Adorable kitten saved from 12th storey ledge
Rescue workers have saved a kitten's life after it became trapped on the 12th floor ledge of an apartment block in Singapore.
Ministers could pay £500 to everyone with Covid in EnglandExclusive: universal payment is ‘preferred position’ of DHSC in effort to help people self-isolate * Coronavirus – latest updates * See all our coronavirus coverage
Another celebrity has been unmasked.
Scientists call for gradual and prolonged transition out of lockdown, arguing rules should not be eased until May at earliest
Lawmaker’s stunt destined to go nowhere with Democratic controlled House and Senate
Prime Minister Boris Johnson will hold a Downing Street briefing later this afternoon as the UK continues its battle with the Covid-19 pandemic. Number 10 said the PM will appear alongside England's chief medical officer Professor Chris Whitty and chief scientific officer Sir Patrick Vallance at 5pm. Mr Johnson this week refused to rule out even tougher lockdown restrictions as hospitals come under growing strain from rising Covid-19 cases.
‘You either hate him or you hate him,’ says Rick Wilson
Michel Barnier has warned that there is “always a risk” that other European countries will follow Brexit Britain and leave the EU. The EU’s chief negotiator said there was still “anger” against Brussels in many regions of Europe. He said that Brexit had exposed the dangers and consequences of leaving the bloc but said it was up to the EU to prove that membership of the bloc was worthwhile. “We have to draw the lessons of Brexit. We have to understand why 52 percent of the British people voted against Europe [...] ” It is obviously too late for the UK but it is not too late for the other member states,” Mr Barnier said. He said, “Today, in many regions, there is this anger, the same feeling against Europe, the same problem to understand what we’re doing at the European level,” he said. “We have to be vigilant because it is always a risk for the future,” he added, “This risk can be combated by the proof that it is clearly a better situation to be inside the EU than outside.” “Brexit has exposed the consequences of leaving the EU for all to see,” he said, ““Even though we have a deal the UK’s choices mean that there will be inevitable short-term and long-term consequences.” He added, “Together, we can build a Europe that not only protects but also inspires. A Europe that Europeans would never dream of leaving. “Why should we leave the EU debate to anti EU parties? For all those who believe in the European project this is not the time to sit back and to be complacent.” Mr Barnier said he had noted British plans to diverge from EU rules such as the Working Time Directive after Brexit. “We are not surprised because we are not naive,” Mr Barnier said. The important thing for the EU was that Britain’s new found regulatory freedom did not become “a tool for dumping against us.” If Britain was to undercut EU standards to gain an unfair competitive advantage over European businesses, Mr Barnier said, the bloc would not hesitate to use remedial measures, which could include tariffs, in the trade deal. “In that case we will use the tools included in the treaty,” he said. Mr Barnier is soon to step down as the EU’s chief negotiator to become a special advisor to Ursula von der Leyen, the president of the European Commission. His focus will be on the implementation of the Withdrawal Agreement and ratification of the Brexit trade deal. From March, he plans to return to French politics. He was speaking after being named European of the Year by the European Movement Ireland.
UK travellers could be locked out of continent
Schools could open before Easter, Gavin Williamson has suggested, saying he will give a two-week warning to headteachers. The Education Secretary said he "would certainly hope" that children would be back in the classroom by early April, adding that he wants this to happen at the "earliest possible opportunity". It is the first time Mr Williamson has hinted at a possible timeline for the reopening of schools, and comes after Dr Jenny Harries, the deputy chief medical officer, suggested schools in some parts of the country will reopen sooner than those in others. Primary and secondary schools were ordered to close at the start of the month to all but the children of key workers and the most vulnerable youngsters. Announcing the latest national lockdown on January 4, Boris Johnson said schools would need to remain shut until the February half-term at the earliest. On Thursday, Mr Williamson said a key factor in determining when schools could reopen would be whether pressures on the NHS had eased sufficiently. He told BBC Radio 4's Today programme that headteachers will be given "absolutely proper notice" about when they need to prepare to reopen, adding that a "clear two-week notice period" will be factored in so schools have time to prepare for pupils' return. "Schools were the last to close, schools will be the first to open," the Education Secretary said. "I want to see that as soon as the scientific and health advice is there to open at the earliest possible stage, and I would certainly hope that that would be before Easter. "Any decision to reopen schools to all children – as all decisions in terms of schools – will be based on the best health advice and the best scientific advice."
