International News

Covid cases in the UK are on the way down - at least according to the daily figures released by the government. The number of cases confirmed over the past seven days is 13% down on the previous week. But does this really mean the Omicron wave has peaked? These are, after all, only the people who come forward for testing. As infections have risen to record levels there have been reports of people struggling to get access to tests. The figures also exclude - apart from in Wales - those...

London could become mired in gridlock because of a shift towards driving as a means of transport during the Covid pandemic, the city’s mayor, Sadiq Khan has said, warning that it risks creating a new health crisis from increased pollution. While levels of walking and cycling have risen in the capital, the overall proportion of people making sustainable journeys has fallen as a result of the collapse in numbers using public transport. Almost two years since the first lockdown, use of the ...

Tearless onions are to go on sale at Waitrose, reported The Times. Rick Watson, a plant breeder, began working on the innovation in the late 1980s, using natural techniques rather than genetic modification to create the unique variety. Onions normally make people cry because when they are sliced they release synpropanethial-S-oxide, which irritates glands in the eyes. A taste tester said tearless onions were “sweet enough that you could sit there and eat them like popcorn, if you were in...

Housing Secretary Michael Gove is vowing to "expose and pursue" firms responsible for safety problems caused by cladding, the BBC has learned. On Monday, he will pledge to ease the "unfair burden" placed on leaseholders by issues exposed by the Grenfell fire. He will set out measures aimed at forcing developers to pay for cladding removal from lower-height buildings, telling them "we are coming for you". Changes to make it easier for owners to sell their homes will also be unveiled. ...

Rail passengers are facing cancellations or fewer services as train companies face high levels of staff absences due to Covid. The Rail Delivery Group said almost one in 10 rail workers were off. Train companies including ScotRail, CrossCountry and LNER have announced reduced timetables and passengers have been warned of cancellations. Alex Hynes, boss of ScotRail, said the company had "hundreds" of staff off work due to having Covid or isolating. He told the BBC's Today programme the co...

Norfolk and Waveney's care system, covering three hospitals, the ambulance service, community and social services, has declared a critical incident. Hospital trusts elsewhere have also declared critical incidents amid staff shortages and pressures from Covid-19. University Hospitals of Morecambe Bay NHS Trust, Blackpool Teaching Hospitals and Great Western Hospitals in Wiltshire have all raised the alarm. Derriford hospital in Plymouth has problems offloading ambulances, and has recorded ...

The average UK house price rose by nearly £24,000 during 2021, the biggest increase ever recorded in a single year in cash terms, according to an index. The typical price of a home reached a record high of £254,822 in December, marking a £23,902 increase over the past year, Nationwide Building Society said. Chief economist Robert Gardner said: "The price of a typical UK home is now at a record high of £254,822, 16% higher than before the pandemic struck in early 20...

Several theories have emerged around the house on the island of Elliðaey - a remote island south of Iceland - including that a billionaire had built it as a base in the event of a zombie apocalypse. According to one rumour, the house was built by a billionaire who planned to move to the remote island in the event of a zombie apocalypse. Other people suggested a religious hermit may be living there. Another popular theory - which was later debunked - said that the Icelandic government had ...