His apology followed photos published by the Sun newspaper showing him in an embrace with a colleague, Gina Coladangelo. The paper says the photos of the pair - both of whom are married - were taken inside the Department of Health on 6 May 2021. Labour and the Liberal Democrats have said the health secretary should be sacked. What is the social distancing guidance? Social distancing in workplaces is not a legal requirement, but is recommended. The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) says: "Where possible you should keep people 2m apart. If this is not viable, keeping 1m apart with risk mitigation is acceptable." The government's guidelines say: "When you cannot redesign an activity to meet social distance guidelines, ask if your business can continue without that activity." Face coverings are not mandatory in offices. Guidance says they are "not a replacement for the other ways of managing risk including "minimising time spent in contact". What did law say about meeting indoors? On 6 May, England was still at Stage 2 of Covid restrictions. When it came to gatherings indoors, the law stated: "No person may participate in a gathering... which consists of two or more people and takes places indoors." There was an exception for work purposes but only if the gathering was "reasonably necessary". "I cannot see how that exception could apply in the circumstances," Adam Wagner, a barrister from Doughty Street Chambers who is an expert on the lockdown restrictions told BBC Reality Check. "Based on what we know, this seems to me to have been an illegal gathering." What did Mr Hancock say at the time? The week before the photo is said to have been taken, Mr Hancock said: "This is no time for complacency, it's a time for caution." Speaking at a Downing Street press conference, he reminded the public to "remember the basics of hands, face, space, and fresh air". On 11 May, he said that once restrictions were eased he would be "trusting people's personal responsibility" on whether to hug others. He told Sky News: "It depends on people's circumstances." On 16 May, he told Sky News: "Of course, there's people who have been yearning to have some physical contact - you should do that carefully." On the subject of hugging, he added: "The thing I'm really looking forward to is hugging my Mum... we'll probably do it outside and keep the ventilation going." That was the day before hugging was allowed, on 17 May. A year before the photos were taken, he commented on the actions of Prof Neil Ferguson. Prof Ferguson quit as a government adviser after the Telegraph reported that a woman he was said to be in a relationship with had visited his home in lockdown. At the time, Mr Hancock told Sky News that it was "just not possible" for Prof Ferguson to continue advising the government. He said the social distancing rules "are there for everyone" and are "deadly serious".

UK new car production was up nearly 1000% last month year on year, but ongoing issues related to Covid-19 and supply continue to restrict output. Some 54,962 cars were built in May, according to new figures from the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT), which represents a 934.3% increase over the 5314 produced last May, when car factories were only just beginning to open again after the first lockdown. The trade body also notes that last month's figures were down 52.6% compared with the 116,035 units produced in May 2019, before the pandemic, reflecting the continuing impact of Covid-19 and the global semiconductor shortage - which has forced several lines to halt production - on the automotive industry. For the year to date, the UK has produced 429,826 new cars, up more than 100,000 units on this point last year, but down 22.9% compared with the first five months of 2019. The SMMT reports that May's production rates were 58% below the five-year average. Some 19.2% of all cars produced were either battery electric or hybridised, and so far this year, a fifth of UK-built new cars have featured an alternatively fuelled drivetrain of some sort. Battery-electric vehicles account for 6.1% of the market, equivalent to one in 16 new cars. Mike Hawes, SMMT chief executive, said: "May’s figures continue to look inflated when compared to last year’s near total standstill of production lines. The recovery of car production is, however, still massively challenged here and abroad by global supply shortages, particularly semiconductors. "If the UK is to remain competitive, therefore, it must ensure it has a globally attractive policy framework for both vehicle production and the supply chain. "Accelerating zero-emission car production is part of this package, so while one in five models made here this year is alternatively fuelled, we need to drive investment in R&D, charging infrastructure and the market to ensure we can deliver the net-zero future society demands.”

The city is battling to contain an outbreak of the highly infectious Delta variant. Officials reported 17 new cases on Friday, taking the cluster to 65 cases. It is the first lockdown in Australia's largest city - home to 5.3 million people - this year. It will affect the city centre, inner-city suburbs, as well as beachside suburbs in the east. From Saturday, residents who live or work in those areas have to stay at home except for essential reasons. The lockdown will be enforced until 2 July. "We understand this is a difficult time for everyone, however we need to take these steps now to get on top of this outbreak," the New South Wales government said. Sydney's current outbreak marks its most significant rise in Covid transmission since December. For most of the year, locals have enjoyed almost no restrictions on daily life. The cluster of infections emerged just a week ago in Bondi, the famous beach suburb, but has since spread into the city centre and to its western fringes. It has been linked to a driver who transported international arrivals from the airport. Australia has enacted strict border closure and quarantine measures since March 2020 to keep the virus out of the country. However, more infectious airborne strains of the virus - such as the Delta and Alpha variants - have increasingly breached the defences of the quarantine system, which is largely run out of hotels in state capitals. Since November, more than eight lockdowns have occurred in various state capitals across Australia including Melbourne, Brisbane, Perth and Adelaide. Authorities in Sydney had previously steered away from citywide lockdowns. In December, it locked down the city's northern beaches district following an outbreak of about 150 cases there.

