UK

Police have launched a murder investigation after finding human remains wrapped in plastic at a nature reserve. Officers were called by a member of the public who found an “unknown item wrapped in plastic” at Kersal Dale, Salford, Greater Manchester Police (GMP) said. Pathologists and detectives at the scene confirmed it was human remains, which

A key witness who has given crucial evidence in the Madeleine McCann investigation is dying from cancer, a court has been told. It could set back investigators who have struggled for several years to find enough evidence to charge the main suspect, German drifter Christian B. He is currently on trial for unrelated sex crimes

A teenage boy has been seriously injured after he was stabbed in Manchester. Police officers were called shortly after 4.15pm today to reports of a stabbing on Raby Street. The boy, whose age is not known, was taken to hospital with serious and life-threatening injuries. No arrests have been made and an investigation is now

PC Sharon Beshenivsky had only been a police officer for nine months when she responded to an alarm call at a travel agent in Bradford on the afternoon of 18 November 2005. “[We] didn’t have a chance,” said her colleague PC Teresa Milburn, then 37, who was a few steps behind as they arrived unarmed

Storm Kathleen is expected to bring heavy gusts and rain - and the highest temperatures of year so far, as it hits the UK today. Pushing in from the Atlantic, the storm is set to bring gusts up to 70mph to Northern Ireland and the west of Britain as temperatures could reach up to 22C (72F)

Storm Kathleen has brought disruption to the UK and Ireland, with tens of thousands of people left without power, dozens of flights cancelled and a major tourist attraction forced to close. Gusts of up to 70mph have hit the island of Ireland and parts of Britain – with the conditions leaving planes struggling to land

The UK is breaching international law by continuing to arm Israel, Rishi Sunak has been warned. Three former Supreme Court justices are among over 600 lawyers and academics who have signed a 17-page letter to warn the present situation in Gaza is “catastrophic”. The government has been facing growing calls to suspend arms exports to

The family of British aid worker James Kirby, who was killed in an Israeli strike in Gaza, say they are “utterly heartbroken” by his death – while the relatives of John Chapman say he was “subject to an inhumane act”. Three British workers were killed in Gaza by the airstrike – in what the IDF

Two of three British aid workers who died in an airstrike in Gaza have been reportedly named as John Chapman and James Henderson. The World Central Kitchen (WCK) volunteers are believed to be among seven aid workers killed on Monday after a convoy they were travelling in was hit as it was leaving a warehouse

An 80-year-old man who has been on the run for 27 years has been arrested at Heathrow Airport, police said. Richard Burrows was arrested on Thursday after returning to the UK from Thailand, a spokesman for Cheshire Police said. He has been remanded in custody and is due to appear at Chester Crown Court on

J K Rowling has dared police to arrest her as the Harry Potter author lashed out against new hate crime laws that have come into force in Scotland The new measures aim to tackle the harm caused by hatred and prejudice, extending protections from abusive behaviour to people on grounds including age, disability, religion, sexual

More than 250 patients a week in England may have died unnecessarily last year due to very long waits for a bed in A&E, new estimates suggest. A study by the Royal College of Emergency Medicine (RCEM) suggests patients are put at risk by spending hours in A&E, particularly after a decision has been made

The government’s extended childcare policy is beginning today – but it starts amid warnings of a lack of funding and not enough staff to fulfil the pledge. From today, eligible parents and carers of two-year-olds will be entitled to 15 hours of funded childcare per week. It is the first part of a £8bn package

The King waved to well-wishers as he attended the traditional Easter Sunday church service at Windsor Castle in a rare public appearance since he was diagnosed with cancer. The 75-year-old monarch, who has stepped back from major public engagements while receiving treatment, was joined by the Queen and other members of the Royal Family. But

Rishi Sunak’s Conservatives are on course to win fewer than 100 seats in the general election, according to a major poll that suggests the party is facing the worst result in its history. A survey of 15,000 people, used to build a seat-by-seat breakdown, indicated the Tories would win in just 98 constituencies in England

Dozens of Afghans who fled the Taliban after risking their lives to help the UK during the 20-year conflict are to be housed on a military camp in Wales. The Ministry of Defence (MoD) estate in St Athan, in the Vale of Glamorgan, will receive 50 people by the end of this month, with more

Gavin Robinson, the interim leader of the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP), has called Jeffrey Donaldson’s charge a “devastating revelation” that has caused “tremendous shock”.  But he has criticised “some who have sought to score cheap political points”. Mr Robinson’s comments come as Donaldson stepped down as DUP leader earlier today after he was charged with

The Easter getaway has started, with 2.6 million car journeys expected on the nation’s roads today. Good Friday is likely to be the busiest day for travel during the Easter break, with the number of car journeys higher than the two million expected on Easter Monday and the 2.3 million forecast for Saturday and Sunday.

The chief executive of Thames Water has refused to rule out bill increases of up to 40% for customers as the troubled company tries to secure its future. It comes as the business, which serves nearly a quarter of the UK’s population, struggles with more than £15bn of debt and the huge interest payments required

The Met Office has warned there is a “small chance” of injuries and “danger to life” as a result of strong winds and large waves hitting the south of England. Winds of up to 70mph battered the south coast, along with hail and thunder, as the Easter weekend kicks off. Yellow weather warnings for rain