Nearly 100,000 people are catching coronavirus every day in England, according to Imperial College London's latest monthly study. Based on swabs taken from more than 85,000 volunteers, academics estimate the number of people infected is doubling every nine days, raising the prospect of more than a million infections a day by the end of November. We are fast approaching the peak in infections seen in the spring, with cases rising in every age group and region of England. And while infections are highest in the North, they are surging more rapidly in the South, the study indicates. It also suggests:

So far, the UK government is sticking to its strategy of imposing tiered levels of restrictions, based on the situation across localities and regions. France, however, will on Friday enter a second national lockdown until at least the end of November. People will only be allowed to leave home for essential work or medical reasons, with non-essential businesses closing but schools and factories remaining open. Germany is also closing restaurants, gyms and theatres, as infections rise sharply across Europe.

We're getting used to hearing about job cuts but figures released to BBC News reveal the extent of the planned losses. Some 1,734 employers notified the government in September of plans to cut at least 20 posts, with a total of 82,000 positions at risk. That's down on the summer peak but three times the level of September 2019. Virgin Atlantic, Shell, Lloyds Bank and Premier Inn owner Whitbread were among the big companies to announce job cuts last month, as the second wave of coronavirus took hold. "What we may be seeing is firms who were intending to bring people back deciding that they can no longer do it because of the worsening economic climate," says Tony Wilson, of the Institute for Employment Studies.

Two British teenagers - a boy, 13, and his female cousin, 15 - have been killed in a parasailing accident on the Greek island of Rhodes. The boy's brother, 15, is in a "serious condition with multiple injuries" in hospital. The trio were being towed by a speedboat when the rope snapped at around noon local time on Wednesday. According to the Greek coastguard, their bodies were found on rocks near the village of Lindos. "It is under investigation about how the rope was cut," a spokesman says, adding two people were arrested. The Foreign Office says it's supporting the family.

A "change of strategy" looms in the battle to contain coronavirus, according to the i. It says the prime minister is under pressure to introduce a "fire break" lockdown across England. "Don't do it Boris!" is the Daily Mail's headline. It says business leaders, campaigners and MPs believe another lockdown would "wreak economic carnage", but the paper points out scientists fear up to 85,000 people could die with the virus over the winter. The Guardian says the government is trying to find alternatives to a national lockdown. The paper says it has seen a letter from NHS Test and Trace suggesting up to 10% of England's population could be tested for coronavirus every week after government officials asked local health chiefs to deploy 30-minute saliva kits. Read the full review.

"I fell in love with acting... In my real life I had a lot to try to escape from." Care leaver Nkechi is among the young people receiving support from The Big House theatre group in London as they try to make their way in the arts industry. See more about their work. Or, for a different style of theatre, read the naked truth about Oh Calcutta! - the 70s stage hit that brought extended scenes of male and female nudity to British theatre for the first time.

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