Airlines and travel companies say current limits on travel have had a devastating impact on the sector. Ministers are due to update the traffic light system for international travel on Thursday amid calls for more countries to join the green list. The government said it continued to explore how it could open international travel safely. Most holiday destinations, including Spain, Greece and Italy, are on the government's amber list, meaning travellers have to quarantine when they return to the the UK. As a result, the travel industry has dramatically scaled back its operations. If I've had both jabs, will I be able to travel freely? How can I prove I've had both my Covid jabs? Scramble to return as Portugal joins amber list On Wednesday cabin crew, pilots, travel agents, airport staff and industry heads held what they described as a day of action. Airport staff stood with placards on empty runways while others protested outside Westminster, Holyrood and Stormont. They called on the government to offer the industry more financial support and increase the number of countries on the UK's green list, allowing passengers to travel without having to quarantine on their return. One of the backers of the day of action was industry trade body Abta. The organisation's chief executive Mark Tanzer told the BBC: "The industry is going to need support to get through these critical months, particularly the summer season which is where most of the cash would normally come in. "So extending the furlough arrangements for the travel sector, business rates relief and also looking at a really targeted financial support, a revenue replacement system." 2px presentational grey line Analysis box by Caroline Davies, transport correspondent The travel industry is nervous. The Westminster government is expected to announce updates to the green list on Thursday and no industry heads are feeling very optimistic. Conversations do happen regularly between travel bosses and the government, but the industry still feels it is anyone's guess which way the meeting about international travel will swing, and whether any countries will be changed to green. Summer, particularly school holidays, is the time when the industry makes most of its money. That key time is getting closer which is why the industry is getting even louder. But the government has always said that its international travel policy is guided by protecting public health. As long as ministers feel reopening is too much of a risk the green list will remain short. 2px presentational grey line 'Major step' The government said its international travel policy was guided by "one overwhelming priority - protecting public health". "We keep all measures under review and continue to engage with industry and international partners to explore how we can open international travel safely. "Both tailored and wider economic support is still available to the sector, including the furlough scheme." Airport bosses want fully vaccinated passengers from amber-list countries to be exempted from quarantine. "That would be a major step forward and I think it would create the confidence that people need to go ahead and book travel and travel over the summer," said Manchester Airports Group chief of staff, Tim Hawkins. "Other countries are doing that, Germany, France, and at the moment that doesn't apply in the UK but it could and it would open up potential for travel for lots of people over the summer. "So I think it's really important, but it needs to happen quickly."

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In a rare public testimony, the singer told a court her father controlled her "100,000%" and she wanted the arrangement to end. "I am traumatised," she said, speaking remotely. "I just want my life back." Jamie Spears was granted control over his daughter's personal and business affairs in a court-ordered conservatorship in 2008. The order was originally granted after the star was hospitalised amid concerns over her mental health. There has been speculation for years about how Ms Spears, 39, felt about the arrangement, with fans eagerly combing her social media output for clues. The Britney Spears conservatorship case explained Does the latest Britney doc tell us anything new? "I want to end this conservatorship without being evaluated," she told the court in an emotional 20-minute address, calling the arrangement "abusive". "I deserve to have a life, I've worked my whole life. I deserve to have a two to three-year break," she said. Ms Spears said she wants to marry her boyfriend and have a baby, but the conservatorship will not allow her to. The singer claimed she has a contraceptive intrauterine device (IUD) fitted but her conservator would not let her have it removed so she can get pregnant. "This conservatorship is doing me way more harm then good," she said. Specifics of the conservatorship have never been made public, but her father stepped down temporarily as his daughter's personal conservator in 2019 because of health reasons - a move the pop star has requested to be made permanent. She is seeking to permanently install Jodi Montgomery, a care professional, into the role instead of reinstating her father. Mr Spears was troubled by the singer's allegations in court, according to his lawyer. "He is sorry to see his daughter suffering and in so much pain," the representative said in a statement read out in court. "Mr Spears loves his daughter, and he misses her very much." Mr Spears' legal team has previously insisted he has done a good job of managing his daughter's finances. Britney Spears fans gather outside the courtroom in Los Angeles IMAGE COPYRIGHTREUTERS image captionBritney Spears fans gathered outside the courtroom in Los Angeles Dozens of fans from the so-called #FreeBritney movement gathered outside the court, holding signs reading "Free Britney now!" and "Get out of Britney's life!" "Everything she said was absolutely heartbreaking and it was actually even worse than I really thought it was," Megan Radford, one of the movement's founders, told the BBC. "But I'm so thankful that her truth is out there and it cannot be denied anymore."

