Jeremy Vine hugs his mum for first time since lockdown

Presenter Jeremy Vine hugs his mum for the first time since lockdown on his birthday as lockdown restrictions ease across the country.As the hospitality sector reopened, the show began at a bar.

Holidaymakers reveal excitement as they board flight to Portugal

Holidaymakers revealed their excitement as they boarded an easyJet flight at Gatwick to Faro in Portugal.Portugal, one of just a handful of destinations on the Government’s quarantine-free green list, will welcome 16 flights from England at Faro..

Premier League top scorer: Kane and Salah tied in Golden Boot race

A look at the race for the Premier League Golden Boot, as Mohamed Salah and Harry Kane battle it out for the title.Both players scored at the weekend as they remain neck-and-neck on 22 goals for the season

Heathrow traveller on 'throwing caution to the wind' and booking Portugal flight

Heathrow traveller Jill Osborne, who is flying to Portugal for business and pleasure, booked the flight a couple of weeks ago, after "throwing caution to the wind".Travellers are now able to visit 12 countries on the Government's green list, including..

Sir Alex Ferguson's health scare was traumatic, says son

Jason Ferguson, the son of manager Sir Alex Ferguson, details the scene after his dad was admitted to hospital with a brain hemorrhage.Jason initially used the formal version of his dad's name to protect his identity before he realised how serious the..

BT Tower in London welcomes easing of Coronavirus restrictions

BT has marked the next phase of lockdown easing with a special message on the BT Tower, 190m above central London. The message says: Less URL, more IRL. Welcome back - making reference to the digital terms URL which is a link or website address, and..

Covid-19 map: Bolton remains coronavirus hotspot

Bolton in Greater Manchester has the highest rate of coronavirus, with 657 new cases in the seven days to May 10 – the equivalent of 228.5 cases per 100,000 people.This is up from 88.7 in the seven days to May 3.

Optimism in travel industry as foreign leisure travel ban lifted

Travellers jet off from Heathrow and Gatwick airports as the ban on overseas leisure travel is lifted.Ryanair chief executive Michael O'Leary told BBC Breakfast said the company was now "very optimistic" having had an 80% fall in traffic.

Daily politics briefing: May 17

The key facts behind the day's headlines as the incoming DUP leader, Edwin Poots, has said getting rid of the Northern Ireland Protocol will be his top priority in the coming months.

Rege-Jean Page and Chadwick Boseman among winners at MTV Movie & TV Awards

Rege-Jean Page, Chadwick Boseman and Elizabeth Olsen were among the winners at the MTV Movie & TV Awards.The fan-voted ceremony took place at the Hollywood Palladium in Los Angeles, complete with an in-person audience after taking a year off due to..

Barcelona players crash press conference after Champions League win

Players from Barcelona celebrated with the trophy at the press conference after their 4-0 win over Chelsea in the Champions League.

Pubs do steady trade as doors reopen for indoor drinking at midnight

Pubs had a relatively slow start as they welcomed punters inside for the first time in at least four months.Ian Snowball, the owner of Showtime Bar in Huddersfield, said it was not as busy at his venue as when lockdown easing on April 12 allowed pub..

'Magic in the air' as London's West End reopens

London’s West End is set to reopen as restrictions are lifted on indoor venues across England. Under government guidelines, theatres and hospitality venues can reopen with social distancing in place.

Magic Mike Live choregographer on reopening as restrictions ease

Magic Mike Live choreographer Alison Faulk, who created and directed the show with Tatum, told the PA news agency the cast did so much exercise during lockdown that they required new costumes.She said: “It’s a surreal, happy feeling, it’s..

Schoolgirl earns £10,000 a day as TikTok influencer

A 17-year-old from Milton Keynes has become a viral sensation throughout the pandemic, racking up thousands of followers and a hefty pay cheque along with it. Alicia Breuer started posting videos of her lip-syncing in her bedroom to Katy Perry songs..

Which lockdown restrictions have now lifted in England?

May 17 marks the most comprehensive easing of coronavirus restrictions in England to date, and the beginning of phase three of the Government's road map out of lockdown.

