Breaking News:

Queen to sit on own as Philip's funeral details revealed

Sarah Everard: Conservative mayoral candidate Shaun Bailey accused of 'politicising' case

The Conservative candidate for London mayor has been branded "utterly shameless" and "totally vile" for "politicising" the disappearance of Sarah Everard.

Latest stories

  • Prime suspect charged with murder of California student - 25 years after she disappeared

    A long-time suspect in the disappearance of California student Kristin Smart almost 25 years ago has been charged with her murder, while his father is accused of helping to conceal her body. Paul Flores, 44, was the last person seen with Ms Smart when she vanished on 25 May 1996. Flores has spent years refusing to comment under his right not to incriminate himself.

  • Prince Philip: Royal Family releases Kate's photo of Queen and duke with seven great-grandchildren

    The Royal Family has released new photographs of the Duke of Edinburgh following his death at the age of 99. The previously unseen photo shows Prince Louis cradled in the arms of the Queen, a rare image of the monarch holding one of her 10 great-grandchildren. The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge's other children Prince George and Princess Charlotte are on either side of the monarch.

  • Quiz! How well do you know the UK’s longest running TV shows?

    Can you answer these questions about the nation's most well-established programmes?

  • EU states believe MEPs have handed UK leverage in Brexit talks over Northern Ireland

    Britain’s hand in negotiations over the Northern Ireland Protocol has been strengthened by the European Parliament’s refusal to set a date to ratify the Brexit trade deal, EU governments have warned. Lord Frost is in Brussels for talks over the implementation of new customs arrangements in Northern Ireland with his European Commission opposite number Maros Sefcovic. Brussels has begun legal action against the UK, which it accuses of breaking international law by unilaterally extending grace periods on some customs checks in the Withdrawal Agreement. Britain argues the measures are lawful and in good faith. MEPs refused to name the date for the plenary vote on the trade deal for a second time on Tuesday in a bid to heap pressure on Britain over the agreement that introduced a customs border in the Irish Sea to prevent a hard border on the island of Ireland. The threat infuriated European capitals, which are worried it could backfire and believe it weakens the EU’s negotiating position in the talks over Northern Ireland. “There is serious incredulity around the table,” an EU diplomat said, “The irresponsible actions by the UK government have been bemoaned by MEPs for months only for them to act exactly the same way.” “It will impact the EU’s negotiations over Northern Ireland and call into question certainty for citizens and companies on both sides of the Channel.“ The UK-EU trade deal, which is separate from the Withdrawal Agreement, was provisionally applied at the end of last year. If the European Parliament does not ratify the deal by the end of April the EU would have to ask the UK for an extension or face a damaging no deal because the provisional deal would fall away.

  • The shocking figure that shows the severity of Europe’s third COVID wave, according to the WHO

    Dr Hans Kluge, the regional director of WHO Europe, set out stark figures as he referred to the ongoing third wave of infections on the continent.

  • Nicola Sturgeon unveils manifesto with free dentists, four-day week and Indyref2

    Showing her determination to push for a second referendum, Ms Sturgeon described the manifesto as “transformational” but said she could go further if Scotland was independent. An SNP government would also provide funding to businesses to pilot a four-day working week.

  • Why did Prince Andrew think he should go to the funeral as an Admiral?

    When Prince Andrew suddenly re-appeared in public last weekend, giving an interview outside the Royal Chapel of All Saints in Windsor, the public could understand his grief at losing a father. Yet his appearance also raised an unfortunate question mark. It was 512 days after having last spoken publicly, and it seemed that on Sunday the Duke of York had returned to the frontline of the monarchy – and was speaking on its behalf. Within a day an unceremonious controversy erupted. Prince Andrew had reportedly demanded to wear the uniform of an Admiral at his father’s funeral on Saturday and had gone so far as instructing his tailor to style it with the distinctive three rows of lace and four stars, crossed baton and sword of that rank. The prince was, like his father, tested in war – no doubt a unique bond and a source of pride for the Duke of Edinburgh. As the only one of the generation of royals younger than his father to serve in battle, Prince Andrew certainly deserved to wear a uniform, as Prince Philip did his as honorary Admiral of the Fleet, the navy’s highest rank. But his current rank is Vice-Admiral, not Admiral.

