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Johnson's defence of Cummings sparks anger from allies and opponents alike Possible police investigation of aide is latest in series of Guardian disclosures that have rocked the governmentCoronavirus – latest updatesSee all our coronavirus coverageBoris Johnson has staked his political reputation on saving the career of Dominic Cummings, amid growing anger among Conservative MPs that the No 10 chief adviser has not been forced out for breaking lockdown rules.Under intense pressure to explain why Cummings drove his wife, who was suffering coronavirus symptoms, and son 264 miles to his parents’ farm in Durham, the prime minister said on Sunday that Cummings had “acted responsibly, legally and with integrity”. Continue reading... Go to Source

Dominic Cummings facing possible police investigation as pressure mounts Exclusive: retired chemistry teacher Robin Lees makes complaint to police about alleged trip to Barnard CastleTimeline: what we know about aide’s movementsCoronavirus – latest updatesSee all our coronavirus coverageDominic Cummings is facing a possible police investigation under health laws over a claim that he breached self-isolation rules in north-east England, after a weekend of mounting pressure on the prime minister to sack his chief adviser.Retired chemistry teacher Robin Lees made a complaint to the police after reporting that he saw Cummings and his family on 12 April walking in the town of Barnard Castle before getting into a car, a joint investigation by the Guardian and Mirror can reveal. Con...

Coronavirus live news: US bars travel from Brazil as British PM’s adviser reported to police over lockdown breach Boris Johnson backs Dominic Cummings despite outcry; France sees lowest daily cases and deaths since lockdown; India resumes domestic flights. Follow the latest updatesUS bars travellers who have been in Brazil in last two weeksDominic Cummings facing possible police investigation as pressure mountsJohnson’s defence of Cummings sparks anger from allies and opponents Australia coronavirus – liveCoronavirus latest: at a glance 12.52am BSTA top White House official on Sunday likened China’s handling of the coronavirus outbreak to the Soviet Union’s cover-up of the meltdown at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant in 1986.National security adviser Robert O&rs...

PM accepts some English primary schools may not return on 1 June Boris Johnson has agreed schools need more time to prepare for restartCoronavirus – latest updatesSee all our coronavirus coverageBoris Johnson is pressing ahead with plans to reopen schools on 1 June but moved to appease councils and teaching unions by acknowledging for the first time that primary schools in England won’t have to reopen to more pupils until they are prepared.The acknowledgment by the prime minister came in his opening statement at the daily Covid-19 press conference on Sunday, in which Johnson said the government wanted primary schools to plan for allowing pupils in reception, year one and year six to return on 1 June. Continue reading... Go to Source

Boris Johnson backs Dominic Cummings in face of Tory calls for chief aide to resign Prime minister says key adviser acted ‘responsibly, legally and with integrity’Coronavirus – latest updatesSee all our coronavirus coverageBoris Johnson has pledged his complete support for Dominic Cummings over a trip to a distant family home during the peak of the lockdown, using a Downing Street press conference to insist his chief adviser “acted responsibly, legally and with integrity”.Facing intense pressure to explain why Cummings appeared to have flouted lockdown rules by driving more than 260 miles to his parents’ estate in Durham with his wife and young son after his wife became ill, the prime minister said Cummings had simply been trying to keep his family sa...

How Dominic Cummings became indispensable to Boris Johnson PM prizes aide’s ability to slice through complexities and has sought to defend him following lockdown breachCoronavirus – latest updatesSee all our coronavirus coverageIn Downing Street on Brexit night, 31 January this year, while Boris Johnson sounded a gong and quaffed Chateau Margaux, Dominic Cummings reportedly wept.For Johnson, getting Brexit done was part and parcel of achieving his long-held ambition to be prime minister (the next best thing to “world king”, as the young Johnson once put it). Continue reading... Go to Source

Coronavirus live news: France asks citizens to avoid foreign trips; Wuhan lab had bat viruses but not Covid-19 US likely to impose travel restrictions on Brazil; Afghanistan cases top 10,000; Taliban announces ceasefire over EidWuhan lab says its bat strains were not Covid-19 as US nears 100,00 deathsUK coronavirus updates - liveCoronavirus latest: at a glance 6.46pm BSTSouth Africa will further relax coronavirus lockdown restrictions from 1 June, President Cyril Ramaphosa has announced, allowing large areas of the economy to fully reopen.“Cabinet has determined that the alert level for the whole country should be lowered from level four to level three,” he said in an address broadcast on television, describing the move as a significant shift in approach to the pandemic. 6.4...

England and Wales face backlog of 40,000 criminal cases due to coronavirus Criminal Bar Association warns of scale of challenge posed by pandemic as virtual hearings trigger fears about fairnessHas the UK justice system been changed for ever by the coronavirus?Coronavirus – latest updatesSee all our coronavirus coverageThe criminal justice system in England and Wales is facing a backlog of 40,000 criminal cases, which will not be solved even if all crown courts are brought into service under physical distancing rules, the Criminal Bar Association has warned.The scale of the challenge to the justice system posed by the coronavirus pandemic is becoming apparent, as virtual hearings transform business in the higher civil courts but trigger alarms about the fairness of remote proceedi...

