UK

Hundreds – if not thousands – of police officers who should have failed vetting checks may be serving in England and Wales, a watchdog has warned. HM Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire and Rescue Services found cases where criminal behaviour was dismissed as a “one off”; applicants with links to “extensive criminality” in their families

Boris Johnson has told Sky News that he does not think Vladimir Putin will use a tactical nuclear weapon in his war in Ukraine. There have been suggestions that the Russian president could carry out such a military strike as his forces continue to lose territory which they captured earlier in the invasion. But in

British cyber spies have been playing a key role in defending Ukraine from widespread Russian cyber attacks since the start of the invasion, it has been confirmed. The damage caused by Russian hackers would have been “very significant” without the British assistance, Leo Docherty, a junior foreign office minister, said. He told Sky News the

Suella Braverman has said she “never ignored legal advice” about sending migrants to hotels from an overcrowded processing centre. The home secretary said she knew “the importance of taking legal advice into account” and never tried to stop migrants from the Manston processing centre from being sent to hotels. “At every point, I’ve worked hard

The suspect has been found dead after petrol bombs were thrown at a Border Force migrant centre in Dover, police have said. Emergency crews were called to the site in Kent shortly after 11.20am after Reuters news agency – who had a photographer at the scene – reported that a man had thrown petrol bombs

Labour is urging the government to publish its assessments of Suella Braverman’s security breach following her controversial reappointment as home secretary just six days after she was forced out. New Prime Minister Rishi Sunak is under growing pressure over reinstating Ms Braverman as home secretary after a former party chair claimed she had committed “multiple

Britain has denied Russian claims that Royal Navy personnel blew up the Nord Stream gas pipelines last month, saying the story is “invented”. A Ministry of Defence tweet said: “To detract from their disastrous handling of the illegal invasion of Ukraine, the Russian Ministry of Defence is resorting to peddling false claims of an epic

A man wanted in connection with the deaths of 39 people found in the back of an Essex lorry will appear in court this morning. Marius Mihai Draghici is suspected of being part of a conspiracy that led to the deaths of the Vietnamese nationals, whose bodies were discovered in the lorry container on 23

Britain’s Ministry of Defence sent serving Royal Air Force pilots to China to teach a course to their Chinese counterparts and allowed Chinese nationals to study at UK military colleges, Sky News can reveal. Up to four frontline pilots took part in the ‘Aviation English Course’ in Beijing that ran in 2016, while at least

Public support for sanctions on Russia remains overwhelming, but could erode if the cost-of-living crisis worsens, an exclusive poll for Sky News has found. The poll by Ipsos suggests that 70% of the public support implementing sanctions on Russia for its invasion of Ukraine. However, just 41% of people now say they would still back

Northern Ireland is set to have an Assembly election before Christmas because the deadline to restore devolved government at Stormont has expired. The region has been in a political crisis for months with the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) refusing to return to power-sharing since losing its status as the nation’s largest party to Sinn Fein

More than 20 former patients or their relatives have revealed how they were “treated worse than animals” and failed by the “awful” care they received at mental health hospitals for teenagers. Testimonies gathered in an investigation by Sky News raise repeated allegations of over-restraint and inadequate staffing which youngsters say left people at increased risk

Britain’s year of political turmoil could cost the taxpayer up to £726,000 in severance payments to former ministers and whips, Sky News analysis of House of Commons library data has found. Since the beginning of the year, 79 government ministers and whips have either been sacked or have resigned. And 71 of them are likely

On the face of it, Rishi Sunak’s first Prime Minister’s Questions was an assured performance. The former chancellor was combative, confident and fluid. But it was also a session in which the new prime minister showed us how conscious he is that his political legitimacy hangs by a thread. Because being appointed as the UK’s

Rishi Sunak will make his debut at Prime Minister’s Questions at lunchtime, in what is shaping up to be the first big test of his leadership.  The new PM will face Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer in the Commons – a day after culling almost a dozen Conservative ministers from the cabinet. Jacob Rees-Mogg has

Rishi Sunak has made his first speech as prime minister, saying he was chosen to take over to “fix” the mistakes made by Liz Truss. Speaking outside Number 10, the former chancellor praised his predecessor’s “restlessness” and her “noble aim” to improve economic growth in the UK. But, he added: “Some mistakes were made, not

Rishi Sunak is being urged to overhaul the cabinet on his first day as prime minister. Foreign Secretary James Cleverly told Sky News that the new PM’s government should feature the best ministers available – rather than focusing on those who are loyal. “We have got to have the first 15 on the pitch. I

Rishi Sunak has said the UK faces a “profound economic challenge” in his first comments since being announced as the next prime minister. He said he is “humbled and honoured” after he was selected by Conservative MPs to lead the party and the nation, describing it as the “greatest privilege in my life”. Mr Sunak

Boris Johnson has pulled out of the Conservative leadership race. His withdrawal leaves the path open for Rishi Sunak, who has a chance of picking up the keys to Downing Street as early as today. The former prime minister had the public backing of 59 Tory MPs – far short of the 100 required to

Penny Mordaunt has rejected a call by Boris Johnson to pull out of the Tory leadership race and back him, sources say, in another blow to his prospects of returning to Downing Street. Sources close to the Commons leader told Sky News she had spoken to the former prime minister today. Several long-time allies of