Angela Merkel faced a test of her authority today as she prepared to thrash out plans with the country's 16 state premiers to further ease Germany's coronavirus lockdown.

Tesco has been slammed after putting clothing on a half price sale in stores despite lockdown rules banning non-essential shopping.

The top scientist, Professor Neil Ferguson, whose research aided Boris Johnson's decision to impose a lockdown, has resigned after reportedly allowing a woman to visit his home in an "error of judgment".

People worried about becoming seriously ill with Covid-19 are increasingly stressed by talk over easing of the lockdown, according to research.

Security minister James Brokenshire said a top scientist "made the right decision" in resigning from the Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (Sage ) after he broke lockdown restrictions.

For centuries, many have turned to the church as a way of reconnecting with others within their community. But with lockdown restrictions in place and church services banned, religious leaders have taken it upon themselves to restore hope in a time of uncertainty.

A 10-year-old double-leg amputee has raised more than £10,000 by walking a marathon distance during coronavirus lockdown.

Teachers and staff in non-residential schools will not need personal protective equipment (PPE) when schools start to return to full capacity, a minister has said.

A plan to overhaul London's streets after the coronavirus lockdown hopes to see cycling increase tenfold and pavements widened to allow for more social distancing to take place.

The UK could start easing its lockdown by relaxing stay-at-home orders and allowing some types of non-essential businesses to reopen, according to a new study.

The Duchess of Cambridge has launched a landmark photographic project to capture the "spirit of the nation" during the coronavirus outbreak.

Boris Johnson could ditch the Government's "stay at home" slogan ahead of an expected easing of restrictions next week, it has been reported.

London Zoo and its important conservation work faces a perilous future without immediate support, the Zoological Society of London has warned.

Boris Johnson is due to reveal details of the Government's "road map" for easing the UK's coronavirus lockdown, some of which may begin as early as next week.

Boris Johnson today indicated that lockdown restrictions could be lifted on Monday "if we possibly can" as he returned to Parliament for the first time since his recovery from coronavirus .

The Government has cautioned the public against overexcitement at the prospect of the coronavirus lockdown being eased.

The mundanity of coronavirus lockdown life is being celebrated in a photography exhibition to raise money for frontline workers.

A four-year-old girl battling a rare form of leukaemia has been reunited with her dad after seven weeks apart in lockdown.

France has been warned it faces an inevitable "second wave" of coronavirus as the country prepares to take its first significant steps out of lockdown.

Drug dealers are adopting new disguises so they can move around freeley during the coronavirus lockdown, a gang expert has said.

Nicola Sturgeon has extended the coronavirus lockdown in Scotland by three weeks, insisting that any easing of restrictions could be "very risky".

Victory in Europe Day, or VE Day, marked the end of the Second World War in Europe, when Germany surrendered to the Allied armies.

Most parents don't want to send their children back to school as soon as the coronavirus lockdown is lifted, a new study has found.

Extinction Rebellion activists have sprayed fake oil over the Barclays head office in an apparent breach of lockdown rules.

Boris Johnson has issued a reminder to the public that everyone must continue to respect lockdown measures if they want to see restrictions lifted sooner rather than later.

Millions of commuters will be told by Boris Johnson to change their "go to work" times to lengthen the rush hour as the country fires up its economic engines after lockdown.

The UK is past the peak of the coronavirus outbreak but the country is still at a "dangerous" stage of the pandemic, Dominic Raab has said.

The first changes to the UK's coronavirus lockdown will be "small" and "very carefully monitored" when the Prime Minister reveals his "roadmap" on Sunday.

Ever since lockdown began on 23 March, hair salons have been closed and people have been forced to come up with alternative methods to keep their locks in check.

Brits have been urged to stick to the coronavirus lockdown rules over the Bank Holiday weekend as temperatures are set to soar.

Boris Johnson has said the Government will proceed with "maximum caution" when it comes to easing the coronavirus lockdown, with his spokesman adding that any changes next week will be "very limited".

Boris Johnson's father has told how he broke Covid-19 lockdown rules to buy a newspaper after the Prime Minister's son was born.

Tensions are growing between the UK's regions over "mixed messaging" on when to lift restrictions, with speculation that rail services are set to be expanded from mid-May but strict lockdown measures could remain in place until June.

Wales has taken the first step to easing lockdown by relaxing exercise rules and reopening some libraries, tips and garden centres.

British people should not expect major new freedoms on Monday, with "limited changes" expected to the coronavirus lockdown, a minister has said.

UK arrivals could be told to self-isolate for 14-days PM will reportedly recommend face masks while at work or on public transport More money will be set aside for cycle lanes to limit rush hour travel

The country's Ministry of Health also recorded just 721 new confirmed cases on Friday, bringing total infections to 223,578.

Boris Johnson will reveal on Sunday the Government's "road map" on how it will lift restrictions during the coronavirus pandemic, in what is expected to be a "modest" easing of lockdown.

Police say they are "fighting a losing battle" over enforcing the lockdown after "hundreds" turned out in parks across east London to enjoy picnics in the sunshine.

Sourdough has exploded in popularity during lockdown, but focaccia is experiencing its own modest rise

With no alternative but to explore the nature on their doorstep, three writers describe the joy of enforced slow travel

It is a place I’d discovered before the virus: a left-hand bend in a narrow stream, a couple of steps off the footpath. There is nothing remarkable there, or not at first glance. There are breeze blocks in the stream bed and plastic bags deeply embedded in the roots of an alder tree. With a few variations, it could be anywhere in Britain: the neglected corner of a city park, the back of a private garden, behind a national park cafe. It’s just one of those spots that no one ever thinks to stop at and, if not for Covid-19, I would not have begun visiting daily, pausing for a few breaths before continuing. I saw the first snowdrops appear there, followed by primroses; then they were swamped by wild garlic and wood anemone. One morning a weasel shot out of a hole under a root and sprinted up the opposite bank. It was the first of several surprises.

Letter seeks to dispel view that Prof Neil Ferguson was single architect of lockdown idea

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A group of leading UK scientists have insisted that the scientific basis for the coronavirus lockdown is the work of a large group of experts, and that epidemiologist Prof Neil Ferguson is just one voice among many.

In a letter co-ordinated by Dr Thibaut Jombart, an associate professor at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, more than 25 prominent scientists said debates after Ferguson’s “individual error” – in which he flouted lockdown rules by receiving visits at home from his lover – had amplified a misconception that he alone persuaded the government to change policy.

President Vladimir Putin told Russians they are "invincible" when they stand together as the country on Saturday marked the 75th anniversary of the end of World War II in lockdown from the coronavirus. With cases surging and authorities urging Russians to stay in their homes, celebrations of this year's Victory Day were muted after the Kremlin grudgingly postponed plans for a grand parade with world leaders. Instead of columns of military hardware and thousands of troops marching through Red Square as planned, Putin walked alone to lay flowers at the Eternal Flame outside the red brick walls of the Kremlin.

The slowing economy due to COVID-19 has allowed solar, wind and hydro power to overtake coal-fired power.