Thursday morning UK news briefing: Covid passports 'from next month'
It is the plan to save foreign travel. Covid passports will be made available to prove people have been vaccinated as early as next month - in time for summer holidays, the travel industry has been told.
The Department for Transport wants an official certification scheme that gives British travellers a document they can show at borders overseas in place by May 17.
In a separate development, a European medical agency recommended fully vaccinated travellers should be able to sidestep tests and quarantine. It potentially smooths the path for holidays to more than 20 countries.
The vaccine certificate could come in either digital or physical form. Political Editor Ben Riley-Smith has our exclusive report on the advanced state of the plans, which emerged after a phone call between government and travel industry figures.
These are the seven destinations likely to feature on the UK's holiday "green list" this summer.
Meanwhile, are you (or is your child) one of The Leftbehinders? Whichever side-effect of the pandemic you consider, young people have disproportionately borne the economic brunt.
With the under-35s now accounting for eight out of 10 job losses, the young are paying the heaviest price for lockdown.
Cara McGoogan tells the stories of the generation who have little confidence in their careers and futures.
MI5 joins social media in new era of openness
The head of MI5 today ushers in a new era of engagement, laying out a blueprint for the intelligence agency for the next decade - that includes joining social media for the first time. Ken McCallum, MI5's youngest ever director-general, says it is time to cast off any "Martini-drinking stereotypes". He promises Britain's domestic intelligence service will "become a more open and connected organisation". Read the exclusive article he has written for us, the first solely by an MI5 chief for a national media outlet. The new MI5 Instagram account will include Q&As with serving intelligence officers. Matt finds a joke in the plan for today's cartoon. Mr McCallum was appointed last year aged 45, having led the investigation into Russia's attempted assassination of Sergei Skripal.
Before you next take a shower, read this...
In lockdown, many daily routines went down the plughole. And it seems many felt there was little reason to take a daily sabbatical to the shower. But is washing actually worse for you? A growing movement says scaling back on harsh soaps and hot water could be good for our health. Alice Hall examines the science on why you might be showering all wrong.
At a glance: Coronavirus morning briefing
Analysis | Why it's time to ditch the daily deaths dashboard
Driving tests return | Pass first time or wait eight months
Medical research | Charities warn of £290million shortfall
Also in the news: Today's other headlines
No10 accused of 'betrayal' | Johnny Mercer, the sacked defence minister, has accused Boris Johnson of surrounding himself with "cowards" and "desperately weak" advisers who had "betrayed" Northern Ireland veterans. In an interview with Chief Reporter Robert Mendick, Mr Mercer claimed his experience during two years as veterans' minister had been "horrific" and the Government was "the most distrustful, awful environment" in which he had worked. Read the full piece.
Relocation | Sir James Dyson back in Britain from Singapore
Met Office supercomputer | Street-by-street weather forecasts
Catch of the day | Try fishing to tackle depression, says NHS
'King of the skivers' | 15-year salary for job never performed
Take a trip down memory lane | Inside the 'dad car' museum
Around the world: 'A moment of change' for the US
Joe Biden believes the "bar is far too high" to secure convictions for police officers, the White House said. As Rozina Sabur reports from Minneapolis, Mr Biden said the conviction of Derek Chauvin over George Floyd's murder marked a "moment of significant change" for the country. View more striking pictures in our world gallery.
Comment and analysis
Allister Heath | Green gamble could provoke Brexit-style revolt
Reader letters | Green adaptations will cost a household £20,000
Michael Deacon | Proof that wokeism has become a new religion
Jill Kirby | Why is the PM so downbeat about vaccine triumph?
Calvin Robinson | America's race debate not the same as Britain's
Editor's choice: Features and arts
This Time with Alan Partridge's Susannah Fielding | 'I'd do a great job on GMB'
Travel | 10 things you need to know before joining a round-Britain cruise
'What Heaven must be like' | Why Symphonic Variations is the greatest abstract ballet
Business and money briefing
'Missed payments' | Sanjeev Gupta's business empire is being sued over a £100m deal which made him one of Britain's biggest steel magnates. A court claim has been filed by Tata. Mr Gupta is fighting to save his business after the failure of its key financial partner, Greensill Capital.
Ambrose Evans-Pritchard | Greens to turn Germany upside down
Investment tip | Our German property trust comes in from the cold
Sport briefing
Botched breakaway | English football's Super League plotters face being made to pay for causing the game's worst civil war. The billionaire leaders of the Premier League's "Big Six" teams and their henchmen are facing action that could include heavy fines or worse. It came as it emerged Ed Woodward resigned as executive vice-chairman of Man United partly because he had serious misgivings over the proposals.
Aston Villa 1 Man City 2 | Only three wins from the title
Tottenham 2 Southampton 1 | Second-half turnaround
Michael Vaughan | 'England right to move on from Smith'
Tonight's dinner
Asparagus with miso-sesame dressing | Serve this simple dish by Diana Henry with a poached egg on top to make an easy midweek dinner. Read the recipe. Try our Cookbook newsletter.
And finally... for this morning's downtime
Climbing Everest | Mountaineer Mark Synnott left behind his wife and children and set out on an 18-month mission to solve Everest's greatest mystery. Elizabeth Grice tells the story of the man who risked his life to find out what happened to Mallory and Irvine.
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