Brief. Me Better Faster December 18, 2025 2:12 am
COVID-19: Young people who have already had coronavirus are not fully protected against reinfection – study
Young people who have already tested positive for coronavirus are not fully protected against reinfection, new research suggests.
A study of 3,000 members of the US Marine Corps, mostly aged between 18 and 20, showed that 10% of participants (19 out of 189) who had contracted COVID-19 before tested positive again. – Sky News
Poland expels three Russian diplomats over ‘hostile actions’
Poland expelled on Thursday three Russian diplomats accused of “hostile actions,” the Polish Foreign Ministry said.
The move comes after the US expelled 10 Russian diplomats earlier on Thursday and imposed sanctions against dozens of companies and people.
Washington says the measures are retaliation for alleged Kremlin interference in last year’s presidential election and a massive cyber attack on federal agencies known as SolarWinds. – Euronews
Calls grow on US President Biden to waive Covid-19 vaccine patents
World leaders and experts say sharing vaccine know-how is the best chance to fight the pandemic. But the industry disagrees.
More than 100 Nobel laureates and dozens of prominent figures including former leaders of the UK and France have called on US President Joe Biden to support waiving patents on Covid-19 vaccines, which are desperately needed to fight the pandemic. – TRT World
15 people hurt as train derails in northern Egypt
Fifteen people were injured when a train derailed close to Minya El-Qamh station in Sharkia governorate, northern Egypt.
Khaled Mujahid, official spokesman for the Ministry of Health, said that 33 ambulances attended the scene of the accident and took the casualties to Minya El-Qamh Central Hospital. Six of the injured passengers were later discharged, he said, while the rest — who suffered minor and moderate injuries, including fractures, wounds, abrasions and bruises — continue to receive care and treatment.- Arab News
Hong Kong media tycoon Jimmy Lai, others to be sentenced for illegal assembly
Hong Kong media tycoon Jimmy Lai and nine other activists are expected to be sentenced on Friday (Apr 16) after they were found guilty of participating in unauthorised assemblies during anti-government protests in 2019.
It would be the first time that Lai, one of Hong Kong’s most prominent democratic activists, who has been in jail since December after being denied bail in a separate national security trial, will receive a sentence. –CNA
Adam Toledo: Chicago police release video of officer shooting boy
BBC News says Chicago police have released graphic footage of an officer shooting dead a 13-year-old boy in a dark alley.
Bodycam video shows the policeman shouting “Drop it” before shooting Adam Toledo once in the chest on 29 March.
The boy does not appear to be holding a weapon in the split second he was shot, but police video shows a handgun near the spot where he fell.
Prince Philip: William and Harry to walk apart as Queen sits alone at funeral
The Guardian says William and Harry will walk apart for their grandfather’s funeral, which is likely to see the Queen sitting alone, details released by Buckingham Palace reveal.
Prince William and Prince Harry will be separated by their cousin Peter Phillips as they walk behind the coffin of Prince Philip on Saturday.
The decision said to be the Queen’s, is unlikely to dampen speculation of a rift between the brothers, or raise hopes of reconciliation at this emotional time for the family.
France passes grim milestone of 100,000 deaths from Covid-19
France24 says France’s official Covid-19 death toll rose on Thursday to more than 100,000, marking a bleak milestone for Macron’s government.
Data from the health ministry said French hospitals registered another 300 Covid-19 deaths in the last 24 hours, pushing the overall tally to more than 100,000.
The country of 67 million is the eighth nation in the world to reach the mark after a year of overwhelmed hospitals, on-and-off coronavirus lockdowns and enormous personal losses that have left families nationwide grieving the pandemic’s impact.
Egypt continues to push for political solution in Libya
Arab News says Egyptian Minister of Foreign Affairs Sameh Shoukry reiterated his country’s support in reaching a comprehensive political settlement to the Libyan crisis in a meeting with UN Secretary-General’s Special Envoy for Libya Jan Kubis.
