Monday, August 24
BRIEF – ME! – DAILY NEWS BRIEFING
Monday 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 UPDATE
Coronavirus Cases: 23,586,512
Deaths: 812,527
Recovered: 16,085,556
Abta says Covid crisis could claim 18% of the UK’s travel sector.
Teens’ anxiety levels dropped during the pandemic, study finds.
India’s Covid-19 cases cross 3 million mark as the economy opens.
UAE confirms 390 new coronavirus infections, 3 deaths.
Peru: 13 killed as police raid club breaking coronavirus curbs.
US FDA announces emergency authorisation for convalescent plasma to treat Covid.
Abta says Covid crisis could claim 18% of the UK’s travel sector
The Guardian says the travel industry has said 39,000 people have lost their jobs or been told they risk losing their jobs, as the sector worst affected by the coronavirus crisis called on the government for more financial support to avoid further job losses.
The Association of British Travel Agents (Abta) said the job cuts represent about 18% of the UK’s travel industry jobs and warned thousands more tour operators, travel agents and airline jobs could be lost.
Read the full story on The Guardian
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Teens’ anxiety levels dropped during pandemic, study finds
BBC News says anxiety levels among young teenagers dropped during the coronavirus pandemic, a study has suggested.
Thirteen to 14-year-olds were less anxious during lockdown than they had been last October, according to the University of Bristol survey.
1,000 secondary school children were surveyed in south-west England.
Researchers said the results were a “big surprise” and it raised questions about the impact of the school environment on teenagers’ mental health.
Read the full story on BBC News
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India’s Covid-19 cases cross 3 million mark as economy opens
France24 says the number of coronavirus infections in India crossed the 3 million mark with 69,239 new cases reported on Sunday as the country opened up various sectors from a lockdown that ground businesses to a halt and hurt economic growth.
Experts say the real scale of the infection in India is much higher.
India PM Narendra Modi’s government imposed one of the world’s strictest lockdowns in late March with little planning, sending millions of migrant labourers in cities on an exodus to villages across the country.
Read the full story on France24
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UAE confirms 390 new coronavirus infections, 3 deaths
Arab News says the UAE reported 390 new coronavirus cases overnight after carrying out 71,216 additional tests, state news agency WAM reported.
The total number of infections in the country now stands at 67,007, the health ministry confirmed. The ministry also said three patients had recently died of Covid-19, bringing the country’s death toll to 375.
Read the full story on Arab News
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Peru: 13 killed as police raid club breaking coronavirus curbs
Aljazeera says thirteen people have been killed in a stampede at a nightclub in Peru’s capital, Lima, after a police raid to enforce the country’s coronavirus lockdown measures, according to officials
At least six others were injured, including three police officers, as about 120 people tried to escape the Thomas Restobar club on Saturday night shortly after police arrived to break up a party on its second floor, national police and government officials said.
At least 15 of those arrested tested positive for the coronavirus.
Read the full story on Aljazeera
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US FDA announces emergency authorisation for convalescent plasma to treat Covid
CNN says The US Food and Drug Administration issued an emergency use authorization for the use of convalescent plasma to treat Covid-19 on Sunday, saying the “known and potential benefits of the product outweigh the known and potential risks of the product.”
The FDA said more than 70,000 patients had been treated with convalescent plasma, made using the blood of people who have recovered from coronavirus infections.
Read the full story on CNN
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A quick look at the other top stories from around the world
Police-involved shooting in Wisconsin prompts violent protests
FOX News says crowds gathered late Sunday in Kenosha, Wisc. after a Black man was shot in the back multiple times in a police-involved shooting and is in serious condition at a nearby hospital.
Gov. Tony Evers, a Democrat, issued a statement late Sunday and said Jacob Blake was shot in broad daylight. He said his office does not have all the details about the shooting.
Paris fans clash with riot police after PSG lose Champion League final
Euronews says Paris Saint-Germain fans clashed with riot police on the Champs-Élysées last night after their team lost its first-ever Champions League final to rivals Bayern Munich.
The loss ended PSG’s bid to join Marseille as the only French club to win Europe’s elite soccer competition.
Sudan ready to work with ICC on war crimes
Africanews says Sudan will cooperate with the International Criminal Court’s efforts to prosecute those wanted for war crimes and genocide in connection with the Darfur conflict, Sudanese prime minister Abdalla Hamdok said Saturday.
“The government is fully prepared to cooperate with the International Criminal Court to facilitate access to those accused of war crimes and crimes against humanity to achieve full justice to those who committed war crimes and genocide against our own people,” he said.
Explosion at Arab gas pipeline leads to total blackout in Syria
Arab News says an explosion on the Arab gas pipeline has caused a total blackout in Syria.
The electricity minister said the explosion occurred between the Ad Dumayr and Adra areas in Syria and the country’s oil minister said it could be a terrorist act.
Hong Kong activist Joshua Wong reveals fears of arrest
CNA says activist Joshua Wong says he constantly feared arrest following the imposition of a new security law in Hong Kong, in a virtual appearance at British book festival.
The 23-year-old said his very participation in the event might put him at risk, but that it was his duty to keep speaking out about China’s tightening grip on the semi-autonomous city.
Court told NZ shooter planned to burn down mosques
ITV News says the white supremacist who killed 51 worshippers at two New Zealand mosques had intended to burn down the mosques afterwards, a prosecutor said in court on Monday.
New details about the March 2019 attacks were outlined during the first day of a four-day sentencing hearing at the Christchurch High Court.
