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Tuesday morning news briefing: The second shutdown begins

Blower cartoon - BLOWER
Blower cartoon - BLOWER

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Pubs to close by 10pm in coronavirus crackdown

The UK is being thrown into reverse. Boris Johnson will today announce national Covid restrictions including early pub closing and a return to working from home. As he starts to remove the freedoms of recent months, the Prime Minister is set to announce a 10pm curfew on pubs and hospitality venues in England from Thursday, that table-service only will become law and a return to home-working where possible. But there could also be new restrictions on social gatherings. New rules will be finalised at Cabinet before Mr Johnson chairs his first Cobra emergency committee in four months. He will then make a statement in Parliament at about 12.30pm (watch live here) before addressing the nation on TV at 8pm. Political Editor Gordon Rayner has everything to expect. And shoppers were urged not to panic buy as shelves were stripped of toilet roll and flour in scenes reminiscent of the start of the pandemic.

It comes after government scientific advisers warned that coronavirus cases could increase to 50,000 per day by mid-October "if we don't change course". But a graph of their doomsday scenario was described as "implausible" and "irresponsible" by scientists and economistsCamilla Tominey says that, by letting experts run the country, Mr Johnson is on the brink of being well and truly stumped. But we can rely on cartoonist Matt to lighten the nation's mood with a vision from the pub.

We can beat Covid without lockdowns, says virologist

Germany's most celebrated virologist has some trenchant advice for countries contemplating a second national lockdown: hold your nerve - and do not succumb to the pervasive mood of mass hysteria. "It is time to stop all this alarmism," said Professor Hendrik Streeck, director of Germany's Institute of Virology at Bonn University. "We can outsmart the virus using all our knowledge." Calling for calibrated measures and a cool head, he told Ambrose Evans-Pritchard about the danger of misreading rising case numbersTelegraph data analysis shows that Europe's second wave of Covid-19 is proving less deadly than the first.

How to ride out the second wave of coronavirus

We can be pretty sure that we will be spending a lot more time at home again over winter. Yet while the first lockdown in March saw us caught like deer in the headlights, we now know what to expect - and perhaps a little more about how to optimise it. For some, the aim will be better protecting their physical and mental health. For others, the focus will be on pandemic-proofing their relationships. Our writers explain what they will be doing differently to deal with another lockdown.

At a glance: More coronavirus headlines

Also in the news: Today's other headlines

BLM list of shame | The National Trust has included Winston Churchill's family home in a dossier of sites linked to "colonialism and slavery", citing the former PM's role in the 1943 Bengal famine and his opposition to Indian independence. The charity published a review of the links between its properties and the slave trade in the wake of Black Lives Matter protests - including the wartime leader's Chartwell home.

Around the world: Sudan will collapse, warns PM

Western countries encouraged Sudan to overthrow a dictator, but now these "friends" are needed to provide support. Read Campbell MacDiarmid's dispatch from Khartoum, where the country's prime minister is calling for international aid as transition teeters amid economic collapse. View more world pictures in our daily gallery.

Security forces stand guard as Omar al-Bashir appears in court - GETTY
Security forces stand guard as Omar al-Bashir appears in court - GETTY

Comment and analysis

Editor's choice: Features and arts

  1. Tory wife and the payback diary | 'Sasha Swire's book is a sad tale indeed'

  2. Health check | Hidden diabetes symptoms (half a million may have missed)

  3. The brutal truth of Us The loneliness of the married midlife man

Business and money briefing

UK move | Unilever's Dutch shareholders have overwhelmingly backed proposals to shift the consumer goods titan's legal base to London, defying politicians in The Hague who had threatened a revenge tax raid. Hannah Uttley explains how the Marmite maker will abandon its Anglo-Dutch structure after 90 years and be based solely in Britain.

Sport briefing

Edge of a precipice | British sport is on the brink of financial implosion after forecasts of a Covid-19 second wave raised fears that competitions and clubs would fold within weeks. The Premier League, Rugby Football Union and England and Wales Cricket Board are among more than 100 national and grass-roots governing bodies to sign a letter pleading with the Prime Minister for a major bailout as the pandemic tightens its grip.

Tonight's dinner

Sweet potato mash with chipotle roasted leeks | A tasty vegetarian dish by Diana Henry, flavoured with smoky chipotle chilli. Read on for the recipe.

And finally... for this morning's downtime

On the increase | Until recently, electric cars offered buyers of used vehicles great value for money because they depreciated steeply (that is, lost a greater proportion of their new price) when compared with conventional petrol- or diesel-powered models. There is now evidence that those days could be behind us. James Foxall explains why electric car prices will rise as they become mainstream.