[ad_1]
Main article: NHS is running out of beds, figures show
Good morning to all. I am Martin Farrer and these are the best stories of today.
Millions of people across the UK are faced with living under the tightest coronavirus restrictions until well into the new year as ministers scramble to contain the latest surge in cases and a growing number of NHS hospitals are left without beds. The crisis was highlighted when the country recorded its highest number of daily virus infections to date, 35,383, and hospital patients suffering from the disease rose to 18,000. As millions of people primarily focused on the south-eastern England commuter belt were subjected to Level 3 restrictions, experts warned that the tough measures could be in place until February and that the country would face “tough” months ahead. Most high school students in England have been told to study from home during the first week of the next term as part of the government’s plan to recruit teachers to screen children for the virus. Northern Ireland will enter a six-week lockdown on Boxing Day that will see non-essential retail and services shut down, while Scotland’s Deputy Prime Minister John Swinney said yesterday that another lockdown was a “possibility” due to a ” rising tide of Covid “. Wales has already announced a lockdown starting on Christmas Eve.
The growing number of cases is putting great pressure on the NHS. A Guardian analysis of the official figures shows that many hospitals are running out of beds and there were 44 cases last week in which hospitals had to tell ambulance teams to divert patients to another location, the highest number. in four years. French President Emmanuel Macron has tested positive for the virus as it continues to spread across Europe. He is believed to have contracted it at a European council meeting where he mixed with other leaders. In a rare rebuke to elected leaders, King Gustav of Sweden said that his government’s anti-lockdown Covid policies had “failed.” In the US, nearly 250,000 new cases were reported Wednesday and about 3,600 deaths were reported as regulators took another step toward approval of the Moderna vaccine. A new outbreak in Sydney’s North Beach area has prompted renewed restrictions on inter-state travel in Australia. Catch up on all the developments in the pandemic on our live blog.
‘Serious situation’ – Boris Johnson issued a gloomy assessment of the Brexit trade talks last night, describing them as in a “serious situation” after a balance call with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen. The prime minister repeated his suggestion that Britain was “very likely” to end a no-deal Brexit despite the European parliament agreeing to push back its deadline until Sunday. Fishing rights remain the biggest problem, and Downing Street said Johnson had told Von der Leyen that the UK “could not accept a situation where it was the only sovereign country in the world that it could not control” its own waters.
Rees-Mogg under fire – Jacob Rees-Mogg faces a backlash after he accused the United Nations children’s agency of a “political stunt” for announcing that he was feeding starving children in the UK for the first time. Speaking in the Commons, the chamber leader defended the government’s record on child poverty, saying the agency should be “ashamed of itself.” Liberal Democrat leader Ed Davey called his “mocking” comments a “modern version of ‘let them eat cake.” It is a pioneering scheme that provides free school meals to all primary school pupils in the London Borough of Newham who are facing the ax as a result of funding cuts.
Cyber alarm – The hacking of US government departments poses “a serious risk” for federal, state and local administrations, as well as for “critical infrastructure entities,” according to the federal cybersecurity agency. The attack, believed to be the work of Russian state-sponsored hackers, is even said to have targeted the agency responsible for the country’s nuclear weapons arsenal. The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency warned that it would be “very complex and challenging” to remove malware inserted by hackers through network software. On Thursday, it was reported that Microsoft found malicious software on its systems related to the hacking campaign.
Schoolboys freed – More than 300 schoolchildren kidnapped in Nigeria for almost a week have been released after their captors were surrounded by security forces. The group of 344 children was captured last Friday in a raid on a school in the rural town of Kankara in Katsina state, although it was unclear if all had been returned safely. The militant Islamist group Boko Haram had claimed responsibility.
Grace Millane murder – The man who murdered British backpacker Grace Millane lost an appeal against his conviction in a New Zealand court. The killer, who cannot be identified for legal reasons, strangled the British woman and then dumped her body in a forest.
