Alison Rourke

A simple fish pie has held the stories of my family for nearly 50 years and the care and connection of recipes handed down from one generation to the next

All-party group warns over importing variants … Briton named among Israel festival dead … sexual exploitation of minors is ‘everywhere’, says Billie Eilish

Long March 5B is doing 27,600km/h in failing orbit, with eventual crash site unknown, after launching space station hub

Sixth day of unrest condemned as Stormont recalled … under-30s to be offered alternative to Oxford jab … and Ted Brown on the fight for gay rights

Regulator refuses approval of daily tests in blow to PM’s plans … Biden unveils stimulus package … Marianne Faithfull on Covid, singing and miracles

Spain closes hotels; Portugal declares state of emergency; worldwide cases pass 200,000. This blog is now closed.

Author of Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy dies at 89 … Brexit talks to go ‘extra mile’ … Cher on ‘toxic’ Trump and the ‘happiness of a thing called Joe’

Author of Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy dies at 89 … Brexit talks to go ‘extra mile’ … Cher on ‘toxic’ Trump and the ‘happiness of a thing called Joe’

UK and EU positions ‘remain far apart’ after leaders’ dinner … SpaceX’s fireball landing … the multi-billion dollar ice cube industry

Funding crisis threatens winter preparations … special forces take control of oil tanker … Olivia Newton-John on cancer, cannabis and Karen Carpenter

UK at ‘critical juncture’ as PM prepares to announce new virus rules … Trump claims he’s ‘immune’ ahead of rallies … and Piers Morgan on ‘wokery’

Diagnosis follows presidential aide Hope Hicks testing positive... calls for Margaret Ferrier to resign ... and asylum seekers moved despite Covid self-isolation orders

Moldova, Morocco, Papua New Guinea floated as locations … the deadly cost of untreated illnesses during Covid … and the man who helped desegregate Britain

People choosing not to visit hospitals in Covid … US protests after Breonna Taylor officers not charged ... and BLM’s co-founder on why critics get it wrong

PM to announce curfew for pubs, bars, restaurants ... Starmer to ask voters to ‘take another look’ at Labour … and Ron Howard on movies, wildfires and Covid

UK’s most senior scientists to make TV appeal over Covid … Emmys leave British actors empty handed … and, is there more to tantra than marathon sex?

Top scientist says ‘greater transparency’ needed over virus response … Microsoft pursues deal with TikTok … Jamie Oliver on fame and failure

Commercial-income losses put jobs and services at risk … Poland election cliffhanger … Naomi Klein on how the pandemic should change us

Getting into the ocean every morning has been a reminder of what a tiny speck I am on this planet

Schools and non-essentials shops to close … PM to launch ‘New Deal’ for Covid-19 recovery … and British theatre’s first gay kiss