UK

Sir Alex Ferguson has told a court that Ryan Giggs has a “fantastic temperament” and he never saw him lose his temper, as he gave evidence at his former player’s assault trial. The ex-Manchester United manager said Giggs would “feel the sharp end of my tongue” during his playing career but was “without doubt the

The cost of living crisis is pushing more women into sex work and leaving them unable to say no to violent and exploitative clients, outreach workers have told Sky News. With inflation at a record high and wages failing to keep up with spiralling prices and energy bills, the number of calls to the English

A man has been charged with the murder of 87-year-old Thomas O’Halloran, who was stabbed to death on his mobility scooter. Lee Byer, 44, of Allenby Avenue, Southall, west London, will appear at Willesden Magistrates’ Court today, after being arrested yesterday. Mr O’Halloran was attacked on a road in nearby Greenford on Tuesday afternoon. Police believe

A-level grades received by UK students are lower this year than in 2021 and 2020 but remain higher than pre-pandemic levels – the last time students physically sat exams. Hundreds of thousands of pupils across England, Wales and Northern Ireland will be eagerly opening their results today – with teenagers in Scotland receiving theirs last

Rail, Tube and bus passengers are set to face four days of travel misery as tens of thousands of workers stage another round of strikes. In recent months, several strikes have been carried out as part of a long-running dispute over pay, jobs and working conditions. From Thursday, Network Rail, train companies, London Underground and

Police investigating the killing of 87-year-old Thomas O’Halloran who was stabbed to death have released pictures of a man seen running from the scene armed with a knife. Detectives have issued images of a man they are keen to identify as a matter of urgency following the killing of Mr O’Halloran, who had been riding a

Footage shows a pensioner fighting with masked youths who have allegedly been targeting his home for nearly a year. West Midlands Police have said they are investigating after two CCTV clips were shared online which show a gang targeting the property of Roy Muller, 76, in Great Barr, Birmingham, five days apart. The first video

Thunderstorms and heavy rain are predicted across England and Wales on Tuesday, with warnings over flash flooding and disruption. The Met Office has issued a yellow thunderstorm warning for most of the UK on Tuesday. Conditions could also cause transport disruption and power cuts in areas hit by heavy rain. Hail, frequent lightning and flash

The government has agreed to offer £100,000 in compensation to victims of the infected blood scandal. It comes after decades of campaigning and government denial of responsibility. The announcement has had a mixed reception, because while survivors will now get long-overdue help and recognition, many others have already died and, apart from spouses, relatives of

Sir Keir Starmer has said Labour’s plan to deal with the “national emergency” of spiralling energy costs is “robust” and a “real answer” to soaring household bills. The Labour leader said his plan would keep soaring household bills down by freezing the energy price cap and it would be paid for by introducing a new

The UK is braced for several days of thunderstorms after a hot weekend which saw parts of the country grapple with wildfires – but the change in weather is likely to bring more danger rather than relief, meteorologists have warned. A lack of rain and high temperatures have caused drought conditions which have turned much

A teenage boy has died after going into the sea in Skegness, Lincolnshire. Police described him as “a child under the age of 16”, saying that he was in the water at around 6.15pm on Saturday. A search was carried out by officers and the coastguard, with the boy’s body found at around 11.30pm. No

More extreme heat and drought conditions, and the potential for wildfires, are expected in the southern half of the UK this weekend – while the northern half is set to be struck by thunderstorms and floods. The Met Office has issued an amber heat warning covering most of England and Wales, where temperatures of up

Droughts have been declared in parts of southwest, southern and central England and all of eastern England, as Britons continue to bake in the high temperatures. The affected areas are: • Devon and Cornwall• Solent and South Downs• Kent and South London• Herts and North London• East Anglia• Thames• Lincolnshire and Northamptonshire• East Midlands Wiggonholt

Droughts could be declared in “quite a few regions” of the country tomorrow, a source from the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs has told Sky News. The news contradicts earlier suggestions that a drought would only be declared in the South West. The drought declaration is not expected to cover the whole country,

A drought is expected to be declared tomorrow in the South West, Sky News understands. It follows the start of a four-day amber heat warning, below normal levels in waterways, and England’s driest July since 1935 during which the temperature rose above 40C for the first time. The declaration means people living across the South

The risk of fires from tinderbox dry conditions across parts of England and Wales has been raised to “exceptional” – the highest it can be – as a four-day amber weather warning comes into force. The top level on the Fire Severity Index applies to much of southern England, and reaches as far west as

All children aged one to nine in London are to be offered a dose of the polio vaccine, after more of the virus was found in the city’s sewers. Vaccine-derived poliovirus has been detected in sewage in Barnet, Brent, Camden, Enfield, Hackney, Haringey, Islington, and Waltham Forest. The virus has also been found in lower

Millions of UK homes are already in debt over their energy bills – with £1.3 billion owed, even before bills are set to soar by more than 80%. The overall debt bill is already three times higher than it was a year ago, according to analysts at Uswitch, and it seems likely it will grow

Energy bills are expected to rise even further this winter than previously forecast, according to the latest from energy consultancy Cornwall Insight. Bills are now expected to reach approximately £3,582 a year for the average household from October – up from the £3,359 predicted earlier this month. From January, the amount is expected to rise