DOUBLE-JABBED people also spread the Delta variant of Covid-19 just as much as those who are not fully vaccinated, claimed media reports on Thursday (19) citing the largest study of its kind led by Oxford University and the Office for National Statistics.
As per the reports, scientists from the University of Oxford have said their preliminary findings suggest those infected with the Delta variant after their second jab had similar peak levels of the virus to unvaccinated people.
The findings are based on two and a half million test results from 743,526 participants in the UK's Covid-19 household-infection survey.
Although the jabs did not completely eliminate the chances of getting Covid-19, researchers said it is still the most effective way to stay protected from the Delta variant.
The findings, which have not yet been peer-reviewed, also suggest that two doses of the Pfizer BioNTech vaccine appear to have greater effectiveness compared to the Oxford AstraZeneca jab.
However, its efficacy also declines faster while the AstraZeneca jab maintains its effectiveness throughout.
But neither is as effective against the Delta variant as it is against the Alpha variant- the one responsible for most UK infections last winter.
There is insufficient data for Moderna though researchers believe it "almost certainly at least as good as the others", reports said.
Sarah Walker, professor of medical statistics and epidemiology at the University of Oxford, said: "We don't yet know how much transmission can happen from people who get Covid-19 after being vaccinated - for example, they may have high levels of virus for shorter periods of time.
"But the fact that they can have high levels of the virus suggests that people who aren't yet vaccinated may not be as protected from the Delta variant as we hoped.
"This means it is essential for as many people as possible to get vaccinated - both in the UK and worldwide."
A BRITISH district council on Tuesday (19) won its bid to have asylum seekers temporarily removed from a hotel that has become the focal point for protests after a resident was charged with sexual assault.
Anti-immigration protesters and pro-immigration groups have gathered outside the hotel since an Ethiopian asylum seeker was charged in July with sexual assault and other offences. He has denied the charges and is due to stand trial next week.
Judge Stephen Eyre granted the council an interim injunction against the owner of the hotel, ruling that asylum seekers should be removed by September 12. The hotel's owner said it would seek to appeal the ruling.
Eyre also dismissed a last-minute attempt on Tuesday by the Home Office to intervene in the case in support of the hotel owner.
The Home Office's lawyer, Edward Brown, had argued the injunction would have a "substantial impact" on the government's ability to comply with its legal duty to provide accommodation, describing the hotel as "a key part of national asylum accommodation infrastructure."
Border security minister Angela Eagle said in a statement: "We will continue working with local authorities and communities to address legitimate concerns. Our work continues to close all asylum hotels by the end of this Parliament (2029)."
Hundreds of people have protested outside the Bell Hotel since two asylum seekers were charged over separate incidents, with 16 people also having been charged in relation to what Essex Police described as criminal disorder in Epping.
Care4Calais, a charity supporting asylum seekers and refugees, said some residents have felt frightened and frustrated after being threatened, chased, and had objects thrown at them since the protests in Epping began.
Local police have been on high alert after nationwide rioting last summer, when racist unrest involving far-right supporters broke out after misinformation that the murderer of three girls in Southport was a radical Islamist migrant.
Prime minister Keir Starmer has pledged to stop thousands of migrants arriving in Britain via small boats, but his government is struggling to do so and faces mounting pressure to show voters he can counter illegal immigration, with support rising for Nigel Farage's right-wing Reform UK party.
Police say there have been at least six protests in Epping since July 17, with officers and vehicles attacked during some of the demonstrations.
Several men appeared in court on Monday (18) charged with violent disorder over the protests.
More than 50,000 people have made the dangerous crossing from northern France in rudimentary vessels since Starmer became leader in July last year.
Labour has pledged to end the use of hotels for asylum seekers before the next election, likely in 2029, in a bid to save billions of pounds.
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FILE PHOTO: Prices of food are displayed at the Borough Market in London, Britain. REUTERS/Maja Smiejkowska
UK INFLATION hit its highest in 18 months in July when it increased to 3.8 per cent from 3.6 per cent, official data showed on Wednesday (20), once again leaving the country with the fastest rate of price increases among the world's largest rich economies.
Inflation in Britain's services sector - which is watched closely by the Bank of England - accelerated to 5 per cent from 4.7 per cent a month earlier.
The BoE expected headline inflation to rise to 3.8 per cent in July but had forecast a smaller 4.9 per cent rise in services prices. Economists polled by Reuters had mostly expected increases of 3.7 per cent and 4.8 per cent respectively.
