UK

Mohamed Al Fayed has died at the age of 94. The Egyptian-born businessman was best known as a former owner of the Harrods department store and Fulham football club in London. He sold Harrods to Qatar Holdings in May 2010. Three years later, he also sold Fulham FC, to the US businessman Shahid Khan. Al

The chancellor has admitted more schools and other public buildings with structural problems could come to light in the coming weeks. It comes as the government investigates the extent of problems with crumbling concrete. More than 100 schools and colleges have been told by the Department for Education (DfE) to partially or fully shut buildings

The government has finally published a list of schools identified with collapse-prone concrete after days of mounting pressure. The list published by the Department for Education showed 19 schools where the start of term has had to be delayed as a result of reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (RAAC). Four schools had to open remotely while

Not all schools impacted by concrete safety fears have been contacted and it is not clear how many will have to shut fully, a minister has admitted. Schools minister Nick Gibb said in most cases “just a few buildings” or rooms within the affected schools will have to shut but “in some cases it will

Junior doctors and consultants in England will take joint strike action for the first time over four days across September and October, the British Medical Association (BMA) has announced. The BMA said consultants will strike on 19 and 20 September with Christmas Day levels of cover, while junior doctors will also walk out on 20

Grant Shapps is expected to become the UK’s new defence secretary as the prime minister carries out a reshuffle at the top of government, Sky News understands. Ben Wallace announced last month that he would be leaving the role the next time Rishi Sunak made changes to his cabinet – as well stepping down as

The rollout of flu and COVID-19 vaccines in the UK has been brought forward after the emergence of a new variant. NHS officials have indicated the BA.2.86 – which came to light on 18 August – is the most concerning since the arrival of Omicron. Scientists also say it has mutated, but has not been

A new law will force criminals to attend their sentencings in court, with the offenders facing longer behind bars if they still refuse to sit in the dock. The government confirmed its plans to introduce the reform on Wednesday, promising to create a new power for judges to make the order. The change will also

The chief executive of National Air Traffic Services (NATS) has said he cannot reveal the cause of the glitch which has affected thousands of passengers but is “not ruling out anything at this stage”. Martin Rolfe said on Tuesday evening that an initial investigation had found that the air traffic control failure was caused by

Sara Sharif’s cause of death is yet to be determined – but an inquest has heard it is “likely to be unnatural”. The 10-year-old was found dead at her home in Woking on 10 August, with Surrey County Council confirming she was previously known to authorities. Earlier this month, a post-mortem revealed Sara had “suffered

Heathrow Airport has said its services will “remain significantly disrupted” on Tuesday after air traffic controllers across the UK experienced a technical fault. In a statement about the “technical issues” that affected the National Air Traffic Services (NATS), Britain’s busiest airport urged passengers to contact their airline before travelling to the airport. “The issue has

The government is not ruling out using electronic tagging to control migrants who come to the UK illegally. Home Secretary Suella Braverman told Sky News she is willing to use a “range of options” in dealing with migrants who cross the Channel in small boats. It comes after a report in The Times said the

Two people have died after a car was driven into a flooded area in Merseyside. Officers were called following safety concerns for a man and a woman inside a black Mercedes in Mossley Hill at 9.20pm on Saturday. The vehicle had driven into a flooded area in Queens Drive, between North Mossley Hill Road and

The Metropolitan Police is on high alert following a significant security breach that led to officers’ and staff’s details being hacked. All 47,000 personnel have been notified about the potential exposure of their photographs, names, and ranks, The Sun newspaper reported. The breach occurred when cybercriminals managed to infiltrate the IT systems of a contractor

Whole-life prison sentences will become the “default” punishment for “sexual or sadistic” murders, the prime minister has said. Former NHS neo-natal nurse Lucy Letby was told she will never be released on Monday after being convicted of murdering seven babies and trying to kill six others on 18 August. She is only the fourth woman

A man has been charged with murder after police in Bury found a body while responding to reports of a white labradoodle being stolen. Ian Gary Connell, 39, of Duke Street, Bolton, was due to appear at Manchester and Salford Magistrates’ Court today. Donald ‘Prentice’ Patience, 45, was discovered by officers at a house on Ainsworth

The energy regulator has confirmed a cut to its price cap that will see average household bills come down this autumn, as experts continue to warn of hikes to come during the winter months. Ofgem said the typical household paying by direct debit for gas and electricity faces an annual charge of £1,923 from October

Two men have been arrested by police investigating the fire at the Crooked House pub in Staffordshire. A 66-year-old man from Dudley and a 33-year-old man from Milton Keynes were arrested on suspicion of arson with intent to endanger life, Staffordshire Police said. They remain in custody and are being questioned by officers while the

A former teacher has been found not guilty of animal cruelty after video footage showed her kicking and slapping a horse. Sarah Moulds, 39, had been accused of causing unnecessary suffering to a protected animal – a grey pony she owned called Bruce Almighty. The 39-year-old, who said she lost her job as a teacher

The former boss of the hospital where Lucy Letby killed seven babies says she fears it is “more likely than not” that failures of management to deal with complaints about the nurse led to lives being lost needlessly. Dr Susan Gilby joined the Countess of Chester Hospital as medical director and deputy chief executive in