UK

Port Vale FC have denied reports claiming pop star Robbie Williams is preparing a bid to buy the football club. Williams, 49, was said to be planning a takeover of the League One team, following in the footsteps of Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney, who bought Wrexham FC in 2020 – with the deal completed

Exactly four years ago today the UK’s first coronavirus cases were confirmed. On 31 January 2020, Public Health England said a University of York student from China had tested positive for COVID-19, along with his mother. Almost two months later, the UK locked down and it was another two years until the final legal restrictions

Alison Hammond is to take over from Paul O’Grady as host of ITV’s For The Love Of Dogs. The popular show goes behind the scenes at Battersea Cats and Dogs Home as it tries to find new owners for its animal residents. O’Grady hosted the programme for more than a decade until his death last

Pharmacies will now be able to treat seven common conditions without patients needing to see a doctor. From today, thousands of pharmacists across England will be able to assess and treat patients without the need for a GP appointment or prescription for: • Sinusitis• Sore throat• Earache• Infected insect bites• Impetigo• Shingles• Uncomplicated urinary tract

An investigation has been launched into the “unexplained” death of a man in Stirling. Emergency crews were called to a property in Dunblane’s Springbank Crescent at about 2pm on Monday after the death of a 66-year-old man was reported. Forensic teams have been spotted at a block of flats and have taped off parts of

Bitcoin worth more than £1.4bn was seized by police after a former Chinese takeaway worker tried to buy a £23.5m Hampstead mansion, a court has heard. Jian Wen, 42, is alleged to have acted as a “front person” to help launder some of the profits of a £5bn investment fraud carried out in China by

Children aged 14 to 16-years-old in Wales are set to see the biggest change in their education “in a generation”. That’s the message as plans are unveiled for a new set of work-related qualifications for the country’s secondary school students. The Vocational Certificate in Secondary Education (VCSEs) are set to be rolled out by September

A body has been found in the search for a missing man who disappeared more than two months ago. Dane McGill, 53, was last seen on 10 November in the village of Dalswinton, Dumfries and Galloway. Following Mr McGill’s disappearance, a major search was launched with help from Police Scotland’s marine and dog units and

A number of officers were injured in the “completely unacceptable” violence which marred the FA Cup tie between West Brom and Wolves, police have said – as they gave more details about the six people who have been arrested. West Midlands Police vowed to make more arrests after play in the Black Country derby at

England and Manchester City star Kyle Walker has apologised to his wife after fathering a second child with another woman. The 33-year-old defender said he had made “idiot choices” and needed to “own up to my mistakes”. “What I’ve done is horrible and I take full responsibility,” he told The Sun newspaper. “The only person

Iceland supermarket boss Richard Walker has switched his support from the Conservatives to Labour, saying Sir Keir Starmer’s party is “the right choice” for his customers. Mr Walker, a former Tory donor and the executive chairman of Iceland, said under Sir Keir’s leadership Labour had “progressively moved towards the ground on which I have always

The King will not carry out royal engagements for up to a month as he recovers from surgery in hospital, Sky News understands. The King underwent a procedure for an enlarged prostate on Friday at The London Clinic and remains in hospital, with the Queen telling patients he is “doing well” during a visit. Sky’s

The King has left hospital after undergoing treatment for an enlarged prostate. Charles smiled and waved to the public as he left the private London Clinic with the Queen by his side. Buckingham Palace said in a statement that Charles has “rescheduled forthcoming public engagements to allow for a period of private recuperation”. He will

A man who continued to drive despite being warned about his poor vision has been jailed for knocking down and killing two women. Glyn Jones was told by both his optician and GP on several occasions that his eyesight was well below the standard required for driving a vehicle after he was diagnosed with a

The King has gone into hospital for prostate treatment, Buckingham Palace has said. In a statement, it added: “The King was this morning admitted to a London hospital for scheduled treatment. “His Majesty would like to thank all those who have sent their good wishes over the past week and is delighted to learn that

Manchester City have been overtaken in an annual global football club money ranking, with an old foe from Spain reclaiming the top spot. The 27th edition of the Deloitte Football Money League placed Real Madrid at the head of the pack for the first time since 2017-18, with Premier League clubs losing ground in the

The chief fire officer at West Midlands Fire Service has been found dead at his home amid claims made about his qualifications for the role made on social media. In a statement from Greg Brackenridge, chairman of West Midlands Fire and Rescue Authority, said: “We are devastated to report that our chief fire officer, Wayne

A money launderer who worked for people smuggling networks involved in small boat crossings has been sentenced to eight years in prison. Asghar Gheshalghian, 48, who is originally from Iran, ran an unregistered money transfer business from an office block in Wood Green, north London. Over a period of nearly five years, he acted as

Almost 10 million people in England do not have access to NHS ear wax removal services, in what a hearing loss charity has called a “postcode lottery” of care for patients. Charity RNID – which supports people who are deaf and with hearing difficulties in the UK – says people are being forced to pay

England spinner Shoaib Bashir has been forced to fly home to resolve Indian visa complications – an issue Ben Stokes has described as “frustrating”. Bashir, a 20-year-old British Muslim of Pakistani heritage, was the only member of the touring party to have a significant delay over his application and was forced to stay in Abu