Mr Hancock announced on April 2 he would achieve six-figure daily testing by close of play today but the latest numbers show 52,429 tests were carried out in the 24 hours to 9am yesterday.

Boris Johnson tonight announced a huge spike in the number of daily coronavirus tests to 81,000 as Matt Hancock appeared to be closing in on his 100,000 a day target.

A diplomatic official from the High Commission for Pakistan delivered huge bouquets to 'Hon Mr Prime Mininster & Ms Symonds, 10 Downing Street' twice today - wearing double the PPE on her second visit.

With the birth of his son in the early hours of this morning, Boris Johnson becomes only the fourth Prime Minister to welcome a baby to Downing Street. Here is what family life might look like for them.

Boris Johnson was warned by his own Tory MPs today that prolonging the UK's coronavirus lockdown could result in a 'tidal wave of human misery'.

A ban on exercising more than once a day outside could be one of the first lockdown measures lifted by Boris Johnson, with golf courses, tennis clubs and fishing lakes allowed to reopen next month.

Former Brexit secretary David Davis spoke out as Professor Neil Ferguson was removed from all advisory positions after allowing his lover to visit him at his London home during the lockdown.

Boris Johnson today announced he is hoping to begin easing the UK's coronavirus lockdown on Monday as Matt Hancock suggested cafes could reopen if they have outdoor areas.

Don Sheppard who lives with his wife of more than 50 years, Sandra, in Laindon, Essex, says he was nearly overwhelmed with the stunning birthday tributes which took place on Monday.

Boris Johnson's Downing Street Twitter account has started pumping out the more nuanced message as the Prime Minister said some draconian rules he imposed on March 23 will be lifted.

In an article saluting veterans on the 75th anniversary of VE Day, Keir Starmer said the care sector needs attention after the pandemic to help those who 'protected our country in its darkest hour'.

The Prime Minister told the cabinet he will proceed with 'maximum caution' when it comes to easing restrictions, to avoid another rise in coronavirus cases in the UK.

Commemorations of the 75th anniversary of the Second World War ending in Europe are taking place across the country in line with 'social distancing' guidelines.

The Mayor of London has come under heavy fire for failing to increase capacity on the Tube ahead of an expected rise in passengers as the Prime Minister looks to ease people back to work.

When I went to Paris last week to interview David Beckham as he announced his retirement from football, there was much to talk about and memories such as that one. But what resonated with me was that when I asked him how he would like to be remembered, he replied: ‘As a hard-working footballer.’

It is always a sign of a classic team that you can name the full line-up without pausing for thought. I am still able to automatically reel off Jose Mourinho’s great Chelsea team of 2005.

David Moyes's job is to change the perception surrounding him and the club at present. The only way to do that is on the pitch when the noise stops, the opinions stop and whatever people are saying doesn't matter any more. Saturday was the first step.

It would have been Bill Shankly’s 100th birthday tomorrow. Quite rightly the occasion is being marked at today’s game between Liverpool and Manchester United.

Andre Villas-Boas ruffled a few feathers by complaining about a ‘difficult atmosphere with no support’ at White Hart Lane after Tottenham’s narrow 1-0 win against Hull last Sunday.

Ron Atkinson says there can be no transition period for Manchester United. I find that statement difficult to understand, especially coming from a manager who was supported for five years at the club even though he ultimately failed to deliver the title.

The movies screened have been made exclusively for the experience, in collaboration with porn star Kim Holland. The cinema is located in Amsterdam's medieval centre.

They've been published in a new book called Ruin and Redemption in Architecture, which charts ruined spaces around the world and the designs that have totally transformed them.

These pictures will make even the most confident climber's palms sweat. That's because they show some of the world's bravest daredevils proving that they have limitless reserves of derring-do.

After a trip to Venice that didn't go so well, Charlotte Metcalf and her teenage daughter Deia decided to head for Malta to check out the island's sightseeing, shopping and restaurant scene.

