Omicron variant of coronavirus led to huge spike in cases over New Year but has since subsided, prompting Boris Johnson to drop social restrictions

Conservatives face ‘death of 1,000 cuts’, David Davis warns

The men remain in custody for questioning

Restrictions introduced in late December in response to the emergence of the Omicron variant are also set to be lifted.

Prime minister Boris Johnson hails return to ‘plan A’ in statement to MPs

But health secretary admits scandal is inflicting harm – saying: ‘Of course things like this damage our democracy’

‘In the name of God, go’: David Davis becomes most senior Tory to demand PM’s head

Audio footage appeared to show attempts by hostage-taker Malik Faisal Akram’s younger brother to persuade him to surrender.

MPs approve government’s preferred choice for £63,000 part-time role but say decision was not unanimous

Rachael Reeves was quoted as saying ‘it doesn’t sound totally preposterous that Labour could be in government some time quite soon’.

The fast fashion chain has launched a consultation with staff as part of plans to simplify its UK retail management structure.

Some Conservative lawmakers in Britain are talking about ousting their leader, Prime Minister Boris Johnson, over allegations that he and his staff held lockdown-breaching parties during the coronavirus pandemic

Tories would be in for a ‘year of agony‘ if PM is not ousted soon, the former Brexit secretary said

Researchers believe the pandemic ‘has changed our psychology in how we perceive the wearers of masks’.

Boris Johnson will reportedly need to be dragged ‘kicking and screaming’ from Downing Street.

The firm said the senior executive had delivered a ‘strong performance given the unprecedented challenges’ of the coronavirus pandemic.

Prominent anti-vaxxer was arrested at Guy’s Hospital

Suspect remanded in custody as another man released without charge

Boris Johnson announced Plan B measures would be axed with work-from-home guidance scrapped immediately.

Business leaders earlier this week urged relaxations describing the impact on trade as ‘very real’.

Former Brexit secretary David Davis warned Tories the party faces ‘dying a death of 1,000 cuts’ if MPs do not swiftly oust the Prime Minister.

Daniel Kawczynski said he had ‘no alternative but to apologise’

Confederation of British Industry international director Andy Burwell said it is ‘vital’ to agree a negotiated settlement.

He was charged with causing a nuisance or disturbance on NHS premises without reasonable excuse.

Brian Harwood died after a vehicle and trailer fell into a river when a bridge collapsed in Lancashire.

Jozef Puska appeared at a special sitting of Tullamore District Court on Wednesday evening charged with the school teacher’s murder.

Paul Givan tweeted that the Department of Health has confirmed that the new rule will apply from January 21.

Several airlines are grounding flights to and from the US due to the rollout of the mobile phone technology near airports.

Unions warned that the lifting of plan B restrictions could disrupt exam year groups.

It is five years since the Historical Institutional Abuse Inquiry recommended compensation.

‘The government will regret sending the wrong signal for political expediency’, says nursing chief

Court of Appeal finds decision to suspend Ben John’s original prison sentence was unlawful

Andrew’s official @TheDukeofYork handle now comes up with a blank page

Former Brexit secretary David Davis told the Prime Minister to quit shortly after one of the party’s newest MPs defected to Labour.

Venues will no longer require a Covid pass for entry.

Environmental campaign group calls on Sadiq Khan to go ‘a step further’ and end its construction

Stormont elections take place this year on May 5.

The artist donated More Passion to the Government Art Collection in 2011.

The chief medical adviser to the UKHSA addressed the nation at a press conference in Downing Street.

Wakeford won Bury South with a majority of just 402 votes in 2019

Constituents appear to welcome shift: ‘if you have any sense of morality, you don’t want to be associated with this government and how it’s behaved over the last couple of months’

The law allows for murders suspects to be questioned for 24 hours.

The pair took High Court action, saying they were teenagers but had been judged by social workers to be adults after arriving in Kent.

Watch the latest UK weather forecast from the Independent for today.

Judge says policy, which has seen children wrongly labelled as adults while detained, breaches law

Landlords will be required to get licences for short-term rental properties after MSPs approved the plans.

