UK

Lucy Letby initially failed her final year placement as a student nurse after she was assessed to be “cold” and lacking empathy, a public inquiry has heard. Her assessor Nicola Lightfoot, deputy ward manager on the children’s unit at the Countess of Chester Hospital, said it was apparent to her that Letby did not have

A former soldier who broke out of prison after he was accused of spying for Iran told police he had decided to run his own entrapment operation after approaching an Iranian agent over Facebook, a court has heard. Daniel Khalife told officers after his arrest he had always wanted to work in intelligence and was

The police officer who shot Chris Kaba has told the Old Bailey he did not intend to kill him when he opened fire.  Martyn Blake, 40, told jurors that he intended only to stop the car the 24-year-old was driving in and aimed for the centre of his body. Mr Kaba was shot in the

Bristol City’s head coach Liam Manning is to take a leave of absence following the death of his baby son. The football club said in a statement they were “deeply saddened by the passing of Liam’s recently born son Theo John Manning”. They added: “We know that Bristol City’s supporters and the wider football family

The King and Queen are facing a snub from senior politicians in Australia when they begin a tour of the country later this week, according to reports. The visit will be the King’s most significant overseas tour since his cancer diagnosis and his first to Australia as the nation’s head of state. A reception for

The police marksman who shot Chris Kaba dead has told a court he opened fire because he thought a colleague was about to die. Giving evidence for the first time at his Old Bailey trial, Martyn Blake said he was “filled with dread” when the Audi that Mr Kaba was driving moved backwards and forwards

The King has said he is “greatly saddened” by the sudden death of Alex Salmond, Scotland’s first SNP first minister. The Alba leader died on Saturday afternoon aged 69 from a suspected heart attack during a trip to North Macedonia. In a message issued by Buckingham Palace, King Charles said: “My wife and I are

Chris Kaba told a friend that he thought police were behind him just minutes before he was shot dead by a firearms officer, a court has heard. Mr Kaba was sitting in the driver’s seat of a dark Audi with both hands on the steering wheel when he was shot once in the head by

A man who died after an explosion ripped through a block of flats in Clackmannanshire has been named as 50-year-old Graham Green. The explosion and fire occurred in Alloa’s Kellie Place at around 6pm on Sunday. Mr Green, who was inside the property at the time, was killed in the blast. Police Scotland said formal

BBC presenter Jay Blades has denied engaging in controlling or coercive behaviour towards his wife Lisa-Marie Zbozen. The 54-year-old from Claverley in Shropshire, who fronts primetime show The Repair Shop, entered a not guilty plea at Worcester Crown Court on Friday. The charge alleges controlling and coercive behaviour took place in an intimate or family

The BBC has announced an independent workplace culture review after several controversies in recent months. A report reviewing the broadcaster’s working environment will be led by Grahame Russell, executive chairman and founder of Change Associates, and is set to be published next spring. The BBC said it will focus on “preventing abuse of power and

Police have recorded 40 new allegations against Mohamed al Fayed and others, including claims of sexual assault and rape. The allegations against the late Harrods owner come after several women accused him of abuse in a BBC documentary about his behaviour. Last month, police urged anyone with allegations against Fayed to come forward, saying it

A brown bear that underwent brain surgery in a first of its kind operation in the UK is doing well, but is “not out the woods” yet. Boki, a two-year-old brown bear at Wildwood Trust, near Canterbury, Kent, suffered from hydrocephalus, a build-up of fluid in the brain. It triggered seizures – and other health

Manchester United defender Noussair Mazraoui will step away for a few weeks after undergoing a minor heart procedure. The 26-year-old underwent the procedure after experiencing palpitations. Last weekend, Mazraoui was taken off at half-time during United’s goalless draw with Aston Villa. A Manchester United spokesperson said: “This is a relatively common condition and Noussair is

British YouTuber Yung Filly has appeared in court accused of raping and choking a woman in his Perth hotel room after a show, according to Australian media reports. The 29-year-old, whose real name is Andres Felipe Valencia Barrientos, was arrested and taken into custody in Brisbane on Tuesday, and extradited to Perth on Wednesday. It

Home Secretary Yvette Cooper attended Taylor Swift’s concert in London for free using tickets provided to her husband by the megastar’s music label Universal, Sky News can reveal. Ms Cooper went as a guest of her husband, former Labour minister Ed Balls, who was given four tickets on 4 August, before Ms Swift’s shows in

Police have released a photo of man they want to speak to after an 18-year-old girl was raped on a night out in Newcastle. In a post on X, Northumbria Police said: “We are hoping to trace him as we investigate a rape in Newcastle. We received a report that an 18-year-old woman had met

A former British soldier who is accused of escaping from prison while on remand charged with passing secrets to Iran “delivered a package” to his handlers on a trip to Turkey, a court has heard. Daniel Khalife, 23, is accused of collecting and sharing sensitive information with foreign agents over more than two years between

A former British soldier went to Marks & Spencer and McDonald’s while he was on the run after escaping from Wandsworth prison, a court has heard. Daniel Khalife, 23, was being held on remand accused of passing secrets to Iran, when he allegedly used a makeshift sling made of knotted bedsheets to cling on to

The King will not attend next month’s COP29 climate conference, Sky News understands. The monarch is well known for championing environmental causes and gave a speech at the opening of last year’s event in Dubai. The King, 75, is continuing his treatment for an undisclosed form of cancer. However, he will put it on hold