TOP HEADLINES

• Protection offered by two doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech and the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccines begins to fade within six months, underscoring the need for booster shots, according to researchers in Britain. 

• According to researchers from The Economist Intelligence Unit, those countries that have vaccinated less than 60 percent of the population will register a combined loss of $2.3 trillion over the next three years. 

• The World Health Organization (WHO) lamented the "shocking inequalities of access to vaccines" at the opening of a virtual annual meeting of health ministers from the African continent.

• English soccer clubs have decided to forbid their foreign players from competing in international matches this September in countries at high risk of COVID-19 contamination to avoid the 10 days of quarantine imposed on their return by the UK government.

• Russia, reported 809 coronavirus-related deaths, close to a record one-day high set earlier this month, amid a surge of cases blamed on the Delta variant and the slow rate of vaccinations. 

• Japan will expand its coronavirus state of emergency for a second week in a row, adding several more prefectures (regional government bodies) as a surge in infections fueled by the Delta variant strains the country's health care system. The measures come as the 2020 Paralympic Games get under way in Tokyo.

• Free testing for unvaccinated people in Greece will end on September 13 as the government tries to encourage more people to get inoculated and head off any renewed spike in the Delta variant. About 53 percent of the population is fully vaccinated. Authorities hope to increase that figure to 70 percent by the fall.

AROUND EUROPE

Rahul Pathak in Madrid

According to the Spanish health ministry, the country recorded a daily death toll of 190 in the 24 hours between Monday and Tuesday.

That figure does represent a small drop from Monday's figure of 201, in a further sign the fifth wave may be easing.

There were fears the recent rise in cases would force the UK to place the country on its red list, meaning anyone arriving from Spain would have to quarantine for 10 days if they traveled to the UK.

However, the latest news showing a drop in infections means it's probable the country will remain on the amber list, meaning people who have received two doses will not need to quarantine if they travel to the UK. 

The news is a boost to the country's struggling tourism industry that relies largely on tourists from Britain. 

Ross Cullen in Paris

The head of France's scientific council has said a third dose of a coronavirus vaccine will be necessary for "a large part of the population." The government plans to roll out third jabs for the most vulnerable sections of the population from next month.

The start of the new academic year for university students "will be as normal as possible" and "100 percent in-person," according to the higher education minister.

The lockdown and curfew in place on the French Caribbean island of Martinique since July 30 have been extended at least until September 19 as the virus outbreak shows little sign of abating. 

Michael Voss in London

According to a new study of more than a million people, the effectiveness of COVID-19 vaccines after two jabs decreases after four to six months, but they still protect against severe infections.

New cases are on the rise again in the UK. The latest government figures show 30,838 new people with a confirmed positive test, bringing the weekly total to 234,854, an increase of 13.5 percent on the previous week.

There were also 174 new deaths, the highest daily total since March 12.

Cornwall and the Isles Of Scilly have the highest rate of infections in England. The Cornish tourist board is asking people not to travel there unless they have already pre-booked. Cornwall is one of the country's top tourist destinations. This year, visitor numbers have swelled as many people opted to take holidays in the UK rather than travel abroad.

In Scotland, new daily infections have hit a record high. The devolved government there is considering introducing new lockdown rules. Scotland has also announced it will hold a public inquiry into how the pandemic was handled. The news adds renewed pressure on Westminster to bring forward its delayed inquiry.

FROM OUR GLOBAL COLLEAGUES

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CGTN Europe has been providing in-depth coverage of the novel coronavirus story as it has unfolded.