In today’s briefing update, the Sunday Papers report on Prince Andrew ‘missing’ from Princess Beatrice’s official wedding photos and Prime Minister Boris Johnson said the country will not need another national lockdown.
In our special feature, we look at global coronavirus updates.
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Sunday Papers
Johnson: we will not need another national lockdown
The Sunday Telegraph says Boris Johnson has told the Sunday Telegraph that the nation will not need another national lockdown. The PM is quoted as saying the option of a nationwide lockdown is now akin to a “nuclear deterrent”. The paper notes that the PM’s comments appear to place him at odds with his Chief Scientific Adviser Sir Partick Vallance.
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Beatrice wedding shock: Where’s dad?
Sunday Mirror leads with a photo of Princess Beatrice and Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi on their wedding day. “Where’s dad?” is the question posed on the front page. The couple is photographed with the Queen and Prince Phillip outside The Royal Chapel of All Saints at Royal Lodge, Windsor. The absence of the bride’s father, Prince Andrew, from the official royal photo is a “glaring omission from family snaps,” the paper says.
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Boris’ secret Covid inquiry
Sunday People says Beatrice’s wedding also dominates the front page on the Sunday People. Accompanying the main image is a smaller headshot of Prince Andrew with the caption “Missing Andrew.” The front page also features a report on the PM’s Secret Covid inquiry” with the paper saying there is “fury as task-force to probe blunders meets in private.”
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Woman tipped for top No 10 job in bullying row
The Mail on Sunday says “Whitehall high-flyer” Antonia Romeo, reportedly tipped to become the first-ever female head of the Civil Service, was investigated in 2017 over claims of bullying staff and misusing expenses. The paper says Mrs Romeo is a “leading contender” to replace the UK’s top civil servant Sir Mark Sedwill, who is standing down from his role in September. The Cabinet Office said in a statement the allegations were “thoroughly investigated and were dismissed in the basis there was no case to answer.”
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TikTok shelves plan for a global HQ in Britain
The Sunday Times says Tiktok is shelving plans for a global headquarters in Britain, according to The Sunday Times. The paper says the social media giant’s parents company ByteDance had been in talks with the government for several months but hopes to create 3,000 jobs have been put on hold as a “tit-for-tat economic war” threatens to erupt between London and Beijing. Also on the front splash is a report that “work’s running dry” as nearly 500 people applied for two vacancies at a pub in Wimbledon, London.
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Don’t try to smear Brexit
The Sunday Express says “Don’t try to smear Brexit.” The paper cites MPs who have warned that the report into alleged Russian interference in the 2017 general election and the 2016 Brexit vote – due to be published this week – must not be used to “sabotage Brexit.”
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Global coronavirus updates
GLOBAL COVID-19 TODAY
CORONAVIRUS CASES: 14,446,957
DEATHS: 605,356
RECOVERED: 8,631,756
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Coronavirus: WHO reports record single-day global increase in cases
BBC News says the number of new covid-19 cases rose by almost 260,000 in 24 hours – the largest single-day jump since the pandemic began, the World Health Organization (WHO) said on Saturday.
The WHO said this is the first time the number of new daily infections has surpassed a quarter of a million. The biggest increases were in the US, Brazil, India and South Africa. The global death toll from coronavirus also rose by 7,360 – the largest daily increase since 10 May.
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Thousands in Israel protest government’s coronavirus response
France24 says Israeli police fired water cannons to disperse anti-government protests attended by thousands on Saturday, as public anger mounts over the handling of the coronavirus crisis.
Demonstrators gathered outside Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s residence in Jerusalem and at a park in Tel Aviv, voicing frustrations over the government’s response to a growing epidemic that has taken a devastating economic toll.
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Infections in Japan up tenfold a month after domestic travel curbs eased
Japan Times says coronavirus infections have increased tenfold nationwide in the month since restrictions on domestic travel were lifted, raising concern the mass movement of people is spreading the virus.
On June 19, the same day the government lifted its request for people to avoid cross-prefectures travel, Japan reported 58 Covid-19 infections, the majority in Tokyo. But on Saturday, nearly a month later, the nation recorded 662 infections, 290 of them in the capital.
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Rouhani says 35 million Iranians may contract the coronavirus
Aljazeera says Iran’s President Hassan Rouhani has said 35 million Iranians may contract the coronavirus as the country still did not have herd immunity although a quarter of the population may be infected.
“Our estimate is that up to now, 25 million Iranians have been infected with this virus,” Rouhani said. “We have to consider the possibility that 30 to 35 million more may face infection.”
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Trump doesn’t think US needs a national mask mandate
CNN says President Trump has said he will not consider a national mandate on mask-wearing in an interview with Fox set to air on Sunday. Speaking on whether he’d introduce a mask mandate, Trump said: “No, I want people to have a certain freedom, and I don’t believe in that, no.”
“I don’t agree with the statement that if everybody wears a mask everything disappears,” Trump said. “Dr Fauco said don’t wear a mask, our Surgeon General, terrific guy, said don’t wear a mask, and as you know, masks cause problems too, with that being said, I’m a believer in masks. I think masks are good.”
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UK’s infection rate ‘basically flat’ says head of Office of National Statistics
The Guardian says the UK has been “basically flat” over the last few weeks in terms of the prevalence of Covid-19 infection, according to the head of the UK’s Office of National Statistics.
However, there has to be a scaling up to “very large” testing in areas to ensure that the pandemic is kept under control, added Sir Ian Diamond.
Testing shows the UK has been recording about 1,700 new cases a day. He added. About 6.3% of the population has been exposed to the virus, according to antibody tests. That’s about 3 million.
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