News

Where is the AstraZeneca vaccine made? How Oxford Covid jab is manufactured, after UK supply concerns

AstraZeneca, which produces a vaccine with Oxford University, informed the EU last that it was falling behind its supply target

The ugly truth of the Holocaust should never be suffocated by propaganda and conspiracy

Holocaust Memorial Day is a good moment to think about how and when we memorialise historic events. Over the summer we witnessed a revolt about honouring slave traders and the like, even if inadvertently and sometimes unknowingly. Statues and monuments are an expression by a community of thanks, and a warning from history. They fail if a community no longer wishes to thank the person and if the known reality of that history is partial or...

The government’s duty is to protect the nation and preserve life at all costs – it has failed on both counts

The news that Britain has passed 100,000 Covid deaths fills me with heart-wrenching sorrow. Such a high death toll – and the highest death rate on the planet – was not inevitable. The government's number one duty is to protect the nation. The government's absolute priority should always be to preserve life at all costs. Tragically, the government failed on these counts. It acted too slowly, too late, too half-heartedly not once, but...

Holocaust Memorial Day 2021: What the date marks, when it happens and events to watch online in the UK

The theme for Holocaust Memorial Day 2021 will be 'be the light in the darkness'

First-look at Kristen Stewart as Princess Diana in upcoming film Spencer

A first-look image of actress Kristen Stewart as Diana, Princess of Wales in the upcoming film Spencer, has been released. The film will tell the story of a weekend in the early 1990s when Diana reportedly decided her marriage to the Prince of Wales was failing. Stewart said of the film: “Spencer is a dive inside an emotional imagining of who Diana was at a pivotal turning point in her life. “It is a physical assertion of the sum of her parts,...

Homecare workers in England still not being tested, say families

Around 120,000 of England’s most vulnerable families are being forced to play “Russian roulette” with Covid because care workers who visit their homes are not being tested despite a government pledge. Personal assistants who deliver care at the homes of people with chronic conditions such as cerebral palsy and quadriplegia are not being screened for the virus and have transmitted infection, families said. Three weeks ago the Department of Health...

Boyfriend, flatmates, then alone: I’ve spent every lockdown in a different home – here’s what I’ve learnt

I will never forget the day that Boris Johnson announced the UK would be going into lockdown in March 2020. I was in the check-in queue at Cancun airport, where I was due to fly back to London. It was a surreal experience, to say the least: listening to the prime minister’s speech, rendered patchy by the airport’s free Wifi, and recounting the details to fellow Brits, all of whom were, like me, anxiously anticipating what awaited us at home....

Royal Navy personnel among staff administering vaccines at Bath Racecourse

The centre opened to the public on Wednesday.

Doomsday Clock remains at closest point ever to midnight

The coronavirus pandemic is cited as one of the main reasons why the clock’s position has not changed this year.

GameStop: Reddit users claim victory as $13bn hedge fund closes position, accepting huge losses

A $13bn hedge fund has been left with huge losses after an army of amateur investors coordinating via social media pumped up the price of video game retailer GameStop tenfold in just a few weeks. Melvin Capital had bet against GameStop by short-selling its shares, meaning it stood to gain if the price went down and lose if it went up. Members of the Reddit thread “wallstreetbets” decided to pile in to GameStop with the aim of pushing up the...

Britain clears Boeing 737 MAX for return to service

UK-BOEING-737MAX-BRITAIN:Britain clears Boeing 737 MAX for return to service

Older ethnic minority adults less likely to have been vaccinated – study

But the researchers say that the data only looked at the immediate beginnings of the vaccine drive.

Tributes paid to talented young footballer killed in stabbing incident

Josh Dunne, 16, had recently gone for trials with Dundee United in the Scottish Premiership and had caught the eye of several other clubs.

Founder of British-Sikh charity ‘humbled’ by Nobel Peace Prize nomination

The CEO of the humanitarian charity, Ravi Singh, said the nomination felt like ‘we won already’.

Super Bowl 2021 odds: Betting preview, points spread, money lines and more

While the action on the field takes centre stage, the Super Bowl always creates a storm surrounding the gambling industry with thousands of bets available on every part of the NFL’s showcase event. This year we see last season’s champions, the Kansas City Chiefs, take on the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, who have the luxury of being able to play the big game at their own home, Raymond James Stadium, for the first time in the league’s history. Tom Brady...

Climate crisis: world now at its hottest for 12,000 years

The planet is now hotter than it has been for at least 12,000 years, a period spanning the entire development of human civilisation, according to new research. The analysis of ocean surface temperatures shows human-driven climate change has put the world in “uncharted territory”, the scientists say. The planet may even be at its warmest for 125,000 years, although data from that period is less certain. The research, published in the journal...

i’s Magic Breakfast appeal: Jon Richardson and Lucy Beaumont call for a ‘National Food Service’

Food poverty is no laughing matter for Beaumont, whose home and work life with husband Jon Richardson was fictionalised in sitcom Meet The Richardsons

UK Records 1,725 More Coronavirus Deaths In 24 Hours

The UK has recorded 1,725 more Covid-related deaths since Tuesday – the second highest total of the pandemic. The highest number of deaths recorded on a single day was 1,820 on January 20. Wednesday’s figure brings the total number of fatalities to 101,887 since the pandemic began. That refers to people who have died within 28 days of first testing positive for coronavirus. But as with all daily deaths updates, it doesn’t mean all these victims...

