BRIEF – ME! – DAILY NEWS BRIEFING
In today’s briefing update, The headlines are – a UK MP has been diagnosed with coronavirus, the health minister had been in contact with Boris Johnson.
Joe Biden’s primary win gives him a commanding edge in the US Democratic race to face President Trump in the November elections.
In Iran, 44 people have died from alcohol poisoning after drinking bootleg industrial-strength alcohol after rumours it will prevent coronavirus infection.
The Afghan government is set to release 1,500 Taliban prisoners over the next 14 days to pave the way for talks with the group, in hopes it will end the 18-year-long war.
In Russia, President Putin has paved the way for another presidential run beyond 2024, when his term ends.
Entertainment, Californian music festival Coachella has been postponed until November due to the coronavirus. Other gigs have also been cancelled or rescheduled.
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UK minister diagnosed with coronavirus met with PM
Arab News says British MP Nadine Dorries, a minister in the health department, has tested positive for coronavirus, she said in a statement. The news has raised concerns senior government figures have been infected.
“I can confirm I have tested positive for coronavirus… and have been self-isolating at home,” said Dorries.
Officials are trying to trace where she contracted the virus and who she’s been in contact with, she added.
Six people have died in Britain from the virus, with more than 370 confirmed cases.
Read the full story on Arab News
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Primary win gives Joe Biden commanding edge is US Democratic race
Aljazeera News says in a continuation of the Super Tuesday turnout, Democratic voters turned out in droves on Tuesday for primaries in six states aimed at giving a clearer idea of who will face President Trump in November – game-changer Bernie Sanders or the status quo candidate, Joe Biden.
Democratic voters have opted for Biden, raising the question of whether Bernie will suspend his campaign.
While the counts will take days to tally, Biden won the popular vote in Michigan, Missouri and Mississippi. Results from the western states – Idaho, Washington and North Dakota – were still outstanding at 10 pm Eastern Time.
Read the full story on Aljazeera News
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Dozens in Iran die from drinking bootleg alcohol to prevent coronavirus infection
Fox News says dozens of people have died in Iran after drinking industrial-strength alcohol amid rumours it would prevent them from contracting the coronavirus, according to reports Tuesday.
The state-run Islamic Republic News Agency (IRNA) reported Tuesday that 44 people had died from alcohol poisoning in the country after they “drank bootleg alcohol over rumours that it would be effective in treating coronavirus.”
But a semi-dependent news agency reported a lower figure – at least 27 people dying in Iran from alcohol poisoning amid the coronavirus scare.
Drinking, selling or buying alcohol has been outlawed in Iran for all citizens except for some non-Muslim minorities, since the establishment of the Islamic Republic government in 1979.
Read the full story on Fox News
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Afghan government set to release 1500 Taliban prisoners
France24 says Afghan President Ashraf Ghani is set to release 1,500 Taliban prisoners in the coming days to pave the way for direct talks with the group aimed at ending the 18-year-long war in Afghanistan, according to a copy of the decree seen by Reuters.
The two-page decree – which was signed by Ghani and will be made public later- said that all released Taliban prisoners will have to provide “a written guarantee to not return to the battlefield.”
“The process of releasing 1,500 Taliban prisoners will be completed within 15 days, with 100 prisoners walking out of Afghan jails every day,” according to the decree.
Read the full story on France24
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Putin paves the way for another presidential term
BBC News says Russian President Vladimir Putin has not ruled out running for president again. In 2024 his term officially ends.
But he told parliament that the Constitutional Court would first have to approve such a step. An MP has proposed “resetting to zero” the number of presidential terms.
Putin, 67, could potentially stay in power until 2036, by winning two more six-year terms.
He has already been in power for 20 years.
Read the full story on BBC News
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Coachella and other gigs cancelled over coronavirus
Sky News says restrictions on travel and public events in some parts of the world mean music stars are cancelling gigs due to coronavirus.
The Californian festival – Coachella – is the latest big event to pull the plug. The festival was due to go ahead next month but has now been pushed back until October.
Coachella organisers Goldenvoice said: “While this decision comes at a time of universal uncertainty, we take the safety and health of our guests, staff and community very seriously.”
Read the full story on Sky News
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