Wednesday, 9 September
- Coronavirus: Gatherings of more than 6 to be banned in England.
- Oxford vaccine trial paused after participants fall ill.
- Nigeria doctors go on ‘indefinite’ strike.
- First Covid-19 cases confirmed in Jordan camp for refugees.
- Database gathers 2,000 items of virus-related info for Saudi researchers.
- Tokyo Games should be held ‘at any cost’ says Olympic minister.
- US: More children back at school as cases rise among children and at colleges.
Coronavirus: Gatherings of more than 6 to be banned in England
The Guardian says the government has announced emergency action to try and stem a feared autumn resurgence of coronavirus, tightening laws to ban virtually all gatherings of more than six people in England.
Amid concerns that the current rules are both widely misunderstood and too difficult for police to implement, Boris Johnson will hold a hastily-arranged Downing Street press conference on Wednesday to outline the new restrictions.
Read the full story on The Guardian
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Oxford vaccine trial paused after participants fall ill
BBC News says final clinical trials for a coronavirus vaccine, developed by AstraZeneca and Oxford University, have been put on hold after a participant had an adverse reaction in the UK.
AstraZeneca described it as a “routine” pause in the case of “an unexplained illness”.
The outcome of vaccine trials is being closely watched around the world.
Read the full story on BBC News
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Nigeria doctors go on ‘indefinite’ strike
France24 says Nigerian doctors on the frontlines of the coronavirus pandemic go on an indefinite strike. They’re demanding more pay and better working conditions.
Read the full story on France24
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First Covid-19 cases confirmed in Jordan camp for refugees
Aljazeera says the UN refugee agency has confirmed two coronavirus cases in the Azraq camp for Syrian refugees in Jordan, which is home to more than 40,000 people who have fled their country’s civil war.
They are the first infections to be detected among Syrians living in refugee camps in Jordan.
“It is a reminder that everyone has been affected by this epidemic, and solutions must be addressed through international solidarity and cooperation,” UNHCR said in a statement.
Read the full story on Aljazeera
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Database gathers 2,000 items of virus-related info for Saudi researchers
Arab News says more than 2,000 items of information related to the coronavirus pandemic have been collated to help Saudi research into the health crisis.
The data includes study documents, print and online news articles, videos, and other relevant content from sources around the world.
Read the full story on Arab News
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Tokyo Games should be held ‘at any cost’ says Olympic minister
Japan Times says Olympic minister Seiko Hashimoto said she believes the postponed Tokyo Games should be held next year “at any cost.”
“All the people involved with the games are working together to prepare, and the athletes are also making considerable efforts toward next year under the circumstances they’ve been handed,” Hashimoto said during a news conference.
“I think we have to hold the games at any cost,” she said. “I want to concentrate all our efforts on measures against the coronavirus.”
Read the full story on Japan Times
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US: More children back at school as cases rise among children and at colleges
CNN says Tuesday was the first day of school for more than 1.8 million students, with most of the nation’s biggest districts offering online-only learning.
For those that opened their doors to students, the watch for coronavirus spread begins. Several schools already have temporarily shut down again after Covid-19 outbreaks this school year.
Read the full story on CNN
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A quick look at the other top stories
US to announce plan to withdraw more US troops from Iraq
Fox News says President Trump and the Pentagon plan to announce a reduction of U.S. troop levels from 5,200 to about 3,500, a senior defence official told Fox News.
Thousands of migrants flee massive fire at Lesbos camp
Euronews says thousands of migrants fled a camp under lockdown after multiple fires gutted much of the site on the Greek island of Lesbos, authorities said early Wednesday.
“The fire spread inside and outside of the camp and has destroyed it … There are more than 12,000 migrants being guarded by police on a highway,” Stratos Kytelis, mayor of the island’s main town, Mylinene, said.
Morocco imposed a lockdown and shut its schools
Africanews says Morocco imposed a lockdown on Casablanca and shut its schools Monday, the day they were supposed to reopen after summer, in a bid to stop the spread of Covid-19.
The new measures, which include restrictions on movement and a night-time curfew, would be in place for two weeks in the commercial capital, the authorities said a statement issued late Sunday.
Tussle over TikTok keeps Middle East content creators on edge
Arab News says the race to buy one of the hottest social media apps in the market is intensifying as its current owner girds for a court battle with the US government.
Users in the Middle East are concerned about the regional ramifications of a potential US ban.
Heated Parliament debate, but did they shed light on key issues?
CNA says a week in Parliament following the President’s Address – which set out the direction for a new term of Government – saw robust debates on critical issues such as Singapore’s foreign worker policies, but the discussions could have benefitted from more data and new ideas, analysts said.
Aussie beaches may be forced to close
news.com.au says some of Sydney’s most popular beaches may be forced to close this summer, turning away thousands of swimmers hoping to beat the heat, all in a bid to stop the spread of COVID-19.
Coastal councils are currently working on a plan to safely manage the hundreds of thousands of locals and visitors who descend on Bondi, Coogee and Manly beaches every summer.
