Author: WTX News Editor

Monday, August 24 coronavirus updates BRIEF – ME! – DAILY NEWS BRIEFINGMonday 24 August 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: 23,586,512Deaths: 812,527Recovered: 16,085,556 US FDA announces emergency authorisation for convalescent plasma to treat CovidPeru 13 killed as police raid club breaking coronavirus curbsIndia’s Covid-19 cases cross 3 million mark as economy opensTeens’ anxiety levels dropped during…

The first teaser trailer for “The Batman” is here, and Robert Pattinson looks like a compelling Caped Crusader. If you haven’t already watched the trailer, do yourself a favour and check it out a few times over. You may have missed Colin Farrell’s debut as the Penguin the first time around. Don’t expect this to be the Batman you’re used to seeing on screen. Pattinson’s Bruce Wayne is pretty new at the whole crime-fighting gig…

Insta Talk Live with Yvonne Ridley and Ranazone – Get the Bella Hadid style look for $150…. Insta talk is a weekly social media lifestyle show that brings cultures of the world into a social show, covering lifestyle issues, fashion and discussing international and global issues on a local level. https://youtu.be/2lT96j-zuQ0 ………………… https://wtxnews.com/insta-talk/

Presented By Dyna Fayz Produced by Karam Media Insta Talk Insta talk is a weekly social media  lifestyle show that brings cultures of the world into a social show, covering lifestyle issues, fashion and discussing international and global issues on a local level. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pEllbY_3Chk Join over a million people There are many variations of passages of Lorem Ipsum available, but the majority have suffered alteration in some form, by injected humour, or randomised words which…

GLOBAL COVID-19 TODAY CORONAVIRUS CASES: 22,865,970 DEATHS: 797,158 RECOVERED: 15,520,905 …………………………………… 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…

Northern California wildfires force mass evacuation as 300,000 acres burn Thousands of people have been forced to flee their homes as fire crews work tirelessly to beat back wildfires across northern Califonia. The smoky air is so thick it briefly halted traffic on an interstate and killed a pilot on a firefighting mission. The hundreds of fast-moving wildfires are spreading across northern California, burning houses.  In Vacaville – a city of about 100,000 people -…

Premier League 2020-21 fixtures have been announced by the FA. Although the exact dates and kick-off times will be confirmed when the television selections are made. The Premier League fixtures were announced in full this morning with Man Utd, Liverpool, Arsenal, Chelsea, Tottenham and Man City all discovering their fate, as well as newly-promoted Leeds, getting a date for their long-awaited return. And they will be greeted by the Champions in their first game at…

GLOBAL COVID-19 TODAY CORONAVIRUS CASES: 22,588,815 DEATHS: 791,090 RECOVERED: 15,309,032 …………………………………… Heathrow’s rapid test centre could replace 14-day quarantine  The Guardian says a new Covid test centre is ready to start rapid testing of inbound passengers arriving at Heathrow airport’s Terminal 2, as soon as the government gives it the go-ahead. Arrivals would find out results within 24 hours of being tested, replacing the need for a 14-day quarantine. More than 13,000 passenger tests a…

GLOBAL COVID-19 TODAY CORONAVIRUS CASES: 22,309,785 DEATHS: 784,380 RECOVERED: 15,053,449 …………………………………… 19% of UK adults suffered depression during pandemic RT News says the number of people across the UK suffering from depression has almost doubled during the coronavirus pandemic, according to new data from the Office of National Statistics (ONS).  The ONS said 19 per cent of adults reported some form of depression during June, compared with 10 per cent in the nine months leading…

Israeli warplanes strike Gaza, relentlessly pounded Gaza, targetting Hamas officials, but sources on the ground have confirmed innocent casualties. Early on Tuesday morning, the warplanes bombarded Gaza in response to Palestinian fire balloons launched across the border, the Israeli army said. The strikes came as visiting Egyptian security officials strove to defuse the latest attack on Gaza. “Israeli Fighter jets and (other) aircraft struck underground infrastructures belonging to the Hamas terror organization in the Gaza…

Bahrain: Woman,54, wearing burqa goes viral for smashing Hindu gods, now charged A video showing a woman wearing a burqa breaking idols of Lord Ganesha in a shop has gone viral on social media and been met with celebrations and praise.  The video circulating, shows two women standing near an aisle where idols of Hindu gods are kept on a shelf. One of the women picks up the religious idols and starts throwing them on…

GLOBAL COVID-19 TODAY CORONAVIRUS CASES: 22,049,457 DEATHS: 777,440 RECOVERED: 14,791,869 …………………………………… Alarm over Covid case rates in 19 European countries The Guardian says 19 European countries have crossed a key threshold of new coronavirus infections, with Spain’s numbers particularly worrying.  According to data from the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control, the countries have recorded cumulative 14-day infection totals higher than 20 per 100,000 inhabitants, considered an early alarm level by many health experts.…

Greece secretly sent away more than 1,000 migrants – including babies, abandoning them in open seas The New York Times has reported that at least 1,072  migrants were sailed to the edge of Greece’s water territory on inflatable life rafts and abandoned by Greek authorities.  The Times analysed evidence from multiple sources – including academic researchers, the Turkish Coast Guard, and independent watchdogs groups – found there were at least 31 different incidents of these…

