Month: May 2021

The Duke of Cambridge has blamed the BBC’s failures over its famous 1995 interview with his mother Diana for worsening the relationship between his parents and adding to her paranoia. After an inquiry found the BBC fell below its standards, Prince William said he was “most saddened” his mother never learned she had been deceived.

More than 2,500 women who were victims of the PIP breast implant scandal should receive compensation, a French appeal court has decided. The women involved, including 540 Britons, say they are elated and exhausted after 10 years of fighting for justice. The court also upheld an earlier judgement which found German company TUV Rheinland negligent.

Getty Images Surge testing and jabs will be expanded to six new areas of concern in England to combat the spread of the Indian Covid variant, Matt Hancock has said. The areas were identified using new techniques, including analysing wastewater and travel patterns, he told a Downing Street briefing. The government is also supporting Scotland

Reuters EU ambassadors have backed proposals to reopen borders for non-essential travel from countries with low infection rates, with a list to be agreed this week. Diplomats in Brussels said visitors should be allowed to come from countries with an incidence rate of below 75 cases per 100,000 people. A “safe list” is still to

PA Media It will be a few days before the government can draw any conclusions about whether to deviate from England’s current roadmap out of lockdown, the prime minister has said. The government plans to end the remaining legal limits on social contact in England from 21 June. But there is increasing concern about the

Getty Images Ministers will step up calls for people to book a Covid vaccination as soon as they are offered one, amid increasing concern about the Indian variant. The health secretary said anyone who was unsure should look at Bolton, where most people in hospital with Covid were eligible for a jab but had not

There are now 86 local authorities with five or more confirmed cases of the Indian Covid variant, Health Secretary Matt Hancock has said. “This isn’t just about Bolton and Blackburn,” he said, referring to the areas seeing a spike in cases. It comes as millions of people can now enjoy new freedoms as lockdown is

PA Media Thousands of British holidaymakers have begun taking advantage of the easing of lockdown rules on overseas travel. Travellers from England, Scotland and Wales are jetting off to some countries in what the crisis-hit tourism industry hopes is the start of a recovery. Travellers can now visit 12 countries on the government’s green list,

PA Media People must continue to play their part in stopping Covid, Boris Johnson has said ahead of the easing of lockdown in England, Wales and most of Scotland. From Monday, millions of people will be able to socialise indoors in limited numbers, hug loved ones and visit pubs and restaurants inside. The ban on

Getty Images The UK has “increasing confidence” that Covid-19 vaccines work against the Indian variant of the virus, the health secretary has said. Scientists believe that the variant is more transmissible and cases of it nearly tripled to 1,313 in the past week in England. But Matt Hancock said early lab data showed vaccines remained

US President Joe Biden has phoned Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas after another day of violence in the region. The international community has called for an end to the escalating conflict. Earlier, Israeli air strikes in Gaza killed 10 people in a refugee camp and, separately, destroyed a building that

Reuters People eligible for a vaccine in areas where the Indian virus variant is spreading are being urged to get the jab. Health minister Edward Argar said there had been a “minor increase” in hospital presentations in Bolton, mainly among unvaccinated 35-65 year olds. The Army is to be deployed in Bolton and Blackburn with

The Indian Covid variant could pose “serious disruption” to lockdown easing in England on 21 June, the PM has said. Boris Johnson said if it was found to be “significantly” more transmissible there could be “some hard choices”. The wait between jabs will be cut from 12 weeks to eight for the over-50s and clinically

Reuters Local and regional restrictions to tackle the Indian Covid variant cannot be ruled out, the government has said, as it expressed concern over the speed of the variant’s spread in England. It said “economic and social” restrictions could be reimposed in parts of England if necessary. Measures could also include bringing forward second vaccines