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A teaching union has sabotaged the government's plans to roll-out mass coronavirus testing to secondary schools and colleges and told members not to work on them over Christmas. The Association of School and College Leaders said the 'last minute' announcement of the testing proposals before the festive break made the scheme 'undeliverable'.  Furthermore, another education sector body warned the plan could see headteachers working on Christmas Day in order to put everything in place.  Ministers said the return of most students to classrooms next month will be delayed to allow schools to put in place a mass testing regime, with most children starting the year with online learning. The kibosh comes despite fears that rising cases and deaths stem, at least partly, from widespread transmission in schools. But those voicing opposition said it was 'beyond belief' that the testing requirement has been imposed on schools 'in such a cack-handed manner'.  The

Boris Johnson's plan to post millions of testing kits to homes each week in the hope of avoiding a third national lockdown have been blocked by the regulator. The Prime Minister and Health Secretary Matt Hancock have repeatedly said that the lateral flow tests, which deliver results in 30 minutes, could help to bring down infection rates in regions hit hard by Covid-19. On Friday, Mr Johnson refused to rule out the drastic step of a third national lockdown.  Latest figures from the Department of Health show there are 18,469 patients in hospital with coronavirus, the highest number since mid-April.  And a further  28,507 Covid cases were reported on Friday – the second highest total yet – along with 489 deaths. This figure was up from 424 a week earlier.    But the Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency believes the lateral flow tests are not accurate enough when people test themselves - dampening hopes that they could help to avoid a new lockdown. The tests only pick

The year's Mad Eye Friday celebrations were an unusually subdued affair as Covid restrictions saw countless bars, pubs and clubs forced to close their doors on one of the busiest nights of the year. The last Friday before Christmas is normally the biggest night of the year for office parties, bringing a rush of revellers to Britain's nightlife hotspots. But with coronavirus restrictions forcing venues to close their doors, the normally-busting streets of Swansea, Newcastle and Birmingham were nearly deserted with locals forced to stay indoors. Both Birmingham and Newcastle are under Tier 3, which bans people from meeting socially indoors. This includes venues such as pubs, bars and restaurants which have all been forced to shut - except for takeaways. All of Wales is under Alert Level 3 of the Welsh four-level system, meaning means hospitality venues in Swansea close at 6pm and nightclubs are shut entirely. While pictures taken last year show an array of fancy dress-clad partyg

Jupiter and Saturn are set to align over Britain's skies for the first time in 800 years in a phenomenon dubbed the 'Star of Bethlehem'.  Both gas giants, they have been gradually getting closer to one another since the start of summer. And, on December 21, the planets will appear to virtually overlap in the sky in a phenomenon not seen since the Middle Ages. The conjunction will cause a beaming bright light - leading many to liken it to the Star of Bethlehem.  Those in London and New York will see the planets close to the horizon at around 4pm - around one hour after the sun sets.   Telescopes may be necessary to see the convergence in detail, but the light should be visible to the naked eye from a high-up viewpoint.   Jupiter and Saturn will appear closer to each other in the night sky on December 21 than they have been for nearly 800 years, astronomers have said. Pictured: How the night sky in the south west will appear on the evening of the winter solstice On December 2

An amateur archaeologist is convinced he has located the site of the Holy Grail, buried in a secret crypt under a river in Hounslow, west London.  Barrie-Jon Bower, 40, from Cinderford, Gloucestershire, has spent years studying the links with the mysterious goblet and an order of monks founded in medieval times. He believes the Knights Templar, a Catholic military order who were closely tied to the Crusades, brought the Holy Grail back to England on one of their trips to the Holy Land. Amateur archaeologist, Barrie-Jon Bower, 40, has spent years studying the links with the Holy Grail and the Knights Templar, a military order of monks closely tied to the Crusades  He claims to have located the site of the Holy Grail, in secret crypt along with other treasures from the Crusades, in the Duke of Northumberland’s river in Hounslow, west London The sacred relic used by Jesus at the last supper, along with other treasures from the Crusades, is hidden in a secret crypt near a weir at the Duk

Former Penthouse Pet and The Block star Suzi Taylor has been ordered to stay sober while on bail at her biological mother's house.  The 44-year-old reality star, whose full name is Suellen Jan Taylor, allegedly bashed and unlawfully detained 33-year-old man who she met on Tinder after a late-night rendezvous at her home in October, 2019. She faces 107 charges including assault and extortion and is currently on bail staying with her mother and stepfather in rural Queensland.  Crown prosecutors are concerned over her accommodation arrangements and made an application to revoke her bail, according to The Courier Mail.  Former Penthouse Pet and The Block star Suzi Taylor has been ordered to not drink alcohol while on bail at her mother's house in rural Queensland. She is awaiting trial for allegedly bashing and unlawfully detaining a 33-year-old man in October last year The application was adjourned but Supreme Court judge David Boddice moved to add a new bail condition that Taylo

A French fashion agent who is suspected of having sex with a teenager was today facing multiple prison sentences after being charged with the 'rape of minors' and 'sexual harassment'. Jean-Luc Brunel, 74, was indicted late on Friday night amid allegations including those of a woman who separately claims she was also trafficked as a teenager to Prince Andrew.  Brunel was interviewed over two days by an examining magistrate and specialist police from an anti-paedophilia unit, prosecutors in Paris confirmed. He was arrested at the city's Charles de Gaulle airport on Wednesday while trying to board a plane to Dakar, Senegal, telling detectives 'I'm going on holiday'. Brunel is suspected of having been part of a global underage sex ring organised by the late American multi-billionaire Jeffrey Epstein, who committed suicide last year, while awaiting trial for numerous sex crimes. Others said to have been involved in the ring include Epstein's ex-girlfriend

Australian airlines are scrambling to accommodate holidaymakers left in the dark following a coronavirus outbreak in Sydney.  The Northern Beaches have been declared a hotspot in the eyes of other all states and territories - throwing travel plans in disarray for many local residents. While some travellers were able to flee NSW before tightened border restrictions came into place others were not so lucky.  Australian airlines are scrambling to accommodate holidaymakers left in the lurch by a growing coronavirus outbreak in Sydney. While some travellers were able to flee the state before restrictions came into place others were not so lucky  Every state and territory requires residents from Sydney's Northern Beaches to undergo 14-day quarantine if they want to cross the border. Some states have expanded that to include the greater Sydney area, or required travellers to access a travel permit.   Western Australia even announced a hard border on Saturday night, meaning anyone wanting