BRIEF – ME! – DAILY NEWS BRIEFING
In today’s briefing update, The headlines are – the number of new coronavirus cases in China has fallen for a second day. The death toll now tops 2000.
The UK government says no visas for low-skilled workers, Labour party says “hostile environment” will make it hard to attract workers.
Israel’s PM Benjamin Netanyahu’s criminal trial has been given a start date. He faces charges of fraud and bribery.
US President Trump has gone on a clemency spree. And the list is long.
Entertainment, the first day of deliberations in the Harvey Weinstein rape trial have started in New York.
All this and more in today’s news briefing – A daily roundup of all the news headlines that you need to know, summarised as part of WTX News Briefing.
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New virus cases in China fall for a second day, deaths top 2000
Arab News says new virus cases in China continue to fall, with 1,749 new infections and 136 new deaths announced after China’s leader said disease prevention and control was at “a critical time.”
The much-criticised quarantine of a cruise ship in Japan to avoid spreading the virus ends later in the day. The 542 cases on the ship were the most in any place outside of China. The quarantine has been called a failure.
The updated figures on the new coronavirus for mainland China brings the total number of cases to 474,185 and deaths to 2,004.
Read the full story on Arab News
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No visas for low-skilled workers, government says
BBC News says low-skilled workers would not get visas under post-Brexit immigration plans by the government. 
It is encouraging to “move away” from relying on “cheap labour” from Europe and invest in retaining staff and developing automatic technology.
The Home Office said EU and non-EU citizens coming to the UK would be treated equally after UK-EU free movement ends of 31 December.
Labour said the “hostile environment” will make it hard to attract workers.
Read the full story on BBC News
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Benjamin Netanyahu’s corruption trial will start two weeks after Israel’s elections
CNN says prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s criminal trial is set to begin March 17, just two weeks after Israel’s elections. 
The trial will start just one day after the country’s newly elected parliament is sworn in and in the middle of coalition negotiations, as Israel tries to break a year-long political deadlock.
Netanyahu faces one charge of bribery and three charges of fraud and breach of trust in three separate corruption investigations. The prime minister is required to be present at Jerusalem District Court on the first day of trial, which will be presided over by three judges.
Read the full story on CNN
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Trump goes on clemency spree, and the list is long
Aljazeera news US President Trump has gone on a clemency spree, commuting the 14-year prison sentence of former Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich and pardoning former New York Police Department Commissioner Bernie Kerik, 
among a long list of others.
Trump also told reporters that he had pardoned Michael Miken, who pleaded guilty for violating US securities law and served two years in prison in the early 90s.
He also pardoned Edward DeBartolo Jr, the former San Francisco 49ers owner who was convicted in a gambling fraud scandal and who build one of the most successful NFL teams in the game’s history.
Read the full story on Aljazeera
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Jury concludes the first day of deliberations in Weinstein’s rape trial
France24 says the jury in Harvey Weinstein’s rape trial finished its first day of deliberations on Tuesday, in a case that has become a milestone for the #MeToo movement. 
The Manhattan jury of seven men and five women began their discussions after the judge hearing the case warned Weinstein’s lead defence lawyer against talking to the press until the jurors have reached a verdict.
The warning came two days after the attorney wrote an opinion piece about the case in Newsweek magazine.
Read the full story on France24
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