A major search operation is under way to find two missing fishermen after their boat sank off the coast of East Sussex. Three men were on board the fishing vessel Joanna C when it sank, with one man rescued after he was found clinging to a lifebuoy by rescuers. HM Coastguard scrambled a search and
UK
The UK’s reproduction number has fallen slightly to a maximum of 1.1 from a maximum of 1.2, according to new figures. The figure has been confirmed by the Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (SAGE), which advises the government on its response to the pandemic. Scientists have estimated the reproduction number, known as R, is now
The health secretary has told Sky News that he hopes a mass vaccination programme for COVID-19 will get under way “within a matter of weeks”. A coronavirus vaccine has yet to receive official approval, but two US-led treatments have been found to be more than 90% effective. Live COVID-19 updates from the UK and around
More than a quarter of teenage girls have self-harmed by the age of 17, according to an “alarming” new study into teenage mental health. Researchers at University College London Social Research Institute surveyed 10,000 young people in the period 2018 – 2019. Their study found 28% of girls and 20% of boys reported self-harming at
Coronavirus was the third most common cause of death in England and Wales in October – having not been among the 10 leading causes of fatality the month before. The Official for National Statistics has said 3,367 (7.8%) of the 43,265 deaths last month involved COVID-19. The figures show mortality rates for deaths due to
A nationwide police crackdown on knife crime has produced “staggering” results, according to police chiefs, with more than 10,000 bladed weapons taken off the streets. In the capital alone, officers arrested more than 1,000 people as part of Operation Sceptre. In all 43 police forces across England and Wales, police stepped up activities to try
The UK has recorded another 529 coronavirus deaths and 19,609 more cases in the latest 24-hour period. Both figures are a slight dip compared to Tuesday – with the number of new reported fatalities down by 69 and infections by 442. But they bring the total number of deaths to 53,274 and cases to 1,430,341
The tiered system introduced in England in an effort to fight COVID-19 is “inadequate” and “did not contain the spread of the virus”, according to the British Medical Association (BMA). The BMA has also said it was “inconsistent” in the way it was applied, and that it must be “urgently revised” before the country exits
Police forces are to stop issuing COVID-19 “super fines” in England and Wales over concerns the £10,000 fixed penalty can be challenged in court. The National Police Chiefs’ Council (NPCC) is issuing guidance to chief constables, recommending their officers issue a court summons rather than a straight fixed penalty notice. One of England’s most senior
The Scottish government will announce later today whether parts of the country will be moved into Scotland’s highest tier of COVID-19 restrictions, Level 4. First Minister Nicola Sturgeon will address parliament at Holyrood this afternoon following a cabinet decision in the morning. On Monday, Ms Sturgeon said it was “likely” some areas of Scotland will
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