China has denounced a historic security pact between the US, UK and Australia, describing the alliance as “extremely irresponsible” and “narrow minded”. The pact, announced on Wednesday, will see the US and UK provide Australia with the technology to build nuclear-powered submarines for the first time. It is being widely viewed as an effort to
Month: September 2021
The UK, US and Australia have announced a special security pact to share advanced defence technologies, in an effort to counter China. The partnership will enable Australia to build nuclear-powered submarines for the first time. The pact, to be known as Aukus, will also cover artificial intelligence, quantum technologies and cyber. The three countries are
PA Media Liz Truss has been confirmed as the UK’s new foreign secretary, as Boris Johnson rejigs his ministerial team. The international trade secretary replaces Dominic Raab, who becomes justice secretary and deputy PM. Mr Johnson sacked Gavin Williamson as education secretary and replaced him with vaccines minister Nadhim Zahawi. Housing Secretary Robert Jenrick has
AFP There could be a large jump in the number of Covid hospital admissions in England if restrictions are not tightened, government scientists say. The Sage committee said its modelling suggested hospitalisations could reach 2,000 to 7,000 per day next month – currently there are around 1,000. But they added a “relatively light set of
Getty Images A plan for tackling Covid during autumn and winter in England includes booster jabs for millions – but holds in reserve measures like mandatory vaccine passports for certain settings. Warning Covid “remains a risk”, Prime Minister Boris Johnson outlined a “Plan A” – promoting vaccines and testing. He said “Plan B” – with
Getty Images A UK-wide programme of booster jabs to help prevent Covid will be confirmed later, the BBC understands. Ministers are expected to announce jabs for the over-50s as part of their Covid winter plan, after advice from the independent vaccine panel, the JCVI. BBC political editor Laura Kuenssberg said the booster would be a
Top scientists across the world — including experts at the FDA and the World Health Organization — pushed back against the need for widespread coronavirus vaccine booster shots on Monday. In a review published in the top medical journal The Lancet, the scientists argued that booster shots are not needed in the general population since
Getty Images Healthy children aged 12 to 15 should be offered one dose of a Covid vaccine, the UK’s chief medical officers say. The CMOs said it would help reduce disruption to education. It comes after the government’s vaccine committee said there was not enough benefit to warrant it on health grounds alone – but
KCNA North Korea has tested a new long-range cruise missile capable of hitting much of Japan, state media said on Monday. Tests staged over the weekend saw missiles travelling as far as 1,500km (930 miles) away, according to KCNA. However, they do not violate UN Security Council resolutions – they have led to tough sanctions
A scheme for vaccine passports for entry to nightclubs and large events in England will not be going ahead, the health secretary has said. Sajid Javid told the BBC: “We shouldn’t be doing things for the sake of it.” He said the government had looked at evidence, adding: “I’m pleased to say we will not
Venue: Flushing Meadows, New York Date: 30 August-12 September Coverage: Daily radio commentaries on BBC Radio 5 Live Sports Extra/BBC Sport website and app, with selected live text commentaries and match reports on the website and app Emma Raducanu ended Britain’s 44-year wait for a women’s Grand Slam singles champion as she beat Leylah Fernandez
Reuters Ceremonies are under way across the US to commemorate 20 years since the 9/11 attacks against the US. In New York, the ceremony started with a minute’s silence at 08:46 (12:46 GMT) – the exact time the first plane hit the North Tower of the World Trade Center in 2001. Thousands of people across
Prince Andrew, Duke of York, has been served with a sexual assault lawsuit filed against him by one of Jeffrey Epstein’s accusers, according to New York federal court records. Andrew is being sued in the US District Court for the Southern District of New York by Virginia Giuffre, 38, who alleges the duke sexually abused
Getty Images The terrorists behind the 11 September attacks in the United States failed “to shake our belief in freedom and democracy”, Boris Johnson has said. In a message to mark the 20th anniversary, the PM said that while the terror threat remained, people refused “to live in permanent fear”. “That we are coming together
The fall of Afghanistan to the Taliban is likely to have “emboldened” UK terrorists, the head of MI5 has warned. Director general Ken McCallum told the BBC that while the terror threat would not change overnight, there could be a “morale boost” for extremists. And there is also a concern terrorists could regroup and plan
President Joe Biden has announced sweeping federal Covid measures that require workers at large companies to be vaccinated or face weekly testing. The new measures – which also include a vaccine mandate for millions of federal workers – come as the president is under fire to combat a Covid surge. Covid has killed 650,000 Americans