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Victoria has recorded 29 new locally acquired Covid-19 infections with fears that the jump from six yesterday will see the state have to endure a longer lockdown to avoid case numbers as high as NSW. Health authorities say all the cases are linked to current outbreaks but were not in quarantine during their infectious periods. Victorians are bracing for more exposure sites spread across wider parts of the state amid the race to contain the Indian delta variant.   The state administered 22,335 vaccine doses in the 24 hours to Friday evening and conducted 43,618 tests.  Victoria has recorded 29 new locally acquired Covid-19 infections in the 24 hours to Friday evening Health authorities said the positive cases were not in quarantine during their infectious period as Victorians brace for more exposure sites to be announced Residents have woken to another weekend in lockdown and with more than 10,000 close contacts of positive cases now isolating. Meanwhile the NSW capital case numbers jum

The police chief who led the calamitous VIP abuse inquiry is spearheading the battle against people smugglers in the Channel, the Daily Mail can reveal today. Steve Rodhouse has a lead role in dismantling the gangs behind a surge of migrant boats this summer. Details of his high-powered role emerged yesterday as Downing Street said the rise in numbers reaching Britain was ‘unacceptable’. More than 10,000 people have completed the journey this year. Border Force intercepted 475 migrants in 15 boats on Thursday, almost surpassing Wednesday’s record daily total of 482. As the crisis deepened, serious questions were being asked about whether the joint deputy head of the National Crime Agency is up to the challenge. Steve Rodhouse has a lead role in dismantling the gangs behind a surge of migrant boats this summer As a Met deputy assistant commissioner he was ‘gold commander’ of Operation Midland, which ruined the reputations of public figures including D-Day hero Lord Bramall and former To

Some virus experts have blasted a 'fear-mongering' article warning of a 'doomsday' COVID-19 variant worse than Delta.  The doctors emphasized the effectiveness of the jab against the virus and noting that vaccine makers can quickly adjust formulas to make vaccines more effective against variants, Fox News reported. Their comments come in response to an article in Newsweek Magazine which claimed that the Delta variant has 'shattered' optimism that vaccines would help the pandemic wind down. The Newsweek Magazine article questioned: 'Is there a Doomsday variant out there that shrugs off vaccines, spreads like wildfire and leaves more of its victims much sicker than anything we've yet seen?'  'The odds are not high that we will see such a triple threat, but experts can't rule it out,' the article reads. Michael Osterholm, an epidemiologist, warned 'the next variant could be Delta on steroids' An article in Newsweek Magazine claimed t

A knifeman went on the rampage in Tokyo last night, stabbing at least 10 passengers on a commuter train before finally giving himself up inside a shop, according to reports.   One passenger was seriously injured in the attack, NHK television said, before the suspect fled the scene, leaving the weapon behind. The attack took place on an evening commuter train in Tokyo's Setagaya ward, in the west of the city, several miles from the venue of Olympic equestrian events. The train company said on its website that it had suspended some services after 'an assault in a carriage.' Reports suggest the suspect then allowed himself to be arrested by police at a nearby convenience store.  The Tokyo Fire Department said nine of the 10 injured passengers were taken to nearby hospitals, while the tenth was able to walk away. All of those injured were conscious, fire department officials said. A man with a knife stabbed at least 10 passengers on a commuter train in Tokyo on Friday and was c

The summer mortgage price war is heating up with two-year fixed rates plunging to a record-low 0.83 per cent. Mortgage rates are tumbling as lenders are forced to fight harder for borrowers as the stamp duty holiday is wound down. But while experts predict more cuts are on the way, they warn that the rate war is unlikely to last long. The new deal from Halifax, which will be available to buyers with a 40 per cent deposit from Monday, is the lowest two-year deal ever seen. The summer mortgage price war is heating up with two-year fixed rates plunging to a record-low 0.83 per cent (stock image) It was unveiled as house prices rose yet again in July despite the Government’s stamp duty holiday tapering off. The average UK home is now worth £261,221 after prices climbed by 0.4 per cent last month compared to June, according to the Halifax House Price Index. Halifax’s deal comes just weeks after Nationwide launched the first ever five-year rate under 1 per cent. On a typical £200,000 home lo

Ex-Labour Cabinet minister-turned-celebrity cook Ed Balls first realised his mother had dementia when she forgot to put pasta in the lasagne dish that became her son’s signature recipe. He is also relieved to have done all the cooking in his marriage to fellow Labour MP Yvette Cooper because she would have made such a ‘mess’ in the kitchen. The disclosures are in Mr Balls’ new book Appetite, where he talks of his lifelong love of cooking, which is serialised in the Daily Mail’s Weekend magazine starting today. Ed Balls’ (pictured taking part in The Great Sport Relief Bake Off 2016) new book 'Appetite', in which he talks of his lifelong love of cooking, is serialised in the Daily Mail’s Weekend magazine starting today The book contains his favourite recipes and is laced with personal and political gossip from his 20-year Westminster career, where he was former prime minister Gordon Brown’s closest political confidant. Mr Balls, 54, also hints at a possible political comeback, co

Andrew Cuomo's attorneys attempted to clear his name on Friday, claiming he was 'ambushed' by the Attorney General's 'biased' sexual harassment report and that they're still waiting for all the evidence that it contained.   Attorneys Paul Fishman, Mitra Hormozi - who represent the Office of the New York Governor - and Rita Glavin, who represents Cuomo personally, spoke at a press conference which the Governor live streamed on his state website but didn't appear at.  He remains in the Governor's mansion in Albany and has not been seen since Monday.  The attorneys were temporarily interrupted by technical difficulties but resumed their speeches at around 4pm and went on to undermine the credibility of the accusers, like Lindsey Boylan, who they say asked for her job back four days after she said she quit because she was sick of being harassed.   Glavin attempted to chip away at Boylan's credibility and that of 'Executive Assistant #1', who

The Senate's 2,700-page bill contains requirements for new auto safety standards (pictured: Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer on August 4) With health and safety provisions like alcohol monitors and technology to curb hot car child deaths, the Senate's 2,700-page infrastructure bill details extensive reforms beyond repairs to the country's roads and bridges.   The $1.2 trillion piece of legislation states that 'advanced drunk and impaired driving prevention technology must be standard equipment in all new passenger motor vehicles,' and that vehicles should be able to 'prevent or limit' operation if a driver is impaired.  It calls for a window of five to six years for the new standard to go into effect.   About 28 people die in the US every day in drunk driving crashes, according to the NHTSA - one person every 52 minutes. The Driver Alcohol Detection System for Safety program is a public-private partnership partially funded by the US government and is cu