UK

The Royal Liverpool University Hospital has declared a critical incident due to an “exceptionally high” demand on A&E and patients being admitted to wards. The hospital said staff were “working incredibly hard” after a spike in people with flu and respiratory illnesses going to emergency departments. The number of people in England’s hospital with flu

A rugby league international has fled the UK after being charged with sexual offences including rape, a court has reportedly heard. Keven Appo, 25, who played for Bradford Bulls in the Betfred Championship before being sacked on Friday, has apparently travelled to his home country of Papua New Guinea. Appo was due to appear at

London’s roads are the most congested in Europe, with drivers spending around 101 hours in traffic last year, according to a new report. The total cost to London was estimated at £3.85bn – an average of £942 per driver. Paris had the second most congested roads in Europe in 2024 with 97 hours of delays

There’s no doubt that Elon Musk, the richest man in the world and live-in best friend of the US president-elect, must be a busy man – even before a Tesla truck exploded at the entrance to the Trump hotel in Las Vegas on 1 January. Musk was up late dad-dancing at Donald Trump’s glitzy New

Donald Trump has said the UK is making “a very big mistake” in its fossil fuel policy – and should “get rid of windmills”. In a post on Friday on his social media platform, Truth Social, Mr Trump shared news from November of a US oil producer pulling out of the North Sea, a major

West Ham forward Michail Antonio has said he has realised he “took life for granted” but is now thankful just for “being alive”, as he was discharged from hospital after a car crash in early December. In a heartfelt message on Tuesday evening, he thanked the NHS, the air ambulance, and “everyone from top to

A new AI tool can identify people who have a heart condition before symptoms arise, reducing the risk of potentially deadly strokes. The ground-breaking tool scours GP records to look for “red flags” which could indicate whether a patient is at risk of developing atrial fibrillation (AF). The algorithm was created using anonymised electronic health

The UK will see more heavy fog over the weekend following disruption which forced flight cancellations and delays at airports. Some areas could see thick patches of fog reduce visibility down to just 100 metres on Saturday, the Met Office said. Get the weather forecast where you are The worst of the fog is forecast

The King has praised the community response to the “anger and lawlessness” of this summer’s riots in towns and cities around the UK in his annual Christmas message. Charles, 76, also used the message, filmed by Sky News at the chapel of the former Middlesex Hospital in central London, to thank doctors and nurses who

An 18-year-old man has died in a crash after a brief police chase which involved a suspected stolen car in South Yorkshire. The driver of a black Ford Fiesta was spotted by officers just before 1pm on Monday in the Hyde Park Walk area, south of Sheffield city centre. South Yorkshire Police said in a

The King has poignantly chosen a former hospital chapel to deliver his annual Christmas broadcast. The message was recorded earlier this month by Sky News inside the Fitzrovia Chapel in central London. It is a tiny building, originally for staff and patients of the now-demolished Middlesex Hospital. At the end of a year of change

A plane’s nose wheel collapsed during a hard landing in Belfast due to bad weather. There were four crew members but no passengers on board when the Aer Lingus regional flight, operated by Emerald Airlines, landed at around 4pm on Sunday. Belfast City Airport closed its runway for the rest of the day following the

This is awkward for Downing Street to say the least. The person chosen by the British government to be the keystone in the most important of bilateral relationships is, according to one of the incoming president’s close aides, a “complete moron”. Chris LaCivita is a central character in Trump’s orbit. He managed Trump‘s election victory

The King has joked “I’m still alive” when asked how he was during an official royal engagement with the Queen. It comes as palace sources told Sky News that his cancer treatment has been “moving in a positive direction… and will continue into next year“. The source added there is a sense of optimism, which

The King’s cancer treatment will continue into the New Year, Sky News understands. Palace sources have said “his treatment has been moving in a positive direction and as a managed condition the treatment cycle will continue into next year”. The source added there is a sense of optimism, which can be seen in the King’s

Dating apps changed single life forever when they brought swiping, liking and ghosting to the masses. Now, nearly two million people in the UK use online dating services to find love, according to Statista. But in the 12 years since Tinder revolutionised romance, many people say they fell out of love with the process. “Most

Social media companies must face tough sanctions if they fail to keep children safe from harmful content, the technology secretary has said. Speaking exclusively to Sky News, Peter Kyle said age verification for adult material would have to be “watertight”, and that apps which do not protect children will face heavy fines and even jail

A driver who inhaled laughing gas at the wheel has pleaded guilty to killing his three teenage passengers in a high speed crash. Thomas Johnson, 19, had admitted to taking nitrous oxide through balloons while driving and exceeding speeds of more than 100mph on a road with a speed limit of 30mph. He pleaded guilty

Inflation has risen for the second month in a row, according to official figures. The overall rate of price rises – as measured by the consumer price index (CPI) – grew by 2.6% in November. It’s a further move away from the Bank of England‘s target 2% inflation rate after the rate ticked up to

Children’s reading enjoyment has plummeted to its lowest levels since records began, sparking concerns of a “crisis” across the UK, according to a new report by the National Literacy Trust (NLT). Only about one in three (34.6%) children and young people aged eight to 18 said they enjoyed reading in their free time in 2024,