UK

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

A man has been charged with murder following the fatal shooting of council worker Ashley Dale in Liverpool. Ms Dale, 28, was found with a gunshot wound in her garden in the Old Swan area on 21 August last year. Ian Fitzgibbon, also 28, has been charged with murder after being arrested by the Spanish

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

Energy bills are to rise higher than last year for millions this winter, despite the energy price cap falling, a think tank has said. Withdrawn energy supports and a rise in the daily standing charge will mean winter bill costs going up for one in three English households, the Resolution Foundation said. That’s despite the

NatWest has said former boss Dame Alison Rose, who quit last month over her handling of Nigel Farage’s bank account closure, could receive a pay package worth more than £2.4m. Dame Alison resigned last month, abruptly ending her four-year tenure, amid government pressure on her position. It followed her admission that she had discussed the

The brother of a man wanted over the death of his 10-year-old daughter told officers Sara Sharif “fell down the stairs and broke her neck”, according to police in Pakistan. Sara’s uncle, Imran Sharif, is currently held in police custody for questioning, Jhelum police have exclusively told Sky News. He has not been charged and

The mother of the murdered schoolgirl Olivia Pratt-Korbel has spoken of the pain of her loss on the first anniversary of her daughter’s killing. Nine-year-old Olivia died after a gunman forced his way into the family’s home in Liverpool in search of his intended target. A memorial garden for Olivia, planted and tended by children

The mother of a baby murdered by Lucy Letby said her experience in hospital was “like something out of a horror story” as the parents of newborns attacked by the killer nurse revealed their heartbreak in court. The mother of premature baby Child D said her child’s funeral was held the day before her due

England fans are calling for the Lionesses to be given honours and a homecoming parade following their efforts at the World Cup. Sarina Wiegman‘s side suffered a heartbreaking 1-0 defeat in the final against Spain on Sunday. It was Spain’s first major tournament win, and England’s first defeat under their Dutch coach in two years.

The final frontier for the Lionesses. A day for dreams to be fulfilled – as England face their date with destiny and the prospect of becoming World Cup winners. Fans are scattered throughout the bars of Sydney savouring the magnitude of what awaits on Sunday night against Spain. “Whether we win or not – as

Prince William has said “sorry we can’t be there in person” as he wished the Lionesses good luck ahead of the Women’s World Cup final tomorrow. The heir to the throne has issued the video message as he faces criticism for not flying out to Sydney for England’s historic match against Spain. He is joined

The families of babies murdered by Lucy Letby have vowed to continue their search for answers as questions swirled around what more could have been done to stop her killing spree. The 33-year-old neonatal nurse was convicted of the murder of seven babies and the attempted murder of six more at the Countess of Chester

One of the doctors involved in the Lucy Letby trial has hit out at the managers of the Countess of Chester Hospital for “taking months” to take action against the killer nurse. Dr Ravi Jayaram – a consultant paediatrician at the hospital who gave evidence in Letby‘s court case – said there are “things that

Former cricket umpire Dickie Bird has described saying “goodbye” to Sir Michael Parkinson the day before he died – with the friends having an unspoken feeling it would be their final chat. Bird was emotional as he recalled his final words with his friend of 74 years – who died on Wednesday night after a

In the hospital corridor, Jasmine got ready for yet another round of blood tests – and she couldn’t help but cry. “She’s never liked needles,” her father, Anthony Freeman, explained, “but since her diagnosis it’s been non-stop, and she’s just terrified of injections now.” Image: Jasmine Freeman was diagnosed with a brain tumour in February

The proportion of top A-level grades is down on last year but still remains above pre-pandemic levels. A* and A grades were awarded to 27.2% of students, compared to 36.4% last year, 44.7% in 2021 and 38.5% in 2020. But the number is up by 1.8% compared to pre-pandemic levels, when 25.4% of A-level entries

There should be an inquiry into the “total public mess” caused by a miscarriage of justice that led to an innocent man spending 17 years in prison for a rape he did not commit, a former solicitor general has said. Lord Edward Garnier KC told Sky News that the case of Andrew Malkinson was “astonishing”