UK

Polls have closed in this year’s crunch local elections – with results expected to start rolling in from midnight. Voters are deciding who runs services in 230 (out of 317) local authorities in England, with around 8,000 councillors’ seats up for grabs. Mayors are also being chosen in Bedford, Leicester, Mansfield and Middlesbrough in what

“God Save the King” – four words unlikely to be on the lips of many Jamaicans at the weekend during the Coronation of King Charles. “Happy and glorious” – also a long stretch. In a world exclusive, a senior Jamaican government minister has told Sky News that the Coronation of the King has accelerated the

A man has admitted keeping a pensioner’s body in a freezer for nearly two years. Damion Johnson pleaded guilty at Derby Crown Court on Tuesday to keeping John Wainwright’s body in the freezer of a property in Birmingham. The 71-year-old died in September 2018 and was discovered in August 2020. The offence is believed to

Medicinal cannabis helps relieve cancer pain and can complement other painkilling drugs, research has suggested. A study of 358 adults with cancer found that an equal balance of active ingredients tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and cannabidiol (CBD), significantly helped pain intensity and the interference of pain in daily life. THC is the substance in cannabis that is

A nurse accused of murdering seven babies has denied harming any children as she gave evidence for the first time, crying at one point as she told the court “everything is just gone”. Lucy Letby is also accused of 10 attempted murders between 2015 and 2016, allegedly using methods such as injecting air into the

Müller is recalling six Cadbury chocolate desserts over fears the products could contain listeria. People who have bought certain batches of the desserts are being warned not to eat them and to instead return them for a refund. The bacteria listeria can cause listeriosis. The main symptoms of the illness are similar to the flu

A body has been found in the search for a teenager who went missing in the River Thames near Lechlade-on-Thames. Police were called at around 10pm on Sunday after a 17-year-old boy failed to resurface after going into the water in the River Thames near Lechlade-on-Thames in Gloucestershire. A group of five people had been

Nagi held his wife Reem in a tight embrace for more than 40 seconds. They were reunited at a hotel near Stansted Airport after he escaped violence in Sudan on one of the last evacuation flights out of the country. Tears turned to chuckles when Nagi cradled Reem’s belly to talk to their unborn child.

Each day Ron and Maxine Flewett wait for the phone to ring, hoping it is the news they have waited 20 months for. Mr Flewett has a health condition causes scarring on the lungs – he relies on a constant supply of oxygen and now he is waiting for a transplant. His wife, who is

National exemptions are in place to provide critical care during strike action by nurses, a union leader has insisted, telling Sky News staff would never leave patients unsafe or create more risk. Royal College of Nursing (RCN) general secretary Pat Cullen was speaking to Sophy Ridge On Sunday ahead of a 28-hour walkout by members

A lavish new Robe of Estate, decorated with bees, a beetle and flowers, has been made for the Queen Consort to wear after her coronation. Only small glimpses have been released, ensuring the whole ensemble remains under wraps until the big day. Announcements have also been made about traditional languages forming part of the coronation

Hospitals are bracing themselves for “exceptionally low” staff numbers in some regions as nurses prepare to go on strike over the bank holiday weekend, NHS England has warned. The latest walkout comes as the health service warns that, due to nearly six months of strike action, the number of rescheduled appointments is set to hit

The body of a man recovered by officers investigating the death of a pregnant teacher has been formally identified as her partner David Yates. Police Scotland officers made the discovery at Mugdock Reservoir on Thursday. The search was under way for Yates, 36, after Marelle Sturrock, 35, was found dead in a property in Glasgow’s

Richard Sharp has resigned as chairman of the BBC in the wake of a report into his appointment following a cronyism row. Mr Sharp said the report found he had breached the government’s code for the public appointments but said it was “inadvertent”. The matter has been a “distraction” for the BBC and he has

Police looking for the partner of a pregnant teacher found dead in Glasgow have found a body. Officers were looking for David Yates after the body of Marelle Sturrock, 35, was discovered at a property in the city’s Jura Street on Tuesday morning. Police said the body is yet to be formally identified but it

British nationals in Sudan have been warned the UK “cannot guarantee” how many more evacuation flights will leave Khartoum after the 72-hour ceasefire expires. So far, 536 British nationals have been airlifted to safety on six flights, according to the Foreign Office. The US-Saudi mediated ceasefire between Sudan’s two warring factions is due to expire

Ten people have been arrested on suspicion of murder after the death of a man in west London. Seven men and three women are being held after police were called to “reports of intruders” at an address in Brentwick Gardens in Brentford shortly after 5am on Wednesday. The London Ambulance Service and London’s Air Ambulance

