Thursday 24 December
News Briefing Video
- Brexit: UK-EU trade talks continue ahead of expected deal
- English regions should go into Covid tier 4 now, scientists say
- UK issues South Africa travel ban to halt spread of new ‘more infectious’ Covid strain
- Italy becomes first European country to surpass 70,000 deaths
- Far from the capital, Iran struggles to bury virus victims
- Gunmen kill dozens in Ethiopia’s Benishangul-Gumuz: Rights body
- Trump to hold ‘Iran responsible’ if Americans are attacked in Iraq
- Trump Pardons Former Campaign Chairman Manafort, Associate Roger Stone
- UK vaccine lottery ‘overlooks’ vulnerable minorities
- Asian markets and pound higher on Brexit deal hopes
- ‘We have to start lifting trophies’ Cavani stunner sends Man Utd into EFL Cup semis
- Stella Tennant: British supermodel dies suddenly at the age of 50
UK vaccine lottery ‘overlooks’ vulnerable minorities – FT
Asian markets and pound higher on Brexit deal hopes – BBC Business
Brexit: UK-EU trade talks continue ahead of expected deal
BBC News says talks between the UK and the EU on a post-Brexit trade agreement have continued during the night, but a deal is expected to be unveiled on Thursday.
Negotiators in Brussels are said to be trying to finalise details on fishing quotas, which have proved an obstacle to an agreement during months of talks.
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English regions should go into Covid tier 4 now, scientists say
The Guardian says the highest Covid death toll since April and the discovery of a second new variant of the virus have led to stark warnings that ministers are acting too slowly by waiting until Boxing Day to put 6 million more people into the toughest restrictions.
A swathe of England will be placed under lockdown-like tier 4 curbs from Saturday, the health secretary, Matt Hancock, announced as the UK recorded 744 deaths – the highest since late April – and 39,237 cases.
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UK issues South Africa travel ban to halt spread of new ‘more infectious’ Covid strain
The Sun says Britain has issued a ban on all travel from South Africa to halt the spread of a new, more infectious strain of coronavirus.
The Department of Transport last night confirmed that all passengers travelling from South Africa to England from 9 am this morning would not be permitted to enter the country.
British and Irish Nationals, visa holders and permanent residents arriving from the country will be able to enter but are required to self-isolate for ten days along with their household.
All direct flights are banned, excluding cargo and freight without passengers.
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Lorry drivers clash with police as tensions rise over queues in Kent
The Guardian says lorry drivers held in vast queues in Kent since Sunday have clashed with police amid rising tensions while the archbishop of Canterbury demanded government action over the “unacceptable” situation.
Ministers said that, while testing for coronavirus had started to ease a logjam caused by a 48-hour border closure imposed by France, it may take the rest of the week to get the thousands of drivers through.
As many as 10,000 lorries were estimated to be backed up around ports on England’s south coast. The RHA put the number of vehicles in Kent and its surrounding areas, in lorry stops and at depots, at between 8,000 and 10,000.
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Italy becomes first European country to surpass 70,000 deaths
France24 says Italy reported 553 coronavirus-related deaths on Wednesday against 628 the day before, taking its total toll past 70,000, the health ministry said. The daily tally of new infections increased to 14,522 from 13,318.
The first Western country hit by the virus, Italy becomes the fifth nation in the world to surpass 70,000 deaths, with an updated total of 70,395, the highest in Europe.
It has also registered some 1.991 million cases to date.
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Far from the capital, Iran struggles to bury virus victims
Arab News says deep in the lush valleys of northern Iran, where the Alborz Mountains crumble toward the sea, Ali Rahimi takes up his grisly work.
Day in and day out, Rahimi, a 53-year-old volunteer cleric in the city of Ghaemshahr, puts on his hazmat suit and receives the deceased, disinfecting, washing and shrouding the dead bodies in white cloth.
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Gunmen kill dozens in Ethiopia’s Benishangul-Gumuz: Rights body
Aljazeera says gunmen have killed more than 100 people in a dawn attack in the western Benishangul-Gumuz region of Ethiopia, according to the country’s human rights commission.
