Matt Hancock hails 'significant moment' as Oxford Covid-19 jab given green light

Health Secretary Matt Hancock MP reacts on BBC Breakfast to the news that the UK regulator has approved the Oxford/AstraZeneca coronavirus vaccine.

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  • Government quietly changes law to give councils lockdown powers until July 17 this year

    The Government has quietly extended lockdown laws to give councils the power to close pubs, restaurants, shops and public spaces until July 17 this year. The news will be a major setback for those hoping that life might have returned to normal by early summer once more people are vaccinated against coronavirus. It comes after Boris Johnson admitted late last week that "it's too early to say when we'll be able to lift some of the restrictions". The Government had pledged to review the lockdown measures in the middle of next month. The changes to the Health Protection (Coronavirus, Restrictions) (England) (No.3) Regulations 2020 were made as part of a review of the third lockdown by Matt Hancock, the Health Secretary, earlier this month. This law (originally introduced on July 18 last year) allows a local authority to close or limit access to premises or outdoor spaces in its area to prevent the spread of coronavirus, including stopping events. The regulation, which applies to England only, was due to expire last week but has now been extended until July 17, around the date when school summer holidays begin, as part of a slew of other measures. Mark Harper, the chairman of the Coronavirus Recovery Group of Tory MPs which is campaigning against unnecessary restrictions, said: “The extension of councils’ Covid powers until July will be of great concern to those worried about their jobs and businesses. “Given the limited time allowed for debate this change in the law was little noticed. “Once the top four risk groups have been vaccinated and fully protected by March 8, assuming the Government hits the February 15 deadline, the Government must start easing the restrictions. “Vaccinations will of course bring immunity from Covid, but they must bring immunity from lockdowns and restrictions too.”

  • Scientist advising Government urges tougher lockdown

    Professor Susan Michie said current lockdown measures are ‘the problem’ and not people who aren’t sticking to the rules.

  • Overseas travellers returning to the UK face paying for 10 extra days at a hotel

    British families returning from foreign holidays will have to pay for an extra 10 days in an airport hotel under heavy guard, in plans backed by the Home Office. Senior Cabinet ministers are likely to approve a plan to force people returning from overseas to quarantine in a hotel to ensure that they cannot bring variants of Covid-19 back into the UK. The chief dispute at Cabinet level is whether the hotel quarantine rules apply to all visitors or just to those returning from coronavirus hotspots. Downing Street sources confirmed that hotel quarantining was likely to form part of the “next steps”, after Boris Johnson made clear at his press conference on Friday that more would have to be done on securing the borders. The plans will be thrashed out at a meeting of the Government’s Covid-Operational committee, chaired by Mr Johnson, the Prime Minister, on Tuesday. Home Secretary Priti Patel and Health Secretary Matt Hancock are understood to back tougher measures while Transport Secretary Grant Shapps and Chancellor Rishi Sunak support a more targeted approach. Ms Patel is understood to be pushing for all returning travellers, including Britons, to spend 10 days in a designated hotel near an airport or port on returning. Talks are already underway with hotel chains including Holiday Inn-owner IHG. Taxpayers would cover the cost of security guards to ensure they did not attempt to leave the hotel or go home. One Home Office source said: “You have to do it for everything or it makes it pointless.” One source said: “Officials are sounding out which chains would be interested. They are empty. It makes sense for a lot of them. “It is working out what it looks like in practice, that is what is happening over the weekend.” The hope is that the current numbers of arrivals (around 10,000 a day) will slow to a trickle of several thousand visitors a day once the measures are adopted. The quarantine plan is favoured to Australian-style border closures which could leave Britons stranded and force the Government to fund an airlift operation to bring them home.

  • Biden on collision course with Saudi Arabia that could upset Trump's alliance against Iran

    The Biden administration has already set itself on a collision course with Saudi Arabia after its director of National Intelligence vowed to declassify a report on the murder of Jamal Khashoggi. The push to release the intelligence community’s assessment of the murder of the dissident journalist, which is believed to implicate Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, has the potential to trigger a major fallout with the kingdom. Avril Haines, who was confirmed in her new role on Thursday, told Congress “we will follow the law” regarding the report, referring to the Trump administration’s refusal to release the full version for US House representatives. The CIA is said to have concluded with a high degree of confidence that Prince Mohammed, or MBS - a close ally of the previous government - ordered the Washington Post columnist’s assassination at the Saudi consulate in Istanbul in 2018. However, its contents have not been made public. MBS, the de facto ruler of Saudi Arabia, has denied he ordered the murder and the Trump administration publicly stood by him despite international condemnation.

  • The 32 areas of England where new COVID cases are still increasing

    COVID-19 cases are going up in areas like Preston, Redditch, West Devon and Coventry, according to the latest data.

  • Rishi Sunak doubles one-off payment offer for universal credit claimants to £1,000

    Rishi Sunak has doubled his offer of a one-off payment to millions of universal credit claimants to £1,000 to replace the weekly £20 uplift, and stave off a growing rebellion among Tory MPs. The Chancellor is hoping that paying an upfront sum could trigger a spending spree to help the economy, The Telegraph understands. Businesses are set to be hit with a double whammy of tax rises in March's budget, however, as Mr Sunak is lining up a gradual reintroduction of business rates and a rise in corporation tax. Writing in The Telegraph, Andrew Griffith MP, a former business adviser to Boris Johnson in 10 Downing Street, backed an increase in corporation tax. He writes: “Today the UK has the lowest corporation tax rate in the G7. Increasing corporation tax rates towards the £1 in every £4 of business profits rate, last seen as recently as 2013, would still see the UK be one of the most internationally competitive economies, particularly if accompanied by modernisation of R&D tax credits and the Government’s ambitious investment in skills.” The £20 a week uplift in universal credit during the pandemic is due to end on March 31 and Mr Sunak is under pressure from Tory MPs in traditionally Labour areas to extend it. However, the Chancellor is said to be loath to continue it, fearing that it would then become a permanent increase costing £6 billion a year. Instead, he is offering to pay the uplift for a year in one £1,000 payment, twice as much as the £500 one-off sum previously reported. A Treasury source declined to comment on the specifics but confirmed that a one off payment was on the table.

