UK

The annual rate of inflation has surprisingly risen, official figures show. The consumer price index (CPI) measure of inflation stood at 4% in the year to December, according to the Office for National Statistics (ONS). A fall, to 3.8%, had been expected by economists polled by Reuters. But instead inflation rose from 3.9% in the

The Post Office scandal will be back in the spotlight today, when MPs hear evidence from a number of witnesses including campaigner and wronged sub-postmaster Alan Bates. Mr Bates, whose story inspired the ITV hit drama Mr Bates vs the Post Office, will appear in front of parliament’s Business and Trade Committee alongside other figures,

Everton and Nottingham Forest have been charged with breaches under the Premier League’s profitability and sustainability rules. It comes in addition to Everton being deducted 10 points last November – the largest sanction in the league’s history – which the Toffees labelled as “wholly disproportionate and unjust”. The club are already appealing against the severity

The UK will send 20,000 troops to one of NATO’s biggest military drills since the Cold War as the alliance practices repelling an invasion by Russian forces, Defence Secretary Grant Shapps is expected to announce today. Army, navy and RAF personnel will be deployed to the 31-nation Steadfast Defender exercise in a bid to provide

Not taking military action against the Houthis would have led to “more attacks” in the Red Sea, according to Foreign Secretary Lord Cameron. The British military took part in joint action with the US this week in retaliation for the targeting of international trade in the key shipping lane – followed up by a fresh

Britain could strike Houthi targets in Yemen again if the rebel group continues to attack ships in the Red Sea, the foreign secretary has suggested. Lord Cameron warned the Iran-linked fighters could force up prices in Britain if they are allowed to block the passage of container ships in the busy trade route. The US

Thousands of pro-Palestinian protesters have marched through central London – a day after the UK joined the US in attacking Houthi bases in Yemen. The Iran-backed rebel group, which supports Hamas, has been targeting commercial shipping in the Red Sea. It has vowed to damage vessels it believes are heading to and from Israel until

The Post Office could be facing a £100m bill and insolvency after claiming tax relief for its compensation payments to sub-postmasters, a tax expert has claimed. Dan Neidle, the head of non-profit organisation Tax Policy Associates, said the Post Office claimed £934m tax relief for its compensation payments, and suggested it could be “unlawful”. The

Lord David Cameron has not ruled out the possibility of further strikes against Houthi rebels in Yemen, arguing the UK must do “what is necessary” to protect its ships. Speaking to NBC, Sky News’s sister outlet in the United States, the foreign secretary said “warnings” issued to the rebels – who had been attacking UK

British and US forces have launched an attack on Houthi targets in Yemen after the Iranian-backed militant group defied a warning to stop targeting ships in the Red Sea, according to reports. Reuters said four US officials confirmed strikes had begun. In addition, three explosions were heard in the country’s capital of Sanaa, according to

The number of mothers dying either during pregnancy or soon after has increased to its highest level for 20 years, with black women and those from deprived areas most severely affected, a major UK study has found. There were 13.41 deaths per 100,000 women in the UK either during pregnancy or within six weeks after

The family of murder victim Muriel McKay have offered a landowner £40,000 to let them excavate the farm where they believe her body was buried 54 years ago. They hope the money would compensate the banker for the inconvenience and any damage and repairs to his land. The offer was made in a letter hand-delivered

The prime minister has said a new law will be introduced so people wrongly convicted in the Horizon scandal are “swiftly exonerated and compensated”. In the first Prime Minister’s Questions of the year, Rishi Sunak said he will make sure those convicted as part of the Post Office scandal will be “swiftly exonerated and compensated”.

More than half of child sexual abuse offences recorded in 2022 were committed by other children, new figures reveal. Police say the rise of child-on-child abuse is fuelled by access to violent pornography and smart phones. Data from 42 police forces in England and Wales shows that a total of 106,984 child sexual abuse offences

Former Post Office boss Paula Vennells will hand back her CBE with immediate effect amid the fallout of the Horizon IT scandal. The scandal led to the convictions of hundreds of sub-postmasters. Ms Vennells said in a statement: “I continue to support and focus on co-operating with the inquiry and expect to be giving evidence

Hundreds of domestic abuse survivors will receive cash payments of £2,500 each to help them flee their tormentors, under a new initiative. The £2m scheme, which launches this month, is described as a “lifeline” for women who can’t flee – or are forced to return to – abusive relationships because they cannot afford essentials. A