The Bank of England’s chief economist has urged people to accept they are poorer, warning that inflation risks remaining stubbornly high. Huw Pill told a podcast that people and businesses have responded to higher bills and costs by asking for higher wages or charging their customers more money. His remarks echoed warnings from Bank governor

A mother and her “monster” partner have been jailed over the death of a two-year-old girl. Kyle Bevan, 31, was given a life sentence for murdering Lola James, the daughter of his partner, in Haverfordwest, Pembrokeshire, with a minimum term of 28 years. Sinead James, Lola’s mother, was sentenced to six years for causing or

The UK is coordinating an evacuation of British nationals from Sudan, Foreign Secretary James Cleverly has said. Military flights are due to depart from an airfield outside Khartoum, supported by diplomats from the Foreign Office, the government has said. Mr Cleverly says the Foreign Office has started contacting nationals directly and is providing routes to

A team of British troops have flown into a port in eastern Sudan on a reconnaissance mission as the UK works out options to help evacuate British nationals stranded in the crisis-hit country, Sky News understands. The soldiers landed at Port Sudan, on the Red Sea on Monday. A flight tracking website showed a C-17

There are understood to be around 4,000 British passport holders in Sudan after foreign secretary James Cleverly warned the UK government is “severely limited” in its ability to help British nationals until the conflict ends. It comes after diplomats and staff in Sudan have been evacuated by governments around the world as rival generals battle

Tens of millions of mobile phone users have received a message and loud alarm during the first nationwide test of the government’s new public alert system. The distinct sound and vibration was accompanied by a message telling people about the service, which is designed to warn if there is a life-threatening emergency nearby. Many people

The investigation into claims former deputy prime minister Dominic Raab bullied staff has led to a “complete breakdown” in trust between ministers and civil servants, a thinktank has said. Alex Thomas, programme director at the Institute for Government, said the inquiry has exposed “deep flaws” in the process for handling poor ministerial behaviour and that

Health Secretary Steve Barclay has said he plans to “pursue legal action” over the Royal College of Nursing’s upcoming strike action. In a statement, Mr Barclay said: “Following a request from NHS Employers, I have regretfully provided notice of my intent to pursue legal action to ask the courts to declare the Royal College of

Wrexham will be in the Football League once again next season after a 3-1 win over Boreham Wood. The crucial three points secured on Saturday means the Red Dragons have gained automatic promotion to League Two with a game to spare. Wrexham were bought by Hollywood star Ryan Reynolds and It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia

Tens of millions of phones will receive an emergency alert today as the government tests the system nationwide for the first time. At 3pm, a distinct sound and vibration will be accompanied by a message telling people a new service has launched that will “warn you if there’s a life-threatening emergency nearby”. You will be

Dogs and their owners lined the streets for the funeral procession of Paul O’Grady – TV star, LGBTQ campaigner and animal lover.   A private funeral for O’Grady, who died on 28 March, will follow the procession through the village of Aldington in Kent. Dogs from Battersea Dogs & Cats Home will form a guard of

Just Stop Oil activists have refused to rule out targeting Sunday’s London Marathon, following their disruption of the World Snooker Championships earlier this week. Some 50,000 demonstrators are expected to gather around Westminster from today until Monday to demand an end to fossil fuels, according to Extinction Rebellion, which is organising the event. It is

A Russian “spy” ship stopped at sites around wind farms off the Scottish coast in order to gather intelligence, an investigation has claimed. The Admiral Vladimirsky was part of an operation to map undersea infrastructure in the North Sea, according to a joint report by broadcasters in Denmark, Sweden, Norway and Finland. It is officially

SNP treasurer Colin Beattie is stepping down from his role after he was arrested on Tuesday. He said he will also step down from Holyrood’s Public Audit Committee while the police investigation into the party’s funding and finances takes place. Mr Beattie, who has been SNP treasurer for most of the past 19 years, was

The rate of inflation has eased slightly but still remains above 10%, according to official figures showing record costs for some essential foods. The Office for National Statistics (ONS) said the consumer prices index (CPI) measure slowed to 10.1% in March from 10.4% the previous month. Economists had largely expected a figure of 9.8%. The

SNP treasurer Colin Beattie has been arrested by police investigating the party’s funding and finances. In a statement, Police Scotland said: “A 71-year-old man has today, Tuesday, 18 April 2023, been arrested as a suspect in connection with the ongoing investigation into the funding and finances of the Scottish National Party. “The man is in