Daily News Briefing
Brief. Me - December 22, 2024 11:17 am
Covid-19: Rule-breakers ‘increasingly likely’ to be fined
BBC News says the UK’s most senior police officer has said it’s “preposterous” that anyone could be unaware of the need to follow the coronavirus lockdown rules.
Dame Cressida Dick, the Metropolitan Police commissioner, said Covid rule-breakers were now “increasingly likely” to be fined by officers. She said people were still holding house parties, raves and gambling gatherings in basements.
Matt Hancock has said tighter measures cannot be ruled out. But speaking at a Downing Street press conference on Monday, Mr Hancock pleaded for people to follow the current rules, saying: “It is your actions now that can make a difference.”
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COVID-19: People arriving in England need negative tests to enter country from Friday
Sky News says people travelling to England from abroad will have to show they have tested negative for COVID before being allowed to enter the country from Friday.
The COVID-19 test will need to be taken up to 72 hours before departure – and those who fail to comply will face an immediate £500 fine.
Inbound passengers on boats, planes and trains are covered by the regulation, which also applies to UK nationals.
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United Arab Emirates removed from travel corridor list
CITYAM says the UAE has been removed from the UK’s travel corridor list following an increase in the number of Covid-19 cases in the country.
From 4am tomorrow, travellers returning to the UK from the UAE — including Dubai and Abu Dhabi — will need to self-isolate for 10 days.
The decision came following a “significant acceleration” in the number of imported cases, as well as a sharp rise in the number of new reported cases in the UAE.
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Snowstorm blankets central Spain, disrupts schools, transportation
France24 says schools in Madrid were closed on Monday while most trains and flights resumed as the Spanish capital tried to return to some form of normalcy after a huge weekend snowstorm.
Officials have asked people to stay at home if possible after Storm Filomena dumped between 20-30 centimetres (7-8 inches) of snow on Madrid on Saturday, the heaviest snowfall since 1971.
The storm killed at least three people as it swept through Spain and kept emergency services workers and army snowploughs busy, freeing 2,500 drivers trapped in their vehicles.
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Negotiations continue between South Korea and Iran over release of tanker
Arab News says South Korea’s vice foreign minister met with their Iranian counterpart to negotiate the release of the captured vessel and its crew, US-funded broadcaster Radio Farda reported.
Iran said the IRGC seized the ship because it was leaking oil in violation of environmental laws.
“Seoul shouldn’t politicize the issue and rather wait until the factual investigation of the case by the Iranian judiciary is complete,” Araqchi was quoted as saying.
South Korea used to be a major buyer of Iranian oil until US ended their sanctions waiver on imports of Iranian oil in 2019. Around $7 billion of Iran’s funds are now frozen in two South Korean banks.
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Trump approves state of emergency declaration in US capital
Aljazeera says Donald Trump has approved a state of emergency declaration in the US Capitol, the White House press office said late on Monday, after US law enforcement officials warned of threats before Joe Biden’s inauguration.
The order authorises federal assistance to be extended through January 24 to support efforts in Washington, DC to respond to the emergency situation.
Specifically, it allows the Federal Emergency Management Agency to “identify, mobilise and provide at its discretion, equipment and resources necessary to alleviate the impacts of the emergency”.
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Twitter bans tens of thousands of QAnon-linked accounts
TRT World says Twitter has suspended more than 70,000 accounts since Friday that were primarily dedicated to sharing QAnon content after last week’s violence in Washington when supporters of Donald Trump stormed the US Capitol.
“Given the violent events in Washington, DC, and increased risk of harm, we began permanently suspending thousands of accounts that were primarily dedicated to sharing QAnon content on Friday afternoon,” Twitter said in a blog late on Monday.
“These accounts were engaged in sharing harmful QAnon-associated content at scale and were primarily dedicated to the propagation of this conspiracy theory across the service,” the company said.
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FBI Looking at Threats to Biden’s Inauguration
VOA says concerns are growing that the storming of the U.S. Capitol last week by extremists supporting Donald Trump may be the start of what could be a series of potentially armed and violent protests across the country leading up to the inauguration of Joe Biden.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation on Monday told VOA it is examining evidence suggesting groups or individuals may be looking to incite violence or engage in criminal activity in connection with the planned transfer of power.
“While our standard practice is to not comment on specific intelligence products, the FBI is supporting our state, local and federal law enforcement partners,” the bureau said in a statement.
UK WEATHER FORECAST
SUNRISE 08:05
Sunset 16:18
TODAY
A frosty start across northern areas but it will be mostly dry and sunny. A cloudy start for the southern half with patchy rain, gradually turning drier and bright for most areas in the afternoon.
TONIGHT
Tonight, cloud will thicken from south-west Britain across much of the UK, bringing spells of rain for most and hill snow in the north. Drier towards easternmost areas of the country. A light breeze.
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Tweets
Bill Belichick is turning down the Presidential Medal of Freedom from Trump in a remarkable snub of his longtime friend. Belichick was planning on receiving the word—but pressure mounted after a mob of the president's supporters attacked the U.S. Capitol. https://t.co/Mv9D19Mj7D
J.K. Rowling finished writing Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows exactly 14 years ago today.
"All was well." pic.twitter.com/c4PAmNhGFD
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From WTX
https://wtxnews.com/2021/01/08/2008-bling-ring-kids-terrorised-hollywood/
https://wtxnews.com/2021/01/08/2021-stressful-how-to-cope-news/
Renaissance
“You mustn’t be afraid to dream a little bigger, darling.”
