Some children as young as 12 should be allowed to overrule their parents on whether they have the COVID vaccine, a senior doctor has said. Dr David Strain, a clinical lead for COVID services, told Sky News he believed there were 12-year-olds “mature enough” to decide to have the coronavirus jab without the consent of
UK
Girls Aloud star Nadine Coyle has led the tributes to former bandmate Sarah Harding, who died on Sunday morning at the age of 39. Harding’s mother revealed on Instagram on Sunday that the singer passed away that day, after her “battle with cancer”. Sharing a picture of Harding laughing on Instagram, Coyle said: “I am
Girls Aloud star Sarah Harding has died aged 39, her mother has said. The singer had announced she was diagnosed with advanced-stage breast cancer in August 2020, saying the disease had spread to other parts of her body. On Instagram, her mother Marie wrote: “It is with deep heartbreak that today I’m sharing the news
One of Prince Charles’s closest aides has stepped down from his role following claims he offered to help secure an honour for a rich Saudi donor. Michael Fawcett, a former assistant valet to the prince, has temporarily left his job as chief executive of The Prince’s Foundation, the charity confirmed on Saturday. The Sunday Times
Two divers are missing and presumed dead after they were reported to be trapped on a wreck off the coast of Cornwall. HM Coastguard confirmed that the rescue phase of their search is over and it has now become a recovery operation. The two divers were exploring HMS Scylla, a popular diving destination near Whitsand
Coronavirus vaccines for healthy children aged between 12 and 15 are not being recommended by the government’s advisers. The Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) has announced it is widening the limited rollout to the most at-risk children in this age bracket who have underlying health conditions – including chronic major heart, lung, kidney,
The government must immediately remove the mandatory requirement for care home staff to be vaccinated amid a workforce crisis in the sector, the UK’s largest social care union says. UNISON is calling on ministers to stop “sleepwalking into a disaster” and end the ‘no jab, no job’ rule for those in the care industry. Repealing
Racist chants were directed at England players during their 4-0 win over Hungary. Sky Sports News reporter Rob Dorsett said he heard “sporadic monkey chants from various areas of the crowd” at the Puskas Arena in Budapest. They were “primarily towards Raheem Sterling when he touched the ball”, Dorsett added. “I have seen four separate
The education secretary has insisted children must return to a “normal pre-pandemic” experience in schools, despite the risk of an increase in COVID cases. Gavin Williamson said testing would be key to guarding against rising infection rates, but refused to outline what the government’s “contingency plan” for other potential measures might involve. Experts are predicting
Adults who are fully vaccinated are 47% less likely to have long COVID should they contract COVID-19, a new study says. The team at King’s College London analysed data from more than two million people who logged their symptoms, tests, and vaccine status on the Zoe COVID Symptom Study app between 8 December 2020 and
Students go back to school in England and Wales this week amid concerns over a lack of preparedness for COVID-19. Representatives of headteachers and other school leaders have criticised the government for what they call a “hit and hope” strategy for pupils returning. Many of the precautions present during the last academic year – including
An alleged member of the ISIS group dubbed “The Beatles” is set to plead guilty in a court case in the United States. Alexanda Amon Kotey has been charged with conspiring to torture and behead American and European hostages in Syria. It is not immediately clear which charges he will admit at a change of
A 17-year-old girl who is in hospital after falling seriously ill with COVID says she has been targeted by anti-vaxxers and conspiracy theorists after urging young people to have the vaccine. Maisy Evans, a former member of the Welsh Youth Parliament, told Sky News she feared she would die when her oxygen levels “dropped dramatically”
A policeman’s widow is increasing her pressure on politicians to make killing an emergency worker punishable with a mandatory life sentence, a year after launching her campaign. Lissie Harper was left bereaved when her husband, PC Andrew Harper, was caught in strapping attached to a car in August 2019 and dragged behind the vehicle. It
The former Royal Marine who founded an animal shelter in Afghanistan has apologised for the “incredibly embarrassing” language he used in a voicemail to a government aide as he tried to leave the country. Paul “Pen” Farthing arrived at London Heathrow on a privately-funded charter flight from Kabul at around 7.30am on Sunday – with
A woman found dead at a property in Kettering, Northamptonshire, has been named as Maddie Durdant-Hollamby. Northamptonshire Police said the 22-year-old’s death is being treated as murder. The body of a man was also found in the property, and police have said they are not looking for anyone further in connection with their inquiries. Senior