UK

A police officer who sexually assaulted a six-year-old girl on duty has been jailed. Dean Dempster, 35, from Manchester, attacked the child when he was responding to a domestic disturbance on 29 December 2023 while on duty in Oldham. During the investigation, it was also found he had superimposed his face onto child abuse images.

Sara Sharif’s murder-accused father has told jurors he “takes full responsibility” for the death of his daughter. Minicab driver Urfan Sharif, 42, called police in the early hours of 10 August last year saying he had beaten her “too much” for being “naughty”, the court previously heard. The 10-year-old’s body was found in a bunkbed

NHS league tables revealing failing NHS trusts and cancelled pay rises or dismissal for managers who don’t turn things around are to form part of the government’s plans to improve the health service. Health Secretary Wes Streeting is confirming new measures he hopes will boost failing hospital trusts and encourage successful ones. The changes form

WARNING: This article contains language and content some readers may find distressing As a single mum, Lucy* looked forward to her rare nights out. A few years ago, during after-work drinks at a local pub, she started feeling unwell. When she collapsed and passed out, a bouncer called an ambulance. Lucy’s drink had been spiked.

Gary Lineker will step down as host of Match Of The Day at the end of the season, the BBC has confirmed. The 63-year-old will continue to host coverage of the FA Cup in 2025/26 and the World Cup in 2026, the broadcaster announced. Lineker will continue with the MOTD Top Ten podcast while his

A six-month expected lifespan and the ability to take the fatal drugs will be requirements for someone to end their own life under proposed assisted dying legislation. Someone with disability or mental health issues will not be eligible for assisted dying under the plans, published in the End of Life Bill on Tuesday. MPs will

A former soldier accused of spying for Iran has pleaded guilty to escaping from prison under a food catering truck and going on the run for four days while he was awaiting trial. Daniel Khalife, 23, from Kingston, southwest London, changed his plea to a charge of escaping from lawful custody, halfway through giving evidence

Sir Keir Starmer will attend Armistice Day commemorations in France on Monday – the first UK leader to do so since Winston Churchill in the Second World War. Towns and cities across France will mark the 106th anniversary of the Armistice agreement in 1918 that brought fighting in the First World War to an end.

The King led the nation’s Remembrance Sunday commemorations as he laid a wreath at the Cenotaph during a two-minute silence. Charles, who is still receiving cancer treatment, paid his respects without the Queen, who did not attend events in central London due to a chest infection. He appeared alongside his son Prince William and daughter-in-law,

The Princess of Wales has joined other senior royals at the Royal British Legion’s Festival of Remembrance. Both wearing poppies, Kate and the Prince of Wales were seen talking to one another before taking their seats at the Royal Albert Hall. They were later pictured applauding on the balcony during the service that included a

Rachel Reeves will this weekend be told by some of Britain’s biggest hospitality groups that the tax hikes imposed in last month’s Budget risk triggering a tsunami of job losses across the sector. Sky News has learnt that dozens of bosses from pub, restaurant and hotel operators have agreed to sign a letter to the

The Metropolitan Police has referred two cases to the police watchdog following complaints about investigations into allegations made against Mohamed al Fayed. The force has voluntarily referred the cases to the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) after receiving complaints from two women regarding prior police investigations into allegations against the former Harrods and Fulham

In Altrincham near Manchester asylum seekers are just settling in at the Cresta Court Hotel, many of them just days after making a treacherous journey across the English Channel. But, as the new arrivals find sanctuary in a northern town, their presence is causing controversy. The government said it would end the use of hotels

Prince William has described the past year as “brutal” and probably “the hardest year in my life” following his father and wife being diagnosed with cancer. In a wide-ranging and surprisingly personal interview at the end of his week-long tour of Cape Town, the Prince of Wales was asked how hard the last year has

The Bank of England has forecast Rachel Reeves’ first budget as chancellor will increase inflation by up to half a percentage point over the next two years, contributing to a slower decline in interest rates than previously thought. Announcing a widely anticipated 0.25 percentage point cut in the base rate to 4.75%, the Bank’s Monetary

Lucy Letby suggested she could give “tips” to a colleague on how to get away with murder, a public inquiry has heard. The child serial killer exchanged WhatsApp messages in 2017 with union rep Hayley Griffiths about the US legal drama How To Get Away With Murder. The discussion took place a year after the

A GP who tried to kill his mother’s partner by disguising himself as a community nurse before poisoning him with a fake COVID booster jab has been jailed for 31 years. Sentencing Dr Thomas Kwan, 53, at Newcastle Crown Court, Mrs Justice Lambert said: “It was an audacious plan to murder a man in plain

The Queen is unwell with a chest infection and has withdrawn from her engagements this week, Buckingham Palace has announced. A palace spokesperson said Camilla’s doctors “have advised a short period of rest” and added that “with great regret, Her Majesty has therefore had to withdraw from her engagements for this week”. They added the

An apparent firebomb attack at a DHL warehouse in Birmingham, linked to Russian-backed saboteurs, was believed to be a trial run for a US attack, according to Polish officials. Poland’s National Prosecutor’s Office has confirmed four arrests after parcels “containing explosives” were allegedly sent via courier companies to countries including the UK. Counter-terror police in

More cases of a new strain of mpox have been detected in the UK, officials say. Last week, the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) said a single case of the mpox virus variant Clade 1b had been confirmed in London. The agency has now announced a further two cases have been detected. The two patients