News- UK

UK father and children who drowned in Costa del Sol pool named Gabriel Diya, his son Praise-Emmanuel and daughter Comfort died at holiday resortPolice in Spain have named the three members of a British family who drowned in a hotel swimming pool on the Costa del Sol on Christmas Eve.They were identified as Gabriel Diya, a 52 year-old London-based pastor,his son Praise-Emmanuel Diya, 16, and daughter Comfort Diya, nine. Continue reading... Go to Source

Post-Brexit UK always welcome back in EU, says Timmermans European commission’s VP writes ‘love letter’ to Britons, saying UK unnecessarily damaged by BrexitBritain has been unnecessarily damaged by Brexit and “more will follow”, the vice-president of the European commission has written in a “love letter” to the British people in which he promises a warm welcome back should attitudes change.Frans Timmermans, who is Ursula von der Leyen’s deputy in her role as European commission president, writes that British scepticism of the EU had been an asset to the bloc as he expresses his own feelings of rejection ahead of the country’s impending departure on 31 January, likening himself to a jilted “old lover”. Continue reading....

Children with brain tumours to benefit from new scan New scan predicts how rapidly tumours will grow thus sparing patients unnecessary treatmentChildren with cancer will be spared unnecessarily aggressive treatments thanks to a new scan that can predict how rapidly tumours will grow, doctors say.The test has been hailed as a major advance towards being able to tailor treatments for brain cancer to the needs of individual patients and is predicted to improve survival rates. Continue reading... Go to Source

Varadkar dismisses Johnson plan to make EU pay for 'interesting' bridge Irish PM says UK must pay for any bridge between Northern Ireland and Scotland Ireland’s prime minister has said he will not dismiss the idea of building a bridge between Northern Ireland and Scotland, but insisted the UK must pay for it.Boris Johnson and the Democratic Unionist party have spoken in favour of the idea. Continue reading... Go to Source

Kylie Minogue tries to lure Brexit-weary Britons in new Tourism Australia ad 'Matesong' Pop star reprises Neighbours character in a song that also includes tennis star Ash Barty, comedian Adam Hills and former cricketer Shane WarneA new $15m tourism campaign featuring Kylie Minogue is aiming to lure Brexit-weary Britons to Australia with the perennial promise of cute marsupials, white-sand beaches and locals who “speak your language”.The three-minute musical advertisement aired on televisions in the UK before the Queen’s message on Christmas Day, with Minogue and another well-known Australian export, Adam Hills, addressing the nation from Sandringham – a beachside suburb of Melbourne, Australia. Continue reading... Go to Source

UK set for gloomy Boxing Day with heavy rain across all regions Shoppers hoping to take advantage of the Boxing Day sales are likely to face a deluge of rain across most of the country, the Met Office has saidShoppers hoping to take advantage of the Boxing Day sales are likely to face a deluge of rain across parts of the UK, the Met Office has said. Christmas Day’s clear skies will give way to cloud, wind and rain on 26 December, with the south-west of England experiencing the heaviest downpours.The Environment Agency has issued 36 flood warnings – where flooding is expected – and 96 flood alerts, where flooding is possible. Continue reading... Go to Source

Revealed: thousands of children in care placed in unregulated homes Lack of facilities to house vulnerable children in UK has led to rise in unsafe placementsThousands of children in care are increasingly being placed in homes that are illegal or unregulated, in what critics have labelled a national scandal, a Guardian investigation has found.A lack of places to house vulnerable children in the UK is prompting a surge in placements that are less safe. These include those that are unregulated or not registered with Ofsted. Continue reading... Go to Source

Notre Dame Cathedral stays dark for first time in 200 years French Catholics go to nearby church in Paris for Christmas mass following fire in AprilNotre Dame Cathedral was unable to hold Christmas Eve mass for the first time in more than 200 years after a fire ravaged its structure in April.French Catholics instead gathered at the church of Saint-Germain l’Auxerrois, a few hundred metres away from the Paris landmark, for a service celebrated by the cathedral’s rector Patrick Chauvet. Continue reading... Go to Source

Queen acknowledges 'bumpy' year as royal family attends Christmas services Prince Andrew attends celebrations but not main service, while Queen acknowledges young people’s action on climate crisisThe royal family was out in force in a public show of Christmas unity as the Queen dwelt on the themes of friendship and reconciliation in her annual message and acknowledged a “quite bumpy” path during a turbulent year for both the monarchy and the nation.The beleaguered Duke of York joined other members of the family for the traditional celebrations at Sandringham in Norfolk in his first appearance since he was forced to step down from official royal duties over his friendship with convicted sex offender, Jeffrey Epstein. Continue reading... Go to Source