  • Father stabbed to death ‘after argument about motorbike noise’

    The man was named locally as Dean Allsop.

  • Justin Trudeau claims UK is facing ‘very serious’ third Covid wave amid Canada’s slow vaccine rollout

    Downing Street says UK’s case data ‘speaks for itself’ as infections continue to fall

  • Ivanka Trump causes MAGA meltdown after sharing photograph getting vaccine

    Trump supporters called Ivanka a ‘disappointment’ for getting the jab

  • SNP offers Scots up to £50,000 to move to the islands

    Nicola Sturgeon’s party plans bond scheme to stop rural depopulation

  • Covid eight times more likely to cause rare brain clot than AstraZeneca vaccine, study finds

    ‘Covid-19 risk is higher than seen with current vaccines, even for those under 30,’ says study co-author

  • Mother, 23, and daughter, 26, among those burned alive in Thai bus fire horror as police charge driver

    Grieving relatives of a six-year-old girl and her mother burned alive in a horror bus fire in Thailand visited the scene of the tragedy this morning (April 15). The family of Prangthong Kalom, 23, and her six-year-old daughter Pawarat Kalom laid flowers and said prayers alongside a Buddhist monk at the spot where the double-decker coach erupted in flames in the early hours of the morning in Khon Kaen province. Tragically, the mother had been taking her excited only child Pawarat to visit relatives to celebrate her birthday the next day. The pair – who were sitting at the back of the bus – were among five trapped on the top floor of the vehicle when a rear wheel erupted in flames which spread to the engine and quickly engulfed the whole bus. Twelve passengers suffered severe burns but are recovering in hospital while 16 people including the driver and conductor escaped from the inferno. Pawarat’s father Thanadon Boonpramuanya said: ‘My daughter and her mother suffered terrible pain and fear when they died. I am so sorry she went through that and there was nothing I could do. ‘I have brought a picture of her with me today and her favourite milk. The monk is also here and we have all said prayers for her soul. We are praying that she is not suffering and her soul can find its way home.’ Parawat’s grandfather and the mother of Prangthong added: ‘We had already organised a birthday party for my granddaughter. We are heartbroken to lose them both.’ The coach was travelling from Udon Thani in the northeast to the capital Bangkok when a wheel exploded and burst into flames shortly after midnight. Flames spread to the engine compartment then engulfed the bus in the middle of a motorway in Khon Kaen province. Police said the driver pulled over and opened the door for passenger to flee. However, two children and three adults who were on the top floor could not escape the vehicle were incinerated following a series of explosions. Fire crews arrived and took around 30 minutes to extinguish the inferno. Police questioned the driver, Patsadee Khamon, 48 on suspicion of ‘driving until causing injury and death to others’. He was later charged with reckless driving causing deaths and injuries. Major General Putthipong Musikul, Deputy Chief of Police in Khon Kaen Province, said: ‘The driver also suffered injuries from the fire but we will pursue the legal case against him and continue to collect evidence. ‘The families of the deceased are entitled to compensation from the bus company and we will assist them. We are interviewing everybody who was on the bus and forensic engineers are examining the wreckage.’

  • The Duke of Edinburgh’s 16-year project to design his own Land Rover hearse

    The modified Defender TD5 130 chassis cab vehicle is painted Dark Bronze Green, just like many military Land Rovers.

  • Latest weekly Covid-19 rates for local authority areas in England

    Around one in three areas have recorded a week-on-week rise in rates.

