Your morning briefing: What you should know for Thursday, July 16

Hopes for coronavirus vaccine raised amid reports Oxford jab could give ‘double protection’

Hopes for a successful coronavirus vaccine have been raised after scientists in Oxford reported trials showing positive early results.

Researchers believe they have made a breakthrough after discovering the jab could provide "double protection" against the virus, it has been reported.

The phase 1 trial in healthy adult volunteers showed the vaccine generated an immune response, with blood samples indicating it stimulated the body to produce both antibodies and "killer T-cells”.

David Carpenter, chairman of the Berkshire Research Ethics Committee, which approved the Oxford trial and continues to work with scientists on amendments, said the team were "absolutely on track”.

Bill Gates, Jeff Bezos and Elon Musk Twitter accounts hacked in apparent major cryptocurrency scam

The Twitter accounts of Bill Gates, Jeff Bezos and Elon Musk were among those hacked in what appeared to be a major cryptocurrency scam.

Official social media platforms for Kanye West, Barack Obama, Joe Biden, Apple and Uber were also targeted.

Twitter said it was a "co-ordinated" attack targeting its employees "with access to internal systems and tools".

Police body-cam footage offers devastating account of George Floyd’s fatal arrest in Minneapolis

Newly available body-camera video from two Minneapolis police officers involved in George Floyd's arrest shows him pleading with officers in the minutes before his death.

Mr Floyd tells officers he is "not a bad guy" as they try to wrestle him into a squad car. A few minutes later he lays face down on the street and the cameras record his fading voice as he eventually goes motionless.

A district judge declined to allow the video's publication but allowed news outlets to view the footage , which show the clearest picture yet of Mr Floyd's last moments in Minneapolis on May 25.

Almost a third of UK firms plan to axe jobs in next three months, report warns

Nearly a third of UK firms plan to lay off staff over the next three months as the coronavirus pandemic's devastating impact on Britain's job market continues, according to a report.

The British Chambers of Commerce (BCC) quarterly recruitment outlook revealed that 29 per cent of 7,400 firms surveyed expect to axe jobs over the third quarter. This is a record high for the study.

The report - compiled in conjunction with Totaljobs - found that 28 per cent of firms polled had already cut roles between April and June.

It also showed that 41 per cent of large companies and 41 per cent of small and medium-sized firms expect to cut staff over the next quarter, with 18 per cent of micro businesses forecasting workforce reductions.

Kanye West secures Oklahoma presidential election ballot spot

Kanye West has qualified to appear on the presidential ballot in Oklahoma, securing a spot on the final day before the deadline passed.

The rapper and fashion designer filed the necessary paperwork yesterday, the state's election board said.

It means he could appear on the ballot in at least one state during November's US election.

He would be up against President Donald Trump and the Democratic Party challenger Joe Biden.

On this day...

622: The traditional starting day of the Islamic Era, when a persecuted Muhammad fled from Mecca to Medina.

1918: The last Russian Tsar, Nicholas II, was murdered by the Bolsheviks along with his entire family in the cellar of a house in Ekaterinburg.

1935: The world's first parking meters went into service in Oklahoma, devised by newspaper editor Carlton Magee.

1945: The first atomic bomb was detonated at an airbase in the desert of New Mexico.

1965: The seven-mile Mont Blanc road tunnel was opened, linking France with Italy.

1970: The first state of emergency in Britain since 1926 was called by Prime Minister Edward Heath as dockers went on strike.