Scientists around the world are racing to develop a vaccine against coronavirus. And today, the government has announced it wants to double the number of people who get the flu jab this winter, with experts concerned about the double whammy of COVID-19 cases and seasonal flu potentially overwhelming the NHS. But a YouGov poll earlier
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At first glance, retail sales figures for June released by the Office for National Statistics reveal the pattern of recovery that business and the Treasury have been praying for – a V-shaped return to pre-coronavirus levels. The total volume of sales bounced back by a striking 13.9%, just 0.6% down on pre-lockdown levels in February
Three teenagers have been convicted of killing a police officer during a desperate attempt to evade capture. PC Andrew Harper was dragged for a mile behind their car, after he tried to stop the group towing away a quad bike, stolen from outside a house in west Berkshire. The driver, Henry Long, 19, and his
Donald Trump has called off next month’s Republican convention in Florida because of the spike in coronavirus cases there – but why is the state now being hit so severely? How bad is it in the Sunshine State? There have been nearly 390,000 cases so far – the second-highest in the US after California –
British Gas owner Centrica is to sell off its US energy retail arm in a $3.6bn (£2.8 bn) deal as it seeks to revive its flagging fortunes and focus on its home markets in the UK and Ireland. Direct Energy, which was bought by the British company in 2000 and is one of North America’s
Many workplaces require employees to possess special passes or know a code to enter the building, and the coronavirus has the same advantage when breaking into cells. Scientists have uncovered the structure of an enzyme called nsp16 which coronavirus uses to fool the immune system and gain access to host cells, which it hijacks to
The prime minister has described opponents of vaccines as “nuts”, as he predicted Britain will be “well on the way past” coronavirus by the “middle of next year”. “There’s all these anti-vaxxers now. They are nuts, they are nuts,” Boris Johnson told nurses at a GP surgery in London. The PM was speaking as the
Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, the youngest woman to be elected to the US House of Representatives, has delivered a powerful speech in response to a congressman who allegedly verbally abused her. The Democratic congresswoman claims that Republican Ted Yoho called her a “f****** b****” and said she was “out of [her] freaking mind” on the steps of
Overall retail sales have returned to a similar level to before the coronavirus pandemic after two months of increases, official figures show. However, latest data released by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) reveals a mixed picture for different store types. In June, the volume of retail sales increased by 13.9% when compared with the
Fitbit and other wearable devices typically linked to exercise are being studied as ways to identify people who are potentially infected with COVID-19 before symptoms appear, when they can unknowingly spread the disease. Changes in heart rate, respiratory rate, and other biometrics measured constantly by the devices may flag the early stages of virus infection,
11:42 PM ET Associated Press KANSAS CITY, Kan. — Three straight finishes outside the top 10 for Denny Hamlin these days counts as a rough patch. He was once again smooth as they get Thursday night. Hamlin hung around the front of the pack all night, avoiding trouble that cost several playoff contenders in the
China has ordered the US to close its consulate in the city of Chengdu as tensions continue to mount between the two countries. The latest tit-for-tat escalation comes days after Washington told Beijing to cease its operations at the Chinese consulate in Houston after the US accused Chinese agents of trying to steal medical and
7:49 PM ET Associated Press SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. — Irad Ortiz Jr. won five races at Saratoga on Thursday, equaling his feat of a year ago. He won the second, fourth, fifth, seventh and ninth races from his eight mounts at the upstate New York track. Last July 31, Ortiz Jr. also won five races.
Sir Elton John’s ex-wife is suing him for £3m over claims he broke a legal agreement not to talk about their marriage. Renate Blauel’s four-year marriage to the star was referenced in Sir Elton’s 2019 memoir Me and the hit movie Rocketman, as well as an Instagram post. Ms Blauel, a sound engineer, alleges that
There are now four councils in England classed as an “area of intervention” on the government’s coronavirus watchlist – but what does that mean? What is the coronavirus watchlist? The watchlist of local authorities is part of the weekly surveillance report of coronavirus infections published by Public Health England (PHE). This is all part of
Donald Trump has called off the Republican convention in Florida after a flare-up of coronavirus cases, saying the timing is “not right”. The event, which was due to be held in Jacksonville next month, is when Mr Trump will accept his party’s nomination as presidential candidate. Convention events will still be going ahead in North