  • Mixing Covid vaccines 'may give better long-term protection'

    Mixing vaccines could improve protection against coronavirus, a senior government scientific adviser has said. Prof Anthony Harnden, deputy chairman of the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation, said different vaccine types could coalesce to boost the immune system and provide a longer-lasting response. He also said a "mix and match" approach could make future rollouts more flexible. It comes after planners were forced to rethink phase 2 of the rollout, which started on Tuesday, after the JCVI recommended people aged 18 to 29 have an alternative to the AstraZeneca jab due to blood clotting concerns. Currently only two other vaccines - Pfizer and Moderna - have received regulatory approval in the UK. The promise of 30 million one-jab Johnson & Johnson doses in the summer suffered a setback this week after US regulators suspended its use, also due to fears over clotting. Prof Harnden said: "If we can mix and match, we'll get much better flexibility - we will be able to potentially use different vaccine booster campaigns in the autumn. And, in fact, mixed schedules may - and this is a big may - but they may give better longer-term protection, and that will be very interesting to see."

  • Biden's Afghan pull-out breaches deal and will trigger 'countermeasures' threaten Taliban

    The Taliban have denounced the new American plan for troops to quit the country by September 11, saying it breaches an earlier agreement negotiated with Donald Trump. Joe Biden's decision to leave America's longest war before the symbolic anniversary of the 9/11 attacks, rather than May 1 as agreed under Mr Trump , will justify “countermeasures” the insurgent movement said. The hardline Islamist militants made their first official response to Mr Biden's announcement of an unconditional withdrawal, as America's top diplomat visited Kabul to try to sell the pull out. A statement from the insurgents said that “delaying the withdrawal date of forces by several months, all makes evident to the world that America cannot be trusted nor is it committed to its pledges and promises.” It went on: “Now as the agreement is being breached by America, it in principle opens the way for the Mujahideen of Islamic Emirate to take every necessary countermeasure, hence the American side will be held responsible for all future consequences, and not the Islamic Emirate.” Joe Biden confirmed earlier this week that he would pull troops out of Afghanistan 20 years after they first arrived to topple the Taliban regime harbouring Osama bin Laden. Mr Biden's secretary of state, Antony Blinken, flew to Kabul on Thursday to show support for the Afghan government hours after the White House had announced an unconditional withdrawal. Ashraf Ghani's government is heavily reliant on American support in the face of the Taliban, but has claimed it can stand without US troops. Mr Blinken tried to reassure Mr Ghani that the United States would remain committed to Afghanistan, saying Washington will "intensify" its diplomacy to do "everything we can" to advance efforts to secure a peace agreement between Kabul and the insurgents. "The reason I'm here, so quickly after the president’s speech last night, is to demonstrate literally, by our presence, that we have an enduring an ongoing commitment to Afghanistan," he said.

  • In defence of the AstraZeneca vaccine – and what comes next

    The pharmaceutical giant has struggled to maintain trust in its product. But as faith in the vaccine continues to flag after the blood clot saga, the world cannot afford to forget what is on offer, writes Samuel Lovett

  • Princes William and Harry will not walk shoulder to shoulder at Duke of Edinburgh's funeral

    The Duke of Cambridge will not walk shoulder to shoulder with the Duke of Sussex at the Duke of Edinburgh's funeral, with the two being separated by Peter Phillips. Seemingly in recognition of ongoing tensions between them, the royal brothers will flank their older cousin as they walk in a procession behind their grandfather's coffin from the State Entrance of Windsor Castle to the West Steps of St George's Chapel on Saturday. They will be split up again when they walk to their seats in the Quire of the 15th Century church. Prince William, 38, is then expected to join the Duchess of Cambridge, 39, inside the chapel for the 3pm ceremony. Although the seating plan has not yet been announced, it is thought Prince Harry, 36, will sit next to Mr Phillips, 43, who is attending the funeral alone after separating from his wife, Autumn, in February last year. The pregnant Duchess of Sussex, 39, has not flown over on doctors' advice. Due to Government coronavirus restrictions on indoor worship, royals who do not live with each other will be seated two metres apart for the 50-minute service.

  • Rapid Covid testing in England may be scaled back over false positives

    Rapid Covid testing in England may be scaled back over false positivesExclusive: leaked emails seen by the Guardian show ‘urgent need for decisions’ on asymptomatic testing Boris Johnson urged everyone in England to take two rapid-turnaround tests a week. Photograph: Finnbarr Webster/Getty Images