Environment Secretary George Eustice has admitted that the government’s regional approach to coronavirus, with different areas being placed in different tiers of restrictions, “didn’t work”.

Speaking on BBC Radio 4’s World at One shortly before th PM addresses MPs, he said: “Well that didn’t work with hindsight, but I think it was worth trying given that we know the extraordinary cost and difficulty of implementing a full lockdown.

“I think the point about this is two weeks ago when we had the levels of infection that we had with particular pockets in parts of the country that had a particularly specific problem, this regionalised approach with those tiers was the right thing to do.”

He said data on infection rates "enabled us to see for the first time that if we carried on in the way that we were, we would simply find that in a month’s time, everybody would be in a same sort of position as the North West.”

Image source, PA Media

Keeping secondary schools open could lead to a longer lockdown in England, according to one professor.

Andrew Hayward, professor of infectious diseases epidemiology at University College London, said earlier it was clear there was "substantial transmission" within secondary schools.

It comes as more than 150,000 teachers and support staff backed the National Education Union's (NEU) campaign to close schools and colleges as part of England's lockdown.

Schools are an "engine for virus transmission", the largest teaching union in Britain has warned.

But cabinet minister Michael Gove said on Sunday that the government wants to keep schools open.

Mr Johnson had previously resisted pressure to introduce nationwide restrictions - saying they would be "disastrous" for the UK's finances.

But he told the nation on Saturday that the latest figures suggested deaths could reach thousands a day with a "peak of mortality" worse than the country saw in April.

Data shared by the government points to a prognosis that has worsened recently.

Here is one of the major charts that led to the government changing its course:

Prime Minister Boris Johnson will shortly address MPs to set out his plans for a new lockdown in England. This is a summary of what he said it would involve on Saturday:

• People will be told to stay at home except for specific reasons
• These include work which cannot be done from home, childcare or education, exercise outdoors, medical reasons, essential shopping, providing care for vulnerable people or for volunteering, and visiting members of your support bubble
• Meeting indoors or in private gardens will not be allowed, but individuals can meet one other person from another household outside in a public place. Children under school age and those dependent on round-the-clock care who are with their parents do not count towards the two-person limit
• Non-essential retail will close, but can remain open for click-and-collect delivery
• Pubs, bars, restaurants will have to close, but can still provide takeaway and delivery, excluding takeaway of alcohol
• Indoor and outdoor leisure facilities, such as gyms and swimming pools, will also close, along with entertainment venues and personal care facilities such as beauty salons
• Places of worship will close, unless they are being used for funerals, to broadcast acts of worship, individual prayer, formal childcare, or essential services such as blood donation or food banks
• Construction sites and manufacturing workplaces can remain open
• Weddings and civil partnership ceremonies will not be able to take place except in exceptional circumstances, and funerals will be limited to a maximum of 30 people
• Children will still be able to move between homes if their parents are separated
• Clinically vulnerable people will be asked to be "especially careful" but people will not be asked to resume shielding
• Overnight stays, staying in a second home, and holidays will not be allowed - including in the UK and abroad - although there are exceptions, such as work trips
• People will be told to avoid all non-essential travel by private or public transport

Jonathan Beale
BBC defence correspondent

Some 7,500 military personnel have been placed on standby to help the government and local authorities deal with the second wave of Covid, Defence Secretary Ben Wallace has told MPs.

He added that the Ministry of Defence was currently examining a number of “significant asks” from local authorities – without going into any detail.

More than 10,000 military personnel were on standby to help civil authorities deal with the first wave of the virus earlier this year, though Mr Wallace said about 4,000 had been used.

Most were involved in helping build the Nightingale hospitals, testing and delivering PPE to hospitals.

Image source, Reuters

Lebanon has lengthened a nationwide night-time curfew in place since September by four hours and extended lockdowns in 115 towns and villages, amid a continuing surge in new coronavirus infections.

From Monday, people will be required to stay at home and businesses forced to close between 21:00 and 05:00. In areas under lockdown, bars and nightclubs are not allowed to open at all, restaurants and cafes can operate at 50% capacity, and public gatherings are banned.

Lebanon has reported 82,617 cases of Covid-19 and 643 deaths, external since the start of the pandemic. The number of infections skyrocketed after the devastating explosion in Beirut on 4 August.

