UK

Labour are on track for their worst end to the year in opinion polls since the Second World War. Sir Keir Starmer‘s party is now averaging just 26.6%, despite winning one of the largest-ever majorities five months ago. Analysis of nearly 1,000 polls across 75 years found Labour are now 1% behind their previous end-of-year

Oleksandr Usyk has beaten Tyson Fury in their rematch in Saudi Arabia. Ukrainian Usyk, 37, who had entered the bout as a narrow favourite, retained his WBO, WBC and WBA heavyweight titles with his win at Riyadh’s Kingdom Arena. British fighter Fury, 36, had hoped to take revenge after his previous defeat to Usyk in

Pensioners have until the end of Saturday to apply for benefits which could unlock access to the winter fuel payment, or risk missing out on up to £300. It has been switched to a means-tested benefit including for those on pension credit, but official estimates suggest there are 760,000 households who do not claim pension

The Prince and Princess of Wales are set to work with a local charity to launch a mental health programme to support those living on the Sandringham Estate and in the surrounding areas. The royals are partly funding the new pilot programme with Norfolk and Waveney Mind. It will provide additional mental health support for

The co-manager for Donald Trump’s presidential election campaign has called Lord Peter Mandelson an “absolute moron” – as the peer was officially announced as the next UK ambassador to the US. The Labour grandee, who served in Sir Tony Blair and Gordon Brown’s cabinets, will become the UK’s top diplomat in Washington as president-elect Donald

Children with special educational needs are being “segregated” and left to struggle in the wrong schools because councils are trying to “save on costs”, parents have told Sky News.  Maire Leigh Wilson, whose four-year-old son has Down’s syndrome, says she “shudders to think” where he would be now had she not been in a “constant

The King’s cancer treatment will continue into the New Year, Sky News understands. Palace sources have said “his treatment has been moving in a positive direction and as a managed condition the treatment cycle will continue into next year”. The source added there is a sense of optimism, which can be seen in the King’s

Social media companies must face tough sanctions if they fail to keep children safe from harmful content, the technology secretary has said. Speaking exclusively to Sky News, Peter Kyle said age verification for adult material would have to be “watertight”, and that apps which do not protect children will face heavy fines and even jail

There’s been a huge increase in animal neglect and abandonment in England and Wales and the RSPCA’s rescue centres are “absolutely full”, according to the charity. New figures show there were 38,977 incidents of neglect reported to the RSPCA’s emergency cruelty line between January and September 2023. But for the same period in 2024, there

Four teenagers who murdered two boys in Bristol in a case of mistaken identity have been detained for life. Riley Tolliver, 18, a 16-year-old boy, a 17-year-old boy, and getaway driver Antony Snook, 45, were convicted of the murders of Mason Rist, 15, and 16-year-old Max Dixon in November. A 15-year-old boy was also found

Average water bills in England and Wales will increase by 36% over the next five years, water regulator Ofwat has said. The rise is equivalent to an average extra of £31 per year. Water companies had asked for an average rise of 40%. The regulator’s draft determinations issued in July said the bills would rise

A criminology student has been found guilty of the murder and attempted murder of two women on a beach in Bournemouth. Nasen Saadi, 20, from Croydon, fatally stabbed personal trainer Amie Gray, 34, ten times as she sat beside a fire on Durley Chine Beach in Dorset on the evening of 24 May. Her friend

Sara Sharif’s father and stepmother have been handed life sentences for murdering the 10-year-old after she suffered years of abuse. Warning this story contains distressing details. Urfan Sharif, 42, will serve at least 40 years in prison and Beinash Batool, 30, a minimum of 33 years. Sara’s uncle, Faisal Malik, 29, was also sentenced to

The government and the water regulator broke the law by allowing sewage to be discharged outside of “exceptional circumstances”, according to the green watchdog. Outlets called combined sewer overflows (CSOs) are only meant to be opened on rare occasions, such as during very heavy rain to stop sewage flooding back into homes and businesses. But

Children in some parts of England are spending more than five and a half years in temporary accommodation, a Sky News investigation has found. Data from Freedom of Information requests shows London and the South East are the regions seeing the longest stays for homeless households. More than two-thirds of local authorities saw households with

A suspected Chinese spy – described as a “close confidant” of Prince Andrew – has been barred from the UK because of concerns he posed a threat to national security. The alleged spy, known only as H6, was first excluded from entering Britain in 2023 by then home secretary Suella Braverman after the Home Office

