COVID-19:

Coronavirus cases are rising in these 34 areas

Coronavirus vaccine in numbers: First dose jabs pass 31.7million

Government data shows that 31,707,594 first dose jabs have been given in the UK so far, a rise of 85,227 on the previous day.

Latest stories

  • Queen returns to royal duties following death of Prince Philip

    The Queen has returned to royal duties, just a few days after the death of the Duke of Edinburgh to mark the retirement of her household’s most senior official. The monarch was back working on Tuesday holding her first in-person event since Philip’s passing on Friday, and hosted a ceremony as the Earl Peel formally stood down as Lord Chamberlain. Returning to her official role so soon after her bereavement typifies the Queen’s deep sense of duty and service.

  • Quarter of Covid deaths not caused by virus, new figures show

    Almost a quarter of registered Covid deaths are people who are not dying from the disease, new official figures show, as the Government was urged to move faster with the roadmap in the light of increasingly positive data. The latest figures from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) show that 23 per cent of coronavirus deaths registered are now people who have died "with" the virus rather than "from" an infection. This means that, while the person who died will have tested positive for Covid, that was not the primary cause of their death recorded on the death certificate. Other data also shows an increasingly positive picture of the state of the pandemic in the UK. Daily death figures by "date of death" reveal that Britain has had no more than 28 deaths a day since the beginning of April, even though the government-announced deaths have been as high as 60. This is because the Government gives a daily update on deaths based on the number reported that day, which can include deaths from days or weeks previously and therefore may not reflect the true decline in deaths. On Tuesday, the Government announced that there had been 23 further deaths.

  • Biden’s White House communications strategy is driving Republicans insane

    In the words of one House Republican campaign operative, ‘It’s a nightmare’

  • ‘A tsunami of cases’: desperation as Covid second wave batters India

    ‘A tsunami of cases’: desperation as Covid second wave batters India. Doctors speak of a new variant of the virus that appears to be spreading faster than ever before

  • 'Home Alone' star Macaulay Culkin welcomes baby with fellow former child star Brenda Song

    The pair have become parents to a baby boy.

  • Have your say: Do you think the BBC's coverage of Prince Philip's death was over the top?

    The BBC received more than 100,000 complaints about its coverage.

  • Bride-to-be tries on wedding dress after lockdown easing

    Bride-to-be Erin Barwell tries on dresses for the first time since non-essential retailers reopened this week. Erin, from Stoke-on-Trent, is due to get married next February and tried on dresses at Roberta's Bridal in Burslem.

  • EU Commission to end AstraZeneca and J&J vaccine contracts at expiry - paper

    The EU Commission has decided not to renew COVID-19 vaccine contracts next year with companies such as Astrazeneca and Johnson & Johnson (J&J), Italian daily La Stampa reported on Wednesday citing a source from the Italian Health Ministry. "The European Commission, in agreement with the leaders of many (EU) countries, has decided that the contracts with the companies that produce (viral vector) vaccines that are valid for the current year will not be renewed at their expiry," the newspaper reported. It added that Brussels would rather focus on COVID-19 vaccines using messenger RNA (mRNA) technology, such as Pfizer's and Moderna's.

  • Coronavirus news – live: ‘Mix and match’ vaccine study extended amid fears variant could slow lockdown easing

    Follow updates below

  • End of North Sea oil industry within a decade 'is Green price for coalition deal with SNP'

    The end of North Sea oil and gas production within a decade could be the Scottish Greens' price for joining the SNP in coalition after next month's Holyrood election, a TV debate has heard. Douglas Ross, the Scottish Tory leader, challenged Patrick Harvie, the co-leader of the Scottish Greens, over a potential coalition with the SNP after May’s election and what it would mean for thousands of workers in the oil and gas sector. There is speculation that Nicola Sturgeon is keen to seek a formal agreement with the party in an effort to boost her environmental credentials ahead of the COP 26 UN Summit in Glasgow in November, which would see Mr Harvie’s party handed ministerial posts. Mr Harvie did not deny Mr Ross’s claim that calling for an end to North Sea oil and gas production would be his price for a deal with the SNP. Challenged over a timeframe, he suggested the industry should stop within a decade. The STV debate also heard accusations that Nicola Sturgeon is determined to divide Scotland again over independence and reopen wounds from the 2014 referendum rather than focusing on recovery from the pandemic.

