UK

The government has announced a “task force” to root out dodgy lawyers after reports that false asylum claims are being submitted for a fee. The Home Office said the unit would bring together regulatory bodies, law enforcement teams and other government departments to act against solicitors and barristers found to be deceiving the courts. The

Police trying to identify a woman who died near the M56 in Manchester last week have released photos of her jewellery. Officers were called to the Thorley Lane bridge at around 2.40am on Monday 31 July after people raised concerns for a woman’s welfare. The woman’s death is not being treated as suspicious but her

House prices fell by 2.4% in the year up to July – but there are signs the market is showing ‘resilience’, according to the Halifax. The fall in property values is less than the 2.6% annual decline it recorded in June, which was the biggest annual drop in more than 10 years. Month-on-month, house prices

Football fans could be banned from games if they mock tragedies such as the Hillsborough disaster, the Munich air crash or the Bradford City fire. Updated Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) guidance is seeking to tackle tragedy-related abuse, which is when fans chant or gesture offensive messages about disasters or accidents involving players or fans. The

England have finished runners-up to Australia in the Netball World Cup after reaching the final for the first time ever. The Roses trailed the 12-time champions at half-time on Sunday and despite a spirited effort in the second half were unable to triumph in the final in Cape Town, which finished 61-45. Coming into the

A nurse has criticised the emergency response after his town was hit by flooding as Storm Antoni swept the UK. Paul Jones-King said this is the second time in three years that Loftus in North Yorkshire has been flooded – and this time, his home was affected. The 47-year-old added he was “angry” and “really

The King is expected to mark the first anniversary of Queen Elizabeth II’s death privately. The King and Queen, who are on their traditional summer break, will not hold a private family gathering at their Balmoral estate to commemorate the passing of the late monarch, and no public event is planned. Image: Pic: AP Queen

The police watchdog has launched an investigation into a woman’s claim she was drugged and sexually assaulted while in police custody. Zayna Iman told Sky News the incident took place while she was held by officers from Greater Manchester Police. CCTV footage shows the 38-year-old being carried into a police cell unconscious and with her

Police in a remote Welsh town are on the hunt for a thief who stole 14 beehives. Witnesses have been urged to come forward after the hives disappeared from Blackwood Lane near Llangollen, North Wales, over the weekend. Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player 0:44 Officers investigate ‘unusual’ crime In a

A police dog has been shot and killed after it turned on its handler and attacked her. Lancashire Police teams were searching for a missing person in Walton-le-Dale when PD Jax became aggressive, biting the handler and causing serious injuries. Further patrols, including armed officers, attended the scene and attempted to restrain the dog, a

GPs in England are to be given greater powers to fast-track testing in a bid to help diagnose and treat patients with heart and breathing problems more quickly.  Under the plans, doctors will be able to directly order diagnostic checks for some conditions without needing to go via a consultant. Patients with symptoms of asthma,

Dozens of drivers have been fined following the introduction of traffic restrictions along a scenic coastal route in a bid to tackle inconsiderate and dangerous parking. Several kilometres of double yellow lines have been painted along parts of the B8008 Morar to Arisaig road. Beaches along the popular west Highland route include the Silver Sands

Artificial intelligence (AI) can “safely” read breast cancer screening images, a preliminary study suggests. Researchers found computer-aided detection could spot cancer in mammograms – X-ray pictures of the breast – at a “similar rate” to two radiologists. The NHS is already looking at how it can implement such technology in its breast screening programme. However,

Police are appealing for information after an 800-year-old castle was damaged with a hammer. Dolbadarn Castle in Llanberis is located around 12 miles from Bangor. It is believed to have been constructed by Llywelyn ap Iorwerth (Llywelyn the Great) in the late 12th or early 13th century. North Wales Police received a report from Cadw

House prices will likely fall further in the coming months after a closely-watched index reported the biggest drop in 14 years, experts predict. It comes after Nationwide reported that annual property values declined by 3.8% in July – the sharpish fall since July 2009. The average home is now worth £260,828 – a fall of

Wine and gin drinkers will have to shell out more from today as alcohol taxes rise. The shake-up aims to encourage drinkers to cut back by taxing all alcohol based on its strength, rather than the previous categories of wine, beer, spirits and ciders. The increase will see duty rise by 44p on a bottle

The number of children and young people starting treatment for eating disorders has more than doubled – as patients with life-threatening conditions face “worrying” delays for care, analysis has shown. Around 11,800 children and young people under 18 began treatment in 2022-23 – up from 5,240 in 2016-17, a study by the Children’s Commissioner for

A £50,000 reward is being offered for information in connection with a drive-by shooting which injured two teenage girls. Greater Manchester Police (GMP) has renewed an appeal to catch the “dangerous” criminals responsible for the incident, which took place outside an address in Quinney Crescent in Moss Side, Manchester, shortly before 10.30pm on 29 July

A major search is under way after a person was swept into the water from rocks in Anglesey. The operation is taking place at Trearddur Bay in North Wales after a ‘serious police incident’ was reported at Ravens Point on Saturday. The Maritime and Coastguard Agency confirmed the search was continuing as of Sunday morning.

Two abandoned motorbikes have been recovered by police investigating the death of a seven-year-old girl in a hit-and-run crash in Walsall. A14-year-old-boy arrested on suspicion of causing death by dangerous driving has been released on conditional bail. Katniss Selezneva was struck by a motorbike just after 7pm on Thursday at Turnstone Road in Blakenall. She