Meanwhile, authorities in Iran reported that a record 440 people with Covid-19 had died in the past 24 hours, raising its overall death toll to 35,738.

On Monday, the government imposed a four-day ban on travel into and out of 25 provincial capitals. State media said it was also considering a two-week lockdown in Tehran.

It comes after the head of Iran’s Medical Council, a non-governmental organisation, warned of a “catastrophic mortality rate”. Mohammadreza Zafarghandi told Isna news agency that its field surveys showed the actual death toll was three times higher than the official count, external.

Image source, PA Media

Scotland's first minister says she faces a "dilemma" over whether a national lockdown should be introduced in the coming days.

Nicola Sturgeon said she was seeking "absolute clarity" from the Treasury as to whether financial support was only available while England is locked down.

A new five-level system of measures came into force in Scotland on Monday.

Ms Sturgeon said a decision on whether to go further within days may depend on how long furlough funding is available.

Read more on this story here.

Image source, PA Media

There have been a further 1,646 cases of coronavirus in Wales, bringing the total number of confirmed cases to 53,337.

Public Health Wales has also reported a further three deaths, taking the total in Wales since the start of the pandemic to 1,891.

MPs will be given a vote on “the way forward” at the end of the month-long England-wide lockdown.

Downing Street says the new regulations contain a “very clear provision” that means they will automatically expire at 00:01 GMT on Wednesday 2 December.

MPs will then get a vote on what replaces the regulations.

The intention of the government is to go back to the three-tiered system, according to the latest data and trends. In advance of doing that, MPs will have a vote.

The PM’s official spokesman says Boris Johnson and his colleagues have been engaging with MPs throughout the weekend, and will continue to do so today.

Image source, PA Media

Downing Street says it has not cancelled Remembrance Day events, despite new England-wide coronavirus restrictions.

There will be a National Service of Remembrance at the Cenotaph, which it is expecting will be broadcast live, according to the prime minister's official spokesman.

He says local authorities may organise local services provided they are outside and that social distancing can be maintained.

Guidance will be published soon, the PM's spokesman says.

Organisers should be mindful of the risks posed, especially for veterans who are often elderly.

The same rules would apply for Armistice Day.

Image source, Getty Images

Pub bosses and campaigners want the government to reverse its "baffling" decision to restrict the sale of alcohol during England's four-week national lockdown.

Under the restrictions, bars and pubs must close from Thursday but food takeaway and delivery services are still permitted.

But businesses will not be allowed to sell takeaway alcohol.

Pub owners warn that it will mean beer left in pub cellars will have to be "tipped down the drain".

James Calder, chief executive of the Society of Independent Brewers (Siba), said: "As if a second national lockdown in England wasn't disastrous enough for pubs and independent breweries, the government has gone further this time around and introduced an unjustified restriction banning pubs from selling takeaway beer, a service which was the only source of income for many businesses during the summer lockdown.

"This is baffling considering supermarkets will presumably still be allowed to sell packaged beer, whilst small breweries and pubs will not."

He said the government needed to provide urgent clarification on the sales restrictions.

Image source, PA

Strictly Come Dancing is to carry on through the new lockdown in England.

Culture Secretary Oliver Dowden has said TV and film production can continue when the four-week lockdown comes into force on Thursday.

So, unlike the spring lockdown, most reality and talent shows, soaps and other programmes are not expected to suspend filming.

A Strictly spokesman confirmed it would keep going, and would "continue to adhere to government guidelines".

Image source, Getty Images

The Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh have returned to Windsor Castle together as England prepares to enter a new national lockdown.

Buckingham Palace said the royal couple travelled to Berkshire from the Sandringham estate on Monday.

The 94-year-old monarch had spent the weekend with the 99-year-old duke in Norfolk.

The Queen and Prince Philip are just over two weeks away from celebrating their 73rd wedding anniversary on 20 November.

A Buckingham Palace spokesman said the duke's move to Windsor had been planned for a while.

Image source, Getty Images

Leaders from across the UK have said they will “work together” on a “joint approach to the Christmas period".

They came together for a meeting of the Westminster government's emergency Cobra committee earlier today.

The meeting, chaired by the Cabinet Office minister Michael Gove, included ministers and officials from the devolved administrations in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.

The UK government’s Chief Medical Adviser, Professor Chris Whitty, and Chief Scientific Adviser, Sir Patrick Vallance, also took part.

