The UK's National Health Service said that more than half a million people in England have received Pfizer/BioNTech's Covid-19 vaccine.
By December 24, more than 521,000 people had been given the drug after distribution started on December 8.
Statistics from the National Immunisation Management Service showed that more than 70 per cent of recipients were aged 80 or over. Clinically vulnerable groups, such as the elderly and frontline health workers, are first in line for the treatment.
Sixty hospitals and 423 vaccination centres were providing the vaccine from December 8.
Britain is grappling with a new wave of coronavirus.
Authorities reported 39,237 new cases on Wednesday. About 744 new deaths were reported within 28 days of a positive test, the highest since the end of April.
“The rapid rise in cases is hugely worrying,” said Dr Yvonne Doyle, medical director at Public Health England.
On Wednesday, the UK government said more areas of England will enter tier four, with many new cases thought to be caused by a second type of a more infectious Covid-19 strain.
The number of people testing positive for the virus has increased sharply, with about one in 60 people now testing positive in Wales and one in 85 in England, the Office for National Statistics said.
The ONS figures showed that in England an estimated 645,800 people in private households had Covid-19 between December 12 and 18, up from 567,300 from December 6 to 12.
London now has the highest rate of people testing positive, with an estimated 2.1 per cent of people in private households catching the virus.
The ONS estimated that 49 per cent of new cases in England could be a result of the new variant.
Scientists said the mutated coronavirus strain appeared to be more contagious and will probably lead to higher levels of infections and deaths next year.
The variant is 56 per cent more transmissible than other strains, according to the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine. There is no clear evidence that it results in more or less severe disease.
Britain on Wednesday introduced restrictions on travel from South Africa, from where they believe a second mutant variation arrived.
"This new variant is highly concerning because it is yet more transmissible and it appears to have mutated further than the new variant that was discovered in the UK," Health Minister Matt Hancock said.
He said that all individuals in the UK with the variant originating in South Africa had been placed in quarantine, as had their close contacts.
The government is asking anyone who has been in close contact with someone who was in South Africa in the past two weeks to quarantine.
"They must restrict all contact with any other person whatsoever," Mr Hancock said.
War
Director: Siddharth Anand
Cast: Hrithik Roshan, Tiger Shroff, Ashutosh Rana, Vaani Kapoor
Rating: Two out of five stars
Why your domicile status is important
Your UK residence status is assessed using the statutory residence test. While your residence status – ie where you live - is assessed every year, your domicile status is assessed over your lifetime.
Your domicile of origin generally comes from your parents and if your parents were not married, then it is decided by your father. Your domicile is generally the country your father considered his permanent home when you were born.
UK residents who have their permanent home ("domicile") outside the UK may not have to pay UK tax on foreign income. For example, they do not pay tax on foreign income or gains if they are less than £2,000 in the tax year and do not transfer that gain to a UK bank account.
A UK-domiciled person, however, is liable for UK tax on their worldwide income and gains when they are resident in the UK.
SERIE A FIXTURES
Saturday Spezia v Lazio (6pm), Juventus v Torino (9pm), Inter Milan v Bologna (7.45pm)
Sunday Verona v Cagliari (3.30pm), Parma v Benevento, AS Roma v Sassuolo, Udinese v Atalanta (all 6pm), Crotone v Napoli (9pm), Sampdoria v AC Milan (11.45pm)
Monday Fiorentina v Genoa (11.45pm)
About Krews
Founder: Ahmed Al Qubaisi
Based: Abu Dhabi
Founded: January 2019
Number of employees: 10
Sector: Technology/Social media
Funding to date: Estimated $300,000 from Hub71 in-kind support
UEFA CHAMPIONS LEAGUE FIXTURES
All kick-off times 10.45pm UAE ( 4 GMT) unless stated
Tuesday
Sevilla v Maribor
Spartak Moscow v Liverpool
Manchester City v Shakhtar Donetsk
Napoli v Feyenoord
Besiktas v RB Leipzig
Monaco v Porto
Apoel Nicosia v Tottenham Hotspur
Borussia Dortmund v Real Madrid
Wednesday
Basel v Benfica
CSKA Moscow Manchester United
Paris Saint-Germain v Bayern Munich
Anderlecht v Celtic
Qarabag v Roma (8pm)
Atletico Madrid v Chelsea
Juventus v Olympiakos
Sporting Lisbon v Barcelona
Building boom turning to bust as Turkey's economy slows
Deep in a provincial region of northwestern Turkey, it looks like a mirage - hundreds of luxury houses built in neat rows, their pointed towers somewhere between French chateau and Disney castle.
Meant to provide luxurious accommodations for foreign buyers, the houses are however standing empty in what is anything but a fairytale for their investors.
The ambitious development has been hit by regional turmoil as well as the slump in the Turkish construction industry - a key sector - as the country's economy heads towards what could be a hard landing in an intensifying downturn.
After a long period of solid growth, Turkey's economy contracted 1.1 per cent in the third quarter, and many economists expect it will enter into recession this year.
The country has been hit by high inflation and a currency crisis in August. The lira lost 28 per cent of its value against the dollar in 2018 and markets are still unconvinced by the readiness of the government under President Recep Tayyip Erdogan to tackle underlying economic issues.
The villas close to the town centre of Mudurnu in the Bolu region are intended to resemble European architecture and are part of the Sarot Group's Burj Al Babas project.
But the development of 732 villas and a shopping centre - which began in 2014 - is now in limbo as Sarot Group has sought bankruptcy protection.
It is one of hundreds of Turkish companies that have done so as they seek cover from creditors and to restructure their debts.
Keep it fun and engaging
Stuart Ritchie, director of wealth advice at AES International, says children cannot learn something overnight, so it helps to have a fun routine that keeps them engaged and interested.
“I explain to my daughter that the money I draw from an ATM or the money on my bank card doesn’t just magically appear – it’s money I have earned from my job. I show her how this works by giving her little chores around the house so she can earn pocket money,” says Mr Ritchie.
His daughter is allowed to spend half of her pocket money, while the other half goes into a bank account. When this money hits a certain milestone, Mr Ritchie rewards his daughter with a small lump sum.
He also recommends books that teach the importance of money management for children, such as The Squirrel Manifesto by Ric Edelman and Jean Edelman.
Trolls World Tour
Directed by: Walt Dohrn, David Smith
Starring: Anna Kendrick, Justin Timberlake
Rating: 4 stars
The%20Little%20Mermaid%20
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EDirector%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Rob%20Marshall%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EStars%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EHalle%20Bailey%2C%20Jonah%20Hauer-King%2C%20Melissa%20McCarthy%2C%20Javier%20Bardem%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ERating%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E2%2F5%3Cbr%3E%3Cbr%3E%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