The BoE cut interest rates this month but only after a narrow 5-4 vote by policymakers and it suggested it would slow the already gradual pace of lowering borrowing costs due to inflation's persistence.
Sterling rose slightly after the data was published and investors expected a longer wait before the next BoE rate cut.
A quarter-point cut is not fully priced in until March 2026. Earlier this month, the next rate cut was viewed as highly likely before the end of 2025.
"The economy is experiencing a bout of high inflation and weak growth that will likely remain until next spring," said Deloitte Chief Economist Ian Stewart. He said it was unclear whether the BoE would cut rates again in 2025.
The BoE thinks British inflation will hit four per cent in September, double its target, and stay above two per cent until mid-2027.
Inflation in the United States held at 2.7 per cent in July and in the euro zone it is expected to remain around the European Central Bank's two per cent target over the coming years.
Some of the difference reflects how energy and other utility prices are regulated in Britain. Big increases in utility bills in April have boosted year-on-year inflation comparisons.
Britain's relatively tight labour market, which economists say has become more rigid since Brexit, is also putting upward pressure on prices. Wage growth in Britain has slowed but at about 5 per cent it is too high for the BoE to feel comfortable about inflation returning rapidly two per cent.
Furthermore, employers say that a tax increase imposed on them in April by finance minister Rachel Reeves and a big jump in the minimum wage are forcing them to put up prices.
Wednesday's data showed the biggest contributor to July's rise in inflation came from transport costs, particularly air fares - a component that BoE policymakers sometimes disregard because of its volatility.
Electricity prices, petrol, soft drinks and hotel rooms also pushed up the annual rate of inflation between June and July.
The ONS said it saw no evidence that a tour by rock band Oasis pushed up hotel costs. Previous tours by performers such as Taylor Swift nudged up inflation, some economists have said.
Food and non-alcoholic drink prices - big influences on how the public thinks about inflation - were 4.9 per cent higher than a year earlier, the biggest rise since February 2024. The BoE forecasts food inflation will peak at 5.5 per cent at the end of the year.
ONS data last week painted a picture of an economy with enough momentum to keep inflation high. Output grew by more than expected in the second quarter and the labour market, while still losing jobs, showed signs of stabilisation.
Data published earlier on Wednesday showed basic pay settlements by British private-sector employers held at three per cent in the three months to July for the eighth monthly report in a row by data firm Brightmine.
The ONS, which has received criticism for problems with its data, said it had identified a "minor error" in the imputation of missing data for seasonal items but it had no impact on headline CPI.
A 21-year-old man has been sentenced to 14 weeks' imprisonment and a two-year restraining order for sending racist death threats to Rishi Sunak in June last year, when he was the prime minister.
Liam Shaw from Birkenhead in Merseyside, pleaded guilty to sending two threatening and offensive emails to the public parliamentary email address of Sunak, MP for Richmond and Northallerton in Yorkshire, the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) said.
The emails were spotted by Sunak’s personal assistant and reported to the police.
"Liam Shaw took to his phone that night to send racist and threatening messages to a person in an extremely important public office,” said Matthew Dixon, senior crown prosecutor at CPS Mersey Cheshire.
“Racist abuse has no place, anywhere, in this day and age," he said.
Police traced the email, sent via a mobile phone, to Shaw’s email address and to a hostel where he was staying in Birkenhead.
He was arrested by police on September 3, 2024, and when the allegations were put to him, he claimed, “I don’t even remember sending an email. I was probably drunk.”
He was taken to a police station in Liverpool and interviewed, but remained silent throughout, according to the CPS.
Shaw was charged with two counts of sending by a public communication network an offensive, indecent, obscene, or menacing message.
Last month, when Shaw appeared before Liverpool Magistrates’ Court to face those charges, he pleaded guilty to both counts.
He was sentenced last Wednesday (13) at the same court to 14 weeks' imprisonment for both counts to run concurrently, with the sentence suspended for 12 months under strict stipulations.
Shaw must also complete 20 days of a rehabilitation activity and a six-month drug rehabilitation course.The CPS had also applied for a restraining order, which the court imposed for two years.
It states that Shaw must have no contact with Sunak or his constituency office for at least that period of time.
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First Hindu chaplin Bhanu Attri (C) on the parade ground with fellow passing out cadets (Photo: Royal Navy)
AN ASIAN officer has spoken of his “profound honour” after he was appointed as the first-ever Hindu chaplain in the Royal Navy.
Bhanu Attri, originally from Himachal Pradesh in north India, took over his new role last week and will offer spiritual support to fellow naval officers, based on the tenets of Hinduism.
