“Putin seems to be just hysterical”. So tweeted Alexei Navalny, Vladimir Putin‘s most prominent political opponent, in response to the decision by Russia’s investigative committee to open a case against him last week on charges of large-scale fraud. It follows hot on the heels of a legal summons demanding he return to Moscow or face
Month: January 2021
The prime minister knew, walking into his first broadcast interview of 2021, that he would face some difficult questions. In the last 24 hours alone, teaching unions have warned their members not to take classes face-to-face because of fears over the rate at which COVID-19 is spreading, a record number of new cases has been
Boris Johnson has said “there is no doubt in my mind that schools are safe” in areas where they are open – as he warned of tighter restrictions in the coming weeks. As pressure mounted on the prime minister to keep all of England’s schools closed when the new term starts, Mr Johnson insisted education
Veteran US talk show host Larry King is in hospital with coronavirus, according to US media reports. King, 87, has been receiving treatment for COVID-19 at the Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles for over a week, sources close to his family reportedly told CNN. The broadcaster is currently in isolation and unable to have
A talented dirt bike rider who starred in a film about Baltimore’s bike gangs has been charged with murdering her girlfriend on New Year’s Day. Lakeyria Doughty, known as “Wheelie Queen”, was charged with first and second-degree murder for allegedly stabbing her partner, Tiffany Wilson, 33, in West Baltimore, Maryland, in the US, police said.
Jeremy Clarkson has revealed he spent Christmas battling the coronavirus. The former Top Gear host wrote in his Sunday Times column: “Four days before Christmas, I woke in the night to find my sheets were soggy. And that I had a constant dry cough.” After his test came back positive, he said: “The doctor was
Vandals have targeted the leaders of the US House and Senate after Congress failed to increase the amount of money being given to Americans to help them get through the coronavirus pandemic. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell’s home in Kentucky and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s home in California were vandalised during the weekend. Mr McConnell’s
Hundreds of new vaccination sites are expected to be up and running this week as the NHS expands its coronavirus immunisation programme. Some 530,000 doses of the Oxford University-AstraZeneca vaccine will be available across the UK from Monday. At first, only a small number of hospital will distribute the vaccine but after a few days,
Three bodies have been recovered and seven people are still missing after a landslide in Norway. Rescue teams in the village of Ask, near Oslo, have yet to find any signs of life after the disaster tore down buildings in the area on Wednesday. Two bodies were recovered from the rubble on Saturday after the
Bitcoin has topped $30,000 for the first time, extending a rally that saw its value climb by 300% in 2020. The cryptocurrency rose to as high as $31,824 early on Saturday – just two weeks after passing the $20,000 mark. Its rise has been attributed to traders increasingly betting on it becoming a mainstream payment
The UK has recorded another 57,725 COVID-19 cases – its highest ever daily total. A further 445 coronavirus-related deaths were also reported. Among the figures, NHS England reported 383 people had died after testing positive for COVID-19 – most of them occurring on New Year’s Eve. In England, those who died were aged between 27
Lord Sugar, the Amstrad founder and star of The Apprentice, is fuelling a landlord-led revolt against a rescue deal for Caffe Nero, the struggling chain of coffee shops. Sky News has learnt that Amsprop Investments, the peer’s private commercial property group, is among seven parties which have lodged a legal challenge aimed at blocking Caffe
Eddie Izzard, a gender-fluid comedian who uses both male and female pronouns, has defended JK Rowling against accusations of transphobia. The Harry Potter author attracted criticism last year after she took issue with the phrasing for an article about healthcare equality, titled Opinion: Creating a more equal post-COVID-19 world for people who menstruate. “‘People who
Planet Earth’s success in staying habitable for billions of years is partly down to luck, according to a new study. A mass simulation experiment suggests most planets would not have been able to cope with changes to their climate while still supporting life for the three billion years Earth has, scientists have said. Researchers at
More than 2,500 people have attended an illegal rave in France, clashing with police who attempted to stop the event. The rave, held in a disused warehouse at Lieuron near Rennes in Brittany, started on New Year’s Eve and came to an end on Saturday morning. Mass gatherings are not allowed under French COVID-19 restrictions
The only woman on death row in the US is set to be executed after a court overruled a decision to delay her death. Lisa Montgomery, 52, was convicted of strangling to death 23-year-old Bobbie Jo Stinnett, who was eight months pregnant, and cutting her baby out with a kitchen knife in 2004. The baby