Covid: Boosters perform well in trial and Ed and Elton's cheer after painful year - BBC News
Five things you need to know about the coronavirus pandemic this Friday morning.
Here are five things you need to know about the coronavirus pandemic this Friday morning. We'll have another update for you this evening.

The first study into the effectiveness of Covid vaccine boosters found several jabs to be effective, with generally mild side-effects. And the University of Southampton-led research, among 3,000 adults, suggests the Pfizer and Moderna boosters - those being offered to all adults in the UK - give the best overall response.

Since the start of the pandemic, supermarkets that sell petrol have been "far more reluctant to pass on savings" when wholesale oil prices fall, according to the RAC's fuel spokesman. The motoring organisation is taking aim at retailers for failing to reduce pump prices, despite the value of oil falling by around $10 a barrel last week, given they added on average 3.1p to a litre of unleaded petrol and 2.7p to diesel during November.

The risk of catching coronavirus and becoming very sick remains higher among black and South Asian people, and those in cities with high levels of deprivation, according to a government-commissioned review. While age and underlying health conditions remain the biggest risk factors, others include working in occupations such as healthcare and taxi driving, and living in multigenerational households or high-population areas with poor air-quality.

The government failed to put adequate measures in place to prevent people defrauding its Bounce Back Loan scheme aimed at helping small businesses through the pandemic, according to the National Audit Office. The public spending watchdog says - as of March - the Department for Business estimated fraudulent loans to be worth £4.9bn, 11% of the total. The government says it will "not tolerate" people defrauding taxpayers.

Ed Sheeran and Sir Elton John are revealing their Christmas song later - and it contains a nod to a painful year. Merry Christmas is bittersweet track that celebrates the season with the usual sleigh bells, ding-dongs and choirs, while also remembering "the ones who have gone". Here's the lowdown on the song - and its rivals for the coveted Christmas number one slot.

You can find more information, advice and guides on our coronavirus page.

Wondering when it'll be your turn for a booster jab? Here's what we know.

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