Month: September 2020

Media playback is unsupported on your device A proposed law giving Boris Johnson’s government the power to override parts of the Brexit agreement with the EU has passed its first hurdle in the Commons. MPs backed the Internal Market Bill by 340 votes to 263. Ministers say it contains vital safeguards to protect Northern Ireland

Restrictions banning social gatherings of more than six people have come into effect in England, following a rise in coronavirus cases. The “rule of six”, which applies both indoors and outdoors, does not exempt children under 12 in England. Similar restrictions in Wales and Scotland do not include children under 11 and 12 respectively. The

GP practices are being told they must make sure patients can be seen face to face when they need such appointments. NHS England is writing to all practices to make sure they are communicating the fact doctors can be seen in person if necessary, as well as virtually. It’s estimated half of the 102 million

Former prime ministers Tony Blair and Sir John Major have urged parliament to reject Boris Johnson’s “shameful” attempt to override parts of the Brexit Withdrawal Agreement. The PM has said the European Union is threatening to impose a customs border in the Irish Sea, separating Northern Ireland from the rest of the UK. Mr Blair

Trials of a Covid-19 vaccine being developed by AstraZeneca and Oxford University will resume after being paused due to a reported side effect in a patient in the UK. On Tuesday, AstraZeneca said the studies were being paused while it investigated whether the adverse reaction was linked with the vaccine. But on Saturday, the university

Boris Johnson has urged Conservative MPs to back his plan to override part of the Brexit Withdrawal Agreement. In a Zoom call with about 250 of them, he said the party must not return to “miserable squabbling” over Europe. The EU has warned the UK it could face legal action if it does not ditch

Public health officials have warned of “worrying signs” of infection among the elderly, as an official measure indicated the UK’s epidemic is growing again. The R number was raised to between 1 and 1.2 for the first time since March. Any number above one indicates the number of infections is increasing. The number of new

The UK economy grew by 6.6% in July, according to the Office for National Statistics (ONS), but it said output remains far below pre-pandemic levels. It is the third month in a row that the economy has expanded. But the ONS said that the UK “has still only recovered just over half of the lost

The UK and EU are to hold emergency talks later as tensions rise over Boris Johnson’s move to override key parts of the Brexit withdrawal agreement. Cabinet Office Minister Michael Gove will meet EU official Maros Sefcovic in London to discuss how the development could affect the island of Ireland. The EU says it wants

Scientists and health professionals have raised doubts about Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s “moonshot” plan for mass coronavirus testing in the UK. The PM hopes millions of Covid-19 tests – including some giving results within minutes – could be processed daily. But experts say there are issues with laboratory capacity for current tests, while the technology

Media playback is unsupported on your device Prime Minister Boris Johnson has said “we must act” to avoid another lockdown as virus cases rise in England. He set out a new “rule of six”, restricting gatherings to a maximum of six people, enforced with fines or arrests. Mr Johnson also outlined a “moonshot” plan to

Final clinical trials for a coronavirus vaccine, developed by AstraZeneca and Oxford University, have been put on hold after a participant had an adverse reaction in the UK. AstraZeneca described it as a “routine” pause in the case of “an unexplained illness”. The outcome of vaccine trials is being closely watched around the world. The

Social gatherings of more than six people will be illegal in England from Monday – with some exemptions – amid a steep rise in coronavirus cases. A new legal limit will ban larger groups meeting anywhere socially indoors or outdoors, No 10 said. But it will not apply to schools, workplaces or Covid-secure weddings, funerals

The UK is entering a “period of particular concern” as the number of coronavirus cases rise across the country, the housing secretary say. Robert Jenrick said “we all have to be very cautious” after 2,948 new UK cases were recorded on Monday. The government’s scientific advisers have given stark warnings over the increase in Covid-19

Media playback is unsupported on your device The latest “big change” in coronavirus infections across the UK is of “great concern”, England’s deputy chief medical officer has warned. Prof Jonathan Van Tam said people have “relaxed too much” over the summer and “we have got to start taking this very seriously again”. If not, the

A man has been arrested on suspicion of murder after one person died and seven others were injured in stabbings across Birmingham. A 27-year-old man was arrested at an address in the Selly Oak area of the city at about 04:00 BST, West Midlands Police said. Police said he was also being held over seven