Queen seen for first time since Harry and Meghan announcement
The Queen was spotted for the first time since the Duke and Duchess of Sussex revealed they were stepping down as senior royals.
Only five Senate Republicans join Democrats to reject effort to declare trial is unconstitutional
AstraZeneca vaccine may not go to older people, EU medicines chief suggestsEuropean Medicines Agency approval could stipulate age range, says Emer CookeCoronavirus – latest updatesSee all our coronavirus coverage Emer Cooke of the EMA, who is Irish, said the regulatory body is examining the ‘totality of the data’. Photograph: AP
The SNP’s islands minister has been accused of arrogance and complacency after he rejected the findings of a major investigation which branded the building of two new super-ferries a “catastrophic failure”. Opposition MSPs said that ministers “had their hands over their eyes and their fingers in their ears” and branded Paul Wheelhouse’s response to a Holyrood rural affairs committee report, unanimously agreed by its members, “appalling”. In damning findings published last month, a catalogue of failures was highlighted in the process for building two new CalMac ferries, which are to serve Arran and the Hebrides on Scotland's publicly-owned ferry network. The ferries are four years late and will cost twice the original price of £97m. However, in his response to the probe, the findings of which were agreed by the committee's SNP members, Mr Wheelhouse insisted a procurement process found to be "not fit for purpose" was in fact completed “fastidiously, in good faith and following appropriate due diligence.”
Piers Morgan speaks about Derek Draper's "heartbreaking" condition.
Britain’s “head start” over the EU in rolling out coronavirus vaccines means almost all over-50s in the UK will get their jab by March, the chief of AstraZeneca has said. Mr Soriot’s response to the ongoing vaccine supply row with Brussels came as the UK hit a sobering milestone.
Liz Hurley's risque pictures are going viral online
While physical ‘Trump’ signs have been gone since last year, the latest move would fully remove the ex-president’s name from the condo’s official title
AstraZeneca vaccines meant for and paid for by the EU could have ended up in Britain, diplomatic sources in Brussels claimed today. The suspicion is that the British-Swedish pharmaceutical company supplied the UK from the EU vaccine stock because Britain paid a higher price for the dose and approved it sooner. On Monday, Brussels threatened to block EU vaccine exports to non-EU countries, after AstraZeneca revealed that it would not be able to fulfil its contractual obligations as originally hoped. Ursula von der Leyen, the European Commission president, said on Tuesday that the EU would press on with the export mechanism that would force companies to ask for permission before vaccines could leave the bloc. In a speech to the World Economic Forum in Davos, Mrs von der Leyen said, “Europe invested billions to help develop the world's first Covid-19 vaccines to create a truly global common good. Europe is determined to contribute to this global common good but it also means business.” She added: “And now, the companies must deliver. They must honour their obligations and this is why we will set up a vaccine export to transparency mechanism.” A European Commission spokesman said: "How worried are we about the state of vaccinations? Well, we are worried that is for sure. We are dealing with a very important pandemic and vaccination is very important." The UK is dependent on the Pfizer vaccine, which is produced in Belgium, and is expecting almost 3.5million doses to be delivered in the next three weeks. That supply could be jeopardised if the EU decided to block the exports after the AstraZeneca controversy.
There is a "real danger" that schools could remain closed until the summer, the Children's Commissioner warned as she blamed ministers for a "lack of planning". Downing Street needs to "think creatively" about how to get youngsters back to the classroom and must "ultimately make something happen", Anne Longfield said. Her intervention came as the Government came under mounting pressure from Tory MPs to explain why schools in their constituencies could not reopen after the February half-term. In a new policy briefing on schools, Ms Longfield said: "Everyone recognises the necessity of reopening schools as soon as possible, but hope alone will not make it happen. What is lacking is a clear roadmap towards this. There is a real danger that schools will remain closed until Easter at the earliest, or even into the summer – not because the virus makes this inevitable, but because of a lack of planning." She said that while the Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (Sage) could provide modelling of different options, it was the role of ministers to "think creatively about what those different options might be, explore all possibilities, come up with a plan and ultimately make something happen". Ms Longfield set out a number of options for the gradual reopening of schools, including certain year groups returning sooner than others and children returning on a rota basis, meaning they take it in turns to come in on certain days. She said reopening is "not a simple on/off switch", and that while it may not be possible for all schools to open before Easter, that "does not mean it is impossible" for some children to go back in some areas on a smaller scale. On Tuesday, Gavin Williamson, the Education Secretary, came under fire for failing to appear in the Commons to answer Labour's urgent question on schools reopening. Instead, the schools minister Nick Gibb was pressed by MPs on what the Government's plan to reopen schools is.
The total for the number of deaths within 28 days of a positive test has doubled since November 11.
Total of 100,162 people have now died within 28 days of testing positive for Covid-19
It wasn’t immediately clear where exactly the banner’s flight path was, who had funded the stunt and whether the former president was aware of the aerial sign
The list reflects a brutal 12 months marred by the pandemic.
The YouTube personality will don the gloves for his third pro bout on 17 April
AstraZeneca's chief executive has hit back at the EU by saying that "glitches" in the supply of coronavirus vaccines to the bloc are due to it signing its contract three months after the UK. In an interview with Italian newspaper La Repubblica, Pascal Soriot admitted there had been "teething problems" in various regions, including Europe and the UK. "As for Europe, we are three months behind in fixing those glitches."
Fox News issued a statement saying Ms McEnany is not currently employed by the network
Follow the latest updates
About 1,000 people are staying in makeshift camps along the French coast, with many intending to try to cross to Britain.
‘Ministers must throw everything at getting our children back into the classroom’
‘It is not the right time to start a new efficacy trial for a further vaccine in the UK, with the emphasis rightly placed on mass vaccination,’ says professor Robin Shattock