Friday 25 September
BRIEF – ME! – DAILY NEWS BRIEFING
Friday 25 September 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: 32,416,537
Deaths: 987,743
Recovered: 23,932,423
- Covid uncertainty as industries miss out on job support.
- ‘Stark warning to us all’: UK reports record daily number of Covid cases.
- France records more than 16,000 cases in 24 hours.
- Iran anticipates a ‘third wave’ as Covid-19 deaths pass 25,000.
- Covid-19 kills an entire Egyptian family after a wedding.
- Japanese firm launches world’s first UV lamp that safely kills Covid-19.
Covid uncertainty as industries miss out on job support
BBC News says Industries hit hard by the pandemic are facing further uncertainty after missing out on help in the chancellor’s new emergency jobs scheme.
Hospitality, events and retail workers and businesses expressed concern, as have those on zero-hours contracts.
Rishi Sunak said employees must be in “viable” jobs to benefit from the wage top-up scheme.
Read the full story on BBC News
…………………………………………..
‘Stark warning to us all’: UK reports record daily number of Covid cases
The Guardian says a record number of new coronavirus cases have been recorded, with a senior Public Health England official saying the increase in infections should be a “stark warning to us all”.
The UK recorded 6,634 cases of Covid-19 on Thursday, the highest reported figure during the course of the pandemic. There were 40 deaths, bringing the total to 41,902.
Read the full story on The Guardian
…………………………………………..
France records more than 16,000 cases in 24 hours
France24 says France recorded a record number of coronavirus infections on Thursday a day after the government announced new restrictions on bars and restaurants in major cities which have provoked an outcry from local politicians and business owners.
Figures from Public Health France showed that a record 16,096 people had tested positive for Covid-19 over the last 24 hours. But experts say testing during the first wave in France only captured a fraction of cases.
Read the full story on France24
…………………………………………..
Iran anticipates a ‘third wave’ as Covid-19 deaths pass 25,000
Aljazeera says the death toll from Covid-19 in Iran has surpassed 25,000, the highest total in the Middle East, as cases continue to surge.
The healthy ministry reported 175 deaths on Thursday and 3,521 new cases in the last 24 hours, taking the country’s total confirmed cases to 436,319.
The ministry said it was only a matter of time before a “third wave” of infections would hit Iran, which health experts say could be worse than the first two, with bottlenecks in medical care for those infected.
Read the full story on Aljazeera
…………………………………………..
Covid-19 kills an entire Egyptian family after a wedding
Arab News says an Egyptian family died in Damietta governorate after contracting Covid-19 at a relative’s wedding.
The mother of the family returned home from her nephew’s wedding infected with the virus, and in turn, infected her husband and two of her children before she died.
Read the full story on Arab News
…………………………………………..
Japanese firm launches world’s first UV lamp that safely kills Covid-19
Japan Times says light-maker Ushio Inc. has recently launched an ultraviolet lamp that can kill the coronavirus without harming human health — the first of its kind in the world.
The Care 222 UV lamp, which Ushio developed together with Columbia University, is expected to be used for disinfection in spaces where people keep going in and out and the risk of contracting the deadly virus is high, such as on buses, trains and elevators and in offices, the company said.
Read the full story on Japan Times
……………………..
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
Trump intensify efforts to create political chaos he can cling onto power if he loses Nov elections
CNN says Trump and top aides are responding to the uproar over his failure to guarantee a peaceful transfer of power by intensifying their efforts to create election chaos he can use to cling onto power should he lose in November.
Hungary, Poland and Czech republic ‘oppose EU’s new migration pact’
Euronews says the EU’s bid to reform its migration policy has been met with mixed reactions from a number of countries with Hungary, Poland and the Czech Republic outright opposing it.
French bank probed for role in Sudan war crimes
Africanews says French authorities have began probing banking giant BNP Paribas which is accused of aiding war crimes allegedly committed in Sudan’s Darfur region.
Bahrain claims deal with Israel supports two-state solution
Aljazeera says Bahrain’s monarch has said that his kingdom’s normalisation deal with Israel should lead to greater efforts towards ending the Palestinian-Israel conflict through a two-state solution.
South Korea to tighten Covid-19 restrictions during two holiday weeks
CNA says South Korea on Friday said it would impose tighter restrictions during the Chuseok autumn holiday weeks when people traditionally reunite with families, flagging the risks of new clusters of coronavirus infections.
