UK Coronavirus LIVE: New Brazilian variant ‘likely’ already in the UK as Keir Starmer suggests stronger lockdown

The highly-infectious new Brazilian variant of coronavirus is likely to already be in the UK, a Government scientist has warned. While the UK  is set to face short-term delays in delivery of the Pfizer coronavirus vaccine as the pharmaceutical company upgrades its production capacity, it has been announced. It comes as the UK's aviation sector says it will need "urgent" government support if it is to survive another long period of travel curb, after the UK announced all travel corridors will be suspended from 4am on Monday.

Kayleigh McEnany leaves White House after final two-minute press briefing following deadly Capitol riot

Trump’s press secretary refused to take questions following the deadly insurrection at the US Capitol earlier this month

• 
  Health secretary, Alex Azar, responds to reports of resignation

  TheGrio
• 
  HHS Secretary Alex Azar Resigns, Citing Pro-Trump Capitol Riot

  National Review

Britain will be able to vaccinate nation against new Covid strains within months after new super-factory opens

Britain will be able to vaccinate the entire nation against dangerous new Covid strains within four months after a £158m super-factory opens later this year, The Telegraph can disclose. Dr Matthew Duchars, chief executive of the Vaccines Manufacturing Innovation Centre (VMIC), revealed the Oxfordshire facility will be capable of producing 70m doses of an emergency vaccine manufactured entirely on British soil. The news comes amid fears that a new Covid strain from Brazil may prove resistant to current vaccines. All travel corridors into the UK were scrapped this week to prevent new variants entering the country. “We’ll be able to make 70 million doses within a four to five month period, enough for everyone in the country, when we open late this year,” Dr Duchars told The Telegraph. “New Covid variants are absolutely part of the thinking. We probably will need to make seasonal vaccine variants because there may well be mutations in the virus, as well as vaccines for other diseases. You never know what’s coming next.” Currently under construction at the Harwell Science & Innovation Campus in Oxfordshire, the VMIC was first conceived in 2018 and originally planned to open in 2022. When the Covid pandemic struck, the UK government pumped a further £131 million into the not-for-profit company to bring the project forward by a year. The centre is already helping to manufacture the Oxford vaccine by lending expertise and giant bioreactors to the AstraZeneca team and its partners. This week Sir Mene Pangalos, executive vice president of biopharmaceuticals research and development at AstraZeneca, told MPs that the UK’s lack of manufacturing capacity had been a major stumbling block in the development of the Oxford vaccine, and urged ministers to “urgently address” the issue. Much of the Pfizer and Oxford vaccine doses currently being rolled out in the UK are made in factories in Belgium and the Netherlands. Dr Duchars said the VMIC would be equipped to produce different types of vaccines including MRNA varieties like the Pfizer jab and adenovirus-based technology like the Oxford AstraZeneca jab. “Covid came a year early for us, unfortunately,” he said. “But when we open we’ll have a sovereign capability to manufacture different types of vaccines and still be able to make a large number of doses. “It is a challenge. But that's what we're shooting for. If you don't set yourself a tough target, then there's no chance you can reach it.” He added how the company and its new super-factory could also be used to help developers of numerous other vaccines - not just those targeting Covid-19 - from private and public organisations, whether academic institutions or foundations or private laboratories. Explaining how he believes it is “absolutely remarkable” the vaccine has been developed so quickly, he said: “We may not have a facility that's built and ready to go. But we do have people who understand how to develop and manufacture vaccines. “So, we've essentially lent them out to organisations to help them with the scale up and manufacturer of COVID-19 vaccine.” “And we've been working with lots of those different organisations to help really accelerate and speed up and provide surety and expertise around how to get this vaccine made quickly.” He said the new centre is “technology agnostic”, meaning it can be adapted to different methods for different types of vaccine and viruses. “What we didn't want to do was make a facility that would be great for making the AstraZeneca vaccine, for example, but then next year a different MERS [Middle East Respiratory Syndrome] or SARS [Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome] comes along.” he added. “That's a different type of platform and a different vaccine. So we've got to have a flexible facility that is able to make in an emergency a large amount of doses from different types of processes.”

