UK

Royal Mail workers are beginning a 48-hour strike that the retail sector warns could cripple the Black Friday discount shopping season. The strike action is being taken nationwide by 115,000 staff represented by the Communication Workers Union (CWU). It is the latest stoppage in a long-running, and increasingly bitter, dispute over pay and the company’s

A woman who was nearly killed in a hit-and-run says her life was “ruined” and she wants the driver to get their “just deserts” – as police launch a national crackdown on dangerous uninsured motorists. Sharon Cochrane spent four months in hospital after suffering a broken leg and arm, eight broken ribs, two broken collarbones

Manchester United Football Club could finally be sold by its American owners after a 17-year reign dominated by fan protests and declining on-pitch performance. Sky News can exclusively reveal that the Glazer family is preparing to formally announce its intention to examine potential sources of outside investment that could include a full-blown auction of arguably

Energy suppliers need to do more to help vulnerable customers this winter, the industry’s regulator has said, with “severe weaknesses” found in the practice of five suppliers. Ofgem said failings included customers missing out on free gas safety checks, vulnerable customers not being offered the support they need, and ensuring those on prepayment meters are

England won their World Cup opener against Iran – following a build-up that was dominated by a decision not to wear the OneLove armband, the taking of the knee and the Iranian players’ own silence during the national anthem. The Three Lions disappointed many fans by reversing plans to wear a pro-inclusivity armband after FIFA

England and Wales open their World Cup campaigns today in Qatar amid ongoing uncertainty about potential FIFA punishments for their activism. Captain Harry Kane is due to wear a OneLove multicoloured armband when England face Iran at Khalifa International Stadium at 1pm UK time. Then at 7pm, at Al Rayyan Stadium, Gareth Bale is due

A murder investigation has been opened after a baby and a toddler died in a ‘deliberate’ flat fire in Nottingham. The emergency services were called to reports of a fire the Clifton area of the city at 3.17am today, where people had become trapped in a first-floor flat. An initial investigation concluded the fire was

A person staying at the Manston migrant processing centre in Kent has died in hospital, the Home Office has said. They were admitted after becoming unwell and died on Saturday morning. There is “no evidence at this stage” to suggest the death was “caused by an infectious disease”, a Home Office spokesperson said. There will

The housing secretary has put social accommodation providers “on notice” as he hit out at the “abhorrent” mouldy flat that killed two-year-old Awaab Ishak. In a letter to every English council leader and social housing provider, Michael Gove said Awaab’s death was an “appalling case of the utmost gravity” and “must never be allowed to

A woman has been reportedly swept into the River Don in Aberdeenshire, as heavy rain is set to bring more disruption to Scotland as well as the northeast of England today. Police Scotland said the force was called to the river near to Monymusk in Aberdeenshire at around 3.05pm on Friday following reports of a

A sexual predator has pleaded guilty to murdering law graduate Zara Aleena just days after being released from prison. Jordan McSweeney appeared at the Old Bailey on Friday where he admitted murdering Ms Aleena, who was brutally kicked and stamped on, then left for dead, in the early hours of 26 June this year. The

Jeremy Hunt will continue to defend his autumn statement today as experts warn of a record fall in living standards across the country. The chancellor presented his economic plan to parliament on Thursday, littered with stealth taxes and curbs on government spending amounting to £55bn in an attempt to plug the black hole in public

Here are all the main announcements from Chancellor Jeremy Hunt’s autumn statement to MPs: • Energy bill aid for households extended beyond April for a further year through energy price guarantee, but average annual bill will be £3,000 from current £2,500. Amounts to around £500 support for households. • Additional cost of living payments next

Jeremy Hunt will promise to weather an economic “storm” by raising taxes, cutting public spending and scaling back energy support to fill a £54bn black hole in the nation’s finances. The chancellor will insist to MPs on Thursday that his autumn statement puts the UK on a “balanced path to stability” as he tackles the

Iran has made at least 10 threats this year to kidnap or kill people in the UK deemed as “enemies of the regime”, the head of MI5 has revealed. Ken McCallum also warned the UK must be ready for more aggression from Russia, saying that over 100 suspected Russian spies have been refused entry to

A two-year-old boy’s death was caused by “extensive” mould in his family’s flat, a coroner has concluded in a case that should be “a defining moment” for the housing sector. Awaab Ishak died shortly after his second birthday in December 2020. Joanne Kearsley, the coroner, found that he “died as a result of a severe

Rishi Sunak will meet the Chinese president on Wednesday after declaring that his country poses a “systemic challenge” to the values and interests of the UK. Mr Sunak will become the first prime minister to meet Xi Jinping face to face in almost five years when he meets him at the G20 summit in Indonesia.

