UK

Two women have been seriously injured after being struck by a falling oak tree as Storm Evert continues to batter the South East of England. The pair, aged in their 20s, were said to have been attending a “private outdoor party” near Heveningham in Suffolk when the incident occurred. It comes as yellow weather warnings

Ben Stokes has announced he is to take an “indefinite” break from cricket to ”prioritise his mental well-being”. The England all-rounder will initially miss the upcoming Test series against India. The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) said it fully supported his decision. Managing director of England Men’s Cricket, Ashley Giles, said: “Ben has shown tremendous

Infection rates have continued to rise across England, Wales and Northern Ireland – but dropped in Scotland, according to the latest estimates. Data from the Office for National Statistics shows that in the week ending 24 July, approximately 1 in 65 people were estimated to have had COVID-19 in England. The rate was around 1

Fully vaccinated adults in Wales will no longer have to self-isolate if they are a close contact of someone with coronavirus from 7 August. The Welsh government intends to ease self-isolation rules for those who are double jabbed on the same day the country is expected to move to COVID alert level zero. This is

A record 689,313 alerts were sent to users of the NHS COVID-19 app in England and Wales in a week, NHS figures show. The alerts tell people they have been in close contact with someone who has tested positive for coronavirus. The new number was recorded in the week up to 21 July and is

A Liverpool fan who suffered life-changing injuries in the Hillsborough disaster has been confirmed as the 97th victim of the tragedy following his death this week. In a statement the family of Andrew Devine, 55, said he died on Tuesday, 32 years after he was badly hurt at the FA Cup semi-final on April 15

Fully vaccinated people will not be legally required to take a coronavirus test to avoid isolation if “pinged” from 16 August, Sky News understands. It has already been announced by the government that people who have been double jabbed will no longer have to isolate after contact with someone who tests positive for COVID-19 from

The UK has recorded 23,511 new COVID-19 cases and 131 more deaths in the latest 24-hour period, according to government data. It is the seventh day in a row that the number of infections has fallen. But it is the highest number of daily deaths since 17 March, when 141 fatalities were reported. Today’s figures

Children in the care of Lambeth Council were subjected to “levels of cruelty and sexual abuse that are hard to comprehend”, an inquiry into historical child abuse has found. The Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse’s report said the council exposed children to situations where they were at risk of sexual abuse and knowingly kept

The list of sectors able to avoid quarantine as part of a pilot scheme is being extended – and the number of testing sites across England is being increased. To support the expansion of the daily testing pilot scheme, some 1,200 new sites are being added to 800 already in operation. The expanded scheme will

A mother and son and their family friend who died after getting into difficulty in Loch Lomond have been named. Edina Olahova, 29, and her son Rana Haris Ali, nine, died alongside their friend Mohammad Asim Raza, 41, on Saturday evening. Mr Raza’s seven-year-old son is currently in intensive care at the Royal Hospital for

Parts of London and the South have flooded after torrential rain and the Met Office has issued an amber storm warning. Areas including Hackney Wick, Newham and Barking were affected by the downpours, with videos showing cars driving through deep water and people walking nearly knee-deep at times. Another video shows Pudding Mill Lane DLR

Large events, such as Premier League games, could be open only to fully-vaccinated people from October under government plans. Talks are under way with the Premier League to discuss whether supporters who have not received both jabs could be barred from entry, according to the PA news agency. The rule could also be used for

An 11-year-old girl who went missing from her home in Bolton has been found in London, a friend of the family has said. Fatuma was discovered in London on Saturday afternoon, after her parents had appealed to her to return home quickly. Earlier on Saturday, her father Asheem told a news conference her behaviour was

A house in Hampshire has been partially destroyed after it was hit by lightning, the fire service has said. The roof of the two-storey property in Andover was blown in after it was struck in a thunderstorm, Hampshire and Isle of Wight Fire and Rescue Service (HIOWFRS) said. Smoke was pictured coming from the semi-detached

The number of new COVID cases in the UK has fallen for the third day in a row, according to government data – but they do not include figures for Wales. The country has recorded 36,389 new cases and 64 more coronavirus-related deaths in the latest 24-hour period. The number of infections is down by