Northern Ireland riots: who stirred the combustible pot of tensions? April 10, 2021 Rioting is not uncommon in Northern Ireland, nor is the sight of young people throwing missiles at the police. They do, however, tend to be wearily predictable in terms of dates and locations. Twelfth July, the Protestant celebration of the anniversary of the battle of Boyne, is a flash point, and skirmishes often centre around [...]
World leaders pay tribute to Prince Philip April 10, 2021 Tributes to Prince Philip have poured in from leaders around the world after the Duke of Edinburgh died yesterday, aged 99. Speaking outside Downing Street yesterday afternoon, Boris Johnson said: “It is to Her Majesty and her family, that our nation’s thoughts must turn today, because they have lost not just a much loved and [...]
HRH Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh: ‘I try to put matters right’ April 9, 2021 A few hours ago, the prime minister will have received a telephone call from a senior official in the Royal Household, probably the Lord Chamberlain, Earl Peel. That official will have said to him words he will have half-expected to hear for some time: “Forth Bridge is down.” This afternoon Buckingham Palace announced that Her [...]
EU regulator probes possible blood clot risk with Johnson & Johnson Covid vaccine April 9, 2021 The EU’s medicines regulator has announced it will investigate possible links between rare blood clots and Johnson & Johnson’s one-shot coronavirus vaccine. The European Medicines Agency (EMA) said it will review four serious cases of rare clots with low platelets in patients that had received the Johnson & Johnson vaccine — one of which was [...]
Chaos Walking review – dreary sci-fi romp wasn’t worth the wait April 9, 2021 It’s never a promising sign when a movie is released that should have been on our screens several years ago. Chaos Walking, an adaptation of Patrick Ness’ sci-fi novel, began principal photography in 2017, with a view to a 2019 release date. Poor test screenings resulted in extensive reshoots followed by a delay due to [...]
France, Germany and Australia turn to alternative Covid vaccines amid Astrazeneca blood clot concerns April 9, 2021 A growing number of countries have begun to turn their backs on Astrazeneca’s Covid vaccine amid fears over a potential link to blood clots, despite health agencies around the world insisting it remains safe and effective. France this morning said it was preparing to recommend that under-55s seek an alternative vaccine even if they have [...]
In AstraZeneca we trust: it’s not just about blood clots, it’s about understanding fears of young Britons April 9, 2021 Few will emerge from the pandemic unscathed, but the young have made colossal sacrifices and suffered some of the worst consequences. University students have struggled to learn online, career opportunities have been hampered as jobs dried up, and those living in cramped quarters trying to combat loneliness, let alone date, have found lockdown particularly challenging. [...]
Under-30s face AstraZeneca vaccine cancellations from tomorrow April 8, 2021 Under-30s who were booked in to receive their first Covid-19 jab will now have their appointments cancelled, following the change in advice on the AstraZeneca vaccine. From tomorrow anyone aged under 30 who was scheduled for a first dose of the AstraZeneca vaccine will have their appointment cancelled. Individuals will then be asked to [...]
Lee Isaac Chung’s Oscar hopeful Minari is a well of emotion April 8, 2021 It’s unlikely that any of the Oscar hopefuls will arrive in the traditional way this year. Nomadland will head to Disney+ at the end of April, Netflix’s Best Picture nominees are already available, and last week saw the UK debut of Lee Isaac Chung’s Minari. Partly based on Chung’s own childhood memories, the film takes [...]
Athletes are driving the acceleration of sports investment – will we see European players follow the US trend for SPACs and NFTs? April 8, 2021 Barely a day goes by without another high-profile athlete being announced as an investor in a special purpose acquisition company (SPAC), a tech start-up or launching their own non-fungible tokens (NFTs). While the Covid-19 pandemic has created major cash-flow problems for many elite teams and leagues, there is certainly no shortage of liquidity being channelled [...]