| | Quarantine review for those fully-jabbed arriving from EU and US |
|  |
| | | | | | | |
While travellers who were fully vaccinated in the UK no longer have to quarantine after returning from amber list countries, except France, this has yet to be extended to double-jabbed people who were vaccinated elsewhere arriving from other destinations. But this could soon change. Senior ministers will be discussing later whether travellers to England from the EU and the US, on the condition they have been fully vaccinated, can avoid 10 days of self-isolation. This comes amid pressure from the aviation industry which has been pushing for rules to be relaxed.
To prove vaccination status could be checked, thereby giving confidence to waive the rules even further, a trial involving British Airways and Virgin Atlantic airlines correctly verified 99% of documents involving 250 fully-vaccinated participants from the US, the Caribbean and Europe, travelling to Heathrow. British Airways chief executive Sean Doyle says the trial provides the evidence that the government needs to extend its current rules, allowing the country to "take advantage of the UK's world-leading vaccination programme". This position is echoed by Heathrow boss John Holland-Kaye who says there’s "no reason to delay with rolling out the solution from July 31" - the date the review of the rules is due by in the Department for Transport's plan for a safe return to international travel. But government sources say a decision on whether to go ahead will not necessarily be taken at the meeting later. | | |
| |
|
|
| | Chronic health issues for third in 40s 'worrying' |
| | |
| |
| | | High blood pressure, mental ill health, back problems and diabetes are some of the common chronic conditions one in three middle-aged people suffer with, it has emerged. A long-running British study found 34% had two or more chronic health problems at age 46-48, which lead researcher Dr Dawid Gondek says he's surprised and worried to see in people "still relatively young". "It is not a good prospect for an aging population that you can expect to live longer but many in poor health," he says. The study’s been tracking the lives of about 17,000 people in England, Scotland and Wales born in a single week in 1970. Targeted interventions in childhood and adolescence might improve the outcomes of future generations and in later life, experts advise, a number of things including a good diet and taking regular exercise. | | |
| |
|
|
| | Praise for Biles as Olympics enters fifth day |
| | |
| |
| | | As the Olympics continues into the fifth day, praise for US gymnast Simone Biles has poured in after she pulled out of the women's team final to prioritise her "mental wellness over all else". The 24-year-old 30-time Olympic and World Championship medallist widely considered the "GOAT" (Greatest Of All Time) withdrew from the event after her vault, saying: "I have to focus on my mental health." Her decision has been widely praised and admired with Jamaica gymnast Danusia Francis saying: "What a queen. GOAT in more ways than one." Comments flooded in from others sports personalities including boxer Manny Pacquiao as well as from Unicef USA which thanked her for "being a role model". - To follow today's events or catch up on what's happened so far take a look at the BBC Sport’s Olympics live page.
| | |
| |
|
|
| | | | | | | | | | | The Royal Navy and Britain's merchant fleet, along with most others around the world, rely on satellites for navigation - but what happens if they don't work? It's a question that troubles the former First Sea Lord, Lord West of Spithead, who has spent months trying to find out if the UK has a back-up plan. "My concern is that those people who are not friends with us are looking at ways to knock out satellite communications," he says.
"I thought I'd ask the government, I thought they'd have processes, but it became very clear from their answers that they don't understand what the problem is." The Labour peer, who was the UK's first cyber-security minister under Prime Minister Gordon Brown, is convinced the government, which says it's exploring ways to ensure position, navigation and timing resilience, needs to act to protect the British fleet. | | |
|
|
| |
| | | | | Richard Morris | | Political reporter, BBC News | | |
| |
|
|
|
|
| |
|
|
| | | | | | | Plans to allow fully vaccinated travellers from the EU and US to avoid quarantine leads several of the papers, or as the Daily Telegraph puts it "freedom for the double jabbed as UK reopens to the world". The quarantine waiver for those arriving from amber list countries is, according to the Guardian, likely to boost international travel. And the Times says the rule change planned for England could come in from as early as next week. Meanwhile, the Metro says a vaccine sceptic who died revealed to doctors he wished he could "turn back time" after being admitted to hospital with Covid-19. Find out more about these stories and the others leading this morning’s papers by reading the newspaper review in full. | | |
| |
|
|
| | | | | Cars Electric vehicle charging prices 'must be fair' say MPs |
| | | | | | Covid Sydney extends lockdown as other Australian cities reopen |
| | | | | | Resettle Call to let more Afghan interpreters move to UK |
| | | | | | Slipknot Founding drummer Joey Jordison of dies aged 46 |
| | |
| |
|
|
| | If you watch one thing today |
| | | | | | |
| |
|
|
| | If you listen to one thing today |
| | | | | | |
| |
|
|
| | If you read one thing today |
| | | | | | |
| |
|
|
| | Need something different? |
| | |
| |
| | | "Race like a warrior but recover like a king." Could this make Scotland’s new 120-mile race the ultimate ultramarathon? There’s no roughing it for competitors, instead there’s hydrotherapy pools and Michelin-star chefs - find out more about the race that comes with a hefty price tag.
And, have your shopping habits changed since lockdown restrictions started easing? It seems many of us are spending more on taking care of our appearance and a bit less on disinfectant. Take a look.
And finally, read the forgotten story about the Mundrucu family. They were on a business trip when they were ordered to get off a boat in 1832, which sparked what appears to be the oldest known legal action against racial segregation in the US. | | |
| |
|
|
| | On this day | | |
| | | | 1948 Prime Minister Clement Attlee welcomes 6,000 athletes from 60 countries who will be competing in the London Olympics - watch our archive footage of his speech. |
| | | | |
| |
|
|
|
| | | Let us know what you think of this newsletter by emailing [email protected]. If you’d like to recommend it to a friend, forward this email. New subscribers can sign up here. | | |
| |
|
