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Starwatch: follow the moon to the Winter Hexagon

The moon will guide you to a fun asterism this week called the Winter Hexagon. Asterisms are patterns made by connecting stars, whereas constellations are the areas of the sky that contain the asterisms. Not all asterisms belong to a single constellation, however. This week’s pattern joins seven stars from six different constellations. The chart shows the view from London, looking south at 22.00GMT on 25 January. The almost full moon will be...

From factory to faraway village: behind India's mammoth vaccination drive

From factory to faraway village: behind India's mammoth vaccination drive

Biden set to reimpose travel ban on UK and EU over fears of new COVID variants

US President Joe Biden will reimpose a number of travel bans that were repealed by his predecessor.

Thousands of EU care workers in UK face losing immigration status

Thousands of care workers in the UK risk being criminalised and losing their right to work overnight, according to a new report that issues a stark warning about a lack of knowledge of the EU settlement scheme. The Joint Council for the Welfare of Immigrants (JCWI) warns that the care sector faces being “devastated” at a time when it has already been brought to its knees by the coronavirus pandemic, as a large cohort of its workforce are unaware...

Reigning champion Chiefs dump Bills 38-24 in AFC title game

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — It took the Kansas City Chiefs five frustrating decades to make their third Super Bowl appearance. Now, the defending champs are headed there for the second straight year. Showing no lingering effects from his concussion, Patrick Mahomes sliced up Buffalo's secondary with ruthless efficiency Sunday night, helping the Chiefs roll to a 38-24 victory over Josh Allen and the Bills in the AFC championship game. The reigning...

English and Scottish get drunk most often, 25-nation survey finds

The English and Scottish have topped an international league table of how often people get so drunk that they lose their balance and slur their speech. The Global Drugs Survey (GDS) for 2020 suggests the UK’s drink problem is far more dangerous than use of any other drug. More than 5% of people under 25 in the UK reported having sought hospital treatment after getting drunk, compared with a global average of 2%. The GDS report noted: “Seeking...

Exclusive: Taiwan ministry says TSMC will prioritise auto chips if possible

Exclusive: Taiwan ministry says TSMC will prioritise auto chips if possible

Man to be sentenced for ‘disturbing’ murders of wife and pensioner

Brave passer-by Sandra Seagrave, 76, was killed after rushing to the aid of beloved schoolteacher Amy Appleton.

'Ground-breaking' unmanned combat aircraft project in Northern Ireland

More than 100 jobs will be supported by production of a new unmanned combat aircraft in Northern Ireland.

British Virgin Islands at a crossroads as outgoing governor decries corruption

The shuffling of diplomats around the UK’s Caribbean territories rarely makes much of a splash. But Gus Jaspert ensured his last days as governor of the British Virgin Islands would be remembered. In an emotional Facebook video post to the BVI’s 30,000 inhabitants, he accused the country’s government of overseeing a “plague” of corruption, interfering in the criminal justice system and attempting to silence anyone who raised concerns about the...

Prince William's candid confession about home schooling during Covid lockdown

PRINCE WILLIAM has admitted that home schooling his children has tested his patience and found him wanting in his knowledge of maths.

Coronavirus vaccine: 6.3 million receive jab

‘You don’t have a country’: Ten years after Egypt uprise, exiles disillusioned

When Egyptians first took to the streets on January 25, 2011, their numbers quickly swelled in Cairo's Tahrir Square, state security forces backed off and, within less than three weeks, then-president Hosni Mubarak stepped down. But a decade later, thousands are estimated to have fled abroad to escape the government of President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, which many consider to be even more oppressive. The loss of academics, artists, journalists and...

Four face court charged with criminal damage after toppling of Colston statue

The bronze memorial to the 17th century slave merchant was pulled down during a Black Lives Matter protest in June 2020.

Russian hack of US agencies exposed supply chain weaknesses

WASHINGTON (AP) — The elite Russian hackers who gained access to computer systems of federal agencies last year didn't bother trying to break one by one into the networks of each department. Instead, they got inside by sneaking malicious code into a software update pushed out to thousands of government agencies and private companies. It wasn't surprising that hackers were able to exploit vulnerabilities in what's known as the supply chain to...

