Brief. Me Better Faster December 13, 2025 8:52 pm
Israel-Gaza: London protesters take to the streets in support of Palestine
Protesters took to the streets in London on Saturday to oppose violence in Israel and to show solidarity with Palestinians in Gaza.
Thousands of demonstrators marched from Hyde Park to the Israeli embassy in Kensington, after a week in which at least 126 people have been killed in Gaza and seven people have been killed in Israel. – Independent
Portugal, Netherlands latest EU countries to ease travel restrictions
Portugal and the Netherlands are the latest European countries to ease travel restrictions as COVID infections recede and the summer season approaches.
Dutch citizens and residents can, from Saturday, visit Portugal, Malta, Ireland, Thailand, Rwanda, the former Dutch colonies of Aruba, Curacao and Sint Maarten and a large group of Greek islands. – Euronews
Tens of thousands protest across North America in solidarity with Palestine
Gatherings to show solidarity with Palestinians took place in cities including New York, Dallas, San Diego, Edmonton, Philadelphia, Toronto, Vancouver, Boston, Washington, Montreal, Portland, Dearborn. – TRT World
Israel strikes house of Hamas political chief in Gaza Strip
The Philippines has started barring the entry of travellers from Oman and the United Arab Emirates as part of measures to prevent the spread of coronavirus, particularly the COVID-19 variant from India. – Arab News
Taiwan reports 206 new domestic COVID-19 cases, authorities urge against panic buying
Taiwan reported 206 new domestic COVID-19 cases on Sunday (May 16), as the island grapples with an increase in community infections.
Authorities appealed to people to avoid panic buying as new curbs on gatherings and movement took effect to rein in the spread of COVID-19. – CNA
China lands its Zhurong rover on Mars
China has successfully landed a spacecraft on Mars, state media announced early on Saturday.
The six-wheeled Zhurong robot was targeting Utopia Planitia, a vast terrain in the planet’s northern hemisphere. – BBC World
The further lifting of lockdown restrictions on Monday is covered in several papers, amid concerns over the Indian coronavirus variant.
Also covered, is the news royal aides want Prince Harry and Meghan Markle to give up their royal titles following Harry’s recent appearance on a podcast.
PM Boris Johnson ‘must think again on plans to relax COVID rules’
The Observer says PM Boris Johnson is under pressure to reconsider the relaxation of measures due to the threat of the variant. There are fears of a surge – particularly in young adults who have not been vaccinated – the paper adds.
Sharing the front page is a picture of nurses treating a baby in Gaza following an Israeli airstrike on a refugee camp. Among the casualties were eight young cousins who had gathered to celebrate Eid with their mothers, the paper says.
Push for one million jabs a day to save summer
The Sunday Telegraph says the government is planning to speed up vaccinations in order to jab up to a million people a day “and save the British summer.”
Ministers have told MPs the daily doses can be “safely” upped from 500,000 to 800,000 within the next two weeks, using a stockpile of 3.2 million doses in England.
The paper says government sources hope this could then be increased to the one million mark.
Royal aides want Harry and Meghan to give up their titles
The Mail on Sunday leads with royal aides wanting the Duke and Duchess of Sussex to give up their titles. It comes after Prince Harry revealed details of his upbringing during a podcast last week.
Elsewhere, the paper says door-to-door coronavirus “hit squads” will go to Bolton and Blackburn to focus on areas that have the greatest vaccine hesitancy. The Indian variant is prevalent in these areas, according to the paper, and reports that ministers are cautiously optimistic such targeted jabs could stem the surge of the variant.
King Charles to open palaces for the people
The Sunday Times leads with the Prince of Wales planning to transform palaces from “private spaces to public places.” Buckingham Palace, Windsor Castle, Balmoral, Sandringham and Clarence House will be open more extensively for longer periods, the paper adds, giving the public greater access to these historic sites.
We can’t afford to panic
The Sunday Express says senior MPs have urged PM Boris Johnson not to “panic” over the Indian variant – to “believe in the vaccinations programme” and stick to the roadmap. The paper adds, vaccinations are soon to be available to the over-35s.
Covid-19 variant – ‘Will he ever learn?’
“Will he ever learn?” is the question for the prime minister from the Sunday People amid concern about the Indian variant.
The paper says families of Covid-19 victims have accused the PM of “repeating past mistakes” because he failed to restrict travel from India in early April.
The Sunday Times says around 20,000 people who could have been infected were allowed to enter Britain from India in the time before the travel ban was introduced.
A source says the delay was because PM Boris Johnson did not want to offend India’s PM Modi, with the UK seeking a post-Brexit trade deal. A claim Downing Street has denied.
The Observer says Professor Kit Yates has said a two-week delay to the relaxing of rules would make a “huge difference” as it would allow more people to be vaccinated.
But the Sunday Express says the PM should “stick to his plan” – saying we cannot assume variants are going to have a “dramatic effect.”
‘Stripped of titles’
The Mail on Sunday’s front splash leads on royal aides telling the paper they want Harry and Meghan to give up their titles. Senior aides told the paper there is a growing sense of “bewilderment and betrayal” over the couple’s continued attacks on the royals.
The Sunday Telegraph says Oliver Dowden wants voters from the “red wall” seats – won by the Tories in the last election – to replace people from “metropolitan bubbles” on the boards of Britain’s museums.
Covid: A tenth of Britain’s restaurants lost during pandemic – BBC Business
Debenhams’ remaining stores to close for the final time as COVID shutdown ends more than 240 years of retail history – Sky Business
‘Overly cautious’ travel rules risk 1.5m jobs, airport bosses say – CityAM
Emma Hayes: ‘Chelsea’s time to win Women’s Champions League’ – read on
Leicester City: FA Cup-winning captain Kasper Schmeichel says joy ‘indescribable’ – read on
Andy Murray chooses to miss French Open – read on
A spat over Covid vaccine doses has erupted between the European Union and the UK threatens to have far reaching implications over coronavirus jab disruption.
Brussels demanded access to AstraZeneca vaccines manufactured in UK plants to make up for a shortfall after the pharmaceutical giant said it would have to cut the amount of doses delivered to the bloc by the end of March.
What do we know about the dispute? And what potential implications could the rumbling dispute have on future Covid vaccine rollouts? – (ITV)
Recent and upcoming changes
Restrictions are easing across the UK.
In England
Step 1 of the roadmap out of lockdown has begun. Shielding ends on 31 March.
In Scotland
People will be asked to ‘Stay Local’ from 2 April. A timetable for further lockdown easing from 5 April is on GOV.SCOT.
In Wales
The stay at home restriction was lifted on 13 March. Read about the rules on GOV.WALES.
In Northern Ireland
The next review will happen on or before 15 April. You can read the guidance on current restrictions on nidirect.
latest Covid-19 news
For the latest Covid-19 news visit the UK governement website