UK

Getty Images The UK has become the first country to approve a dual vaccine which tackles both the original Covid virus and the newer Omicron variant. Ministers say the vaccine will now form part of the autumn booster campaign. Moderna thinks 13 million doses of its new vaccine will be available this year, but 26

Getty Images Labour has called for an extension of the tax on oil and gas companies to fund a freeze in the energy price cap. The cap – the maximum amount suppliers can charge for average use – is forecast to hit £3,582 in October and £4,266 in January. Leader Sir Keir Starmer said if

This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Much of the UK has been experiencing another day of high temperatures – but the spell of extreme hot weather is due to come to an end with thunderstorms. Rain and lower temperatures are forecast for Sunday

PA Media Everyone who uses water must rethink and make sure they use it wisely, the chairman of the body that has declared droughts around England says. “We have got to rethink… and that means everyone, not just regulators and government,” said Harvey Bradshaw, chairman of the National Drought Group. He is also executive director

Getty Images Passengers are being disrupted as rail services are hit by more strikes, with some firms running no trains at all. Some 6,500 train drivers at nine rail companies, who are members of the Aslef union, are staging their latest 24-hour walkout in a dispute over pay. There have been several rail strikes this

BBC News England’s health chiefs say they will create an extra 7,000 beds to tackle “substantial” pressures this winter. It comes after government scientific advisers warned that “high numbers of beds may be needed for respiratory patients”. The extra beds will include more temporary units at hospital sites and 2,500 “virtual ward spaces” with patients

PA Media Another hosepipe ban begins on Friday, as an amber extreme heat warning, low water levels and tinder dry conditions continue across much of the UK. South East Water said it had “no choice” but to issue the ban, affecting 1.4 million Kent and Sussex customers. The government is expected to declare a drought

PA Media An amber extreme heat warning has come into force, with temperatures forecast to hit 37C (99F) in some parts of the UK over the next four days. The Met Office alert for southern and central England and parts of Wales runs from midnight on Thursday until Sunday. It has also issued its highest

Getty Images Sainsbury’s is joining other supermarket chains in removing disposable barbecues from its shop shelves due to the risk of fire. Marks and Spencer, Aldi and Waitrose have already halted sales and fire brigades have called for all retailers to follow suit. Sainsbury’s said the policy was a precautionary measure, but did not say

Getty Images Many households are falling behind on energy payments with total debt owed three times higher than in September last year, a survey has suggested. Almost a quarter of households owe £206 on average, according to comparison site Uswitch, which surveyed 2,000. Uswitch advised people falling into debt to speak to their provider to

PA Media Former Manchester United and Wales star Ryan Giggs threw his then-girlfriend out of a hotel room while she was naked, a court has heard. Mr Giggs, 48, is on trial accused of controlling behaviour and assaulting his former girlfriend Kate Greville and her younger sister Emma. In an interview heard by the jury,

Getty Images The number of people waiting longer than two years for routine operations in England has fallen from 22,500 at the start of the year, to fewer than 200, according to NHS figures. This excludes more than 2,500 who are complex cases or chose not to travel for speedier treatment. NHS England said it

Getty Images No 10 has ruled out Boris Johnson introducing immediate measures to help people with rising energy costs. It comes as CBI director-general Tony Danker called for “all hands to the pump”, echoing ex-Labour PM Gordon Brown’s call for swift intervention in the cost-of-living crisis. And Nicola Sturgeon, Scotland’s first minister, has called for

Getty Images Nine in 10 NHS dental practices across the UK are not accepting new adult patients for treatment under the health service, a BBC investigation has found. Our research shows no dentists taking on adult NHS patients could be found in a third of the UK’s top-tier councils. And eight in 10 NHS practices

Hollie Dance The family of Archie Battersbee have said nobody should go through what they had to and have called for an inquiry into the legal battle surrounding the withdrawal of his life support. The 12-year-old, who was at the centre of a court row between his parents and doctors, died on Saturday. In a

Getty Images An 11-year-old girl has died after getting into difficulty in a lake at a water park, police have said. Police, fire and ambulance services were called to Liquid Leisure Windsor in Datchet, Berkshire, at about 15:55 BST. The girl was found at 17:10 BST after a search and taken to Wexham Park Hospital.