Times

The Times leads with claims from tax officials that organised criminals have siphoned off up to £2bn intended for furloughed workers.

The rise in COVID-19 infections has slowed down, according to The Times, which says that young people have been frightened into following social distancing rules.

The Times writes that the government is “at war” with Manchester over the toughening of coronavirus measures, highlighting how it tried to make the mayor “fall into line” with a £60m rescue package that was rejected as the local leader wanted more money.Read more on this story here.

British cyber security officials foiled a plan by Russian military intelligence to hack the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, The Times reports.

The Times predicts a resolution to the government’s coronavirus stand-off with Manchester thanks to pressure from “senior Tories”, who have sided with the region’s Labour mayor, Andy Burnham, including local MP and Tory grandee Sir Graham Brady.

The Times leads on predictions from experts that the UK will be able to carry out one million coronavirus tests every day by Christmas.

London is on the brink of a postcode lockdown which could see the capital moved into Tier 2 restrictions, with an announcement as early as Friday, The Times writes. 

The Times says the prime minister is under mounting pressure to impose a short national lockdown after Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer called for a “circuit breaker”.