Daily News Briefing
Brief. Me - December 25, 2024 6:38 am
Meghan accuses royals of ‘perpetuating falsehoods’
BBC News says Meghan Markle has said she is not afraid of the consequences of speaking out in her and Prince Harry’s interview with Oprah Winfrey.
In a second teaser clip released by CBS for the upcoming interview, Meghan said “a lot… has been lost already”.
She said she could not be expected to be silent if the royals had a part in “perpetuating falsehoods about us”.
It comes as Buckingham Palace said it had launched an investigation into claims the duchess bullied royal staff.
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Spend now, pay later: Sunak flags major tax rises as Covid bill tops £400bn
The Guardian says Rishi Sunak has told Britain’s businesses and millions of middle-earners they will pay the price of the government’s year long fight against Covid-19 with a spend now, pay later budget that combines life-support for the economy with the biggest tax increases since 1993.
Delivering his second budget, the chancellor said he would “go long,” extending many economic support measures, including the furlough scheme, until the end of September at a cost to the Treasury of £65bn.
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Germany extends Covid-19 lockdown, with restrictions gradually lifting
France24 says Germany is extending its coronavirus shutdown by three weeks until March 28, but easing some restrictions to allow nonessential stores and other businesses to reopen in areas with relatively low infection rates.
After about nine hours of talks, Chancellor Angela Merkel and the governors of the country’s 16 states agreed Wednesday to measures aimed at balancing concern over the impact of more contagious coronavirus variants with a growing clamor for a return to a more normal life.
The first moves have already been made: many elementary students returned to school last week. And on Monday, hairdressers opened after a 2 ½-month break. Current lockdown rules were set to run through Sunday.
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Preparations in full swing for pope’s meeting with Ali Al-Sistani
Arab News says Pope Francis and Grand Ayatollah Ali Al-Sistani, a preeminent Shiite figure, are to meet on Saturday for at most 40 minutes, part of the time alone except for interpreters, in the cleric’s modest home in Najaf.
Al-Sistani is notoriously reclusive and has not left his Najaf home in years. He does not make public appearances and his sermons are delivered by representatives. He rarely receives foreign dignitaries.
The Vatican’s hope was that Francis would sign a document with Al-Sistani pledging human fraternity, just as he did with Sunni Islam’s influential grand imam of Al-Azhar, Ahmed El-Tayeb, based in Egypt.
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UN: 38 killed in ‘bloodiest day’ since coup hit Myanmar
Aljazeera says at least 38 people were killed in anti-coup protests in Myanmar, the UN said, in the bloodiest crackdown yet on peaceful demonstrations against a military coup.
Security forces opened fire on people protesting against military rule across Myanmar, a day after neighbouring countries called for restraint and offered to help resolve the crisis.
Police and soldiers opened fire with live rounds with little warning, witnesses said.
Describing Wednesday’s death toll as “shocking”, Christine Schraner Burgener, the UN’s envoy on Myanmar, said in New York there were “now more than 50 people [dead] since the coup started and many are wounded”.
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US House approves ‘George Floyd’ police reform bill
TRT World says the US House of Representatives has passed a bill banning controversial police tactics and easing the way for lawsuits against officers violating suspects’ constitutional rights, although the measure’s Senate prospects were uncertain.
Democrats pushed the “George Floyd Justice in Policing Act” on Wednesday through the House by a vote of 220-212, with the support of only one Republican, just days before former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin goes on trial on a state murder charge in the death of Floyd last year.
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US House cancels Thursday session after police warn of possible plot on Capitol
VOA says the U.S. House of Representatives cancelled its planned Thursday session after the Capitol Police warned on Wednesday of a possible plot by a militia group to breach the building, a threat that echoed the deadly Jan. 6 attack.
The House had been scheduled to debate and vote on a police reform bill on Thursday. But a House Democratic aide said that the police warning, based on intelligence that “an identified militia group” could present a security threat, contributed to the change in plans.
UK WEATHER FORECAST
SUNRISE 06:39
SUNSET 17:49
TODAY
Today will be a chilly day for many with plenty of cloud. Patchy rain and mountain snow will spread south from Scotland towards central England through the day. A touch breezier than recently.
