UK

Self-driving cars could be on British roads as early as 2026, Transport Secretary Mark Harper has said. Asked if people could soon be travelling “with your hands off the wheel, doing your emails”, he agreed the prospect was possible in as little as three years’ time. He told the BBC: “I think that’s when companies

The UK is bracing itself for Storm Gerrit which is set to batter much of the country. Multiple yellow weather warnings for strong winds, heavy rain and periods of snow have been issued by the Met Office for 27 and 28 December. Wednesday is forecast to be the worst affected day, with strong winds due

A blind schoolgirl with a brain tumour gave a rendition of a classic Christmas song to Queen Camilla during an invitation to Windsor Castle for tea. Olivia Taylor, 7, was a bundle of excitement saying, “hello Your Majesty” as the Queen walked into the castle’s White Drawing Room for a private tea with her family.

As many begin to travel home after Christmas celebrations, the weather is set to remain unsettled, with a number of yellow weather warnings for ice, rain and wind in place from Boxing Day onwards. The Met Office says low pressure moving across the UK on the 26 December will bring breezy and wet conditions for

Sarah, Duchess of York, joined the Royal Family at church on Christmas Day for the first time in decades.  The royal, who has had a troubled relationship with the monarchy, was pictured smiling as she walked beside her ex-husband, the disgraced Duke of York. For the second year in a row, Andrew made the walk

Today (Sunday) has provisionally been recorded as the warmest Christmas Eve since 1997, according to the Met Office. The weather agency said temperatures reached 15.3C at Heathrow, west London. The warmest Christmas Eve on record was in 1931, when 15.5C was recorded in Aberdeen and Banff in Scotland. Meanwhile, Christmas Day is expected to be

Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s acquisition of a 25% stake in Manchester United Football Club will be announced today, 13 months after the launch of a review initiated by the Glazer family. Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s Ineos Sport will take control of the football side of the club. This breaking news story is being updated and more details

James Cleverly has apologised after joking about putting a date rape drug in his wife’s drink in comments made at a Downing Street reception within hours of the Home Office announcing plans to crack down on spiking. The home secretary told female guests “a little bit of Rohypnol in her drink every night” was “not

A woman charged with murdering her five-month-old daughter has appeared in court in Leeds. Hayley Macfarlane, 39, was charged with the murder of her daughter, Evelyn, following an incident at Woodhouse Moor Park on Wednesday 20 December. West Yorkshire Police were called to reports of a baby in a serious condition at the park at

“Last-minute getaway trips” could be disrupted due to wet and windy weather in the run-up to Christmas, the RAC has warned. A number of yellow weather warnings for rain and wind are coming into force from Saturday 23 December until Christmas Day morning, mainly affecting northern Scotland but stretching down to parts of the east

A body has been recovered from the River Tay in the search for a missing woman. Although formal identification is yet to take place, the family of Clare Marshall have been informed. A search was launched for Ms Marshall at the beginning of the week, with specialist help from the Police Scotland helicopter. The 64-year-old

FIFA and UEFA acted unlawfully in blocking the creation of the European Super League (ESL), the European Union’s top court has ruled. The court said both bodies were abusing their dominant position in the sport. But it added its ruling does not mean that a competition such as the Super League must necessarily be approved.

“Every time I go to the hospital, I collect one from the play lady,” Oliver says.  Oliver Chapman, 11, is softly spoken. And he is obviously quite shy. This explains why he does not make eye contact when he talks. He is talking about multicoloured beads and his small fingers are playing with a long

Christmas travel plans could be under threat as Storm Pia is set to bring winds of up to 80mph to parts of the UK. The Met Office has issued a weather warning for high winds for the northern half of the country on Thursday, bringing the potential for travel chaos in the run-up to Christmas.

