UK

COVID-19 protection from two doses of the Pfizer or AstraZeneca vaccines begins to wane within six months, new research suggests.   In a reasonable “worst-case scenario”, protection could fall to below 50% for the elderly and healthcare workers by winter, analysis from the Zoe COVID study found. The Pfizer-BioNTech jab was 88% effective at preventing

A two-year-old child has died after a fire at a caravan park in Ingoldmells, Lincolnshire Police has said. Officers said they were called to reports of a fire at about 10.30pm on Monday at Sealands Caravan Park near Skegness, where a caravan was alight. A woman and three of her children were able to escape

A person from Afghanistan on the UK’s no-fly list has been flown into Birmingham as part of the British evacuation operation in a potential security breach, MPs have been told. The individual, who is not being identified by the government, is understood to have reached UK soil on a British military plane, with officials being

More than 50 companies will be removed from the government’s list of approved COVID-19 testing providers. The move comes following a review of pricing and service standards from those offering day two and day eight tests for people arriving in the UK from overseas. The review was announced earlier this month due to concerns that

A man has been arrested over a “brutal” attack in Birmingham’s Gay Village, with a police search continuing for two other suspects. The attack happened in the early hours of the morning last Sunday. A group of men hurled homophobic at Rob and his husband Patrick from a passing car, before grabbing one of their

The UK is to offer antibody testing to the general public this week for the first time. Who will be able to get a test? Anyone aged 18 or over in England, Wales, Scotland or Northern Ireland will be able to opt in to a programme when they get a PCR test. They will be

An antibody testing programme for people who have tested positive for COVID-19 is to be launched across the UK. The government’s new programme is intended to produce data on antibody protections for people following infection by different coronavirus variants. From Tuesday, anyone aged 18 or over in England, Wales, Northern Ireland and Scotland, will be

A teenage boy has been arrested after a 13-year-old died from a suspected drugs overdose. Mehmet Altun was admitted to hospital on Thursday after falling ill in Bournemouth. He was taken to hospital for treatment but later died. Dorset Police said officers are awaiting results of a post-mortem examination but believe he died of a

England’s progress to the Euro 2020 final caused a “significant risk to public health across the UK”, according to scientists from Public Health England (PHE). Data from NHS Test and Trace showed that more than 9,000 COVID cases were linked to Euro 2020 football games. Wembley hosted eight matches during the month-long tournament and figures

Plymouth gunman Jake Davison had an argument with his mother before shooting her in the head at the start of his attack, an inquest has heard. In a 12-minute rampage last Thursday evening, the 22-year-old killed five people, including a three-year-old girl, with a shotgun before taking his own life. The inquest into the deaths

People who become infected with the Delta variant even after being fully vaccinated may still pass the virus on, undermining hopes of herd immunity, new research suggests. Scientists at the University of Oxford found levels of the virus could be just as high in people who get COVID despite having both jabs as in those

Gun licence applicants will be required to undergo medical checks as part of new measures introduced following the Plymouth shooting. The home secretary announced that doctors will have to assess the mental health of those applying for a firearms licence and tell police whether candidates have “any relevant medical conditions”. Priti Patel said police will

A terrorist attack on a busy shopping street could have been prevented if the probation service had recalled him to prison when he was seen buying items to make a fake suicide vest, a jury has found. Sudesh Amman, 20, from Queensbury, north London, was shot dead by undercover surveillance officers after he went on

The collapse of Afghanistan’s government happened faster “than even the Taliban predicted”, the prime minister has told MPs, but he denied the UK had been caught “unawares”. Opening a recalled session of parliament to discuss the crisis in Afghanistan, Boris Johnson claimed it was “not true” to say the UK was “unprepared” for or “did

The UK has recorded 170 more COVID-related deaths and 26,852 new coronavirus cases in the latest 24-hour period, according to government data. It is the highest number of fatalities reported in one day since 12 March, when 175 deaths were announced. The latest figures compare with 28,438 coronavirus infections and 26 fatalities reported on Monday,

The Plymouth shootings may be reclassified as a terror attack, according to Devon and Cornwall Police. In a statement, the force said the initial decision not to state Jake Davison‘s spree as terrorism was made by the National Counter Terrorism Policing Network. But following investigations into Davison’s links to the “incel” movement – which stands

A child has been taken to hospital by air ambulance following a collision between a car and pedestrians, Sussex Police have said. Six others were also taken to hospital by road, including three children with potentially serious injuries. Officers were called shortly after 4.30pm on Monday after the incident on College Road in the West

A one-minute silence has been held in Plymouth to remember those killed in last week’s mass shooting. Following the silence, a bell was rung five times – once for each life lost. Maxine Davison, 51, Kate Shepherd, 66, Stephen Washington, 59, Lee Martin, 43, and his three-year-old daughter Sophie were shot dead in Keyham on

British forces going back to Afghanistan is “not on the cards”, Defence Secretary Ben Wallace has told Sky News. Mr Wallace said it was not yet the right time to decide on whether to recognise the Taliban as the Afghan government. “I think there is a lot of more to come before those decisions are

People who are fully vaccinated against coronavirus no longer have to isolate if they come into contact with someone who has tested positive. From today, people in England who have had both doses or are under 18 will not have to spend 10 days in quarantine if they are a contact of a positive case.