Daily News Briefing
Brief. Me - December 15, 2025 10:17 pm
Sarah Everard disappearance: Met Police officer arrested
BBC News says a Met Police officer has been arrested over the disappearance of Sarah Everard in south London.
Ms Everard, 33, was last seen via a doorbell camera in Clapham at about 21:30 GMT on 3 March.
Police said they had arrested a man in Kent on Tuesday evening in connection with her disappearance, adding that the fact he was a serving officer was “shocking and deeply disturbing”.
A woman was also arrested on suspicion of assisting an offender.
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Buckingham Palace breaks silence on Meghan and Harry Oprah claims
The Guardian says the Queen has sought to draw a line under damaging racism claims made by Harry and Meghan saying that issues will be dealt with “privately” by the royal family.
“The whole family is saddened to learn the full extent of how challenging the last few years have been for Harry and Meghan. The issues raised, particularly that of race, are concerning. While some recollections may vary, they are taken very seriously and will be addressed by the family privately. Harry, Meghan and Archie will always be much-loved family members.”
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Hospitals overwhelmed as Brazil reaches new daily Covid-19 death record
France24 says Brazil broke its record for new daily Covid-19 deaths on Tuesday with nearly 2,000 fatalities, as the pandemic overwhelms hospitals and the vaccine rollout remains slow.
The Health Ministry reported a daily total of 1,972 new deaths in the country, which has the world’s second-highest overall toll, exceeded only by the US.
It also reported 70,764 new cases of Covid-19, meaning 11.1 million people have now caught the virus in the country, while a total of 268,370 have died.
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Lebanese army starts clearing roadblocks after week of protests
Arab News says the Lebanese army says it had started clearing roadblocks eight days after protesters burnt tires to block roadways across the country in anger over the country’s economic meltdown and political deadlock.
“As a result of the tragic accidents and violations that took place units of the army started this morning opening closed roads,” a statement posted on the official Twitter page of the Lebanese army said.
President Michel Aoun had asked the army and security forces to clear the obstructions after a meeting with top officials.
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Myanmar party official dies in custody amid torture allegations
Aljazeera says an official from deposed Myanmar leader Aung San Suu Kyi’s National League for Democracy (NLD) died in custody after he was arrested on Tuesday, a former parliamentarian said, the second party figure to die in detention in almost as many days.
The NLD’s Zaw Myat Linn died in custody after he was detained in Yangon.
“He’s been participating continuously in the protests,” Ba Myo Thein said. “Now the relatives are trying to retrieve the body at the Military Hospital.”
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Sixth woman accuses NY Gov. Cuomo of harassment
TRT World says a new woman has said the governor of New York state inappropriately touched her, bringing to six the number of women who accuse Andrew Cuomo of harassment or inappropriate behaviour.
But the 63-year-old Democrat stuck to his guns, ruling out resignation once more.
Saying he was “not aware” of the new accusation, Cuomo on Tuesday repeated that he would await the results of an independent investigation into the allegations.
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US State of Arkansas Outlaws Almost All Abortions
VOA says Arkansas passed a law banning abortion even in cases of rape or incest, in a move supporters hope will push the Supreme Court towards overturning its landmark 1973 ruling protecting abortion rights nationwide.
The only exception to the Arkansas law is “to save the life of the mother in a medical emergency.”
Asa Hutchinson said he signed the law due to his “sincere and long-held pro-life convictions,” adding that “it is the intent of the legislation to set the stage for the Supreme Court overturning current case law.”
UK WEATHER FORECAST
SUNRISE 06:26
SUNSET 17:59
TODAY
Much of the UK will be cloudy, wet and breezy today with further outbreaks of rain. However, parts of Scotland will be dry and bright this morning before rain becomes widespread here in the afternoon.
TONIGHT
Much of the UK will see further showers or longer spells of rain tonight. Turning increasingly blustery with strong and gusty winds. Gales for parts of Wales and western and northern England.
Tweets
https://twitter.com/wilma_arts/status/1369314818025459719
FROM WTX NEWS
https://wtxnews.com/uk/british-tabloids-harry-meghan-oprah/
https://wtxnews.com/uk/piers-morgan-pushed-sacked-from-gmtv/
RENAISSANCE
I’m the king of the world
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”.
