UK

Ten times more people are in hospital with flu than this time last year, latest figures show. There were an average of 344 patients a day with flu in hospital last week, compared with the 31 seen at the beginning of December last year, according to data released by NHS England. It comes amid pressures

Nicola Sturgeon has vowed to find another way “for Scottish people to express their will” after judges ruled that another independence referendum cannot be held without the backing of Westminster. After the judgment this morning, the Scottish first minister said she will continue to push for independence, declaring: “We must and we will find another

The Scottish Parliament does not have the power to call a second independence referendum in the country, the Supreme Court has said. The unanimous ruling from the UK’s top judges said, despite demands from the SNP for a fresh vote, the country’s government would need approval from the government in Westminster before going ahead. First

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

Fans have voiced their anger after England and Wales said their captains would not wear OneLove armbands at the World Cup in Qatar because they could face an instant yellow card for doing so. England’s Harry Kane and Wales’ Gareth Bale were among players from a number of national teams that were due to wear

Two children killed in a Nottinghamshire flat fire have been named by police as they said their mother has also died. Naeemah Drammeh, aged one and three-year-old sister Fatimah, were taken to Queen’s Medical Centre along with their mother after the blaze in Fairisle Close, Clifton, in the early hours of Sunday. The sisters were

A man has been arrested on suspicion of murder after a baby and toddler died in a flat fire in Nottingham. The emergency services were called to reports of a fire in the Clifton area of the city at 3.17am today. A woman, thought to be in her 30s, and two children were treated at

The former children’s commissioner for England has warned of families across the country facing “awful conditions” in their social housing, following the death of Awaab Ishak. The two-year-old died in December 2020 from a respiratory condition caused by mould in his home, managed by Rochdale Boroughwide Housing (RBH). There has been an outpouring of emotion

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

Let’s start with a tale of two charts. Or rather, one chart. Be warned: it’s not a pretty chart. It shows how average household disposable income changed each year since 1955 and for the most part it’s a story of progress. As the years have gone on, we have seen our disposable incomes rise in

The UK’s economic outlook will be “challenging” for the next two years, Jeremy Hunt says. The chancellor presented his autumn statement 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 the public finances. But the independent Office for Budget

All the main announcements as chancellor Jeremy Hunt reveals his autumn statement to MPs: • He told the Commons in his opening remarks: “In the face of unprecedented global headwinds, families, pensioners, businesses, teachers, nurses and many others are worried about the future. So today we deliver a plan to tackle the cost-of-living crisis and

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

There has been a higher than expected leap in the rate of inflation, to a 41-year high of 11.1% last month, led by the latest rise in energy bills. The Office for National Statistics (ONS) revealed the increase, from 10.1% in September, as the cost of light and heating for homes rose further despite help

A two-year-old boy died as a result of extensive mould in his flat, which a surveyor described as “unfit for human habitation”, an inquest has concluded. Awaab Ishak died shortly after his second birthday on 21 December 2020. Coroner Joanne Kearsley found that he “died as a result of a severe respiratory condition caused due

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.

The chief constable of South Yorkshire Police has promised to “root out” sexual abusers from the force after meeting a woman who claimed in a Sky News interview she was raped by a police officer as a child.  Chief Constable Lauren Poultney commended Leona Whitworth’s bravery for speaking out and said her counter-corruption officers would