NASA cancels spacewalk Over fears deadly space junk could pierce astronauts' suits

NASA has called off a spacewalk due to the threat of dangerous space debris. https://ift.tt/3EcI5OD

BioNTech boss says 'don't freak out' about Omicron as Pfizer jab likely to protect against severe COVID

The Pfizer vaccine is likely to offer strong protection against any severe disease from the new Omicron COVID variant, according to the head of BioNTech who urged people not to 'freak out'. https://ift.tt/3G3tDc2

Briton jailed in Dubai for possessing CBD vape oil has term cut to 10 years - despite changes to law

A British football coach who was jailed for 25 years in Dubai for possessing CBD vape oil has had his sentenced reduced to 10 years on appeal. https://ift.tt/32GNnDX

China becomes single greatest focus for MI6 as country accused of large-scale espionage operations against UK

China has for the first time become the single greatest focus for MI6, with its chief warning the risk "is real" of a miscalculation by Beijing through underestimating western resolve to push back. https://ift.tt/3xEhS8W

Ex-IS member who chained up Yazidi girl, 5, and left her to die in scorching heat is jailed for life

A former member of the Islamic State group has been convicted of being involved in genocide and crimes against humanity, including the murder of a five-year-old Yazidi girl he bought as a slave and then chained to a window as he left her to die in scorching heat. https://ift.tt/2ZHI2vc

More than 1,000 big cats, turtles and birds seized as part of worldwide trafficking investigation

More than 1,000 animals have been seized and hundreds of people have been arrested as a result of a month-long worldwide investigation. https://ift.tt/3rlQGuF

'Appalling': Report finds 1 in 3 experience sexual harassment inside Australian parliament

A report commissioned by Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison found that one in three people working inside the Australian parliament have experienced sexual harassment. https://ift.tt/3FUKrlq

Indian teacher builds £195,000 Taj Mahal replica as symbol of love for his wife

An Indian teacher has built a $260,000 (£195,000) replica model of the Taj Mahal for his wife as a symbol of his love. https://ift.tt/3E7Vpnb

France suggests talks with UK over Channel crossings could resume after row

France's interior minister has suggested talks with the UK over Channel crossings could resume as Paris proposed ideas to tackle the crisis. https://ift.tt/3I8rRYW

A historic night for Barbados and the role of the Royal Family

The crowds were strictly restricted due to the COVID pandemic, and despite the efforts and enthusiasm of the bands and dancers the atmosphere seemed muted in National Heroes Square, once known as Trafalgar Square. https://ift.tt/3xBgSTh

Rihanna declared a 'national hero' as Barbados celebrates becoming a republic

Barbadian singer and businesswoman Rihanna has been declared a national hero by the country's prime minister. https://ift.tt/3DbINtT

Channel tragedy survivor: Victims 'held hands in order not to drown' after boat capsized

A survivor of the Channel boat tragedy has described how the passengers held hands when the vessel capsized to try to save each other from drowning. https://ift.tt/3xDWfWE

Dancer, WWII spy and civil rights activist Josephine Baker honoured at France's Pantheon

Josephine Baker will be the first black woman to be honoured by the French government with a place in the Pantheon. https://ift.tt/3pcHNAT

Bank facing fine for 'charging thousands of dead people financial advice fees'

Australia's third-largest banking group has revealed it is facing a fine for a string of alleged regulatory failures including charging financial advice fees to thousands of dead customers. https://ift.tt/3o7P6e4

Prince Charles acknowledges 'appalling' history of slavery as Barbados becomes a republic

The Prince of Wales has formally acknowledged "the appalling atrocity of slavery" in the Caribbean, saying "it forever stains our history" at an event to mark Barbados becoming a republic. https://ift.tt/31hDNXM

Lionel Messi hails 'incredible' seventh men's Ballon d'Or victory ahead of Lewandowski and Jorginho

Lionel Messi has won the seventh men's Ballon d'Or of his illustrious career at a ceremony in Paris. https://ift.tt/3rhBm2h

