UK

Rishi Sunak says he flew back from a government trip last December to stop the country going into a new COVID lockdown. The former chancellor and Tory leadership candidate told LBC that the UK was “hours away from a press conference” announcing the measures due to the spread of the Omicron variant. But he said

The BBC has agreed to pay “substantial” damages to Princes William and Harry’s former nanny over “false and malicious” claims that she had an affair with Prince Charles and terminated a pregnancy – allegations made by the disgraced journalist Martin Bashir. Last year, a report found Mr Bashir “deceived and induced” Princess Diana’s brother, Earl

Portugal, France, Spain and Greece are on fire – and, recently, so was the UK. Record 40C heat fuelled dozens of blazes around the country, and saw the busiest day for London’s firefighters since the Second World War. Meanwhile a staggering amount of Europe, almost half, is living with a drought warning. The climate crisis

Footage has emerged of destroyed homes and cars in east London after the capital experienced its worst day for fires since the Second World War. Video from Dagenham shows the charred remains of a large part of a street after a grassland fire sparked a series of blazes. Tuesday was the hottest day in UK

Firefighters tackling blazes which have ripped through homes and buildings in London have described the conditions as “absolute hell” on what is the UK’s hottest day on record. Residents were evacuated, people were taken to hospital and a major incident was declared by the London Fire Brigade (LFB) which was “under immense pressure” after a

The temperature has hit 40.2 (104.3F) at Heathrow Airport – a new all-time UK record. Earlier today, 39.1C (102.3F) was recorded in Charlwood, Surrey – breaking the previous record of 38.7C (101.7F) set in 2019 at Cambridge Botanic Garden. Temperatures as high as 41C (105.8F) are forecast today, with much of England still under the

A 14-year-old boy is missing and believed to have drowned after getting into difficulty in the River Thames in London on the hottest day of the year. Fours others have died while swimming in open water during the heatwave as Britain swelters, with the temperature reaching 38.1C (100.58F) today, the third hottest day on record.

As the UK braces for temperatures toppling over 40C, fears are growing for the elderly and vulnerable. A stark, public service announcement from the chief executive of the Met Office says the temperatures are “absolutely unprecedented” and warns Britons to stay inside. Scorching temperatures are predicted for Monday, with Peterborough expected to hit 37C (99F)

The new health secretary has said new measures including extra working hours for ambulance crews are being put in place as the UK faces its first national heatwave emergency. Steve Barclay said the additional support, which also includes more call handlers, is being put in place on Monday and Tuesday. Almost all of England is

Britons are being urged to do the “neighbourly thing” and check on people who may be more vulnerable as the UK braces for potentially record-breaking temperatures. The advice comes after the government’s COBRA meeting on Saturday and less than 48 hours away from forecast highs that could nudge 40C (104F). It’s the second emergency summit

Britons are bracing themselves for extreme disruption, as forecasters predict possible temperatures of more than 40C (104F) in parts of the country this week. Amid warnings that lives are at risk, a national emergency has been declared by the UK Health Security Agency and the Met Office has issued its first-ever red warning for extreme

There are growing concerns people’s lives could be at risk as the Met Office indicated it is likely a new UK record temperature could be set early next week. Meteorologists have said there is an 80% chance the mercury will top the UK’s record temperature of 38.7C (101.7F) set in Cambridge in 2019. The heatwave

A Formula 1 worker who was repeatedly called the n-word by colleagues at the Aston Martin F1 team has told Sky News the sport has to do more to confront racism in motorsport.    Aidan Louw, 25, who is mixed race and was born in South Africa, worked as a laminator building parts of the

A red warning for extreme heat has been issued for the first time for England on Monday and Tuesday, when temperatures could reach 40C for the first time. Forecasters now say there is an 80% chance of the mercury topping the UK’s highest ever record temperature of 38.7C (101.7F) set at Cambridge University Botanic Garden

Suella Braverman has been knocked out of the Conservative leadership race in the second round of voting. Ms Braverman received 27 votes from Tory MPs, five fewer than she got yesterday. The five remaining hopefuls will progress to the third round on Monday, having received the following votes: There will be successive rounds of voting

Tory leadership favourite Penny Mordaunt suffered her first setback of the campaign when she was attacked by MPs over her stance on trans issues. She clashed with right-wing Conservative MPs at a major hustings event attended by the six candidates left in the contest after the first round of voting. The trade minister and former

Jeremy Hunt has declared his support for former chancellor Rishi Sunak after he and Nadhim Zahawi were knocked out of the Conservative leadership race. The ex-health secretary said Mr Sunak had a “formidable ability” to deal with the challenging economy, but also said his character would suit the top job. “Rishi is one of the

House building has not kept up with population growth in almost half of the local authorities in England, Sky News analysis has found. In the decade to 2021, the population grew faster or at the same pace as the number of homes in 150 out of 309 local authorities, according to our analysis of data

The candidates who have made it through to the next stage of the race to replace Boris Johnson as Tory leader and prime minister have been revealed. The eight MPs who have got through to the first round are: • Rishi Sunak• Penny Mordaunt• Tom Tugendhat• Liz Truss• Suella Braverman• Jeremy Hunt• Kemi Badenoch• Nadhim

Rishi Sunak has stuck by Boris Johnson as he officially launched his leadership bid, saying he won’t “demonise” his former boss. The ex-chancellor defended the prime minister, calling him “one of the most remarkable people I have ever met”, despite resigning last week over Mr Johnson’s conduct in office. Fellow contenders Tom Tugendhat and Kemi