Tuesday, 25 August
BRIEF – ME! – DAILY NEWS BRIEFING
Tuesday 25 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: 23,812,853
Deaths: 817,025
Recovered: 16,363,830
Eight in 10 poorer UK families feel worse off since lockdown – survey.
Scientist claim first human reinfected with Covid-19.
WHO cautious on ‘low-quality evidence’ of Covid-19 plasma as the US authorises treatment.
UAE records 275 new infections and 1 death.
India’s use of less accurate coronavirus tests raises concerns.
Biden, Dems hits Trump on coronavirus response, ‘fear-mongering’ during the first night of Republican convention.
Eight in 10 poorer UK families feel worse off since lockdown – survey
The Guardian says some families have abandoned balanced meals for lack of money during the coronavirus crisis, while many have faced physical and mental problems, according to a report.
Researchers from the Child Poverty Action Group (CPAG) and the Church of England (C of E) spoke to parents who said they had been forced to sell possessions to protect their children’s quality of life and found that 80% of poorer families surveyed felt they had become worse off financially since the lockdown began.
Read the full story on The Guardian
……………………………………
Scientist claim first human reinfected with Covid-19
The Independent says scientist have reported the world’s first case of a human being reinfected with the coronavirus in a discovery that could have implications of the development of vaccines, and hopes of natural immunity against the virus.
Researchers at Hong Kong University’s department of microbiology said genetic sequencing of the virus showed that a Hong Kong man was infected twice by different versions of the coronavirus months apart.
Read the full story on The Independent
……………………………………
WHO cautious on ‘low-quality evidence’ of Covid-19 plasma as the US authorises treatment
France24 says the WHO is cautious about endorsing the use of recovered Covid-19 patients’ plasma to treat those who are ill, saying evidence it works remains “low quality” even as the US issued emergency authorisation for such therapies.
So-called convalescent plasma – which has long been used to treat diseases – has emerged as the latest political flashpoint in the race to find therapies for Covid-19.
The commissioner of the US Food and Drug Administration apologised Monday after misrepresenting a key statistic on how effective blood plasma is for treating Covid-19.
Read the full story on France24
……………………………………
UAE records 275 new infections and 1 death
Arab News says the UAE recorded 275 new coronavirus infections overnight after carrying out 71,282 additional tests, state news agency WAM reported.
The health ministry said the country’s total number of coronavirus cases now stands at 67,282 and brings the number of deaths to 376.
Read the full story on Arab News
……………………………………
India’s use of less accurate coronavirus tests raise concerns
Aljazeera says health experts are concerned about the Indian government’s decision to implement rapid tests – which screen for antigens, or viral proteins – as authorities ramp up coronavirus tests amid surging infections.
India crossed the three-million-case milestone on Sunday, 17 days after it crossed the two-million mark. It is the worst-affected country in Asia, and third behind the United States and Brazil globally.
Read the full story on Aljazeera
……………………………………
Biden, Dems hits Trump on coronavirus response, ‘fear-mongering’ during the first night of Republican convention
Fox News says on the first night of the Republican National Convention, Democrats trolled President Trump and Republicans – calling the convention “chaotic” and blasting the president for his “failed leadership” during the coronavirus pandemic.
As Republican speakers Monday evening predicted a national “horror movie” should Trump lose to Biden in November’s general election, Democrats were busy pointing out the mounting death toll from the pandemic and calling on American’s to vote Trump out of office.
Read the full story on Fox News
……………………..
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
A quick look at the other top stories
Republicans try to burnish Trump’s image
CNN says attempting to rewrite history during the first night of the Republican National Convention, the GOP tried to portray President Donald Trump on Monday as a caring leader who quickly confronted the coronavirus, while casting Joe Biden as an ultra-liberal who threatens the American way of life.
Spanish police dismantle two networks smuggling migrants into France
Euronews says Spanish police announced on Friday that they have dismantled two human smuggling rings believed to have facilitated the crossing into France of hundreds of irregular immigrants.
The two smuggling networks operated from Bilbao and Vitoria, two cities in the north-western Basque County.
Africa films enter Netflix catalogue
Africanews says African films are making a debut on Netflix.
“Santana” is an action film that shows the rivalry between two brothers and police officers in the fight against organized crime.
Iran’s increasing reliance on China
MEM says the relationship between China and Iran has been in the spotlight recently. A huge, 25-year deal is reportedly being considered that would see $400 billion of Chinese investment in Iranian energy and transport infrastructure.
The deal is the latest effort by Beijing to expand from a regional hegemon into a global power through the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) which aims to reshape regional economic topographies in its favour.
The Thai government wanted to pave paradise, but this forest community said no
CNA says with a gentle drizzle drifting across a rich green landscape, the swamplands of Boon Reuang are alive.
Neck-deep in thick mud, it is hard to make out the busy locals at first, as their snaking paths in the marsh quickly disappeared behind them as they move.
Jacinda Arden says 2020 has been ‘frankly terrible’ as Auckland lockdown extended
The Guardian says New Zealand’s biggest city will remain in lockdown until midnight on Sunday, the extra four days necessitated by the rising number of Covid-19 cases, the prime minister, Jacinda Ardern, has said.
A total of 101 people have been infected by the outbreak in south Auckland, making it the largest cluster in New Zealand.
