News – World and UK

The UK faced an “absolutely catastrophic situation” as it headed towards the first Covid lockdown, England’s chief medical officer has said, as he defended the fact not all patients with other illnesses could get NHS care. Professor Sir Chris Whitty told the Covid inquiry in central London there were concerns things could get “substantially worse”, even at the point when the NHS was not functioning as well as it should. […]

A senior medic has broken down in tears as he described scenes “from hell” on intensive care wards during the Covid pandemic, with staff running out of body bags and sick patients “raining from the sky”. Professor Kevin Fong – former national clinical adviser in emergency preparedness, resilience and response at NHS England – told the Covid inquiry he was on the scene of the Soho bombing in 1999 and […]

A man has appeared in court charged with the murder of a 15-year-old schoolboy. Daejaun Campbell was stabbed to death with a “zombie” knife on Eglinton Road in Woolwich, south-east London, on Sunday. Neighbours described hearing the teenager cry out, “I’m 15, don’t let me die” as a local woman tried to save his life. Jacob Losiewicz, 18, of Abbey Wood, south-east London, appeared in person at Bromley Magistrates’ Court […]

The current managing director of Harrods has apologised and said the business “failed our colleagues” following sexual misconduct allegations about former owner Mohamed Al Fayed. Michael Ward said in a statement that it is clear Mr Al Fayed “presided over a toxic culture of secrecy, intimidation, fear of repercussion and sexual misconduct”. Mr Ward, who worked for Mr Al Fayed for four years, said he was “not aware of his […]

Warnings of heavy rain which could cause flooding and travel disruption have been upgraded for parts of England. The Met Office has issued an amber warning for areas of the Midlands and south of the country, set to come into force at 6pm on Thursday and last for 12 hours. Yellow rain warnings had already been in place for large parts of England and Wales and western parts of Northern […]

Sales of air fryers soared as their energy-saving credentials appealed to households during the cost-of-living crisis Air fryers are now the third most-used appliance in British kitchens after toasters and microwave ovens, according to an annual survey. Sales of air fryers soared as their energy-saving credentials appealed to households during the cost-of-living crisis, and they are now more often used than conventional electric ovens and conventional gas ovens, the Good Food Nation study found. Some 58% of those […]

All officers will receive new training in childhood vulnerability and adultification bias The Metropolitan Police have announced a “child-first” approach to policing but stressed that it does not mean a “free pass” for criminality by young people. Met Commissioner Sir Mark Rowley said the five-year strategy recognises that the force had sometimes focused “too hard” on criminality and not the “vulnerability that lies behind it”. All officers will receive new training in childhood […]

England's chief medical officer is to be quizzed on the impact the pandemic had on the NHS England’s chief medical officer is to be quizzed on the impact the pandemic had on the NHS. Professor Sir Chris Whitty is to face questions when he appears before the UK Covid-19 Inquiry on Thursday. Inquiry chairwoman Baroness Heather Hallett is examining the impact of the crisis on NHS workers, patients and the delivery […]

UK Housing Market Outlook with Rising Buyer Demand and Strong Sales Activity Pointing to Potential House Price Growth Over the Next 12 Months As we head into the autumn, the UK property market faces a complex landscape shaped by lingering economic challenges. Following a turbulent 2023 marked by rising living costs and economic instability, many homeowners demonstrated surprising resilience in absorbing higher mortgage payments. However, the outlook for the coming […]