UK

A warning for heavy rain and showers is in force across southern England – with more than 200 flood alerts issued nationwide. The Met Office yellow alert comes days after Storm Ciaran battered the same area with rain, flooding and winds of up to 100mph. The ground is still saturated in many places, raising the

A boy has been killed and another child was injured after being hit by a car during the school run. Emergency services were called to Stock Road in Stock, south of Chelmsford, Essex, just after 8.20am on Friday. They attended the scene following reports of a vehicle colliding with two children. The second child was

A man has been arrested in Leicestershire after a British woman was reportedly found dead at her home in Italy. The 74-year-old suspect, who is also British, was detained on Wednesday night in Shepshed in connection with the murder of Michele Faiers, police said. The Leicestershire force did not name the suspect, who remains in

More than half of people feel politicians are using so-called culture wars to distract from other issues, according to a survey which also found the term “woke” is increasingly seen as an insult. Almost two thirds (62%) of those polled said politicians “invent or exaggerate” culture wars as a political tactic – up from less

Hundreds of schools are set to close across the south of England on Thursday as Storm Ciaran is expected to batter the country with 80mph winds. Hampshire, the Isle of Wight and Jersey have declared major incidents as the storm could bring winds of up to 110pmh to the Channel Islands. Hundreds of schools have

Boris Johnson asked his most senior scientific advisers if blowing a “special hair dryer” up your nose could kill COVID, according to Dominic Cummings. Mr Cummings’s full evidence statement to the COVID inquiry has been revealed, following his blockbuster in-person grilling on Tuesday. In the document, which runs for more than 100 pages, Mr Johnson‘s

The parents of 14-year-old Charlene Downes, who disappeared 20 years ago today, have appealed for anyone who knows what happened to her to “end their nightmare” and help bring them justice. Police have issued a fresh appeal for information about what happened to Charlene on the anniversary of her disappearance in Blackpool. In the years

Boris Johnson suggested he saw COVID as “nature’s way of dealing with old people” and was “obsessed” with them accepting their fate, the inquiry into the pandemic has heard. During a hearing on Tuesday, notes were shared from the government’s former chief scientist describing a “bonkers set of exchanges”. Sir Patrick Vallance wrote in one

Police in West Yorkshire say they are investigating a serving officer over allegations he shared racist and misogynistic content in a WhatsApp group with colleagues. Sky News has seen evidence of the content and messages on a device that was handed to the force 18 months ago. The officer’s ex-wife said she understood that West

A Metropolitan Police firearms officer charged with the murder of Chris Kaba will be named publicly, a judge has ruled. The marksman, who had previously been known only as NX121, is facing trial at the Old Bailey over the shooting of 24-year-old Mr Kaba in Streatham Hill, south London. In a ruling at the Old

Nicole Collarbone never thought she would be a single mother, but as she neared her 40th birthday, she knew she no longer wanted to wait to meet a partner to have a baby. She decided to have IVF with a sperm donor, but with the steep price of fertility treatment, and no one to share

Yellow weather warnings for rain and wind are in force every day until Thursday as a newly named storm approaches the UK. Storm Ciaran is set to bring strong winds and heavy downpours to southern parts of England and Wales – with “unsettled” conditions forecast for much of the UK. Met Office deputy chief meteorologist

A mother says she’s “living in a nightmare” as she waits to hear from her daughter and 10 family members who are trapped inside Gaza. Lalah Ali Faten, from Manchester, told Sky News she last spoke to her 29-year-old daughter Zaynab Wandawi on the phone on Thursday night when she could hear “rocket fire”. On

Heavy rain over the weekend risks flooding areas that have already been hard hit by Storm Babet, according to forecasters. The Met Office has yellow weather warnings in place for the eastern coast of Scotland, Northern Ireland and South East England on Saturday and Sunday. Conditions are likely to bring between 50mm and 80mm of

The excitement of the Gardella family was palpable as they waited in the arrivals hall at Birmingham Airport for someone they’d never met before but who already meant so much to them. Finally, they spotted a middle-aged woman wearing an oversized hoodie amongst the passengers arriving from Dusseldorf. The family instantly recognised Dana Ernst-Behme from

Rain warnings are back in place in parts of the UK – kicking off four days of miserable weather as communities reel from the impact of Storm Babet. The Met Office issued a yellow warning for downpours in Scotland and Northern Ireland from midday on Friday, including areas hit by flooding last week. In Scotland,

A 15-year-old girl is being treated in hospital for septic shock caused by a bite from a tropical ant infestation in her home. Rayanne Turay had to seek urgent medical treatment after an ant bite on her leg became infected. Her mum, Jordann Griffiths, said she first complained to the council months ago. Although work

An online fundraiser for two Met Police officers sacked over the stop and search of two black athletes has attracted almost £19,000 in donations. PC Jonathan Clapham and PC Sam Franks were dismissed yesterday after a disciplinary hearing found them guilty of cross misconduct for lying about smelling cannabis when they pulled over Olympic competitors

Widespread exploitation of carers recruited from abroad is the “the number one priority” for the agency that investigates criminality affecting workers in England and Wales. The Gangmasters and Labour Abuse Authority (GLAA) told Sky News that the Health and Care Worker visa system is being abused by criminals, leading to “a constant stream of allegations”

Former police officer Lewis Edwards, who admitted more than 100 sexual offences against children, has been handed a life sentence. He will serve a minimum of 12 years behind bars. He was granted a reduction of one third to his sentence due to his entering a guilty plea. Sentences for other counts for which he