UK News

The Government has set out plans to divert up to two million patients from NHS waiting lists by the end of next year. A scheme which allows family doctors to seek advice from specialists before referring patients will be expanded with the support of an £80 million funding package. Ministers said the move will “stop masses of people” going to hospital for “unnecessary appointments”. Those benefiting include women with symptoms […]

Cocoa yields will be “destroyed” by 2030 without financial support and fairer markets, Ivory Coast farmers have warned. The West African nation is the biggest producer of cocoa in the world, with farmers in the Bafing-Tonkpi region supplying chocolate to global markets, including the UK. But years of depressed prices have eroded farmers’ ability to reinvest in their land, meaning aging trees, diseases and increasingly unpredictable climate conditions have caused […]

Councils and charities have joined forces to call on the Government to stabilise a children’s social care system at “breaking point”, and bolster protections in “progressively challenging circumstances”. Organisations providing support to children said it is vital that additional funding is included in the forthcoming spending review to ensure children and young people are shielded from harm at a time of rising demand and costs. The latest Government figures show […]

A colossal squid has been filmed alive in the wild for the first time, 100 years after the species was discovered. The rare footage was captured on March 9 by Schmidt Ocean Institute’s remotely operated vehicle SuBastian, at a depth of 600 metres off the South Sandwich Islands in the Atlantic Ocean. The juvenile squid, around 30 centimetres long, is the first confirmed sighting of a living Mesonychoteuthis hamiltoni in […]

More than 700 migrants crossed the English Channel on Tuesday in the highest number of arrivals on a single day so far this year. Home Office provisional figures suggest 705 people made the journey in 12 boats. It comes just days after 656 people made the crossing in 11 boats on Saturday, which at the time was the highest daily number for the year. Tuesday’s total of 705 is still […]

The grandfather of footballer Jesse Lingard has told a court he was not an “ogre” as he denied allegations of historical sexual assault. Kenneth Lingard gave evidence in his trial at Liverpool Crown Court on Wednesday. The 86-year-old is accused of 17 counts of indecent assault against a woman, who alleges he abused her from the age of five. Asked about some of the specific allegations, Lingard said: “Never happened.” […]

The terms “woman” and “sex” in the Equality Act refer to a biological woman and biological sex, the Supreme Court has ruled. Campaign group For Women Scotland (FWS) brought a series of challenges – including to the UK’s highest court – over the definition of “woman” in Scottish legislation mandating 50% female representation on public boards. The dispute centres on whether someone with a gender recognition certificate (GRC) recognising their […]

It's after a drop in petrol prices UK inflation slowed down for the second month in a row in March on the back of falling petrol prices, according to official figures. The Office for National Statistics (ONS) also said a drop in the price of computer games contributed to the lower inflation reading. The rate of Consumer Prices Index (CPI) inflation eased to 2.6% for the month, from 2.8% in […]

It's after Aston Villa were beaten on aggregate by PSG Aston Villa boss Unai Emery has challenged his side to return to the Champions League next season after their dream ended against Paris St Germain. Villa fell agonisingly short of pulling off one of the great comebacks after they appeared dead and buried midway through the first half of their quarter-final second leg when goals from Achraf Hakimi and Nuno […]