Brief. Me Better Faster December 16, 2025 2:23 am
One in three survivors of severe Covid diagnosed with mental health condition
One in three people who were severely ill with coronavirus were subsequently diagnosed with a neurological or psychiatric condition within six months of infection, a study has found.- The Guardian
Hungary to ease lockdown despite COVID-19 surge
Hungary will start easing lockdown restrictions on Wednesday after inoculating more than a quarter of its population with at least one dose of coronavirus vaccine, Prime Minister Viktor Orban said Tuesday.
The decision comes as Hungary faces a devastating surge in the COVID-19 pandemic. – Euronews
Small US Border Town Attracting Attention in Immigration Debate
The small town of Donna, near the Texas-Mexico border, is receiving media attention in the recent immigration debate because it’s also where many migrant children and families are being processed. VOA’s Elizabeth Lee shows how the attention has affected the town’s residents. – VOA
Daesh abducts 19 in Syria, says human rights monitor
Daesh on Tuesday abducted 19 people, mostly civilians, in the centre of war-torn Syria, the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said.
The extremists attacked regime forces in the Badia desert, before kidnapping eight policemen and 11 civilians from a small village. – Arab News
Indonesia readies hospital ships for Cyclone Seroja survivors
Indonesia’s navy readied hospital ships on Wednesday (Apr 7) to help treat injured survivors of a cyclone that has killed more than 150 in the archipelago and neighbouring Timor-Leste, the disaster agency said.
Helicopters were also dropping food and other essentials into remote villages, as rescuers turned to sniffer dogs in the hunt for dozens still missing after weekend floods and landslides devastated the Southeast Asian nations. – CNA
Covid: Brazil has more than 4,000 deaths in 24 hours for first time
Brazil has recorded more than 4,000 Covid-related deaths in 24 hours for the first time, as a more contagious variant fuel a surge in cases.
Hospitals are overcrowded, with people dying as they wait for treatment in some cities, and the health system is on the brink of collapse in many areas.
The country’s total death toll is now almost 337,000, second only to the US. – BBC World
Covid: Moderna vaccine UK rollout to begin in Wales
BBC News says a third Covid–19 vaccine will be rolled out across Wales from Wednesday with patients in Carmarthenshire becoming the first in the UK to receive it.
The Moderna vaccine was approved as safe and effective for use in the UK in January this year.
Supplies arrived in Wales on Tuesday, with 5,000 doses sent to Hywel Dda University Health Board vaccination centres.
Labour MP praises church where pastor opposed LGBT+ rights amid Starmer visit row
The Independent says a Labour MP has provoked anger by praising a church whose pastor opposed gay rights despite the party’s leader Keir Starmer apologising for visiting it.
Stephen Timms was accused of “trolling” LGBT+ people after praising the “extraordinary work” of Jesus House for All the Nations in Brent, north London.
His comment came hours after Sir Keir accepted it was a “mistake” for him to visit the church, which has opened up as a vaccination centre, last week.
Amnesty International condemns rich countries for hoarding Covid-19 vaccines
France24 says richer countries are failing a “rudimentary” test of global solidarity by hoarding Covid vaccines, Amnesty International said as it accused China and others of exploiting the pandemic to undermine human rights.
In its report, it said the health crisis had exposed “broken” policies and that cooperation was the only way forward.
“The pandemic has cast a harsh light on the world’s inability to cooperate effectively and equitably,” said Agnes Callamard, who was appointed Amnesty’s secretary general last month.
Iranian ship linked to IRGC attacked in Red Sea
Arab News says an Iranian ship linked to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) has been attacked in the Red Sea.
The Saviz was hit by limpet mines, Iran’s Tasnim news agency reported on Tuesday. The attack took place off the coast of Eritrea and led to several injuries.
The New York Times reported, citing an unnamed American official, that Israelis had informed the US that its forces had hit the vessel at about 7:30 a.m. local time. The attack was carried out as a retaliation for strikes on Israeli vessels and that the Iranian ship had sustained damage below the water line, according to the official.
