GLOBAL COVID-19 TODAY
CORONAVIRUS CASES: 22,865,970
DEATHS: 797,158
RECOVERED: 15,520,905
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More than 20,000 UK tourists face new quarantine deadline race
BBC News says British holidaymakers who wish to avoid 14 days’ quarantine face a race to get back to the UK before new coronavirus travel rules kick in.
Transport Secretary Grant Shapps said on Thursday that those arriving in the UK from Croatia, Austria and Trinidad and Tobago will need to self-isolate.
It is thought around 20,000 British tourists are currently in Croatia.
The changes apply to anyone arriving after 04:00 BST on Saturday.
Read the full story on BBC News
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Lockdown fears for Birmingham amid sharp rise in UK cases
The Guardian says police and officials in Birmingham have warned the public to act now to avert a city-wide lockdown as the number of people testing positive for coronavirus in England rose 27% in a week, hitting its highest level since mid-June.
The UK’s second city, which has a population of more than 1 million, has seen a rise to 30 cases per 100,000 up from 22.4 the week before and 12 at the start of the month, its director of public health said.
Read the full story on The Guardian
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WHO says Europe can combat spike in infections without full lockdown
France24 says spikes in coronavirus infections in European countries caused alarm on Thursday but the WHO said the continent should be able to fight the pandemic without reimposing full lockdowns.
While Italy registered 845 new cases on Thursday, its highest daily tally since May, France reported 4,700 fresh infections — a massive increase on the previous day. While Spain’s daily increases topped even those of France, Germany was examining its own resurgence.
Read the full story on France24
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Kuwait lifts Covid-19 curfew but keeps some restrictions
Arab News says Kuwait’s nationwide curfew will be lifted on Sunday, Aug. 30, 2020, state news agency KUNA reported, adding that some activities would remain restricted.
The government announced Thursday evening that while the curfew was being ended, there would still be a ban on parties, including weddings, banquets, and funerals in an effort to prevent the spread of the coronavirus.
Read the full story on Arab News
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How Indonesia has failed to control covid-19 first wave
Aljazeera says only last week, Luhut Pandjaitan, Indonesia’s maritime minister and close confidant of the country’s president, touted herbal mangosteen juice as a coronavirus remedy.
His suggestion was the latest in a string of unorthodox treatments put forward by members of Joko Widodo’s cabinet during the past six months, ranging from prayer to rice wrapped in banana leaf to eucalyptus necklaces.
Read the full story on Aljazeera
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US reports more than 44,000 new Covid-19 cases
CNN says the United States reported 44,023 new coronavirus cases on Thursday, according to Johns Hopkins University, bringing the country’s total confirmed infections to 5,573,847.
To date, at least 174,255 people have died in the US from coronavirus, with 1,078 new deaths reported on Thursday, according to Johns Hopkins.
Read the full story on CNN
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ARTS & ENT
Taylor Swift donates £23,000 to London student so she can afford UK university
Sky News says an aspiring mathematician who could not afford to pay for university in the UK has been gifted £23,000 by an unlikely donor – Taylor Swift.
The US pop star made the contribution via a Go Fund Me page raising money for Vitoria Mario, which states that she may not be able to take up her place at the University of Warwick.
Read the full story on Sky News
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SPORT
Root calls for final push to seal series win against Pakistan
BBC Sport says Captain Joe Root has asked his England team for “one big push” in the third and final Test against Pakistan.
The match in Southampton will be England’s sixth bio-secure Test in seven weeks, but Root’s men have no more scheduled this year.
“We have one more week of really hard graft,” Root told BBC Sport. “We have to give everything to the badge, the team and each other.”
Read the full story on BBC Sport
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