In nearly 140 years, the country's portfolio of engines has developed into something quite remarkable. It includes simple but effective motors for everyday transport, as well as gigantic units of awesome power, and almost everything in between. Restricting this list to just 20 engines inevitably means that many worthy contenders have had to be left out, so our apologies in advance:

Labour is demanding an apology from Boris Johnson over a "disgraceful" remark in a clash with Sir Keir Starmer about a big fall in rape prosecutions. Questioned about the government's record, in his final answer at PMQs, Mr Johnson said: "They jabber, we jab." Labour's Jess Phillips said the remark showed he did not take tackling sexual violence against women seriously. No 10 insisted the PM was making a broader attack on Labour's tendency to talk about issues but not take action. At Prime Minister's Questions, Mr Johnson denied claims by Sir Keir Starmer that budget cuts were to blame for the fact that rape prosecutions in England and Wales have more than halved since 2016. Rape prosecutions debate fact-checked Ministers 'deeply ashamed' of rape conviction rates Sort rape convictions or go, Labour tells Buckland Why are rape prosecutions falling? He said it was down to "evidential difficulties" and a lack of "joined-up" working in the criminal justice system, rather than a lack of cash. PM's apology This would appear to contradict his own justice secretary Robert Buckland, who told the BBC last week cuts were "self-evidently" a factor, as he announced plans to fix the system. Sir Keir - who is the former head of the Crown Prosecution Service - said: "On the prime minister's watch, rape prosecution and convictions are at a record low, court backlogs are at a record high, victims are waiting longer for justice and criminals are getting away with it. "This wasn't inevitable, it's the cost of a decade of Conservative cuts and even now the government isn't showing the urgency and ambition that's needed." He said that 98.6% of reported rapes did not end in charges or a sentence, which he called an "appalling" record. Mr Johnson apologised to rape survivors and victims "for the trauma they have been through" and the "frustrations" they feel at the "inadequacies" of the criminal justice system. He said the government was putting money into clearing court backlogs and a plan to improve rape conviction rates. And he accused Labour of not supporting tougher sentences for serious sexual and violent offenders. He ended the exchanges with an attack on Labour and praise for the government's coronavirus vaccination programme, saying: "We are getting on with the job, they jabber, we jab." Angry response This prompted an angry response from Labour's shadow minister for domestic violence and safeguarding, Jess Phillips. "For the prime minister to describe questions about rape convictions as 'jabber' is disgraceful," said Ms Phillips. She called on the PM to apologise for his words, claiming he "simply doesn't care about tackling sexual violence". She later appeared in the Commons to make a point of order calling for the PM to apologise and "correct the record" over his claims about Labour's voting record. Labour's shadow justice secretary David Lammy said the PM's "idiotic jibe" was a "total disgrace", and showed how little he cared about the issue. Graphic showing rape case outcomes Earlier, Victims' Commissioner for England and Wales, Dame Vera Baird, told the Home Affairs Committee the government's long-awaited rape review was "underwhelming" but also a "watershed moment". She said there was a "very large amount of kicking the can down the road" but the apology made by ministers for falling prosecution rates was "powerful" and campaigners were seeing that as a "signal of intent". She said as long as the "strength" of that apology survived then she was hopeful "we can really bring a change...and drive the government further". But the treatment of victims was "appalling", she added, with police forces focusing on whether the victim was credible and not the defendant. Last week, Home Secretary Priti Patel said ministers were "deeply ashamed" of falling conviction rates and joined Mr Buckland in apologising for the situation and promising to "do much better". Asked in a BBC interview whether government cuts to the legal system were a factor, Mr Buckland said: "Like all parts of public service big choices were made in the last decade, because of the position that we all faced economically and that's, I think, self-evidently the case." He said the government was now "seeking to make the necessary investment" but also insisted "it's about more than just money, it's about culture." He argued that "for too long" rape allegations have focused on the credibility of the victim rather than the evidence.

