UK

A Russian “spy” ship has been monitored by the Royal Navy after it entered UK waters earlier this week, the defence secretary has said – as he issued a warning to President Vladimir Putin. The vessel, called Yantar, has been used for gathering intelligence and mapping the UK’s critical underwater infrastructure, John Healey told MPs.

The Church of England has said the government slashing funding available for listed places of worship repairs will only provide “temporary relief” and is concerned about a cap affecting larger projects. Heritage minister Sir Chris Bryant, a former Anglican priest, announced the Listed Places of Worship Grant Scheme will receive £23m for 2025/26 compared with

A Welsh national park has insisted its second homes policy is not “discriminatory” to English people. On Wednesday, Eryri National Park’s authority (also known as Snowdonia) voted to make planning permission a requirement for anyone wanting to change a property into a second home. Gwynedd Council has already introduced such a measure and is responsible

Police have revealed they had previous “contact” with the family of a father and his six-year-old daughter found dead inside a house in West Lothian – but a top officer has claimed there’s “nothing connected to this incident that causes any concern”. The force said emergency crews attended at a property in Harburn Drive, West

Police are investigating new information in the case of a seven-year-old boy who died after being struck by an HGV more than 35 years ago. Danny Leech was fatally injured in Dundee’s Arbroath Road on Friday 8 September 1989. Police Scotland said road policing officers are now evaluating new information from the schoolboy’s family, which

The pink ribbons on the front gates and signposts of Hart Street in Southport are faded now. Warning: This article contains content some readers might find distressing. Placed there in that wave of grief and shock, they are now one of the last visual reminders of what happened on 29 July. One of the others:

Police have launched an investigation after Gladiators star Apollo was reportedly stalked and harassed. The 33-year-old, whose real name is Alex Gray, is said to have been targeted by a woman both on the set of the TV show in Sheffield and at his temporary accommodation in the city. South Yorkshire Police said they were

There are currently “no plans” for the UK to follow in America’s footsteps and ban TikTok, a cabinet minister said. Darren Jones said cats and dancing videos do not “seem like a national security threat”, but suggested the position could change if an issue emerges which the government is “concerned about”. The Chinese-opened app was

Former Manchester United and Scotland footballer Denis Law has died, at the age of 84. In a statement, his family said: “It is with a heavy heart that we tell you our father Denis Law has sadly passed away. He fought a tough battle, but finally, he is now at peace. “We would like to

The deaths of a young woman and a teenage boy while in custody at a young offenders’ institution in Scotland “might have been avoided”, an inquiry has found. Katie Allan, 21, and William Brown, 16, took their own lives within months of each other at Polmont Young Offenders Institution in Falkirk in 2018. A fatal

A Tesla Cybertruck has been seized after being unlawfully driven in Greater Manchester. Officers from Greater Manchester Police (GMP) stopped a permanent UK resident in Whitefield, Bury, after they were spotted driving the unique-looking electric vehicle. The Cybertruck is illegal to drive in the UK and this one was found to be registered and insured

The nationwide Emergency Alert System (EAS), which sends alerts through mobile phones, will be tested later this year. The EAS causes phones and tablets to vibrate, read the alert aloud and emit a loud siren-like sound, even if the device is on silent. It is typically used to warn individuals about severe flooding, fires and

The home secretary has announced a £10 million plan for government-backed local inquiries into grooming gangs. Five new inquiries, including one in Oldham, will be funded and assisted by central government. They will be advised by Tom Crowther KC, who led the Telford grooming gang inquiry published in 2022. Politics latest:Russia attack during Starmer’s visit

A basketball player who was sacked this week by a Scottish club is believed to be a suspect in a US gun murder. Malik Dunbar, 28, has been let go by Caledonia Gladiators for a separate matter, with the club saying it later became aware of the shooting allegations. Dunbar signed for the East Kilbride-based

James Vince is to step down as Hampshire captain and move to Dubai following several attacks on his family home. The 33-year-old all-rounder, who was part of the England squad that won the 2019 Cricket World Cup on home soil, has captained Hampshire for the last decade. But his club said he had “endured a challenging year”

Thousands of children are being failed because of the “inequitable” special educational needs system, MPs have said. In a damning report the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) says too many families are struggling to access support their children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) “desperately need”. Over the past nine years, the number of young

Detectives investigating the murder of a 14-year-old on a bus in southeast London last week have named two teenagers they went to speak to over the fatal stabbing. Kelyan Bokassa was stabbed to death on a bus in Woolwich Church Street, close to the Woolwich Ferry, just before 2.30pm last Tuesday. The teenager died at

Apple AI is sending misleading push notifications about sensitive stories like Gisele Pelicot’s mass rape trial, Britain’s grooming gang scandal and a prison officer filmed having sex with an inmate. Concerns have now been raised with Apple by multiple news organisations over the AI summary feature, which is available on iPhones with Apple Intelligence. The

UK residents planning to buy a holiday home in Spain have been warned they could be hit with a 100% tax rise as the country tries to tackle its housing shortage. Public anger is growing in Spain and other European countries as locals are being priced out of home ownership by rents driven up by

A football fan who mocked a dead player at a derby match has been banned and fined. During a game between Sheffield Wednesday and Sheffield United, Brandon Pedryc typed out “Where’s Baldock” in large letters on his phone and waved it at rival fans during the Championship game at Bramall Lane on 11 November last