Brief. Me - December 25, 2024 5:30 pm
In today’s briefing update, the Sunday Papers report top medics have condemned the government over its free school meal stance, whilst local businesses and councils have stepped up. NHS staff are set to get a vaccine ‘within weeks’ according to an exclusive by the Daily Mail.
Check out our roundup of the top stories this morning!
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Top children’s doctors attack Tories over free school meals
The Observer says more than 2,000 children’s doctors have condemned the government over its free school meals stance, the Observer says. A number of councils and businesses have been providing free meals during half term.
In a letter, coordinated by the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health, medics called on the UK government to match the pledges of ales and Scotland and Northern Ireland – who have pledged to provide meals at least until the Easter school holiday.
Read the full story on the Guardian
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Revealed: how the elderly paid the price of protecting NHS from Covid
The Sunday Times says the over-80s were denied intensive care treatment at the height of the pandemic, according to an investigation by the paper.
They say the documents drawn up at the request of Professor Chris Whitty, outlined guidelines – called a “triage tool”. These were used to prevent many elderly Covid patients from receiving ventilation in intensive care, the paper adds.
Hospitals in Manchester, Liverpool, London, the Midlands and the south-east reportedly used the criteria set out in the documents. The Department of Health and Social Care said the guidelines were never formally published.
Read the full story on the Times
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Isolation for test and trace could be halved
The Sunday Telegraph says the two-week isolation period for people who come into contact with someone infected with Covid could be halved to between seven and 10 days over fears that people are not complying with the test and trace system.
Sir Bernard Jenkins writes in the paper there is a “vacuum of leadership in test and trace, which is destroying cooperation and compliance.”
Read the full story on Daily Telegraph
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NHS staff to get a vaccine ‘in weeks’
The Mail on Sunday says NHS staff should get the coronavirus vaccine within weeks. The paper says it has seen an email sent by an NHS Trust chief to his staff, revealing that the health service is preparing for a national vaccination programme before Christmas.
Read the full story on the Daily Mail
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Stop failing our NHS Heros
The Sunday Mirror reports that the NHS is battling a mental health crisis, citing new figures obtained in a Mirror investigation, with 300,000 workers “near breaking point”. The paper adds that two million days have been taken off for mental illness.
Read the full story on the Daily Mirror
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UK Weather Forecast
Sunday 25th October 2020
Today
Sunny spells but blustery showers will drift in from the south-west all day, mainly affecting N Ireland, Wales, southern England and western Scotland. Drier towards north-eastern areas of Britain.
Tonight
The blustery conditions will continue tonight. Heavy showers and cloud will continue to affect N Ireland and many western regions of Britain. It will be drier and clearer to the east, but windy.
Tweet of the Day
Holy shit this is an obvious one. Do we just let that shit slide? #FakeMelania https://t.co/qViH9S7mXq
Renaissance
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A bit of Nostalgia from our entertainment people
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GLOBAL CORONAVIRUS UPDATES
GLOBAL COVID-19 TODAY
CORONAVIRUS CASES: 42,976,977
DEATHS: 1,155,262
RECOVERED: 31,683,839
France recalls ambassador from Turkey after ‘unacceptable’ Erdogan comments
France24 says France on Saturday said it was recalling its envoy to Turkey for consultations after comments by the Turkish President suggesting French counterpart Emmanuel Macron needed a mental health check-up that Paris condemned as unacceptable.
France and its NATO ally are at loggerheads over a range of issues including maritime rights in the eastern Mediterranean, Libya, Syria and the escalating conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan over Nagorno-Karabakh.
Read the full story on France24
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‘Rigged election?’ Trump seizes on Biden’s latest gaffe
RT News says Joe Biden’s remark that his party has created “the most extensive voter fraud organization” has reinforced the former VP’s “gaffe-machine” status, giving the Republicans a free gotcha moment.
“We’re in a situation where we have put together – and you guys did it for our admi … the president, Obama’s administration before this – we have put together, I think, the most extensive and inclusive voter fraud organization in the history of American politics,” Biden says in a video that began circulating on social media on Saturday.
Read the full story on RT News
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Attackers storm Cameroon school, kill several children
Aljazeera says at least eight children were killed and a dozen wounded after attackers stormed a school in southwestern Cameroon with guns and machetes, the United Nations said.
Arriving on motorbikes and in civilian clothes, the men attacked the Mother Francisca International Bilingual Academy in the city of Kumba, in the country’s Southwest Region, at around midday on Saturday.
Read the full story on Aljazeera
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Iran’s top leader says fighting virus trumps other concerns
Arab News says Iran’s supreme leader on Saturday urged authorities to prioritize public health above any economic or security concerns, amid the Mideast’s worst outbreak of the coronavirus.
Iran’s death toll from the global pandemic topped 32,000 this week. The government has resisted a total lockdown fearing it would further devastate its economy, already weakened by unprecedented US sanctions.
Read the full story on Arab News
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Instagram row over plus-size model forces change to nudity policy
The Guardian says as campaigning victories go, forcing Mark Zuckerberg’s social media empire to admit a discriminatory flaw in its policy is no small feat.
But following a campaign launched in this paper, the Observer can exclusively reveal that Instagram and its parent company Facebook will be updating its policy on nudity in order to help end discrimination of black women on its platforms and ensure all body types are treated fairly.
Read the full story on The Guardian
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Japan expects record low number of newborn babies for 2020
Japan Times says the number of babies born in Japan in 2020 is expected to drop to around 845,000, hitting another record low, government sources said Saturday.
The figure is well below the 865,239 for 2019, currently the lowest since comparable data became available 120 years ago.
The government will release an initial estimate in December before finalizing the figure next year but it is likely to strike a record low for the fifth consecutive year.
Read the full story on Japan Times
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