UK

People who become infected with the Delta variant even after being fully vaccinated may still pass the virus on, undermining hopes of herd immunity, new research suggests. Scientists at the University of Oxford found levels of the virus could be just as high in people who get COVID despite having both jabs as in those

The collapse of Afghanistan’s government happened faster “than even the Taliban predicted”, the prime minister has told MPs, but he denied the UK had been caught “unawares”. Opening a recalled session of parliament to discuss the crisis in Afghanistan, Boris Johnson claimed it was “not true” to say the UK was “unprepared” for or “did

The UK will take up to 20,000 vulnerable Afghans over the coming years as part of a resettlement plan, following the Taliban takeover of their country. Under the new bespoke scheme – modelled on the UK’s seven-year programme to resettle Syrian refugees – the prime minister has promised thousands of Afghans who are most in

A child has been taken to hospital by air ambulance following a collision between a car and pedestrians, Sussex Police have said. Six others were also taken to hospital by road, including three children with potentially serious injuries. Officers were called shortly after 4.30pm on Monday after the incident on College Road in the West

A one-minute silence has been held in Plymouth to remember those killed in last week’s mass shooting. Following the silence, a bell was rung five times – once for each life lost. Maxine Davison, 51, Kate Shepherd, 66, Stephen Washington, 59, Lee Martin, 43, and his three-year-old daughter Sophie were shot dead in Keyham on

Snooker stars and former couple Mark Allen and Reanne Evans will face off for the first time at the British Open today. Taking place at Leicester’s Morningside Arena, they will compete against each other in the first round draw from 7pm. The former romantic partners are reported to have split acrimoniously 13 years ago, with

British forces going back to Afghanistan is “not on the cards”, Defence Secretary Ben Wallace has told Sky News. Mr Wallace said it was not yet the right time to decide on whether to recognise the Taliban as the Afghan government. “I think there is a lot of more to come before those decisions are

The UK and the US are facing criticism over their handling of the deepening crisis in Afghanistan. Donald Trump has called for Joe Biden to resign in the wake of the Taliban’s takeover – describing the current situation as a “disgrace”. In a statement, the former president wrote: “What Joe Biden has done with Afghanistan

People who are fully vaccinated against coronavirus no longer have to isolate if they come into contact with someone who has tested positive. From today, people in England who have had both doses or are under 18 will not have to spend 10 days in quarantine if they are a contact of a positive case.

A “very young girl” was among those shot dead by a gunman who killed four other people in Plymouth before shooting himself, police have said. Devon and Cornwall Police Chief Constable Shaun Sawyer said the girl was shot dead by 22-year-old Jake Davison, while two people remain in hospital with “significant injuries”. Speaking at a

The 22 year old Plymouth shooting suspect was a loner, with a fascination for guns, who regularly used social media to bemoan his inability to find love. In a series of recent video posts on his YouTube channel, Jake Davison said that his life “amounted to nothing”. Follow Plymouth shooting live updates here He named

The number of alerts sent to users of the NHS COVID-19 app in England and Wales has fallen by 20%. A total of 317,132 alerts were sent to users in the week to 4 August telling them they had been in close contact with someone who had tested positive for coronavirus – a drop of

The government needs to stop “dragging their heels” and address pension disparity for some Gurkha veterans, Labour has said. Speaking to Kay Burley, shadow armed forces minister Stephen Morgan said it was “outrageous the inequality continues”. A group of Gurkhas is staging a hunger strike opposite Downing Street, with their demonstration having now entered its

The UK has recorded 23,510 new COVID-19 cases and 146 more coronavirus-related deaths in the latest 24-hour period, according to government data.  The figures compare with 25,161 infections and 37 fatalities reported on Monday, while last Tuesday 29,703 cases and 62 deaths were announced. The number deaths reported today is the highest daily total since

More than three quarters of adults in the UK have now received both doses of a coronavirus vaccine, the government has announced. The Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) said a total of 86,780,455 jabs have now been administered, with 89% of people having received a first dose and 75% two doses. Prime Minister

A-level students have received more A and A* grades this year than ever before after exams were cancelled for a second time due to the coronavirus pandemic. A-level, AS-level and GSCE exams were cancelled in January due to the ongoing disruption caused by COVID-19. Instead teachers used mock results, coursework and in-class assessments to determine

Scotland has removed most of its remaining coronavirus restrictions, but people must continue to wear face masks on public transport and inside public places. The country has moved to Level 0 from today, meaning all legal requirements for physical distancing – except in health care settings – and gatherings have been removed and all venues,

The health secretary has asked the competition watchdog to investigate the market for PCR tests amid concerns of “exploitative practices” and vastly different costs. Sajid Javid wrote to the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) requesting a “rapid high-level” review to protect travellers. PCR tests, which use a swab to detect coronavirus on the tonsils and

Another 27,429 COVID-19 cases have been reported in the UK, according to the government’s latest daily figures. They also show a further 39 people have died within 28 days of a positive coronavirus test, taking the total figure to 130,320 since the start of the pandemic. On Saturday, 28,612 new infections and 103 deaths were

The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge have shared a new picture of Princess Charlotte as she takes part in the Big Butterfly Count. The royal couple wrote on Twitter: “We wanted to share these beautiful Peacock and Red Admiral butterflies as part of Big #ButterflyCount initiative taking place across the UK. “Butterfly Conservation are encouraging