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Warning UK could be entering early stages of third wave

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Getty Images There are signs the UK is in the early stages of a third wave of coronavirus infections, a scientist advising the government has said. Prof Ravi Gupta, from the University of Cambridge, said although new cases were "relatively low" the Indian variant had caused "exponential growth". He said ending Covid restrictions in England on 21 June should be postponed. Environment Secretary George Eustice said the government could not rule out a delay to the planned lockdown easing. On Sunday, the UK reported more than 3,000 new Covid infections for a fifth successive day. Prior to this, the UK had not surpassed that number since 12 April. 'Very few' Covid hospital patients had two jabs Where is the Indian variant and how is it spreading? When can I get the vaccine? Asked on BBC Radio 4's Today programme whether the UK was already in a third wave of infections, Prof Gupta said: "Yes, there has been...

China allows couples to have three children

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EPA China has announced that it will allow couples to have up to three children, after census data showed a steep decline in birth rates. China scrapped its decades-old one-child policy in 2016, replacing it with a two-child limit which has failed to lead to a sustained upsurge in births. The cost of raising children in cities has deterred many Chinese couples. The latest move was approved by President Xi Jinping in a politburo meeting, state media said. It will come with "supportive measures, which will be conducive to improving our country's population structure, fulfilling the country's strategy of actively coping with an ageing population and maintaining the advantage, endowment of human resources", Xinhua said. Why don't Chinese women want more babies? The Chinese family in five charts But some experts were sceptical of the impact. "If relaxing the birth policy was effective, the current two-child policy s...

Eviction ban: A million are in fear of losing their homes, charity says

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As England's coronavirus eviction ban comes to an end on Monday, around a million households fear losing their homes, a charity says. About 400,000 renters have had eviction notices or been told to expect them, the Joseph Rowntree Foundation says. One renter in arrears told the BBC his landlord has "the power to just flick their finger and get me out". But a landlord said she had struggled to pay her mortgage while her tenant was not paying rent. The government said it was balancing the needs of landlords to use the courts with support for tenants by continuing to require extended notice periods. During the pandemic, bailiffs were asked not to carry out evictions if anyone living in the property had Covid-19 symptoms or was self-isolating. Eviction notice periods were extended to six months as an emergency measure during the pandemic - but will drop to four months from 1 June. Before the pandemic, notice periods were usually two mont...

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Israel coalition government a threat to security, warns Netanyahu

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Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has warned that a proposed new unity government would be "a danger for the security" of the country. He urged right-wing politicians not to support a deal after ultra-nationalist leader Naftali Bennett said he would join talks with centrist Yair Lapid. Mr Lapid has until Wednesday to form a new coalition government. If successful, it would end Mr Netanyahu's time as the country's longest serving prime minister. Mr Netanyahu, who is on trial for fraud, fell short of a decisive majority at a general election in March. It was the country's fourth inconclusive vote in two years - and again he failed to secure coalition allies. "Don't form a left-wing government - such a government is a danger to Israel's security and future," the 71-year-old, who has been in power for 12 years and has dominated Israeli politics for a generation, said on Sunday. He did not elaborate. ...