UK

A woman has been found dead after a suspected gas explosion saw a house destroyed in Kingstanding, Birmingham last night. West Midlands Fire Service said: “We’re very sad to confirm that a woman has been found dead at the scene of last night’s explosion in Kingstanding. “Our thoughts and sympathies are with everyone affected.” A

One house has been destroyed and several others have been significantly damaged after an explosion in Birmingham. West Midlands Police has said there have been reports of casualties but the number and the severity of the people’s injuries are currently unknown. Emergency services and utility companies are currently at the scene in Dulwich Road, Kingstanding.

Motorist William Smith was proud of his perfectly clean driving record before he crashed his car last year. The 50-year-old was driving home after visiting his mother when his Ford Focus went into the back of an Audi that had stopped suddenly at a roundabout in Nottinghamshire. He admitted responsibility for the collision, having been

Boris Johnson wants to serve a third term as prime minister despite a bruising week in which the Conservatives suffered two by-election defeats. Speaking to reporters on the final day of the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in Kigali, Rwanda, Mr Johnson said the government was “embarked on a colossal project to unite and level

Boris Johnson has said voters are fed up of hearing about things he had “stuffed up” as he played down a bruising double by-election defeat as a “safety valve”. The prime minister, who has faced a barrage of criticism over lockdown-busting parties in Downing Street and over his own conduct, argued people had not been

Thousands of people with weekend plans will face disruption and chaos as rail workers strike for the third day this week. Only a fifth of services will run and half of lines will be closed as 40,000 members of the Rail, Maritime and transport (RMT) union at Network Rail and 13 train operators walk out.

Boris Johnson has acknowledged that the government’s defeat in two by-elections were not “brilliant results” – but insisted he was not worried about Conservative MPs plotting to replace him while he’s abroad. The prime minister was speaking at a press conference in Rwanda hours after the Liberal Democrats overturned the Tories’ 24,000 majority to win

The prospect of strikes affecting BA services at Heathrow this summer are another headache for a struggling airline and also passengers who were, likely, already nervous about getting away after disruption at airports across Europe. Here, Sky News explains your rights as a consumer in the event British Airways is hit by strikes involving hundreds

British Airways (BA) workers have voted to strike during the school summer holidays in a move set to cause more travel chaos as the industry struggles to recover from the pandemic. Members of the GMB and Unite unions overwhelmingly supported the prospect of industrial action over pay with 95% of those voting, at both unions,

A member of the infamous Rochdale gang that groomed dozens of girls for sex has told a judge he shouldn’t be deported because his son needs a role model. Adil Khan, 51, and Qari Abdul Rauf, 52, are due to be sent back to Pakistan for the public good after being convicted in May 2012.

Traces of the polio virus have been found during a routine sewage inspection in London, leading the UK Health Security Agency to declare a national incident. Health officials are now concerned about the community spread of the virus after samples were collected from the Beckton Sewage Treatment Works in London, but have stressed the risk

Millions of people have been hit by severe travel disruption on the first day of the biggest rail strike for a generation – with passengers set to face more cancellations tomorrow. Although it is not officially a strike day on Wednesday, only 60% of trains are expected to run – mostly because of a delay

Millions of Britons are being hit by severe travel disruption, with only a fifth of train services running today due to the biggest national rail strike in 33 years. Half of lines are closed – affecting large swathes of the UK and most of Scotland and Wales – with limited hours of 7.30am to 6.30pm

Boris Johnson will condemn unions for what is expected to be the biggest train strike in three decades. Around 40,000 members of the Rail, Maritime and Transport (RMT) union at Network Rail and 13 train operators will walk out from midnight for all of Tuesday, as well as Thursday and Saturday in a dispute over

The biggest rail strike in three decades is expected go ahead after last-ditch talks failed, the RMT union said. A walk-out by 40,000 workers on Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday will cause “total misery” according to Transport Secretary Grant Shapps. Mr Shapps said the walk-out was “totally wrong” and would inconvenience millions – including those like

Motorists are being warned to expect a surge in traffic on the roads when this week’s strikes bring large parts of Britain’s rail network to a halt. The AA believes the worst-affected roads are likely to be main motorway arteries, in addition to rural and suburban areas. And although the rail strikes are only taking

Britain is facing a summer of discontent with more workers set to be balloted on strike action, a union chief has warned, as a series of walkouts is set to cripple the rail network. RMT general secretary Mick Lynch has predicted industrial action could spread to other services, arguing that “people can’t take it anymore”.

Dame Kelly Holmes has announced she is gay, and says she has hidden it for 34 years. Speaking during Pride month, the two-time gold medallist said she realised she was gay at the age of 17 after kissing a fellow female soldier, and that her family and friends have known since 1997. The Olympic champion

The Queen has missed every day of Royal Ascot for the first time since her coronation. The racecourse confirmed the monarch had not attended this year’s royal event, as she continues to experience ongoing mobility issues. It said the only other occasion when the Queen had not attended took place in 2020, when “racing was

British hosts of Ukrainian refugees have experienced a postcode lottery in receiving monthly £350 “thank you” payments, according to a charity. Under the Homes for Ukraine scheme, households hosting Ukrainians are entitled to the cash for stepping forward. But in some areas, the rollout of the payments has been slow or delayed. Rend Platings, chair