Britons aged 18-29 will be offered an alternative to the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine where available, government advisors have decided. Currently, the UK is also rolling out the Pfizer jab, and the first doses of the Moderna vaccine were administered today in Wales. The decision from the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation follows a review of
Politics
Carbon emissions from England’s £27.4bn roadbuilding scheme will be about 100 times greater than the government has claimed, expert witnesses have told a court. The government has said the carbon impact of its “Road Investment Strategy 2” (RIS2) will be too small to be material, at just 0.28 megatonnes (Mt) of CO2 equivalent from October
Senate minority leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) says that corporations should stay out of politics and stop inserting themselves into debates over divisive issues. #CNN #News
Boris Johnson has not “given up” on allowing Britons to jet abroad from 17 May as he raised the prospect of holidaymakers being able to use cheaper and faster COVID tests on their return to the UK. Under the prime minister’s roadmap for lifting lockdown restrictions, international travel without a reasonable excuse will not be
The later stages of Boris Johnson’s roadmap for ending lockdown restrictions in England could cause coronavirus infection rates to surge, the government’s scientific advisers have warned. At a Downing Street briefing yesterday, the prime minister said he plans to stick “like glue” to his plans for easing current measures. He confirmed that step two –
Boris Johnson is set to announce plans for COVID passports, overseas travel and whether the next step out of lockdown will happen next week. The prime minister will hold a 5pm news conference today after he chairs a virtual meeting of the COVID-19 Operations (COVID O) committee, which formulates and advises Mr Johnson on coronavirus
Former presidents traditionally try to build their legacies by taking on charitable endeavors; Donald Trump is offering “personalized greetings” to supporters on his website. CNN’s Jim Acosta discusses with Trump biographer Michael D’Antonio, who says the move is an effort to expand his mailing list. #JimAcosta #CNN #News
Free, rapid twice-weekly COVID-19 testing for everyone in England is being promised by the government – starting this Friday. It is aimed at people without symptoms, because one in three people with coronavirus don’t have them and may be spreading the virus unwittingly. The government says the offer is currently for England only and the
Boris Johnson has said Britain can look forward to “brighter days ahead” while Sir Keir Starmer has said “it’s a time for hope and renewal” as the country celebrates Easter. The Prime Minister said it had been a “very tough” year, but said the holiday brought with it new hope. “And, this year more than
Boris Johnson is poised to announce some Easter Monday good news, with home and away lockdown-easing moves as part of his COVID roadmap to freedom. At home, he is launching nine “vaccine passport” pilots from mid-April, including three football showpieces at Wembley, and four night-time entertainment trials in Liverpool. And away, he is preparing for
Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer has been criticised by members of his own party for visiting a church that has homophobic links. LGBT+ Labour said the visit to Jesus House in north London was “unacceptable”. Sources confirmed that the leader of the opposition‘s office had offered an “unreserved apology” to the group. Image: Sir Keir
Legendary sportscaster and CNN contributor Bob Costas reacts to news that Major League Baseball is moving the All-Star Game and draft from Atlanta in response to Georgia’s recently passed laws that placed new restrictions on voting. #CNN #News
The prime minister has warned people not to meet others from different households indoors over Easter, even if they have had a coronavirus vaccine. Boris Johnson made the call in a video posted on his official Twitter account, asking questions sent in to the government about his roadmap for easing COVID-19 restrictions. Live COVID updates
Former GOP lawmaker Charlie Dent discusses the revelations in former Republican House Speaker John Boehner’s book about the Republican party and Fox News. #JohnBoehner #CNN #Newday
Pakistan, Kenya, Bangladesh and the Philippines have been added to England’s coronavirus red list. The move, which will take effect from 4am on Friday, 9 April, is in response to concerns about new variants of COVID-19, like those first detected in South Africa and Brazil. It means international visitors who have departed from or transited
More than 70 MPs – including more than 40 Conservatives – have sent a warning shot to Boris Johnson by forming a major cross-party campaign against the use of vaccine passports within the UK. The prime minister has said there will “definitely” be a role for vaccine passports for Britons heading abroad, with it reported
The prime minister’s most senior black adviser is to step down from the government. Samuel Kasumu will leave his role as special adviser for civil society and communities in May. It comes a day after a government-backed review of racial disparities in Britain was published. The Commission on Race and Ethnic Disparities’ 2458-page report was
An immediate review of safeguarding policies in schools has been launched after more than 10,000 reports were posted on a website for students to share experiences of sexual harassment and abuse. The government has asked Ofsted to look at the extent and the severity of the issue and ensure both state and independent schools have
The UK is no longer a country “where the system is deliberately rigged against ethnic minorities”, a government-ordered review has said. The Independent Commission on Race and Ethnic Disparities – which was appointed by Prime Minister Boris Johnson following last summer’s Black Lives Matter protests – has published its 258-page report on inequality in Britain.