UK

Police have issued £10,000 fines to at least nine people for their part in organising illegal gatherings this weekend. The heavy fines are the first to be handed out since new rules came into force in England on Friday ahead of the bank holiday weekend. West Yorkshire Police said officers had attended several parties on

Police have been responding to reports of illegal gatherings after rules were brought in just before the bank holiday weekend. The new rules came into force on Friday, prompted by more than 1,000 unlicensed events since the end of June. Anyone in breach of the rules could be fined £10,000. People not wearing masks and

There could be nationwide restrictions or very extensive local lockdowns in England if there is a second spike in COVID-19 cases this winter, Matt Hancock has warned. The health secretary also said in a worst-case scenario, the UK could be fighting a bad outbreak of flu and a growth in coronavirus as people spend more

Teachers’ unions have reacted with dismay after the government published new COVID-19 guidelines for secondary schools last night – just days before millions of pupils in England are due to return to the classroom next week. If there is a local lockdown in an area with significant numbers of infections, schools could have to bring

Lockdown restrictions will be eased in northern England next week after a decrease in coronavirus cases, meaning more than one million people in parts of the region can mix again in different households. In line with the rest of England, social gatherings can take place between two homes in Bolton, Stockport, Trafford, Burnley, and Hyndburn

“It is now safe to go back” to work, a cabinet minister has told Sky News as the government prepares a push to get people back to the office. In a new advertising blitz next week, government messages will emphasise the benefits of employees returning to workplaces, as well as encouraging businesses to make their

The number of weekly COVID-19 cases in England has declined for the first time since July, new figures show. A total of 6,115 people tested positive for coronavirus in the week from 13 to 19 August, figures from the government’s test and trace operation have revealed. That is 8% lower than the week before and

Payment will soon be given to people on low incomes, that are self-isolating in areas that are deemed to be high risk from coronavirus, the government has announced. Those eligible for the scheme will be paid £182 if they are forced to self-isolate for 14 days, with a payment of £130 for those who have

A minister has refused to answer questions about the death of a woman who was found dead next to her starving baby in a Glasgow flat, amid mounting anger over the UK’s asylum system. Mercy Baguma’s body was discovered by police in Govan on Saturday, with her one-year-old son left “crying beside his mother’s body,

As schools reopen and government advice changes, what exactly are the rules on face coverings in the UK’s schools? What is the situation in Scotland? Face coverings should be worn by staff and pupils when moving around secondary schools from 31 August. Scotland’s education secretary John Swinney said the rule will apply on school transport

Boris Johnson has abandoned advice that pupils should not wear face masks in English secondary schools. The prime minister performed his latest U-turn in the face of growing pressure from headteachers, teaching unions and medical experts. Face coverings will be mandatory for children in all schools that lie in areas subject to stricter coronavirus restrictions.

Secondary school pupils in Scotland will have to wear face coverings when moving through corridors and other communal areas from next week. Scotland’s Education Secretary John Swinney announced the move on Tuesday after consulting with teachers and councils on the new guidance. “From 31 August young people over the age of 12 in secondary schools

Switzerland could become the next country to join the UK’s quarantine list following a spike in coronavirus cases. The country’s health minister Alain Berset said “the situation is under control, but remains fragile” after more than 300 new cases were recently reported in a 24-hour period – the highest increase since mid-April. Figures from the

The risks of catching flu or being involved in a road accident are “higher” than contracting coronavirus for schoolchildren, England’s deputy chief medical officer has said. Dr Jenny Harries told Sky News she understands why parents are wary, but said a well-controlled school environment “should be a safe one” considering the information now available about

The prime minister has said pupils’ “life chances” will suffer if they do not return to their classrooms for the start of the new academic year. The statement by Boris Johnson is part of a government effort to convince concerned parents it is right to send their children back when schools reopen around the country.

The wife of the driver killed in the Stonehaven train derailment has hit out at suggestions he was to blame for the incident and said he “did everything by the book”. Driver Brett McCullough, 45, died along with conductor Donald Dinnie, 58, and passenger Christopher Stuchbury, 62, in the 12 August crash in Aberdeenshire. Six