United Kingdom

    EU unity has been one of the great surprises of Brexit: the bloc’s 27 remaining member states have managed to hold a united front in public in a way the UK a single country could only dream of. But with the UK’s departure delayed until October crucially, after the EU elections – that unity is being tested as never before, and the results are surfacing in the European parliament itself. Guy Verhofstadt, long adored by British Remainers for mocking Brexiteers and championing citizens’ rights, surprised a few of those campaigners when he stood up in the European parliament on Wednesday. “The only thing that can save us is Nigel Farage,” the EU federalist said – prompting applause from the arch Eurosceptic himself and nervous glances from the Lib Dem MEP sitting behind...

    Like any parents-to-be, Prince Harry and Meghan are busy preparing for their life-changing new arrival. And while the royal couple won’t exactly have the money worries some face with their first baby, they’ll still have many of the same hopes and fears as any new mum and dad. So, with Baby Sussex expected to arrive in a matter of days, royal sources say they are now busy concentrating on practicing birthing techniques and preparing themselves for some sleepless nights ahead. Those sleepless nights will be taking place in Frogmore Cottage, newly renovated for a reported £3million, in the grounds of Windsor Castle where the Duke and Duchess of Sussex were married last year. Since they announced their happy news to the world last October during their royal tour of Au...

    The UK's porn regulator has admitted that under-18's will be able to get around the government's forthcoming age-verification measures. The British Board of Film Classification (BBFC), which has been tasked with policing pornography websites, acknowledged that virtual private networks (VPNs) will allow users to evade the checks. VPNs work by routing the web user's connection through a foreign server, making it seem as if they are accessing the site from another country. Age-verification is not a silver bullet, the BBFC said in a statement on its website . Some determined teenagers will find ways to access pornography. However, children will no longer stumble across pornography on commercial pornographic websites. Research carried out on behalf of the NSPCC and Of...

    Two men have been arrested following the brutal murder of Belfast journalist Lyra McKee in Derry on Thursday night. The men, aged 18 and 19 were arrested last night by the PSNI under The Terrorism Act in connection to the murder of Ms McKee. PSNI officers said the men have been taken to the Musgrave Serious Crime Suite. The freelance journalist 29, was tragically shot dead during a night of rioting in Creggan. She was rushed to hospital in a police Land Rover but was later pronounced dead. The PSNI released a statement on Friday morning condemning the terrorist incident, and confirmed a murder investigation was launched. Assistant Chief Constable for District Policing Mark Hamilton described the night of carnage and appealed for no further violence over the Easte...

    A Brexit supporter who sent death threats and racist messages to MPs has been jailed. Jarod Kirkman told police he was just being a stupid idiot after he targeted seven parliamentarians who had opposed the UK leaving the European Union or raised concerns about the consequences. The 51-year-old sent emails with the subject lines Brexit traitor and Brexit loser, Westminster Magistrates Court heard. Using menacing email domains including MPdeadpoliticianwalking.com, he told former Conservative MP Heidi Allen, who has since become a member of Change UK: Your days are f***ing numbered bitch. Will it be polonium or novichok? Either way you will never know, expect it soon. Kirkman, who was unemployed and lived in Luton, also targeted Labour’s David Lammy, calling him a ...

    Meghan Markle and Prince Harry's royal baby is due any day now, and we don't know much about its sex or due date, but we know for sure that he or she will be the most spoilt baby since, well... Prince Louis. While the Duke and Duchess of Sussex have been busy prepping their little one's nursery in their new Frogmore Cottage home, the rest of the royal family have been thinking about what they'll do to mark Baby Sussex's arrival  and Queen Elizabeth in particular will be making a very special tribute to her newest great-grandchild. According to diamond expert and gemologist Grant Mobley, Queen Elizabeth II will most likely pass down her special Botswana Flower brooch, which is likely to have special meaning to the royal couple. There are many heirlooms among the Que...

    The Commons will get a new vote on a customs union in a few weeks in order to try to break the Brexit deadlock, amid warnings that Theresa May’s Conservatives are walking into a wipe-out in the European elections. Veteran MP Frank Field told the Standard that he plans to move a motion with the Father of the House, Kenneth Clarke, to show that a smooth trading bloc is a solution that commands cross-party support. Mr Field said a backbencher-led move would also get Mrs May and Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn off the hook of having to sign a formal compromise deal that could trigger civil war in their parties. I think if it comes from the backbenches, neither of the party leaders can be accused of dividing their parties. I would be confident of getting it through, he said...

    Meghan Markle and Prince Harry have delighted fan with a cute comment about their Royal Baby in their latest Instagram post. While thanking generous well-wishers for charity donations, the message referred to the Duke and Duchess - and Baby Sussex. Thousands of pounds have been raised for charities close to the couple's hearts as part of an unofficial baby shower and in lieu of gifts to the Royal Baby in the last few weeks. The message says: Whether a $5 donation, £1000 contribution, offering to volunteer, or spreading the word you’ve played your part. And on behalf of The Duke and Duchess (and Baby Sussex), we thank you so much. One fan wrote: Using their platform for good and making the world a better place despite all the negatives. A worthy and awesome goal. ...

    The battle to replace Theresa May intensified today with a warning that the Conservatives are doomed unless they choose a new leader who can appeal to Metropolitan Britain. A string of current and former Cabinet ministers paraded their credentials as potential successors to the Prime Minister as she left Westminster for a walking holiday in Wales. Sajid Javid, Jeremy Hunt and Boris Johnson clashed with speeches and interviews setting out their core values. Former Brexit secretary Dominic Raab bet on his ability to overtake the frontrunners, referencing Game Of Thrones in a tweet. I’m not alone in backing Arya, he said. It’s never the favourite. But the first solid endorsement of the day was for another dark horse cantering up from the back, as Health Secretary Mat...

    Around 70 MPs have signed a letter urging the government to make sure that Julian Assange faces Swedish authorities, if the country requests his extradition. Labour MP Stella Creasy shared the letter on Twitter, which has been sent to Home Secretary Sajid Javid. The letter says: "We are writing to request that you do everything you can to champion action that will ensure Julian Assange can be extradited to Sweden in the event Sweden make an extradition request. This would be so the formal investigation into an allegation of rape can be concluded and, if appropriate, a charge can be made and any trial can take place. We do not presume guilt, of course, but we believe due process should be followed and the complainant should see justice be done. We urge you to stan...