Daily News Briefing
Brief. Me - December 17, 2025 3:59 pm
Sarah Everard: Human remains found in Kent woodland
BBC News says human remains have been found in the search for missing Sarah Everard, Met Commissioner Cressida Dick has said.
Ms Everard, 33, was last seen a week ago in Clapham, south London, on her way home from a friend’s house.
Detectives have not yet been able to confirm the identity of the remains, which were discovered in woodland near Ashford, Kent.
It comes after a serving Met Police officer was arrested on suspicion of Ms Everard’s kidnap and murder.
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GMB staff complained about Piers Morgan’s Meghan comments
The Guardian says multiple staff on Good Morning Britain made complaints to senior managers about Piers Morgan’s comments on the Duchess of Sussex before he quit the show.
Meghan’s representatives also complained on her behalf to Ofcom, with the substance of the complaint understood to have focused on how Morgan’s comments would affect others dealing with mental health problems.
Now, sources within the show’s editorial and production staff have described how dozens of people inside GMB were also uncomfortable about his intervention, with some making complaints.
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Japan mourns Fukushima victims on 10th anniversary of earthquake and nuclear disaster
France24 says with a moment of silence, prayers and anti-nuclear protests, Japan mourned about 20,000 victims of the massive earthquake and tsunami that struck Japan 10 years ago, destroying towns and triggering nuclear meltdowns in Fukushima.
Huge waves triggered by the 9.0-magnitude quake – one of the strongest on record – crashed into the northeastern coast, crippling the Fukushima Dai-ichi power plant and forcing more than 160,000 residents to flee as radiation spewed into the air.
The world’s worst nuclear disaster since Chernobyl and the tremor have left survivors struggling to overcome the grief of losing families and towns to the waves in a few frightening hours on the afternoon of March 11, 2011.
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Madrid will not shut its borders for Easter, region’s president says, defying Covid measures adopted by rest of Spain
RT News says the Madrid region will be the only one in Spain without a Covid-19 border shutdown for Easter, its President Isabel Diaz Ayuso said.
Spain approved a number of health measures for Spanish regional and national holidays, including border closures.
But Ayuso announced that Madrid would not close its perimeter from March 17 to 21 or between March 26 and April 9, and would instead “take the measures that we believe appropriate.”
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UAE, Israel discuss quarantine-free travel corridor
Arab News says the UAE and Israel governments are in official talks to set up a quarantine-free travel corridor between the two countries, state news agency WAM reported.
The corridor will enable individuals vaccinated against COVID-19 to travel for tourist, commercial and official visits without undergoing isolation for a number of days as a precaution against coronavirus.
Abu Dhabi maintains a ‘green list’ of countries and territories where visitors from those places can visit the UAE capital without the need for quarantine. As of March 8, the list includes countries such as Australia, China, Hong Kong, Morocco, New Zealand, Singapore and Saudi Arabia.
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Myanmar’s military on ‘killing spree’ against protesters: Amnesty
Aljazeera says the Myanmar military is using lethal tactics and an arsenal of battlefield weapons to carry out a “killing spree” against peaceful protesters who oppose the February 1 coup, Amnesty International said on Thursday after analysing video and photographic evidence from the past few weeks of mass protests.
The cache of 55 video clips offer visual proof of the “systematic and premeditated killings”, Amnesty said in a report on Thursday, as it called on the UN Security Council and the international community to take action to halt the violence.
“These Myanmar military tactics are far from new but their killing sprees have never before been live-streamed for the world to see,” said Joanne Mariner, the director of Crisis Response at Amnesty International.
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Alaska says vaccines are now available to 16 and older
TRT World says Alaska has become the first US state to make vaccines available to anyone age 16 or older, eliminating eligibility requirements for people who work or live in the state.
Governor Mike Dunleavy, a Republican, announced the new rules on Tuesday for his state of about 730,000 people. More than one-quarter of Alaskans have received at least one vaccine shot, second only to New Mexico, according to data from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Certain regions of Alaska are nearing a 90 per cent vaccination rate among elderly people, officials said.
UK WEATHER FORECAST
SUNRISE 06:24
SUNSET 18:01
TODAY
Today will see a mixture of sunny intervals and blustery showers with strong westerly winds. Showers most frequent in the west, occasionally heavy and thundery, and wintry in upland parts of Scotland.
Tonight, blustery showers will continue in northern and western areas, continuing wintry on higher ground. Staying drier over central and eastern England and northeast Scotland, with clear spells.
Tweets
https://twitter.com/katbrown/status/1369722208105422851?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1369722208105422851%7Ctwgr%5E%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwtxnews.com%2Fwp-admin%2Fpost.php%3Fpost%3D310600action%3Delementor
FROM WTX NEWS
https://wtxnews.com/uk/british-tabloids-harry-meghan-oprah/
https://wtxnews.com/uk/piers-morgan-pushed-sacked-from-gmtv/
RENAISSANCE
Toto, I’ve got a feeling we’re not in Kansas anymore
The lowdown on the Papers
A look at how the papers are reporting on Piers Morgan leaving Good Morning Britain, following remarks he made about not believing her when she said she was having suicidal thoughts during her time as a senior royal.
As well as how the media are reporting on the current royal crisis following the Queen’s statement regarding the bombshell interview.
