UK

People in Bolton will not be allowed to socialise with those from other households after coronavirus restrictions were tightened in the town. Restaurants will also be restricted to takeaway only and venues will have to close from 10am to 5am under the measures. Health Secretary Matt Hancock announced the tighter restrictions in a statement to

The man murdered during a spate of stabbings in Birmingham early on Sunday morning has been named as Jacob Billington. In a statement, his family said: “Jacob was the light of our life and we have been devastated by his loss. “He was a funny, caring and wonderful person who was loved by every single

A 27-year-old man has been arrested on suspicion of murder and attempted murder over a series of stabbings in Birmingham that left one dead and several others injured, West Midlands Police has said. The suspect was detained at a property in the Selly Oak area of the city at around 4am on Monday, the force

Boris Johnson has told the EU that a free trade deal must be done by 15 October, otherwise the UK will “move on”. The prime minister said Britain was entering the “final phase” of negotiations, which resume on Tuesday. “There is no sense in thinking about timelines that go beyond that point,” he said. “The

One man has died and two other people are seriously injured following a “random” series of stabbings in Birmingham city centre. Five others were also injured in what West Midlands Police have described as a “major incident” overnight – and a murder investigation has been launched. One unknown male suspect is being sought but no

Bolton residents have been told not to mix with people from other households after the town’s coronavirus infection rate became the highest in England. The rules apply to meetings indoors and outdoors, unless a person is part of a support bubble, Bolton Council said. To help slow the spread of COVID-19, the council has said

Anti-migrant protesters have clashed with police and blocked a dual carriageway into Dover. Rival groups have assembled in the coastal town in Kent to demonstrate over the arrival of thousands of migrants in small boats. Traffic on the A20 was at a standstill in both directions after protesters assembled on the road in large numbers.

Leeds is now an “area of concern” after a rise in coronavirus cases, one of the city’s MPs Rachel Reeves has said. The “areas of concern” list is published every Friday, revealing how coronavirus is spreading broken down by region. Last week, Bury was one of the places where cases notably rose – up to

Leeds, Middlesbrough, Corby, Kettering and South Tyneside have been added to the government’s coronavirus watchlist after cases spiked.  Norfolk, Rossendale in Lancashire and Northampton will also become “areas of enhanced support”, which means more residents will get access to testing, after seeing their own rises in COVID-19 infections. Some areas previously subject to local lockdown

A new £500m funding package will support trials of a 20-minute coronavirus test, the health secretary has announced. Matt Hancock said part of the money will also go towards efforts to explore the benefits of repeatedly testing people for the virus, with a new community-wide repeat population testing trial set to be launched in Salford,

409 migrants crossed the English Channel to reach UK shores in small boats today – significantly breaking the previous single-day record. Hundreds were intercepted while others managed to land on beaches, according to the Home Office. It brings the total number who have successfully made the journey this year to more than 5,600. The previous

Travellers from mainland Portugal and parts of Greece will have to isolate when arriving in Wales but not England. The two nations made different decisions at the weekly point when their quarantine lists are normally updated. There was speculation about what would happen to Portugal given COVID-19 cases there rose to 23 per 100,000 people

Travellers arriving in Scotland from Greece will have to quarantine for two weeks following a “significant” spike in coronavirus cases. The rule will come into force from 4am on Thursday due to “evidence of virus importation”. In Wales, people coming back from Zante will be asked to self-isolate for two weeks, after seven infections were

Police searching for missing diplomat Richard Morris have found a body in the forest where he jogged regularly. Detectives have not formally identified the body, but Mr Morris’s family has been told of the discovery. The former UK ambassador to Nepal, 52, vanished on 6 May after setting out on a run from his home

All good things must come to an end, they say, and today sees the end of the government funded Eat Out To Help Out scheme. Launched by Chancellor Rishi Sunak in July, for three days a week the deal offered half-price discounts on eat-in food up to the value of £10 per person. It was

It’s been six months since COVID-19 began disrupting – and ending – lives in the UK. So: time to take stock. The graph below shows the official shape of the UK’s epidemic. According to government data, more than 330,000 people have tested positive for coronavirus and around 42,000 of them have died. Even at this