A closely watched survey, produced by IHS Markit/CIPS, showed input costs rose at the fastest rate for 13 years. And inflation of prices charged by firms hit its highest since records began in 1999, as factories struggled to source raw materials. Consumer price inflation hit a two-year high of 2.1% in the year to May. If firms are paying more for components and putting up their wholesale prices, that suggests that retail prices are set to go up even further. Rates dilemma The full survey, known as the IHS Markit/CIPS Composite Purchasing Managers' Index (PMI), painted a picture of a fast-growing economy as the easing of coronavirus curbs unleashes pent-up demand. It gave a reading of 61.7, based on initial readings for June, down only slightly from 62.9 last month. Any figure above 50 indicates expansion. Inflation "Businesses are reporting an ongoing surge in demand in June as the economy reopens, led by the hospitality sector," said Chris Williamson, chief business economist at IHS Markit. The figures come as the Bank of England's Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) prepares to announce its latest interest rate-setting decision on Thursday. If the UK economy starts to show signs of overheating, MPC members will come under pressure to raise rates in order to slow rising prices. Even so, no immediate change in policy is expected, with the Bank taking the view that the pick-up in inflation is likely to be temporary. US 'turbulence' Concern about price pressures is not confined to the UK, however. US inflation Across the Atlantic, a top economic adviser at the White House, Prof Cecilia Rouse, has played down concerns that President Joe Biden's $1.9tn (£1.4tn) economic stimulus programme is driving up US inflation. Prof Rouse told the BBC's Today programme that the US recovery from the pandemic had been "spectacular". But she acknowledged there would be bumps in the road with inflationary pressures, which she described as "transitory". The US economy has already regained the output lost during the pandemic, putting it well ahead of other similar nations. Prof Rouse dismissed fears that extra government borrowing and spending was itself helping build up an inflationary problem. "We see evidence of a big economy being knit back together," she said. "We see raises rising at the lower end of our wage distribution, workers are having some power. "We're in a period of turbulence as we come out of this pandemic and recession, but so far, data suggests we will get through this."

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The future range of all-electric Jaguars has now been decided, and work is ongoing to source or create the architecture that will underpin the reinvented British brand’s models from 2025. Speaking to Autocar in his first one-on-one interview since joining Jaguar Land Rover last September, boss Thierry Bolloré said that there will be a “family” of more upmarket, luxury Jaguars, positioned where nobody else sits in the market, as part of his Reimagine plan for JLR. Bolloré pointed to the Range Rover line’s positioning (as a maker of uniquely sized and styled cars priced far above what might be considered its conventional rivals) as the kind of area that Jaguar will sit in, and that the brand won’t seek to create targeted rivals to the likes of Porsche, Bentley or even Aston Martin. “Look at Range Rover,” said Bolloré. “It’s satisfactory on price and profit levels, and we haven’t yet reached the ceiling. The price is extraordinary, and we have the volumes.” Range Rover is “unique in its positioning” said Bolloré, adding that the SUV sub-brand is still selling in large volumes. He explained that the plan for Jaguar is to create “distinct cars with no overlap”. They will be “really modern luxury cars that are the copy of nothing in style or design, the top of technology and refinement, but not looking backwards”. He continued: “In desire, it’s similar to Range Rover. We enjoy this type of positioning for Range Rover; for Jaguar, we’re not looking for volume, but there’s space where there are more than 2000 customers”. While Range Rover provides the business model for Jaguar to pursue, its cars won’t be SUVs or crossovers, instead uniquely shaped, lower-slung cars with no direct rivals. Bolloré explained that JLR chief creative officer Gerry McGovern organised a design contest within the firm’s newly united design team to create inspiration for future Jaguars. The team was split into three, and in just three months, they created designs and models that would normally take 18 months. Bolloré said this produced “incredible creativity” and that the design direction and family of models for Jaguar was now decided. “The proportions are crucial to get what we want from Jaguar,” said Bolloré. “The platform is a consequence of proportions we’ve decided on. They’re absolutely bespoke.” To that end, Jaguar is now looking for an all-electric architecture that is “easy to change in size as necessary” and will support its model plans, but it’s yet to decide whether to create its own or source one from a third party. A “permanently and significantly updated” I-Pace SUV will be the only Jaguar to survive into the new generation of models due from 2025, but it will be considered separately to the firm’s new-generation cars. All other Jaguar models will continue to be updated but won’t be replaced at the end of their lives, and the firm’s Castle Bromwich factory will then be repurposed to consolidate various other JLR sites dotted around the English Midlands that already perform the same jobs, such as prototype builds.

