Author: News Desk

Belarus closes western borders, saying protests are being driven by the west Belarus President Alexander Lukashenko has closed the country’s borders with Poland and Lithuania and put the army on high alert, after six weeks of mass protests demanding he resigns.  On Thursday, he repeated his claim that the wave of protesting in the country is being driven by the West. Lukashenko is facing increasing criticism from the US and the EU.  Protesting began after the August 9 presidential election. Official results saw the authoritarian leader given a sixth term in office, but opponents say the results were manipulated.  “We…

WHO chief for Europe tells countries to keep up Covid-19 quarantines The WHO’s European director warned national governments against reducing quarantine periods for people who have potentially been exposed to the virus. He acknowledged that Covid-19 “fatigue” was setting in as the public begins to resist measures needed to control the pandemic.  Dr Hans Kluge said that “even a slight reduction in the length of the quarantine” could have a big effect on the spread of the virus  – which has returned to “alarming rates of transmission” in Europe this month.  He said countries should only reduce the two-week quarantine…

Friday 18 September coronavirus updates BRIEF – ME! – DAILY NEWS BRIEFING Friday 18 September 2020 News Briefing – Today’s headlines are dominated by the global Coronavirus Pandemic. As of 6:30 am (GMT), these are the global active numbers. Global COVID-19 UPDATE Coronavirus Cases: 30,356,634 Deaths: 950,625 Recovered: 22,046,144 India logs another daily jump of more than 96,000 new Covid-19 cases G20 ministers call for equal Covid-19 vaccine access Hundreds of Israelis protest new Covid-19 lockdown Tighter national rules considered by the government to curb Covid-19 cases Global cases pass 30m WHO outlines ways governments can…

Netflix’s new documentary ‘Challenger’ is a gripping look at the doomed flight and NASA in danger Netflix’s new documentary “Challenger: The Final Flight” walks a delicate path both celebrating the lives of those lost in the 1986 space shuttle disaster and the politics and pressure to deliver that led to NASA’s darkest hour.  The four-part documentary series goes through a lot of history, including NASA’s efforts to diversify the space program, the half-dozen women who joined the astronaut class in 1978, and their idea of putting a school teacher in space as a PR stunt because the public had lost…

John Lewis scraps staff bonus for the first time since 1953 For the first time since 1953, John Lewis staff will not receive a bonus after being hit by lockdown store closures.  The retailer posted a huge £635m pre-tax loss for the six months to 25 July after higher costs offset a 1% rise in sales.  Its chairwoman told staff the announcement “will come as a blow”. Even before the pandemic, John Lewis had warned it might not pay the usual staff bonus as competition ate into profits.  Their first-half loss was £635m once exceptional items were taken into account,…

Nearly 2 million in north-east England will see new restrictions from midnight Almost two million people in north-east England will be under new restrictions following a rise in Covid-19 cases. The temporary measures will be introduced to the Northumberland, Newcastle, Sunderland, North and South Tyneside, Gateshead and County Durham council areas from midnight.  The measures include restrictions on households mixing and pubs closing early.  Health Secretary Matt Hancock said there were “concerning rates of infection in the North East.” Sunderland currently has an infection rate of 103 cases per 100,000 people, while South Tyneside Gateshead and Newcastle the figures are…

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r9ZyrpNKlY8&feature=youtu.be A guide to the 2020 US election When is the election? The US presidential election always falls on the first Tuesday after the first Monday in November. This year’s election will be on 3 November. The US Presidential election is held every four years. US presidents can only serve two terms – so a total of 8 years. The candidates The US is unlike most countries when it comes to the political system. The US system is dominated by only two parties, Democrats and Republicans – which means one from either party will be president. The Republican Party:…

Thursday 17 Septmeber coronavirus updates BRIEF – ME! – DAILY NEWS BRIEFINGThursday 17 September 2020 News Briefing – Today’s headlines are dominated by the global Coronavirus Pandemic. As of 6:30 am (GMT), these are the global active numbers.Global COVID-19 UPDATECoronavirus Cases: 30,038,634Deaths: 945,099Recovered: 21,806,713 Trump doubles down on Covid-19 vaccine timeline, contradicting top health officialBill Gates–World Health has ‘gone in reverse’Syria cases may be much higher than figures suggest – UNPM says speak to ‘rule-breakers’ before calling the policeNorth-east of England faces new restrictions amid Covid-19 spikeHawaii will allow Covid-negative travellers to avoid quarantine from next month Previous Next Headlines: What the…

Wednesday 16 September coronavirus updates BRIEF – ME! – DAILY NEWS BRIEFINGWednesday 16 September 2020 News Briefing – Today’s headlines are dominated by the global Coronavirus Pandemic. As of 6:30 am (GMT), these are the global active numbers.Global COVID-19 UPDATECoronavirus Cases: 29,729,993Deaths: 939,192Recovered: 21,544,609 Trump says Covid-19 vaccine should be ready in a monthUAE announces emergency approval for use of coronavirus vaccineIndia passes 5 million coronavirus casesOlder women bearing brunt of coronavirus recession, new figures showNHS and care homes to be prioritised for Covid-19 tests Previous Next Headlines: What the papers say? NHS and care homes to be prioritised for Covid-19 tests.Older…

Key developments from the past 24 hours in the race to the White House https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pZ4A3xOfLH0&feature=youtu.be As the election draws closer, the US wildfires appear to have taken over campaigns and Biden pledges to bring the US back into the Paris Agreement. Trump speaks to Latinos in battleground state Arizona and American’s say law-and-order is a massive issue. A simple guide to the 2020 US Election There’s always a lot of interest in the outcome of US elections, but not a lot of understanding of how it works. Here’s a simple guide to the US elections. When is the election? The…