Covid-19: PM's third wave warning, and how to save your houseplants

Here are five things you need to know about the coronavirus pandemic this Monday evening. We'll have another update for you tomorrow morning.

Boris Johnson has warned that the effects of a third wave of coronavirus in Europe will "wash up on our shores". The PM said the UK should be "under no illusion" that we will "feel effects" of growing cases on the continent. Our political correspondent Iain Watson said the warning could help the PM to convince Tory MPs that he can't unlock England any faster. A further 5,342 new Covid cases were reported alongside another 17 deaths within 28 days of a positive test in the UK.

Meanwhile, the Welsh First Minister Mark Drakeford has described Mr Johnson's timetable for easing England's lockdown as "at the very optimistic end of the spectrum". Mr Drakeford said he wanted to be realistic and warned Wales was not likely to return to normality in 2021. It came as Wales eased restrictions on non-essential shopping, and reopened garden centres.

The European Union's slow vaccine rollout continues to dominate the headlines. European leaders have been criticised for the pace of its vaccination programme - less than 12% of the EU's population is reported to have received their first jab, compared with nearly 40% in the UK. So what's gone wrong?

The owner of DIY retailer B&Q has reported a sharp rise in full-year sales and profits, boosted by a new generation of "young DIY-ers". Kingfisher, which also owns the builders' merchant Screwfix, added that 20% of young "DIY-ers" had tried home improvement for the first time during lockdown. Plus the firm excitedly predicted that more working from home would increase "wear and tear".

Houseplant sales were already increasing before the coronavirus pandemic. But they've risen further in lockdown, with the Royal Horticultural Society reporting an 80% increase sales of foliage houseplants in 2020. So how can you keep your plants alive?

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Find more information, advice and guides on our coronavirus page. We've had a look at how false and misleading information about the pandemic often found online has become a familiar sight on doormats across the country.

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