  • Britain to discuss tighter travel restrictions - BBC

    British ministers are to discuss on Monday further tightening travel restrictions, the BBC reported on Saturday, adding that people arriving in the country could be required to quarantine in hotels. Prime Minister Boris Johnson told a news conference on Friday that the UK may need to implement further measures to protect its borders from new variants of COVID-19. Britain's current restrictions ban most international travel while new rules introduced earlier in January require a negative coronavirus test before departure for most people arriving, as well as a period of quarantine.

  • The Masked Singer: Bush Baby’s identity revealed in latest episode

    *Spoiler warning* Latest episode of the hit ITV reality show featured all the usual intrigue

  • Congresswoman Lauren Boebert introduces bill to block Biden rejoining Paris Agreement

    ‘I work for the people of Pueblo, not the people of Paris,’ Rep Boebert tweeted. The climate agreement was so named because it was signed in the French capital - and not because it solely benefits the city’s residents

  • Five new weather warnings for snow and ice overnight – Met Office

    Further heavy rainfall, which caused flooding in the wake of Storm Christoph, is not forecast until next Wednesday but low temperatures are expected.

  • 'Coronation Street' actor Malcolm Hebden quietly retires from the cobbles

    The actor's character is alive and living in a care home in the soap.

  • Coronavirus: New variant up to 30% more deadly, Johnson warns as tighter border rules loom

    Between 21 December and 22 January, total of 28,580 deaths reported by government

  • The Masked Singer: Full list of odds for the celebrities behind each costume

    *Spoilers for the latest episode of The Masked Singer below*

  • Dr Fauci says pressure from Trump had 'chilling' effect on White House coronavirus scientists

    The doctor said he expects more transparency under the Joe Biden administration

  • Minister: Government following ‘clear advice’ over vaccines

    Communities Secretary Robert Jenrick has insisted that the government is "following the very clear advice" from medical leaders when questioned on the decision administer the second Pfizer-BioNTech jab 12 weeks after the first.

  • Taiwan denounces incursion of air defence zone by Chinese fighter jets, bombers

    Eight Chinese bomber planes and four fighter jets entered the southwestern corner of Taiwan's air defence identification zone on Saturday, and Taiwan's air force deployed missiles to "monitor" the incursion, the island's Defence Ministry said. China, which claims Taiwan as its own territory, has conducted almost daily flights over the waters between the southern part of Taiwan and the Taiwan-controlled Pratas Islands in the South China Sea in recent months.However, they have generally consisted of just one or two reconnaissance aircraft.The presence of so many Chinese combat aircraft on this mission - Taiwan said it was made up of eight nuclear-capable H-6K bombers and four J-16 fighter jets - is unusual.A map provided by Taiwan's Defence Ministry showed that the Chinese aircraft, which also included a Y-8 anti-submarine aircraft, flew over the same waters where the most recent Chinese missions have been taking place near the Pratas Islands, though still well away from mainland Taiwan.Taiwan's air force warned away the Chinese aircraft and deployed missiles to monitor them, the ministry added, using standard wording for how it responds to such activities."Airborne alert sorties had been tasked, radio warnings issued and air defence missile systems deployed to monitor the activity," it said in a brief statement.There was no immediate comment from China. In the past China has said it has been carrying out exercises to defend the country's sovereignty and security.US commitment to Taiwan 'rock-solid'Beijing has watched with growing concern increasing U.S. support for democratic Taiwan, especially during Donald Trump's administration which left office on Wednesday.Last year during visits by senior U.S. officials to Taipei Chinese aircraft briefly crossed the median line of the Taiwan Strait, which normally serves as an unofficial buffer.The flight by the Chinese bombers and fighters on Saturday came just days after Joe Biden assumed the U.S. presidency.Emily Horne, spokeswoman for the White House National Security Council, said the U.S. commitment to Taiwan was "rock-solid" after the island's de facto ambassador in Washington, Hsiao Bi-khim, attended Biden's swearing-in on Wednesday.(REUTERS)

  • Covid-19: Senior doctors urge medical chiefs to halve the wait between doses of Covid-19 vaccine

    But Robert Jenrick says the government’s strategy is based on ‘clear advice’

  • Covid news - live: Biden and Boris Johnson discuss ‘green and sustainable’ coronavirus recovery in first call

    All the day’s events as they happened

  • The Masked Singer: Who is Bush Baby?

    Viewers are guessing who Bush Baby could be

  • Navalny Lawyer Forcefully Detained During Live Interview at Moscow Protests

    A lawyer and media producer for Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny was hauled away by riot police as she spoke to press during an anti-Putin protest in Moscow on January 23.Footage here shows Lyubov Sobol addressing media before suddenly being grabbed by police. She was then led through the crowd to a waiting police van, which was driven away, Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty reported.Protests had been taking place across Russia that day in support of Navalny, who was detained in Moscow on January 17 after flying back from Germany. Navalny had been in Berlin recovering from his alleged poisoning in August 2020.The Moscow Times reported that more than 1,900 people had been detained at protests nationwide. Credit: Current Time via Storyful