TONIGHT
This evening, there will be light rain across the southwest, but by midnight the rain will have mostly eased. Patchy cloud with clear spells in the west. Chilly with a frost developing in places.
Tweets
In the latest clip released by @CBS of Meghan’s @Oprah interview, the Duchess of Sussex makes this accusation of Buckingham Palace: “there is an active role that the Firm is playing in perpetuating falsehoods about us.” 😳😳 pic.twitter.com/a6v30a7XBw
🗣️ "Don't worry about Alfredo, he has just scored the winner and is in there dancing around with no top on to Sweet Caroline"
Steven Gerrard is not concerned with the reputation Alfredo Morelos has after he was booked for simulation tonightpic.twitter.com/3acJmJaupp
FROM WTX NEWS
https://wtxnews.com/2021/03/03/metoo-politics-hollywood/
RENAISSANCE
There’s no crying in baseball!
Sweden stabbing: Eight people injured after suspected terrorist attack, say police
Police in Sweden say they are treating a stabbing incident in Vetlanda as a “suspected terrorist crime”.
In a statement, the country’s prime minister, Stefan Lofven, confirmed a possible terrorist motive was being investigated.
“In the light of what has emerged so far in the police investigation, prosecutors have initiated a preliminary investigation into terrorist crimes,” he said.
Shortly after his statement, investigators at a police press conference said they had started a preliminary investigation into attempted murder with details “that make us investigate any terrorist motives”. – Euronews
Republicans Pursue Voting Changes after Record US Election Turnout
Months after record-high U.S. voter turnout propelled Democrats to victory in the 2020 elections, giving them control of the White House and both houses of Congress, Republicans are attempting to reshape election laws in state legislatures across the nation.
In state after state, Republicans seek to limit opportunities for early and absentee balloting that Americans flocked to last year — Democratic voters in particular.
In America’s heartland, Iowa is among the first examples of the trend. – VOA
Arab League ministers reaffirm UAE sovereignty over 3 Iran-occupied islands
Foreign ministers of the Arab League have reaffirmed the UAE’s sovereignty over three islands that were occupied by Iran in the 1970s.
In a resolution adopted during their meeting in Cairo, the top envoys denounced the Iranian government’s continued occupation of Abu Mousa, Lesser Tunb and Greater Tunb and what they described as its violation of the UAE’s sovereignty in a way that destabilizes the region and threatens international peace and security, state news agency WAM reported. – Arab News
Outrage as Sri Lanka plans to bury Muslim Covid-19 victims on remote islet
Sri Lanka announced plans to bury Muslim coronavirus victims on a remote islet; the decision has been slammed by locals and the Muslim minority community.
Colombo banned burials of Covid-19 victims in April, despite expert assurances they would not spread the virus, implementing a policy of forced cremations.
Sri Lanka’s Muslims, who make up 10 per cent of its 21 million people, challenged the policy, pointing out that cremations are forbidden under Islamic law. – TRT World
SpaceX’s Starship rocket lands but then explodes
The SpaceX company has managed to land one of its Starship prototypes at the end of a high-altitude test flight.
Serial Number 10 (SN10) touched down in Boca Chica, Texas – in contrast to its predecessors SN8 and SN9, which crashed into the ground.
But that wasn’t the end of the story. The next-generation space vehicle put down heavily on its extended legs.
A fire then developed around its base and eight minutes later SN10 blew itself apart on the landing pad. – BBC World
Business news
Women retirees win £2.7bn for underpaid pensions – BBC Business
Amazon opens till-free grocery store in London – the online retailer’s first physical store outside the US – Sky Business
Texas power grid names firms with unpaid bills, cuts off second – Reuters
Shopping for ways to ease retailers’ £25bn business rates burden – Read on
Sports News
Cultura
Netflix boss: Film fans want joint release dates for cinema and streaming – Read on
Ant Middleton says SAS: Who Dares Wins is a ‘managed and inauthentic reality show’ as he walks away – Read on
Ryan Thomas announces he’s quit acting as he admits he’s ‘lost the bug for it’ – Read on
David Schwimmer lifts lid on Friends reunion and says filming starts imminently – Read on
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)
