Boris Johnson has said ministers do not “want to make your choices for you about your social life” after England’s chief medical officer advised people to prioritise events that matter to them in the run-up to Christmas. Speaking to broadcasters on Thursday, the prime minister reiterated that people should be “cautious” in the next few
Politics
Large numbers of COVID patients ending up in hospital is a “nailed on prospect” as the Omicron variant spreads at an “absolutely phenomenal pace” across the country, England’s chief medical officer has warned. Professor Chris Whitty, speaking at a Downing Street news conference, warned the UK was facing “a really serious threat” from the new
COVID case records “will be broken a lot over the next few weeks” after the UK saw the highest number of daily infections since the start of the pandemic, England’s chief medical officer has warned. Speaking at a Downing Street news conference, Professor Chris Whitty suggested there were “two epidemics on top of one another”
Boris Johnson has suffered the biggest Conservative rebellion since the 2019 general election as almost 100 Tory MPs opposed the introduction of COVID certificates for nightclubs and large events in England. In a House of Commons vote that immediately raised further questions over the prime minister’s leadership, more than a quarter of Tory MPs opposed
Prime Minister Boris Johnson is to meet with the 1922 Committee of Conservative backbench MPs as pressure mounts ahead of crunch votes on Plan B coronavirus restrictions. Sky News understands that Mr Johnson will hold a “special meeting” with the committee at 5.30pm, an hour before MPs are due to vote on regulations. Plan B
Boris Johnson is facing the biggest Tory rebellion since the 2019 general election in a bitter Commons showdown with many of his own MPs over his Plan B COVID rules. Nearly 80 Conservative backbenchers have signalled they are prepared to vote against new regulations on face masks, isolating, vaccine passports and compulsory vaccinations for NHS
CNN political experts discuss a new report issued by the January 6 select committee about Mark Meadows’ communications around the Capitol insurrection, including his use of private email accounts, text messages and a messenger app. #CNN #News
Sajid Javid has urged the British public to “play your part” and get a COVID booster vaccine – warning that the UK is “once again in a race between the vaccine and the virus”. The heath secretary told Kay Burley that cases of Omicron are growing at a “phenomenal rate”, which is why the government
Britain is facing a “tidal wave” of infections from the new Omicron coronavirus variant, as they sound the alarm on rapid transmission rates in London and across the country. Prime Minister Boris Johnson set a new target of offering all adults a third shot by the end of December — a month earlier than originally
After deadly tornadoes devastated parts of Kentucky, Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY) asked President Biden for federal aid. However, the senator has a history of opposing aid for disaster victims. #CNN #News
Graves County Sheriff’s Deputy Chandler Sirls and Sergeant Richard Edwards describe escaping a tornado and rescuing a young girl in Mayfield, Kentucky. #CNN #News
Everyone aged 18 and over in England will have the chance to get their booster vaccine before the end of the year to combat the threat of rising Omicron variant cases, Boris Johnson has announced. The prime minister said he was launching the “Omicron Emergency Booster National Mission” to encourage everyone who is eligible to
CNN’s Jake Tapper reacts to the latest evidence uncovered by the House committee investigating January 6 showing how allies of former President Donald Trump explored ways to steal the 2020 election. #CNN #News
The Conservative Party is drifting into authoritarianism, a senior Tory MP has warned, as he confirmed he would oppose new coronavirus restrictions. Former Brexit minister Steve Baker told Sky News he believed at least 60 of his party colleagues at Westminster would join him in voting against the imposition of further COVID-19 measures by Boris
Boris Johnson has been accused of presiding over a “culture of disregard for the rules” after a picture emerged of him hosting a virtual quiz flanked by two colleagues in Downing Street last Christmas. The image, obtained by the Sunday Mirror, shows the PM on screen in his office reading out questions for Number 10
Some staff at the Treasury had office drinks while England was in lockdown last year. The Times reported that around two dozen civil servants were present for the drinks on 25 November, 2020. The group had been working on the Autumn Spending Review, the Treasury said. UK could see one million infections – COVID latest
Jeff Bezos’ rocket company, Blue Origin, sent “Good Morning America” host Michael Strahan, the daughter of famed astronaut Alan Shepard, and four paying customers to the edge of space. #CNN #News
The government has been “presented with some very challenging new information” about the Omicron variant and will keep restrictions “under review”, Michael Gove has said after he chaired a meeting of the COBRA emergency committee. Mr Gove headed the talks with first ministers and deputy first ministers of Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland to discuss
CNN’s Jessica Schneider, Joan Biskupic and Jeffrey Toobin explain the Supreme Court decision that allowed the controversial Texas abortion law to continue, but also allowed providers to sue. #CNN #News
There are pictures from parties in Downing Street during strict COVID restrictions that will “inevitably get out”, the prime minister’s former chief adviser has said – as two polls showed the Tories being overtaken by Labour. Dominic Cummings, who left Number 10 last November, made the claim about the images on his Twitter account. Downing