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Daily Mirror
a day ago
- Climate
- Daily Mirror
Mirror Daily Digest: Top stories from new Royal pics to Jessie J's cancer news
In this Wednesday's Mirror Daily Digest, we've pulled together the biggest stories of the day from Meghan Markle's birthday tribute to Lilibet, to the new Covid strain in the UK Welcome to the Mirror's Daily Digest, where we pull together all the best stories of the day from our News, Showbiz, Sport teams and more. This Wednesday, we're taking a look at news of a ferocious and potentially vaccine-resistant new Covid variant hitting the UK, to weather maps warning of a huge downpour on the way. Ferocious new Covid variant hits UK - and vaccine could be powerless against it This afternoon, our Heath team reported that a new variant of the COVID virus has been identified in the UK for the first time. The Public Health Agency reports that at least seven cases of the NB.1.8.1 coronavirus strain have been confirmed in Northern Ireland. NB.1.8.1 has been officially designated a "variant under monitoring" by the World Health Organisation (WHO) due to its rapid rise and the potential to evade immunity from previous infections or vaccines. NB.1.8.1 already the dominant strain in Hong Kong and China, and has been detected in Australia, the US and across popular holiday destinations including Egypt, Thailand and the Maldives. Meghan Markle cradles Princess Lilibet in new photo to mark fourth birthday Our Royal team reported this morning that Meghan Markle marked the fourth birthday of her daughter Princess Lilibet's birthday with a sweet tribute and some new black and white family photos of the Sussex clan. One showed Meghan holding Lilibet close during a recent boat trip, and another from when the princess was just a baby snuggled close to her mum. Meghan wrote the caption: "Happy birthday to our beautiful girl! Four years ago today she came into our lives - and each day is brighter and better because of it. Thanks to all of those sending love and celebrating her special day!" The duchess usually only shares photos of her daughter pictured from behind to protect her privacy, but in the more recent photo, Lili's eyes and the top half of her face could be seen, with her nose and mouth and the rest of her face covered by Meghan's arms as she hugged the princess. UK weather maps show date England will 'disappear' under 400-mile wall of rain Early this morning, our UK news team shared a weather warning that Brits are set to be battered with heavy showers with a map showing a 400 mile wall of rain moving in on Saturday. More low pressure systems are sweeping in and it is looking particularly wet at the end of the week across the country. Many parts of the UK already have felt the unusually blustery conditions this week after a long spell through May where high pressure dominated and we enjoyed blue skies and plenty of sunshine. It means families planning for outdoor activities with many children on half-term will be disappointed but at least gardens will get much needed rainfall. Maps from WXCharts show huge downpours covering England especially on Saturday morning while elsewhere there are also showers mixed in with sunshine. Jessie J breast cancer battle as singer, 37, announces surgery plans after festival show Our Showbiz team broke the sad news earlier today that singer Jessie J has been diagnosed with breast cancer. Singer Jessie J revealed she's been diagnosed with "early breast cancer" and plans to undergo surgery after her performance at this month's Summertime Ball. The 37 year old Price Tag singer shared in an Instagram video that she's spent a lot of her recent time "in and out of tests". "I was diagnosed with early breast cancer," mum-of-one Jessie disclosed as she spoke directly to her fans in the video. "Cancer sucks in any form, but I'm holding on to the word 'early'. "It's a very dramatic way to get a boob job. I am going to disappear for a bit after Summertime Ball to have my surgery, and I will come back with massive tits and more music." Greg Monks UPDATES: Missing Brit who vanished after stag do found dead in ravine Throughout the day today, our World News team has been updating the liveblog for the search for a British tourist who went missing during a stag do in Portugal. Scottish man Greg Monks, 38, was discovered at the bottom of a ravine after he was last seen in Albufeira, Portugal. Greg, from Glasgow, vanished in the early hours of last Wednesday morning after travelling to Albufeira for a stag do with friends. His parents and girlfriend flew to the country to help with the search.
