UK

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 an Asake concert in Brixton, south London. People at the O2 Academy were said to have been locked outside the venue in freezing temperatures, prompting some to try to force their way inside, according to the Daily Mirror. The concert was eventually cancelled part-way through,

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

Tens of thousands of nurses are going on strike today for their first mass walkout in a century across England, Wales and Northern Ireland. The action, a bid to secure above-inflation pay rises, is going ahead after talks to avert it ended in a deadlock. Picket lines are being set up at dozens of hospitals

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

A major incident has been declared for Shetland after thousands of homes were left without power – as snow and ice continues to cause chaos across the UK. The Met Office has extended a yellow warning for snow and icy conditions covering northern Scotland and north-east England until noon on Friday. Snow and ice warnings

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

A six-year-old boy who fell through ice into a lake in Solihull is still fighting for his life, as one of the three children who died was named locally. Mourners left flowers, balloons, soft toys and lighted candles at a vigil held on Monday night following the deaths of three boys aged eight, 10 and

Three boys aged eight, 10 and 11 have died after falling through an icy lake in Solihull, police have confirmed. A fourth boy, aged six, remains in a critical condition after the incident at Babbs Mill Park on Sunday afternoon. A search is continuing after unconfirmed reports up to six children may have fallen in,

Four children are in critical condition after falling through the ice at a Solihull lake, police have said. A search and rescue operation is under way at Babbs Mill Park after the children fell into the water and suffered cardiac arrest on Sunday afternoon. Police did not confirm how many children were involved in the

The search for bodies of people missing after an explosion in a block of flats in Jersey “will take weeks, not days” and will be “meticulous and painstaking”, police have said. The emergency services are no longer looking for survivors, Robin Smith, the chief of police, said. Three people are known to have died, and

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 and a leader in the team.” Having reached the semi-finals in

One person has died and “around a dozen” are missing after a large explosion at a three-storey block of flats in Jersey. Two “walking wounded” have been taken to hospital as police on the Channel island search the site following the blast at Haut du Mont on Pier Road, St Helier. Officers have said relatives

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

The number of children under 15 who have died from Strep A in the UK has risen to 15, the UK Health Security Agency has said. New data for England shows the number of deaths since September has increased to 13. The other two fatalities were recorded in Wales and Northern Ireland. Illnesses caused by