Author: News Desk

2 Baghdad protesters dead after violent clash with police Two protesters died in Baghdad early on Monday after being shot with tear gas canisters in confrontations with security forces, medics said, the first victims of protest-related violence under Iraq’s new premier.  The deaths threaten to reignite a country-wide protest movement that erupted in October over government graft and incompetence. The protests had died down in recent months. There were angry rallies staged on Sunday over power outages in the capital and several southern cities, where temperatures soaring above 50 degrees Celsius have overwhelmed electricity generators.  In Baghdad – at the…

GLOBAL COVID-19 TODAY CORONAVIRUS CASES: 16,424,841 DEATHS: 652,343 RECOVERED: 10,052,978 …………………………………… UK’s full recovery could take until 2024, says EY report The Guardian says the UK’s economic recovery from the Covid-19 crisis could take 18 months longer than expected with hopes of a V-shaped recovery fading fast, according to a leading economic forecaster. Britain’s economic output is not expected to return to its 2019 level until the end of 2024, the EY Item Club said on Monday in its latest projections on the health of the UK economy. It had previously expected GDP to match fourth-quarter 2019 size in early…

Grime artist Wiley dropped by management after vile antisemitic Twitter rant Grime artist Wiley has been dropped by his management after he went on a 10-hour anti-Semitic rant on his social media accounts.  Wiley’s Twitter account has been temporarily locked while Instagram said it had deleted some of his content, after a long series of posts on both platforms on Friday and Saturday.  The social media giants are facing calls to close his accounts.  The Met Police are looking at “relevant material” due to accusations the artist was inciting racial hatred.  Metropolitan Police officers in Tower Hamlets said in a…

In today’s briefing update, the Sunday Papers report on new travel measures for those entering the UK and a new book detailing Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s life in the Royal Family.   In our special feature, we look at global coronavirus updates.  ……………………………………… Tourists must quarantine on return home from Spain The Sunday Telegraph leads with the return of the 14-day quarantine for travellers entering the UK from Spain – in force from midnight on Saturday. The paper says thousands of British tourists have had their holidays “thrown into disarray” by the restrictions.  Read the full story on The Telegraph…

Loss and grief of a modern-day idol After following the life and career of someone famous, how do you grieve and adapt when they die? This year has seen its fair share of untimely and tragic celebrity deaths, from Kobe Bryant and Caroline Flack at the beginning of the year to the recent death of Naya Rivera. But how do fan accounts, who chart every move and career decision, mourn the loss of their idols?  Back in the 90s, Kurt Cobain and River Phoenix had a legion of young fans around the world. Before the social media age, fans got…

Thousands of worshippers flocked to Turkey’s iconic Hagia Sophia for the first Muslim Friday prayers since the 1930s. to the delight of Turkey and the Muslim world, it was once again declared a mosque instead of a museum by a decree from President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. The former Byzantine cathedral that became a mosque with the 1453 Muslim conquest of Istanbul and then a museum in 1934 after Turkey became a secular republic a condition of the British and Americans in order to support the power grab by Mustafa Kemal Ataturk. Additionally, Italy and Greece also suggested unless that if…

UK scraps ‘loophole’ that allowed American woman accused of Harry Dunn’s death to claim immunity, in new deal with US The UK government has removed a critical loophole which allowed American Anne Sacoolas – who is alleged to have caused the death of British teenager Harry Dunn – to claim immunity, in a new deal struck with Washington.  In a written statement, Dominic Raab confirmed the UK and US had amended the “anomaly” after receiving fierce criticism from Harry Dunn’s family for failing to get justice for their son. Raab said the new agreement allows for the prosecution of family…

Disney delays 3 major blockbuster films due to pandemic Walt Disney has delayed the release of three major films, dealing a fresh blow to cinema’s struggling amid the pandemic.  The new Avatar and Star Wars films have been delayed a year, while Mulan has been removed from schedules completely.  Mulan, already delayed because of cinema closures,  had been scheduled for release for the end of August.  A rise in coronavirus cases in the US and the impact globally on film production forced the change.  “It’s become clear that nothing can be set in stone when it comes to how we…

GLOBAL COVID-19 TODAY CORONAVIRUS CASES: 15,656,884 DEATHS: 636,576 RECOVERED: 9,544,766 ……………………………………… New face-covering rules come into force in England today, fines of £100 for those who do not comply BBC News says face-coverings are now compulsory in shops in England after coronavirus rules came into force within 12 hours of the government issuing guidance on change.  Coverings are now mandatory in enclosed public spaces such as supermarkets, indoor shopping centres, transport hubs, banks and takeaways. Fines of up to £100 can be issued by police to those who do not comply.  But some retailers have insisted they will not enforce…

GLOBAL COVID-19 TODAY CORONAVIRUS CASES: 15,396,169 DEATHS: 630,720 RECOVERED: 9,372,191 ………………………………………  Boris Johnson says response shows ‘might of UK union’ BBC News says the response to the pandemic has shown the “sheer might” of the UK union, PM Boris Johnson has said. The PM is heading to Scotland this Thursday. The trip, a year on since he became PM, will see Mr Johnson meet members of the armed forces and their families. He said troops had done “vital work” to support the NHS during the pandemic and praised Treasury job retention schemes. But the SNP said the visit showed Mr…