Downing Street says ‘all rules were followed’ after reports of festive gatherings during lockdownCoronavirus – latest updatesSee all our coronavirus coverageBoris Johnson has been accused of flouting Covid rules during the lockdown last Christmas with …
UK house prices return to double-digit growth
Annual price growth hit 10% in November, up from 9.9% in October, according to Nationwide indexHouse prices in the UK continued their upwards climb in November, reaching double-digit growth again as demand remained strong after the end of the stamp dut…
UK hospitality firms hit by Christmas party cancellations over Omicron fears
Mixed messages about socialising during festive season also having an effect, say bossesCoronavirus – latest updatesSee all our coronavirus coverageBosses of pubs, bars and restaurants across the UK are warning they are already receiving cancellations …
Operation Save Christmas: retailers’ desperate dash to meet demand
Large stores are having to be creative to meet booming online orders at a time of staff and stock shortagesAn army of 3,000 staff will fan out from Marks & Spencer’s head office this week with one mission in mind: meeting the Christmas boom.Staff w…
The guns are gone, but misogyny still stalks Northern Ireland | Susan McKay
For unionist politicians, paedophile and domestic abuser David Tweed was just ‘larger than life’ – not a danger to womenWhen David Tweed died in a crash in County Antrim at the end of October, Ian Paisley Jr, Tweed’s MP, spoke of his sadness: “David wa…
Dunkirk’s camps – in pictures
Guardian photographer David Levene visited northern France after twenty-seven people drowned in the Channel last week as they attempted to make the perilous crossing from France to Britain across busy shipping lanes in a dinghy that deflated in the ope…
Swifts and house martins join UK red list of endangered birds
RSPB warns wildlife is in freefall with 70 of Britain’s 245 bird species now seriously at riskThe red list of Britain’s most endangered birds has increased to 70 species with the swift, house martin, greenfinch and Bewick’s swan added to the latest ass…
South African scientists explore vaccines’ effectiveness against Omicron
Crucial work will study how well current jabs work and whether they need to be updated to tackle new variantCoronavirus – latest updatesSee all our coronavirus coverageScientists in South Africa have begun crucial work to assess how well Covid vaccines…
Covid live news: UK, Germany and Italy detect Omicron cases; China outbreak warning
Mandatory mask-wearing in shops and transport reimposed in England; Anthony Fauci says new variant is probably already in the US; Australia scrambles to prevent outbreakJohnson ignored my plan to deal with new variants – ex-officialOmicron’s worst impa…
Storm Arwen: winds reach almost 100mph as wild weather batters UK
Northern England, Midlands and Scotland set for cold snap until Monday, while a man died in Northern Ireland after a falling tree hit his carThe UK has felt the full force of Storm Arwen with gusts of almost 100 miles per hour battering some areas, lea…