England’s economy will be unlocked gradually after schools hopefully return at the start of March, the vaccines minister has told Sky News. Nadhim Zahawi gave an insight into what Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s promised roadmap out of lockdown, earmarked to be announced on 22 February, will look like. He confirmed the government intends to start
Politics
Boris Johnson’s adviser tasked with protecting the UK union is set to leave the role amid heightened concern about the threat posed by Scottish independence campaigners. Luke Graham, who missed out on being re-elected as MP for Ochil and South Perthshire in the 2019 election despite the Conservative landslide, is losing his job as head
A team of World Health Organization investigators in Wuhan are visiting a laboratory that has been the focus of conspiracies and speculation about the origin of the coronavirus pandemic. The WHO investigators began research in the central Chinese city last week, after a 14-day quarantine and bureaucratic delays. Their work has been subject to intense
Boris Johnson has vowed to “do everything we need to do” – including an attempt to override post-Brexit arrangements with the EU – in order to “ensure there is no barrier down the Irish Sea”. Having held talks with Northern Ireland’s First Minister Arlene Foster on Wednesday morning, the prime minister later raised the prospect
Boris Johnson’s government has offered to help Scotland with its coronavirus vaccine rollout. It comes after Nicola Sturgeon was accused of overseeing a “slow and stuttering” COVID-19 vaccination programme that was “lagging way behind the rest of the UK”. But the first minister launched a staunch defence of her government’s vaccine rollout during an appearance
A Moscow court sent Alexey Navalny to prison for more than two and a half years on Tuesday, closing a heated hearing in which the Kremlin critic ridiculed claims he broke his parole conditions while recovering from poisoning, and denounced Russia’s leader as “Putin the poisoner.” The decision is likely to inflame anger among Navalny’s
The government has been urged to “reverse this reckless policy of leaving our borders unlocked” after it was claimed scientific advisers warned only a total shutdown would stop new COVID-19 variants entering the country. It comes amid fears the more infectious South Africa coronavirus variant is spreading across England. According to The Times newspaper, the
It is “absolutely vital” that people in areas of England where the South African variant of coronavirus has been identified minimise all social contact, the health secretary has said. Speaking at the Downing Street news conference, Matt Hancock said the emergence of the COVID-19 variant was a “stark reminder the fight against this virus is
Moving all teachers up the queue for COVID vaccines would risk more overall deaths among more vulnerable groups, cabinet minister Liz Truss has suggested. The international trade secretary pushed back against Labour’s call for all teachers and school staff to be vaccinated during the upcoming February half-term, in a bid to get all children back
AstraZeneca is set to supply nine million more doses of its COVID vaccine to the EU after a high-profile row over shortages. European Commission President Ursula Von der Leyen announced the extra jabs will come in the first three months of the year, making a total of 40 million doses for that period. She said
CNN’s Kyung Lah visits the town of Sequim, Washington, where Mayor William Armacost is under scrutiny by residents for his stance on QAnon. #CNN #News #Politics
Experts have said social distancing measures may be needed all year, and a cabinet minister has said it’s too early to predict what the situation will be come autumn. Liz Truss, the international trade secretary, told Sky News it is “not wise” to make long-term predictions, after modelling by a sub-group of SAGE showed that
The EU “recognise they made a mistake” by invoking a Brexit deal clause to prevent coronavirus vaccine shipments entering the UK, Michael Gove has said. The bloc has faced widespread criticism after its short-lived move to override part of the agreement on Northern Ireland over export controls. And Minister for the Cabinet Office Mr Gove
Boris Johnson says he is “in awe” at the way parents have been been looking after their children during the pandemic. In an open letter, the prime minister says the COVID crisis has been “tough for all of us” but has “brought out the very best in a great many people”. “I’m particularly in awe
Prisoners in England should start being offered coronavirus vaccines from today, the prisons minister has told Sky News. “The vaccination rollout in prisons has commenced in Wales and should be commencing today in England,” Lucy Frazer said. Live COVID updates from the UK and around the world Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible
CNN’s Christiane Amanpour talks to Washington Post Executive Editor Marty Baron, his first interview since announcing his retirement. Baron talks about what it was like covering the Trump administration and says his paper was not at war with the Trump administration – they were just doing their job. #Amanpour #CNN #News
CNN’s Brianna Keilar looks into the allegations that New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s administration undercounted Covid-19 deaths in nursing homes as Cuomo was telling the public that New York’s nursing home death toll was lower than most states. #BriannaKeilar #CNN #News
The SNP is facing fresh claims that senior party figures conspired against its former leader Alex Salmond. One of its own MPs has told Sky News that high-ranking members of the party shared dozens of messages about the former first minister in a social media group chat, calling themselves the “Vietnam” group. In
Linda Beigel Schulman, whose son Scott Beigel was killed ushering students to safety in the Parkland school shooting in 2018, speaks out against Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene after video of her surfaced saying the shooting was a “false flag.” #CNN #News
Travel to the UK from the United Arab Emirates, Burundi and Rwanda will be banned as the government takes further action to prevent the spread of the COVID variant first found in South Africa. From 1pm on Friday, non-British or Irish passengers who have been in or transited through those countries in the last 10