A man will spend the rest of his life in prison after killing a pensioner while released on licence – after he was jailed for two previous murders. Lawrence Bierton has been sentenced to a rare whole-life order at Nottingham Crown Court for murdering 73-year-old Pauline Quinn. Bierton bludgeoned the 73-year-old to death with her

Another winter. Another strike. Except this time the industrial action by junior doctors will be longer than any other NHS history. In total, three days starting on Wednesday morning. Then back out again for six consecutive days from 3-9 January. In all, there will only be four weekdays unaffected by strike action or holidays over

The long-awaited transgender guidance for schools in England has been published by the government. The main points from today’s developments include:• Schools and colleges to be told that parents should be involved in decisions affecting their children• Single-sex spaces must be protected for the safeguarding of all children• A sea change in approach on social

Alex Batty – the British teenager found in France after going missing for six years – has reportedly told journalists he is “glad to be home for Christmas”. He was 11 when he went on holiday with his mother Melanie Batty – who does not have legal parental guardianship – and his grandfather, David Batty,

The owners of a French guesthouse have revealed missing British teenager Alex Batty spent recent years staying with them under a fake name without his mother. Frederic Hambye and Ingrid Beauve said the teenager first arrived at their traditional gite farmhouse in late 2021 and had stayed with them on-and-off ever since. The couple said

In the corner of a cramped hotel room, there’s a small Christmas tree. Two stockings hang from the window ledges. There isn’t room for much more. Bunk beds and a double bed take up much of the space. The rest of the room is filled with the possessions of a family of four who have

David Cameron has called for a “sustainable ceasefire” in the escalating Gaza conflict – adding to growing global pressure on Israel. The home secretary’s intervention saw him warn that “too many civilians have been killed”. It sees the UK follow Joe Biden’s White House in expressing unease about the failure of Benjamin Netanyahu’s administration to

A teenager found in France six years after he was reported missing has been reunited with his family and returned to the UK. Alex Batty was 11 when he never returned from a holiday to Spain with his mother Melanie Batty, 38 – who does not have legal parental guardianship – and his grandfather David

A man has been arrested on suspicion of murder after a van hit a group of people in a town centre in Derbyshire. One man suffered serious injuries and died at the scene in Ilkeston, while two other people were taken to hospital with injuries that are not thought to be serious, Derbyshire Police said.

Former Mirror editor Piers Morgan has said there is “no evidence” to suggest that he ever hacked a phone, or told someone else to do so, as he launched a scathing attack against Prince Harry. His comments came as he made a statement outside his house this afternoon after a High Court ruling this morning.

A body has been found in the search for missing mother-of-three Gaynor Lord, police say. The 55-year-old was last seen after she left work early at Jarrolds department store in Norwich city centre at 2.45pm on Friday 8 December. Norfolk police said: “Police searching for missing Norwich woman Gaynor Lord can confirm a body has

The Bank of England has left interest rates on hold for the third successive meeting, insisting that it is determined to keep borrowing costs at their 5.25% level for some time. Unlike the Federal Reserve, which dropped heavy hints at its latest meeting yesterday that it is preparing for multiple cuts in US interest rates

A British boy who went missing in 2017 when he was 11 has been found in France and will return home soon, according to French authorities. Alex Batty never returned from a holiday to Spain with his mother and grandfather. His identity has been confirmed by his family, said the French prosecutor. Alex is from

A major incident has been declared in South Wales as roads were closed around an industrial estate after a “loud explosion” was heard before a “large fire” broke out. South Wales Police said roads around Severn Road in Treforest are expected to remain closed for some time due to the “serious incident”. Local councillor Karl

Welsh First Minister Mark Drakeford has announced his resignation. Mr Drakeford made the announcement in the Senedd on Wednesday morning five years to the day since he was first elected as leader of Welsh Labour. He had already indicated he would step aside during the current Senedd term and that he would not be standing

Rishi Sunak has avoided a damaging Tory rebellion over his flagship Rwanda bill in a crunch vote in the Commons. The totemic legislation, which aims to revive the stalled £290m deportation scheme after the Supreme Court ruled it unlawful, has been backed by MPs at its second reading by 313 votes to 269, a majority

An asylum seeker has died on board the Bibby Stockholm barge. Further details concerning the incident are yet to be confirmed, including the individual’s age and country of origin. The Bibby Stockholm, docked in Portland Port in Dorset, is one of a number of alternative sites the Home Office is using to house asylum seekers.

The One Nation group of centrist Tory MPs have recommended its members vote for the government’s Rwanda bill tomorrow. It comes after MPs on the right of the party earlier today suggested they may not support the legislation. The faction of about 100 One Nation MPs met this evening to discuss their concerns that the

The UK is considering extraditing an American driver who fled the country after a crash that left a British nurse unable to walk. Mystery surrounds exactly who the other driver – 22-year-old Issac Calderon – really is after the victim of the crash was told by police that he had been visiting a British special