Marjorie Taylor Greene: GOP leader McCarthy to take action on conspiracy comments

Republican House leader Kevin McCarthy will speak with Marjorie Taylor Greene about the series of inflammatory social media posts from before she took office that came to light this week. CNN found comments and likes made from the Georgia representative’s Facebook account that included apparent calls for the execution of senior Democrats, as well as endorsements of disturbing conspiracy theories linked to QAnon. A member of the GOP leader’s...

HS2 dig uncovers one of the best preserved examples of Elizabethan gardens

The once-sprawling gardens had been totally unknown until archaeologists discovered the site.

Biden news – live: President unveils climate crisis executive orders as chances of Trump impeachment fade

Joe Biden is signing three executive actions on Wednesday designed to tackle the climate crisis, including one order pausing new oil and gas leases being granted on federal lands, another directing the government to acquire electric vehicles and a third formally establishing an office of domestic climate policy under John Kerry and Gina McCarthy. A new Morning Consult poll has meanwhile found that Mr Biden’s predecessor, Donald Trump, remains...

Bill Gates surprised by pandemic conspiracies

Microsoft co-founder turned philanthropist Bill Gates says he has been taken aback by the volume of 'crazy' and 'evil' conspiracy theories about him spreading on social media during the COVID-19 pandemic.

March 8 targeted as earliest possible date to begin reopening England’s schools

Boris Johnson acknowledged the news would be frustrating for parents, pupils and teachers.

Global shark and ray population crashed more than 70% in past 50 years – study

The global population of sharks and rays has crashed by more than 70% in the past 50 years, researchers have determined for the first time, with massive ongoing losses pushing many species towards extinction. A huge increase in fishing since 1970 has ravaged the abundance of sharks and rays in our oceans, with previously widespread species such as hammerhead sharks now facing the threat of being wiped out, the study found. Half of the world’s 31...

I’m an Auschwitz survivor – what happened in the Holocaust must never be forgotten

My name is Freda Wineman and I survived the Holocaust. I start by sharing my name because the Nazis attempted to take that from me. They tattooed me with the number A.7181; they tried to take everything that made me human. They murdered my parents, my brother and countless other members of my family. But I lived to tell my story. Today is Holocaust Memorial Day. On this day we remember the 6 million Jewish men, women and children – my friends,...

Hospital incursions by Covid deniers putting lives at risk, say leaders

Lives are being put at risk and the care of patients disrupted by a spate of hospital incursions from Covid-19 deniers whose online activity is channelling hatred against NHS staff, say healthcare and police chiefs. In the latest example of a growing trend, a group of people were ejected by security from a Covid-19 ward last week as one of them filmed staff, claimed that the virus was a hoax and demanded that a seriously ill patient be sent home...

Holocaust Memorial Day: Honouring all victims

This year, Holocaust Memorial Day will remember those murdered under Nazi rule during WW2 and all the victims of other genocides.

US to indict Capitol rioters this week as FBI tracks down 400 suspects

The federal prosecutor investigating the riot at the Capitol said indictments could be issued this week. The FBI is working to find more than 400 suspects in the investigation. Acting US Attorney for the District of Columbia, Michael Sherwin, said during a briefing on Tuesday that more than 135 people have been arrested so far in connection to the violent overthrow of the Capitol building on 6 January. The Department of Justice expects the...

Fiction prize renamed in honour of Margaret Atwood and late partner Graeme Gibson

Margaret Atwood has said that her late partner, the writer Graeme Gibson, would have been “very tickled” that a Canadian literary prize is being renamed after the couple, to honour their “unwavering commitment to supporting Canadian culture”. Gibson, who died in 2019, and Atwood were two of the five co-founders of the Writers’ Trust of Canada in 1976. On Wednesday, the organisation said that because of their “tireless efforts to build structural...

Is lockdown extended? When Covid rules could end, review date and why schools won’t reopen before March

Boris Johnson has indicated that Covid lockdown restrictions will remain in place until at least Monday 8 March, when a 'gradual and phased' easing could begin

UK introduces mandatory hotel quarantine for travellers back from 'red list' countries

UK nationals and residents returning from "red list" countries will be placed in quarantine in government-provided accommodation.

Russian police raid Alexei Navalny's home and offices

Police have raided Alexei Navalny’s apartment and the headquarters of his Anti-Corruption Committee in Moscow after investigators opened a new inquiry into last week’s mass protests, for allegedly violating coronavirus restrictions. On Wednesday evening, police banged at the door of Yulia Navalnaya, the Kremlin critic’s wife, who yelled back that her lawyer was on the way. At the same time, a close Navalny ally, Lyubov Sobol, demanded that...