Wagamama owner to raise millions as lockdown bites
The owner of Wagamama is seeking to raise millions of pounds after many of its restaurants had to close their doors amid lockdown restrictions.
The Restaurant Group (TRG) will seek to raise £175m from its shareholders to pay down debt and use as a buffer in case of any Covid resurgence.
Its boss said the pandemic had presented “enormous challenges” for the sector.
Total sales dropped by 57% to £459.8m in 2020 as many TRG sites were closed. – BBC News
Russia ‘slows’ Twitter over failure to remove content they say is illegal
No pictures, no videos. Russia’s Twitter users faced service disruptions on Wednesday after the media regulator announced it was slowing down the social network’s speed in the country.
Internet watchdog Roskomnadzor says Twitter has repeatedly refused to remove banned content on drug use, suicide or child pornography.
In recent weeks, Moscow has been critical of foreign social networks for failing to moderate posts in support of Kremlin opponent Alexei Navalny, whose imprisonment last month drew international condemnation and nationwide protests. – Euronews
US House to Vote Wednesday to Approve Coronavirus Relief Deal
The U.S. House of Representatives is expected Wednesday to pass President Joe Biden’s $1.9 trillion coronavirus relief package aimed at giving a financial boost to American households and businesses.
Ahead of the vote, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said she was confident about its passage in the majority-Democrat House, and that the focus was on “saving lives and livelihoods and giving people hope for the future.”
Republican lawmakers have objected to the package, saying it is too large and does not sufficiently target those who are most in need of economic assistance. House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy on Tuesday called the bill “costly, corrupt, and liberal.” – VOA
COVID-19: UAE reports fifth day of decline in coronavirus cases
Coronavirus cases in the UAE were down for a fifth straight day on Wednesday, with health authorities confirming 2,204 new infections and eight deaths.
The country’s caseload now stands at 417,909 cases, including 1,353 fatalities due to COVID-19 related complications. An additional 1,693 individuals meanwhile have recovered from the highly contagious sickness.
The Ministry of Health and Prevention reported 242,026 additional COVID-19 tests conducted overnight, as the UAE stepped up coronavirus testing activities to complement its mass vaccination campaign. – Arab News
In message to China, Biden to meet Australia, India, Japan PMs
President Joe Biden will hold first-ever joint talks on Friday (Mar 12) with the leaders of Australia, India and Japan, boosting an emerging four-way alliance often cast as a bulwark against China.
It will be one of the first summits, albeit in virtual format, for Biden, who has vowed to revive US alliances in the wake of the disarray of Donald Trump’s administration.
“That President Biden has made this one of his earliest multilateral engagements speaks to the importance that we place on close cooperation with our allies and partners in the Indo-Pacific,” White House press secretary Jen Psaki told reporters on Tuesday. – CNA
China and Russia to build lunar space station
China and Russia have announced plans to build a lunar space station.
Russian space agency Roscosmos says it has signed an agreement with China’s National Space Administration to develop research facilities on the surface of the moon, in orbit or both.
A statement from both countries’ space agencies says it will be available for use by other nations.
It comes as Russia prepares to celebrate the 60th anniversary of its first-ever manned space flight. – BBC World
Business news
Money launderers ‘prey on generation Covid’ – BBC Business
Tesco begins roll out of ‘soft plastic’ recycling points for customers to return old packaging – Sky Business
Tesla surges almost 20%, biggest daily rise in a year – Reuters
Sports News
Ten-man Porto shock Juventus to advance in Champions League thriller – Read on
Jurgen Klopp: Liverpool manager rules out replacing Germany boss Joachim Low – Read on
Joey Benjamin: Former England, Warwickshire and Surrey bowler dies at the age of 60 – Read on
Edinson Cavani: Manchester United striker ‘not comfortable’ in England, says father – Read on
Cultura
Judas And The Black Messiah director: ‘I wouldn’t have made the film without Daniel Kaluuya’ – Read on
Caroline Flack ‘wasn’t emotionally wired’ for fame – Read on
Zayn Malik fires off expletive fuelled message to Grammys after being snubbed – Read on
Olivia Wilde pokes fun at Jason Sudeikis as she congratulates him on Critics Choice award – 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)