UK

Leicester’s nail bars and salons can reopen from Wednesday, but health officials have warned that “infection rates remain too high” for the local lockdown to be fully lifted. Outdoor swimming pools will also be allowed to start accepting customers – as can spas, tanning booths, and massage and tattoo parlours. However, people in the area

Marks & Spencer plans to cut 7,000 jobs over the next three months as part of a shake-up in the wake of the coronavirus crisis. The move was announced as the retailer revealed a steep drop in sales and said it was acting to reflect a “material shift” in trading prompted by the pandemic. M&S

A-level and GCSE students in England, Wales and Northern Ireland will be handed exam grades as predicted by their teachers instead of a controversial algorithm. Education Secretary Gavin Williamson apologised following the major government U-turn, which came after growing fury from pupils and Tory MPs about the handling of the results crisis. Ministers have been

GCSE students in Northern Ireland will have their results decided based on teachers’ predictions, after the controversial moderating system was scrapped. Just days before the grades were due to be published, the devolved government announced it wanted to “ease anxieties” among pupils and their families. The move piles pressure on the UK government to follow

Four young men have died after a car crashed into a house and burst into flames on the A4 in Wiltshire, police have said. The “absolutely horrific” crash happened in the early hours of Sunday and all four, who were locals and inside the car, died at the scene. Wiltshire Police say the car crashed

Public Health England (PHE) is set to be scrapped and replaced with a unit that will specifically deal with pandemics, it has been reported. Health Secretary Matt Hancock is set to announce the move later this week, and will merge the NHS Test and Trace scheme with the work done by PHE on the coronavirus

Flypasts by the Red Arrows and vintage Second World War aircraft have been part of poignant commemorations to honour those who fought in Far East. Tributes to veterans and those who lost their lives have been led by Prince Charles on the 75th anniversary of VJ Day, saying they should be “respected, thanked and cherished”.

Embattled Education Secretary Gavin Williamson has made a double climbdown in the A-levels fiasco that has robbed thousands of students of a place at their first choice university. In what looks like a major concession to demands from Labour and Tory backbenchers, Mr Williamson has pledged that the government will cover the cost of all

Coronavirus restrictions in parts of England are to remain in place for at least another week, the government has announced. Current rules on gatherings in parts of the North West, West Yorkshire, East Lancashire and Leicester will remain in force, the Department of Health and Social Care said. It means people in the areas affected

Fines of up to £3,200 for repeatedly not wearing a mask have been announced by Boris Johnson alongside eased lockdown measures for bowling alleys, casinos, skating rinks and beauty salons. The prime minister says he wants to ease lockdown rules to help people get back to work and enjoy things they have missed – but

Almost 40% of A-level results have been downgraded after exams were cancelled due to coronavirus. In England, 35.6% of marks were adjusted down by one grade, 3.3% were brought down by two, and 0.2% came down by three. Overall, an estimated 280,000 entries have been affected by the process. Image: Exams were cancelled due to

Three people have died and six others have been taken to hospital after a train derailed in Aberdeenshire. Aerial shots appear to show one carriage completely overturned after the service from Aberdeen to Glasgow Queen Street came off the tracks near Stonehaven earlier. British Transport Police said formal identifications are yet to take place but

The UK has been tipped into the “largest recession on record”, according to official figures charting the impact of the coronavirus crisis on the economy. The Office for National Statistics (ONS) reported that the enforced hibernation of activity through the COVID-19 lockdown meant gross domestic product (GDP) slumped by 20.4% in the second quarter of

Pubs and bars in England are ignoring COVID-19 guidance, potentially putting public health at risk, a Sky News investigation has found. An undercover team visited a variety of hospitality venues in one Greater Manchester suburb, posing as walk-in customers. Nine out of 10 venues visited were not following government guidance by asking for customer contact

Payroll figures show 730,000 people have lost their jobs since the start of the coronavirus crisis lockdown as the UK braces for an expected acceleration in unemployment. Data released by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) showed a leap of 81,000 last month alone despite continuing support for employers via government loan vehicles and the

Teenagers in England, Wales and Northern Ireland are getting their A-level and AS-level results today after exams were cancelled due to COVID-19. Having been out of school since the middle of March due to the coronavirus lockdown, pupils’ grades have been given by their teachers and then each school’s overall grades have been assessed by