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    The chimes of Big Ben will be heard for the first time in almost three months when Parliament’s historic bell is reconnected this morning, ahead of Armistice Day. After the resumption of chimes at 9am, Palace of Westminster clockmakers will work through the day adjusting the bells to ensure they strike at exactly the right time for Armistice Day commemorations at the 11th hour of the 11th month, followed by Remembrance Sunday events the following day. But people in Westminster are advised not to set their watches by the famous bongs, as parliamentary authorities expect slight inaccuracies following its 11-week break. It comes after the Sunday Telegraph revealed that parliamentary authorities ruled out allowing Big Ben's clock to chime at evenings and weekends because it wo...

    The husband of a British woman being held in an Egyptian jail accused of drug smuggling has claimed he has produced evidence that could prove her innocence. Laura Plummer, 33, from Hull, was arrested last month after being found with 300 tramadol tablets in her luggage. The painkiller is legal in the UK on prescription but illegal in Egypt. Held in a 15ft by 15ft cell with 25 other women for nearly a month, Ms Plummer faces a lengthy prison sentence if convicted of smuggling the drugs. However her husband, Omar Caboo, 34, is said to have shown the newspaper evidence that supports her defence the pills were for his bad back, The Sun reported. The entertainment worker told the newspaper: Hopefully now her nightmare will come to an end. These papers will prove she was telling...

    Just days after its release, Tesco’s Christmas advert has come under fire for featuring a Muslim family. In the supermarket’s one-minute long advert, families prepare Christmas dinner and cook a turkey in a variety of ways. As families meet and greet each other, one scene shows a Muslim family holding Christmas gifts and preparing to celebrate the festive holiday. Some haven’t taken too kindly to Tesco’s inclusive message, with one Twitter user claiming to be a devout Christian feeling very offended. Another user said @Tesco why are you showing Muslims celebrating Christmas in your advert. That’s just wrong, we all know they don’t!!!. Tesco hit back, arguing everybody should be able to enjoy the festivities. Everyone is welcome at Tesco this Christmas and we're proud to ce...

    Commons staff spent hundreds of pounds on cinema trips and football kits on government credit cards, it has been revealed. A total of £200 was spent on football kit and £140 was claimed for cinema visits under office supplies, according to a Freedom of Information request by the BBC. A Commons spokesman told the broadcaster that the items had followed purchasing policy as genuine business transactions. The Parlimentary authorities said there were 205 cards in circulation for Commons staff to make quick, simple and cost-effective purchases when they are either away from their workplace, on business or for very low value items. The documents revealed that a claim had been registered for a £30 book entitled Framing the Face: New perspectives on the History of Facial Hair. It ...

    The forthcoming Autumn Budget will see buyers of new diesel cars hit by tax rises, according to the Financial Times. The paper reports that Government aids have said the Chancellor of the Exchequer, Philip Hammond, sees increased levies on sales of new diesel cars as the best route to meeting budget requirements set out by the Clean Air Plan, a draft copy of which was published in May this year. Under the plan, the Government would ban the sale of exclusively petrol or diesel cars by 2040, so that every new car sold in the UK would be electric or hybrid. The fresh tariffs for diesel cars assuming they’re confirmed when the budget is announced on 22 November will signal a further blow to diesel fuel, following figures released this week that revealed sales of new diesel car...

    The date of Brexit will be written into law in an effort to placate MPs who are worried that the Government could attempt to delay the UK's break away from the European Union. Amendments to the repeal bill going through Parliament will spell out that the UK's membership of the EU will end at 11pm GMT, midnight in Brussels, on March 29 2019. Brexit Secretary David Davis said the change will make the UK's departure date crystal clear. The move comes as Mr Davis was set to meet the European Union's chief negotiator Michel Barnier in Brussels, where officials have been engaged in the latest round of Brexit talks. The amendment enshrining Brexit day in law will be considered by MPs when the European Union (Withdrawal) Bill returns to the Commons next week. Theresa May's fragile...

    Brexit is legally reversible as Brits still have the right to change their minds, one of the key architects of Article 50 will say. Lord John Kerr, the former chief British diplomat, is set to claim Theresa May’s Article 50 letter can be unilaterally withdrawn at any time and therefore the die is not cast irretrievably. Speaking at an event organised by the pro-single market campaign Open Britain in London on Friday, the former UK ambassador will say: We are not required to withdraw just because Mrs May sent her letter. We can change our minds at any stage during the process. He will add: Mrs May’s letter was only a notification of the UK’s ‘intention’ to withdraw. Intentions can change. We still have all the rights of a member-state, including the right to change our mind...