AstraZeneca Covid booster vaccine ‘effective against omicron variant’
“As we better understand omicron, we believe we will find that T-cell response provides durable protection against severe disease and hospitalisations,” Mene Pangalos, the head of AstraZeneca’s…
Electronic tagging of migrants under consideration to deter Channel crossings
The Government has drawn up legislation which Ms Patel says will tackle criminal gangs who promote illegal migration and reduce the “pull factors” that encourage migrants to…
How The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe made the BBC take children seriously
But not everyone was a fan. The BBC’s Points of View read out letters mocking 13-year-old Sophie Wilcox’s weight and slating Dempsey. “Someone wrote in and said,…
Tenfold spike in Christmas delivery scams preying on public’s ‘fear of missing out’
These scams are particularly effective in the run-up to Christmas as many customers will genuinely be expecting a parcel delivery on the same day they receive the…
What’s on TV tonight and this Christmas: Ghosts, Blackburn Sings Christmas with Gareth Malone, and more
Disney+The latest offspring of the Star Wars franchise gives new life to a character whose massive popularity with fans has far outweighed the sum of his relatively…
Wolf Moon 2022: what time it peaks in the UK and other full moon dates
The first full moon of 2022 will be the Wolf Moon, expected to grace our skies at 11.48pm on January 17. This full moon was so named…
Volkswagen Tiguan eHybrid review: the plug-in hybrid that’s the very definition of average
On the first time of asking, when it was cold, our test car paused dramatically for a second when asked to bring in the petrol engine, as…
British culture is in existential peril – DCMS must be broken up
In addition, next year, there must be a doubling down on the Government’s disdain for the “woke” vogue that’s plaguing the arts. There’s no point putting more…
Relax, Maureen Lipman – ‘offensive’ comedy is in rude health
Still, once people start saying you’re “cancelled”, it’s often a career boost. Controversy sells: look at Dave Chappelle’s multi-million-dollar Netflix deal. And this year, a Sheffield venue…
China’s most widely used covid vaccine ‘ineffective’ against omicron
The research translates into bad news for the country: more than 80 per cent of its population has been vaccinated with either the Sinovac jab or another…
Robot boats that turn into movable bridges launch in Amsterdam
“You live on the Singel canal, you walk to the container, put the trash in, it can buffer up to five trash bags, the boat is parked…
Scotland orders closure of nightclubs for at least three weeks to try and slow spread of Covid
An amendment to Scotland’s coronavirus regulations ordered clubs to close, unless they could operate “within regulation”. It had no end date, meaning the restrictions could be lifted…
Prince Charles and Duchess of Cornwall to spend Christmas with the Queen at Windsor
The Queen will be spending Christmas Day with the Prince of Wales and the Duchess of Cornwall, a Clarence House spokesman has said. The head of state…
Prince Harry and Meghan unveil Christmas card with first photo of baby Lilibet
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex have shared the first public image of their baby daughter Lilibet, saying she “made us a family”. In a message announcing…
Prince Philip to be honoured with thanksgiving service next year, Buckingham Palace announces
Thames Valley Police warned people to stay away due to the strict coronavirus guidance that was in place at the time. Only a few people were present…
Putin demands Western security guarantees over Ukraine and Nato ‘right now’
Russia earlier this month published a draft security agreement, viewed by many as an ultimatum to the West, in which it demanded that Nato commit to bar…
Deputy headteacher guilty of child sexual abuse in ‘one of the worst cases’ ever seen
A deputy headteacher has been jailed for 18 counts of sexually abusing a child in what was called “one of the worst cases” ever seen by prosecutors….
US congresswoman carjacked at gunpoint in broad daylight
Delaware state police have taken into custody five suspects after US Representative Mary Gay Scanlon was robbed of her car at gunpoint in a Philadelphia park on…
West End ram-raid robbers jailed for wreaking ‘havoc’ by smashing their way into luxury stores
In total, the gang managed to steal items worth £465,000 across the three raids before they were eventually identified and arrested. ‘Crime does not pay,’ says Metropolitan…
Richest man in Utah quits Mormons in protest and donates $600,000 to LGBT group
However, he waited until Monday to make his decision official and ask the church to remove his name from the records, according to the Salt Lake Tribune….
Ferdinand Marcos Jnr, son of former Philippine dictator, takes clear lead in polls for president
For nine years starting in 1972, he ruled as a dictator under martial law. Thousands of journalists, activists and dissidents were detained and tortured during this period,…
James Franco breaks silence on sex misconduct allegations, admitting he slept with his students
Oscar-nominated actor James Franco, who was at the centre of #MeToo allegations in 2018, has admitted he has been treated for sex addiction since 2016. Franco, 43,…
Hong Kong university removes memorial for those killed in 1989 Tiananmen crackdown
Hong Kong authorities have been cracking down on political dissent following the implementation of the national security law, which has destroyed much of the previously vibrant pro-democracy…
Watchdog refuses to probe police’s handling of alleged Downing Street Christmas party
An IOPC spokesman said: “Having fully assessed the referral, we have decided it is invalid and we have returned it to the Metropolitan Police Service to handle…
Falkland Islands capital of Stanley bids to become Britain’s first city abroad
The competition is being run by the Cabinet Office. Steve Barclay, Cabinet Office minister and Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, said: “Today’s announcement is a celebration…