Jurgen Klopp hails 'unbelievable' goal by goalkeeper Alisson Becker against West Brom

Jurgen Klopp has praised Alisson Becker for his last-minute goal against West Brom in the Premier League. The goalkeeper headed a dramatic stoppage-time winner at West Brom to keep Liverpool’s Champions League hopes alive.

Coronavirus in numbers: UK death total rises by four

The Government said a further four people had died within 28 days of testing positive for Covid-19 as of Sunday, bringing the UK total to 127,679.Separate figures published by the UK’s statistics agencies show there have been 152,000 deaths..

Coronavirus vaccines in numbers: Over 20 million receive both jabs

Government data up to May 15 shows that of the 56,677,012 jabs given in the UK so far, 36,573,354 were first doses – a rise of 237,331 on the previous day.

New Tiny Giants exhibit ready to open at ZSL London Zoo

Footage from the new Tiny Giants exhibit at ZSL London Zoo, which is preparing to reopen to visitors. It features coral which has been confiscated from the illegal coral trade and various other invertebrate creatures.Interview with ZSL's senior..

Young child killed in ‘devastating’ explosion which destroyed houses

A young child has been killed in a “devastating” explosion which caused at least two houses to collapse and damaged several others.Residents described the noise of the blast as “like a bomb going off” with debris that covered nearby streets..

Israeli air strikes kill dozens in deadliest attack of latest violence in Gaza

Israeli air strikes in the heart of Gaza City have flattened three buildings and killed at least 26 people, making it the deadliest single attack since heavy fighting broke out between Israel and the territory’s militant Hamas rulers nearly a week..

'Increasing confidence' vaccine works against Indian variant, says Hancock

Health Secretary Matt Hancock tells the BBC’s Andrew Marr Show that the Government has increasing confidence that the vaccine works against the Indian variant of Covid-19.

Daily politics briefing: May 16

The key facts behind the day's headlines as thousands of people across the UK marched in solidarity with the people of Palestine amid the ongoing conflict with Israel.

Cafe owner excited to open doors to customers

Coffee shop owner Caroline Atkinson is excited for Monday when she can serve her first sit-in customer despite opening the business 16 months ago.She opened the Daisy Rose Coffee House in Belmont, Durham, in March last year and has managed to keep the..

Leicester mark 'special' first FA Cup win against Chelsea at Wembley

Leicester City have marked their first ever FA Cup title after a 1-0 victory over Chelsea at Wembley Stadium.

Thousands of football fans welcome 'unbelievable' return to Wembley for FA Cup final

Football fans welcomed the return of live sport to Wembley Stadium on Saturday, as Leicester and Chelsea prepared to face off for the FA Cup final in north west London.

Steven Gerrard hails 'steel and organisation' behind Rangers' unbeaten season

Rangers manager Steven Gerrard has praised his team's title victory following an unbeaten season in the Scottish Premiership.

Vaccines in numbers: 36.3 million receive first dose

Government data up to May 14 shows that of the 56,018,988 Covid vaccine jabs given in the UK so far, 36,320,867 were first doses - a rise of 204,912 on the previous day.

Coronavirus in numbers: UK death total rises by seven

The Government said a further seven people had died within 28 days of testing positive for Covid-19 as of Saturday, bringing the UK total to 127,675.Separate figures published by the UK’s statistics agencies show there have been 152,000 deaths..

Thousands join protest against Gaza violence

Thousands of people have gathered in central London to show solidarity with the people of Palestine amid the ongoing conflict with Israel.Organisers say immediate action is needed by the UK Government to help end the “brutal” violence against the..

Israeli air strike on Gaza City kills 10 as unrest spreads to West Bank

An Israeli air raid in Gaza City has killed at least 10 Palestinians, mostly children, in the deadliest single strike since the battle with Gaza’s militant Hamas rulers erupted earlier this week.Both sides pressed for an advantage as efforts to..

Former SAS soldier to row home across the Atlantic using only the sun, the moon and the stars

A former SAS soldier is fulfilling a decades-long dream by rowing solo across the Atlantic.Ian Rivers, 55, will set off from New York on Monday, weather permitting, and will spend around three months on his own rowing the roughly 3,500 miles back to..

