IAN MCKELLEN

Pfizer's dose is far lower than Moderna's. Scientists speculate that this could explain why Moderna's shot produced more antibodies in recent studies.

Amazon has announced it is going to film the second season of its "Lord of the Rings" series in the U.K. rather than New Zealand.

81-year-old actor Ian McKellen receives coronavirus vaccine "Lord of the Rings" star Ian McKellen said he felt "euphoric" after receiving the COVID-19 vaccine on Thursday.

"Lord of Rings" star Ian McKellen, 81, received a coronavirus vaccine on Thursday, becoming one of the first celebrities to get the shot. Actor Ian McKellen speaks with GP Dr Phil Bennett-Richards as he receives the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine at the Arts Research Centre, Queen Mary University Hospital, in London. JEFF MOOREThe British actor was given the recently approved Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine at London's Queen Mary's Hospital. McKellen will be back for a second dose of the vaccine in three weeks and encouraged others to get it. He added that, "anyone who has lived as long as I have is alive because they have had previous vaccinations."

(AP Photo/Rafiq Maqbool)NEW DELHI — Authorities in India are reporting 36,470 newly confirmed coronavirus infections — that’s the lowest one-day tally in more than three months in a continuing downward trend. The case number reported Tuesday is the lowest since India had 35,065 newly confirmed infections on July 17. The seven-day average for daily COVID-19 deaths has also been climbing from 12 to 22 over the past 10 days. ___ROME — Italy registered slightly more than 17,000 new confirmed COVID-19 cases on Monday. Italy’s total of known coronavirus infections during the pandemic now stands at 542,789.

Scott and Ian McKellen were among acting winners as Britains Laurence Olivier Awards celebrated the best of the London stage in bittersweet fashion Sunday night, Oct. 25, 2020 - most U.K. theaters remain closed because of the coronavirus pandemic. (Photo by Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP, File)LONDON – Andrew Scott and Ian McKellen were among acting winners as Britain’s Laurence Olivier Awards celebrated the best of the London stage in bittersweet fashion Sunday night — most U.K. theaters remain closed because of the coronavirus pandemic. McKellen won a special Olivier — his seventh — for his one-man 80th birthday tour of the U.K., staged before the pandemic as a fundraiser for regional theaters. A handful of theaters have reopened to reduced, socially distanced audiences, but many are still shut and relying on emergency funding from the government to stay afloat. Olivier organizers say the next awards ceremony will likely not be until 2022, because so little work has been staged this year.

LONDON Prominent equality and environmental activists, including Lord of the Rings star Ian McKellen, have urged the British government to drop plans to make former Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott a U.K. trade adviser. Prime Minister Boris Johnsons government faced growing criticism Friday over reports it will appoint Abbott, who led a conservative Australian government between 2013 and 2015, to the U.K.s Board of Trade. Opponents cite Abbott's opposition to same-sex marriage, persistent allegations of sexism and statements downplaying the impact of climate change. In power, his government repealed a carbon tax paid by polluting Australian industries. Abbott has been in London in recent days and said he has spoken to the government about a roleThe U.K. is seeking to boost trade with countries around the world in the wake of its departure from the European Union.