Author: WTX News

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…

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…

Tuesday 15 September coronavirus updates BRIEF – ME! – DAILY NEWS BRIEFING Tuesday 15 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: 29,445,847 Deaths: 932,746 Recovered: 21,280,193 More than 194,000 people in the US have died from the coronavirus Virus restrictions threaten Asian economic recovery in 2021, ADB says Stricter measures imposed in Bordeaux, Marseille as France faces Covid-19 surge China expects a vaccine by Nov NHS staff ‘off work due to testing shortages’ …

WHO warns Europe – expect a rise in Covid-19 deaths in October and November The World Health Organisation (WHO)  has warned Europe that there is likely to be a rise in daily Covid-19 deaths in October and November. “It’s going to get tougher. In October, November, we are going to see more mortality,” WHO Europe director Hans Kluge said, as Europe currently experiences a rise in cases — though the number of deaths has remained relatively stable. The WHO says the resurgence is expected to lead to an increase in daily deaths.  “It’s a moment where countries don’t want to…

David Cameron is 5th ex-PM to speak out against post-Brexit bill David Cameron has become the fifth former PM to speak out against a new bill attempting to override the Brexit withdrawal agreement.  The Internal Market Bill will come before MPs later, with the government labelling it an “insurance policy.”  Former Prime Minister David Cameron said he had “misgivings” over it and breaking an international treaty should be the “final resort.”  Four other former prime ministers – Tory PM Theresa May and Sir John Major, and Labour’s Tony Blair and Gordon Brown have slammed the plan. Policing Minister Kit Malthouse…

Hong Kong will ‘not interfere’ in China detention of 12 Hong Kong has said it will “not interfere” in the arrest by mainland Chinese authorities of the 12 residents who were detained as they sought to flee to Taiwan by sea, despite pleas from their families, as it emerged that Taiwan was holding five other people from Hong Kong who had also fled by boat.  In a statement on Sunday, Hong Kong authorities said they received requests for help from the families of the groups who were detained last month for illegal entry into mainland China as they were attempting…

2 LA Sheriff Deputies out of surgeries following ‘ambush’ shooting The two Los Angeles County Sherriff’s Department deputies who were shot in an ‘ambush’ attack and critically injured Saturday night are out of surgery, according to an LASD spokesperson.  “It looks like they’re going to be able to recover,” Sheriff Alex Villanueva said Sunday afternoon.  “We’ll see what the long-term impact is. We don’t know that yet, but they survived the worst,” Villanueva said during a community dialogue event. The deputies were “ambushed” as they sat in their car, police said.  https://twitter.com/Terrence_STR/status/1304995990320144385 Villanueva said the shooting of the officers…

Monday 14 September coronavirus updates BRIEF – ME! – DAILY NEWS BRIEFING Monday 14 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: 29,185,779 Deaths: 928,290 Recovered: 21,031,029 New Zealand extends coronavirus restrictions upon discovery of one new case Japan’s foreign residents face discrimination due to Covid-19 Doctors in Indonesia fight spread of fake news on Covid-19 Israel to impose a new nationwide lockdown as Covid-19 surges Covid-19 ‘Rule of six’ comes into effect 86%…

Pakistan arrests one of 2 suspects in highway gang rape case amid protests Pakistani police say they have arrested one of the suspects in the rape of a woman who was dragged from her car and attacked after he car broke down on a highway in central Punjab province.  Police say the woman was driving late on Wednesday night outside the city of Lahore with her two children when her car ran out of fuel.  The woman, in her 30s, called the police for help, but two men took her and her children out of the car at gunpoint before…

Iran’s confirmed Covid-19 cases top 400,000 Iran’s confirmed coronavirus cases have risen by 2,089 to 402,029, a health ministry spokeswoman confirmed via state TV on Sunday, The country reported 128 new deaths in the past 24 hours.  The official death toll now stands at 23,157 in Iran, one of the worst-hit countries in the Middle East.  Over the past 24 hours, 956 Iranians were hospitalised for complications from the novel coronavirus, the spokeswoman added, during the daily briefing.346,242 people have recovered and been discharged from hospitals while 3,791 remain in intensive care units.  As of Sunday, 3,559,565 Covid-19 lab tests…