  • Too Close: ITV viewers left baffled by bizarre sex scene blunder

    Viewers were left with more questions about the kitchen lovemaking than show’s central mystery

  • Prince Philip showed 'sense of humour' and was 'kind and firm' in school reports

    Prince Philip's love of sailing was also fostered during his time at Gordonstoun, in Scotland.

  • EU countries tell Britain they cannot guarantee extradition of criminals in wake of Brexit

    Twenty European Union states are refusing to guarantee that suspected criminals who are citizens of their country can be extradited to the UK. Ten EU countries have declined point blank to allow such extraditions, two will do so only if the suspected criminal agrees and eight have attached other restrictions. The development emerged in recently released documents from Brussels and reflects the fact that Brexit means the UK is no longer part of the European Arrest Warrant. The current setup potentially undercuts the ability for Europeans who are suspected of committing crimes in the UK to be returned to face justice after fleeing to the Continent. Lawyers have warned it could also artificially keep prison populations high as judges may be reluctant to grant bail over fears of European suspects leaving the country and not returning. The position of each of the 27 EU member states towards extradition and the UK was contaminated in an EU notification note issued on April 6. Under the European Arrest Warrant suspected criminals could be extradited easily within the bloc. But with Britain now out of the EU, individual member states can decide their position. Ten EU states have said they will not hand over citizens suspected of crimes to the UK: Germany, Greece, France, Croatia, Latvia, Poland, Slovenia, Slovakia, Finland, Sweden. A further two, Czech Republic and Austria, will do so only if the suspect agrees. Eight more countries attach restrictions, such as prison sentences being served in home nations. Only the remaining seven EU member states broadly agree to reciprocity with the UK: Belgium, Ireland, Spain, Italy, Bulgaria, Cyprus and Malta. It means that an imbalance exists given the UK’s willingness to extradite Britons suspected of committing crimes in EU countries. Edward Grange, a partner at Corker Binning solicitors, said: “The UK will continue to extradite its own nationals as it has given no notification that the nationality bar will apply. “Indeed, this stance continues the UK’s long standing approach that an individual’s nationality alone should not prevent extradition.” A Home Office spokesman said: “The UK agreed a comprehensive security agreement with the EU, which includes streamlined extradition arrangements. “Some EU Member States have long-held constitutional bars against the extradition of their own nationals to non-EU countries, which is why we negotiated a specific agreement which allows for offenders to face justice via another route, even where a country will not extradite their own national. “It is the UK’s longstanding policy not to distinguish between UK nationals and others in extradition proceedings in order to ensure individuals can be brought to justice.” In a separate development, the European Commission has told EU member states it opposed the UK’s application to join the Lugano Convention. The convention is a treaty that decides which court has jurisdiction in cross border civil and commercial disputes and ensures judgements are enforced across borders.

  • Lockdown easing ‘may need to be reversed if variant spreads rapidly’

    Scientists are ‘very concerned’ after a cluster of cases of the South African variant were found in London

  • Trump caught on audio mocking Michelle Obama’s looks to giggling GOP hierarchy at Mar-a-Lago

    Leaked recording from RNC fundraiser reveals ‘uproarious’ laughter from sponsors for ridicule of former first lady

  • Public ready to accept vaccine passports – and keep them after pandemic is over

    Exclusive: Almost a third think Boris Johnson is ending lockdown too soon

  • Agents of SHIELD's Chloe Bennet features in live-action Powerpuff Girls first look

    "Saving the world before bedtime."

  • ‘If we don’t support them we’ll never get them back’: Punters brave Covid and the cold in return to the pub

    After months of disruption, Vincent Wood reports, a minority of the nation’s pubs are getting back to business – weather permitting

  • Homophobic couple jailed for torturing gay magistrate in his own home and forcing fire poker down his throat

    A couple who tortured late magistrate Vince McMahan in a violent homophobic attack have been jailed for a total of nearly six years.

  • Burkina ex-president Compaoré to be tried for Thomas Sankara's murder

    In tonight's edition: In Burkina Faso,  judges have ruled that the former president Blaise Compaoré must stand trial for his role in the assassination of Thomas Sankara who he overthrew in a coup d'état in 1987. And a Tuareg leader in Mali has been shot dead in the capital Bamako. Sidi Brahim Ould Sidati was a key figure in a 2015 peace accord. And a major step forward for the protection of women and children in Gabon, as customary marriages are finally recognised by the state.