• 
  Ministers accused of wasting scarce jabs by vaccinating people with Covid immunity

  The Telegraph
• 
  Here's How to Get Your COVID Vaccine in Your State

  Eat This, Not That!

Government ‘plans to end lockdown in March’ while ‘every adult could get Covid vaccine by end of June’

The government is planning to end lockdown in March after cabinet members agreed that waiting until the summer when most people will have been vaccinated would lead to yet more economic misery, according to reports. Ministers are drawing up a timetable to scale back restrictions despite the Sage Advisory committee calling for delays, it has been reported. A blueprint for the end of the lockdown is expected to be looked at later this week which will take into account the latest infection rates, deaths and hospitalisations.

Beijing spying fears as it emerges airframes of new MoD spy planes were previously used by Chinese airlines

Ministers have been accused of risking national security by buying second hand Chinese 737 airliners to convert into new spy planes in a bid to save money. The five E-7 Wedgetail aircraft costing £1.5billion have been ordered from Boeing to deliver the UK’s Airborne Early Warning and Control capability, from 2023 from RAF Lossiemouth in Scotland. Information gathered by E-7s would be used by the Armed Forces to keep watch on fighter jets or warships by enemy powers. However the Government has admitted that two of the five new RAF Wedgetail spy planes were previously operated by commercial airlines in China. Labour MP Kevan Jones, a member of Parliament’s security and intelligence committee which has oversight of the Security Services, said: “The Ministry of Defence is purchasing military equipment from a state opposed to UK interests, in order to save money. “There are serious concerns with regards to the security of the airframe, which may be defective or actively sabotaged prior to transfer. “This decision by the government represents a disturbing, and possibly historical, piece of misjudgement.” Tom Tugendhat MP, the Conservative chairman of the House of Commons Foreign Affairs select committee, added: “No one’s travelling and planes are cheap, so why are we buying spy planes from a country that’s spying on us? "Who knows what’s in the millions of nooks and crannies of a massive 737? We could just buy a plane from a trusted partner instead.” Ministry of Defence sources insisted that "the aircraft were sourced via a broker from the commercial market and at no time was the end destination of the aircraft released to the vendors or known to the market through that process". Defence minister Jeremy Quin defended the decision, insisting that the two second hand airframes will be stripped down and thoroughly checked for bugs that could have been put there by the Chinese. Mr Quin said: "The safety and security of our personnel are our highest priorities meaning that it must be demonstrated that second-hand airframes, regardless of origin, meet our requirements. "This might involve the airframes being stripped down, refitted and subjected to stringent security checks as required." He added: “In common with all 737 Next Generation airliners, the first two airframes to be modified to become RAF Wedgetail AEW Mk1 aircraft were manufactured by Boeing in the United States. “They were initially operated by commercial airlines based in China and Hong Kong, and were then acquired by Boeing from the commercial market via a broker. “The use of second-hand airframes provides a significant schedule and cost benefit to the programme, which will enable this vital capability to be introduced sooner than would have been the case if new airframes had been manufactured." A Ministry of Defence spokesman said: "Converting previously civilian-owned airframes for military use is commonplace and has no impact on the quality or capability of the aircraft.” “The Boeing 737s will undergo comprehensive security checks before mission system equipment is installed. “The sensible, cost-effective approach will enable this vital capability to be introduced sooner than would otherwise be possible.” MoD sources said that the "use of previously-owned airframes is not unusual for military aircraft derived from civil aircraft, in this case the Boeing 737. It provides a cost and time-effective path to production". They added: "The modification process that transforms a 737 into an E-7 Wedgetail is extensive, with the aircraft stripped back to the basic airframe. "All the sensitive mission system equipment is installed new and does not originate from the ‘donor’ 737."