Trump’s Agile Neighbors – Donald Trump’s appetite for court cases can be put to the test if he tries to live at his Mar-a Lago club in Florida when he leaves the White House. Residents of the area have written to Trump to remind him that a clause in his purchase of the property in 1993 means that he cannot live there for more than three non-consecutive weeks in a year, and that they are prepared to go to court to prevent it from doing so. . Trump is expected to make Florida his base after Jan.20 and has already moved his polling place to the Sunshine State.
Podcast Today in Focus
Control over the United States Senate will be decided in Georgia’s runoff elections on Jan. 5, and Democrats will challenge Republican rulers for the two state seats. Khushbu Shah, editor-in-chief of the Fuller Project, examines the contest and assesses what impact Georgia’s long history of voter suppression could have this time.
Georgia second round elections
Lunchtime Reading: Fiona Apple – ‘I Finally Believed’
Our countdown to our critics’ chosen No 1 album of the year climaxes today with Fiona Apple’s Fetch the Bolt Cutters named Best of 2020. During two interviews and more text messages, our Artist of the Year tells Laura Snapes what it’s about and explains how she finally found compassion for herself after the trauma and bullying.
Sport
Ole Gunnar Solskjær’s Manchester United was left behind early but rallied again to win 3-2 and leave Sheffield United stuck at a lonely point this Premier League season. Burnley have scored just six goals in their 12 league games this season, but came out of the relegation zone thanks to their refusal to concede a goal in a goalless draw with Aston Villa. Lucy Bronze said she will “remember this moment for the rest of her life” after becoming the first player for England and the first defender to win one of FIFA’s top awards, having been named the best player of the year. There was fury among the Premier League’s biggest clubs after an attempt to introduce five substitutes for the remainder of the season was thwarted for the third time.
Legal action against rugby union authorities has taken a decisive step forward with the firm representing nine players diagnosed with long-term brain injuries by sending pre-action claim letters to World Rugby, Rugby Football Union and Welsh Rugby. Union. Lewis Hamilton’s contract extension to continue racing in Formula One with Mercedes appears to have been sealed. Athletes and anti-doping groups have reacted with outrage after a four-year ban on Russia for state-sponsored doping violations was cut in half. And José de Sousa and Daryl Gurney were the biggest names in action on the third day of the PDC World Darts Championship, with both seeds overcoming scares to reach the third round.
Deal
The impact of the pandemic on consumer habits is revealed by an annual survey of supermarket spending that reveals a £ 2.5 billion increase in spending on lager, spirits and canned meat as people turned to BBQs instead of pub nights. San Miguel lager experienced the biggest boost, while Corona was also popular. On the other hand, there was a big drop in spending on makeup. The FTSE100 is expected to fall around 0.4% at the opening bell this morning, while the pound is down to $ 1.353 and € 1.105.
The papers
Growing alarm over the prospect of a third lockdown in England and risky politics around Brexit trade talks combine on some gloomy front pages. the Mail says “The bleakest winter” and Mirror The welcome title reads “Levels Before Chaos” as it predicts a “Free Christmas for All” in four days. the Times leads with “southern access points in danger of closure”, the me has “Millions More Stuck on the Hardest Level” and the guardian lead is “Revealed: More Hospitals With Few Beds Amid Rising Coronavirus.” the Sun It has Beatles legend Sir Paul McCartney urging people to get vaccinated. “Get vaccinated” says the headline. the Scottish reports on the worsening situation in Edinburgh: “The Covid spike makes the capital the hotspot for Scotland’s virus”, while the city Evening news It implores readers to follow the rules and “do the right thing.”
the Telegraph He also reports that a third lockdown is “imminent” in England, but his leadership is “Johnson urges the EU to take final steps towards the Brexit trade deal.” the FOOT also splashes on trade talks – “Brexit trade talks stalled in new dispute over state aid” – and the Quick goes by “Separate poles … Boris does not bend”.
Sign up
The Guardian’s morning briefing is sent to thousands of inboxes early every day of the week. If you are not receiving it by email yet, you can register here.
For more news: www.theguardian.com