Moderna is in talks with the US for an additional 100 million doses

With the 200 million coronavirus vaccine doses already purchased last year, this would bring the federal's government's confirmed order with Moderna to 300 million doses

Amanda Gorman: Joe Biden’s inaugural poet to take part in Super Bowl pregame show

Amanda Gorman, the acclaimed poet who read at Joe Biden’s inauguration, will be featured during the Super Bowl pregame show. Good Morning America reported on Wednesday that Gorman has joined the pregame schedule. GMA host Robin Roberts teased “a very special addition to the pregame festivities” during the morning’s broadcast. NFL officials told TMZ that “the recitation of the poem will air nationally on CBS and be featured in-stadium”. Gorman’s...

Children as young as 12 ‘queued to use drug den’

A drug den was being frequented by children as young as 12, a council has reported. The terraced house is located on Selbourne Street in Newport, Middlesbrough. Metal screens had been erected to cover the doors and windows. Children were also seen there, forming a queue outside the house with other users. Middlesbrough Council worked with Cleveland Police to carry out the shutdown operation after they received a series of complaints. This...

‘Making up for lost time’: Biden issues stack of executive actions to tackle climate crisis after four years of Trump

President Joe Biden announced on Wednesday a pause on new oil and gas leasing on US public lands and waters, one of a stack of executive orders to tackle the climate crisis. The president is outlining a number of plans at the White House to swiftly reverse Trump administration policies on energy and the environment. The moratorium on oil and gas sales directs the Secretary of the Interior to put a hold on entering into new fossil fuel leases on...

Stormont minister urges common sense solution to problem with protocol

A three-month grace period for supermarkets sending goods from Great Britain to Northern Ireland finishes on March 31.

CPS denies major change in rape charging policy despite falling rates

The Crown Prosecution Service has denied major changes to its approach to charging rape at a landmark legal hearing at the court of appeal. Lawyers for the Centre for Women’s Justice (CWJ) and the End Violence Against Women (EVAW) coalition had argued on Tuesday that the CPS “raised the bar” for the charging of serious sexual crimes between 2016 and 2018, leading to “systemic illegality” in decision-making and a collapse in charging. They argued...

A Place In The Sun's Laura Hamilton fumes as 'picky' couple reject every property

Laura found herself frustrated after the holiday-makers shared their distaste for a string of gorgeous homes

UK government open to further Russia sanctions over Navalny detention

Britain will keep the option of further sanctions against Russian individuals over the detention of opposition leader Alexei Navalny under review, a foreign office minister has said, Speaking in the Commons on Wednesday Wendy Morton was urged by some MPs to freeze the assets of more individuals, including Russian oligarchs involved in English football. Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich and Everton-linked Alisher Usmanov were named by detained...

Prime Minister targets March 8 as earliest date for reopening England's schools

What is Donald Trump doing now? His future after leaving White House, and if he can run in 2024 election

'We love you, we will be back in some form,' Donald Trump told his supporters on inauguration day

Education Minister to present ‘options’ for Leaving Cert students

Pressure is mounting on Minister for Education Norma Foley to decide whether to press ahead with the year’s Leaving Cert in its usual format.

Empty seas: Oceanic shark populations dropped 71% since 1970

WASHINGTON (AP) — When marine biologist Stuart Sandin talks about sharks, it sounds like he’s describing Jedis of the ocean. “They are terrific predators, fast swimmers and they have amazing senses — they can detect any disturbance in the ocean from great distance,” such as smells or tiny changes in water currents. Their ability to quickly sense anything outside the norm in their environment helps them find prey in the vastness of the open...

‘Get it done’: The Wanted’s Tom Parker urges fans to get Covid vaccine

The Wanted star Tom Parker has urged fans to “get it done” after receiving his first coronavirus vaccination. The 32-year-old is undergoing treatment for a brain tumour and is therefore likely to be in a priority group for the clinically extremely vulnerable. Parker, from Bolton, Greater Manchester, shared a series of photos on his Instagram Stories showing him arriving at a vaccination centre wearing a face mask. “Just get it done so we can all...

What time is Boris Johnson’s announcement today? When to watch the next Covid update live and what to expect

Boris Johnson will deliver the next Covid press conference on Wednesday after he addressed the UK's coronavirus death toll passing 100,000 in yesterday's briefing

Best universal remotes 2021: Take control of your TV with these versatile picks

Best universal remotes 2021: Take control of your TV with these versatile picks

Intensive pig and chicken farming on the rise in the UK despite huge public opposition

Soil Association warns public mistrust of ‘US-style’ food system is growing

EXPLAINER: Why India's farmers are revolting against PM Modi

NEW DELHI (AP) — A sea of tens of thousands of farmers riding tractors and horses stormed India’s historic Red Fort this week — a dramatic escalation of their protests, which are posing a major challenge to Prime Minister Narendra Modi's government. The AP explains what is at the heart of two months of demonstrations and what it means for Modi's government. WHO IS PROTESTING? Most of the protesters are farmers from northern Punjab and Haryana...

Nicola Sturgeon slams Boris Johnson's hotel quarantine plan before it's announced

The Prime Minister is expected to imminently announce a plan for people travelling from Covid 'red zones' to quarantine in hotels - but Scotland's FM thinks it doesn't go far enough