Unscrupulous and aggressive, Pompeo plans to be the next Trump – but smarter

Unscrupulous and aggressive, Pompeo plans to be the next Trump – but smarter. The secretary of state has laid political booby traps for Biden in a diplomatic onslaught – with the aim of winning the White House

Smart motorways widow demands her husband's killer is not deported

The widow of a man killed on a smart motorway has written to Grant Shapps calling for her husband’s killer not to be deported because she believes Highways England is “responsible” for his death. Jason Mercer, 44, and Alexandru Murgeanu, 22, stopped their vehicles on the inside live lane of the M1 near Sheffield after a minor shunt in June 2019. Five minutes later Prezemyslaw Szuba’s lorry ploughed into them at 56mph, killing the pair outright after the driver failed to take evasive action in the five seconds he had to spot them. The crash happened a mile from an emergency refuge area on a stretch of motorway where the hard shoulder had been scrapped and turned into a fourth lane. Highways England staff did not see the stationary cars on CCTV or with its detection system in time to close the carriageway to prevent the collision. Szuba, a 40-year-old Polish man, was jailed for 10 months in October for causing the deaths driving without due care and attention. Mr Mercer’s wife, Claire, has insisted Szuba is himself a victim of Highways England’s policy to remove hard shoulders despite not having technology to detect all stranded cars. She has contacted Szuba’s partner who revealed he is to be deported after serving his sentence, rather than return to the family home he shares with his two children in Hull. Mrs Mercer, 44, has written to the Transport Secretary claiming it is “corrupt” that people are being jailed for killing motorists while those “responsible” for removing the hard shoulder are “not held to account”. Her letter comes on the eve of an inquest which will be held into Mr Mercer and Mr Murgeanu’s deaths in Sheffield. “There has been enough devastation from the events of June 2019,” Mrs Mercer, 44, wrote. “The Government has unfairly ruined this man’s life already. It seems a perverse level of callousness to now threaten to deport him. My husband would not have wanted this done in his name.” A Home Office Government spokesman said: “Any foreign national who is convicted of an offence and given a custodial sentence is considered for deportation. “For European Economic Area nationals, a decision can only be made on grounds of public policy, public security or public health. Cases are considered individually and take into account a range of factors.” Mrs Mercer has launched a campaign called "Smart Motorways Kill" which has seen relatives of those who have died launch a judicial review into their safety, as well as attempt to prosecute Highways England for corporate manslaughter. The Transport Secretary commissioned an evidence stocktake to gather the facts about smart motorways, and subsequently ordered Highways England to deliver an 18-point action plan, which focuses on making the schemes less confusing, adding additional stopped vehicle detection technology and traffic officer patrols, and making emergency areas more visible with better and more frequent signage.

Doctors told to bin leftover vaccines instead of administering second doses

GPs have reportedly been warned by local health authorities that they cannot use extra doses on staff or any patients who have already received their first jab.

• 
  Ten new mass Covid jab centres open as drive to vaccinate picks up pace

  The Independent
• 
  Veterans Get COVID-19 Vaccine At VA Clinic In Oakland

  CBS-Pittsburgh

Lecturers warn they will strike if forced to resume 'unsafe' teaching

Lecturers warn they will strike if forced to resume 'unsafe' teachingUniversity and College Union warns any attempt to send members back to campuses too early will lead to ballot * Coronavirus – latest updates * See all our coronavirus coverage

Keir Starmer ‘needs pact with other parties to oust Boris Johnson in 2024’, new analysis finds

Exclusive: Historic victory in reach, but only if left-of-centre parties work together, report suggests

• 
  Brexit news - live: Raab claims trade deal is ‘great’ for fishermen amid chaos and anger

  The Independent
• 
  Boris Johnson news – live: Starmer says might back tougher Covid restrictions as fishermen attack Brexit deal

  The Independent

Kellyanne Conway defends Trump over Capitol riots saying ‘marauders’ insult MAGA movement

The president’s former advisor claims that she has no regrets about working for him

‘I think we all deserve a pardon’: Texas realtor who attended Capitol riots says she was ‘following president’

‘He asked us to fly there. He asked us to be there. So I was doing what he asked us to do,’ says Jenna Ryan

UK, France and Germany warn Iran against planned violation of nuclear deal

Officials warn of ‘potentially grave’ implications from uranium metal production

• 
  Major European powers rebuke Iran over uranium metal plans

  Reuters
• 
  France says Iran is building nuclear weapons capacity, urgent to revive 2015 deal

  Reuters

Collision course: Russia prepares for Alexei Navalny’s return

Tension mounts ahead of Vladimir Putin’s outspoken critic ending his four-month involuntary exile on Sunday, Oliver Carroll writes, but will the poisoned Kremlin foe be arrested on arrival – and if so, how?