Daily Mirror
a day ago
- Health
- Daily Mirror
Ferocious new Covid strain hits UK - and vaccine could be powerless against it
The new NB.1.8.1 strain of Covid has been detected in the UK A new variant of the COVID virus has been identified in the UK for the first time. The Public Health Agency reports that at least seven cases of the NB.1.8.1 coronavirus strain have been confirmed in Northern Ireland. NB.1.8.1 has been officially designated a "variant under monitoring" by the World Health Organisation (WHO) due to its rapid rise and the potential to evade immunity from previous infections or vaccines. NB.1.8.1 already the dominant strain in Hong Kong and China, and has been detected in Australia, the US and across popular holiday destinations including Egypt, Thailand and the Maldives, reports Daily Star. According to WHO data, the strain has jumped from 2.5% to 10.7% of submitted global sequences in just four weeks, which has prompted growing international concern. A WHO spokesperson said: "SARS-CoV-2 continues to evolve, and between January and May 2025, there were shifts in global SARS-CoV-2 variant dynamics. At the beginning of the year, the most prevalent variant tracked by WHO at the global level was XEC, followed by KP.3.1.1. "In February, circulation of XEC began to decline while that of LP.8.1 increased, with the latter becoming the most detected variant in mid-March. Since mid-April, the circulation of LP.8.1 has been slightly declining as NB.1.8.1 is increasingly being detected." Experts say NB.1.8.1 may be far more contagious than previous variants as it carries multiple mutations that "may infect cells more efficiently than earlier strains". Dr Lara Herrero, Associate Professor and virology research leader at Griffith University in Australia, explained: "It's possible a person infected with NB.1.8.1 may be more likely to pass the virus on to someone else, compared to earlier variants. The evidence so far suggests NB.1.8.1 may spread more easily and may partially sidestep immunity from prior infections or vaccination. These factors could explain its rise in sequencing data." This strain presents several symptoms, some of which differ from those commonly associated with other variants. 'Common symptoms include sore throat, fatigue, fever, mild cough, muscle aches, and nasal congestion. Some individuals may also experience gastrointestinal issues,' explained Dr. Lara Herrero. Gastrointestinal symptoms can involve abdominal pain, bloating, nausea, vomiting, diarrhoea, constipation, and heartburn. The Mirror has provided a full list of the known symptoms below. The full list of symptoms are: a high temperature or shivering (chills) – a high temperature means you feel hot to touch on your chest or back (you do not need to measure your temperature) a new, continuous cough – this means coughing a lot for more than an hour, or 3 or more coughing episodes in 24 hours a loss or change to your sense of smell or taste shortness of breath feeling tired or exhausted an aching body a headache a sore throat a blocked or runny nose loss of appetite diarrhoea feeling sick or being sick Article continues below Get Covid-19 updates straight to your WhatsApp! As the UK attempts to live alongside Covid-19 following the pandemic, the Mirror has launched its very own Health & Wellbeing WhatsApp community where you'll get health updates and coronavirus news straight to your phone. We'll send you the latest breaking updates and exclusives all directly to your phone. Users must download or already have WhatsApp on their phones to join in. All you have to do to join is click on this link, select 'Join Chat' and you're in! We may also send you stories from other titles across the Reach group. We will also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. To leave our community click on the name at the top of your screen and choose Exit group. If you're curious, you can read our Privacy Notice.
Daily Record
a day ago
- Health
- Daily Record
New COVID strain discovered in UK as doctors issue stark warning
The new COVID-19 variant NB.1.8.1 has been detected in Northern Ireland, with some people reporting unusual symptoms including heartburn. A new strain of the virus that caused COVID to sweep the world has been detected in the UK. The Public Health Agency has confirmed that at least seven people in Northern Ireland have tested positive for the new variant, called NB.1.8.1. Experts are warning the strain may come with surprising symptoms not seen in earlier varients including heartburn, reports the Mirror. "Common symptoms include sore throat, fatigue, fever, mild cough, muscle aches and nasal congestion. Gastrointestinal symptoms may also occur in some cases," Dr Lara Herrero, Associate professor and virology research leader at Griffith University in Australia said. Gastrointestinal symptoms can include abdominal pain, bloating, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, constipation and heartburn. The strain, now being monitored by the World Health Organisation (WHO), is already spreading in countries like China, the US, Australia and popular tourist hotspots including Thailand, Egypt and the Maldives. The full list of symptoms are; a high temperature or shivering (chills) – a high temperature means you feel hot to touch on your chest or back (you do not need to measure your temperature) a new, continuous cough – this means coughing a lot for more than an hour, or 3 or more coughing episodes in 24 hours a loss or change to your sense of smell or taste shortness of breath feeling tired or exhausted an aching body a headache a sore throat a blocked or runny nose loss of appetite diarrhoea feeling sick or being sick The WHO claims the variant is onw on their radar about data showed a huge rise in recent weeks, jumping from 2.5% to 10.7% of submitted global sequences in just four weeks, which has prompted growing international concern. A WHO spokesperson said: "SARS-CoV-2 continues to evolve, and between January and May 2025, there were shifts in global SARS-CoV-2 variant dynamics. At the beginning of the year, the most prevalent variant tracked by WHO at the global level was XEC, followed by KP.3.1.1. "In February, circulation of XEC began to decline while that of LP.8.1 increased, with the latter becoming the most detected variant in mid-March. Since mid-April, the circulation of LP.8.1 has been slightly declining as NB.1.8.1 is increasingly being detected." Experts say NB.1.8.1 carries multiple mutations that "may infect cells more efficiently than earlier strains". Dr Lara Herrero explained: "It's possible a person infected with NB.1.8.1 may be more likely to pass the virus on to someone else, compared to earlier variants. The evidence so far suggests NB.1.8.1 may spread more easily and may partially sidestep immunity from prior infections or vaccination. These factors could explain its rise in sequencing data. "But importantly, the WHO has not yet observed any evidence it causes more severe disease compared to other variants. Reports suggest symptoms of NB.1.8.1 should align closely with other Omicron subvariants."
