US reports more than 180,000 cases as holiday begins; 99% of England’s population face tough new curbs; Asta Zeneca likely to begin new trial of vaccine. Follow the developments live
Sadiq al-Mahdi, Sudan’s last democratically elected leader and the great-grandson of the messianic figure who fought the British in the 19th century, has died from the coronavirus, Reuters reports.
Mahdi, who was a central figure in Sudan’s political and spiritual life for more than half a century, was being treated in the United Arab Emirates.
Amazon has announced plans to spend more than $500m on one-time bonuses for its front-line employees in the United States who are working the holiday season amid the Covid-19 pandemic.
Full-time operations staff in the United States who are employed by Amazon for the month of Decembe will receive a bonus of $300, while those in part-time roles will get $150, the online retailer said in a blog post.
