UK

Labour are on track for their worst end to the year in opinion polls since the Second World War. Sir Keir Starmer‘s party is now averaging just 26.6%, despite winning one of the largest-ever majorities five months ago. Analysis of nearly 1,000 polls across 75 years found Labour are now 1% behind their previous end-of-year

TV presenter Chris Packham and former Green Party leader Caroline Lucas have stepped down from their roles as president and vice-president of the RSPCA following allegations of animal cruelty at the charity’s approved abattoirs. Mr Packham said on social media it was with “enormous sadness” he resigned from his position at the animal rights charity.

The Prince and Princess of Wales are set to work with a local charity to launch a mental health programme to support those living on the Sandringham Estate and in the surrounding areas. The royals are partly funding the new pilot programme with Norfolk and Waveney Mind. It will provide additional mental health support for

The co-manager for Donald Trump’s presidential election campaign has called Lord Peter Mandelson an “absolute moron” – as the peer was officially announced as the next UK ambassador to the US. The Labour grandee, who served in Sir Tony Blair and Gordon Brown’s cabinets, will become the UK’s top diplomat in Washington as president-elect Donald

Two men have been charged with assaults on police officers following an incident at Manchester Airport in July. Mohammed Amaaz, 20, is charged with two offences of causing actual bodily harm, one charge of assaulting an emergency worker and one charge of common assault. Muhammed Amaad, 25, is charged with causing actual bodily harm. The

Sir Keir Starmer is to make his most controversial senior appointment yet by naming Peter Mandelson as UK ambassador to the US. Lord Mandelson, 71, known as the “Prince of Darkness” from his days as a New Labour‘s spin doctor, will be the prime minister‘s link to Donald Trump. ‘Brutal’ figure ‘an inspired choice’ –

The UK’s youngest murderers since James Bulger’s killing have been handed longer sentences after judges agreed their original terms was too lenient. The two boys, now 13 and who cannot be identified, were given life sentences with minimum terms of eight-and-a-half years for the murder of 19-year-old Shawn Seesahai in Wolverhampton on 13 November last

Controversial social media influencer Andrew Tate and his brother Tristan must forfeit more than £2m after a judge ruled they failed to pay any tax on £21m in revenue from online businesses including OnlyFans. Devon and Cornwall Police brought the civil case to seize £2.8m held in seven frozen bank accounts from the Tate brothers

A criminology student has been found guilty of the murder and attempted murder of two women on a beach in Bournemouth. Nasen Saadi, 20, from Croydon, fatally stabbed personal trainer Amie Gray, 34, ten times as she sat beside a fire on Durley Chine Beach in Dorset on the evening of 24 May. Her friend

The government will offer compensation to Post Office Capture victims – while refusing to rule out blanket exoneration for those convicted. In an exclusive interview with Sky News, Post Office minister Gareth Thomas said his department is “working at pace” and is committed to providing redress as quickly as possible. Capture accounting software, which predates

Sara Sharif’s father and stepmother have been handed life sentences for murdering the 10-year-old after she suffered years of abuse. Warning this story contains distressing details. Urfan Sharif, 42, will serve at least 40 years in prison and Beinash Batool, 30, a minimum of 33 years. Sara’s uncle, Faisal Malik, 29, was also sentenced to

Prince Andrew and Sarah Ferguson will not join the rest of the Royal Family for Christmas at Sandringham, Sky News understands. It comes after an alleged Chinese spy with links to the Duke of York was publicly named for the first time as High Court restrictions were lifted on Monday afternoon. Image: Alleged Chinese spy

A 12-year-old girl has been charged with manslaughter following the death of an 80-year-old grandfather, Leicestershire Police has said. Bhim Kohli died from serious injuries he allegedly suffered while walking his dog in Franklin Park, near his home in Braunstone Town, Leicestershire, on 1 September. He died at Queen’s Medical Centre in Nottingham the next

Police are appealing for the driver of a Porsche who fled after a two-year-old boy was killed in a car crash to hand themselves in. A woman aged 29 and a 30-year-old man are in a serious condition following the incident in Smethwick near Birmingham, while another man and woman aged 30 are stable, West

A murder investigation is under way after a woman was killed and two men injured in a triple shooting in northwest London. Metropolitan Police officers were called to reports of a shooting at around 9.15pm on Saturday in Gifford Road in Harlesden. The woman, believed to be in her 40s, was found injured but despite

Government departments are doing “anything to avoid” sharing information about Prince Andrew’s past business dealings. The claim comes from author Andrew Lownie who’s been working for four years on a new book about the Duke of York. He has submitted over a hundred requests to Whitehall departments only to find that information “has vanished”. Speaking

Construction workers are four times more likely to die by suicide than the national average, making it one of the deadliest professions for mental health problems in the UK, according to a new report. Social media company On The Tools, the UK’s largest community of tradespeople, has found that 73% of the country’s 2.1 million

Prince Andrew says he “ceased all contact” with a businessman accused of being a Chinese spy after concerns were raised with him by the government. In a statement from his office, the Duke of York said he had cut ties following “advice” from officials but insisted the pair had never discussed anything of a “sensitive

The economy remained in a reverse gear during October, according to official figures covering the month ahead of the government’s first budget. The Office for National Statistics (ONS) said output fell 0.1% following the 0.1% decline recorded for the previous month. The figures showed zero growth in the powerhouse services sector, with manufacturing and construction

Concerns about Sara Sharif’s care were first raised when she was less than a week old – and her parents were known to social services three years prior, newly-reportable details show. The 10-year-old girl was found dead at her family home in Woking, Surrey, in August last year, with her father and stepmother having already