UK

The revelation that ministers are considering bringing Thames Water into temporary public ownership has reopened the fierce debate over the privatisation of the country’s water industry. The sudden resignation of the company’s chief executive and Sky’s exclusive report into government contingency plans for the firm’s potential collapse comes amid growing calls for change following a

Human remains found in a California mountain area are those of British actor Julian Sands, the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department has confirmed. It is five months since the 65-year-old was reported missing in the Mount Baldy region of the San Gabriel mountains. Hikers found the remains on Saturday morning, with officials now positively identifying them

There was “nothing” in Nicola Bulley’s medical records to suggest she was suicidal, her former GP has told an inquest into her death. Dr Rebecca Gray told the hearing at County Hall, Preston, that Ms Bulley had spoken to her about feeling a “low mood and anxiety” since 2018, later speaking of headaches, fatigue and

It will cost £169,000 per person to send illegal migrants to countries such as Rwanda, according to new analysis published by the government. An economic assessment of the Illegal Migration Bill also estimated that each person sent abroad to the east African nation, or a similar country, will save the taxpayer between £106,000 and £165,000

The chancellor is urging a focus on rip-off charges ahead of a meeting with UK regulators this week, as stubborn inflation threatens the government’s target of halving inflation this year. Jeremy Hunt is to meet bodies with oversight of key industries such as food and energy in the week after the shock Bank of England

Sarah Ferguson, the Duchess of York, has been treated for breast cancer, her spokesman has said. The spokesman told Sky News: “Sarah, Duchess of York was recently diagnosed with an early form of breast cancer detected at a routine mammogram screening. “She was advised she needed to undergo surgery which has taken place successfully. “The

Several police forces across the UK have asked people not to call 999 due to a “technical fault”. London’s Metropolitan Police – the UK’s largest force – said many 999 calls were not connecting and advised people to call 101 in an emergency until further notice. South Wales Police, Greater Manchester Police and Derbyshire Police

Canadian police are looking into the deaths of five people killed in the implosion of the Titan submersible. Superintendent Kent Osmond, of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, confirmed on Saturday it was looking into the circumstances. Parts from the sub were discovered on the sea floor on Thursday, only about 400m from the wreck of

A water company boss has blamed people working from home for a new hosepipe ban.  South East Water will impose the first hosepipe ban of the summer from Monday, affecting more than two million homes and businesses across Kent and Sussex. Its chief executive, David Hinton, said in a letter to customers that post-pandemic working

The Home Office is working on plans to house hundreds of migrants in marquees on large sites across the country, Sky News understands. A government source said the plans were still at an early stage, but were being developed by the department. A number of new controversial accommodation sites have been announced by the Conservatives

The 19-year-old university student who was killed in the Titan submersible was “terrified” before the trip but went as a Father’s Day present. Azmeh Dawood, the older sister of Pakistani businessman Shahzada Dawood, told Sky’s US partner network NBC News that Mr Dawood’s son Suleman was “very not into doing it”. “Suleman had a sense

The Bank of England has shocked economists and investors by raising interest rates half a percentage point to 5% – the highest level since 2008. Economists had expected the Monetary Policy Committee to raise interest rates by only a quarter percentage point, but the MPC voted 7-2 for the surprise increase, explaining that it was

A man has been arrested after two people were stabbed at a hospital in northwest London. Armed officers responded after calls at 1.18pm that two had been stabbed at Central Middlesex Hospital. One of the victims has life-threatening injuries and a second has non-life threatening injuries. A man was arrested outside the hospital and is

An interest rate rise by the Bank of England at midday is a nailed-on certainty – though opinions are split on the level of additional pain that could be imposed as efforts to curb the country’s inflation problem stumble. At the start of this week, policymakers were widely tipped to raise the base rate by

The number of teenage girls with eating disorders has increased dramatically since the start of the COVID pandemic, with experts warning of a “postcode lottery of care”. The new study, published in the Lancet Child And Adolescent Health journal found that since March 2020 eating disorders such as anorexia nervosa or bulimia were 42% higher

The five people on board the missing submersible close to the wreck of the Titanic have “about 40 hours of breathable air” left, the US Coastguard has said. In an update on Tuesday, Captain Jamie Frederick said the search had not yielded any results so far. An ROV (remotely operated underwater vehicle) has been deployed

Fraudsters on mopeds are driving head-first into motorists in a rising insurance scam that has claimed thousands of victims, authorities have warned.  Many of the “crash for cash” moped scammers are believed to be couriers delivering items including takeaways, according to the Insurance Fraud Bureau (IFB). Nearly every UK insurer has received bogus claims related

UK billionaire Hamish Harding is one of the people on board a missing tourist submersible used to take people to see the wreck of the Titanic. Mr Harding’s stepson Brian Szasz, said on Facebook: “Hamish Harding my step father has gone missing on submarine thoughts and prayers. “My stepdad Hamish Harding has gone missing on

The prime minister has declined to back extra support for mortgage holders despite higher interest rates making payments more expensive – and a further rise in rates expected. Asked if the government will introduce financial support for mortgage bills, similar to those introduced to help with energy bills, Rishi Sunak said he understood the public

More than half a month’s worth of rain could fall in parts of the UK in the next 24 hours, the Met Office has said. Yellow weather warnings for thunderstorms and rain are in place across England and Wales – and southern parts of Scotland – and only expire at midnight tonight. A further alert