Millions more people will be waking to harsher coronavirus restrictions on Boxing Day when new tier changes come into force in England. New lockdowns are set to be introduced in Scotland and Northern Ireland, while restrictions that were eased for Christmas Day in Wales will be reimposed on Saturday. Those in the strict tier 4 in...
Professor David Blake was speaking at a time when prospects for a post-Brexit trade deal between the UK and the EU were hanging in the balance, with one of the key sticking points being the bloc’s insistence on Britain adhering to rules and regulation aimed at protecting its single market after the end of the year. And the...
Shoppers are expected to spend 27% less than last year in the Boxing Day sales as many high streets around the country remain closed. A total of £3.2bn is still expected to be rung up by retailers in the UK, but more than half of that will go online, according to a report by the...
Two members of a people-smuggling ring are facing life in jail after being found guilty of the manslaughter of 39 Vietnamese migrants. Romanian ringleader Gheorghe Nica, 43, and lorry driver Eamonn Harrison, 24, were convicted of 39 counts of manslaughter on Monday following a 10-week trial. Their victims, aged between 15 and 44, suffocated in...
The Scottish politician, broadcaster and writer tweeted: “When Netherlands, Belgium, and France folded like a cheap tent before Hitler’s Blitzkreig we were for a time left standing alone. The Fascists were at the Channel Ports and the founders of the SNP were collaborating with the enemy. London’s burning I don’t care’ wrote their Poet.” Scottish poet...
Downing Street has rejected calls from some Conservative MPs and the mayor of London to consider extending Brexit talks beyond the new year, saying any trade deal had to be in place and approved before 31 December. Boris Johnson’s spokesman also dismissed the idea of allowing MPs to ratify a trade deal retrospectively as time was too...
Ministers reversed the decision which would end the prosecution of people who do not pay the £157.50 annual fee. The move comes after concerns were raised a new harsher debt system would be created if people fall behind on payments. Chiefs at the BBC are likely to be relieved after they said decriminalisation could cost the...
Schools should be allowed to remain closed for the first two weeks of next term, the UK’s biggest teaching union has said, as a leading scientist warned of early signs that a new Covid strain may infect children “slightly more effectively” than previous variants. The National Education Union (NEU) called for online lessons to replace...
Sainsbury’s has warned shoppers of shortages of lettuce, broccoli and citrus fruit in the run-up to Christmas, after France banned hauliers carrying freight across the Channel amid fears over the new coronavirus strain. The supermarket said the ingredients for a traditional Christmas lunch were already in the country and available, but shelves could be empty of some...
Despite the new Tier 4 restrictions dominating headlines over the weekend, horrific violent crime continued across London Multiple stabbings happened in different parts of the city, including one attack where the victim was stabbed and also shot. In an incident that left local residents shocked a body was found in a suitcase in a hostel in Ealing, which...