Brexit: UK driver has ham sandwiches confiscated at Dutch border
A Dutch TV network has filmed border officials confiscating ham sandwiches and other foods from drivers arriving in the Netherlands from the UK, under post-Brexit rules. – BBC News
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Police in England say they won’t enforce masks in supermarkets
The police have set themselves up for a conflict with ministers by insisting that they will not enforce mask-wearing in supermarkets amid growing calls for tougher Covid measures including a crackdown on the number of people in workplaces. – The Guardian
Four Russian soliders killed and over 40 others injured in Moscow truck crash
At least four Russian soldiers died and more than 40 others were injured in a traffic crash near Moscow, officials said. Russia’s Defence Ministry stated that a truck driver lost control of his vehicle and rammed into a convoy of military buses, carrying officers and conscripts, on the Novorizhskoye motorway just northwest of the capital city on Monday. – Euronews
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Merkel says Trump Twitter ban ‘problematic’ due to ‘fundamental right’ to freedom of opinion – spokesperson
German Chancellor Angela Merkel has concerns that Twitter’s “problematic” suspension of Donald Trump’s account, in the wake of last week’s assault on the Capitol, is an encroachment on freedom of opinion, her spokesman said. – RT News
Key arrests from the Capitol riot so far
Twenty federal criminal defendants related to last week’s deadly pro-Trump riot at the US Capitol have been rounded up across the country since the insurrection, with the allegations showing the danger of the mob. – CNN
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Trump administration re-designates Cuba as state sponsor of terrorism
The Trump administration has re-designated Cuba as a “state sponsor of terrorism,” in a move that hits the country with new sanctions shortly before President-elect Joe Biden takes office.
Mike Pompeo announced the step, citing in particular Cuba’s continued harbouring of US fugitives as well as its support for Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro. – TRT World
Daesh attack kills 8 regime loyalists in east Syria
Daesh terrorists killed at least eight regime loyalists in eastern Syria on Monday, the latest in a series of deadly extremist attacks, a Britain-based war monitor reported. – Arab News
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Saudi Arabia launches 170km city built in a straight line
Saudi Arabia has launched an ambitious plan to construct a zero-carbon city built in a 170km straight line, the first major construction project for the $500bn futuristic megacity Neom. – Middle East Eye
No parliamentary sitting or election during COVID-19 state of emergency: Malaysian PM Muhyiddin
There will be no parliamentary sitting or election during the duration of Malaysia’s state of national emergency, said Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin in a national address on Tuesday – CNA
Space Development Agency restores L3Harris, SpaceX contracts following protest
SDA statement: “The reevaluation confirmed the original selection decision that the SpaceX and L3Harris Technologies’ proposals offered the best value to the government.” – SpaceNews
Business news
UK retailers see little respite from Covid gloom over festive period – FT News
Marks & Spencer snaps up Jaeger fashion brand – BBC Business
Deliveroo to expand to cover 100 more towns and cities this year – Sky Business
Republicans face growing corporate backlash after Capitol assault – Reuters
Sports News
FA Cup draw: Manchester United to host Liverpool in fourth round – Read on
West Ham moved into the fourth round of the FA Cup as they battled past Stockport County – Read on
Bill Belichick: NFL coach turns down Presidential Medal of Freedom – Read on
Australian Open: Francesca Jones beats Monica Niculescu in first round of qualifying – Read on
Cultura
Chilling Adventures of Sabrina: Netflix apologises for Bloody Sunday tweet – Read on
Danny Boyle to direct Sex Pistols TV series – Read on
‘Humiliated’ Kim Kardashian was ‘friends’ with Jeffree Star before Kanye rumour – Mirror
Chadwick Boseman’s Wife Says She’s “So Proud” of Him in Moving Gotham Awards Speech – E! News
YOUR QUESTIONS answered
what happened at the capitol?
On January 6, 2021, a mob of rioters supporting United States President Donald Trump’s attempt to overturn his defeat in the 2020 presidential election stormed the U.S. Capitol, breaching security and occupying parts of the building for several hours.
After attending a rally organized by Trump, thousands of his supporters marched down Pennsylvania Avenue before many stormed the United States Capitol in an effort to disrupt the electoral college vote count during a joint session of Congress and prevent the formalization of President-elect Joe Biden’s election victory.
After breaching police perimeters, they occupied, vandalized, and ransacked parts of the building for several hours. The insurrection led to the evacuation and lockdown of the Capitol building and five deaths. – Read on
what does brexit mean?
Brexit was the withdrawal of the United Kingdom (UK) from the European Union (EU) and the European Atomic Energy Community (EAEC or Euratom) at the end of 31 January 2020 CET.
To date, the UK is the first and only country formally to leave the EU, after 47 years of membership within the bloc, after having first joined its predecessor, the European Communities (EC), on 1 January 1973.
It continued to participate in the European Union Customs Union and European Single Market during a transition period that ended on 31 December 2020 at 23:00 GMT. – Read on
covid-19 meaning
The COVID-19 pandemic, also known as the coronavirus pandemic, is an ongoing pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2).
It was first identified in December 2019 in Wuhan, China. The World Health Organization declared the outbreak a Public Health Emergency of International Concern in January 2020 and a pandemic in March 2020.
As of 11 January 2021, more than 90.3 million cases have been confirmed, with more than 1.93 million deaths attributed to COVID-19.
coronavirus definition
Meaning of “coronavirus” and related terminology “coronavirus” means severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2)
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Get the latest NHS information and advice about coronavirus (COVID-19)