Israel and UAE open direct phone service after historic peace deal The Israeli and UAE foreign ministers introduced a direct phone service between the two nations on Sunday, in their first announcement following a peace agreement to the normalisation of diplomatic relations.  The UAE and Israel ministers “inaugurated a phone link between the United Arab Emirates and Israel, and exchanged greetings following the historic Peace Accord signed by the two countries,” tweeted the director of…

Trump promises ‘snapback’ to force return of UN Iran sanctions President Trump vowed to use a controversial technique to unilaterally reinstate UN sanctions on Tehran, a move with huge repercussions for the Iran nuclear deal.  It comes a day after the UN Security Council overwhelmingly rejected a US resolution to extend an Iranian arms embargo. “We’ll be doing a snapback,” Trump said during a news conference at his New Jersey golf club. “You’ll be watching…

GLOBAL COVID-19 TODAY CORONAVIRUS CASES: 21,826,634 DEATHS: 773,074 RECOVERED: 14,564,184 …………………………………… NHS needs tens of thousands of British Asians to join Covid-19 vaccine trials The Guardian says the NHS is launching a fresh attempt to recruit tens of thousands of volunteers from British Asian communities to its coronavirus vaccine trials following a “disappointing” uptake in the first phase.  The government’s vaccines taskforce announced on Monday that more than 112,000 people had signed up for trials…

In today’s briefing update, the Sunday Papers lead with the controversial algorithms to set 97% of GCSE results – more than 280,000 A level students had their results downgraded on Thursday, and experts believe GCSE students will be downgraded further.   In our special feature, we look at global coronavirus updates.  ……………………………………… Controversial algorithms to set 97% of GCSE result The Observer says ahead of nearly five million GCSEs being awarded this week using a controversial…

Dubai sends 24.88 tonnes of humanitarian aid to Beirut A plane with more than 43 tonnes of medical equipment left Dubai on Wednesday to help Bierut’s hospitals following the deadly port explosion last week which left thousands wounded. Syringes, bandages and surgical gowns were among the supplies on-board which was worth more than Dh2 million. At Dubai’s International Humanitarian City, 180 pallets were loaded on trucks for the cargo flight, which took off about 5:45…

200,000 UAE residents stuck abroad no longer need ICA approval to return All UAE residents trapped approved no longer need to wait for special approval to return home, the government said on Wednesday.  All UAE residents abroad, who have a valid UAE visa, had to apply for approval to return to the country – if they were travelling into any emirate except Dubai.  But this procedure has now been removed and travel is permitted into…

By Yvonne Ridley. Syrian-based American journalist Bilal Abdul Kareem who took the US Government to court for putting him on a “kill list” in the war-torn region, was arrested yesterday by a Sunni Islamist militant group. The brash New Yorker’s strong brand of journalism made him unpopular with some and turned him into an assassination target with others, including his own government. His ability to navigate his way through the treacherous political landscape of rebel-held Syria…

GLOBAL COVID-19 TODAY CORONAVIRUS CASES: 21,082,038 DEATHS: 757,633 RECOVERED: 13,933,175 …………………………………… Lockdown to ease further Saturday BBC News says more beauty treatments, small wedding receptions and live indoor performances will be able to resume in England from Saturday, as lockdown rules are eased. Bowling alleys, casinos and soft play centres will also be able to reopen, PM Boris Johnson has announced. It comes as the government introduces bigger fines for failing to wear a mask…

Israel launches new attacks on Hamas targets in Gaza, following ‘explosive balloons’ that started 80 fires Israel attacked Hamas targets in the Gaza Strip on Thursday in response to what is said were continued launches of “explosive balloons” from the Palestinian territory.  Helium balloons loaded with incendiary material have been deployed in recent days in a bid to pressure Israel to ease its blockade of the Gaza Strip and allow new economic projects. Israel also…

Severe storms forecast after scorching temperatures An amber storm warning has been issued for most of Wales, the West Midlands and parts of the North West. Severe thunderstorms are expected across much of the UK after some areas saw the longest stretch of high temperatures since the 1960s. The warning means flooding, damage to buildings, travel disruption and power cuts are expected in those regions.  A yellow storm warning – meaning there is a small…

GLOBAL COVID-19 TODAY CORONAVIRUS CASES: 20,810,640 DEATHS: 747,291 RECOVERED: 13,712,440 …………………………………… England’s Death toll revised down by more than 5,000 The Guardian says the coronavirus death toll in England is to be revised down by more than 5,000 following concerns that over one in 10 fatalities should not have been included in the official figure. The government announced a new UK-wide standard for how it records the official toll on Wednesday after it came…

Biden picks Senator Kamala Harris as US election running mate Presumptive Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden announced Tuesday that he has chosen Senator Kamala Harris of California to be his vice-presidential running mate. Harris, 55, is the first Black woman on a major presidential ticket in US history. She is also the first Asian-American on a major presidential ticket.  “I have the great honour to announce that I’ve picked @KamalaHarris – a fearless fighter for…