- Covid: Gyms and all shops to reopen after English lockdown.
- Woman shot and two men stabbed to death in violent Sunday for London.
- Trial of former French president Nicolas Sarkozy over corruption opens in Paris.
- German FM lashes out at coronavirus protesters ‘making a mockery’ of WWII resistance with Nazi comparisons.
- China to introduce new policies to tackle the ageing population.
- Hong Kong activist Joshua Wong faces jail after guilty plea over police HQ protests.
- Trump campaign appeals loss in Pennsylvania election dispute.
Sunak funds schools and police in last hurrah before tax rises – FT News
Kellogg’s and Britvic attack plan to ban junk food ads online – BBC Business
Pipe dreams leave U.S. energy firms caught in climate trap – Reuters
Spanish banks seek mergers as outlook darkens – Arab News
Watch the Daily News Briefing video roundup here
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Covid: Gyms and all shops to reopen after English lockdown
BBC News says gyms and non-essential shops in all areas are expected to be allowed to reopen when England’s lockdown ends.
On Monday afternoon, Boris Johnson will explain the details of England’s return to the “three-tier system” when lockdown ends on 2 December.
While parts of the tier system will be toughened, the 10 pm closing time for pubs and restaurants will be relaxed, and gyms and shops will reopen.
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Woman shot and two men stabbed to death in violent Sunday for London
Sky News says a woman, in her 30s, is in a life-threatening condition after being shot in east London, one of three violent incidents in the capital on Sunday.
Meanwhile, police are investigating two fatal stabbings in Brixton Hill and in Kensal Green. No arrests have yet been made.
Hours earlier, a man was stabbed in Kensal Green Cemetery, west London. Police said a man in his 50s has been arrested in connection with the death and remains in police custody.
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Trial of former French president Nicolas Sarkozy over corruption opens in Paris
France24 says former French president Nicolas Sarkozy goes on trial Monday for attempted bribery of a judge in what could turn into a humiliating postscript to a political career tainted by a litany of legal woes.
Though he is not the first modern French head of state in the dock, Sarkozy is the first to face corruption charges. He has fought for six years to have the case thrown out, denouncing “a scandal that will go down in history”.
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German FM lashes out at coronavirus protesters ‘making a mockery’ of WWII resistance with Nazi comparisons
RT News says Germany’s foreign minister has hit out at protesters who compared their struggle against Covid restrictions to the struggle of the anti-Nazi resistance, accusing them of “trivializing” the Holocaust.
“Anyone who compares themselves to Sophie Scholl or Anne Frank today is mocking the courage it took to take a stand against Nazis,” Maas tweeted on Sunday.
“It trivialises the Holocaust and shows an unbearable ignorance of history. Nothing connects the corona protests with the resistance fighters. Nothing!”
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China to introduce new policies to tackle ageing population
Aljazeera says China is planning to include new measures to encourage more births and address issues associated with its rapidly ageing population and shrinking workforce as part of its new 2021-2025 “five-year plan”, according to state media.
Citing experts, the official China Daily newspaper said on Monday that the Chinese government will offer extensive financial and policy support to encourage couples to have more children.
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Hong Kong activist Joshua Wong faces jail after guilty plea over police HQ protests
The Guardian says Hong Kong activists Joshua Wong, Agnes Chow, and Ivan Lam face the prospect of jail after pleading guilty to charges relating to protests outside a police station last year.
The trial was scheduled to begin on Monday, but after pleading guilty they were taken away ahead of a sentencing hearing on Wednesday next week, where they face a penalty of up to five years in prison. Wong said he expected to be jailed.
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Trump campaign appeals loss in Pennsylvania election dispute
TRT World says Donald Trump’s campaign has told a judge it was appealing a ruling issued on Saturday that denied its request to halt President-elect Joe Biden’s win in Pennsylvania.
The campaign said in a court filing on Sunday that it appealed US District Judge Matthew Brann’s decision to the US 3rd Circuit Court of Appeals, a day before the state’s 67 counties are set to certify their results and send them to state officials.
Brann — a Republican — compared the campaign’s legal arguments to “Frankenstein’s Monster,” concluding that Trump’s team offered only “speculative accusations,” not proof of rampant corruption.
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In Review
Is Christmas saved? The prime minister is set to announce what will happen at the end of lockdown and the three-tier system later today. It is believed it will be announced that household mixing will be allowed for Christmas. We take a look at the differing media takes on the reported announcement.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=COVVARAuLoM&feature=youtu.be
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COVID-19: Hopes raised families will be able to meet over Christmas as UK nations back plan – Sky News
Lockdown POLL: Would you sacrifice Christmas not to be locked down in January? – Express
Christmas is saved! Festive bubbles will let households mix for 5 days over Xmas period – The Sun
Boris Johnson under pressure as scientists back tight rules for Christmas – The Guardian
This will not be a normal Christmas, warns Rishi Sunak – The Telegraph
Covid: Christmas restrictions warning if Wales’ cases rise – BBC News
Christmas breaks 2020 – is it safe to book a holiday abroad or in the UK? – Which?
UK care home bosses seek extra £500m for Christmas Covid measures – The Guardian
We asked eight public health experts what Christmas will be like – WIRED
Millions of Americans set to ignore warnings against Thanksgiving travel
The Guardian says Experts urged Americans against travelling for family gatherings at Thanksgiving this week even though millions were set to defy the advice, as the US crossed the threshold of more than 12m cases of coronavirus.
Hundreds detained in latest anti-government demos in Belarus
Euronews says sources including human rights groups have told Euronews that at least 283 people were detained by police as anti-government protests continued across Belarus on Sunday.
Ethiopian army tells civilians to flee imminent raid on Mekelle
Africanews says the Ethiopian army warned Sunday of an imminent attack on Mekelle, capital of rebellious Tigray state and seat of the local government that the federal government is seeking to dislodge, calling on civilians to flee while there is still time.
The Middle East and the growing East-West divide
Arab News says the dispute began as a war of words and became a messy skirmish of retaliatory tariffs — souring already tense relations between Beijing and Washington.
Hunger, death, exploitation: The plight of the poor in India in the pandemic
CNA says the country pulled millions out of poverty only recently, but about 400 million Indians are now at risk of falling deeper into destitution because of the dual onslaught of COVID-19 and economic disaster. Can they beat the odds?