The attack occurred on Wednesday in the village of Bekoji in Bulen county in the Metekel zone, the state-run Ethiopian Human Rights Commission said in a statement, an area where multiple ethnic groups are living.
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Trump to hold ‘Iran responsible’ if Americans are attacked in Iraq
TRT World says Donald Trump has warned he will hold “Iran responsible” in the event of a fatal attack on Americans in Iraq, as the first anniversary of the killing of a top Iranian general in a US air strike approaches.
“Our embassy in Baghdad got hit [on] Sunday by several rockets,” Trump said on Twitter, referring to an attack that caused damage but no deaths. “Guess where they came from: IRAN,” he added
“Now we hear chatter of additional attacks against Americans in Iraq,” he added, before offering “some friendly health advice to Iran: if one American is killed, I will hold Iran responsible. Think it over.”
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Trump Pardons Former Campaign Chairman Manafort, Associate Roger Stone
VOA says Donald Trump granted full pardons to former campaign manager Paul Manafort and former adviser Roger Stone, sweeping away the most important convictions made under the long-running Russia election probe.
Trump also issued a full pardon for Charles Kushner, a real estate developer and the father of Trump’s son-in-law, Jared Kushner.
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IN Review:
As many as 10,000 lorries were estimated to be backed up around ports on England’s south coast. The RHA put the number of vehicles in Kent and its surrounding areas, in lorry stops and at depots, at between 8,000 and 10,000.
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COVID-19: Sikh volunteers deliver almost 2,000 hot meals to stranded lorry drivers in Kent – Sky News
Covid-19: Lorry drivers stuck at UK border for another night – BBC
‘I had to tell my pregnant wife and daughters I won’t be home’: Thousands of lorry drivers stranded in Kent face Christmas heartbreak as testing stops overnight – amid clashes with police and fears of food shortages – Daily Mail
‘Disgraceful’: lorry drivers stuck at Dover tell of lack of facilities – The Guardian
Covid border chaos: Manston Airport lorry park at capacity as drivers get tested for coronavirus – Kent Online
M20 London bound shut between Junctions 9 and 8 to increase lorry holding capacity – Kent Online
Priti Patel Slipped Out That There Are 10 Times More Lorries Stuck In Kent Than The Government Claimed – PoliticsHome
Traffic standstill at A299 Thanet Way and Spitfire Way as lorry drivers’ protest –The Isle of Thanet News
Covid-19 patient kills fellow Covid-19 patient in California hospital, officials say
A man being treated for Covid-19 allegedly killed a fellow Covid-19 patient at a hospital in California last week, officials said.
Jesse Martinez, 37, was arrested and charged with murder, a hate crime enhancement and elder abuse after he allegedly struck his 82-year-old hospital roommate with an oxygen tank on Dec. 17. – NBCnews
Red cross sees surge in volunteers globally due to pandemic, but drop in Belgium
Hundreds of thousands of new volunteers have joined the Red Cross this year in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic.
In most of Europe, widespread increases have been reported, with over 63,000 additional people in Spain and another 48,000 in the Netherlands, according to Red Cross EU. – Euronews
UN retakes Central African Republic town from rebels
A town in the Central African Republic has been retaken by the United Nations from rebels who seized it on Tuesday, the UN said.
“The situation in Bambari is under control,” Abdoulaziz Fall, spokesman for the UN peacekeeping mission MINUSCA, told a press conference in the CAR capital Bangui on Wednesday. – Africanews
Oman border closure disrupts over 300 flights
Over 300 flights to and from Oman have been cancelled as the country closed its borders for a week due to the new strain of COVID-19 reported in the UK.
The border closure, which covers ports of entry on land, sea, and air, started on Dec. 22, and will last for seven days, as announced by the Supreme Committee, local daily Times of Oman reported. – Arab News
Recovering, but still reeling: Wuhan businesses, tourism one year on from COVID-19 outbreak
It’s full house at the Dragon Boat Restaurant on a Sunday night, and a line of diners are waiting to get in. For Mr Wu Cheng, the 28-year-old owner, it’s a welcome sight.
But while business is improving, crowd levels are only at 70 to 80 per cent of what they were before the COVID-19 outbreak. – CNA
