United Kingdom

    The 92-year-old monarch looked resplendent in her traditional green velvet robes and white-plumed hat as she took part in the ceremony at St Giles' Cathedral in the Scottish capital. Her Majesty looked in good spirits this morning despite having to wear the heavy robes in the hot weather. The Thistle Service takes place once every two years to install new members of the Order of the Thistle. Ahead of the church service, there is a procession to St Giles' Cathedral through Edinburgh town centre. This year, Sir Richard Scott, the Duke of Buccleuch and Queesnberry, and Sir Ian Clark Wood will be installed into the order. Richard Scott, the Duke of Buccleuch and Queensberry, became a 'sir' following his previous investiture to the Order of the Thistle, the greatest o...

    Police are digging in the back garden of the nurse arrested in connection with the deaths of babies at the Countess of Chester Hospital. Officers carrying spades and rakes have been seen entering the Chester home of Lucy Letby. They have also been spotted using a step ladder to climb over the Ms Letby’s back garden fence, seemingly to search in the woodland next to her property. It was not immediately clear what the police searching the property were looking for. Ms Letby, 28, is believed to have been arrested by detectives investigating the deaths of 17 babies and 15 non-fatal collapses at the hospital between March 2015 and July 2016. Her modern semi-detached house, now the subject of a police search that has so far lasted two days, is about a mile from the hosp...

    British officials have held preliminary talks with the Swedes and the Ministry of Defence Britain could team up with Sweden to build a new fighter jet after being snubbed by France and Germany. British officials have held preliminary talks with the Swedes and the Ministry of Defence is next week expected to outline plans to start developing a warplane to replace the Typhoon. Sweden, which is in the EU, has shown interest in collaborating and would be a natural partner through its defence manufacturer Saab, according to the Financial Times. Sources stressed that the UK has spoken to several countries about the project. Japan and South Korea are also potential partners. France and Germany shocked British defence firms last July when they announced plans to develop a...

    Boris Johnson met David Cameron on the eve of a key Brexit summit, with the pair agreeing Theresa May's vision for Britain's future relationship with the European Union was the worst of both worlds. Mr Cameron called the EU vote and campaigned for Remain. He announced his resignation the morning after voters backed Brexit by a margin of 52% to 48% in June 2016. The remarkable development comes as his successor gathers her cabinet at her country retreat of Chequers in a bid to agree on what they want Britain's post-Brexit relationship with the EU to look like. But there are vastly differing views on how closely, if at all, the UK should mirror Brussels' rules and regulations when it comes to issues like trade and customs. Leavers say sticking too close to them woul...

    Theresa May has insisted Salisbury is open for business despite a new Novichok poisoning in her first comments since the incident emerged yesterday. The Prime Minister said her thoughts were with the people of the Wiltshire city once again four months after the brazen and reckless poisoning of Sergei and Yulia Skripal. She added: The message from Salisbury is clear it is very much open for business. The government will continue to provide every support to the local community. It comes hours after security minister Ben Wallace admitted there was low risk but not zero risk to the public, adding people should take some precautions. Two new victims, named by friends as Charlie Rowley, 45, and Dawn Sturgess, 44, fell critically ill after being exposed to the same Russi...

    Miss Letby, a qualified children’s nurse, graduated from the University of Chester seven years… Police are quizzing a health worker on suspicion of murdering eight newborn babies. The woman is also being questioned about the attempted murder of another six children at a neo natal unit. It is understood she was arrested at a semi-detached house, just a mile from the Countess of Chester Hospital in Cheshire, early this morning. Police have not confirmed the name of the arrested woman. The house which was being searched today belongs to nurse Lucy Letby, 28, who is believed to live in the property with her two cats. Miss Letby, a qualified children’s nurse, graduated from the University of Chester seven years ago and has worked at the hospital ever since. She has a...

    England were handed a major test of their mettle but claimed a first penalty shootout win in 22 years to book a World Cup quarter-final spot against Sweden. Eric Dier was the hero after bagging the winning spot-kick, the Spurs midfielder netting after Jordan Pickford's excellent save denied Carlos Bacca. The Three Lions had won the game once it had seemed, thanks to Harry Kane's second half penalty after he had been brought down by Carlos Sanchez. But Yerry Mina's 93rd minute header sent the match into extra-time and ultimately spotkicks. Jordan Henderson missed for the Three Lions, but they were handed a reprieve when Uribe clattered the crossbar. Bacca's effort was then brilliantly saved by Pickford, before Dier coolly slotted past David Ospina to send the Thre...

    UK’s current heat wave forecast to continue into the next few weeks, it’s worth reflecting on the many staycation options available across the UK. With award-winning beaches, internationally acclaimed cultural and historical attractions and 15 national parks, there’s something for everyone on this sceptred isle. But not all destinations are created equal. In its Great British Staycation Index 2018 Citybase Apartments has studied the statistics behind every city in the UK to find the best holiday hotspots. Factors include the maximum average temperature and average rainfull in July (taken from Met Office data), the average price of a pint, the crime rate (taken from local constabulary data) and the restaurant and family-friendly attractions available (taken from Trip...

    The Countess of Chester Hospital A female healthcare worker has been arrested on suspicion of the murder of eight babies and the attempted murder of another six babies. The arrest comes after an investigation of the neo-natal unit at the Countess of Chester Hospital. In May last year a police investigation was launched into a suspected high death rate at the hospital with the force saying they were probing the deaths of eight babies between June 2015 and June 2016. They also said they were to review seven further deaths and six non-fatal collapses. The review came after the hospital referred concerns to police about unexplained deaths in its neo-natal unit over the year long period. Detective Inspector Paul Hughes, who is in charge of the investigation, said toda...

    Britain's most wanted fraud suspect Mark Acklom has been arrested in a dramatic raid on his hideout, two years after he went on the run in Europe. Acklom, 45, was held by police at an apartment he was sharing with his wife and their two young children in Switzerland. He is wanted in the UK for allegedly fleecing a woman of her £850,000 life savings after posing as a wealthy banker and MI6 agent and promising to marry her. It's understood that as officers entered his rented home, conman Acklom tried to jump from a balcony before being wrestled to the ground. He was held at an apartment in the lakeside town of Wadenswil, a 20-minute drive south from Zurich, after a police surveillance operation lasting several days. He was arrested by Swiss police in an investigatio...