The motion was tabled by MSP Meghan Gallacher.

Eluned Morgan MS said it could be months before elective surgeries began again because of the ongoing pandemic.

The legal requirement for people with coronavirus to self-isolate will also be allowed to lapse when the regulations expire on March 24.

British soldiers involved in atrocities such as Bloody Sunday and the Ballymurphy massacre should ‘be brought to justice’, the Taoiseach said.

One Tory says PM’s explanation impossible to defend - ‘like going to a brothel and claiming you didn’t realise women are selling themselves for sex’

Health Secretary spells out plan to live with virus long-term

Campaigners argue Scotland Yard misinterpreted Covid laws and breached human rights

The Scottish Conservative leader said the situation is a ‘rollercoaster ride’.

In the wake of Ashling Murphy’s murder, Micheal Martin said a new strategy on gender-based violence would be before the Government in March.

The pair were close collaborators at Vogue.

The Care Quality Commission warned last year of a ‘serious and deteriorating’ situation in terms of recruitment and staff retention in the sector.

Wakeford accuses PM of ‘disgraceful’ leadership in recent weeks

The discovery is the second haul of cocaine found at Sheerness Port within the last month.

An expert panel recommended last year a public inquiry should be held into the mistreatment of women at mother and baby homes in Northern Ireland.

Thousands of ex-service personnel were penalised for their sexuality before the ban was lifted in 2000

Government proposals would see more firms required to put better cyber security measures in place.

The Scottish Government has been accused of cutting £371 million in real terms from council budgets.

The 48-year-old, who played a police sergeant in the BBC crime drama, died alone at home hours after being discharged, an inquest was told.

Professor Mike Tildesley said probably within a week or two, the rate of infection among younger age groups will slow down.

Serial liar duped multiple people into believing he was an undercover operative pursuing the IRA

Christian Wakeford said his decision was about more than just partygate and the Prime Minister’s ‘disgraceful’ behaviour.

Dr Nicholas John Chapman is currently suspended from his post

Reclaim These Streets proposed a socially-distanced vigil for the 33-year-old.

The French President told the European Parliament that there needed to be ‘legal, stable’ routes for migration to the UK.

The original wooden dancefloor has undergone a three-week refurbishment.

Kate Josephs – boss of Sheffield City Council – hosted Whitehall drinks while residents said goodbye to loved ones on iPads. Now crisis threatens to engulf entire Labour-and-Green led authority

The six-year-old was found dead in woodland in 1994.

Just 44% of all 18 to 39-year-olds are likely to have received an extra dose.

Angela Marshall, from the Rutherglen area, died in a collision in the South Lanarkshire town on January 13.

How do the current rules compare across the four nations of the UK?

Kyrell Matthews, two, was allegedly beaten and killed by his mother Phylesia Shirley and her then-boyfriend Kemar Brown.

Current Afghani transport minister Qudratullah Zaki has apparently contacted Ty DeLorean

The minister thanked staff for their ‘superhuman efforts’ in maintaining services across the Covid pandemic.

All homes will be required to have linked alarms from February 1.

More than 102 of global super-rich admit “few if any of us can honestly say that we pay our fair share”

The exhibition opens on January 22 and runs until April 3.

In Radcliffe, the centre of the constituency, the MP’s office, painted in true-blue Tory colours, was shuttered.

The Scottish Retail Consortium has called for more measures to help Scottish stores recover.

Rishi Sunak and Liz Truss are the most likely candidates to replace Boris Johnson, bookmakers say

All major parties except the DUP opposed the change, which has not been dropped

The health secretary will faces questioning on the measures announced earlier today

The Duke of York has been stripped of his remaining patronages and honorary military roles.

Armed forces minister James Heappey says Andrew has ‘caused enormous challenges for royal family’

Good Law Project files claim to court over No 10 party

The royal couple also chatted with former champion hurdler Kriss Akabusi about his experience of leaving care at the age of 16.

Boris Johnson scrapped the rules brought in to control the spread of the Omicron variant.