UK coronavirus live: Tory MPs call for Dominic Cummings to go Conservative MPs call for advisor to resign amid revelations of further breaches of lockdown rulesNew witnesses cast doubt on Dominic Cummings’s lockdown claimsDominic Cummings must resign, says Tory MP Steve BakerGlobal coronavirus updates - live 12.48pm BST An unnamed Bournemouth player has tested positive for Covid-19, the Premier League club announced Sunday, becoming the eighth case involving an English top-flight club. Bournemouth added the player’s identity would not be disclosed due to “medical confidentiality” and that he would self-isolate for seven day, according to AFP. 12.43pm BSTSNP Westminster leader Ian Blackford told Sky: “[Cummings] has to go and the prime minister has to sack ...

Coronavirus live news: Wuhan lab had bat viruses but not Covid-19 strain; Russia reports highest daily death toll Lab says none of three bat viruses match Covid-19; new witnesses cast doubt on UK advisor’s lockdown claims; WHO says pandemic ‘taking different pathway’ in AfricaWuhan lab says its bat strains were not Covid-19 as US nears 100,00 deathsNew witnesses cast doubt on Dominic Cummings’s lockdown claimsUK coronavirus updates - liveCoronavirus latest: at a glance 12.43pm BSTI’m taking a lunch break now but my colleague, Aaron Walawalkar, will steer you through the next hour or so. 12.32pm BSTWhat do we now know about Covid-19 – and can you get it twice? Nicola Davis has answers to your questions, based on current knowledge and the latest researc...

Poll reveals half of parents unconvinced that school is safe for their children's return Teachers’ union leader warns situation ‘untenable’ as health officials say track and trace system has been left too lateCoronavirus – latest updatesSee all our coronavirus coverageParents are divided over the prospect of sending their children back to school, a new poll has revealed, as parent groups warned that mixed messages and poor communication had caused widespread anxiety about returning.With school leaders still grappling with the practicalities of reopening primary schools for some year groups in just a week’s time in England, an Opinium poll for the Observer found that 43 per cent of primary school parents and 54 per cent of secondary school parents feel anxio...

'Incalculable loss': New York Times covers front page with 1,000 Covid-19 death notices As US Covid-19 death toll nears 100,000, Times presents a tribute to some of the Americans to fall victim to the diseaseCoronavirus – latest updatesSee all our coronavirus coverageAs the US approaches the grim milestone of 100,000 coronavirus deaths, the New York Times has filled the entire front page of Sunday’s paper with the death notices of victims from across the country.In a decision the paper said was intended to convey the vastness and variety of the tragedy, the front page is a simple list of names and personal details taken from obituaries around the US. Continue reading... Go to Source

Explainer: what do we now know about Covid-19 – and can you get it twice? Your questions answered based on current knowledge and the latest research from scientistsCoronavirus – latest updatesSee all our coronavirus coverageThat remains unclear. A key question is whether antibodies produced by the body following an infection with the coronavirus provide some level of immunity, and if so, for how long. Continue reading... Go to Source

New witnesses cast doubt on Dominic Cummings’s lockdown claims Exclusive: eyewitness says top No 10 aide left isolation to go 30 miles to popular tourist townDevastating new claims have emerged that Dominic Cummings further breached the lockdown rules, as Downing Street came under sustained pressure to fire the prime minister’s most senior adviser.The new testimony suggests Cummings left the home where he was staying in Durham to visit a town 30 miles away on 12 April. Continue reading... Go to Source

Trump tees up controversy as he plays golf in a pandemic President visits own golf club in Virginia as US coronavirus death toll approaches 100,000Coronavirus – live US updatesLive global updatesDonald Trump teed up fresh controversy on Saturday, by leaving the White House for his golf course in Virginia.Early on a fine morning in Washington DC, the president was seen by reporters “in his typical golf wear of white polo shirt and white baseball cap … before he departed the White House” for an undisclosed location. Secret Service agents accompanying the president were photographed wearing masks. Trump was not seen to cover his face. Continue reading... Go to Source

Coronavirus live news: UK police contradict No 10 claims over lockdown warning Durham police say they did contact PM’s top aide over alleged breach of lockdown. Spain to welcome foreign visitors from July and restart football league in early JuneSpain to reopen to overseas tourists from JulyDominic Cummings clearly broke rules, says ex-police chiefCoronavirus latest: at a glance 12.44am BSTHi, Helen Sullivan with you now. I’ll be taking you through the latest global developments in the coronavirus pandemic for the next few hours. Please do get in touch on Twitter @helenrsullivan or email: helen.sullivan[at]theguardian.com. 12.37am BSTTransport secretary Grant Shapps appeared visibly flustered when answering journalists’ questions on government aide Dominic Cummings&rs...