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Johnson announces strict border controls from Monday
“This is not the time for the slightest relaxation of resolve,” the prime minister warned today, as he announced new steps to stop any new strains of the virus entering the country.
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Health services in Brazil’s Manaus overwhelmed by Covid cases
Why has the UK decided to shut down its borders? The fear over new virus strains. In the US, the Biden administration expects that a new, faster-spreading variant will become dominant by March and that half a million people would have died from the virus by the end of February. A new very fast-spreading variant…
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The Scottish postman who turned a sea shanty into a viral sensation on TikTok
At a time when almost everything that happens is met by a sense of either profound shock or bewildered disbelief, try this. A 19th century sea shanty has become a worldwide viral sensation thanks to a postman from North Lanarkshire. Nathan Evans posted his rendition of The Wellerman on TikTok at the end of last…
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UK’s hospitals struggling to cope, as MILLIONS wait for treatment
The waiting list in England now stands at almost 4.5 million people, as doctors warn that the challenge facing the NHS is “truly daunting”.
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UK bans all arrivals from South America over new Covid variant
There have been new bans on travellers to the UK announced tonight.
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Northern Ireland’s R-rate falls – but first minister warns health service is under pressure
Northern Ireland First Minister Arlene Foster has said the reproductive R-rate there has now fallen back below one in Northern Ireland, but warned that the health service remains under huge pressure.
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New Covid variants could potentially ‘evade the vaccines we’ve got’ says former chief scientific adviser
Prof Sir Mark Walport is a former government chief scientific advisor, and now sits on the Sage group of scientific advisors.
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Marcus Rashford calls for PM to review England’s free school meals
The footballer turned campaigner Marcus Rashford has written to the prime minister calling for an urgent review of the free school meals policy in England.
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Trump is first US president to be impeached twice – what next?
President Trump has been impeached for the second time in just over a year.
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WHO experts arrive in Wuhan to investigate pandemic’s origin
After many months of diplomatic wrangling, an international team of experts from the World Health Organization has been allowed to land in China to start an investigation into the origins of the pandemic.
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Can Biden fulfill his pledge to vaccinate 100 million Americans in 100 days?
Joe Biden is due to unveil an ambitious plan to tackle the pandemic later. He will pledge to commit trillions of dollars in government spending – the crisis dominating his first 100 days in office.
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Inside a vaccination centre persuading the Muslim community Covid vaccines are safe
Fake news on the vaccine is an issue in the US, but also in the UK.
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Trump ‘politicised public health information’ says former US health secretary
The former health secretary under Barack Obama, Kathleen Sebelius, knows all about the organisation and political challenges of public healthcare.
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Scottish fishermen ‘struggling to cope’ with Brexit red tape
Fishing was supposed to be a major upside of Brexit, but parts of the industry are finding themselves in crisis.
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Richard Leonard quits as Scottish Labour leader
Richard Leonard has resigned as Scottish Labour leader with immediate effect.
Latest news
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Court rules insurers must pay out for small firms’ Covid lockdown losses
Hundreds of thousands of small businesses which were forced to close during the first national lockdown could now get payouts from their insurance companies after a ruling by the Supreme Court. The test case was brought by the City watchdog after some firms complained they had been refused claims under their business interruption insurance policies.…
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Oceans hit highest ever temperatures in 2020
The world’s oceans hit their highest temperatures in recorded history last year, in what scientists say is a worrying sign of the advance of global warming. There have already been devastating consequences in the form of extreme weather across the world. The new Biden administration says that once it has dealt with the Covid crises,…
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Bobi Wine alleges fraud as Museveni opens lead in Uganda elections
The Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni has taken an early lead in the country’s elections, with around a third of the votes counted so far. But his main challenger, the former pop star Bobi Wine, claimed there had been widespread “fraud and irregularities” with the vote, pledging to provide evidence as soon as internet services were…
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Democratic Congresswoman Yvette Clarke: ‘We have to set the record straight and hold Donald Trump accountable’
We spoke to the Democratic Congresswoman from New York, Yvette Clarke, and began by asking how she felt on 6 January when rioters entered Capitol Hill.
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Pelosi announces security review at US Capitol after violent riots
In Washington, the House Speaker Nancy Pelosi has announced a review of security at the US Capitol after last week’s violent riots, warning that any politicians found to have aided the mob would be held to account.
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‘Chancellor trumpets fact he has spent £280 billion, yet we’ve seen record redundancies’ – Labour’s Anneliese Dodds
We speak to Shadow Chancellor Anneliese Dodds.
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UK economy shrinks after six months of growth
There is more evidence that things will get tougher before they get better, as figures showed the UK economy shrank by 2.6% in November as England went into lockdown for a second time.
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Northern Ireland ambulance service warns it’s struggling to cope
Northern Ireland is facing a health crisis, too, with the highest daily number of deaths since the pandemic began.
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Virus transmission in Brazil’s Manaus caused by ‘behaviour and actions’ – WHO’s Dr Margaret Harris
Dr Margaret Harris is from the World Health Organization.
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Manaus doctor on Covid: ‘We didn’t have enough oxygen for patients’
Gabriela Malta is a hospital doctor in Manaus, Brazil.
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FactCheck: government’s confusing rationale for not providing half term school meals
It’s not clear whether the Covid Winter Grant Scheme is intended to replace free school meals.
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FactCheck: government emails cast doubt on safety of school testing plan
Pupils and staff in England can avoid self-isolating after contact with a covid case if they take seven daily tests.
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Combat troops deployed in Washington as Trump faces impeachment
In Washington DC, the lower house is expected to vote in the next couple of hours on a historic second impeachment of President Trump.
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Migrants stranded outside in freezing weather in Bosnia
Hundreds of migrants are currently stranded in freezing weather in Bosnia.
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Uganda elections marred by violence against opposition
Ugandans vote tomorrow in a presidential election pitting Yoweri Museveni, who’s led the country for 35 years, against the challenger, the singer-turned-politician Bobi Wine.