Actor Idris Elba has urged the government to immediately ban machetes and so-called zombie knives, saying it’s “time to push the agenda as strongly as we can”. The Luther star has launched a campaign called Don’t Stop Your Future, and told Sky News that “the nation wants to see that we do care about our

“A mix of snow showers and sleet” is forecast for parts of the UK as a yellow warning for ice comes into effect in the early hours of today, the Met Office has said. London and the South East are covered by the warning that comes into force at 4am until 10am today. The forecaster

Planned strikes which would have crippled London Underground services this week have been called off, according to a union. RMT say the industrial action by its workers on the Tube network – scheduled to take place from Monday to Thursday – will no longer go ahead, after positive talks with Transport for London (TfL). The

The government is being urged to “wake up and smell the flood water” following Storm Henk – amid fears that climate change is making extreme weather events more common. More than 1,800 properties have flooded after heavy downpours fell on already sodden ground, and the Environment Agency has warned more homes will be affected as

Rishi Sunak had doubts the government’s Rwanda asylum scheme would stop small boat crossings while he was chancellor, according to documents seen by Sky News. The Number 10 papers, prepared in March 2022 shortly before the Rwanda plan was first announced, also suggest the prime minister wanted to scale back the plans. A government source

A yellow cold weather alert across England comes into force at 9am this morning – and will remain in force for most of next week. All of this comes as many parts of the country continue to grapple with the aftermath of Storm Henk, with heavy rainfall inundating homes and almost cutting off communities. As

HMRC used a sarcastic post on X quoting a Sky News story to remind Luke Littler of his income tax obligations after his remarkable run to the World Darts Championship final. After reporting in our new Money blog that Littler, 16, will pay £83,000 in tax from his £200,000 earnings collected from his stunning performance

A major incident has been declared after Nottinghamshire was hit by widespread flooding – as the south of England faces another deluge of rain. Nottinghamshire County Council said the incident was declared “due to rising levels along the River Trent” and that residents who live in flood risk areas should be prepared to evacuate their

Sir Keir Starmer has refused to commit to unfreezing tax thresholds if Labour wins the next general election, saying he won’t make promises he can’t keep. However, the Labour leader was firmer in his position on inheritance tax, telling Sky News if the Tories reduce it, he will reverse that change because he does not

Several NHS trusts across England have declared critical incidents on the first day of the junior doctors’ strike, while some are calling for staff to return to work amid patient safety concerns. The six-day walkout – the longest in NHS history – began on Wednesday as junior doctors who are members of the British Medical

A hero couple saved a stranded three-year-old girl and her mother as their car sank into a swollen river amid Storm Henk. Liam Stych and his partner Tia Draper were out for a walk in Hall Green, Birmingham, when they saw a Fiat Punto sinking into a torrent. Qucking-thinking Mr Stynch, a roadworks engineer, climbed

Junior doctors in England are due to walk out for six days, starting on Wednesday morning. The industrial action, from 7am on 3 January to 7am on 9 January, is the longest in the history of the NHS. Health service executives have said the strike could mean “one of the most difficult starts to the

A “jealous” woman who ran over her fiance after an argument following a party has been found guilty of murder. Prosecutors said Manchester University student Alice Wood, 23, used her Ford Fiesta as a weapon against partner Ryan Watson, 24, near the home they shared in Rode Heath, Cheshire, at about 11.30pm on 6 May

The government is claiming victory in clearing the backlog of asylum claims – but that has been described as “misleading” as thousands are still waiting for a final decision. Prime Minister Rishi Sunak pledged in December 2022 that he would “abolish” the legacy backlog of asylum claims made before 28 June of that year, with

A 16-year-old boy has been stabbed to death on New Year’s Eve in London. A murder investigation has been launched following the fatal stabbing in Primrose Hill on Sunday night. Police were called at around 11.40pm and officers gave first aid to the victim before ambulance crews arrived. The boy was pronounced dead shortly before

A man has been arrested on suspicion of murder following the death of two women in Staffordshire. Police were called to a home in Cheadle, near Stoke-on-Trent, at 3pm on New Year’s Eve to reports that a woman’s body had been found, and another woman was injured. Both women were pronounced dead at around 3.50pm.

Luton Town captain Tom Lockyer says he is doing “very well” and “feeling very much myself” after he suffered a cardiac arrest on the pitch earlier this month. In his first statement since the incident, the 29-year-old footballer thanked “the players, staff, doctors and paramedics” for their “heroic actions”. “I feel thankful that this happened