Local News

The King and Queen's planned state visit to the Vatican to meet Pope Francis will go ahead despite his continuing ill health.The palace confirmed that King Charles has written privately to the pontiff since he was admitted to hospital in February, and the historic gathering is still scheduled to take place in Rome in early April. A Buckingham Palace source said they had shared "our hopes and prayers that Pope […]

Tory leader Kemi Badenoch has dismayed green Conservatives by declaring the UK's target to reach net zero by 2050 "impossible".In a speech on Tuesday, the Conservative Party leader is expected to tell what she says is the "unvarnished truth" that the net zero goal cannot be achieved without "a serious drop in our living standards or by bankrupting us". Ms Badenoch will say she is not making a "moral judgement" […]

A killer who shouted "die die die!" as he stabbed a man to death with two knives has been jailed for life.Dellan Charles, 23, chased and murdered Sean O'Neill on Reynolds Road in Hayes, west London, on the evening of Thursday 18 May 2023.Police have said the attack took place in "broad daylight" following an earlier altercation between "rival groups" on Reynolds Road.Charles later cornered Mr O'Neill on the "quiet […]

Thames Water has staved off effective government ownership after an unsuccessful legal challenge to its financial restructuring.The Court of Appeal has ruled in favour of a £3bn loan intended to temporarily sort out its finances while the company raises more private investment, dismissing an appeal. The decision backs the High Court judgment of last month and means the UK's biggest water supplier is unlikely to be taken into special administration […]

Labour faces a major challenge from its own backbenchers ahead of an announcement to restrict some sickness and disability benefits.The plans are likely to be opposed by those in the party who are concerned about attempts to slash the ballooning welfare bill and encourage adults back to work. Work and Pensions Secretary Liz Kendall is expected to set out the reforms on Tuesday, but details of where those cuts could […]

A row is brewing between teaching unions and Number 10 over the impact AI could have on jobs, Sky News has learnt.The National Education Union (NEU), the largest teaching union in the UK, is concerned AI teaching tools could lead to some in the profession losing work, particularly lower-paid teaching assistants whose tasks could become automated. Alarm bells were set off in January when the government announced it was giving […]

Newcastle United have won their first domestic trophy in 70 years after beating Liverpool 2-1 in the Carabao Cup. Tens of thousands of Magpies fans flooded the capital to watch their team end their drought against last year's winners at Wembley. Newcastle lifted the European Inter-City Fairs Cup in 1969 but haven't won a domestic trophy since their 1955 FA Cup victory.Liverpool, who have won 38 major trophies since the […]

One man has been found dead and another was left with "potentially life-changing facial injuries" after a double stabbing in Coventry, police have said.Officers from West Midlands Police were called to Newcombe Road just before 2pm, on Saturday, after two men were discovered with serious stab wounds inside a property. A man in his 50s was found dead, police said.They added a second man, also in his 50s, had suffered […]

Proposals to freeze some dis­ability benefits are reportedly being scrapped after concerns from Labour politicians about the scale of planned welfare cuts.The work and pensions secretary had been under pressure to cut the benefits bill and was expected to cancel an inflation-linked rise to the personal independence payment (PIP). But it is reported those plans will be ditched by Liz Kendall, despite the Chancellor Rachel Reeves insisting "we do need […]