“Removing the right to trial by jury” and “intermediate courts” may be the only way to clear the crown court backlog in England and Wales, the chief inspector of the Crown Prosecution Service Inspectorate has said. Speaking exclusively to Sky News, Anthony Rogers says “radical action” is needed urgently. “The number of cases waiting to

A murder investigation is under way after a woman was killed and two men injured in a triple shooting in northwest London. Metropolitan Police officers were called to reports of a shooting at around 9.15pm on Saturday in Gifford Road in Harlesden. The woman, believed to be in her 40s, was found injured but despite

Eight people are injured in Glasgow after a double decker bus hit a railway bridge. One person is in a critical condition, according to the police, and five people were taken by ambulance to Queen Elizabeth University Hospital for treatment. Footage posted online shows a First Bus wedged under the bridge on Cook Street on

Government departments are doing “anything to avoid” sharing information about Prince Andrew’s past business dealings. The claim comes from author Andrew Lownie who’s been working for four years on a new book about the Duke of York. He has submitted over a hundred requests to Whitehall departments only to find that information “has vanished”. Speaking

Construction workers are four times more likely to die by suicide than the national average, making it one of the deadliest professions for mental health problems in the UK, according to a new report. Social media company On The Tools, the UK’s largest community of tradespeople, has found that 73% of the country’s 2.1 million

A 52-year-old pedestrian has died after she and her daughter were hit by a car that had reportedly mounted the pavement in Essex. Police were called to reports of a collision between a car and two pedestrians at the junction of Hamlet Court Road and St John’s Road in Westcliff just before 5.30pm on Thursday.

Two people have been taken to hospital and several others injured after a fairground ride “failed and crashed” in Birmingham. West Midlands Fire Service said the ride “dropped to ground level whilst in operation” in an incident around 7.30pm on Thursday. According to West Midlands Ambulance Service, paramedics found 13 patients in need of help

A body has been found in the search for former England rugby player Tom Voyce. He went missing on Saturday while attempting to drive across a flood-swollen river in Northumberland. Police previously said they believe the 43-year-old was trying to cross Abberwick Ford, about three miles from Alnwick, when his car was pulled along with

We’re out on the street for a matter of seconds before PCs David Parker and Jake Dean shoot off on their bikes through the pre-Christmas traffic. They are in pursuit of an e-scooter being ridden on the pavement near London’s Liverpool Street Station. It’s illegal to use privately-owned e-scooters in public in the UK. The

A former England rugby player is believed to have died after going into a river in his car in Northumberland. Northumbria Police said officers received a report on Sunday morning that Tom Voyce, 43, who played for clubs including Bath and London Wasps, had not returned home after an evening with friends on Saturday. The

A police unit launched to crack down on the surge in shoplifting has arrested 93 members of 28 organised crime gangs behind more than £4m worth of thefts. The national team has also identified 228 previously unknown offenders and 70 vehicles involved in retail crime in the seven months since it was launched, according to

A teenager fatally stabbed a schoolgirl in a fit of “white-hot anger” after a row over her friend’s teddy bear, a court has heard. Hassan Sentamu, 18, lashed out at Elianne Andam with a kitchen knife in Croydon town centre while he met with his ex-girlfriend and her group, the Old Bailey was told. Jurors

The north of England will directly benefit from closer trade ties with Saudi Arabia, the prime minister has said as he visits the country. Sir Keir Starmer is to visit the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia on Monday, in a bid to build closer economic ties with the two Gulf states. The prime minister’s

Singing, dancing, hugging and crying. Hundreds of Syrians have gathered in Manchester city centre to celebrate the end of the regime, a regime many fled in fear of their lives. Their faces are full of joy and tears as years of fear, worry and disappointment make way for hope. They wave flags saying “freedom” and

Strong winds are set to batter the UK again after Storm Darragh swept through the country. A fresh yellow Met Office wind warnings comes into force across much of England and Wales at 6am, after gusts of up to 80mph continue to hit Northern Ireland. Gusts of 35-45mph are likely around England and Wales, reaching

West Ham United forward Michail Antonio has been involved in a car crash, the club has confirmed. In a statement, the Hammers said “thoughts and prayers” are with Antonio, his friends and his family. No details of the player’s condition or further information about the incident have yet been given, but the club said they

Millions of people have been urged to stay inside as Storm Darragh hits the UK and Ireland. A rare red “danger to life” weather warning has been issued for much of Wales and parts of the South West as the fourth named storm of the season reaches the UK. It is one of a swathe