Wednesday 7 October
- No Covid testing decision for arrivals before November, UK to announce.
- New Scottish virus restrictions to be announced.
- Trump reverses course on Covid-19 relief, calling off stimulus talks with Democrats.
- Australia tips into record deficit amid tax cuts and job support.
- Views on China in advanced economies sour over Covid-19.
- White House Covid-19 outbreak “could have been prevented,” Fauci says.
No Covid testing decision for arrivals before November, UK to announce
The Guardian says a decision on plans to introduce Covid-19 testing for international arrivals to cut quarantine times will not come until next month at the earliest, with Downing Street instead setting up a global travel task force to look at proposals.
The aviation industry has been crippled by two-week quarantine restrictions, after months of lobbying they believed an announcement on whether tests for arrivals from at-risk countries would be introduced by the UK government was to come this week.
Read the full story on The Guardian
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New Scottish virus restrictions to be announced
BBC News says new restrictions aimed at slowing a surge in coronavirus cases are to be announced by Scotland’s first minister.
Nicola Sturgeon has already stressed the new rules will not signal a return to full lockdown, even for a short period of time. But its thought travel restrictions could be imposed in areas with higher levels of the virus.
And some pubs, restaurants and other venues could see tighter controls – or even temporary closure.
Read the full story on BBC News
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Trump reverses course on Covid-19 relief, calling off stimulus talks with Democrats
France24 says President Trump called an abrupt end to negotiations with Democrats over additional Covid-19 relief, delaying action until after the election despite ominous warnings from his own Federal Reserve chairman about the deteriorating conditions in the economy.
Trump tweeted that House Speaker Nancy Pelosi was “not negotiating in good faith” and said he’s asked Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell to direct all his focus before the election into confirming his US Supreme Court nominee, Amy Coney Barrett.
Read the full story on France24
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Australia tips into record deficit amid tax cuts and job support
Arab News says Australia pledged billions in tax cuts and measures to boost jobs on Tuesday to help pull the economy out of its historic Covid-19 slump, in a budget that tips the country into its deepest deficit on record.
Prime Minister Scott Morrison’s conservative government has unleashed $300 billion Australian dollars in emergency stimulus to prop up growth this year, backpedalling on a previous promise to return the budget to surplus.
Read the full story on Arab News
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Views on China in advanced economies sour over Covid-19
Aljazeera says unfavourable views towards China have grown in the past year in many advanced economies, but nearly all agree China has handled the pandemic better than the US, a survey of 14 countries showed.
In Australia, Britain, Germany, the Netherlands, Sweden, the US, South Korea, Spain and Canada, negative views reached their highest points since they began polling on the topic more than 10 years ago.
Read the full story on Aljazeera
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White House Covid-19 outbreak “could have been prevented,” Fauci says
CNN says the White House coronavirus outbreak could have been prevented and is proof the pandemic is not a hoax, said Dr Anthony Fauci.
“Take a look at what happened this week at the White House. That is a reality right there. And every day that goes by more people are popping up that are infected,” Fauci said. “It’s not a hoax. It’s an unfortunate situation when you see something like that because that could have been prevented.”
Read the full story on CNN
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A quick look at the other top headlines
Texas police officer employed after being charged with murder of Johnathon Price
Fox News says The East Texas police department employing an officer facing a murder charge in the shooting death of a Black man over the weekend has seven days to notify the state about changes to his employment status, according to officials.
Bounce back loans: Criminals may have claimed billions
BBC News says an analysis of the government loan scheme for struggling small businesses suggests criminals could have stolen more than £1.9bn from taxpayers.
Togo moves towards decentralisation
Africanews says Yawa Kouigan is the mayor of Atakpamé, Togo’s fifth-largest city in population.
She is the first mayor elected in the last 30 years and faces several daily challenges.
Ship’s captain held in Lebanon over border plot to smuggle fuel to Syria
Arab News says a ship’s captain and a shipping agent were arrested in Lebanon on Tuesday on charges of trying to smuggle 4 million litres of petrol into Syria.
Singapore’s overall unemployment rate in August climbs past global financial crisis’ high
CNA says Singapore’s overall unemployment rate rose to 3.4 per cent in August, climbing past the high of 3.3 per cent recorded in September 2009 during the global financial crisis.
But August’s rate is lower than the highest overall unemployment rate of 6.4 per cent, recorded in September 2003 during the SARS outbreak.
