Author: WTX News

Caroline Flack dead at 40 TV Presenter Caroline Flack was found dead on Saturday after taking her own life. The ex-Love Island presenter was due to stand trial in March for an alleged assault. Questions have sprung up over mental health and media treatment of celebrities, as well as ITV and online bullies. Actor indicted for 2019 hoax attack Empire star Jussie Smollett has been charged with six counts relating to an alleged hoax hate crime attack. The actor said he had been the victim of a homophobic and racist attack in Chicago. When his story started to fall apart,…

Brief. BrIEf.Me In today’s briefing update, the Sunday papers focus on the tragic death of TV presenter Caroline Flack. In other news, No 10 vows to scrap BBC license fee. In our special feature, we take a look into Caroline Flack’s death and ask who’s to blame – ‘appalling, anger-inducing and more complicated than the media will admit’ …………………………………………………….Love Island Caroline dies in Valentines tragedyThe Sunday Mirror runs with the story of TV presenter Caroline Flack’s death. The 40-year-old was found at her London home, having taken her own life, a lawyer for the family said. Read the full story on the Daily…

BRIEF – ME! – DAILY NEWS BRIEFING In today’s briefing update, The headlines are – the Trump administration is taking $3.8bn from its military to help fund the Mexico border wall.  A popular TV host in Russia is facing up to six years in prison following a month-long attack on poor people and their decision to have children. Boris Johnson’s new Cabinet is set to meet later following the prime minister’s shock reshuffle that saw Sajid Javid quit as chancellor.  In Mexico, a 25-year-old woman was brutally murdered and mutilated. Then newspapers decided to publish pictures of her skinned body.  Entertainment, former…

242 people died from the new coronavirus in the Chinese province of Hubei on Wednesday, making it the deadliest day of the outbreak.  Wednesday also saw a sharp increase in the number of cases as a further 14,840 people were diagnosed with the virus.  Hubei is using a broader definition to diagnose people – which accounts for most of the rise in cases.  Since the figures were revealed, China has sacked two top officials in Hubei province.  The number of people diagnosed with Covid-19 in Hubei was stabilising, but Wednesday’s sharp increase is worrying.  The new cases and deaths in…

BRIEF – ME! – DAILY NEWS BRIEFING In today’s briefing update, The headlines are – 44 more coronavirus cases on the moored Japanese cruise ship have been confirmed.  Scores of businessmen in India have been lured into a ‘honeytrap’ on the popular dating site Grindr. Criminals targetted wealthy men to extort cash, jewellery and laptops. France, the wine industry has been told to brace itself for a tough year ahead following US tariffs.   UK, the cost of repairing Big Ben’s Elizabeth Tower has risen by £18.6m bringing the total to £79.9m. The rise in cost is due to the discovery of bomb…

BRIEF – ME! – DAILY NEWS BRIEFING In today’s briefing update, The headlines are – Bernie Sanders has won the New Hampshire primary! And maybe on his way to challenge Donald Trump in the November US presidential elections. The Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby has said the Church of England is deeply institutionally racist. It comes as Synod members backed a motion to apologise for racism in the C of E since the arrival of the Windrush generation. Wuhan, doctors at the heart of the deadly coronavirus are overworked and under-equipped. Many of the doctors treating patients do not have the correct protective…

A new Crypto exchange based out of Singapore launched in London at the end of January. BITXMI Crypto Exchange impressed the financial savvy crowd with its robust infrastructure and backing from the Singaporean government, to bring an element of credibility and certainty behind a rather curious industry. https://twitter.com/bitxmicrypto/status/1226421354704056321 The location was the stunning ballroom at The Law Society in London. BITXMI crypto exchange hosted over 200 professionals from the City and a host of specialists in the Fintech industry. The event was hosted in collaboration with two other major players in the industry; Cryptomillions, a blockchain-based lottery platform and Cake…

Steve Walsh, a British man linked to 11 coronavirus cases has spoken for the first time. He is still in a quarantined hospital but confirmed he has “fully recovered” from the illness. Walsh said his family have been asked to isolate themselves “as a precaution.”   Steve Walsh, from Hove in East Sussex,  caught the virus in Singapore and is thought to have infected 11 others at a  French ski resort. He has said his thoughts are with those who contracted the virus.  Five cases linked to Mr Walsh are in England, five are in France and one is in Spain. …

