UK

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

The UK has recorded 167 more coronavirus-related deaths and 38,013 new COVID-19 infections in the latest 24-hour period, according to government data. The figures compare with 191 fatalities and 38,975 infections reported yesterday, while 178 deaths and 38,154 cases were announced this time last week. In the last seven days, 272,334 infections have been reported,

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

People in the north of England were more likely to die from COVID-19, spent longer in lockdown, and were made poorer than the rest of the country, a new report states. The Northern Health Science Alliance – which includes universities and NHS Trusts – commissioned the study to establish the impact of the pandemic on

National Insurance contributions will rise by 1.25% to pay for the social care system in England in a bid to end the “unpredictable and catastrophic costs” faced by many. A social care package, which the prime minister has called “the biggest catch-up programme” in the NHS’s history, will be funded through a new, UK-wide 1.25%

Police Scotland have admitted their failings “materially contributed” to the death of a woman who was left in a crashed car for three days after the incident was reported to police Lamara Bell, 25, died in hospital four days after police eventually arrived at the scene of the crash off the M9 in July 2015,

Some children as young as 12 should be allowed to overrule their parents on whether they have the COVID vaccine, a senior doctor has said. Dr David Strain, a clinical lead for COVID services, told Sky News he believed there were 12-year-olds “mature enough” to decide to have the coronavirus jab without the consent of

The armed forces minister told Sky News soldiers who served in Afghanistan have taken their lives in the past week because of the UK’s withdrawal – but later said that has yet to be verified. James Heappey, who was an army officer, said he “knows how much veterans are hurting” after he revealed soldiers, including

Girls Aloud star Nadine Coyle has led the tributes to former bandmate Sarah Harding, who died on Sunday morning at the age of 39. Harding’s mother revealed on Instagram on Sunday that the singer passed away that day, after her “battle with cancer”. Sharing a picture of Harding laughing on Instagram, Coyle said: “I am

One of Prince Charles’s closest aides has stepped down from his role following claims he offered to help secure an honour for a rich Saudi donor. Michael Fawcett, a former assistant valet to the prince, has temporarily left his job as chief executive of The Prince’s Foundation, the charity confirmed on Saturday. The Sunday Times

Flying at the Bournemouth Air Festival has been suspended after a light aircraft crashed into Poole Harbour. Police said in a statement: “We received a report at 3.50pm on Saturday 4 September 2021 that a small aircraft had crashed into the water in the Sandbanks area of Poole Harbour. “Emergency services are at the scene.

The government must immediately remove the mandatory requirement for care home staff to be vaccinated amid a workforce crisis in the sector, the UK’s largest social care union says. UNISON is calling on ministers to stop “sleepwalking into a disaster” and end the ‘no jab, no job’ rule for those in the care industry. Repealing

Almost three quarters of people under 50 who needed hospital treatment for the COVID Delta variant last week in England were unvaccinated, figures have revealed. Data released by Public Health England showed 9,472 people were admitted to hospital with the highly transmissible coronavirus variant in the seven days up to 29 August. Of this number, 5,098

A volunteer helping Afghan refugees to settle in Glasgow is facing calls for his deportation after pledging his support for the Taliban. Waheed Totakhyl, who says his brother is a military commander for the Taliban in east Kabul, has told Sky News that since it captured Afghanistan, the country is “safer than Europe”. In 2010,

Child sexual abuse is prevalent in faith institutions across most major religions in the UK, with a report accusing these organisations of “blatant hypocrisy” and “moral failings”. The Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse (IICSA) found “shocking” failings across a number of organisations, and cases of abuse perpetrated by religious followers. Between early 2015 and

The UK has recorded 207 more coronavirus-related deaths in the latest 24-hour period, government data shows. It is the highest figure since 9 March when 231 deaths were reported. There have also been another 35,693 COVID cases recorded. The figures compare with 32,181 infections and 50 fatalities reported on Tuesday and 35,847 cases and 149

Hundreds of thousands of pupils are returning to classrooms this week, with experts predicting a surge in COVID-19 cases linked to schools reopening in England and Wales. Headteachers’ unions have voiced concerns as many safety measures to combat the spread of the virus in schools have been eased since the end of the last term.

Students go back to school in England and Wales this week amid concerns over a lack of preparedness for COVID-19. Representatives of headteachers and other school leaders have criticised the government for what they call a “hit and hope” strategy for pupils returning. Many of the precautions present during the last academic year – including

Fereba Hafizi couldn’t sleep last night, she was so excited to see her 79-year-old mother, Layloma, again. Fereba ran towards her mother as Layloma waited outside the hotel where she’s been quarantining for 10 days since returning from Kabul. As they embraced, both women sobbed and kissed each other’s faces. Then, Layloma fainted. Afghanistan latest