In the headlines
The discovery of a new Covid variant dubbed the “most worrying we’ve seen” has led to the reintroduction of the UK’s travel red list. Travellers arriving from South Africa and five neighbouring countries will have to enter quarantine, with flights temporarily banned. The variant has more than 50 mutations, meaning it could be more resistant to vaccines. France has huffily cancelled a meeting with Britain about the Channel migrant crisis. French Interior Minister Gérald Darmanin blamed a letter from Boris Johnson to President Macron that called for migrants to be sent back to France. Scotland and northeast England are bracing for 75mph winds and snow as Storm Arwen arrives today. The Met Office warns of “power cuts, flying debris and large waves”.