Delivery of the coronavirus vaccine will not be disrupted as a result of France’s ban on freight and travel from the UK, the transport secretary has told Sky News. Grant Shapps said containers unaccompanied by hauliers are still allowed through the port of Dover, which is how most of the jabs arrive from Belgium, so
England has been put on notice for a New Year lockdown after the government’s chief scientific adviser demanded a massive extension of Tier 4 restrictions. With the new variant now surging across the UK, an announcement that large areas of England will join London and parts of southeast England in Tier 4 is expected on
The new strain of coronavirus has changed everything. If you took away anything else from from today’s low-key business-as-normal prime ministerial press conference, you shouldn’t have done. Expectations which were being set just a week ago have been upended, plans everywhere from the Treasury to the Department for Education are being rewritten and the start
Sophy Ridge looks back over the most extraordinary year in an end of year episode with her team, and a special guest. They discuss coronavirus, Boris Johnson, and much more. Plus they hand out some end of year awards, as well as a few Christmas presents. :: Listen to Sophy Ridge on Sunday on Apple
Facebook has removed a number of features from its Instagram and Messenger apps in Europe due to what it says is an update to EU privacy rules – including security features it uses to scan for child abuse content. A recent change to the ePrivacy Directive, that was designed to prevent companies such as Facebook
Boris Johnson is facing calls to overhaul the way peerages are awarded, after he handed more out more places in the House of Lords and overrode the appointments watchdog. The prime minister nominated seven Conservative figures to get law-making privileges, including old party Treasurer and donor Peter Cruddas, ex-minister Richard Benyon, and former MEPs Daniel
A senior member of Donald Trump’s administration has accused Russia of carrying out a massive cyber hack that penetrated top secret US government agencies. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo described the attack as a “pretty significant effort”. “I think it’s the case that now we can say pretty clearly that it was the Russians that
A weather forecast for the Christmas period in Miami has predicted cold temperatures in the next few days – with a sprinkle of falling iguanas. The projection, by the National Weather Service in Florida, wrote on Twitter that low temperatures will be in the 30-40F range (0 to 4C), meaning “falling iguanas are possible.” Dec
Signs have emerged a post-Brexit trade deal with the EU is still possible – with just nine days to go until the deadline. Prime Minister Boris Johnson and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen held a secret call on Monday evening, according to Reuters. The news agency cited sources who said the two leaders
US President-elect Joe Biden will be vaccinated against COVID-19 this week, as the country’s second approved jab is moved from warehouses to healthcare facilities. Mr Biden will receive the vaccine on Monday, days after Vice President Mike Pence, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell. US President Donald Trump, meanwhile, has not
Wrestler, Hollywood actor – and now Santa Claus. Is there nothing Dwayne Johnson cannot do? The Rock has helped out a widowed father-of-two who was struggling to buy Christmas presents for his children, donning a festive red suit and a “Dwanta” hat to spread some festive cheer during a surprise virtual meeting. It came about
The US House of Representatives has approved a $892bn (£655bn) coronavirus relief package, passing the first hurdle for it to become law. The bill, which includes a $600 (£440) payment to the majority of Americans along with extra payments to the millions who have lost their jobs, will now go to the Senate for approval,
Apple has made advances in its secret self-driving car project and is set to launch production by 2024, according to reports. The iPhone maker has for years been rumoured to be working on a self-driving car programme known as Project Titan, although the company has never publicly acknowledged it. Now, according to a report by
Virgin Atlantic has joined British Airways and Delta Airlines in making travellers take COVID tests before they fly from the UK to New York. The state’s governor, Andrew Cuomo, said on Monday that BA and Delta Airlines had taken the decision following the spread of a more contagious variant of the virus in the UK.
2020 is the deadliest year in US history – and is attributed mostly to the coronavirus pandemic. The US is on course to surpass 3.2 million overall deaths in 2020, according to preliminary data, which would mark the first time figures have topped three million. A rise in deaths between 20,000 and 50,000 is not
A plane preparing for takeoff was halted in New York after a Florida couple with their pet dog fled via an emergency slide, authorities say. The incident took place on board an Atlanta-bound Delta flight as it was taxiing towards the runway at LaGuardia Airport on Monday. Witnesses reported seeing an agitated-looking male passenger force
It was quite the marketing gimmick. To commemorate one of its customers winning the €88.5m (£80.9m) EuroMillions jackpot with a ticket bought at one of its service stations, on the M1 Northbound at Lusk in County Dublin, Applegreen cut fuel prices at the station to 88.5 cents (80p) per litre. In January 2017, with a
A deal has been reached between Royal Mail and the workers’ union following a two-year dispute over job security, pay, and hours. The settlement includes a two-year pay deal backdated to April, worth 3.7%, and a one-hour reduction in the working week, according to the Communication Workers Union. The CWU said there will be no
Public sector net borrowing is estimated to have been £31.6bn in November – the third-highest for any month since records began in 1993. It means borrowing in the first eight months of the financial year (April to November) is estimated at £240.9bn. This is £188.6bn more than the same point last year, and the highest
The pound ended down again as the UK faced isolation over a mutant coronavirus strain, although hopes of progress in Brexit trade talks helped take some pressure off the currency. At the close of markets, sterling had fallen 0.76% against the dollar to $1.336 and 0.26% against the euro to €1.097. However, this was still