The education secretary and health secretary have written to parents of secondary school and college students, urging them to ensure their children are testing regularly and also encouraging them to get vaccinated against coronavirus. The letter from Nadhim Zahawi and Sajid Javid comes after official estimates showed that around 270,000 secondary pupils had COVID-19 in
UK
The Metropolitan Police are taking no further action after reviewing allegations connected to Prince Andrew and Jeffrey Epstein. The force had assessed a document released in August 2021 as part of Virginia Giuffre‘s US lawsuit against the Duke of York. Ms Guiffre is suing him for allegedly sexually assaulting her when she was a teenager
COVID-19 and flu are co-circulating this year for the first time and those who catch both are twice as likely to die, early evidence suggests. Jenny Harries, chief executive of the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA), also warned that there could be multiple strains of flu ahead of an uncertain winter. Speaking to Trevor Phillips
The UK government has approved visas for a group of young female footballers from Afghanistan. The girls had fled to Pakistan after their country fell to the Taliban in August, and it was from there that they had told Sky News that they were desperate to find safety in the UK. At the time, they
A newborn baby has been rescued by the RNLI after surviving a nine-hour journey across the Channel made by a group of migrants on Saturday. Sky News witnessed the newborn girl, named Ayyan and wrapped in a blanket, being handed to a police officer on the shore in Dungeness, Kent, after making the potentially treacherous
A phone service to help protect women as they walk home is reportedly being backed by Home Secretary Priti Patel. The proposed service would allow people to use an app or dial/text 888 to trigger GPS tracking. It would give an expected journey time, with automatic alerts sent to emergency contacts such as friends and
Around one in six adults in Britain have been unable to buy essential food items in the last fortnight, representing up to eight million people – new figures indicate. Some 17% of adults said they had not been able to purchase such goods because they were not available, according to newly released data from the
Sky News is following the lives of three families who all face a difficult winter ahead. With energy and food bills rising, they say they are dreading the next few months. Jackie & Jason Jackie lives with her partner Jason and their three children – Skyler, seven, Kayde, six, and four-year-old Marshall. She was working
Mike Ashley’s 14-year ownership of Premier League club Newcastle United has come to an end after a Saudi-led consortium completed its £300m takeover of the club. The league has approved the takeover, which was delayed by almost 18 months due to a dispute between beIN Sports and the Saudis over illegal streaming. In a statement,
The UK has recorded 39,851 new COVID cases and 143 coronavirus-related deaths in the latest 24-hour period, government data shows. It is the highest number of daily infections reported since 6 September – when 41,192 cases were recorded. The latest figures compare with 33,869 COVID-19 infections and 166 fatalities recorded yesterday, and 36,722 cases and
A vigil has been held for Sabina Nessa in Eastbourne, where the man suspected of her murder was arrested. About 200 people gathered to pay tribute to the school teacher and protest the “crisis” of violence against women as the sun set in the Sussex seaside town. The peaceful demonstration, held in front of the
The UK has recorded 33,869 new COVID-19 cases and a further 166 coronavirus-related deaths in the latest 24-hour period, according to government data. The figures compare with 35,077 COVID-19 infections and 33 fatalities reported yesterday, and 34,526 cases and 167 deaths recorded this time last week. The number of people in hospital with the disease
The mother of a teenager who was shot dead in the street says her hopes are fading that her son’s killer will ever be caught – and believes police have “prioritised” other murder cases. Cherie Nedd told Sky News that her 18-year-old son Ethan Nedd-Bruce “was just coming home” when he was attacked outside a
A life-changing drug treatment is to be released to thousands of people in England in what has been described as a historic moment for people with sickle cell disease. The condition – which is particularly common in people with an African or Caribbean background – causes severe pain and organ failure, often requiring hospital admissions.
A nurse has denied murdering eight babies and the attempted murder of 10 others over the period of a year. Lucy Letby, who worked at the Countess of Chester Hospital neonatal unit, entered her plea at Manchester Crown Court earlier today. The 31-year-old pleaded “not guilty” 18 times as the charges were put to her
Soldiers will begin delivering fuel to petrol stations this morning as parts of the country continue to struggle with shortages. Around 200 military personnel are being deployed on Operation Escalin in an effort to increase the number of tanker drivers. Most of the troops, who have been on standby since last week, will work in
Every police officer in the UK should be re-vetted following the sentencing of Wayne Couzens, a former senior Metropolitan Police chief superintendent has said. Parm Sandhu told Sky News she had “real concerns” more people “with questionable backgrounds” had been missed under current vetting procedures. She spoke after Couzens was given a whole life order
A mother has warned that anyone can die from COVID-19, even young people after her teenage daughter died just days after contracting the virus. Jorja Halliday, 15, from Portsmouth, died at the Queen Alexandra Hospital on 28 September after she tested positive for the coronavirus four days earlier. Her mother, Tracy Halliday, 40, said: “Some
Top marathon runner Charlotte Purdue has revealed she now chooses to run on a treadmill when it gets dark rather than do so outdoors, due to concerns for her safety. Speaking in the wake of the Sarah Everard murder, the 30-year-old – who still holds the UK junior record for the 10,000 metres – also
Army tanker drivers are to start delivering fuel to petrol stations from Monday in an emergency government move prompted by the continuing crisis at the pumps. Senior ministers have been alarmed at how slowly the fuel supply disruption is improving, with motorists still forced to queue for hours for fuel after more than a week