Shoppers expected to spend more than £4bn on Boxing Day In-store takings will be down, analysts say, as Black Friday eclipses post-Christmas salesShoppers are expected to spend more than £4bn in the Boxing Day sales on Thursday, but the annual discount extravaganza is likely to be dampened after a month of price cuts.Sales in stores are expected to be down by just over 12% to £3.2bn, according to VoucherCodes and the Centre for Retail Research, while bank holiday queues are expected to be up to 2% shorter than they used to be as the post-Christmas sales have been eclipsed by November’s Black Friday promotional stint. Continue reading... Go to Source

2020 set to be year of the electric car, say industry analysts Mini, Vauxhall Corsa and Fiat 5oo will join rapidly expanding European EV marketEurope’s carmakers are gearing up to make 2020 the year of the electric car, according to automotive analysts, with a wave of new models launching as the world’s biggest manufacturers scramble to lower the carbon dioxide emissions of their products.Previous electric models have mostly been targeted at niche markets, but 2020 will see the launch of flagship electric models with familiar names, such as the Mini, the Vauxhall Corsa and the Fiat 500. Continue reading... Go to Source

Allee Willis, songwriter behind Friends theme tune, dies aged 72 Willis penned hits for Earth, Wind & Fire, and wrote score for musical The Color PurpleAllee Willis, the US songwriter behind the Friends theme tune as well as hits such as September by Earth, Wind & Fire, has died aged 72.She had suffered a sudden heart attack and Willis’s partner, Prudence Fenton was described as being “in total shock” over the news. Continue reading... Go to Source

Notre Dame Cathedral cancels Christmas mass for first time in 200 years French Catholics worship at nearby church in Paris following fire at cathedral in AprilNotre Dame Cathedral was unable to hold Christmas Eve mass for the first time in more than 200 years after a fire ravaged its structure in April.French Catholics instead gathered at the church of Saint-Germain l’Auxerrois, a few hundred metres away from the Paris landmark, for a service celebrated by the cathedral’s rector Patrick Chauvet. Continue reading... Go to Source

Erdoğan arrives in Tunisia for surprise talks with president Turkish leader’s visit comes as Ankara moves to strike deals with Mediterranean nationsThe Turkish president, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, has arrived in Tunisia on a surprise visit for talks with his Tunisian counterpart, his office has said.The visit, the first by a head of state since the Tunisian presidential elections in the autumn, comes as Turkey has ramped up efforts to strike deals with nations on the Mediterranean, where Ankara has been at odds with Greece over resources off the coast of the divided island of Cyprus. Continue reading... Go to Source

Sadiq Khan urges PM work with him to end rough sleeping London mayor speaks at Christmas Eve event for 100 homeless people at City HallOne hundred homeless people spent Christmas Eve afternoon at City Hall in London, where the mayor, Sadiq Khan, said society was letting down those without homes. Related: Britain's homelessness crisis: 'It didn't need to be this way' Continue reading... Go to Source

Three members of British family die at Spanish resort Father, son and daughter were found in pool at Costa del Sol holiday complexThree members of the same family have died at a holiday resort on the Costa del Sol on Christmas Eve.The incident occurred after a nine-year-old girl got into difficulties in a swimming pool and her brother, 16, and father, 52, attempted to rescue her, it has been reported. It is understood the father and daughter were British citizens, while the son was American. None has yet been named. Continue reading... Go to Source

Pope: God loves even those who make 'a complete mess of things' Pontiff holds midnight Mass after pilgrims gather in Bethlehem, while Justin Welby will reflect on London Bridge attackPope Francis has delivered midnight Mass by saying the celebration of Jesus’s birth reminded humanity how “God continues to love us all, even the worst of us”.The pontiff told crowds gathered at the Vatican on Christmas Eve: “You may have mistaken ideas, you may have made a complete mess of things, but the Lord continues to love you.” Continue reading... Go to Source

UK weather: Christmas Day bright though not white, says Met Office Early frost and fog to give way to sunshine in most places, say forecasters, with rain and wind to follow on Boxing DayThose dreaming of a white Christmas will have to wait until at least next year, with the Met Office predicting plenty of frost and sunshine but no snow for Christmas Day.Much of the UK will wake up to frosty and foggy conditions on Christmas morning, before the wintry weather lifts to make way for sunshine later in the day. Continue reading... Go to Source

Thousands flee north-west Syria amid fierce assault by Assad Up to 30,000 leave area of Idlib province as government forces push to reopen road from Damascus to AleppoA mass exodus of civilians from the last rebel-held stronghold in Syria has begun as thousands of people flee towards the Turkish border in the face of a fierce new military assault by Bashar al-Assad and his Russian allies.As many as 30,000 people have left the area around the town of Maarat al-Numan after four days of airstrikes and heavy shelling paved the way for Syrian government troops to push deeper into north-western Idlib province. Continue reading... Go to Source

