UK

Health Secretary Steve Barclay is understood to be writing to the unions to request fresh talks over strike action – but sources say he still won’t discuss increasing their wages. Both nurses and ambulance workers are set to stage walkouts this week amid ongoing anger over pay and working conditions. The chief of the Royal

A teenager has been charged with a people-smuggling offence after four people died while attempting to cross the Channel. Ibrahima Bah, 19, of no fixed address, was arrested by police after the incident on Wednesday. Four people died and 39 were rescued when a migrant boat capsized in the Channel. Bah was charged with “knowingly

Union bosses have criticised plans to deploy 1,200 troops to cover strikes, but the prime minister has hit back by calling them “Grinches” who “want to steal Christmas”. Union chiefs claim the military are not “sufficiently trained” to guard the country’s borders or drive ambulances, and that they should not be put in such an

Police have released the first picture of a woman who died after being injured in a crush at a concert at Brixton Academy. Rebecca Ikumelo, 33, from Newham, east London, died on Saturday morning, while two other women – aged 21 and 23 – remain in a critical condition in hospital. Eight people were taken

Hospitals should free up beds by safely discharging patients in advance of “extensive disruption” caused by industrial action by ambulance crews, health chiefs have said. They warned of “a very challenging period” when ambulance crews in England and Wales are due to walk out for two days on 21 and 28 December in a dispute

A meeting “filled with warmth and understanding” has taken place between Prince William’s godmother and the charity founder she repeatedly asked where she really came from. Lady Susan Hussey offered her “sincere apologies” to Ngozi Fulani for her comments and “the distress” they caused her, and pledged to deepen her awareness of the sensitivities involved.

Four people are in critical condition after crowd trouble at a concert in south London. People at the O2 Academy in Brixton were said to have been locked outside the venue in freezing temperatures, prompting some to try to force their way inside for the Asake gig. The concert was eventually cancelled part-way through, with

Four boys who died after falling into a frozen lake in Solihull have been named by police. Brothers Samuel Butler, six, and Finlay Butler, eight; their cousin Thomas Stewart, 11, and Jack Johnson, 10, were identified by West Midlands Police. Three of the boys, Jack, Thomas and Finlay, died on Sunday after falling into Babbs

A fisherman whose crew saved 31 people stranded in the English Channel said he was woken in the early hours of the morning when migrants surrounded his boat “screaming for help”. Skipper Raymond told Sky News he had been sleeping when he was awoken by a member of his crew, who told him, “There are

NHS nurses are striking today in a dispute with the government over pay and patient safety. Members of the Royal College of Nursing (RCN) will take industrial action on 15 December and 20 December across England, Wales and Northern Ireland for the first time in the union’s 106-year history. Strikes by ambulance staff and some

An incident is ongoing in the English Channel involving two search and rescue helicopters, RNLI lifeboats and other UK and French navy boats. The rescue operation is understood to be under way off the coast of Kent, near Dungeness. A UK government spokesperson said: “We are aware of an incident in UK waters and all

Rishi Sunak has promised to bring in new laws to tackle illegal immigration, saying anyone who comes to the UK illegally will not be allowed to stay. Making a raft of announcements in the Commons, the prime minister said the legislation would be introduced early next year and mean people who do not come to

The “tide is turning” in rail unions when it comes to pay offers on the table, Transport Secretary Mark Harper has claimed. Members of the RMT rejected the latest offer from Network Rail yesterday by 64%. The deal would have included a 5% and 4% pay rise over two years, but meant thousands of job

Talks to avert the nursing strike on Thursday have failed after the union leader behind the action accused Health Secretary Steve Barclay of refusing to discuss pay. In a statement on Monday night, Royal College of Nursing (RCN) general secretary Pat Cullen said: “I needed to come out of this meeting with something serious to

Hospitals in England have paid up to £5,200 for a single shift by an agency doctor, amid growing pressure on the NHS. The most expensive shift was £5,234, according to figures obtained by Labour through Freedom of Information requests to NHS trusts across the country. The party said that was paid by a trust in

A number of people are in a critical condition after falling through ice on a lake in Solihull. West Midlands Fire Service said a search and rescue operation is ongoing, and teams can be seen searching the dark water using torches. West Midlands Police said: “We are currently at the scene of a serious incident

Harry Kane has taken responsibility for England’s World Cup quarter-final exit at the hands of France, saying: “I will take it on the chin and of course it hurts now, and it will hurt for a long time, but that’s part of being captain.” Having reached the semi-finals in 2018 and then finishing runners-up at

At least three people have died in the wake of a “devastating” explosion at a three-storey tower block in Jersey. Chief Minister Kristina Moore confirmed the latest total at a press conference following the explosion in the early hours of Saturday morning. “Around a dozen” are feared missing after the “ferocious” blast at Haut du

Millions of people are expected to watch on TV as England take on France in a World Cup quarter-final tonight. The two giants of European football will meet at Qatar’s Al Bayt Stadium, with the winner going on to face Morocco or Portugal in a semi-final on 14 December. The British Beer and Pub Association

Snow could hit parts of southern England within days, with forecasters warning the Arctic blast will continue into next week and may see temperatures plummet as low as -15C. The Met Office has issued a yellow snow and ice warning for London and the South East from 9am on Sunday to 9am on Monday, saying