India sees record 115,736 new COVID cases, night curfew in Delhi
Aljazeera says India on Wednesday reported a record 115,736 new coronavirus infections, taking the total to more than 12.8 million cases, data from the health ministry showed.
The death toll in the world’s third-worst-hit nation after the US and Brazil reached 166,177, including 630 new fatalities, the most in four days.
On Monday, India reported more than 100,000 cases for the first time since the pandemic began last year. Nearly 97,000 cases were registered on Tuesday.
Americans lose their faith, as church membership sees downward spiral
TRT World says a poisonous political climate is increasingly driving Americans away from organised religion.
Despite being governed by a party steeped in political Christianity over the past fours years or perhaps because of it, Americans are increasingly abandoning established churches.
In a first, church membership in the US has declined to below 47 percent, according to a survey by Gallup. The figures are down from 70 percent two decades ago and speak to a trend of declining religiosity and how Americans process religious identity.
Biden Mulls US Boycott of Beijing Olympics
VOA says the political dispute over a new election law in the southern state of Georgia has broadened into a debate over whether the US should participate in a boycott of the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing, China.
On Tuesday, State Department spokesperson Ned Price acknowledged the U.S. will discuss with allies whether to jointly boycott the games to protest Beijing’s repression of minorities and major human rights abuses.
“A coordinated approach will be not only in our interest but also in the interest of our allies and partners,” he told reporters at a daily briefing. But he stressed that no final decision has been reached.
Live Updates
Covid: Moderna vaccine UK rollout to begin in Wales
Amnesty International condemns rich countries for hoarding Covid-19 vaccines
India sees record 115,736 new COVID cases, night curfew in Delhi
Americans lose their faith, as church membership sees downward spiral
Biden Mulls US Boycott of Beijing Olympics
Wednesday’s front pages lead with the prospect of foreign travel this summer and the Oxford jab children trial being paused.
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Jab blood clot concerns
The Guardian’s front splash leads with the latest news on the Oxford vaccine, as an investigation is launched into a possible link with rare blood clots in adults. A trial of the vaccine in children has stopped giving out the jab.
The PM has set out to reassure the people about its safety, and urges the public to take the vaccine when offered. Scientists have stressed side-effects are extremely rare and the benefits of the jab were great, the paper adds.
Read the full story on the Guardian
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The Times also leads with the pause on the Oxford jab. The Oxford team running the trial on children say they had seen no specific safety concerns, the paper says. The Times adds that European regulators will decide soon whether evidence suggests a causal link between the jab and blood clots.
Read the full story on the Times
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The Daily Telegraph is also leading with the story. The paper has spoken to a government adviser who said the rollout should be paused for younger people until regulators have issued firm guidance on the safety of the Oxford jab. Though the adviser was speaking in a personal capacity – she suggests slowing down the rollout to maintain public confidence.
Read the full story on the Daily Telegraph
Summer hols hope
The prospect of a trip abroad is also making the front of a few papers.
The Metro is focused on the likely cost of travelling abroad this summer. According to the paper, citing consumer group Which?, travellers could face a £420 per person bill for specific COVID tests. The paper quotes a warning from EasyJet boss who says foriegn holidays will only be”for people who can afford it” and urged the government to allow the cheaper lateral flow tests to be used instead.
Read the full story on the Metro
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The Daily Express also says there is “hope” for summer holidays, but its main story is on Mr Johnson’s latest comments about lockdown. As he visited an AstraZeneca lab, the PM insisted he is sticking to the roadmap out of lockdown and the government will continue to “build up defences”, despite warnings of a third wave that could hit the UK.
Read the full story on the Daily Express
Kim Kardashian West joins billionaire club – BBC Business
Deliveroo riders poised to strike as unconditional trading for shares begins – Sky Business
Mayor of London election: Sadiq Khan pledges to name London Overground lines – CITY AM
Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp: We got what we deserved in defeat at Real Madrid – Read on
Masters 2021: Bryson DeChambeau excited by ‘secret’ club for Augusta National title tilt – Read on
Great Britain’s Sarah Davies wins weightlifting silver at European Championships – 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