United Kingdom

    One of Isis’s most senior recruiters lived in Britain and married his British wife in a Greater Manchester town hall. John Georgelas, an American, wed Joya Choudhury, a young Briton of Bengali descent, in Rochdale in 2004 when they were both 19. They had met online after Georgelas converted to Islam. The American, who uses the Arabic name Yahya Abu Hassan, is now believed to be the most senior westerner in Isis. He is the son of a former US Air Force doctor and the grandson of an American Second World War veteran but was revealed last month to have become a senior Isis figure who has urged followers to carry out terrorist attacks in the west and lured scores of young Britons to join the terrorist group in Iraq and Syria. Georgelas spent some of his childhood in Britain, li...

    The Queen's ill health may again prevent her from attending church on Sunday. The monarch has stayed out of the public eye since Christmas after being struck down with a heavy cold. Buckingham Palace was unable to confirm whether the 90-year-old would be attending the Sunday service at Sandringham and refused to comment on Princess Anne’s assurances on New Year’s Day that the Queen was feeling better. Speculation as to whether the Queen is well enough to resume her usual routine remains just that, as palace officials said her appearance will be confirmed after 9.30am on Sunday. Queen Elizabeth broke protocol for the first time in her almost 64-year reign when she decided not to attend both her traditional Christmas and New Year's church services. She was struck down by a n...

    Prince Harry treated girlfriend Meghan Markle to a romantic trip to Norway to see the Northern Lights, it was reported. Besotted Harry , 32, flew the 35-year-old actress to the edge of the Arctic Circle for their first holiday together. The couple left London in secret on Monday after Suits star Meghan had seen in New Year with the royal, according to The Sun. Then they jetted into the remote and beautiful town of Tromso on the Norwegian fjords, where they enjoyed trips on the lake, whale-watching and spectacular sunsets in the snow. Then they watched the magnificent Aurora Borealis light up the night skies on their first holiday together. The Prince wanted to ensure his first holiday with the Suits actress was unforgettable experience Arild Heitmann The lovebirds’ cabin o...

    George Michael’s lover has been questioned by police as they piece together the final hours of the singer’s life. Fadi Fawaz, who found George dead on Christmas Day, spoke to officers to help them prepare a report for the coroner. Police today confirmed the probe was ongoing. The death of the former Wham! star, aged 53 at his house in Goring-on-Thames, Oxon, is being treated as unexplained but not suspicious. There is no suggestion fine art photographer Fadi has done anything wrong and officers are believed to have quizzed other potential witnesses. One source claimed Fadi was spoken to by officers on Wednesday at a property in North London. Daily Mirror Last week Fadi, 40, told the Daily Mirror he fell asleep in his car on Christmas Eve. He added: I never saw him that nig...

    According to his colleagues, Britain’s departing EU ambassador had “his hair on fire” since the summer about one particular issue: the importance of a transitional deal for Brexit — and the risks of leaving the EU without one. Sir Ivan Rogers warning to Downing Street, leaked in December, that the EU expects a full UK trade deal to take until the early to mid-2020s seemed stark. By Brussels standards, however, it was one of the more uncontroversial aspects of his advice. More significant was his assessment that British political imperatives to control borders and leave the jurisdiction of European courts required the UK to go for a hard Brexit deal, leaving the UK outside the customs union and the single market. Given this reality, the most valuable outcome of Article 50 t...

    A severe weather warning is in place across parts of the country, telling people to be aware of icy conditions. It comes as icy patches were likely to form on Wednesday night, particularly in areas that saw showers. Clear spells on Wednesday night meant a chance of temperatures dropping below freezing, allowing the ice to form. The Met Office warning, in place until 10am on Thursday, highlights the dangers of untreated surfaces such as pavements, cycle paths and some minor roads. It is in place for Yorkshire and Humber, the East Midlands and the east of England. Charles Powell from the Met Office said: Temperatures will be getting lowish, with some dropping below freezing. The icy conditions are likely to be seen in the east where some showers are expected. But the cloud m...

    The Queen has given an honour to a member of her staff as she continues to recover from a heavy cold. Queen Elizabeth missed church services on Christmas Day and New Years Day due to ill health, prompting growing concern about her health. A spokesperson for Buckingham Palace told The Independent the Queen had presented the honour to her member of staff in person and she was continuing to recuperate. She is continuing to recuperate and she is dealing with her regular red boxes of official papers, a spokesperson for the palace said. The court circular, who makes the official record of royal engagements, recorded that the monarch made Ray Wheaton, the Queen's Page of the Chambers, a Lieutenant of the Royal Victorian Order. Referred to as the LVO, the honour is in the Queen's ...

    A six-day strike by drivers on Southern Railway has been halved but unions warn there is likely to be further action in the long-running dispute over driver-only trains. Members of the Aslef union were due to walk out from Tuesday 10 January which have halted services for the entire week but now say they action will end early and trains will be running as normal from the 14th. But General Secretary Mick Whelan said the move did not mean the union was rolling back and warned of further strikes. He said the union's executive will meet later in the month and there was a likelihood more strikes will be called. The union said it had reduced the stoppage out of consideration for how long the dispute will last and its effect on passengers. Southern Railway customers have suffe...

    The best places to live 2016 The tenth annual Halifax Quality of Life Index has ranked 250 districts across the UK to find out where living standards are highest. The research looked at 24 categories including average earnings, employment, health, life expectancy, personal wellbeing, education and broadband speed. Here are the top 20 places to live. 20. City of London It'll come as no surprise that the main reason London features anywhere near the top 20 is because of earnings. The average weekly earnings for the City of London stand at £1,106 per week, compared to the UK average of £646 per week. However, those living in the City of London have some of the smallest homes in the UK, with less than four habitable rooms, compared to the UK average of 5.5. 19. Horsham Horsham...