UK

A “world first” sanctions regime which specifically targets people smugglers will be introduced by the government this year, David Lammy will announce. The foreign secretary will confirm the measure in a speech on Thursday, saying it is part of Labour’s plan to reduce Channel crossings by targeting criminal networks organising the journeys. Politics latest: MPs
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The Royal Liverpool University Hospital has declared a critical incident due to an “exceptionally high” demand on A&E and patients being admitted to wards. The hospital said staff were “working incredibly hard” after a spike in people with flu and respiratory illnesses going to emergency departments. The number of people in England’s hospital with flu
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Sir Keir Starmer will launch his plan to deliver millions more appointments across the NHS and to reduce waiting times to 18 weeks over the next five years. The prime minister will lay out how greater access to community diagnostic centres (CDCs) will help deliver up to half a million more appointments, alongside 14 new
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Former England manager Gareth Southgate, London mayor Sadiq Khan and actor Stephen Fry have been knighted in the New Year Honours. Others who have received honours include a host of Team GB athletes – among them gold medal-winning runner Keely Hodgkinson – as well as author Jacqueline Wilson and television presenter Alan Titchmarsh. Honours have
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Sir Keir Starmer has ordered Britain’s key watchdogs to remove barriers to growth in a bid to kickstart Britain’s sluggish economy. Sky News has learnt that the prime minister wrote to more than ten regulators – including Ofgem, Ofwat, the Financial Conduct Authority and the Competition and Markets Authority – on Christmas Eve to demand
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Nigel Farage has threatened to take legal action against Tory leader Kemi Badenoch if she does not apologise for accusing him of publishing a “fake” ticker showing Reform UK’s membership increasing to overtake the Conservatives. The Reform UK leader has reacted furiously to Ms Badenoch’s assertion that he was “manipulating [his] own supporters” with a
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The UK’s oldest man has celebrated his 110th birthday with a special performance from opera singer Alfie Boe at his care home in Derbyshire. A party was laid on for Donald Rose – who’s now ranked as a ‘supercentenarian’. Mr Boe joined the bash in Ilkeston by video call and sang happy birthday, adding it
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