Ben Stokes has announced he is to take an “indefinite” break from cricket to ”prioritise his mental well-being”. The England all-rounder will initially miss the upcoming Test series against India. The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) said it fully supported his decision. Managing director of England Men’s Cricket, Ashley Giles, said: “Ben has shown tremendous
UK
Symptoms of COVID-19 during the early days of infection differ between age groups and also between men and women, new research has found. The study, which has been published in The Lancet Digital Health journal, was carried out by researchers at King’s College in London using data from the ZOE COVID Symptom Study app. They
Fully vaccinated adults in Wales will no longer have to self-isolate if they are a close contact of someone with coronavirus from 7 August. The Welsh government intends to ease self-isolation rules for those who are double jabbed on the same day the country is expected to move to COVID alert level zero. This is
The government is “increasingly confident” that more countries will soon be added to the amber and green travel lists, Dominic Raab has told Sky News. The foreign secretary said he believes opportunities for international travel can in the near future be opened up further as “the momentum forward is positive”. Mr Raab also did not
A man has been arrested on suspicion of the murder of a 17-year-old girl who went missing in 1999. Victoria Hall was on her way home from a nightclub when she vanished 22 years ago. Her naked body was found in a ditch five days later. Suffolk Police reopened their investigation into her killing in
There has been more glory for Great Britain in the Tokyo Aquatics Centre, with gold in the men’s 200m freestyle relay. Fresh off their one-two on Tuesday, Tom Dean led the way with Duncan Scott swimming the anchor leg. James Guy and Matthew Richards completed the line-up – and the quartet finished 0.03 seconds off
The UK has recorded 23,511 new COVID-19 cases and 131 more deaths in the latest 24-hour period, according to government data. It is the seventh day in a row that the number of infections has fallen. But it is the highest number of daily deaths since 17 March, when 141 fatalities were reported. Today’s figures
The list of sectors able to avoid quarantine as part of a pilot scheme is being extended – and the number of testing sites across England is being increased. To support the expansion of the daily testing pilot scheme, some 1,200 new sites are being added to 800 already in operation. The expanded scheme will
For nearly six decades, Philip Wells carried a “dark secret” with him that he couldn’t even share with his wife. At the age of 10, he was taken into the care of Lambeth Council when he says he was repeatedly sexually assaulted by a teacher while staying at a children’s home. Over the course of
A mother and son and their family friend who died after getting into difficulty in Loch Lomond have been named. Edina Olahova, 29, and her son Rana Haris Ali, nine, died alongside their friend Mohammad Asim Raza, 41, on Saturday evening. Mr Raza’s seven-year-old son is currently in intensive care at the Royal Hospital for
Parts of London and the South have flooded after torrential rain and the Met Office has issued an amber storm warning. Areas including Hackney Wick, Newham and Barking were affected by the downpours, with videos showing cars driving through deep water and people walking nearly knee-deep at times. Another video shows Pudding Mill Lane DLR
Large events, such as Premier League games, could be open only to fully-vaccinated people from October under government plans. Talks are under way with the Premier League to discuss whether supporters who have not received both jabs could be barred from entry, according to the PA news agency. The rule could also be used for
An 11-year-old girl who went missing from her home in Bolton has been found in London, a friend of the family has said. Fatuma was discovered in London on Saturday afternoon, after her parents had appealed to her to return home quickly. Earlier on Saturday, her father Asheem told a news conference her behaviour was
A house in Hampshire has been partially destroyed after it was hit by lightning, the fire service has said. The roof of the two-storey property in Andover was blown in after it was struck in a thunderstorm, Hampshire and Isle of Wight Fire and Rescue Service (HIOWFRS) said. Smoke was pictured coming from the semi-detached
The number of new COVID cases in the UK has fallen for the third day in a row, according to government data – but they do not include figures for Wales. The country has recorded 36,389 new cases and 64 more coronavirus-related deaths in the latest 24-hour period. The number of infections is down by
Daily testing of pupils who have been exposed to COVID-19 could be just as effective as isolating groups, according to a study. Research by the University of Oxford found that testing as an alternative to the 10-day isolation policy currently used can reduce COVID-related school absences by 39%. Around 200 secondary schools and colleges in