned the elections “into a referendum on the fragile national coalition between the PD and M5S”.
Trump to meet Netanyahu and Gantz
As Donald Trump prepares to unveil his middle East peace plan, he will meet on Monday with the two men hoping to lead Israel’s next government, Benjamin Netanyahu and Benny Gantz, Reuters reports. But The Hill says that the timing of Netanyahu’s trip to Washington, on the day a Knesset proceeding decides whether he can claim immunity from criminal charges, is suspect according to some observers.
Sanders leads in primaries
Latest polls suggest that Bernie Sanders is the candidate to beat in the first Democratic primaries in Iowa and New Hampshire, The Guardian reports. But Politico, analysing a string of polls, suggests that Pete Buttigieg, Joe Biden and Elizabeth Warren all remain “within striking distance”. And NPR reckons that even tech entrepreneur Andrew Yang could qualify for the New Hampshire Democratic debate.
Impeachment: tape and Bolton text latest ammo against Trump
A video tape obtained by Reuters from Lev Parnas’ attorney purports to show US president Donald Trump calling for the removal of his ambassador to Ukraine, Marie Yovanovitch. The video was shot at a private dinner in April 2018. News also emerged on Sunday in The New York Times (paywall) that an unpublished manuscript by former security advisor John Bolton details Trump saying in August last year that he wanted to freeze security aid to Ukraine in exchange for an investigation into Joe Biden. Reuters has details.
Brazil floods kill 37
Sky New reports that at least 37 people have been killed as a result of floods and landslides in south-eastern Brazil. The region has suffered more than two days of torrential rains.
Rocket attack on US embassy in Iraq
The BBC, via AFP and Reuters, reports that at least three rockets struck the US embassy in Baghdad on Sunday. Pentagon officials told Fox News there were no reported deaths or injuries.
Billie Eilish heads Grammy winners
Although overshadowed by Koby Bryant’s death, the 2020 Grammys went ahead on Sunday night. 18-year old Billie Eilish swept the best new artist, album of the year and record of the year gongs. The Chemical Brothers won two dance music awards and Gary Clark Jr. picked up two rock awards. The Guardian, NPR and Variety had the full list of winners in live updates.
Today’s breakfast briefing was written by Duncan Roberts