“As a Hindu brought up in India, the chance to represent individuals from other diverse religions brings meaningful representation for the Hindu community and reflects the Navy’s commitment to diversity, inclusion, and spiritual care for all,” said the 39-year-old.
“To become the first-ever Hindu chaplain in the fleet is a profound honour.
“My family feels immense pride, a pride grounded in generations of faith, service, and resilience,” he added.
Attri went through six weeks of officer instruction, including four weeks at sea aboard the warship HMS Iron Duke, and three weeks focused on the role of a military chaplain.
He was among 148 new officers among the so-called “leaders of tomorrow”, including warfare specialists, engineers, overseas and all cadets who joined from civilian life who completed their “Initial Officer Training” last week.
After up to 29 weeks of demanding instruction at Britannia Royal Naval College (BRNC) in Dartmouth, they transformed from civilian to sailor and formally passed out at a BRNC ceremony in front of friends, family and senior naval officers.
“We live in a perilous world and as a service we must respond to the challenges to our nation’s security, also with confidence – and that means we need people like you that can offer leadership of the highest quality,” said Andrew Burns, vice-admiral and the Royal Navy’s senior operational commander who was the guest of honour at the ceremony.
“There is no greater commitment than to serve your country, and to lead others to do the same,” he said.
The training is designed to teach the basics of serving in the military, such as drill and uniform, through the fundamentals of leadership, seafaring, naval history and strategy.
Bhanu Attri addresses fellow cadets and staff in BRNC's chapel (Photo: Royal Navy)
In addition to extensive time in the classroom and on the parade ground, cadets head out on to Dartmoor to learn and develop leadership and teamwork skills, spend time at sea aboard an operational warship, and conduct training on specialist Vahana boats on the River Dart and in the English Channel.
“Commissioning into the Royal Navy is a moment none of us forget, and it has been a privilege to follow these officers through their training. What awaits is a life of duty and frontline service,” said Captain Andy Bray, Captain Britannia Royal Naval College.
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The victims, believed to be in their 60s and 70s, were taken to hospital after the incident and later discharged. (Photo for representation: iStock)
THREEmen have been arrested following a shocking attack on two elderly Sikh men outside Wolverhampton Railway Station, which is now being investigated as a racially-aggravated hate crime.
British Transport Police (BTP) confirmed on Monday (18) that the assault took place on Friday (15). The victims, believed to be in their 60s and 70s, were taken to hospital after the incident and later discharged.
A disturbing 20-second video, widely circulated on social media, shows one of the Sikh men lying on the ground without his turban, while the other is kicked and punched. The video has been viewed over a million times and has sparked outrage both in the UK and abroad.
In a statement, BTP said: "We’re aware of a video on social media and understand the concern this will have caused in the community. We will not tolerate this sort of behaviour on the railway network and have launched a full investigation."
The suspects, aged 17, 19 and 25, have been arrested on suspicion of racially-aggravated assault and have been released on bail while investigations continue.
The Sikh Federation UK, which spoke directly to the victims, described the attack as "vicious". According to the Federation, both men are local taxi drivers who were working outside the station when the assault happened.
"A group of three white men exited the station and approached one of the drivers, demanding to be taken to Oldbury," the organisation said. "They were rude, abusive, and ignored instructions to use the proper taxi rank. When the driver refused, they attacked him, and the second driver was assaulted when he tried to help."
The video also featured a bystander, believed to be a woman recording the incident, shouting: "These two men have just gotten beaten up by these white men!" before yelling at the attackers to stop.
The incident has drawn strong condemnation from Sikh leaders and political figures. India's Shiromani Akali Dal leader Sukhbir Singh Badal said on social media: "This racist hate crime targets the Sikh community, which always seeks Sarbat Da Bhala – the well-being of all." He added that one of the men's turbans was "forcibly removed", calling it a deeply disrespectful act.
Badal urged West Midlands Police and the UK Home Office to act swiftly, and also appealed to India’s external affairs minister S. Jaishankar to take up the matter with the British government to ensure the safety of the Sikh diaspora.
India's opposition Congress party's Punjab state chief Amarinder Singh Raja Warring also condemned the incident, calling it a “disturbing setback for inter-community harmony” and demanded diplomatic action.
BTP said it is continuing to appeal for witnesses and further video evidence. Anyone with information is urged to contact them directly.
The Sikh community, both in the UK and internationally, has called for justice and greater protection for minorities following the incident.