There was a discussion about the extension of the furlough scheme and an agreement on “the importance of co-ordinating public messaging” around the restrictions people are adjusting to.

There’ll be another such meeting later this week, where “international travel measures” will be discussed.

Image source, Getty Images

All 40 FA Cup round one ties, including those involving non-elite teams, will be played as planned from 6-9 November, despite England's new lockdown.

Elite sports can continue behind closed doors during the four-week lockdown from Thursday but rules on grassroots and amateur sport are to be finalised.

However, the government has confirmed that the 10 non-elite teams left in the FA Cup can play under elite protocols.

The BBC is showing 13 of the ties, with FC United of Manchester v Doncaster on BBC Two on Saturday (17:30 GMT).

There will be live streams of 12 further matches on BBC iPlayer and the BBC Sport website over the weekend.

All the matches will be played behind closed doors, with losing teams set to receive a share of prize money to lessen the financial impact of no fans attending.

Read more here.

Labour's leader Sir Keir Starmer has blamed Chancellor Rishi Sunak for the government's delay over a second lockdown, saying “make no mistake, the chancellor’s name is all over this".

Speaking at the Confederation of British Industry's annual conference, Mr Starmer said the chancellor’s decision to dismiss a so-called circuit-breaker - a short lockdown - as a “blunt instrument” now means that “businesses will have to close for longer".

Mr Starmer said recent weeks have shown both the prime minister and the chancellor have “failed to learn, failed to listen and failed to lead".

Mr Starmer reiterated that the Labour Party will “provide the votes the government needs” to ensure the legislation passes through parliament, but demanded that Mr Sunak “come to parliament today and lay out the full package of support".

Dr Radha Modgil shares her top five tips on how to stay mentally and emotionally well during the coronavirus lockdown.

These include things like sticking to a routine, making sure we take care of ourselves and using our creativity in new ways.

Image source, UK Parliament

Conservative MP Chloe Smith has urged the public to "check for lumps" and continue to use the NHS throughout the second lockdown - after she was diagnosed with breast cancer.

The MP for Norwich North, who is the constitution and devolution minister, said she aims to "carry on as normally, positively and openly as possible" during her treatment.

Ms Smith said: "Please, check for lumps and see your GP without delay if you find one.

"The latest announcement about coronavirus is very clear that the restrictions will help non-Covid healthcare to keep going.

"And you should continue to use the NHS, get your scans, turn up for your appointments and pick up your treatments."

• Inside Europe's largest cancer unit

Scotland's First Minister Nicola Sturgeon has said she will consider whether to impose another national lockdown in Scotland now the furlough scheme has been extended to provide support during England's new lockdown.

At her daily news conference, she said the Scottish government would ideally continue to assess the impact of current tier-system restrictions for a while longer.

But she said officials must decide whether to take the opportunity of more generous financial support to step harder on the brakes now.

At this stage, the indication from Chancellor Rishi Sunak and the UK Treasury is that the more generous furlough scheme is only going to be available for the next month during the period of lockdown in England, she said.

"We will continue to firmly press the case that it should be available to the devolved nations when it is needed," Ms Sturgeon added.

"We can’t put off a vital decision while we have a debate with the Treasury," she said, with the Scottish government hoping to get "absolute clarity on that point" from the Treasury today.

There's more dedicated coverage from Scotland here.

Image source, Getty Images

Germany hasn’t suffered as much from coronavirus as some of its European neighbours, but now it is in “lockdown light” for at least a month.

The shutdown mainly affects catering, sports and entertainment. Food outlets can still provide takeaways, but social lives is taking a hit: 10 people maximum from two households can meet up in public. Small businesses can apply for state compensation for their losses.

Schools, shops and workplaces remain open - with Covid hygiene rules, of course. This lockdown isn’t as tough as those now in force in France and Belgium.

Those two countries have night curfews and shops can only sell essential goods. France requires its citizens to download permits - as in the March-April lockdown - to show why they are outdoors: for essential shopping, medical needs, school, work or limited exercise.

Belgium is among the worst-hit European countries. With a population of 11.5m it has seen more than 11,000 deaths and, in the past week, its new infections have averaged nearly 15,850 cases daily. Its hospitals are under severe strain.

Italy is also preparing tighter restrictions, to curb its rising infections, but there is resistance to any new national lockdown. The northern Lombardy region, including Milan, is the biggest hotspot.