NHS dental practices are now being obliged to meet 85% of their pre-COVID activity levels or face financial penalties.

Today is the warmest New Year's Day on record, with a temperature of 16.2C (61.1F) recorded in St James's Park, London - but more typical January weather is expected from next week when Arctic air could bring frost and snow to some parts.

Emma Raducanu has withdrawn from an Australian Open warm-up tournament in Melbourne having just come out of isolation after returning a positive Covid test.

And then there were eight.

New York City's new mayor Eric Adams, a retired captain in the New York Police Department, called in an assault he witnessed during one of his first media engagements.

A 15-year-old boy who was stabbed to death in Croydon the day before New Year's Eve has been named by police as Zaian Aimable-Lina.

The NHS faces intensifying strain over coming weeks as a "health emergency" created by pressures such as surging hospital admissions and staff absences build further, it has been warned.

England has reported a record high of 162,572 new COVID cases along with a further 154 coronavirus-related deaths in the latest 24-hour period, according to official data.

Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp has reported a suspected positive Covid-19 test and will miss Sunday's Premier League game against Chelsea.