UK

NHS unions have received a new pay offer and an announcement is expected this afternoon, Sky News understands. The offer is believed to centre around a one-off payment this financial year and a revised pay offer for 2023-24. It follows progress in talks involving unions representing nurses and ambulance staff, after mass strikes across the

Labour has said it will oppose plans to abolish the lifetime pensions allowance, calling it a “tax cut for the rich”. Shadow chancellor Rachel Reeves said the party will force a vote on the policy next week, predicting it could “unravel as quickly as it began”. Ms Reeves compared it to Liz Truss’s doomed attempt

Jeremy Hunt said the British economy is “proving the doubters wrong” and will avoid recession, as he delivered his first full budget speech to Parliament. The chancellor said the government’s plan for the economy was “working” as he announced what he called a “budget for growth”. He said forecasts from the Office for Budget Responsibility

The chancellor will promise to provide 30 hours of childcare a week to parents of one and two-year-olds, Sky News has learned. The multi-billion pound announcement is set to be made in Wednesday’s “back to work” budget. Families with children aged one and two do not currently receive support after parental leave ends and before

A 22-year-old woman, whose lies caused a storm of anger and protests after she falsely claimed she was the victim of an Asian grooming gang, has been jailed for eight and a half years. Eleanor Williams was today sentenced for perverting the course of justice. She fabricated evidence to make it look like she was

High-profile figures from sport and broadcasting appear to have poked fun at the BBC over its U-turn on the Gary Lineker impartiality row. After the corporation last Friday suspended the Match of the Day presenter, 62, for his tweets criticising the government’s migration policy, it has now agreed to allow him back on air this

Gary Lineker will return to Match Of The Day on Saturday after he was taken off air over his tweets criticising the government’s migration policy. The BBC has also apologised for the episode and announced an independent review into its social media usage guidelines. Sky Sports News understands that the BBC also apologised privately to

Sources close to Gary Lineker are increasingly confident the row with the BBC will be resolved to his satisfaction in the next 24 hours. Sky News also understands there could be a statement on the Lineker issue as early as tomorrow morning. It follows a tumultuous weekend for the BBC and its football shows, notably

Match of the Day 2 coverage is expected to be “much-reduced” as the fallout from the Gary Lineker BBC row continues. BBC Two will also broadcast the Women’s Super League Chelsea v Manchester United match using world feed commentary – without presenter or pundits around the coverage of the game. It is the second day

The BBC’s director general says the damage done to football programming following Gary Lineker’s suspension is a “real blow” but he will not be resigning. Tim Davie said he was “sorry audiences have been affected and they haven’t got the programming” after presenters and pundits pulled out in support of Lineker, whose social media criticism

A number of BBC football shows across TV and radio have been taken off air as presenters, pundits and commentators walk out after Gary Lineker was suspended by the broadcaster. Final Score and Football Focus were pulled from BBC One on Saturday after their respective hosts, Jason Mohammad and Alex Scott, said they would not

A 47-year-old woman and two boys, aged nine and seven, have been found dead in southeast London. They were found inside a house in Belvedere, Bexley, the Metropolitan Police said. Officers were called to the scene shortly before midday on Thursday due “to concerns for the welfare of occupants” of the house on Mayfield Road.

Gary Lineker has been forced off his Match of the Day duties by the BBC because he won’t apologise for his comments on social media, Sky News understands. The BBC said in a statement that the presenter will “step back” from hosting the weekly football highlights programme. But, it’s understood that Lineker has not agreed

“I don’t want to attend the Home Office to proceed with my claim. I don’t want to risk it,” says Dravid, 28, who arrived in the UK from India on fake documents last year. “They may detain me and send me to Rwanda. At the moment I don’t have any choice.” In the week the

Match Of The Day presenter Gary Lineker has told reporters outside his London home that he stands by his criticism of the government’s asylum seeker policy and does not fear suspension by the BBC. The former England striker, 62, has faced criticism from members of the Conservative Party after comparing the language used to launch

A man has been arrested over footage shot from inside a police cordon on the day Nicola Bulley’s body was found. Lancashire Police said the 34-year-old man from Kidderminster, Worcestershire, was arrested on Wednesday morning. He was arrested on suspicion of malicious communications offences and perverting the course of justice in connection with the investigation

The sister of one of the Cardiff car crash victims says she was “disappointed” with the police response to the incident, saying detectives “should have acted straight away”. Eve Smith, 21, Darcy Ross, 21, and Rafel Jeanne, 24, died in the crash, while Sophie Russon, 20, and Shane Loughlin, 32, who were in the same

Council tax is due to rise on 1 April for many people, another turn of the screw for those already struggling with the cost of living crisis. People in Wales have seen their council tax rise significantly faster than those in England and Scotland over the past 12 years. However it’s those in Rutland and

Over 75s and care home residents are among those in England and Wales who will be offered COVID-19 booster jabs this spring, the government has announced. Those who are eligible – including individuals aged five years and over who are immunosuppressed – will be offered the vaccine roughly six months after their last dose. Professor

The French general strike is affecting thousands of UK travellers with dozens of flights and trains cancelled. French workers are taking industrial action in protest at President Emmanuel Macron’s plan to raise the pension age from 62 to 64. Those involved in the walkouts include rail workers and air traffic controllers. EasyJet cancelled at least