UK

Madeleine McCann’s parents have said they welcome the news convicted child abuser Christian B has been named an official suspect in the case of their daughter’s disappearance. In a statement signed “Kate & Gerry” the couple also said they hold out hope Madeleine is still alive despite German police treating her disappearance as a murder

A Tory MP who announced last month that he is trans has said he hopes to begin the process of transitioning “as quickly as possible” and hailed the “incredible amount of support”  since he came out. Speaking on Sophy Ridge on Sunday, Jamie Wallis, MP for Bridgend, also described his experiences of rape and blackmail.

Hundreds of crimes have been reported at royal palaces in the last three years including offences involving weapons, drugs, violence and robbery. A total of 470 crimes were recorded at Buckingham Palace, Kensington Palace, St James’s Palace and Clarence House – either inside or immediately outside the grounds – between 2019 and 2021, the Metropolitan

Boris Johnson is to face a parliamentary investigation into whether he misled MPs about lockdown-breaking parties at Downing Street. MPs have backed a Labour-led motion calling for the privileges committee to examine allegations that the prime minister misled the Commons when he denied lockdown rules were broken in Downing Street. The motion was nodded through

Boris Johnson has said he intends to fight the next general election as Conservative Party leader as he faces persistent pressure over his leadership due to the ongoing partygate row. Speaking to reporters on the plane as he embarks on a two-day trip to India, the prime minister said that he does not intend to

Sir Keir Starmer has accused Boris Johnson of choosing to “slander decent people” in private but lacking the “backbone to repeat it in public”. The Labour leader claimed that Mr Johnson showed a different attitude “once the cameras were off” – during bad-tempered exchanges at Prime Minister’s Questions. Sir Keir accused the PM of going

Boris Johnson has hit back at Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby over his criticism of sending illegal migrants to Rwanda, claiming the top clergy should be condemning Vladimir Putin instead. In an upbeat speech to Tory MPs after his partygate apology in the Commons, the prime minister said that while bishops attacked the Rwanda deal

Sir Keir Starmer has branded Boris Johnson “dishonest” and “a joke” as a senior Tory MP said the prime minister is no longer “worthy” to be in his role following his partygate fine. As Mr Johnson addressed MPs in the Commons for the first time since being issued the fine by the Metropolitan Police for

Parliament comes back on Tuesday to a first: A sitting prime minister fined by the police for breaking the laws he himself set will appear in the Commons to try to defy political gravity yet again by trying to explain away his lawbreaking.  Something we’ve never seen before in this parliament, it will be a

Two British fighters captured by Moscow’s forces in Ukraine have appeared on Russian state TV and asked to be exchanged for a pro-Russian politician Viktor Medvedchuk. It was unclear how freely the two men – Shaun Pinner and Aiden Aslin – were able to talk. Both spoke separately afterbeing prompted by an unidentified man in

Home Secretary Priti Patel has defended the government’s plan to send migrants to Rwanda, telling critics to come up with a better idea. Writing a joint article in The Times with Rwanda’s foreign minister Vincent Biruta, Ms Patel described her controversial plans as “bold and innovative”. Under the new scheme, approved refugees will have to

Priti Patel’s top official told her it was “highly uncertain” that sending migrants to Rwanda would reduce attempts to cross the English Channel – the day before the policy was announced. In a letter to the home secretary, dated Wednesday, Matthew Rycroft also said there was “uncertainty” over “value for money”. The permanent secretary at

The government’s plan to send asylum seekers to Rwanda is “opposite the nature of God”, the Archbishop of Canterbury will say. Reverend Justin Welby will use his Easter Sunday sermon to criticise the government scheme that will see refugees who reach the UK through illegal routes deported to Rwanda. He is expected to say that

The former housing secretary Robert Jenrick has taken in a Ukrainian refugee family under a government scheme, but claims that the process has been “overly bureaucratic”. The Tory MP for Newark took in 40-year-old Maria and her two children Christina, 11, and Boden, 15, earlier this week and is understood to be the first MP

More than a month after the UK’s Ukraine Sponsorship Scheme was launched, thousands of sponsors are still waiting to welcome Ukrainian nationals, amid reports of red tape and bureaucracy in the process. Lynette Protheroe, from Derbyshire, was matched with sisters Yana and Inna and their three children on 20 March but weeks after submitting an

Good Friday has officially become the hottest day of the year so far after 22C (71.6F) was recorded in central London. Today’s temperature in St James’s Park beats the previous record of 20.8C (69.4F) set in London on 23 March and Cornwall on 25 March. The temperature is likely to climb further, the Met Office

The government hopes it can start sending asylum seekers to Rwanda in a matter of “weeks”, according to Boris Johnson’s policy chief. The UK government is attempting to crack down on Channel crossings by small boats and as part of the plans, the Home Office has signed a “world first” deal with Rwanda to send

The Royal Navy will take over responsibility for tackling people crossing the English Channel from today, Boris Johnson has said as he announced plans plans to fly some migrants to Rwanda. Speaking at an airport in Kent, the prime minister said: “We must ensure that the only route to asylum in the UK is asafe

The government plans to fly asylum seekers to Rwanda for processing in an attempt to tackle small boat crossings in the Channel. Boris Johnson is set to argue action is needed to combat the “vile people smugglers” turning the ocean into a “watery graveyard” in a speech on Thursday. After the prime minister’s speech, Home

The terrorist who murdered veteran MP Sir David Amess is to die behind bars after he was sentenced to a whole-life prison term. Islamic State fanatic Ali Harbi Ali appeared at the Old Bailey on Wednesday after he was convicted of murder and preparing terrorist acts. Sir David was stabbed more than 20 times during