The tallest volcano on the Indonesian island of Java has erupted, killing at least one person and sending huge clouds of ash into the air. TV footage shows Mount Semeru in the Lumajang district of East Java spewing giant clouds of ash at around 7pm local time (12pm UK) on Saturday as villagers run for
Month: December 2021
Jan du Plessis, the former chairman of BT Group and a host of other FTSE-100 companies, is a leading candidate to chair Britain’s audit watchdog as it prepares for a radical shift in its oversight of corporate Britain. Sky News has learnt that Mr du Plessis, who stepped down as BT’s chairman this week after
A handbook Ghislaine Maxwell gave to staff working at Jeffrey Epstein’s house in Palm Beach – in which they were told to “see nothing, hear nothing, say nothing” – has been made public in court documents. Its 58 pages contain advice on anticipating the “needs of Mr Epstein” and the requirement to be “unobtrusive” –
Strict new limits on Ireland’s hospitality sector and home visits have been announced by the country’s prime minister. From Tuesday, 7 December, nightclubs will close until 9 January, and bars will only be allowed to run table service with a maximum of six people per table in both bars and restaurants. Speaking in a televised
The parent company of Boots, Britain’s biggest high street chemist, is to explore a sale of the business next year that could value it at well over £5bn. Sky News has learnt that Walgreens Boots Alliance (WBA) is lining up Goldman Sachs, the Wall Street bank, to advise it on a review of options that
Involuntary manslaughter charges have been filed against the parents of a 15-year-old accused of killing four students and wounding seven others at a Michigan school. Ethan Crumbley is in custody after the attack on Tuesday at Oxford High School, about 30 miles north of Detroit. Investigators say the handgun used was purchased legally by his
More than half the confirmed cases of the new Omicron variant in the UK have occurred following at least two vaccination doses, health officials have said. A new technical briefing from the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) says 12 of the 22 known cases up to 30 November had been fully vaccinated. Another two people
The speeding up of COVID booster jabs in England will happen no later than 13 December, NHS bosses have said. From that date, or earlier, the online booking system for coronavirus vaccines will be updated in order to allow people to book their booster jab three months after their second dose. It comes after Prime
As part of one of Britain’s biggest ever girl bands, Little Mix’s Leigh-Anne Pinnock is no stranger to performing. But now she’s stepped off the stage, and for now at least away from Little Mix, and in front of the camera for her first-ever film role in Boxing Day – which is being billed as
A person’s previous COVID infections will determine their body’s immune response to future variants, according to new research. “Immune imprinting” is the description given to the process when the first SARS-CoV-2 spike protein a person encounters – either by vaccination or infection – shapes their immune system’s ability to protect against variants and also affects
The Metropolitan Police has not received any complaints about an alleged party in Downing Street last year when indoor socialising was banned under COVID restrictions, the force’s commissioner has said. It has been reported this week that a large party was held on 18 December last year where around “40 or 50” people were crammed
The International Space Station (ISS) was forced to swerve away from a fragment of a US launch vehicle on Friday, the Russian space agency has said. The manoeuvre comes as the latest in a series of incidents in which space debris has forced astronauts to respond. Calls to monitor and regulate space debris, or space
A member of the Bank of England committee which sets interest rates has backtracked on his support for a hike, saying he wants to see data on how the new Omicron COVID variant affects the UK’s economic recovery. Michael Saunders warned that a delay in raising rates could result in a more painful tightening being
Downing Street have confirmed “in-person events” such as parties will be held in the lead up to the festive period as a Cabinet minister urged Britons to “keep calm and carry on with your Christmas plans”. A Number 10 spokesperson told Sky News celebrations will be held across Whitehall in the run up to Christmas
International passengers heading to the US will have to be tested for COVID-19 within one day of travel regardless of their vaccination status, as the Omicron variant spreads around the world. The tightening of coronavirus rules by the White House comes after America reported its first known case of community transmission of the highly contagious
The number of job vacancies in the UK has hit a new record 3.5 million ahead of the Christmas peak according to a closely-watched report – double the number seen in the summer. The Recruitment and Employment Confederation (REC) said there was a particular rise in demand last week for prison officers, scaffolders, dentists and