UK

The prime minister found talks on the NHS crisis “highly valuable”, his spokesperson has said, as the health secretary tweeted two possible “solutions” that may help solve challenges in the sector. It came after a day in which ministers, health leaders and clinical experts met at Number 10 in an attempt to solve short and

Ministers, health leaders and clinical experts are meeting at Number 10 in an attempt to solve the short and long-term issues facing the health service. Rishi Sunak is hosting the NHS “recovery forum” in Downing Street as the winter crisis rolls on, with discussions focusing on social care and delayed discharge, urgent and emergency care,

A senior Taliban leader has told Prince Harry that the militants he killed in Afghanistan were “not chess pieces, they were humans”. Responding to revelations in Harry’s new memoir that he killed 25 Taliban fighters, Anas Haqqani, a senior aide to the interior minister, tweeted: “Mr Harry! The ones you killed were not chess pieces,

Prince Harry has said he saw a “red mist” in Prince William during an argument between them, claiming his brother “wanted me to hit him back, but I chose not to”. In a new trailer for ITV’s forthcoming interview with the Duke of Sussex, he recounts an altercation with his brother. “What was different here

Prince Harry has written about the moment he found out that his mother, Princess Diana, had been in a car accident. Other revelations in the book include:• The duke admits he took cocaine• He says he killed 25 people in Afghanistan• He says he asked his father not to marry Camilla• He says his father

Prince Harry reportedly claims he was physically attacked by his brother William during a row over his marriage to Meghan Markle. The Guardian has obtained a copy of Spare – the Duke of Sussex’s highly anticipated book – days before it was due to hit the shelves. In a leaked extract, it is alleged that

Rishi Sunak has pledged to boost the economy, cut hospital waiting lists and stop migrant crossings in the Channel in his first speech of 2023. Speaking in Stratford, the prime minister laid out his priorities for 2023 and asked the public to judge his premiership on five promises. These pledges are: to halve inflation; to

Pupils in England will study maths up until the age of 18 under plans to be unveiled by Rishi Sunak. The prime minister will say there is a need to “reimagine our approach to numeracy” in his first speech of the year today, adding: “Letting our children out into the world without those skills is

The health secretary has blamed high cases of flu, COVID and fears about Strep A for the “massive pressure” the NHS faced over the festive period. Several trusts have announced critical incidents in recent days, and ambulances have waited hours outside hospitals to transfer their patients, as the government faces growing questions over what it

There is “not a bottomless pit of money” to be spent on increasing workers’ pay, Transport Secretary Mark Harper has warned the RMT union – as rail staff undertake further strike action today. Mr Harper told Sky News “there is a fair and reasonable pay offer on the table” and said it is “deeply unhelpful”

Prince Harry has said “I would like to get my father back. I would like to have my brother back” in the release of a trailer for an upcoming TV interview. The Duke of Sussex also says “I want a family, not an institution” and “they’ve shown absolutely no willingness to reconcile”. In a series

Pressure on the NHS is worse now than it was at the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic, a leading doctor has said. Dr Tim Cooksley, president of the Society for Acute Medicine, said “urgent action” is required to bring the NHS back from the brink. Speaking to Sky News, he said the National Health Service

Police searching for a teenage arsonist who has escaped from a mental health facility have warned the public: “Do not approach him under any circumstance”. Johnny Brady, a 19-year-old who is serving a hospital order for serious assault and arson, escaped St Andrew’s Healthcare facility in Northampton at about 3.30pm on New Year’s Eve. Brady

A tribute to the late Queen and a show of support for Ukraine featured in London’s New Year fireworks display, as more than 100,000 people gathered on the banks of the Thames to mark the beginning of 2023. Some 12,000 fireworks lit up the sky in the sold-out show, which was created with the theme

Two people have been charged with murder and affray after footballer Cody Fisher was stabbed to death in a nightclub on Boxing Day. Kami Carpenter, aged 21, and Remy Gordon, aged 22, both from Birmingham, have been remanded into custody to appear before Birmingham Magistrates’ Court on 2 January. It comes following the stabbing of

Four Lionesses have been recognised in the New Year Honours list, which also sees Queen guitarist Brian May and artist Grayson Perry knighted. The gongs are the first to be issued by King Charles, with a range of politicians and charity workers also honoured. Lionesses make the list – but not all of them Captain

The family of a woman shot dead at a pub have described her as the “most beautiful and bright star” as police continue their hunt for her murderer. Elle Edwards, 26, was attacked on Christmas Eve at the Lighthouse Inn in Wallasey Village on the Wirral. Detectives say the beautician was not believed to have

Some of the fashion industry’s biggest names have paid tribute to designer Dame Vivienne Westwood after she died at the age of 81. Dame Vivienne died peacefully surrounded by her family in Clapham, south London, on Thursday her representatives said in a statement. American fashion designer Marc Jacobs said he was “heartbroken” at the news

A third man has been arrested on suspicion of murder after footballer Cody Fisher was stabbed to death in a Birmingham nightclub on Boxing Day. The 22-year-old suspect was arrested in London at around 3am today. West Midlands Police said the man will now be questioned over the killing of Mr Fisher, who was stabbed

There are no plans to introduce mandatory COVID-19 tests for arrivals from China, a UK government spokesperson has said. The news comes after China announced it was abandoning its COVID-zero policy and was preparing to reopen its borders in January. There are fears that the end of strict measures in the country of 1.4 billion