UK

The UK will scrap five warships, dozens of military helicopters and a fleet of drones to save money despite growing threats from Russia and a war raging in Europe. John Healey, the defence secretary, announced the dramatic move in parliament on Wednesday, saying it would save up to half a billion pounds over the next

She seemed perfect, at first. Her CV brimmed with all kinds of qualifications. And she had years of experience caring for vulnerable people.   As Sarah Whitaker sat at her kitchen table and looked through the paperwork the care agency had sent her, she knew that Tracy was the one she could trust to look

A woman whose body was found in the boot of a car last week died from strangulation, according to a post-mortem examination. A manhunt is under way for Harshita Brella’s husband, Pankaj Lamba, who police believe has fled the country. Officers said today that her body was discovered in a silver Vauxhall Corsa. They believe

A woman casually walks into a convenience store and starts filling a bread crate with goods from one of the aisles. A shop assistant tries to stop her, but she shrugs him off, undeterred. With the crate now full of items, she leaves without paying. It is a scenario that is played out day in

The prison service is starting to recategorise the security risk of offenders to ease capacity pressures, Sky News understands. It involves lowering or reconsidering the threshold of certain offenders to move them from the closed prison estate (category A to C) to the open estate (category D) because there are more free cell spaces there.

Two Met Police officers have each been charged with four counts of sexual assault against a woman in central London. Jerome Beasley, 41, and Luke Robinson, 39, who work in the force’s Central West Command Unit, are set to appear at Westminster Magistrates’ Court on Wednesday. The alleged incident took place in central London in

Greater Manchester Police (GMP) says it has made wide-ranging changes to the treatment of women in custody, following a Sky News investigation. This includes ending the use of police strip searches for “welfare” purposes and ensuring it is a “last resort” when looking for concealed items. A Sky News investigation in 2023 into the custody

An international manhunt is underway for the husband of a murdered woman, whose body was found in the boot of a car. The body of Harshita Brella was found in London on Thursday, tens of miles away from her home in Corby. On Sunday, Northamptonshire Police said they were looking for Pankaj Lamba – who

Bishops refused to call for the Archbishop of Canterbury to resign because they were thinking about their own promotion prospects, one senior church figure believes. Justin Welby, who had been in post since 2013, stepped down after a report was published that showed the Church covered up sexual abuse by John Smyth, a barrister who

A murder investigation has been launched after a woman’s body was found in the boot of a car in east London. Detectives said a murder inquiry has been launched into the “suspicious” discovery in Ilford. The woman, who has not been named but is from Corby in Northamptonshire, may have been the victim of a

The London nightclub Heaven has closed “until further notice” after a security guard was accused of raping a woman. The Metropolitan Police said the club will be shut for up to 28 days after Westminster Council decided to suspend its licence earlier on Friday. It follows an allegation that a woman was raped close to

Four teenagers and a 45-year-old man have been found guilty of murdering two boys, aged 15 and 16, who were attacked with machetes in a case of mistaken identity. The convictions follow a five-week trial at Bristol Crown Court. The jury heard how Max Dixon and Mason Rist were killed in a case of mistaken

A teenage girl who was killed after getting out of a police car on the M5 in Somerset has been named. Tamzin Hall, 17 and from Wellington, was hit by a vehicle that was travelling southbound between junction 24 for Bridgwater and junction 25 for Taunton shortly after 11pm on Monday. She had exited a

Several people have been injured after a bus carrying school children collided with a lorry in Leicestershire. At least 16 people sustained “minor” injuries in the crash on the A46 near Syston, Leicestershire Police said. Ten were taken to hospital as a precaution, the force added. The road was closed travelling northbound between A607 near

Sara Sharif’s murder-accused father has told jurors he “takes full responsibility” for the death of his daughter. Minicab driver Urfan Sharif, 42, called police in the early hours of 10 August last year saying he had beaten her “too much” for being “naughty”, the court previously heard. The 10-year-old’s body was found in a bunkbed

NHS league tables revealing failing NHS trusts and cancelled pay rises or dismissal for managers who don’t turn things around are to form part of the government’s plans to improve the health service. Health Secretary Wes Streeting is confirming new measures he hopes will boost failing hospital trusts and encourage successful ones. The changes form

The Archbishop of Canterbury has resigned after a report found the Church of England covered up sexual abuse by a barrister. The independent Makin review into John Smyth QC’s abuse of children and young men was published last week. Across five decades in three different countries and involving as many as 130 boys and young

WARNING: This article contains language and content some readers may find distressing As a single mum, Lucy* looked forward to her rare nights out. A few years ago, during after-work drinks at a local pub, she started feeling unwell. When she collapsed and passed out, a bouncer called an ambulance. Lucy’s drink had been spiked.

A six-month expected lifespan and the ability to take the fatal drugs will be requirements for someone to end their own life under proposed assisted dying legislation. Someone with disability or mental health issues will not be eligible for assisted dying under the plans, published in the End of Life Bill on Tuesday. MPs will

A former soldier accused of spying for Iran has pleaded guilty to escaping from prison under a food catering truck and going on the run for four days while he was awaiting trial. Daniel Khalife, 23, from Kingston, southwest London, changed his plea to a charge of escaping from lawful custody, halfway through giving evidence