Thailand plans to end Covid quarantine requirements for fully vaccinated travellers from at least 10 low-risk nations from 1 November, officials say. PM Prayuth Chan-ocha admitted that “this decision comes with some risk” – but it is seen as a key step to revive the country’s collapsed tourism sector. The 10 nations seen as low
In the end, it was going to be nearly impossible for Jon Gruden to explain it all away. A person can spin only so many explanations of harmless inside jokes between friends. And there are only so many times you can declare a personal measuring of your own moral code before people start to question
Safi Rauf/Human First Coalition An Afghan interpreter who helped rescue then-senator Joe Biden from the harsh Afghanistan countryside has managed to evacuate the region with his family. In 2008, a blizzard forced the military helicopter carrying Mr Biden and other US lawmakers to land in a snowy valley where they were vulnerable to ambush. Aman
DC Comics DC Comics has announced that its latest Superman, Jon Kent, will be bisexual. In its next comic book issue, due for release in November, Jon will be pictured in a same-sex relationship with his friend Jay Nakamura. The storyline is part of ‘Superman: Son of Kal-El’, a series following Jon as he takes
Getty Images The UK’s failure to do more to stop Covid spreading early in the pandemic was one of the worst ever public health failures, a report by MPs says. The government approach – backed by its scientists – was to try to manage the situation and in effect achieve herd immunity by infection, it
AFP The Ethiopian army has launched co-ordinated attacks on all fronts against forces from the northern Tigray region, the rebels say. They said the government was using artillery, tanks, jets and drones in an attempt to “reinvade” the region. A senior rebel source said Tigray forces were holding their ground. The Ethiopian government has not
The head of the academy that awards the Nobel Prizes in science has said it will not introduce gender quotas. Goran Hansson, head of the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences, said they want people to win “because they made the most important discovery… not because of gender or ethnicity”. Since its inception in 1901, only
Iraq Security Media Cell Iraq says it has captured the jihadist group Islamic State’s financial chief in an operation outside its borders. Sami Jasim al-Jaburi was arrested in a “complex external operation” by the Iraqi National Intelligence Service, Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi tweeted, without specifying a location. He added that Mr Jasim, also known as
Star Trek actor William Shatner has been explaining why he wants to go into space as part of a four-person crew aboard Blue Origin’s New Shepard rocket. Amazon founder Jeff Bezos’s Blue Origin company has pushed the launch of its New Shepard craft to Wednesday because of high winds. It is set to be the
Getty Images More than 1.76 million people have been affected by severe flooding in China’s northern Shanxi province, according to local media. Torrential rain last week led to houses collapsing and triggered landslides across more than 70 districts and cities in the province. Heavy rainfall is hampering rescue efforts, officials said. The flooding comes less
Seeds from genetically modified barley plants are being used in a process which creates lab-grown meat. A protein in the seeds, called a growth factor, is harvested, milled and purified before it can be used. While the first growth factors came from animals, it is hoped this barley plant method will be cheaper and scalable.
Dayton Police Department US police are investigating video showing a black man being dragged from his car by officers as he repeatedly screams “I’m paraplegic”. Bodycam footage shows officers stopping Clifford Owensby in Dayton, Ohio, last month and asking him to step out of his car so they can search it for drugs. Mr Owensby,
Getty Images Industries hit by soaring energy costs have made another appeal to the government for action. Talks with ministers will continue on Monday over a crisis that has sparked warnings about some factories. Sectors such as ceramics, paper and steel manufacturing have called for a price cap, though talks with government on Friday failed
Virginia Giuffre The Metropolitan Police will not take any further action against the Duke of York following a review prompted by Jeffrey Epstein accuser Virginia Giuffre. Ms Giuffre is suing Prince Andrew in the US for allegedly sexually assaulting her when she was a teenager. Prince Andrew has consistently denied Ms Giuffre’s allegations. In August,
The Prince of Wales has told the BBC he understands why campaigners from organisations like Extinction Rebellion take to the streets to demand action on climate change. In a hard-hitting interview Prince Charles said action such as blocking roads “isn’t helpful”. But he said he totally understood the “frustration” climate campaigners felt. And he warned
The Australian city of Sydney has emerged from lockdown after almost four months, with locals celebrating a range of new freedoms. People queued for pubs and shops that opened at midnight on Monday specifically for the occasion. Many others have been enjoying anticipated reunions and visits to the homes of relatives and friends. Covid rules