Files show then PM was walking dog, riding motorbike and hosting guests as pandemic planning stalled in ‘lost month’ Boris Johnson took four days off from official government business during a key period in the UK’s Covid preparation when the NHS was bracing to be “overwhelmed” by the virus. Official disclosure for the period in February 2020 – described by the Covid inquiry as a “lost month” in the country’s crisis response – reveal Johnson enjoyed an extended break during the half-term holidays at Chevening, a governmental estate in Kent, where he spent time walking his dog and taking motorcycle rides. Continue reading...

* US network made largest bid at this week’s auction * Amazon Prime will have first pick of Tuesday matches The US media and entertainment giant Paramount Skydance has won the auction for the rights to broadcast most Champions League matches in the UK from 2027 to 2031 in a major shake-up of the domestic rights market. The Guardian has learned that Paramount, whose subsidiary company Paramount+ owns the rights for Champions League games in the US, made the largest bid in this week’s auction and an announcement is due. Amazon Prime is poised to land the first pick of Tuesday matches in major European markets in the new streaming deal sold by Uefa. Continue reading...

The Scottish Government was criticised over the early days of the pandemic, but the First Minister was described as a “serious and diligent” leader.

Wall Street kicked off the week on a sour note, with stocks and bitcoin tumbling as a risk-off attitude spread through markets.

Guillermo del Toro's Frankenstein has almost 30m views on Netflix, making it one of the streaming giant's biggest hits of 2025.

It’s being delayed by a few months.

The star had an ectopic pregnancy and almost died in 2023. On her captivating new album, she comes to terms with the aftermath in gothic style