BRIEF – ME! – DAILY NEWS BRIEFING In today’s briefing update, The headlines are – Spain has rescued 119 migrants from the sea and is currently searching for a further 67 still missing.  The government is set to give the green-light on the controversial HS2 project. The high-speed rail line is already over budget and behind schedule. In Lebanon, protesters are trying to block the government’s confidence vote. Protesters have clashed with security forces who have fired tear gas and water canons.  The number of US troops suffering from brain injuries following the January Iraq attack has topped 100. Entertainment, Nick Gordon’s…

BRIEF – ME! – DAILY NEWS BRIEFING In today’s briefing update, The headlines are –  another 97 coronavirus deaths confirmed in a 24 hour period. The death toll in mainland China is currently 908 with over 40,000 confirmed cases.  In Switzerland, voters have strongly backed a new law against homophobia in a referendum. The law aims to protect gay, lesbian and bisexual people from discrimination.  Tech, a 3D printer that aims to cover burns with artificial skin is currently undergoing trials. The handheld printer has already passed a major milestone and results are looking promising.  Two US soldiers have been killed and…

All the headlines you need to know Storm Ciara batters Britain Severe gales and heavy rain are sweeping across the UK today, with severe weather warnings being issued and major travel disruptions and cancellations.  Hero doctor who sounded coronavirus alarm dies  Dr Li Wenliang was a 34-year-old doctor based in Wuhan. He was the first to sound the alarm on the coronavirus. He initially got into trouble with authorities for “spreading rumours” about the virus. And was investigated by the police. Dr Li contracted the virus whilst treating patients in Wuhan. His death has caused widespread anger and grief.  MP’s…

Brief. BrIEf.Me In today’s briefing update, the Sunday papers focus on the government’s plans to bring in a mansion tax and raid on pensions. A coronavirus warning has been issued to the UK from a top virus expert. In our special feature, we take a look at the Thailand mass shooting. …………………………………………………….UK faces ‘major’ outbreak, warns top virus expertThe Sunday Times reports a microbiologist who co-discovered Ebola and Aids in Africa has warned Britain could suffer a “major outbreak” of coronavirus. Prof Peter Piot is said to be “increasingly alarmed” by the rapid spread of the virus. Read the full story on the…

NASA astronaut Christina Koch has completed the longest-ever single spaceflight by a woman.  Koch landed back on Earth after spending 328 days at the International Space Station (ISS) surpassing fellow American Peggy Whitson’s record.  https://twitter.com/earth__photos/status/1225713311792205829 Her stay on the ISS was just 12 days short of the all-time US record set by Scott Kelly, who was on the ISS from 2015-2016. “I’m so overwhelmed and happy right now,” she told reporters as she sat outside the capsule after it touched down.  During her mission, Koch completed 5,248 orbits of the Earth and travelled 223 million km (139 million miles) -…

BRIEF – ME! – DAILY NEWS BRIEFING In today’s briefing update, The headlines are: Hero doctor who got into trouble with authorities for giving an early warning about the coronavirus, dies in hospital. Iowa Caucus long-delayed results show Pete Buttigieg is in a narrow lead over Bernie Saunders as they race to face US President Trump in the 2020 presidential elections. In Canada, a train carrying crude oil has drailed causing a nearby settlement to be evacuated. The authorities are investigating the accident and have expressed concerns as this is the second train to derail in a few months. UK, Jonty Bravery,…

A bomb found attached to a lorry on Monday in County Armagh may have been intended for a Brexit day attack, police have said.  Police received a report about an explosive device in a lorry at Belfast dock on 31 January – the day the UK quit the EU.  According to a report, the lorry was due to travel by ferry to Scotland and a search was conducted but nothing was found.  https://twitter.com/julianoneill/status/1225377446977056768 On Monday, a more detailed report helped locate the uncovered device at Silverwood Industrial Estate in Lurgan. Police believe dissident republicans were responsible.  Det Supt Sean Wright…

BRIEF – ME! – DAILY NEWS BRIEFING In today’s briefing update, The headlines are: the coronavirus death toll has again risen bringing today’s tally to 563. In further coronavirus news, two cruises ships holding 5,400 people on board have been quarantined in Japan and Hong Kong. A Canadian businessman has been sentenced to 30 days in jail after he told a court he had burned 1 million Canadian dollars in cash. His reason for doing so was to avoid paying child support to his ex-wife.  In the UK, ministers are racing against the clock to pass legislation that will end automatic early…