Death toll over 30 as wildfires continue to devastate West Coast The wildfires sweeping through the West Coast states have killed more than 30 people, officials say.  Dozens are missing in Oregon alone and one emergency official said the state should prepare for a “mass fatality incident.”  Over the past three weeks, wildfires have been raging across Oregon, California and Washington, burning acres of land and destroying thousands of homes. Tens of thousands of people have been forced to flee their homes to escape the wildfires.  Joe Biden warned on Saturday that “climate change poses an imminent, existential threat to…

Brief. BrIEf.Me In today’s briefing update, the Sunday Papers report cases of Covid-19 in care homes are spiralling again. The PM is set to opt out of human rights law. The Brexit breach is also on the front pages as well as the PM’s promise to shake up the criminal justice system.   In our special feature, we look at global coronavirus updates.  ……………………………………… Virus cases in care homes spiral again  The Sunday Times reports, leaked documents from the Department of Health show that Covid-19 is spreading through care homes again. A memo sent to the health secretary’s team lists care…

Insta Talk Episode 4: Live we discuss KUWTK, Body Shaming and 2020 fall trends On this week’s episode, Dyna Fayz is speaking to CEO of the global Enigma magazine, Yasmine Shihata, about the end of #KUWTK and how they went from unknown faces to creating a billion-dollar empire.  Dyna talks to health coach Daniella Malfitano about extreme beauty standards, mental health and how to stay happy in this weeks episode of Insta Talk. Our fashion expert Rana is here to discuss how plus-size women can keep up with 2020 Autumn trends.   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FHVTO9Pmz5U Insta Talk – the show from WTX…

9/11 anniversary plans cut back amid Covid-19 concerns This year’s 9/11 anniversary commemoration has had to be cut back due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.  The 19th anniversary of the terror attacks will be marked by duelling ceremonies at the September 11 memorial plaza and a corner near the World Trade Centre, reflecting a divide over the memorial’s decision to suspend the tradition of relatives reading victims’ names in person.  Vice President Mike Pence is expected to be at both remembrances in New York and Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden at the observance on the memorial plaza.  President Donald Trump…

China and India agree to ‘quickly disengage’ at disputed border China and India agreed in a joint statement from their Foreign Ministers on Friday that their troops must “quickly disengage” from a months-long standoff at the disputed Himalayan border.  The ministers met in Moscow to try and end the dispute, the most serious in decades at the border.  “The two Foreign Ministers agreed that the current situation in the border areas is not in the interest of either side. They agreed therefore that the border troops of both sides should continue their dialogue, quickly disengage, maintain proper distance and ease…

UK economy grew 6.6% in July, continues to recover for a third straight month The UK economy grew by 6.6% in July, according to official figures, but the output is still far below pre-pandemic levels.  It is the third month in a row that the economy has grown.  But the ONS said the UK “has still only recovered just half of the lost output caused by the coronavirus.”  When businesses such as hairdressers, pubs and restaurants reopened in July they contribute to the growth.  But the UK economy is still 11.7% smaller than it was in February and growth in…

Friday, 11 September coronavirus updates BRIEF – ME! – DAILY NEWS BRIEFING Friday 11 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: 28,329,602 Deaths: 913,927 Recovered: 20,244,383 Mexico reports nearly 5,000 new Covid-19 cases Tokyo to ease voluntary measures on travel and dining as cases slow India orders states to expand coronavirus testing MPs want furlough extended to minimise job losses North Korea issues shoot-to-kill orders to prevent virus Oxford Covid-19 vaccine is still…

Massive fire erupts at Beirut explosion site A massive fire has erupted at Beirut’s port – the site of the massive explosion that killed nearly 200 people last month.  The Lebanese army said on Thursday the blaze erupted at a warehouse storing oils and tyres in the port’s Duty-Free area.  Several workers told local media that there had been clearance efforts happening inside the warehouse to remove debris from last month’s explosion, at which point the fire caught.  As was the case with last months disaster, firefighters arrived on the scene without knowing what was on fire – though “we…