People should not “snog” anyone they do not know over Christmas to reduce the spread of Covid, government minister Therese Coffey has said. The Work and Pensions Secretary said people should enjoy Christmas but added: “I don’t think there should be much snogging under the mistletoe.” However, she insisted the government was working hard so we can all enjoy a “knees-up” over the festive season.
‘Outrageous events’ that could rock markets next year
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Surgeon fined for amputating wrong leg
An Austrian court has fined a surgeon for amputating the wrong leg of an elderly patient. The surgeon insisted her actions were down to “human error”, but the judge found her guilty of gross negligence and fined her €2,700, with half the fee suspended. The surgeon only noticed the mistake two days after carrying out the surgery.
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Film reviews: ‘Send Help’ and ‘Private Life’Feature An office doormat is stranded alone with her awful boss and a frazzled therapist turns amateur murder investigator
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Movies to watch in Februarythe week recommends Time travelers, multiverse hoppers and an Iraqi parable highlight this month’s offerings during the depths of winter
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ICE’s facial scanning is the tip of the surveillance icebergIN THE SPOTLIGHT Federal troops are increasingly turning to high-tech tracking tools that push the boundaries of personal privacy
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Israel retrieves final hostage’s body from GazaSpeed Read The 24-year-old police officer was killed during the initial Hamas attack
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China’s Xi targets top general in growing purgeSpeed Read Zhang Youxia is being investigated over ‘grave violations’ of the law
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Panama and Canada are negotiating over a crucial copper mineIn the Spotlight Panama is set to make a final decision on the mine this summer
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Why Greenland’s natural resources are nearly impossible to mineThe Explainer The country’s natural landscape makes the task extremely difficult
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Iran cuts internet as protests escalateSpeed Reada Government buildings across the country have been set on fire
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US nabs ‘shadow’ tanker claimed by RussiaSpeed Read The ship was one of two vessels seized by the US military
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How Bulgaria’s government fell amid mass protestsThe Explainer The country’s prime minister resigned as part of the fallout
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Femicide: Italy’s newest crimeThe Explainer Landmark law to criminalise murder of a woman as an ‘act of hatred’ or ‘subjugation’ but critics say Italy is still deeply patriarchal