Some 85% of NHS trust leaders say they are more concerned about this winter than any previous one during their career. The figure comes from a poll of health trust leaders for NHS Providers as waiting lists in England continue to reach record levels and cancer targets are routinely being missed. Some 48% of trust

A gang of armed robbers have been jailed for a total of 141 years after a wave of violent attacks on security guards refilling cash machines. They used guns, knives, hammers and crowbars to terrorise staff before fleeing in a fleet of stolen vehicles and leaving few clues behind them. When banknotes got stained by

Home Secretary Suella Braverman will travel to Paris to sign a new joint declaration with French officials to ramp up efforts to stop migrant crossings in the Channel. The home secretary will sign the agreement with French interior minister Gerald Darmanin on Monday morning. According to the Financial Times, the agreement will significantly increase the

As it was revealed a total of 40,885 migrants have reached UK shores in 2022, Sky’s Europe news editor Sophie Garratt and her team headed to Calais, where they discovered people traffickers are adapting to new methods to evade getting caught. Below is her harrowing account of migrants using a dangerous taxi boat service to

Chancellor Jeremy Hunt has warned there will be no rabbits in the upcoming budget, describing himself as “Scrooge who is going to do things that make sure Christmas is never cancelled”. Mr Hunt spoke to The Sunday Times ahead of Thursday’s autumn statement, which is likely to see a number of tough measures taken to

Thousands of migrants passing through the Manston processing centre will be vaccinated against diphtheria after dozens of cases of the highly contagious disease were confirmed in England, health authorities have said. The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) said it is moving with the Home Office to vaccinate migrants at the centre after it revealed on

Five days after being smuggled into the UK in a lorry, Albanian Iva Memaj dialled the Home Office’s freephone number to claim asylum. “I feel very excited for my future,” she told us. “I feel safe here.” Iva said she ran from the lorry when it got to England, hid and was then picked up

England manager Gareth Southgate has encouraged players to reassess their social media usage and ensure it doesn’t affect their happiness and mood at the World Cup. It comes after black players were targeted with racist abuse after England’s defeat on penalties in last year’s European Championship final. Now Southgate’s side is about to leave for

The UK economy contracted by 0.2% in the third quarter, early official figures show – prompting the chancellor to warn that the “tough road ahead” will require “extremely difficult decisions”. The figure marked the first step towards recession. The Office for National Statistics (ONS) reported a dip in output for September, leaving gross domestic product

A man has been sentenced to a further 15 years in prison – in addition to the 18 he has already served – for setting his partner on fire and causing her death 21 years later. Steven Craig, 58, covered Jacqueline Kirk in petrol and set her alight in a car park in Weston-super-Mare, Somerset

Boy George has revealed his mother was in hospital during the pandemic and said if she had not survived he would have quit I’m A Celebrity when Matt Hancock entered the jungle. The Culture Club singer was in tears after the former health secretary, who was booted out of the Conservative Party over his decision

A nursing union representing hundreds of thousands of nurses in the UK has voted to hold the first nationwide strike in its 106-year history. The Royal College of Nursing (RCN) said the strike will affect the majority of NHS employers in the UK as nurses take action against pay levels and patient safety concerns. The

Rishi Sunak will face PMQs this afternoon – hours after his ally Sir Gavin Williamson quit over bullying claims. The prime minister’s judgement is being questioned after he emerged that he appointed Sir Gavin to a senior role despite being aware of an investigation related to his behaviour. Sir Gavin’s departure as Cabinet Office minister

Labour has called on Rishi Sunak to block Boris Johnson’s “conveyer belt of cronies” resignation peerages. Scotland Secretary Alister Jack, former culture secretary Nadine Dorries, former minister Nigel Adams and the outgoing COP26 President Alok Sharma are among those expected to be nominated by the former prime minister to be elevated to the House of

A contentious plan to build a new royal yacht has been scrapped, the defence secretary has confirmed. The successor to the Royal Yacht Britannia, which was expected to cost around £200m, was announced by Boris Johnson in May 2021. Mr Johnson, the prime minister at the time, said it would reflect “the UK’s burgeoning status

Millions of Britons on low incomes will start receiving £324 into their bank accounts today to help them through the cost of living crisis. The payments are the second part of a £650 sum being paid out to people receiving benefits such as Universal Credit, income-based jobseeker’s allowance (JSA), income-related employment and support allowance (ESA),