Final Debenhams stores to shut as chain’s 243-year history ends

Debenhams is to shut its doors for the final time in its 243-year history.The historic department store chain will close its remaining 28 stores across the UK for good on May 15 after the company collapsed amid the fallout of the coronavirus..

Daily politics briefing: May 15

The key facts behind the day's headlines on May 14 as the Prime Minister warned the Indian Covid-19 variant could deliver ‘serious disruption’ to lockdown plans.

China lands spacecraft on Mars

China has become the first nation after the US to land a spacecraft on Mars, according to state media.The official Xinhua News Agency cited the China National Space Administration (CNSA) as saying the lander had touched down.Earlier, CNSA said the..

Pep Guardiola urges Manchester City to learn not to switch off

Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola has urged his players to learn the lessons of a madcap seven-goal thriller at Newcastle as they turn their attention to the Champions League final.The Premier League champions eventually came out on top 4-3 at St..

Chelsea forward Fran Kirby voted FWA Women’s Footballer of the Year

Chelsea and England forward Fran Kirby has been voted the Footballer Writers’ Association’s Women’s Footballer of the Year.Kirby has scored 25 goals in all competitions this season for the FA Women’s Super League winners, who have reached the..

Prince Charles congratulates Royal British Legion on centenary

The Prince of Wales has sent a message of thanks to the Royal British Legion, which is marking its centenary this weekend.

Martin Bashir quits the BBC amid investigation into Diana interview

Martin Bashir has quit the BBC on health grounds amid an investigation into his Panorama interview with Diana, Princess of Wales.The veteran journalist, who was the BBC News religion editor, has been seriously unwell with Covid-19 related..

Young people queue for vaccines amid rise in Indian variant of coronavirus

A vaccine centre has had queues around the block after it was announced all over-20s would be given a jab.The centre at Hirshman’s Chemist in Sefton, Merseyside, is near Formby, which has seen a rise in coronavirus cases with the Indian variant..

New DUP leader Edwin Poots vows to make party ‘authentic voice’ of unionism

Stormont Agriculture minister Edwin Poots vowed to be the “authentic voice” of unionism as he was elected as the new leader the DUP.Mr Poots, who recently recovered from cancer surgery, defeated the DUP’s Westminster leader Sir Jeffrey Donaldson..

Whitty warns of ‘net disadvantage’ in moving vaccines to younger people

There would be “a net disadvantage” in transferring Covid vaccines from older people to younger members of the public who are at lower risk from the virus, England’s Chief Medical Officer has said.Professor Chris Whitty pointed out there is not..

FA Cup final match preview: Chelsea v Leicester

Chelsea and Leicester will go head to head in the 140th FA Cup final at Wembley on May 15. Take a look at the stats here.

PM: Indian coronavirus variant could disrupt easing of restrictions in June

Boris Johnson has warned that the Indian coronavirus variant could “pose a serious disruption” to plans to ease restrictions and “could make it more difficult” to end them as hoped in June.The Prime Minister told the Downing Street press..

PM: Remaining second doses for over-50s to be accelerated

Boris Johnson has said that remaining second doses for the over-50s will be accelerated so they come eight weeks after the first.The Prime Minister told the Downing Street press conference: “I believe we should trust in our vaccines to protect the..

Tanks cleaned by divers as London Aquarium prepares to reopen

Divers swim with sea life and clean the inside of their tanks at the Sea Life London Aquarium as the facility prepares to reopen its doors to the public. Interview with Catherine Pritchard, General Manager of Southbank Entertainments.The attraction..

Glasgow and Moray to remain in Level 3 coronavirus restrictions

Glasgow and Moray will remain in Level 3 of Scotland’s five-tier system of coronavirus restrictions on Monday as the rest of the mainland drops to Level 2, Nicola Sturgeon has announced.These areas will remain at the higher level for a further week,..

Vaccines in numbers: More than 36 million receive first dose

More than 36 million people have now been given a first dose of the coronavirus vaccine.The numbers come as the Government and local leaders consider rolling out more vaccinations in the regions worst hit by the Indian variant of coronavirus.

Coronavirus in numbers: UK death total rises by 17

The Government said a further 17 people had died within 28 days of testing positive for Covid-19 as of Thursday, bringing the UK total to 127,668.