United Kingdom

    Boris Johnson is set to announce that the NHS will be given an extra £3 billion in funding so it can prepare for a possible second wave of Covid-19. The Prime Minister will also use a Downing Street press conference later today to commit to a new target of reaching the capacity for 500,000 coronavirus tests a day by November. The funding for the NHS in England will allow private hospital capacity to be used and for Nightingale hospitals to be maintained until the end of March. It comes after the death toll in the UK rose by 66 on Thursday. No deaths were reported in Northern Ireland and Wales, while England recorded 19 and Scotland recorded one.

    A sculpture of a black woman who took part in a Black Lives Matter protest in Bristol has been erected on the plinth where a statue of slave trader Edward Colston used to stand. Artist Marc Quinn created the black and resin steel piece of protester Jen Reid, who was photographed standing on the empty plinth after the Colston statue was toppled during the march. The sculpture, entitled A Surge of Power (Jen Reid), was erected shortly before 5am on Wednesday by Quinn’s team without the prior knowledge of Bristol City Council. Mayor Marvin Rees previously said any decision on how the plinth should be used would be decided democratically through consultation. After the sculpture was installed, Mrs Reid stood in front of it with her fist in the air. It’s just incredib...

    Boris Johnson was today accused of "rhetorical nonsense" as he was quizzed by Labour leader Keir Starmer over a report into fears of a second wave of coronavirus. The dramatic PMQs clash came ahead of an expected announcement by the Prime Minister on Friday, when he is set to unveil plans to get Britain back to work in a bid to boost struggling businesses. Earlier, Health Secretary Matt Hancock quashed reports that the "road map" will include a plan to make face masks compulsory in all public places , insisting the Government will not recommend they be mandatory in offices. Meanwhile, a £4 billion cut in VAT for the leisure and hospitality industry comes into force today. Chancellor Rishi Sunak announced in his mini-Budget last week that the levy on food, accommoda...

    Mandatory face covering rules for shoppers in England will not apply to staff, a minister has said, amid warnings a second wave of coronavirus infections this winter could be more serious than the first. As of July 24, people must have their nose and mouth covered when they go shopping or risk a £100 fine. The move follows a weekend of confusion over whether ministers intended to make face coverings compulsory after Boris Johnson said they were looking at “stricter” rules. But Environment Secretary George Eustice said shop staff are "not being covered" by the rule. He said it won’t be a "compulsory requirement" because it "won’t always be right" for every retail setting. It comes as scientists warned there could be 120,000 hospital deaths this winter from Covid-19 ...

    Boris Johnson will decide in the next few days whether face coverings will be mandatory in shops as the Covid-19 lockdown is lifted in England. Speaking on a visit to the London Ambulance on Monday, the prime minister said coverings have have real value in confined spaces and that people should wear them in shops. But he went on to say his government had yet to make a ruling on whether they should be made compulsory. It comes after Cabinet Office minister Michael Gove sparked confusion by saying on BBC One’s Andrew Marr Show that coverings would not be enforced in shops but that wearing them was basic good manners. The prime minister told reporters during a visit to the London Ambulance Service HQ in London that there was growing evidence face coverings could limit...

    The government is to set out the UK's future immigration and border policies today, as it aims to prepare the country for the end of the Brexit transition period. Home Secretary Priti Patel will say the country will be able to "welcome the best and brightest global talent" as she publishes a 130-page document detailing how the new points-based immigration system will operate. The announcement is expected to include a visa for foreign health professionals, but Labour says the proposals have been "rushed" and could cause "major problems" for the NHS and care sector. The new policies will take effect from 1 January 2021, when the UK leaves the EU customs union and single market. Cabinet Office minister Michael Gove has launched a public information campaign to tell i...

    Priti Patel will unveil more details of the Government's controversial new points-based immigration system this week, which she describes as a fairer, firmer, skills-led approach. The new immigration system will come into effect on January 1, 2021 after freedom of movement ends. It is designed to cut the number of low-skilled migrants entering Britain from the beginning of next year and make it easier for higher-skilled workers to get UK visas. But critics have slammed the proposals for being xenophobic and meaningless. The Home Secretary will declare Britain as open for business and ready to accept the brightest global talent when she releases details about the system on Monday. People who want to live and work in the UK will need to gain 70 points to be eligible...

    Boris Johnson has given his strongest hint yet that face coverings may be made mandatory in English shops, saying said he is looking at ways to be “stricter” about their use. The comment came as Mr Johnson signalled an apparent shift in government on the return to normal life, saying people should "go back to work if they can". The government has previously said that people should work from home if it is possible. In a clear sign that the government believes it is now necessary to encourage people to end their four months of working from home, Mr Johnson added: "I want people to go back to work as carefully as possible. "It is very important that people should be going back to work if they can. Everybody has taken the 'stay at home if you can' (message). I think we...

    Tens of thousands of people in "high-risk" jobs will be tested for coronavirus despite having no symptoms as part of a new government scheme. People including taxi drivers, cleaners and shop assistants will be involved in the pilot announced by the Department of Health and Social Care today. The DHSC said the testing, which begins tomorrow, would improve understanding of the prevalence of the virus among those who are judged to be at higher risk. Firms included in the trial include taxi firm Addison Lee, BT, services firm Mitie and pharmacy giant Boots. The DHSC said each business will receive thousands of tests for staff via home-testing delivery or a mobile testing unit. Four councils - Bradford, Newham, Brent and Oldham - will also book tests for people at walk...

    Angela Merkel said the EU should be prepared for a no trade deal Brexit on Wednesday, the day after Boris Johnson warned the German Chancellor that Britain was “ready” to walk away without an agreement. I will continue to push for a good solution, but we should also prepare for a possible no deal scenario, Mrs Merkel said in the European Parliament in Brussels. Progress in negotiations so far has been slim to put it diplomatically,” Mrs Merkel said, as she set out plans for Germany’s six month EU Presidency. She added,We've agreed with the United Kingdom to accelerate the pace of talks to reach an agreement by autumn, an agreement that could be ratified by the end of the year. Mr Johnson has been adamant that he will not allow the discussions to drag on into the a...