• 
  Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny due to fly back to Russia despite arrest threat

  Reuters
• 
  Navalny plans to return to Russia after recovery in Germany

  Associated Press

Covid news – live: Johnson under pressure over inquiry as doctors face choosing patients to prioritise

Follow the latest updates on the pandemic

Trump news - President wants ‘military’ sendoff as top Democrat says ex-staff cannot salvage reputations

All the latest from the White House and beyond on 16 January 2021

China reports ice cream contaminated with coronavirus

The coronavirus was found on ice cream produced in eastern China, prompting a recall of cartons from the same batch, according to the government. The Daqiaodao Food Co., Ltd. in Tianjin, adjacent to Beijing, was sealed and its employees were being tested for the coronavirus, a city government statement said. There was no indication anyone had contracted the virus from the ice cream. Most of the 29,000 cartons in the batch had yet to be sold, the government said. It said 390 sold in Tianjin were being tracked down and authorities elsewhere were notified of sales to their areas. The ingredients included New Zealand milk powder and whey powder from Ukraine, the government said. The Chinese government has suggested the disease, first detected in the central city of Wuhan in late 2019, came from abroad and has highlighted what it says are discoveries of the coronavirus on imported fish and other food, though foreign scientists are skeptical. Chinese officials have blamed cluster outbreaks on frozen food products imported from countries including the US, EU, New Zealand, Canada, India, Germany and Ecuador. And recently, China blamed an infection in a current cluster outbreak on an imported virus strain that had supposedly contaminated a package of steamed buns. The World Health Organisation has said that cases of live viruses being found on packaging appeared to be “rare and isolated". Other health experts have cautioned against drawing causal links between food packaging and outbreaks – finding traces of virus indicates it is present on a surface, but does not mean it can cause infections. The report came as China confirmed 109 new Covid-19 cases, two-thirds of them in a northern province that abuts Beijing, and no deaths. There were 72 new cases in Hebei province, where the government is building isolation hospitals with a total of 9,500 rooms to combat an upsurge in infections, according to the National Health Commission. The Health Commission on Saturday blamed the new infections on travellers and imported goods it said brought the virus from abroad. China's death toll stands at 4,653 out of 88,227 total cases.

Brexit: Raab claims EU trade agreement is ‘great deal’ for fishermen, as firms complain of costs and delays

Foreign secretary ‘not convinced’ woes of industry caused by Brexit deal

OLD The Masked Singer: Who is Viking? Here’s what we know

Viking’s identity is up for debate with James Blunt, Ricky Wilson and Bear Grylls all in the mix

• 
  ‘You are violating my rights!’ Florida woman jailed — again — for refusing to wear a mask

  Miami Herald
• 
  'What the hell's the matter with them?': Biden scorches GOP lawmakers who didn't wear masks in secure areas during Capitol riots, saying they need 'to grow up'

  Business Insider

Covid: Medics and police urge public to stay at home over ‘crucial’ weekend

Bending rules could be ‘fatal’ and police ready to issue fines

Humbled Trump seeks warmer welcome in Florida

President Donald Trump will leave Washington in disgrace next week, destined for a warmer welcome in Florida, where some supporters are so gung-ho they recently wrote his name on the back of a fat, lumbering manatee.

China builds 1,500-bed hospital in five days amid surge in Covid cases

Total of 645 people being treated in Nangong and Hebei provincial capital, Shijiazhuang, Xinhua reports

• 
  China reports 109 new COVID-19 cases to keep concerns simmering before Lunar New Year

  Reuters
• 
  China builds hospital in 5 days as COVID-19 cases rise in Beijing

  Axios