Brexit discourse contributed to death of Jo Cox, says bishop Bishop of Dover, Rose Hudson-Wilkin, says damaging rhetoric has harmed society as a wholeThe Church of England’s first black female bishop has said the debate around Brexit damaged society and contributed to the death of the MP Jo Cox.Rose Hudson-Wilkin, the former chaplain to the Speaker of the House of Commons, said the arguments around Brexit had had a harmful effect both on parliamentarians and on society as a whole. Continue reading... Go to Source

Labour election inquiry must listen to lost voters, says Nandy Khan defends Miliband involvement after Wigan MP warns against talking ‘amongst ourselves’ in WestminsterAn inquiry being co-led by Ed Miliband of Labour’s election campaign is in danger of drawing the wrong conclusions by failing to listen to the people who refused to vote for the party, the potential leadership candidate Lisa Nandy has said.Nandy said the review set up by a group called Labour Together was adopting a misguided approach by being based too much in Westminster. Continue reading... Go to Source

Christmas travel chaos as Northern railways cancels trains High levels of sickness blamed for disruption affecting Lancashire, Liverpool and ManchesterRail passengers have faced chaos on Christmas Eve due to the Northern’s cancellations and delays, which the franchise blamed on “unprecedented” sickness levels and drivers on leave.The affected services include Lancashire, Liverpool and Manchester, with passengers advised to check online before travelling. Continue reading... Go to Source

Meghan and Harry send Christmas greetings by email Duke and Duchess of Sussex’s e-card to friends and colleagues stars baby ArchieThe Duke and Duchess of Sussex have opted to break with tradition and chosen a more eco-friendly way of sending festive wishes, releasing an e-card with their son Archie at centre stage.The card reads: “Merry Christmas and a happy new year”, and at the bottom ends: “From our family to yours”. Continue reading... Go to Source

Hong Kong police fire teargas to disperse Christmas Eve protests Hundreds of officers guard main roads as thousands of shoppers and tourists look onHong Kong riot police fired rounds of teargas at thousands of anti-government protesters, many wearing masks and reindeer horns, after scuffles in shopping centres and a tourist district on Christmas Eve.Demonstrators inside the malls threw umbrellas and other objects at police who responded by beating some with batons; one pointed his gun at the crowd, but did not fire. Continue reading... Go to Source

London expected to co-host next stage of post-Brexit negotiations Location for talks to be split with Brussels in symbolic shift marking UK’s non-EU statusLondon is expected to co-host the next stage of post-Brexit negotiations with Brussels in a symbolic shift marking the UK’s position outside the EU after 31 January.The most likely location for the talks involving teams led by Michel Barnier for the EU and a yet-to-be-identified minister for the British government is the Cabinet Office in Whitehall. Continue reading... Go to Source

Thousands of children in care over 100 miles away from family Report finds 13% increase in number of placements in England out of local areaThousands of children in care are living more than 100 miles from their family and friends in places they have never heard of and would not be able to find on a map, according to a report by the Children’s Commissioner for England.More than 30,000 children who are looked after by their local authority are placed away from home and “out of area”, a 13% increase over five years. More than 11,000 of those live more than 20 miles from their home area and 2,000 are placed more than 100 miles away. Continue reading... Go to Source

Boris Johnson's jaunty Christmas message contrasts with rueful Corbyn Contrast in tone as jaunty PM and rueful Labour leader pay tribute to NHS and other staff Boris Johnson and Jeremy Corbyn have paid tribute to NHS staff and other public servants working through the holidays in their annual Christmas messages.While the two leaders both praised the efforts of those putting their celebrations on hold to look after others, the tone of their messages could hardly have been more different. Continue reading... Go to Source

Outcry as residents want to turn London youth club into coffee shop Bollo Brook youth centre credited with saving children from knife crime is at centre of gentrification rowA London youth club credited with saving children from rising knife violence is facing calls for its closure from new residents who think it would be better used as a coffee shop.The Bollo Brook youth centre in South Acton, which serves some of the poorest and most vulnerable children in London, is embroiled in a gentrification row with residents demanding the council close it down and remove it from the area, claiming it has been “dumped” on them causing “nothing but problems”. Continue reading... Go to Source

Prince Philip leaves hospital in London Duke of Edinburgh expected to join Queen in Sandringham for ChristmasThe Duke of Edinburgh has left hospital, where he was receiving treatment for a pre-existing condition. Related: Queen's Christmas message: '2019 has been quite bumpy' Continue reading... Go to Source

'Mockery of justice’ after Saudis convict eight over Khashoggi killing Court exonerates crown prince’s inner circle of involvement in murder of dissident journalistSaudi Arabia has been accused of engaging in a mockery of justice by shielding the alleged masterminds of the killing of the dissident journalist Jamal Khashoggi, after a court effectively exonerated Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s inner circle of involvement in the murder.The gruesome killing in the Saudi consulate in Istanbul in October 2018 stunned Saudi Arabia’s western allies, plunging the kingdom into its worst diplomatic crisis since the 9/11 attacks. Continue reading... Go to Source