The hunt for an unidentified person who tested positive for the Brazil variant of coronavirus has narrowed to 379 households in southeast England, the health secretary has said. In total, six cases of the P1 coronavirus variant first found in Brazil have been discovered in the UK. One has still yet to be identified after the individual failed to complete their test registration card. Live COVID updates from the UK and around the world What we know about the Brazil variant But Matt Hancock told the House of Commons on Tuesday that officials had now "identified the batch of home test kits in question". Advertisement He added: "Our search has narrowed from the whole country down to 379 households in the southeast of England and we're contacting each one. "We're grateful that a number of potential cases have come forward following the call that we put out over the weekend." More from Covid-19 Isle Of Wight … [Read more...] about COVID-19: Hunt for mystery person infected with Brazil variant narrows to 379 households
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Banksy: Prison wall painting appears in Reading on site campaigners want to be turned into arts centre
It looks like Banksy may have been in action once again, with an artwork in his signature style appearing on the side of a former prison in Reading. Depicting an inmate escaping down the side of the wall on a rope made of bedsheets, and tied to a typewriter, the painting was created overnight on Sunday at the former HM Prison in Reading, Berkshire , which closed in 2014. There are suggestions the Banksy -esque mural could be of one of the jail's most famous inmates, the poet and playwright Oscar Wilde, who was sentenced to two years after being convicted of gross indecency in 1895. It has drawn crowds since it was first spotted on Monday morning, but has not yet been claimed officially. The anonymous street artist will often post photographs of his work on Instagram to confirm they are his, and fans are waiting to see if this one will appear. Advertisement Banksy's last confirmed work was a painting showing an elderly-looking woman sneezing, … [Read more...] about Banksy: Prison wall painting appears in Reading on site campaigners want to be turned into arts centre
Meghan demands return of letter to dad after court win – and wants front-page Mail statement
The Duchess of Sussex wants the Mail On Sunday to hand over any copies of her letter to her father - and publish a front-page statement and put a notice on MailOnline for at least six months. Meghan won her privacy case last month after a judge said the paper had breached her privacy and copyright by publishing parts of the letter . Her lawyers are also seeking £1.5m from the Mail On Sunday to cover their legal fees, with half to be paid within two weeks. The new details emerged today in a hearing over costs and other unresolved matters. The duchess's lawyers want the Mail to publish statements to say she has won her case, with an online notice staying on the MailOnline homepage for "not less than 6 months". Advertisement They said they were not looking to punish the paper and were only seeking nominal damages. Ian Mill QC, representing Meghan, also applied for an injunction, saying it was needed to stop the publication from … [Read more...] about Meghan demands return of letter to dad after court win – and wants front-page Mail statement
Take a trip to the Maldives’ palm-lined beaches and crystal-clear waters for just £14pp a night
A HONEYMOON in the Maldives has always been a bucket-list trip that risks breaking the bank . . . until now. The island of Dhiffushi offers the palm-lined beaches and crystal-clear waters newlyweds would expect from a holiday to the atoll nation — but at a fraction of the cost. Rooms at a top-rated 3H hotel on the Indian Ocean island are from just £99.39pp for a week. That is cheaper than a single night on most resort islands. So what’s the catch? Unusually for the Maldives, Dhiffushi is a residential island where locals live alongside tourists. A decade ago, the mile-long stretch of land became the first non-resort island in the Indian Ocean to host holidaymakers after its government opened up local islands to tourism. The Maldives is a Muslim country and, unlike resort islands, alcohol is prohibited on local islands. For visitors after a taste of the real Maldives, the trade-off is worthwhile. But you need not detox entirely: Guests can visit a floating … [Read more...] about Take a trip to the Maldives’ palm-lined beaches and crystal-clear waters for just £14pp a night
February had hottest and coldest weather of winter with temperatures shooting from bone-chilling -23C to 18.4C
FEBRUARY saw the warmest and coldest temperatures of winter, according to statistics revealed today. The mercury dropped to a bone-chilling -23C on February 11 as the Beast from the East battered the nation. ⚡ Read our UK weather live blog for the very latest news and forecasts. .. But just days later on February 24 the nation warmed up and was bathed in 18.4C heat and glorious sunshine. Data compiled by the Met Office and released today shows it was the hottest day of the year so far and winter's warmest. Dr Mark McCarthy, head of the Met Office's National Climate Information Centre, said it was a month of two halves. He went on: "February 2021 has seen a wide temperature range resulting from the two predominant weather patterns. "The first half of February saw some bitterly cold easterlies originating from Russia. "Recent days have seen the influence of air coming from the Canary Islands." He added: "Minimum temperatures of below -20C were more … [Read more...] about February had hottest and coldest weather of winter with temperatures shooting from bone-chilling -23C to 18.4C