Splintered coalition reflects fate of Egypt's uprising a decade on

Splintered coalition reflects fate of Egypt's uprising a decade on

Sarah Huckabee Sanders is reportedly going to run for governor of Arkansas

There could soon be another Huckabee in the Arkansas Governor's Mansion. Sarah Huckabee Sanders, former President Donald Trump's second White House press secretary, is expected to announced on Monday that she will run for governor of Arkansas, two people familiar with the matter told NBC News. Her father, Mike Huckabee, served as Arkansas' governor from 1996 to 2007. Due to term limits, Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson (R) will be out of office in...

Mexican officials confirm President López Obrador has COVID

Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador,, revealed he's tested positive for COVID-19 and is isolating at home with 'mild' symptoms.

Mexican president's past health woes sharpen focus on COVID-19 diagnosis

Mexican president's past health woes sharpen focus on COVID-19 diagnosis

Spanish officials under fire for jumping queue for Covid-19 vaccine

A steady drip-feed of public officials admitting to having been vaccinated ahead of priority groups has sparked uproar on social media in Spain at a time when several regions are tightening restrictions in an effort to curb a spike in infections. Several local mayors admitted to getting vaccinated before their turn, while the regional health chief of the exclave of Ceuta was heavily criticised both for getting vaccinated early and for saying he...

Ivanka Trump discusses being 'competitive' like her father in 2014

Ivanka Trump discusses her 'competitive' nature and her relationship with her father Donald in 2014. Ivanka says 'he told me that if you dream, you may as well dream big'.

What the papers say – January 25

Many of Monday’s papers are led by the education implications of the pandemic.

Japanese PM faces mounting pressure over pandemic response

Japanese PM faces mounting pressure over pandemic response

NHS trusts urge people to 'walk like penguins' through the snow

With yet more freezing temperatures expected in the UK today, NHS trusts have issued an odd edict urging members of the public to 'walk like penguins' in order to avoid falls in the snow.

Joe Biden to drop Donald Trump’s military transgender ban – reports

Mr Biden has been widely expected to overturn the Trump policy in his early days in office.

Covid: Tories revolt as government fails to guarantee school reopenings by Easter

Conservative MPs have heaped pressure on the government to get children in England back to school as quickly as possible after the health secretary warned any return may be pushed back beyond the Easter break. Schools have been off limits to most since the beginning of the year, with only vulnerable pupils and the children of critical workers allowed to attend to limit the spread of the coronavirus. While the government never set a formal end to...

Pressure grows on PM to reopen schools amid warning children are pandemic's 'forgotten victims'

The prime minister and education secretary are coming under increasing pressure to reopen schools.

Queen ‘lacked confidence' but kept monarchy alive with ‘mystique' author claims

THE QUEEN lacked "confidence" at the start of her reign but kept the monarchy alive while remaining mysterious, a royal biographer has claimed.

EU backlash: French doctor predicts RIOTS over coronavirus vaccines amid delay chaos

CORONAVIRUS vaccine delays in the European Union may cause an "explosive" situation with riots, a French doctor has claimed.

Cabinet row as ministers consider plans to bus arrivals to hotels for quarantine

Cabinet row as ministers consider plans to bus arrivals to hotels for quarantine

Parents' fury at schools shambles with no return for kids expected until after Easter

As classes could remain shut as late as May, setting disadvantaged pupils back even further, angry parents are demanding the PM gets a grip on the situation

Meghan Markle brought ‘charisma' to royal family and made Harry ‘better man' author says

MEGHAN MARKLE brought a certain "something" to the Royal Family "that is no longer there," a royal expert has said.

Nicola Sturgeon SAVAGED for ‘prioritising independence over coronavirus'

NICOLA STURGEON has come under fire on social media with critics accusing the SNP leader of prioritising a second independence referendum over the fight against coronavirus.

