UK

Northern Ireland has indicated it will follow many of England’s incoming COVID-19 rules on international travel, as holiday firms experience a surge in bookings. The country’s traffic light system for international travel will change from 4 October with a single “red list” of destinations and a “simplified process” for travellers for the rest of the

A top doctor is urging unvaccinated students to get their COVID-19 jabs during freshers week, to protect themselves and their new peers against the virus. Professor Stephen Powis, national medical director for NHS England said: “Starting university is a really exciting time and getting your COVID vaccine means you will be armed with maximum protection

A major relaxing of travel rules for people coming in and out of England have been announced by the transport secretary. From 4 October, the current traffic light system of red, amber and green countries will be scrapped and replaced with one red list only. Travel traffic light system scrapped – follow live updates Anywhere

Major changes to the rules for international travel are expected to be announced tomorrow, according to reports. The green and amber lists will be merged into one category of low-risk nations and the number of places on the red list will be reduced, some reports say. Live updates ahead of latest travel announcement Please use

The NHS has started rolling out COVID-19 booster jabs. Over 50s, people in care homes, frontline health and social care workers and vulnerable people between 16 and 49 are among those who will be offered a third dose. At least six months must have passed since the second jab. Hospital hubs began giving third doses

Care homes could face “catastrophic shortages” unless the government scraps its vaccination deadline for the sector’s workers, a union has warned. Care workers in England must get their first COVID-19 vaccine dose by today and be double-jabbed by 11 November to keep their jobs. Unison said the policy was partly to blame for the “severe

Police will not launch a criminal investigation into BBC journalist Martin Bashir’s Panorama interview with Princess Diana. The decision comes after the Metropolitan Police assessed the Lord Dyson report into the 1995 documentary, which saw the journalist do a sit-down with the royal. Scotland Yard had already said in March it would not launch a

The prime minister has warned coronavirus “is still out there” but vowed his new COVID winter plan “will give us the confidence” to avoid lockdowns. Speaking at a Downing Street briefing on the day the government set out its winter plan for managing COVID-19 in England, Boris Johnson said that higher case numbers than this

Prince Andrew’s lawyer has said claims of sexual assault against him are “baseless, unviable and potentially unlawful”. Andrew Brettler represented the Duke of York in a pre-trial hearing in New York. The hearing looked at whether the duke was properly served with the lawsuit by accuser Virginia Giuffre, the woman who has launched a civil

The UK has recorded 30,825 new COVID cases and 61 more coronavirus-related deaths in the latest 24-hour period, according to government data. The figures compare with 29,173 infections and 56 fatalities reported yesterday, while 41,192 cases and 45 deaths were announced this time last week. 987 deaths have been reported in the last seven days,

At the start of 2021, the UK coronavirus vaccine rollout was one of the fastest in the world. While the European Union launched legal action over supply shortfalls and several member states battled widespread vaccine hesitancy, by 20 March, Britain was handing out more than 800,000 doses a day. But now it has fallen to

The prime minister is said to be “dead set” on avoiding another lockdown as he prepares to reveal his plan for managing COVID-19 over the autumn and winter. Boris Johnson is expected to address a news conference on Tuesday when he will outline how vaccinations will provide Britain’s main defence over the colder months. According

Sajid Javid has told Sky News he wants to remove the PCR test requirement for travellers returning from some foreign countries “as soon as I possibly can”. The health secretary said he was aware of the cost for families holidaying abroad and that the measure should not be in place “for a second longer than

Emma Raducanu has become the first British woman in 44 years to win a Grand Slam singles title. The 18-year-old from Bromley overpowered Leylah Fernandez, a 19-year-old from Canada – winning 6-4 6-3 in the US Open final. Their showdown lasted an hour and 51 minutes, and was the first major tennis final between two

The body of a man has been recovered by the Coastguard in the English Channel, after being spotted by another vessel. The body, which was lifted from the water this afternoon, has been taken to Eastbourne, Sussex Police have said. Officers said the man had been seen in the water in the “mid-English Channel”. They

Emma Raducanu is one match away from winning the US Open after making history as the first qualifier to reach a Grand Slam final. Raducanu, 18, earned a place in the record books by defeating 17th-seeded Maria Sakkari 6-1, 6-4 in straight sets during a stunning semi-final on Thursday night. Now the British tennis sensation,

The Duchess of Cambridge and prime minister are among those to congratulate and send good luck wishes to young British tennis ace Emma Raducanu after she reached the US Open final. The high-profile praise came after the 18-year-old defied the odds to defeat Maria Sakkari of Greece in straight sets. In doing so, Raducanu became

Emma Raducanu is through to the final of the US Open after defeating Maria Sakkari of Greece in straight sets. The British 18-year-old has now become the first qualifier in history to ever reach a grand slam final – and the youngest since Maria Sharapova won Wimbledon in 2004 when she was 17. Thursday night’s

A knife attacker has forced staff at a petrol station in Bristol to hide inside a safe room after getting into the shop. One person has been taken to hospital after leaving the petrol station in Hengrove Way, Avon and Somerset Police said, adding armed officers and a negotiator were at the scene. The force

Growing numbers of children are at risk of being excluded and “falling off the radar” as schools return to normal following the pandemic, experts fear. Analysis of recent government data shows the problem was worsening before the pandemic but there was a lull while schools were closed because of the virus. Department of Education figures