At least Thirty-three people have been killed on a second Turkish avalanche on Wednesday in eastern Turkey. This happened during a search and rescue mission after a similar avalanche the day before. https://twitter.com/ilginkarl/status/1225107726155558912 About 300 rescue workers were at the site. The bodies of 14 rescue workers and nine civilians were discovered at the scene in Van province, where they had been helping uncover a minibus buried by an avalanche late Tuesday. More than 50 people were believed to be trapped in vehicles in the area following the incident on Wednesday. Pictures from the scene showed people being carried away…

A Turkish plane carrying 177 passengers skidded off the runway at an Istanbul airport and split into two after landing in rough weather on Wednesday, but officials said no deaths have been confirmed. The aircraft had flown into Istanbul’s Sabiha Gokcen airport from the Aegean city of Izmir in very wet weather, NTV broadcaster reported, showing images of the badly damaged plane and a fire inside. The blaze was later put out by firefighters. https://twitter.com/HaticeDenizAVCI/status/1225082449241178112 Live images from the scene showed several people climbing through a large crack in the plane and escaping on one of the wings at the…

Soho’s Dean Street was blocked off and workers were told to leave their offices

BRIEF – ME! – DAILY NEWS BRIEFING In today’s briefing update, The headlines are: Nearly 29,000 Afghanistan civilians have been killed in the past decade, according to a report. The report says all sides failed to comply with international human rights laws. President Trump has delivered a speech on the eve of what is likely to be his impeachment acquittal. The president refused to shake hands with House Speaker Nancy Pelosi – she was seen ripping up his speech. Hong Kong has confirmed its first coronavirus death. The official death toll for the coronavirus has jumped to 490 after a massive 65…

On Monday two people were killed and a third injured at a residential hall on the Texas A&M University campus in Commerce, the school website said.  The wounded person was taken to a hospital and the person’s condition was not disclosed.  The shooting is the latest in a wave of gun violence in schools and colleges in the US in recent years. The gun violence in the US has led to debate over whether tighter restrictions on access to guns should be imposed.  In October, near the Commerce campus, two people were killed and more than a dozen wounded in…

Myanmar has reimposed an Internet shutdown in two conflict-torn western states according to a leading telecoms operator. The decision to reimpose the blackout comes after it was partially lifted five months ago.  Norwegian mobile operator Telenor Group said in a statement the transport and communications ministry had ordered for mobile internet traffic to be stopped again in five townships in Rakhine and Chin states for three months.  An internet blackout in four Rakhine townships and one in Chin state had been lifted in September. It came amid peace talks and plans to end clashes between government troops and ethnic insurgents. …

BRIEF – ME! – DAILY NEWS BRIEFING In today’s briefing update, The headlines are: Daesh has claimed responsibility for the knife attack in south London on Sunday. However, they failed to provide any evidence to support their claim. Iran has stopped cooperating with Ukraine on the plane crash probe due to an audio clip that suggests Tehran knew its missile bought down the passenger plane. The death toll for the coronavirus has jumped to 427 and a staggering 20,000+ cases worldwide have been reported. Of the deaths, 426 were in mainland China. US Democrats election: Iowa caucus results have been delayed by…

The outbreak from the Coronavirus has had a sudden increase in the death toll which has risen to 425. It is expected to increase daily and hit a thousand mark by the end of the week. Sixty-four new deaths were announced after China recorded its biggest single-day increase in fatalities since the outbreak began late last year. Sixty-four new deaths were confirmed on Tuesday surpassing Monday’s record of fifty-seven deaths. Which shows the biggest daily increase since the virus was detected late last year in the central city of Wuhan. The death toll in China stood at 425, exceeding the…

China’s death toll from the coronavirus epidemic soared past 361 on Monday, with deepening global concern about the outbreak and governments closing their borders to people from China. The fresh toll came a day after China imposed a lockdown on a major city far from the epicentre and the first fatality outside the country was reported in the Philippines. China opened a new hospital in Wuhan, the centre of a viral outbreak, as the death toll in the country surpassed 361 people. China Struggles to contain the virus Authorities in Hubei reported 56 new fatalities, with one reported in the…