Two more English boroughs have joined Leicester in reaching the highest level on the coronavirus watchlist. Luton, in Bedfordshire, and Blackburn with Darwen, in Lancashire, have both been designated as an “area of intervention” by Public Health England (PHE). They are now both at the same level as Leicester and the Midlands city’s neighbouring Oadby
UK
Face coverings will be compulsory in shops in England from Friday to stop the spread of coronavirus. But they are still not mandatory in cafes, pubs and restaurants, which has led to confusion over where the new rule applies in relation to buying food. Does a takeaway, for example, count as a shop or a
Liverpool have lifted the Premier League trophy for the first time after waiting 30 years to win a league title. Jurgen Klopp’s men have finally placed their hands on the silverware nearly a month after they were crowned champions. The Merseyside club have lifted the trophy after defeating Chelsea 5-3 at Anfield stadium. Fireworks could
People in care homes are set to be reunited with family members after the government said visits will once again be allowed. Care home visits, which had been halted during the coronavirus crisis, will resume once local officials decide it is safe to do so. The government published new guidance on Wednesday for how care
New photographs have been released to mark Prince George’s birthday, showing the young royal with a cheeky gap-toothed smile and blond locks. The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge’s first son turns seven on Wednesday – and the future king bears a striking resemblance to his father. The two photographs were taken by Kate earlier this
UK spy agencies took their “eye off the ball” over Russian interference and the government “badly underestimated” the threat, a watchdog has said. A long-awaited report from parliament’s Intelligence and Security Committee (ISC) found Vladimir Putin’s administration has been engaged in “hostile foreign interference”. It criticised the “illogical” approach by MI5 not to fully investigate
Doctors, teachers, police officers and other public sector employees are to receive bumper, inflation-busting pay rises as a reward for their efforts during the coronavirus crisis. With inflation currently just 0.6%, the biggest increase, 3.1%, goes to teachers, followed by doctors and dentists, who will receive 2.8%, the Chancellor Rishi Sunak has announced. Police, prison
A coronavirus vaccine being developed by scientists at Oxford University induces an immune response to the disease, the first phase of human trials has revealed. Doses of the vaccine were given to 1,077 healthy adults aged between 18 and 55 in five UK hospitals in April and May as part of the phase one clinical
School buses are not guaranteed to run next term unless the government steps in with extra cash for the industry, according to a leading coach operator. North Yorkshire-based coach firm York Pullman, which facilitates a million schoolchild journeys a year, says it could be forced to lay off half its workforce. The UK coach industry
The foreign secretary has said he is “absolutely confident” Russian spies are trying to sabotage or steal UK scientists’ coronavirus vaccine research, calling the action “outrageous and reprehensible”. Dominic Raab told Sky News it was important to call Vladimir Putin’s government out for what he called “egregious” behaviour at a time when “the world is
Two men have been arrested on suspicion of attempted murder after a man was seriously injured in an attack at Thorpe Park. The victim suffered a slash wound to his stomach following an “altercation” between two groups on the Surrey theme park’s footbridge at around 4.50pm. Guests were locked down as police arrived. The injured
Councils across England have been given fresh powers to shut down shops and cancel events in a move aimed at preventing local lockdowns. Prime Minister Boris Johnson said on Friday that local authorities would be given stronger controls in time for the weekend, as he set out new details for returning the country to normality
A 26-year-old man has been jailed for the “ferocious” killing of his heavily pregnant ex-girlfriend and their baby during a jealous rage. Aaron McKenzie, from Peckham, south London, was given a life sentence with a minimum term of 35 years for the murder of Kelly-Mary Fauvrelle, also aged 26, and a further 20 years for
Swift local lockdowns – including the shutting down of businesses, cancellation of events and restrictions on travel to certain areas – will aim to control future COVID-19 outbreaks. Boris Johnson outlined the plan to contain localised flare-ups in COVID-19 infections as he expressed his hope of a “more significant return to normality” by Christmas. As
More than 4,000 people were discharged from hospital into care homes without being tested for COVID-19 around the peak of the pandemic, figures obtained by Sky News reveal. The data from NHS Trusts shows two thirds of elderly patients discharged hadn’t had a coronavirus test. A total of 6,435 elderly patients were discharged between 19
Russian groups sought to interfere in last year’s general election through the promotion of leaked documents on a potential US-UK trade deal, the government has found. In a written statement to parliament, Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab revealed there is an ongoing criminal investigation into the issue. He vowed the UK would “continue to call out