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,
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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
Further lockdowns are “unlikely” to be required to control the coronavirus pandemic in the UK, one of the government’s top scientific advisers has said. It comes as the number of people in hospital with COVID-19 has fallen, and the average rate of infection has decreased. COVID infections are widely expected to rise again in September,
Team GB’s Galal Yafai has won the gold medal in the men’s flyweight final after beating the Philippines’ Carlo Paalam at the Tokyo Olympics. The Birmingham boxer took down his opponent in the opening round with a straight left and edged a high-octane contest to secure the verdict. It concluded a stunning run of form
Team GB has won historic gold medals in cycling and the modern pentathlon, taking Britain’s total to 18. Laura Kenny, 29, and Katie Archibald, 27, won gold in the first ever Olympic women’s cycling madison – giving Kenny her fifth Olympic title and making her the first British woman to win gold at three consecutive
A man has been charged with the murder of five-year-old Logan Mwangi in South Wales. Logan, who was also known as Logan Williamson, from Sarn in Bridgend, was found dead in the Ogmore River near Pandy Park in the early hours of Saturday morning. South Wales Police have charged John Cole, 39, of Sarn, Bridgend,
People who have received both doses of a coronavirus vaccine are half as likely to be infected with COVID-19, according to a new study. The React trial was based on more than 98,000 randomly-selected people in England and found that if a double-jabbed person came into contact with a person who had COVID-19, only one
Updated advice on coronavirus vaccines for 16 and 17-year-olds across the UK is set to be issued in the coming days, Nicola Sturgeon has said. The first minister revealed the news as she delivered her latest COVID-19 update to the Scottish Parliament. Live COVID updates from the UK and around the world Please use Chrome
There is no prospect of an amber watchlist being introduced at the latest travel review this week, Sky News understands. Government sources have confirmed that Boris Johnson has rejected the idea. Live COVID updates from the UK and around the world Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player ‘We have to have
Team GB have won gold in team eventing at the Tokyo Olympics. Laura Collett, Tom McEwen and Oliver Townend secured what is Team GB’s 11th gold at this year’s Games – the team’s 33rd medal in total. All three riders were making Games debuts, but delivered high-class displays to end a 49-year wait for team
A man, a woman and a boy have been arrested on suspicion of murder following the death of a five-year-old boy pulled from a river in South Wales. The boy’s body was found in Ogmore River near Pandy Park in Bridgend at 5.45am on Saturday morning. A 39-year-old man, a 30-year-old woman and a 13-year-old
Discounted meals and cheaper cab rides will be offered to customers who get a COVID-19 jab, as part of a government-led attempt to boost the uptake of vaccines. Uber, Bolt, Deliveroo and Pizza Pilgrims are among the brands that will offer incentives to encourage young people to get vaccinated. Almost three million under-30s are yet
Team GB has won the gold medal in the 4x100m medley relay at the Tokyo Olympics. Their stellar performance at the Tokyo Aquatics Centre is a new world record – coming in at three minutes, 37.58 seconds. Kathleen Dawson, Adam Peaty, James Guy and Anna Hopkin finished 1.28 seconds ahead of China who took silver,
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
Drug-related deaths in Scotland are expected to hit record levels for the seventh year in a row. Figures for 2019 showed 1,264 people died as a result of drug misuse. This was already the highest in Europe, and three-and-a-half times the figure for England and Wales. Data covering 2020 will be released later today. Although
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
The government is “increasingly confident” that more countries will soon be added to the amber and green travel lists, Dominic Raab has told Sky News. The foreign secretary said he believes opportunities for international travel can in the near future be opened up further as “the momentum forward is positive”. Mr Raab also did not
There has been more glory for Great Britain in the Tokyo Aquatics Centre, with gold in the men’s 200m freestyle relay. Fresh off their one-two on Tuesday, Tom Dean led the way with Duncan Scott swimming the anchor leg. James Guy and Matthew Richards completed the line-up – and the quartet finished 0.03 seconds off