Patrick Leigh Fermor, known to his friends as Paddy, was a British author and soldier during WWII. Here his biographer reveals how he fell in love with the Mani Peninsula in Southern Greece.

Cruising from Sydney to Papua New Guinea isn't easy, UK walking breaks are perfect for singletons and attending a Papal ceremony requires lots of planning, the holiday guru explains.

We may not be able to travel right now but there is nothing stopping us dreaming about our future adventures. Here our travel writers reveal the hotels they are longing to visit around the UK...

Britain has some wonderful lesser-known museums. Be they galleries devoted to motorbikes or musical instruments, when restrictions are lifted you'll be able to explore to your heart's content.

A British-led expedition has uncovered 12 shipwrecks in the eastern Mediterranean sea, including one colossal 17th century ship containing porcelain, jugs and illicit tobacco pipes.

David Glasheen, 76, has been living on Restoration Island off the coast of north Australia since 1997 after losing his wealth. He hunts for food and goes grocery shopping once a year in Cairns.

This week we've been inundated by requests for help with coronavirus-related travel problems. We can't address them all, but we hope these answers will help.

Dutch company Hardt Hyperloop is developing the technology, which involves a pod that floats using magnetic levitation being pushed through a steel tube maintained at a partial vacuum.

Filmmakers created a life-like robot baby gorilla to spy on a group of Silverbacks in the jungle of Uganda. It captured the first footage of the wild creatures singing for their supper.

The Competition and Markets Authority said it will take companies to court. Jo Lemmon Sparkes, 39, and wife Kirsty, 33, from Cambridge, are fighting Ryanair for a £700 trip.

In a table of the top 20 most popular package holiday searches made in April, the Maldives is in the No2 slot, followed by Las Vegas, Tenerife, Orlando and New York, in sixth place.

Millions of travellers are owed money for cancelled flights amid the coronavirus pandemic. EU laws say customers should get refunds in seven days but backlogs mean they are waiting longer.

Frustrated customers got in touch with the consumer champion saying they were struggling to secure their money back from companies such as Skyes Holiday Cottages and Hoseseasons.

Whether it's the setting of an Agatha Christie murder mystery, a puffin paradise or the former home of a crazed king, Britain is littered with tiny isles on which you can stay in seclusion.

This week a reader also asks, in light of the pandemic, if they can claim back a 'non-refundable' deposit on a holiday lodge in Scotland.

Everywhere you look, you'll see golden beaches and lush lemon and olive groves as you cruise in style on this new eight-day trip with Greek specialists Celestyal Cruises.

Every week Neil Simpson takes an in-depth look at an important holiday topic, doing all the legwork so you don't have to. This week, he looks at the prospects for package holidays this summer.

From travelogues to films and even webcams, The Mail on Sunday's Neil Simpson reveals how you can satisfy your wanderlust during the lockdown.

MailOnline asked staff from some of Britain's poshest hotels - including The Landmark London and The Lowry - for advice on adding five-star-hotel touches to your house.

With the Foreign Office advising against all non-essential overseas travel, things do not look promising for a holiday abroad. So is the idea of a trip in July, August or the autumn wishful thinking?

Her former family home in Derbyshire is now a B&B - you can stay in her bedroom. And the museum in London that's dedicated to her has made 200 objects available to view online.

All of us are dreaming of the days when families can enjoy real, not virtual, time together. Here are some of the best options in the UK and abroad where you can do just that once restrictions are lifted.

The weather system's warming effect on the east coast will fade going into the weekend, but not before raising fire danger in parts of Australia to the highest 'since late January'.

Customers who entered a David Jones store in Adelaide's south last week are urged to seek medical advice after a staff member tested positive to coronavirus.

Adelaide chef Adam Liston was forced to put 46 staff out of jobs when he closed his restaurant on March 22. But now they are working together to feed the homeless.

A team of researchers at the University of Sydney, University of Exeter and University of Adelaide has examined the potential for agave as an environmentally-friendly alternative to petrol.