Queen speaks of continuing 'friendship' as Barbados removes her as head of state

The Queen has sent the people of Barbados her "good wishes for your happiness, peace and prosperity in the future" and emphasised the importance of the "continuation of the friendship" with the UK as they remove her as their monarch. https://ift.tt/3D5n1rU

Iran nuclear talks 'extremely positive' raising hopes deal can be reached after five-month hiatus

Iran's chief negotiator was smiling as stepped into freezing temperatures outside the grand Palais Coburg hotel in Vienna. https://ift.tt/3E7k9Mw

TV journalist files charges against man who allegedly slapped her bottom on air after football match

A female Italian journalist has filed charges against a man accused of slapping her bottom on live TV after a Serie A football match. https://ift.tt/318eBTk

Omicron variant a 'cause for concern and not for panic', Biden says

The new Omicron variant of COVID-19 is a "cause for concern and not for panic", Joe Biden has said. https://ift.tt/3xzmEEM

Kanye West, Pharrell and Drake lead tributes after 'genius' designer Virgil Abloh dies aged 41

Kanye West, Rihanna and Drake are among many celebrities paying tribute to US fashion designer Virgil Abloh, who has died at the age of 41 after a private battle with cancer. https://ift.tt/3liqgpT

How the spread of Omicron went from patient zero to all around the globe

The speed with which new variants of the COVID-19 virus spread around the world can leave government's scrambling to catch up. What is sometimes more remarkable is the speed with which those new variants are detected. https://ift.tt/3G0ylrk

Johnson accused of making 'mockery' of UK-French relations as Paris urges PM to 'take responsibility' for migrant crisis

Boris Johnson has been accused of making a "mockery" of UK-French relations after he published a letter to Emmanuel Macron on Twitter over how to tackle the migrant crisis in the Channel. https://ift.tt/2ZxpTQu

Symptoms of new Omicron variant are 'mild' - but what are they?

A South African doctor who was one of the first to suspect a different coronavirus strain has said that symptoms of the Omicron variant appear to be mild and could be treated at home. https://ift.tt/3rjumli

Couple with COVID-19 arrested on plane after fleeing Dutch quarantine hotel

A married couple who tested positive for COVID-19 have been arrested after fleeing a quarantine hotel in the Netherlands before attempting to leave the country. https://ift.tt/31a7REi

Prince Charles to reaffirm 'trusted partnership' with Barbados as nation prepares to cut ties with Queen

The Prince of Wales will reaffirm the "myriad connections between the people of our countries" as he flies to Barbados for a ceremony to remove the Queen as head of state and transition to a republic. https://ift.tt/3E50pJc

Maxwell's sex-trafficking trial could answer key questions on Epstein but unlikely to solve all mysteries

For a woman known around the world, who has been the focus of documentaries, podcasts and endless news coverage, Ghislaine Maxwell still remains an enigma.  https://ift.tt/3o0qjID

Nuclear arms race in Middle East potentially at stake as talks resume on reviving Iran deal

What could be the last chance of preventing Iran going nuclear gets under way this week. Nuclear talks resume.  Potentially at stake is a nuclear arms race in the Middle East, or regional escalation and conflict. https://ift.tt/3lfUTMF

Virgil Abloh: Louis Vuitton designer who founded fashion label Off-White dies aged 41

US fashion designer Virgil Abloh has died at the age of 41 after a private battle with cancer. https://ift.tt/3xvwOq1

Ethiopian Olympic icon: 'No choice' but to fight on frontline of conflict

The two-time Olympic gold medal winner Haile Gebrselassie is one of the world's best-known athletes, a national hero in Ethiopia who also happens to be an accessible man and after a couple of phone calls we found ourselves sitting in his modest-looking office in the centre of Addis Ababa. https://ift.tt/3rfQGMI

UK must make itself 'less economically attractive' to migrants, French interior minister says

The UK should make itself less economically attractive to migrants, France's interior minister has said. https://ift.tt/3dcFqst

Stowaway hidden in plane's wheel well survives over two-hour flight to Miami

A stowaway hidden in the landing gear compartment of a plane survived a flight from Guatemala to Miami. https://ift.tt/3CYPjV2

Cardiff Rugby team unable to leave South Africa after suspected Omicron COVID case

