Thai hotel groups urge scrapping of quarantine rules for vaccinated tourists International visitor arrivals plunged to 6.8m last year, from a record 40m in 2019
Biden talks up transatlantic ties in first call with Boris Johnson US stresses ‘special relationship’ after conversation with UK prime minister but no mention is made of trade
Is the Covid variant raging through the UK more deadly? Research suggests B.1.1.7 is more likely to result in death, but fatality rates are still lower than when pandemic began
Italy’s Conte threatens to sue vaccine makers over delayed doses Prime minister attacks AstraZeneca and BioNTech/Pfizer for lower than expected deliveries
Scottish National party announces plans for second independence referendum Nationalists will attempt to legislate for a plebiscite if they win a majority in May elections
Kamala Harris’s college sorority rejoices in her rise Vice-president’s fellow members at Alpha Kappa Alpha played a part in her election
Hank Aaron, US baseball and civil rights hero, 1934-2021 African-American slugger defied death threats to break Babe Ruth’s home run record
Honduras locks in permanent ban on abortion Move to outlaw procedure forever comes after Argentina legalised termination on demand
Kim Jong Un faces Covid dilemma of isolation or vaccination International health experts ready to deploy jabs in North Korea — if they are allowed in
Sunak plan to end UK stamp duty holiday boosted by housing boom data Price and transaction figures ease pressure on chancellor to extend Covid tax break beyond March 31
Fishermen feel waves of betrayal over Boris Johnson’s Brexit deal Unmet expectations of a new age of plenty and higher costs when selling to the EU prompt anger at UK ports
Canada must ‘respect’ decision to cancel Keystone XL, minister says Federal government rules out calls from provincial politicians to retaliate against the US
Thousands of French incest victims share experiences on social media Online campaign follows scandal that rocked Parisian intellectual elite
EU hit by delay to Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine delivery Pharmaceutical group says initial volumes will ‘be lower than originally anticipated’
Finding Tokyo’s hidden treasures Japan’s economy may be stagnant but some dynamic companies can still reward patient investors
Nickel rally being fuelled by batteries ‘hype’, analysts warn Metal up 70% since last March despite forecasts that supply will continue to exceed demand
Mary Catherine Bateson, cultural anthropologist, 1939-2021 Academic and writer whose book ‘Composing a Life’ became a feminist touchstone
The Republican party after Donald Trump There are few signs it will abandon the ex-president’s brand of populism
Biden team warns there is ‘no substitute’ for $1.9tn stimulus bill President takes steps to boost flagging US economy as he faces resistance to Covid relief package
Joe Biden: the new president seeks to heal a divided US His simultaneous promises of Covid relief, structural change and restored civility will be tough to keep
Corporate America volunteers to help Covid-19 vaccination effort Walmart and Amazon are among those offering to assist the Biden administration in doling out jabs
US Senate confirms Lloyd Austin as Biden’s defence secretary Retired general is the first black American to hold the top Pentagon job
Biden turns to climate-action advocates for energy jobs Appointments mark a break with Trump administration’s reliance on industry lobbyists
Pelosi to send Trump impeachment article to Senate on Monday Stage set for trial of former president during early days of Biden administration
Johnson warns new virus variant may be deadlier than original strain PM says ready to take ‘further measures’ to tighten UK border controls despite lockdown having effect