Piers Morgan to leave Good Morning Britain – ‘Big mouth strikes again’
The Independent highlights the 41,000 complaints made to OFCOM and says it is one of the most reported incidents on TV. It says Morgan’s co-anchor Susanna Reid called his response to the interview “a pathetic reaction” on air, and mental health charity Mind labelled it “concerning” and “disappointing”.
“Bigmouth Strikes Again”, says the i. The paper adds that behind-the-scenes, producers on the hit show refused to criticise Morgan, with several telling him he is “loyal” and “generous” to staff.
The Daily Telegraph says ITV refused to deny it received a formal complaint from Meghan and that it is understood ITV bosses asked the 55-year-old host to apologise after saying he ‘didn’t believe a word’ the Duchess said, but he refused.
The Daily Mail takes a different look at the situation – saying cancel culture claimed Piers Morgan during a week where he scored record ratings. The paper suggests social media backlash played a huge role in the situation and say they stand by Piers 120%.
It is also front-page news for the Guardian, which reports Mr Morgan quit after more than 41,000 complaints and says the paper understands that a formal complaint was lodged with ITV on behalf of the duchess after the broadcast.
Royal crisis continues – Olive branch extended
The Daily Telegraph’s front splash reports the couple’s allegations would be taken “very seriously” but that some “recollections may vary”, is expected to be the Queen’s “final word on the matter”.
The Metro says the Queen offered Harry and Meghan an olive branch by expressing her sadness in the statement – but also “hinted” their allegation of racism was “disputed”.
The Times says the Palace statement was “more robust than many had expected” – with the delay to its release prompting speculation “the Queen was responsible for strengthening it”.
The Daily Mirror highlights the Queen’s reassurance that Harry and Meghan will remain much-loved family members
But the Daily Mail says a survey suggests a majority of the public now want them stripped of their royal titles. The paper claims its survey also found that the majority of those asked felt Harry and Meghan”had let the Queen down”.
Society of Editors executive director Ian Murray resigns after defending UK press over Meghan row
The executive director of the Society of Editors has resigned after the body came under fire for comments about the Duke and Duchess of Sussex’s accusations of racism.
Ian Murray said he would step down from his role so the organisation can “rebuild its reputation”. – Sky News
‘No indication’ AstraZeneca COVID vaccine led to Austria death, says EMA
The European Medicines Agency (EMA) said on Wednesday that there is currently no evidence to link the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine to illnesses developed by two people in Austria who had been inoculated.
Austrian health authorities suspended the use of a batch of AstraZeneca vaccine on Sunday after a 49-year old woman died as a result of multiple thromboses — formation of blood clots within blood vessels — 10 days after being administered the jab. A 35-year-old was also hospitalised for a pulmonary embolism after receiving a vaccine from the same batch. – Euronews
Oscars museum to tackle its history of racism and sexism
The long-awaited Academy Museum of Motion Pictures in Los Angeles will tackle the Oscars’ problematic history, from racism over “Gone With The Wind” to the recent #OscarsSoWhite campaign and snubbing of female directors.
The Oscar-awarding Academy first envisioned a museum dedicated to the magic of movies almost a century ago, and its doors are finally set to open in September after numerous delays, most recently caused by the pandemic.
On the day voting for this award season’s Oscar nominees closes, last year’s best supporting actress winner Laura Dern took journalists on a virtual tour of the museum. – TRT World
US tells Houthis to stop attacking and start negotiating
The Iran-backed Houthi militia should cease its attacks on Saudi Arabia and instead start negotiating towards a “political settlement,” US State Department spokesperson Ned Price said, as Washington reiterated its commitment to the Kingdom’s defense interests.
“We condemn the Houthi missile and drone attacks against Saudi Aramco’s facilities Ras Tanura Port and other civilian sites … These attacks are not acceptable. They are dangerous, they put the lives of civilians at risk, including the lives of US citizens,” Price said, as the Houthis escalated their drone attacks targeting oil facilities and civilians in the Kingdom. – Arab News
27 dead, dozens injured after Indonesia bus carrying students plunges into ravine
A tourist bus plunged into a ravine on Indonesia’s main island of Java after its brakes apparently malfunctioned, killing at least 27 people and injuring 39 others, police and rescuers said on Thursday (Mar 11).
The bus was carrying a group of Islamic junior high school students, teachers and parents from the West Java province town of Subang when the accident happened late Wednesday on a winding road, said local police chief Eko Prasetyo Robbyanto. – CNA
Stutthof Camp: Holocaust guard Harry S found unfit to stand trial at 96
A court in Germany has declared a 96-year-old former Nazi camp guard unfit to stand trial but ruled that he should pay his own legal fees.
The man, named as Harry S, was accused of complicity in the murder of several hundred people at Stutthof Camp.
The court in Wuppertal said there was a “high degree of probability” he was guilty of the crimes.
His is one of three recent cases related to the Stutthof camp, which was located in then Nazi-occupied Poland. – BBC World
Business news
M&S to sell clothes from rival brands to boost online sales – BBC Business
Boris Johnson pledges £95m to build offshore wind power projects in ‘Red Wall’ areas – Sky Business
Asia stocks soar as receding inflation worries bolster confidence – Reuters
Sports News
Cultura
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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