Cardiff Rugby are unable to leave South Africa following two positive COVID cases - one of which is thought to be the new Omicron variant. https://ift.tt/3E4cajb

More than £1.1m raised for American man jailed for 43 years for murders he didn't commit

More than $1.5m (£1.1m) has been raised to help an American man who was freed after spending 43 years in jail for a triple murder he did not commit. https://ift.tt/32KnxiJ

BA suspends Hong Kong flights after crew member tests positive for COVID-19

British Airways has confirmed it has temporarily suspended flights to and from Hong Kong after a crew member reportedly tested positive for COVID-19. https://ift.tt/3CZDbDg

Dutch officials find 13 Omicron variant cases among passengers arriving from South Africa

Authorities in the Netherlands have detected 13 cases of the Omicron coronavirus variant among passengers from South Africa. https://ift.tt/3D4BX9E

Football game abandoned after COVID outbreak and injuries leave team with just six players on pitch

A top-flight football game in Portugal was abandoned after one team ran out of players due to a COVID outbreak in the squad. https://ift.tt/3CYaEOo

Ghislaine Maxwell trial: Who are the alleged victims and what are the charges?

The long-awaited trial of Ghislaine Maxwell, who is facing six sex-trafficking charges, is due to start in New York on Monday. https://ift.tt/3CYQm7l

COVID around the world: Israel to ban foreigners as other nations tighten restrictions on Britons

Global concern about the coronavirus pandemic is growing, with a number of countries detecting confirmed cases of the Omicron variant for the first time. https://ift.tt/3cSvLHa

Archaeologists unearth mummy in Peru estimated to be over 800 years old

A mummy estimated to be around 800 years old has been discovered on Peru's central coast. https://ift.tt/3E6UHH6

Kurdish woman who died during Channel crossing told fiance she was making journey just before boarding boat

A young Kurdish woman who drowned on Wednesday in the English Channel didn't tell her fiance she was about to board a boat to make the crossing, until the last minute. https://ift.tt/3xrcwOs

'They are like our family': Migrants at Dunkirk camp trying to get to UK rocked by news of Channel deaths

"They are like our family" Arsalan tells me, as the name of the first victim of the Channel crossing reaches the camp at Dunkirk. https://ift.tt/3nYz8mo

Tennis chief 'deeply concerned' about Peng Shuai - with email responses 'clearly influenced by others'

The head of the group that runs women's tennis worldwide has said he "remains deeply concerned" about Chinese player Peng Shuai, after she accused a powerful politician of sexual assault. https://ift.tt/3CW9cMb

Australian journalist who 'insulted' Adele with pre-interview mishap apologises on air

An Australian journalist whose "million dollar" interview with Adele was canned because he did not listen to her new Album 30 has apologised on air. https://ift.tt/30Y4dhn

Britons in South Africa racing to avoid £2,285 hotel quarantine amid fears over Omicron variant

The cost of quarantine for Britons returning from South Africa is setting some back "a year" financially, as people race back to avoid the costs. https://ift.tt/3p7CJxE

New vaccines 'ready in 100 days' if Omicron variant is resistant to current jabs, Pfizer says

Vaccine manufacturers have expressed confidence that they will be able to rapidly adapt their jabs if the Omicron variant spreads. https://ift.tt/3pb2SvM

Is Omicron a serious worry or an evolutionary dead end?

So the new variant has a name, but we've no idea about its reputation. https://ift.tt/3CULQa0

37 years after her piercing green eyes gripped the world, 'Afghan girl' starts new life in Italy

An Afghan woman who achieved international recognition after a striking photograph of her was featured on the cover of National Geographic is starting a new life in Italy. https://ift.tt/3HXyKMY

27 years after her piercing green eyes gripped the world, 'Afghan girl' starts new life in Italy

An Afghan woman who achieved international recognition after a striking photograph of her was featured on the cover of National Geographic is starting a new life in Italy. https://ift.tt/3147BXq

'He reinvented musicals': Renowned composer Stephen Sondheim dies aged 91 - report

Stephen Sondheim - the composer and lyricist behind some of the world's best-known musicals - has died aged 91, according to The New York Times. https://ift.tt/3lf1sPo