with new restrictions coming in to slow down the spread of the new variant of covid how do you feel about the reintroduction of mandatory mask wearing in england? what other questions do you have about this new variant and what it means for you? get in touch with me on twitter @annitabbc and use the #bbcyourquestions barbados has removed the queen as head of state after almost 400 years and transitioned to a republic swearing in its first ever barbadian president. ghislaine maxwell s criminal trial is underway in new york with the disgraced heiress accused of providing young girls for convicted sex offender jeffrey epstein to abuse hello and welcome if you re watching in the uk or around the world.
the barbadian capital bridgetown. the world s newest republic and a show of national pride. this constitutional shift in barbados is about asserting self confidence and shedding the links to its colonial past. some of this country s most well known names were among the vip guests attending the transition ceremony. and also here to watch it all play out, the prince of wales, invited to see his mother removed as a head of state the first time that has happened anywhere in 30 years. for the final time on this caribbean island, he viewed a military march past and took the final salute. and then, the symbolic moment of transition. as the royal standard was lowered over barbados, it became a republic.
thank you very much. good luck to you and all of your colleagues. the chief executive of the pharmaceuticalfirm, moderna, has warned that covid vaccines are unlikely to be as effective against the omicron variant of the virus as they have been against the delta type. stephane bancel told the financial times it was unclear to what extent the effectiveness would drop but he said all the scientists he d talked to had suggested it was, in his words, not going to be good . many scientists belive the existing vaccines are likely to work but their effect may be weakened by the mutations to the omicron variant. moderna has already said it is working on an omicron specific vaccine, as is us drugmaker, pfizer. barbados has become the world s newest republic and in doing so removed the queen as its head of state. prince charles attended the ceremony which saw sandra mason sworn in as the country s first president just after midnight local time. daniela relph reports from
you feel about the reintroduction of mandatory mask wearing in england? what other questions do you have about this new variant and what it means for you? get in touch with me on twitter @annitabbc and use the #bbcyourquestions barbados has removed the queen as head of state after almost 400 years and transitioned to a republic swearing in its first ever barbadian president. ghislaine maxwell s criminal trial is under way in new york with the disgraced heiress accused of providing young girls to be by the convicted sex offender jeffrey epstein good morning and welcome to bbc news. new rules aimed at limiting the spread of the omicron variant of coronavirus have come into force
in its first ever president. i, sandra prunella mason, do swear that i will be faithful and bear true allegiance to barbados according to law, so help me god. casting aside the official link to the british monarchy, barbados is increasingly looking east to china for financial support. there are republican rumblings, too, in other caribbean nations. they will be watching this newest republic closely. more than 100,000 homes in parts of scotland and the north of england remain without power because of damage caused by storm arwen. schools in aberdeenshire remain closed, while whole villages in cumbria still have no power and it s not clear when it will be restored mark mcalindon has this report. it might look like a winter wonderland up here but for the people of nenthead, it really is as if hell