COVID vaccines will be available from GP surgeries from today - as the race to protect Brits from the virus is ramped up. The Oxford/AstraZeneca jab can be stored at fridge temperatures making it easier to administer, unlike the Pfizer jab which requires storage at -70C. It's hoped more than 700 GP surgeries will be delivering vaccines by the end of the week - after the UK recorded the highest daily death toll since April. The UK reported a further 1,041 people had died within 28 days of testing positive for Covid-19 as of Wednesday. Record numbers are also currently in hospital with coronavirus, with a further 3,500 admitted in England on Monday. Some 1.3 million people have already received either the Pfizer/BioNTech or Oxford/AstraZeneca jab. And millions of extra Covid vaccines could be ready within weeks as approval times for fresh batches are slashed to just five days. The jabs will be given to those deemed most vulnerable to the virus first - and are … [Read more...] about Covid vaccines available in GP surgeries TODAY – all you need to know about getting yours
Walkers flock parks london police patrol enforce covid rules
Travelodge launches room sale with bargain breaks from £6.25pp at hotels across England from May 17
TRAVELODGE has released over one million hotel rooms for £25 or less at city, countryside and coastal locations across England. Following the Government’s announcement yesterday, the hotel chain is now taking bookings from May 17 with rooms at bargain prices. With family rooms for four people included in the sale, this means a stay will set you back just £6.25 each. It also means couples heading away for a romantic weekend can do so for just £12.50 each. With staycations set to be more popular than ever, the cheap rooms provide a perfect base for exploring more of the UK. Travelodge rooms from £25 per night - book here There are hotels in countryside destinations like the Peak District or the Yorkshire Dales, and 36 hotels in coastal locations like Cornwall , Devon, Scarborough, Brighton , Bournemouth, Blackpool and Southend-on-Sea. City lovers can book a break in London , Birmingham, Bristol, Liverpool, Oxford, Cambridge or York. Our best UK … [Read more...] about Travelodge launches room sale with bargain breaks from £6.25pp at hotels across England from May 17
Cressida Dick: ‘Beyond my wildest dreams’ to be Met’s first female Commissioner
The first female has been appointed Scotland Yard Commissioner in the force's 188 year history. Cressida Dick, a former acting Deputy Commissioner at the Metropolitan Police, will take over from Sir Bernard Hogan-Howe, who has held the post since 2011. Ms Dick said: "I am thrilled and humbled. This is a great responsibility and an amazing opportunity. I'm looking forward immensely to protecting and serving the people of London and working again with the fabulous women and men of the Met. "It is beyond my wildest dreams. An extraordinary privilege. I am very humbled. "Thank you so much to everyone who has taught me and supported me along the way." Advertisement Ms Dick was one of the UK's most senior female police officers before leaving Scotland Yard to take up a highly sensitive security-related post within the Foreign Office in 2014. Her return to lead the country's biggest police force is not without controversy, as she was the officer in … [Read more...] about Cressida Dick: ‘Beyond my wildest dreams’ to be Met’s first female Commissioner
Amnesty strips Navalny of ‘prisoner of conscience’ status
Amnesty International said on Wednesday that it no longer recognizes jailed Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny as a "prisoner of conscience." The global rights watchdog cited the politician's past "advocacy of hatred" as the reason behind its decision. It, however, did not mention any specific remarks made by him in the past. At the start of his political career a decade ago, Navalny drew criticism for his anti-immigrant statements. "Some of these comments, which Navalny has not publicly denounced, reach the threshold of advocacy of hatred, and this is at odds with Amnesty's definition of a prisoner of conscience," the London-based NGO said. Watch video 00:37 Borrell: 'We have to sanction the people who are directly related with his arrest' Amnesty continues to call for Navalny's release Over the past few years, Navalny has emerged as Russia's leading critic of President Vladimir Putin by publishing investigations into corruption and leading … [Read more...] about Amnesty strips Navalny of ‘prisoner of conscience’ status
Sahayb Abu trial: Alleged terror plotter tells court he was studying Alan Titchmarsh gardening videos
An aspiring rapper accused of plotting a terrorist attack using a gladiator-style sword founded an agricultural charity and was studying Alan Titchmarsh gardening videos, he has told a jury. Sahayb Abu has admitted buying the 18in sword, a knife, a combat vest, balaclavas and gloves before his arrest on 9 July last year - but denied he was preparing for a terror strike during the pandemic. The 27-year-old, from Dagenham in east London, told the court the items were "props" for a rap video. Sahayb said he had founded a charity called Islamic Growth to provide irrigation for crops in Somalia and wanted to be a vegetable farmer. But he first needed to become famous in order to get the money and the attention for his cause and was planning to launch a parody drill rap act on TikTok. Advertisement He recorded a rap in which he said: "Allah arrest him, my shank [knife] penetrate ya, got my suicide vest, one click boom and I'll see you later." In … [Read more...] about Sahayb Abu trial: Alleged terror plotter tells court he was studying Alan Titchmarsh gardening videos