Boris Johnson to give press conference at 5pm - watch live Ministers consider £500 payment for positive Covid test Boris Johnson suggests lockdown could last until summer Fraser Nelson: Vaccines may usher in Fortress Britain Brexit deal gives Nissan a competitive advantage, boss declares Coronavirus latest news: Quarantine hotels won't happen 'for now', says George Eustice Subscribe to The Telegraph for a month-long free trial Boris Johnson must “show some ankle” for when restrictions will be eased, senior Tories have said as the country’s R-rate dropped below one. The UK's reproduction rate is now estimated to be 0.8-1.0, suggesting a decline in the number of new infections - a significant drop on the previous week. The rates are lowest in London and the East of England, although still thought to be above one in parts of the North. Sir Desmond Swayne told the Telegraph: “Given that the Government itself has selected and put so much store on the R rate, you would expect there to be some reaction, a payback, a recompense in terms of the lifting or the promise of lifting of restrictions.” He added: “That is why we need some sort of urgency and plan from the Government as to when and how they’ll start restricting decisions.” Instead he accused ministers of “mission creep”, saying this would result in “imprisonment forever”. Some Conservative colleagues suggested that while the R-rate might not be the trigger point, the Prime Minister would be under pressure to give a clear exit plan as cases continue to fall. One former minister said it would be “difficult to justify” lifting restrictions until the pressure on the NHS started to ease. “But we need a plan for getting out,” the senior Tory added. “He needs to show some ankle.” Follow the latest updates below.
So much for the grand promise of unity. Joe Biden's rush to erase Donald Trump from history delivered a forceful poke in the eye - some would say worse - to the 74 million people who voted for the other guy. Ironically, while the US Capitol riots were a disaster for Mr Trump and his legacy, they have also undermined Mr Biden's chances of bringing the country together in a post-Trump world. Cheered on by an increasingly noisy left wing of the Democrat party, demanding that all things Trump be cancelled, the new president spent his first hours in office doing just that. He is using everything available to him under his executive powers - what he can do without the approval of Congress - to wipe clean the last four years. But in doing so there has been no attempt to offer an olive branch to Republican voters, or their representatives in Congress. Senior Republicans have been taken aback by the extent of Mr Biden's opening measures, especially on immigration and climate change. Some took it as confirmation of their fears that the new president, a moderate Democrat, would end up a passenger in a party careering left. Mr Biden promised Mr Trump's voters he would work for them too. But so for there is little sign of it. And Republicans in Congress are nervous.
Former head of the diplomatic service describes move as ‘wholly unnecessary’
Seeds have been sown for future team-up
A devoted dog has spent days outside a hospital where her beloved owner was being treated. Boncuk has returned every day to a hospital in the Turkish city of Trabzon, to wait for her owner, Cemal Senturk. Senturk’s daughter, Aynur Egeli, said she would take Boncuk home but the dog would repeatedly run off and return to the hospital to continue her vigil. Watch the touching moment where an excited Boncuk and Cemal are reunited.
She’ll be back in (virtual) court on Monday
The government is aiming to have offered a vaccine to everyone over 70 by 15 February.
The former president and the Graham family have a long history
Apparent U-turn by Pentagon officials could pose questions about police response
A Sage adviser has argued it's 'untenable' for Johnson to blame these grim numbers 'entirely on the new variant'.
The React report showed that the prevalence of coronavirus across England increased by 50% between early December and the second week of January.