Thursday 29 October
BRIEF – ME! – DAILY NEWS BRIEFING
Thursday 29 October 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: 44,775,984
Deaths: 1,179,239
Recovered: 32,728,561
- Covid-19: Nearly 100,000 catching virus every day.
- India becomes second country worldwide to pass 8m cases.
- National lockdown returns to France and Germany – here’s what you need to know.
- Mexican president blasts European leaders for ‘authoritarian urge’ over harsh Covid-19 lockdowns.
- Dubai airport prepares for ‘slow recovery’.
- US consumers brace for Covid-19 surge by hoarding food – again.
UK facing ‘flood’ of bankruptcies over coming months, says ONS
The Guardian says almost two-thirds of all businesses could be at risk of insolvency, according to official figures that reveal the UK could suffer “a flood” of bankruptcies over the coming months.
Nigerian-Irish Teens Develop a Dementia App for Sufferers Coping With Lockdown–and It’s Won Awards
Good News says thanks to three remarkable teenage girls and their amazing mentor, there’s a brand-new app on the horizon specifically designed to help Dementia patients and caregivers better navigate the confusing waters of the disease.
Covid-19: Nearly 100,000 catching virus every day
BBC News says nearly 100,000 people are catching Covid-19 every day in England, a major analysis suggests.
The study, by Imperial College London, says the pace of the epidemic is accelerating and estimates the number of people infected is now doubling every nine days. The authors say we are at a “critical stage” and “something has to change”.
Read the full story on BBC News
…………………………………………..
India becomes second country worldwide to pass 8m cases
The Guardian says India’s Covid-19 tally surpassed the 8-million mark on Thursday, according to the health ministry, after 49,881 new cases were confirmed.
The ministry on Thursday also reported 517 additional deaths, taking total fatalities to 120,527.
Read the full story on The Guardian
…………………………………………..
National lockdown returns to France and Germany – here’s what you need to know
Sky News says France and Germany have become the latest countries to announce second lockdowns as Europe struggles to bring the latest wave of coronavirus under control.
French President Macron told his citizens on Wednesday that Covid-19 had “overwhelmed” France, while German Chancellor Angela Merkel said in her own national address that Germany must act now “to avoid an acute national health emergency”.
Read the full story on Sky News
…………………………………………..
Mexican president blasts European leaders for ‘authoritarian urge’ over harsh Covid-19 lockdowns
RT News says by imposing lockdowns to stem the second wave of the coronavirus, EU leaders are showing a lack of faith in their citizens and putting themselves above the people, Mexico’s President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador has said.
During a press conference on Wednesday, Lopez Obrador was asked if Mexico was planning to introduce restrictions to tackle the spread of the virus similar to those already in place in some European countries, including France, Spain, Italy, and the Czech Republic.
Read the full story on RT News
…………………………………………..
Dubai airport prepares for ‘slow recovery’
Arab News says Dubai International Airport, the world’s busiest for international travel, is getting busier. But it’s a long way from what it once was amid the coronavirus pandemic as it prepares for a possible “extended, slow recovery,” its CEO told The Associated Press.
After long-haul carrier Emirates drastically cut its flights in March and slowly resumed its routes, passenger numbers at the mammoth airport serving East-West travel have crept up to over 1 million a month — just below 15 percent of what they were a year ago, CEO Paul Griffiths said.
Read the full story on Arab News
…………………………………………..
US consumers brace for Covid-19 surge by hoarding food – again
Aljazeera says American consumers who’ve worked their way through the trove of shelf-stable meals they frantically bought back in March are at it again. This time, food makers are prepared.
General Mills Inc. added 45 external production lines through contractors since the first round of pantry loading this spring. Campbell Soup Co. spent $40 million to expand production of Goldfish crackers and is building capacity for chip brands like Cape Cod. Conagra Brands Inc. boosted third-party manufacturing and warehousing.
Read the full story on Aljazeera
……………………
FOLLOW US ON SOCIAL MEDIA AND SHARE WTX NEWS WITH YOUR FRIENDS AND FAMILY:
Facebook – Please like our page
Twitter – Twitter updates available in English and Arabic. Please follow us and we would love to hear from you
Instagram – Follow our pages in English and Arabic
- US Election 2020: Trump slams lockdowns, Biden accuses him of insulting victims.
- Poland deploys riot police as pro-abortion protests continue for seventh day.
- Tanzania counts votes after poll challenging dominance of ruling party.
- Arabs in Middle East know the US election will affect their lives, experts say.
- Hong Kong teen activist first political figure to be charged under security law.
US Election 2020: Trump slams lockdowns, Biden accuses him of insulting victims
BBC News says President Trump has urged states to shun lockdowns as his Democratic rival Joe Biden said the pandemic could not be stopped by “flipping a switch”.
Continuing a whirlwind schedule of rallies in battleground states, Mr Trump also mocked mask mandates.
Poland deploys riot police as pro-abortion protests continue for seventh day
Euronews says riot police were deployed in Poland on Wednesday as people went on strike and gathered in the street for a seventh consecutive day to protest a top court ruling that bans abortions in cases of fetal abnormalities.
Tanzania counts votes after poll challenging dominance of ruling party
Euronews says Tanzania is counting votes after polls in its high-stakes election closed on Wednesday evening. President Joseph Magufuli, eyeing a second five-year term, voted in the country’s new capital of Dodoma.
Arabs in Middle East know the US election will affect their lives, experts say
Arab News says Arabs in the Middle East have a direct stake in the outcome of next week’s US presidential election. That was the conclusion reached on Wednesday by the guests who took part in a US radio discussion of a recent YouGov poll, commissioned by Arab News, that asked people across the region for their opinions on the candidates and their policies.
