UK

Cancer campaigner Deborah James has said she’s had the “most surreal, mind-blowing, humbling five days” of her life after being made a dame and her fundraiser reaching more than £5.7m. The podcast host, who is receiving hospice-at-home care to treat her terminal bowel cancer, thanked the public for their “generosity” and the Duke of Cambridge

Prince William has personally given bowel cancer awareness champion Deborah James her damehood. The Duke of Cambridge visited her family home in Surrey to hand over the honour, and was seen beaming with the podcaster, who is also known as Bowel Babe. Ms James said she was “utterly honoured” that Prince William had joined her

James Scott sits on his own eating his chickpea curry. He likes to come in when the rush has died down, when the Amazing Graze soup kitchen is quieter. The centre provides free hot meals for Blackpool‘s less fortunate. It used to be the homeless and rough sleepers that needed help the most but now

The Queen has been pictured smiling at the Royal Windsor Horse Show, days after missing the State Opening of Parliament due to mobility issues. She was seen chatting to several people from the window of her car as she arrived at the event. Several of the Queen’s horses are understood to be appearing at the

Cancer campaigner and podcast host Deborah James has been awarded a damehood, the government has announced. The presenter of the BBC Podcast You, Me and The Big C was diagnosed with terminal bowel cancer in 2016 and she has since kept her 300,000 Instagram followers up to date with her treatments. On Thursday night, Number

At least 50 more fines have been issued as a result of the police investigation into lockdown-breaking parties in Downing Street and Whitehall during coronavirus restrictions. But Number 10 has confirmed Prime Minister Boris Johnson is not one of those who have received a new fixed penalty notice (FPN). In the latest update on its

Tax cuts could now be announced before the summer recess, Sky News understands. Ministers have been forced to rethink plans after grim forecasts from the Bank of England suggested the economy was now at risk of recession. Inflation is also likely to be higher than expected just six to eight weeks ago, putting pressure on

Twin 11-year-old girls have been found safe and well after going missing from their home in Leicestershire. Gracie and Millie Bennett were reported missing shortly after 8.30pm on Tuesday, with police issuing an appeal for information from the public. Both girls went missing from Mountsorrel, south of Loughborough – where they were found on Wednesday.

Boris Johnson has promised to “grow and strengthen the economy and help ease the cost of living for families” through new measures in the Queen’s Speech. The address, which outlines the government’s legislative agenda for the year ahead, focused heavily on the economy as the PM aims to get the country “back on track” after

The government has set out its legislative agenda for the new parliamentary session in the Queen’s Speech. Laying out what new laws will shape people’s lives over the next year, it contains 38 pieces of legislation. For the first time in 59 years the Queen was forced to defer to her son Prince Charles and

The Queen will not be attending tomorrow’s State Opening of Parliament for the first time in 59 years, Buckingham Palace has said. The Prince of Wales will read the Queen’s Speech on her behalf, with the Duke of Cambridge also in attendance. In a statement, Buckingham Palace said: “The Queen continues to experience episodic mobility

The royals will visit all parts of the UK over the bank holiday Jubilee weekend, with the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge in Wales, Buckingham Palace has announced. The Earl and Countess of Wessex will visit Northern Ireland and the Princess Royal will be in Scotland. All will attend public events marking the platinum anniversary.

Labour’s Lisa Nandy has defended “Mr Rules” Sir Keir Starmer and said it was “not illegal to eat” after latest claims about alleged COVID rule breaking by the party leader. Sir Keir has said he was working and stopped to eat when he was filmed having a beer in a room in Durham in April

Sinn Fein is to become the first nationalist party to take control of the Northern Ireland Assembly in its 101-year history. The party has 27 seats, pushing the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP), which has 24 into second place. The most seats the DUP can return with is 25 and Michelle O’Neill is now set to

A treasure trove of footage of the Queen taken from her personal film archive is to be shown for the first time, including clips of the young princess showing off her engagement ring months before the announcement was made public. The monarch granted documentary-makers unprecedented access to hundreds of home recordings filmed by her, her

Tory MPs are assessing the fall-out after a “tough night” for Boris Johnson in his first test at the ballot box since being fined for breaking lockdown rules. The Conservatives lost nearly 500 seats in England, Wales, and Scotland in Thursday’s council elections, with partygate and the cost of living crisis cited by local leaders

The Conservatives face losing their Commons majority if local election results are replicated at a general election, according to a Sky News projection. Analysis suggests that it would mean a hung parliament with Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s Tories remaining the largest party at Westminster but falling 48 seats short of an overall majority. The projection

The Conservatives have lost former leader Margaret Thatcher’s ‘favourite council’ Wandsworth to Labour in a significant boost for Sir Keir Starmer’s party. The south London council had been held by the Conservatives for more than forty years, turning blue in 1978 just before Mrs Thatcher’s election as prime minister. A Labour source said: “Boris Johnson

Polls have closed for local elections that represent Boris Johnson’s first test at the ballot box since he was fined for breaking lockdown rules. Voting has been taking place for councils in some parts of England, with more than 4,000 seats up for grabs, as well as across the whole of Scotland and Wales, each

The Queen will not attend this year’s annual garden parties and will be represented by other family members, Buckingham Palace has said. It said “details on attendance will be confirmed in due course”. Every summer, up to three garden parties take place at Buckingham Palace, as well as one at the Palace of Holyroodhouse in