Shoukry said such a settlement should preserve the unity of Libya, ensure the exit of all mercenaries and foreign fighters from it, and preserve the capabilities of its people and its national institutions.
India reports another record daily rise in COVID infections
Aljazeera says India has reported a record daily increase of 217,353 COVID-19 infections over the last 24 hours, health ministry data showed – the eighth record daily increase in the last nine days.
Deaths from COVID-19 rose by 1,185 to reach a total of 174,308, the health ministry’s data showed on Friday.
US Unemployment benefit claims drop to lowest level in over a year
VOA says U.S. unemployment compensation claims dropped last week to their lowest level in more than a year, the Labor Department reported Thursday, a significant sign that the world’s largest economy is advancing sharply as it recovers from the coronavirus pandemic.
The government said 576,000 workers filed for benefits last week, down 193,000 from the revised figure of the previous week. It was the lowest weekly total since mid-March last year and only the second time in the last 13 months that the weekly total of new jobless benefit claims fell below 700,000.
Facebook urged to cancel plans to launch Instagram for pre-teens
TRT World says advocates for children from around the world have urged Facebook chief Mark Zuckerberg to ditch plans for a version of Instagram geared toward pre-teens.
Campaign for a Commercial-free Childhood and the Electronic Privacy Information Center were among nearly 100 groups and individuals from North America, Europe, Africa and Australia to make the plea in a letter to Zuckerberg.
Instagram “exploits young people’s fear of missing out and desire for peer approval,” the letter contended.
Live Updates
- Adam Toledo: Chicago police release video of officer shooting boy
- Prince Philip: William and Harry to walk apart as Queen sits alone at funeral
- France passes grim milestone of 100,000 deaths from Covid-19
- Egypt continues to push for political solution in Libya
- India reports another record daily rise in COVID infections
Most of Friday’s front pages focus on the news Prince William and Prince Harry will not walk together during the funeral procession for Prince Philip – despite the Princes’ not walking together at their mother’s funeral or any royal funerals.
Are the tabloids angry they won’t get ‘the money shot’ of the Princes together?
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Queen alone at funeral – ‘Brothers apart’
The Sun leads with “Brothers at arms length” is the headline, as it reports that the Duke of Cambridge and the Duke of Sussex will be “kept apart” during the funeral procession. – The Sun
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The Daily Mail calls them “estranged brothers” and says they will be separated by their cousin, Peter Phillips, as they walk behind their grandfather’s coffin. The front page also features an image of Prince Charles viewing the floral tributes to his father. – Daily Mail
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Metro says “United in grief but so far apart” which covers the same story about Prince William and Prince Harry and recalls the younger prince’s comment that the two brothers were on “different paths”. A second headline describes the “tears of Charles for his papa”. – METRO
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Daily Mirror leads with a moment it expects to see at the funeral: the Queen pausing in reflection by the hearse carrying her husband’s body. With members of the Royal Family having paid tribute to the duke’s mischievous nature, the paper says he chose a modified Land Rover to bear his body as a final joke. – Daily Mirror
TUI says summer holiday season can be saved – Read on
Amazon boss Bezos: ‘We need to do a better job for our employees’ – Read on
US retail and unemployment figures improve as economic picture brightens – Read on
Banks flee the City post-Brexit taking more than £900bn in assets with them – Read on
Man Utd to face Roma in Europa League final four after beating Granada – Read on
Rampant Arsenal win in Prague to set up semi-final against Emery’s Villarreal – Read on
I need fans at World Championship to bring out best in me: Trump – Read on
AJ and Fury ‘approve’ offer for world title fight – Read on
Jennifer Lopez and Alex Rodriguez call off their engagement weeks after denying split – Read on
Moulin Rouge! star quits stage show over Scott Rudin allegations – Read on
Sharon Osbourne blanked The Talk’s return episode and won’t ‘dwell’ on the past – Read on
Brad Pitt pushed out of hospital in a wheelchair after getting ‘dentist work’ – Read on
EastEnders’ Katie Jarvis ‘shouted “black lives don’t matter” in seaside racist rampage’ – 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