Daily Mirror
2 days ago
- Health
- Daily Mirror
New Covid strain discovered in UK as doctors warn of unusual symptoms
The new NB.1.8.1 strain of Covid has been detected in Northern Ireland and, while some of its symptoms include those of previous strains, others are more unusual, such as heartburn A new strain of the virus that cause COVID has been detected. The Public Health Agency says at least seven people have been diagnosed with the NB.1.8.1 strain of coronavirus, all in Northern Ireland. It has multiple symptoms, including some which differ from the typical ones seen with other strains. "Common symptoms include sore throat, fatigue, fever, mild cough, muscle aches and nasal congestion. Gastrointestinal symptoms may also occur in some cases," Dr Lara Herrero, Associate professor and virology research leader at Griffith University in Australia said. Gastrointestinal symptoms can include abdominal pain, bloating, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, constipation and heartburn. The Mirror has listed the full known symptoms below. NB.1.8.1 has been officially designated a "variant under monitoring" by the World Health Organisation (WHO) due to its rapid rise and the potential to evade immunity from previous infections or vaccines. The full list of symptoms are; a high temperature or shivering (chills) – a high temperature means you feel hot to touch on your chest or back (you do not need to measure your temperature) a new, continuous cough – this means coughing a lot for more than an hour, or 3 or more coughing episodes in 24 hours a loss or change to your sense of smell or taste shortness of breath feeling tired or exhausted an aching body a headache a sore throat a blocked or runny nose loss of appetite diarrhoea feeling sick or being sick READ MORE: Holidaymakers told to wear masks and get jabs as cases of 'new Covid' soar NB.1.8.1 already the dominant strain in Hong Kong and China, and has been detected in Australia, the US and across popular holiday destinations including Egypt, Thailand and the Maldives, reports Daily Star. According to WHO data, the strain has jumped from 2.5% to 10.7% of submitted global sequences in just four weeks, which has prompted growing international concern. A WHO spokesperson said: "SARS-CoV-2 continues to evolve, and between January and May 2025, there were shifts in global SARS-CoV-2 variant dynamics. At the beginning of the year, the most prevalent variant tracked by WHO at the global level was XEC, followed by KP.3.1.1. "In February, circulation of XEC began to decline while that of LP.8.1 increased, with the latter becoming the most detected variant in mid-March. Since mid-April, the circulation of LP.8.1 has been slightly declining as NB.1.8.1 is increasingly being detected." Experts say NB.1.8.1 carries multiple mutations that "may infect cells more efficiently than earlier strains". Dr Lara Herrero explained: "It's possible a person infected with NB.1.8.1 may be more likely to pass the virus on to someone else, compared to earlier variants. The evidence so far suggests NB.1.8.1 may spread more easily and may partially sidestep immunity from prior infections or vaccination. These factors could explain its rise in sequencing data. "But importantly, the WHO has not yet observed any evidence it causes more severe disease compared to other variants. Reports suggest symptoms of NB.1.8.1 should align closely with other Omicron subvariants."
Belfast Telegraph
2 days ago
- General
- Belfast Telegraph
PHA ‘working closely' with NI nursery closed following E-coli outbreak
Parents and staff at the nursery – which is in the Belfast area – have been informed and given advice on how to reduce the spread of infection. The PHA has not named the nursery. A spokesperson said: 'The Public Health Agency (PHA) is investigating and managing an outbreak of Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) associated with a nursery in Belfast. 'All relevant public health actions are being undertaken. As a precautionary measure the nursery has voluntarily closed to allow for testing of all children and staff and a deep clean. 'PHA is working closely with the nursery to ensure all infection control measures are in place. Parents and staff at the nursery have been informed and given advice to help reduce the risk of spreading the infection. "PHA continues to monitor the situation.' STEC symptoms can include diarrhoea, stomach cramps and fever but most people recover within five to seven days. The PHA also issued advice for anyone who contracts the infection. 'Most people with STEC infection get better within five to seven days,' they said. "However diarrhoeal illnesses can be easily spread from person to person in nursery settings due to the close contact between children and staff, especially as young children may not be able to maintain good hand hygiene. "It is vital that everyone follows some simple rules to help prevent the spread of diarrhoeal illness – not just those with symptoms. News Catch Up - Tuesday 3 June "Everyone should wash their hands with soap and water after using the toilet and before eating or preparing food. Use hand sanitiser gel if soap and water are not available, however soap and water is the preferred option. "People with vomiting or diarrhoea should remain at home until they have stopped having symptoms for at least 48 hours to avoid passing it on to others.'
