Wednesday, 26 August
- From facemasks to Covid testing: 11 times the UK government has U-turned.
- Far-right groups targeting hotels housing asylum seekers during coronavirus pandemic.
- North Korea’s Kim issues warning on Covid-19 amid speculation over his health.
- Arab region prepares for prompt Covid-19 vaccine distribution.
- Thousands of South Korean doctors strike amid Covid-19 resurgence.
- More than 1,300 healthcare workers have died from Covid-19 in Mexico.
From facemasks to Covid testing: 11 times the UK government has U-turned
The Guardian says the list of U-turns carried out by Boris Johnson’s government in its response to Covid-19 continues to grow. After apparent failures on the contact-tracing app and a change of heart on school opening dates and A-level results, face masks have become the latest issue in the spotlight.
Boris Johnson announced an 11-hour U-turn on faces masks in school just days before the classrooms were due to reopen. The u-turn came as hundreds of schools prepared to defy official Public Health England advice, which said it “does not recommend” faces masks in schools.
Read the full story on The Guardian
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Far-right groups targeting hotels housing asylum seekers during coronavirus pandemic
The Independent says groups are targeting hotels housing asylum seekers across Britain as they attempt to capitalise on hostility sparked by a rise in English Channel crossings.
Police have been called to several incidents where activists have filmed and harassed migrants, who have been placed in emergency accommodation because of the coronavirus pandemic.
Read the full story on The Independent
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North Korea’s Kim issues warning on Covid-19 amid speculation over his health
France24 says North Korean state media showed leader Kim Jong Un at a meeting of a top committee issuing warnings about the coronavirus and a looming typhoon, following international speculation over his state of health.
Kim’s comments come amid conjecture over his condition after South Korea’s spy agency said he had delegated some authority to his sister Kim Yo Jong to relieve his “governance stress”.
Read the full story on France24
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Arab region prepares for prompt Covid-19 vaccine distribution
Arab News says as scientists and drug companies race to develop a vaccine for COVID-19, extensive efforts are going on at many different levels to battle the pandemic.
Whilst pharmaceutical laboratories to come up with successful treatment options and vaccines, there are behind the scene complex negotiations underway to buy a vaccine as soon as it becomes available.
Several countries, including some in the Middle East, are involved in talks with leading companies and research institutes engaged in various phases of trials.
Read the full story on Arab News
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Thousands of South Korean doctors strike amid Covid-19 resurgence
Aljazeera says tens of thousands of doctors launched a nationwide strike on Wednesday, defying a return-to-work order and threats of punishments, to protest the government’s medical workforce reform plan, as the country fights a resurgence of coronavirus cases.
The three-day strike is organised by the Korean Medical Association (KMA) which has some 130,000 members, including interns and resident doctors at general hospitals and practitioners at neighbourhood clinics.
Read the full story on Aljazeera
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More than 1,300 healthcare workers have died from Covid-19 in Mexico
CNN says more than 1,300 healthcare workers have died from coronavirus in Mexico since the start of the pandemic, the country’s Health Ministry reported on Tuesday.
The ministry also reported 4,916 new Covid-19 cases Tuesday, bringing the total number confirmed in the country to 568,621.
A further 650 fatalities were also confirmed, taking the total number of coronavirus-related deaths in the country to 61,450, including 1,320 healthcare workers.
Read the full story on CNN
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A quick look at the other top stories
Kenosha police confirm shooting as city sees another night of unrest
Fox News says the Kenosha Police Department told them early Wednesday that a shooting occurred during another night of violent protests in the city in response to the police-involved shooting of Jacob Blake on Sunday.
Police did not provide any other details about the shooting or if it was related to the protests. Journalists and activists shared unconfirmed videos on social media that appeared to show a man with a gunshot wound being treated by protesters.
Harry Maguire: Man U’s captain found guilty in Greece
Euronews says Manchester United captain Harry Maguire has been handed a suspended sentence of 21 months in prison after he was found guilty following a brawl while on vacation in Greece.
Maguire, 27, was found guilty of repeated bodily harm, attempted bribery, violence against public employees, and insult after his arrest, on the island of Mykonos. He had denied all charges.
Several districts of Niger capital flooded
AfricaNews says several districts of Niger’s capital Niamey were flooded on Tuesday after heavy rainfall caused the Niger River to break its banks.
Homes, rice fields and market gardens were destroyed. Almost all of Niamey’s one point five million inhabitants live on the banks of the river.
China protests US spy plane watching drills
CNA says China has lodged “stern representations” with the United States, accusing it of sending a US U-2 reconnaissance plane into a no-fly zone over Chinese live-fire military drills, further ratcheting up tensions between Beijing and Washington.
