UK

Rishi Sunak and Liz Truss stepped up the blue-on-blue attacks in a fiery head-to-head showdown which saw them clash over taxes, the schools they went to and their loyalty to Boris Johnson. The pair were grilled over their economic policy, China and even earrings in their first live TV debate since making it down to

Next year’s Eurovision Song Contest will be held in the UK, the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) and the BBC have confirmed. Ukraine’s entry – Kalush Orchestra – won the competition this year with their song Stephania, and would normally host the event the following year, however the Russian invasion of their country presented too many

Fires in Surrey and London are largely under control, after crews were sent out to battle earlier “weather-related” blazes. In Surrey, a fire at Hankley Common near Farnham had drawn “several fire engines” to the area, and had earlier been described as a “major incident”. The fire service tweeted: “There is a great deal of

Holidaymakers travelled overnight to reach the Kent coast amid a third day of traffic chaos, despite the Port of Dover clearing its weekend backlog. Border and ferry staff worked “through the night” to clear “huge volumes of tourist and freight traffic”, so that services at Dover were finally able to “get back to normal by

Exhausted midwives are walking away from the profession with burnout as growing staff shortages create a “toxic cycle” of resignations and further pressure on those who remain. One midwife, who doesn’t want to be identified, has just handed in her notice after nine years in the role, describing working in the maternity sector as “soul-destroying”.

British holidaymakers have been warned to allow several hours to get through the Channel border at Dover and Folkestone, as the UK and France continue to argue over who is to blame for the gridlock. A Port of Dover spokesman said on Saturday morning there is still a “long way to go” to clear the

The UK economy is facing a labour crisis that is affecting every sector of the economy, from agriculture to airlines, and hospitality to hi-tech industries. At its heart is a shortage of people to do the jobs required to help the economy recover and grow after the pandemic, the product of a unique combination of

The number of people testing positive for COVID in the UK within seven days has risen to 3,760,200, latest figures show. In England, an estimated 3,147,700 people had coronavirus in the week to 14 July, according to the Office for National Statistics (ONS). There were 340,900 cases in Scotland, 183,200 in Wales, and 88,400 in

Rishi Sunak says he flew back from a government trip last December to stop the country going into a new COVID lockdown. The former chancellor and Tory leadership candidate told LBC that the UK was “hours away from a press conference” announcing the measures due to the spread of the Omicron variant. But he said

The BBC has agreed to pay “substantial” damages to Princes William and Harry’s former nanny over “false and malicious” claims that she had an affair with Prince Charles and terminated a pregnancy – allegations made by the disgraced journalist Martin Bashir. Last year, a report found Mr Bashir “deceived and induced” Princess Diana’s brother, Earl

Portugal, France, Spain and Greece are on fire – and, recently, so was the UK. Record 40C heat fuelled dozens of blazes around the country, and saw the busiest day for London’s firefighters since the Second World War. Meanwhile a staggering amount of Europe, almost half, is living with a drought warning. The climate crisis

Footage has emerged of destroyed homes and cars in east London after the capital experienced its worst day for fires since the Second World War. Video from Dagenham shows the charred remains of a large part of a street after a grassland fire sparked a series of blazes. Tuesday was the hottest day in UK

Firefighters tackling blazes which have ripped through homes and buildings in London have described the conditions as “absolute hell” on what is the UK’s hottest day on record. Residents were evacuated, people were taken to hospital and a major incident was declared by the London Fire Brigade (LFB) which was “under immense pressure” after a

The temperature has hit 40.2 (104.3F) at Heathrow Airport – a new all-time UK record. Earlier today, 39.1C (102.3F) was recorded in Charlwood, Surrey – breaking the previous record of 38.7C (101.7F) set in 2019 at Cambridge Botanic Garden. Temperatures as high as 41C (105.8F) are forecast today, with much of England still under the

A 14-year-old boy is missing and believed to have drowned after getting into difficulty in the River Thames in London on the hottest day of the year. Fours others have died while swimming in open water during the heatwave as Britain swelters, with the temperature reaching 38.1C (100.58F) today, the third hottest day on record.

As the UK braces for temperatures toppling over 40C, fears are growing for the elderly and vulnerable. A stark, public service announcement from the chief executive of the Met Office says the temperatures are “absolutely unprecedented” and warns Britons to stay inside. Scorching temperatures are predicted for Monday, with Peterborough expected to hit 37C (99F)