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England's deputy chief medical officer Professor Jonathan Van-Tam has appeared on Sky News to answer some questions from the public on the coronavirus crisis. He shared his perspective on the public's queries and concerns on topics including the vaccine rollout, vaccine hesitancy and lifting the lockdown. Below are some of the key things from the Q&A, followed by a short analysis from science correspondent Thomas Moore , who offers his insight on each answer. 1. Since we hit the first 15 million jabs target there has been a drop-off in the daily vaccination numbers. Why? "That's really very simple to explain. There are always going to be supply fluctuations. These are new vaccines and by and large the manufacturers have never made them or anything like them before," Professor Van-Tam said. Advertisement Using one of his now-famous analogies Prof Van-Tam compared the manufacture of vaccines to beer-making. He said you set the equipment up and let … [Read more...] about Vaccine side-effects, fertility and jab shortages – Van-Tam answers your questions

We spend 90% of our time in the buildings where we live and work, shop and conduct business, in the structures that keep us warm in winter and cool in summer. But immense energy is required to source and manufacture building materials, to power construction sites, to maintain and renew the built environment. In 2019, building operations and construction activities together accounted for 38% of global energy-related CO2 emissions, the highest level ever recorded. To ensure that the Paris climate targets are met, the building and construction industry needs to become a climate leader by moving towards net zero construction. Its CO2 emissions need to be cut in half by 2030 for building stock to be carbon free by 2050, according to a recent report by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP). In response, a raft of new net zero building initiatives are focused on curbing emissions across the whole building lifecycle. DW looks at 5 key points in understanding the … [Read more...] about 5 things to know about carbon-free construction

Boris Johnson has said he is "very optimistic" that England can finally return to normal life on June 21 under his four-step roadmap out of lockdown. However the Prime Minister warned that "nothing can be guaranteed", as the Government maintains a cautious approach to freeing Brits from the limits governing daily life. Plans to reopen schools and allow greater outdoor socialising in March, to reopen beer gardens, shops and salons in April, and to scrap most rules on social contact in May have offered hope to millions. However the PM has been clear that he will be governed by "data not dates" and the timetable could slip if the virus begins to spiral. Four tests must be met before England can move onto the next step of the roadmap, which include how the vaccine rollout is going and whether there are any new variants causing concern. The document states: "Around four weeks is required to see the impact of the previous step in the data and the Government has committed to … [Read more...] about Three things that could derail Boris Johnson’s timetable for easing lockdown

Dene Michael had it all during the 80s - but now life has taken a drastic turn downhill. The former 80s pop star rose to fame as a member of the band Black Lace, who became face for their novelty party record 'Agadoo'. Dene replaced original band member Colin Gibb in 1986, singing their iconic tune on tours and featuring in another novelty party song 'Wig Wam Bam'. At the band's peak, Michael used to go on holiday six times a year, owned multiple house and even a boat. "Through my career I’ve been top of the tree. Number 2 in the charts. I could go on holiday six times a year," he says on new ITV series Million Pound Pawn. "I bought nice houses, designer watches, a boat, a rolls royce. It was so easy to go and buy what you needed. "After that in the 90s it went down a bit. We didn’t get as much TV. A few years of that and it soon goes. You've just got to realise it doesn’t last forever." Black Lace now consists of two separate groups, including a full-time international … [Read more...] about Agadoo singer forced to pawn prized Rolex after losing fortune gets harsh reality check

Pupils may not be back in the classroom within the week of March 8 as schools struggle to ramp up mass-testing. Heads across England are planning a staggered return over the course of the week as they test millions of secondary students. But some may be forced to delay the return to lessons even longer as they embark on the huge logistical operation. Education Secretary Gavin Williamson insisted: “They’ve got a week to bring all those pupils back, so they can be tested during that week.” But Downing Street was unable to guarantee that all pupils would have face-to-face learning by the end of the week. Boris Johnson ’s official spokesman said: “We want children to back in the classroom as soon as they can. “There is a bit of flexibility in terms of secondary schools, making sure the appropriate testing can happen.” Do you enjoy reading about politics? Sign up for all the best politics news from the Mirror Government sources admitted that “some schools” would be … [Read more...] about Teachers’ stark warning as they say ‘extremely unlikely’ all kids back on March 8