Britain

The New York Times reports: The National Health Service in England began offering a second Covid-19 vaccine booster on Monday to around five million people who are considered especially vulnerable to the disease. The British health minister, Sajid Javid [photo], announced the move on Twitter. Health authorities in Scotland, Northern Ireland and Wales are also offering additional booster shots. Providers …

Reuters reports: A luxurious super-yacht linked to the owner of Russia’s largest steel pipe maker, who is currently under British and European Union sanctions, docked in Gibraltar on Monday and was then detained by the authorities. Western sanctions on Russian oligarchs over Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine have triggered an exodus of luxury yachts from Europe in recent weeks, with several …

Politico Europe reports: British Prime Minister Boris Johnson compared the invasion of Ukraine by Russia to the U.K.’s decision to leave the European Union in 2016. He argued both examples showed countries’ willingness to fight for their freedom. “I know that it’s the instinct of the people of this country, like the people of Ukraine, to choose freedom every time,” …

Vice News reports: Two so-called sovereign citizens have been found guilty of impersonating police officers for presenting themselves as “peace officers” at COVID-denier demonstrations in the UK. Experts hope the ruling will have a chilling effect on the practice, which has become common at anti-vax protests as sovereign citizen ideology – a fringe anti-government conspiracy theory – has become a …

The BBC reports: The UK’s largest airport has dropped mandatory face masks for passengers. Heathrow Airport no longer requires people to wear them in its terminals, railway stations or office buildings but will continue to recommend they do so. British Airways and Virgin Atlantic are the latest airlines to relax their policies on face coverings. Passengers must still wear them …

CNN reports: Two weeks after the United Kingdom dropped its last remaining Covid-19 mitigation measure — a requirement that people who test positive for the virus isolate for five days — the country is seeing cases and hospitalizations climb once again. Covid-19 cases were up 48% in the UK last week compared with the week before. Hospitalizations were up 17% …

The New York Times reports: Almost 90,000 Brits have signed up to host Ukrainian refugees in their homes, less than a day after the British government launched a new initiative for Britons to sponsor Ukrainian refugees. The “Homes for Ukraine,” as the new program is known, launched on Monday afternoon, and within six hours, 44,000 Brits had signed up before …

Reuters reports: WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange has been denied permission to appeal at Britain’s Supreme Court against a decision to extradite him to the United States, the court said on Monday. While Assange’s extradition must still be approved by the government, Monday’s decision deals a serious blow to Assange’s effort to fight his deportation from Britain in the courts. U.S. …

The Independent reports: At the Ukrainian Cathedral of the Holy Family, in Mayfair, Mr Johnson said the UK has a system that grants people permission to enter for the longer-term when they are in fear of persecution, to reunite with family or “other purposes”. But this means that, under current rules, Ukrainian refugees fleeing the invasion who do not have …

The Liverpool Echo reports: Manchester City defender Oleksandr Zinchenko fought back the tears after embracing Vitalii Mykolenko ahead of his side’s Premier League clash with Everton at Goodison Park. Both sets of players also took to the pitch showing their support for Ukraine. City first entered the field of play wearing t-shirts with the Ukrainian flag on and had the …

The Associated Press reports: British Prime Minister Boris Johnson said he would aim to cut Russia off from the U.K.’s financial markets as he announced a new set of sanctions in response to President Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine. The sanctions include freezing the assets of all major Russian banks, including VTB Bank, the nation’s second-biggest bank, Johnson said Thursday. …

CNN reports: A day after it was announced that Queen Elizabeth II has tested positive for Covid-19, UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson has unveiled plans to end self-isolation rules and the provision of free coronavirus tests in England. Speaking in parliament on Monday, Johnson outlined England’s roadmap to ending all legal restrictions and start “living with Covid”. The other three …

The Associated Press reports: People with COVID-19 won’t be legally required to self-isolate in England starting in the coming week, the U.K. government has announced, as part of a plan for “living with COVID” that is also likely to see testing for the coronavirus scaled back. Prime Minister Boris Johnson said ending all of the legal restrictions brought in to …

The BBC reports: The Queen has tested positive for Covid, Buckingham Palace has said. The monarch is experiencing “mild cold-like symptoms” but expects to continue “light duties” at Windsor over the coming week, the palace said. “She will continue to receive medical attention and will follow all the appropriate guidelines,” it added in a statement. The Queen, 95, had been …

The Guardian reports: Scotland Yard has launched an investigation into cash-for-honours allegations linked to the Prince of Wales’s charity the Prince’s Foundation. In a brief statement, the Metropolitan police said it had launched the investigation after media reports alleging offers of help were made to secure honours and citizenship for a Saudi national. In September last year, the Sunday Times …

The New York Times reports: Prince Andrew, the disgraced second son of Queen Elizabeth II, has settled a lawsuit brought by Virginia Giuffre, a woman who had accused him of raping her when she was a teenage victim of Andrew’s friend, the notorious sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, according to a new court filing in Manhattan on Tuesday. The amount that …

The BBC reports: The Queen has cut a cake to mark her Platinum Jubilee as she met members of the Sandringham community on the eve of the 70th anniversary of her reign. Ahead of Accession Day, she hosted a reception for volunteer groups, pensioners and fellow members of the local Women’s Institute (WI) group. Guests included a former cookery student …

Reuters reports: The United States and its allies have prepared a list of Russian elites in or near President Vladimir Putin’s inner circle to punish with sanctions if Russia sends troops into Ukraine, a senior U.S. official said on Monday. Foreign Secretary Liz Truss said planned legislation will give London new powers to target companies linked to the Russian state, …

Reuters reports: Some events at Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s office and residence during a COVID-19 lockdown should not have taken place, an inquiry said on Monday, describing serious failures of leadership and judgment at the heart of the British government. In her inquiry into lockdown-breaking gatherings at Downing Street under Johnson, senior civil servant Sue Gray condemned some of the …

Britain’s Metro News reports: Former Coronation Street star Sean Ward has revealed his anti-vaxx views have left him homeless due to producers not wanting to hire him for work. The 33-year-old, who starred as Callum Logan in the ITV soap, has been outspoken over his stance against the Covid vaccine and has attended several protests. In September 2021, Sean was …