The insurgents have taken more than 50 of 370 districts since May, UN special envoy Deborah Lyons told the Security Council, warning of "dire scenarios". She said increased conflict "means increased insecurity for many other countries, near and far". The US and Nato are still aiming for a complete troop pullout by 11 September. However, Pentagon spokesman John Kirby said the situation remained "dynamic" and, although the Taliban gains had not changed the withdrawal, there was still the flexibility to alter its "pace and scope". The hardline Islamist group's recent advances were the result of an "intensified military campaign", Ms Lyons told the the 15-member UN Security Council in New York. "Those districts that have been taken surround provincial capitals, suggesting that the Taliban are positioning themselves to try and take these capitals once foreign forces are fully withdrawn." The Taliban also captured Afghanistan's main border crossing with Tajikistan on Tuesday, officials said. The crossing stands in the northern province of Kunduz, where fighting has escalated in recent days. 'We have won the war, America has lost' Have things got better in Afghanistan? Who are the Taliban? Taliban fighters say they have control of the whole province, with only the provincial capital - also named Kunduz - retained by the government. But the defence ministry in Kabul said Afghan forces had recaptured some districts and operations were ongoing. Kunduz city is strategically significant, and briefly fell to the insurgents in 2015 and again a year later, before being retaken both times by Nato-backed government forces. Local media report that the Taliban have also seized large quantities of military equipment, and killed, wounded or captured dozens of troops. The group's own casualty figures are unclear. Afghan security forces said they would launch a massive offensive shortly to reclaim lost territory. "You will soon witness our advances across the country," said spokesman Gen Ajmal Shinwari.

Scotland's First Minister Nicola Sturgeon has called for a so-called Indyref2 by the end of 2023. But Cabinet Office minister Mr Gove said he "can't see" that happening. In an interview with the Telegraph, he said: "I think it's foolish to talk about a referendum now, we're recovering from Covid." The 2014 referendum saw Scotland vote 55% to 45% to remain part of the UK. But in May, Ms Sturgeon's Scottish National Party won a fourth consecutive victory in the Scottish Parliament election after standing on a manifesto pledge to hold a new independence vote. The UK government has repeatedly dismissed calls for a fresh vote, saying that such referendums should be once in a generation and the current priority was to recover from Covid. Could Scottish independence fight end up in court? Is Johnson an asset or a liability for unionism? Speaking to the Telegraph, Mr Gove was asked whether there was any circumstance in which Mr Johnson would grant a new referendum before the next election in May 2024. "I don't think so," he replied - adding: "I think it's foolish to talk about a referendum now - we're recovering from Covid. "It seems to me to be at best reckless, at worst folly, to try to move the conversation on to constitutional division when people expect us to be working together in order to deal with these challenges." And pressed on whether it was his position that there will be no referendum before the next general election, he replied: "I can't see it." Minister for the Cabinet Office and Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, Michael Gove, addresses the media during a visit to the Northern Ireland Ambulance head quarters in Belfast. IMAGE COPYRIGHTPA MEDIA image captionScottish-born Mr Gove is in favour of keeping the UK united Mr Gove was also asked whether Mr Johnson was a help or hindrance at keeping the union together. Mr Gove said he was a "help" - and that it was a myth and "SNP mind game" that Mr Johnson does not go down well in Scotland. Ms Sturgeon has been clear that for Scotland to actually become independent, the process must be both legally and internationally recognised. She has previously said another referendum is "a matter of when - not if". Scotland's First Minister Nicola Sturgeon welcomes Prime Minister Boris Johnson outside Bute House in Edinburgh ahead of their meeting. IMAGE COPYRIGHTPA MEDIA image captionMs Sturgeon's SNP won an emphatic victory in May's Holyrood election In February, the government set up a new cabinet committee to "set the government's strategic agenda" for keeping the UK together, called the Cabinet Union Strategy Committee. As well as a role in that, Mr Gove also leads a cabinet committee on delivering the government's policy across the union. Banner Image Reading Around the BBC - Blue HOW THE DELTA VARIANT TOOK HOLD: Ros Atkins looks at the Covid-19 strain which is now dominant in the UK THE BEST FOOTBALL ANTHEMS: Get ready for the game tonight with this soundtrack!

I'm proud.. I am part of this team and it is a very good team. Everyone is here to help us and players.. This is the great server on CSBD... Thanks for all . @Mindsphere. @aaa @The GodFather @Necro12 @Genius. @-Dark @Shyloo @myCro