US-UK trade deal: Boris Johnson charms US President Joe Biden over shared love of trains

BORIS JOHNSON and Joe Biden held their first telephone conversation on Sunday, bonding over their shared love of trains.

White House, bipartisan group of lawmakers discuss Biden's COVID-19 relief plan

White House officials and 16 moderate Democratic and Republican senators discussed President Biden's $1.9 trillion coronavirus relief plan on Sunday, The Washington Post reports, with several lawmakers saying they want to see aid targeted to those who are most in need. The hourlong Zoom call was organized by Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) and led by National Economic Council Director Brian Deese. Biden has called for unity and wants to see...

Ivanka Trump: ‘Nervous' Florida senator quizzed amid rumoured Senate challenge

IVANKA TRUMP could be poised to start her new political career with a challenge for the Florida Senate.

Yes the DUP voted to Leave but some other unionists didn’t read the anti EU mood of the silent majority

A letter from Bobby Baxter:

Pets may need to be vaccinated to stop Covid-19 spread, scientists suggest

Cats and dogs may be the a concern in the not too distant future as we look at controlling the spread of coronavirus

Why Christina Ricci filed a restraining order against her husband

A Minute Of Kindness: The Military Veterans Who Cleaned DC Streets After Capitol Riot

After the deadly insurrection of the US Capitol carried out by pro-Trump supporters, a group of veterans helped to clean the streets of Washington, D.C. and remove the marks left by the hatred and violence of January 6th. The effort was organised by the non-profit group Continue to Serve, a group of military veterans who support social justice causes including Black Lives Matter, voter safety and immigration.

Nicola Sturgeon announces extension to Scotland lockdown

First Minister Nicola Sturgeon announces an extension to the national lockdown in Scotland.

The Poltergeist review – you are invited to a new circle of hell

Philip Ridley’s interest in the dramatic monologue long precedes the pandemic, even if the form has since become the central, Covid-secure medium for playwrights. What is marked about this one-man play about family dysfunction and wasted genius is the absence of any signs of our current reality, and it feels all the more liberating for it. It was the same with Ridley’s lockdown series, The Beast Will Rise, comprising 14 theatrical monologues on...

What are the most common surnames in Oceania?

Kate Middleton and William: Expert on 'glance' at Anmer Hall

A royal expert discusses having a 'good glance' at the inside of Anmer Hall. She says it is 'on par' with everything Prince William and Kate Middleton talk about.

Chiefs, Buccaneers to face off in Super Bowl LV

The Kansas City Chiefs defeated the Buffalo Bills 38-24 on Sunday night, securing the team's spot in Super Bowl LV against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The Chiefs are now heading to their second consecutive Super Bowl, hoping to become the eighth NFL franchise to win back-to-back titles. The Chiefs were down 9-0 to start, but led by quarterback Patrick Mahomes, the team made a quick comeback, scoring 21 straight points. The Chiefs also had one of...

Prince Harry owning Diana legacy is a 'problem' says expert

Royal Expert Katie Nicholl says Prince Harry taking 'ownership' of the Diana legacy will be a 'problem' for Prince William and Kate Middleton.

Large parts of UK wake up to winter wonderland

Boris Johnson is 'scared' of democracy says Nicola Sturgeon

Boris Johnson is 'scared' of democracy according to Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon. She says Boris Johnson 'fears' the will of the Scottish people.

FILE PHOTO: An employee of the El Viso nursing home, Yadira Toral holds a vial of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine, as the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak continues, in Madrid, Spain January 7, 2021.

FILE PHOTO: An employee of the El Viso nursing home, Yadira Toral holds a vial of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine, as the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak continues, in Madrid, Spain January 7, 2021.

‘It's Obviously A Lot Easier When You Have More Shared Values’ - Jacinda Ardern On Biden As President

New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern says it is “obviously easier” with "more shared values”, when pressed on her feelings about President Donald Trump versus the current US President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris. Britain’s Prime Minister Boris Johnson said that being “woke” was “important for everybody”.