Local News

Research into faster drug treatments and longer-lasting batteries will form part of the £86bn science and technology funding due to be unveiled in the government's spending review next week.On Wednesday, Chancellor Rachel Reeves will unveil how much taxpayer money each government department will get. Each region in England will be handed up to £500m to spend on science and technology projects of their choice, the Department for Science, Innovation and […]

Reform UK chairman Zia Yusuf has reversed his decision to quit the party, saying "the mission is too important" and that he "cannot let people down".Instead, he said he will return in a new role, heading up an Elon Musk-inspired "UK DOGE" team. In a statement, he said: "Over the last 24 hours I have received a huge number of lovely and heartfelt messages from people who have expressed their […]

The government is struggling to cut the billions of pounds of foreign aid partly used to house asylum seekers in hotels, according to new figures.The £2.2bn Home Office estimate to spend £2.2bn of overseas development assistance (ODA) in this financial year is only slightly less than the £2.3bn spent in 2024/25. The vast majority is used for the accommodation for asylum seekers who have arrived in the UK, with recent […]

The family behind River Island, the high street fashion retailer, is drawing up a radical rescue plan which could put significant numbers of stores and jobs at risk.Sky News has learnt that the chain's owners have drafted in advisers from PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) to devise a formal restructuring plan. The proposals, which are expected to be finalised within weeks, are subject to sign-off, with sources insisting this weekend that any firm […]

Arrests of migrants working illegally in the UK have increased by 51% in the year since the general election, after the government targeted restaurants, nail bars, and construction sites. From 5 July 2024 - the day after Labour won the election - to 31 May 2025, 6,410 people have been arrested on suspicion of working illegally, according to Home Office figures. This is a rise of 51% on the previous […]

A teenager who died after being hit by a car in Sheffield had recently come to the UK from Yemen looking "for a better future", his loved ones said.Abdullah Yaser Abdullah Al Yazidi, 16, wanted to be "friends with everybody" and would "light up" people's faces with a big smile", according to his relatives and friends. After arriving in the UK from Yemen two or three months ago, he had […]

David Beckham is set to receive a knighthood in the King's upcoming Birthday Honours list, Sky News understands.The former England football captain was awarded an OBE in 2003, on the recommendation of then prime minister Tony Blair, but is now set to receive further recognition. Beckham, who turned 50 in May, would take on the title of Sir and his wife, former Spice Girl Victoria Beckham, would become Lady Beckham, […]

A single ticket-holder could win the biggest lottery prize the UK has ever seen if they match the right numbers in tonight's EuroMillions draw.The jackpot has rolled over to an estimated £208m, after Tuesday's £199m draw - which also would have been a record-breaking amount - had no winners. The winner would instantly become richer than Adele and Dua Lipa, while also bagging the top spot on the National Lottery's […]

Bosses at six water companies have been banned from receiving bonuses for the last financial year under new legislation that comes into force on Friday.Senior executives at Thames Water, Yorkshire Water, Anglian Water, Wessex Water, United Utilities and Southern Water all face the restriction on performance-related pay for breaches of environmental, customer service or financial standards. All six companies committed the most serious 'Category 1' pollution breaches, with Thames responsible […]