CATEGORIES

Delia Smith takes year off festive cooking for first time in half a century

Delia Smith, the doyenne of Christmas dinners, is taking a year off from cooking the festive feast for the first time in more than 50 years.

King's message to focus on health workers

The king's Christmas message will focus on the efforts of healthcare workers after a year in which Charles and the Princess of Wales were treated for cancer.

Man jailed over threat to 'blow away' English Defence League

A man who posed with an \"ornamental\" AK-47 rifle and threatened to \"blow away\" the English Defence League during the summer riots has been jailed for more than two years.

Holiday on ice Scientists and fossil hunters in Antarctica hunker down to climate work

Most of us will not get a white Christmas this year, but a group of scientists is guaranteed one while carrying out research on the Antarctic peninsula.

Government urged to take action to end the 'vicious downward spiral' of Send provision

Children with special educational needs and disabilities (Send) have been victims of a \"vicious downward spiral\" of declining support over the past decade, pushing more families into crisis, the former children's commissioner for England has said as she urged the government to take action.

'The worst it's been' Teachers and parents share their experiences of living inside a crisis

\"The Send [special educational needs and disabilities] system is broken; completely and irrevocably,\" said David Wilson, a deputy headteacher at an inner-city Manchester primary school where between six and 10 children with Send are in each classroom.

Kurdish family cannot be reunited in UK, court rules

The court of appeal has ruled that a couple who were separated from their two young children on a migrant dinghy in northern France after the mother fell overboard cannot travel to the UK to be reunited with them.

Water voles bounce back in some areas but dispersal down across Britain

Water voles continue to decline in their distribution across Britain, but there are signs of recovery in some regions, with populations bouncing back in 11 areas, according to a report.

Girls to form part of St Paul's Christmas Day choir for first time in history

Girls will form part of the choir performing at the Christmas Day service at St Paul's Cathedral for the first time in its 900-year history tomorrow.

Car driven into shop in suspected arson attack

Police are investigating a suspected arson attack in Birmingham that led to five people being evacuated in the early hours yesterday after a car was driven into the front of a shop and set on fire.

Keir Starmer PM to take 'a few days' off, says No 10

Keir Starmer and his family are to take a short overseas holiday over the new year, Downing Street has said.

Starmer under pressure as economy stagnates despite vow to revive it

The UK economy flatlined between July and September and is on track to have stagnated over the entire second half of 2024, adding to pressure on Keir Starmer over his promise to reboot growth.

High streets Late surge in Christmas shopping

Shoppers surged on to high streets on Saturday amid signs they are spending more in stores and on the internet than last year in the run-up to Christmas, as retailers hope for a last-minute rush.

Forecasters predict mild Christmas with temperatures of up to 15C

Forecasters are predicting one of the mildest Christmases on record with temperatures potentially peaking at 15C and no chance of snow anywhere in the UK.

Labour is being blamed for drag on growth - but the real picture is more complicated than that

Economic growth revised to zero, stubbornly high inflation, and warnings of job losses on the horizon.

Saudis warned Germany about Christmas market attack suspect 'many times'

Saudi authorities had previously requested the extradition of the main suspect in Friday's Christmas market attack in Germany, a source close to the Riyadh government told Agence France-Presse yesterday, as several agencies admitted they had received warnings about him.

Middle children from large families more likely to be friendly and fair, study claims

The debate has raged for more than a century: does birth order help to shape personality, or are conscientious firstborns and creative youngest children flawed stereotypes based on flimsy evidence?

Kremlin denies Asma al-Assad seeking divorce or London exile

The Kremlin has denied Turkish media reports suggesting Asma al-Assad, the British-born wife of the ousted Syrian leader, Bashar al-Assad, is seeking a divorce and hoping to return to London.

Structural change as beacon of Liverpool radio quits the tower

It is known across Liverpool as the Radio City Tower but that moniker might not be around much longer as the iconic structure hosts its final live broadcast today.

Crocodile who scaled heights of fame in 1986 hit comedy dies

After a 90-year life in which he scaled the dizzying heights of the film industry, Burt, the giant crocodile that featured in the hit Australian comedy Crocodile Dundee, has died.

NHS to trial AI tool able to spot risk of diabetes

The NHS in England is launching a world-first trial of a \"gamechanging\" artificial intelligence tool that can identify patients at risk of type 2 diabetes more than a decade before they develop the condition.

Badenoch plays down prospect of Musk donation to Reform

Kemi Badenoch has said she does not believe Elon Musk is going to make a multimillion-pound donation to Reform UK, even as the party's treasurer claimed the US billionaire was now ready to do so.

Revealed: Thames Water diverted 'clean-up' cash to help pay bonuses

Work to tackle pollution shelved after internal risk assessment

Ex-Trump nominee 'paid for sex with girl'

A House of Representatives ethics committee report on Matt Gaetz, the former Florida Republican congressman, found \"substantial evidence\" that he engaged in sex trafficking and paid for sex with a minor, among other serious violations of state law and congressional rules.

Maresca 'happy' but Chelsea streak ends

The immediate aim of the Friedkin Group is to restore stability to Everton after their takeover on Thursday. In some ways, Sean Dyche has beaten his new employers to it. High-flying Chelsea became the latest team to run into a royal blue wall and out of ideas as they lost valuable ground in the title race.

The Sphinx's plot Will new Royal Mail owner sell off valuable properties?

Will new Royal Mail owner sell off valuable properties?

Political football

Sport has shown me success is not about quick wins but collective effort

Usyk retains his class in and out of ring in beating Fury

Boxing is full of unsavoury people but it also produces extraordinary men such as the heavyweight champion

Time for the cackling disrupter to make his exit but there is no shame in losing to a true great

In the end everyone runs out of road. It was probably necessary for Tyson Fury to say he was robbed in the Kingdom Arena on Saturday night.

Theory of nothing earns Saints and Rusk worthy draw

It turns out it wasn't so hard after all. Southampton stopped giving the ball away in their own half, adopted an approach rooted in expediency and kept their second clean sheet of the campaign.