UK

The idea of a national road pricing scheme has reportedly been revived by the chancellor as the green car revolution applies brakes to £40bn of annual tax revenue. The Treasury, according to The Times, is exploring ways in which Rishi Sunak can replace lost fuel duty and vehicle excise duty (VED) – known more widely

Two new “mega labs” to turnaround 600,000 coronavirus tests a day are planned for next year, as Boris Johnson tries to draw a line under losing two key advisers. The prime minister will make a “series of critical announcements”, Number 10 said, following the sudden departure of aides Dominic Cummings and Lee Cain. And in

The UK’s COVID-19 hotspot should have a tighter lockdown and school closures to reduce spiralling cases, Hull’s NHS boss has said. Hull in East Yorkshire became England’s worst affected area this week as infection rates soared to well above 700 per 100,000 people. This weekend, around 180 people are being treated at the Hull Royal

The coronavirus lockdown tier system being used in England “was not very well thought out”, a government scientific adviser has said. Under current plans, a regional tiered system is set to replace the national lockdown when it ends on 2 December. However, professor John Edmunds, a member of the Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (SAGE),

A new pilot is set to launch that will give family members the chance to visit loved ones in care homes over Christmas. The scheme will take place in several homes in Hampshire, Cornwall and Devon from 16 November, in the hope it can be rolled out more widely before the festive period. One family

A 23-year-old man has been arrested on suspicion of the murder of Sergeant Matt Ratana, the Metropolitan Police says. Mr Ratana was shot at Croydon Custody Centre in the early hours of Friday 25 September. He was taken to hospital but later died from his wounds. A 23-year-old man, who had been arrested earlier in

Psychiatrists are braced for a surge in demand for mental health care in the months ahead, as people struggle to cope during the coronavirus lockdown. The number of people experiencing severe mental illnesses and needing urgent care amid the pandemic has become a serious cause for concern, the Royal College of Psychiatrists has told Sky

Another 33,470 people have tested positive for coronavirus in the last 24 hours – the highest figure recorded since the pandemic began, according to government figures. It brings the total number of cases in the UK to 1,290,195. On Wednesday, 22,950 people tested positive, while the number of UK deaths since the start of the

The number of people waiting more than a year to start non-coronavirus hospital treatment in September was the highest of any month since 2008, new data reveals. In England there were 139,545 patients left waiting more than 52 weeks to start their hospital treatment – up from just 1,305 in September 2019. The most recent

A nurse has been charged with eight counts of murder and 10 counts of attempted murder in connection with baby deaths at a hospital in Cheshire. Lucy Letby, 30, has been charged in connection with an investigation into the deaths at the Countess of Chester Hospital, Cheshire Police said. She is due to appear at

The number of people who have died with coronavirus in the UK has passed 50,000, according to government figures which highlight the devastating impact of the virus on the country. A further 595 deaths were confirmed on Wednesday, bringing the country’s total to 50,365. It marks a significant moment in the pandemic for the UK,

Another 532 people with coronavirus have died across the UK in the latest 24-hour period – compared to 194 a day earlier, government figures show. It is the highest number recorded since mid-May and brings the total number of deaths in the UK to 49,770. Another 20,412 people have tested positive for the virus, taking

Students in Wales will not take exams for their GCSEs, AS-levels or A-levels next summer, Wales’s education minister has announced. Kirsty Williams said the decision had been made for the “well-being of learners” and to “ensure fairness” as students will have spent different amounts of time in school or college during the coronavirus pandemic. Image:

Children hardest hit by COVID-19 nursery and school closures are regressing in basic skills like using a knife and fork, according to Ofsted. In a series of reports the government education watchdog says children have fallen behind with their mathematics and are struggling with literacy, while school leaders have reported a rise in older pupils

Wales’ first minister has said there are “tentative early positive signs” that the spread of coronavirus has slowed, as people visited non-essential shops and cafes for the first time after the country’s firebreak lockdown. Queues were seen outside shops including Primark and Matalan in Cardiff as the restrictions were relaxed. Live updates on coronavirus from UK

Wales’ 17-day firebreak lockdown has ended and new national measures to combat COVID-19 have come into effect. The new national restrictions include: Groups of up to four people from different households can meet in cafes, pubs and restaurants Shops, gyms, hairdressers and places of worship can reopen Supermarkets can sell non-essential items People can meet