New Covid XJ variant which could evade vaccines spreading as more cases found

It’s Friday, Friday, gotta get down on Friday — especially when it’s New Music Friday! We’re breaking down this week’s best new tracks to keep on your radar.

It has been confirmed that The One Show was hit with more than 100 complaints after Downton Abbey star Dan Stevens' made a savage dig at Prime Minister Boris Johnson. The British actor appeared on the BBC One programme earlier this month to discuss his latest drama.

Get the picture? More than three decades after Hayley Mills wooed fans in 1961’s The Parent Trap, Disney reboot the classic and produced an equally as big box office hit.

George Michael talks about fame and his legacy in the new trailer for “George Michael Freedom Uncut”.

In February, New York State Health officials identified a small number of new Covid cases related to a new, even more infectious subvariant of Omicron BA.2. Dubbed BA.2.12.1, it made up only 3% of all new cases in the state for that month. Figures released today by the CDC indicate that in the past eight weeks BA.2.12.1 has not only outcompeted BA.2 in terms of growth, but it has now become the dominant variant in the region made up of New York, New Jersey and Connecticut. The CDC data indicates that BA.12.2 now accounts for 58% of new cases in the region. In New York state, its share is much higher.

Nearly two years after she was fired from Vanderpump Rules, Stassi Schroeder is sharing her side of the story in her new book, Off With My Head: The Definitive Basic Bitch Handbook to Surviving Rock Bottom.

Covid test positivity in California is up 47.6% in the past week, according to the California State data dashboard. One week ago, the 7-day daily test positivity rate was 2.1%. Today, it sits at 3.1%. That’s quite a jump for a metric that is averaged over seven days to account for daily fluctuations in data reporting and testing.

The number of new Covid infections across Greater Manchester is continuing to fall at a rapid rate. All 10 boroughs have seen a fall in infection rates with fewer people requiring hospital treatment as well.

Boris Johnson swerved questions about the partygate scandal at a press conference in India on Friday (April 22).

Boris Johnson has issued a 'wholehearted apology' to MPs over his Partygate fine - but insisted he did not know he was breaking his own coronavirus rules. The Prime Minister repeated an apology in the House of Commons on Tuesday, after Speaker Sir Lindsay Hoyle approved a vote on whether he lied to MPs with his earlier denials.

The line-up for the 54th Directors’ Fortnight selection was announced this morning by General Delegate Paolo Moretti and his selection committee. On top of the previously announced opening night film, Pietro Marcello‘s “Scarlet,” he being the director of the well-regarded “Martin Eden” festival film, highlights from the films announced include Alex Garland‘s much-anticipated psychological horror “Men,” starring Jessie Buckley, a woman who retreats to the English countryside following the death of her husband.

Video: You have to see Zendaya, Kim K & Paris Jackson at Paris . . . (Indy 100)Bill Maher asks Bella Thorne to tell joke about her dead dad .

When the UK’s Prime Minister Boris Johnson used a speech at a business conference to wax lyrical about a weekend trip to Peppa Pig World back in November 2021, he was slammed as “rambling” and “embarrassing”.

A sixth coronavirus jab which may be more effective for longer has been approved for use in the UK by health officials.

A sixth coronavirus vaccine has been approved by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA). The independent medicines regulator is the first in the world to approve the jab, developed by Valneva.

Boris Johnson and Rishi Sunak will both face fines referred by the Metropolitan Police for breaking COVID lockdown rules by attending parties at Downing Street and Whitehall.The Prime Minister and the Chancellor of the Exchequer, along with Johnson’s wife Carrie, have been notified about the fixed penalty notices, which are the latest conclusions from the Met Police’s investigation.Labour has called for both Johnson and Sunak to resign, while Liberal Democrat leader Ed Davey demanded parliament be recalled for a vote of confidence in Johnson.Keir Starmer, leader of the Labour Party, said: “Boris Johnson and Rishi Sunak have broken the law and repeatedly lied to the British public. They must both resign.

Rishi Sunak has admitted he had a US green card for more than a YEAR while he was Chancellor, as Boris Johnson said he was unaware his Cabinet colleague’s wife holds the tax-reducing non-domiciled status. The Prime Minister backed the Chancellor as doing an 'outstanding job' on Friday and denied damaging leaks about the Sunaks’ tax affairs were coming from within No 10. Mr Sunak released a statement admitting holding a permanent resident card to the States until around October – 12 months after becoming Chancellor, in February 2020.