United Kingdom

    More than 100,000 spectators gathered in London on Monday evening to watch Europe's largest annual firework display as the world welcomed the new year with a series of spectacular celebrations. With less than three months until Britain leaves the EU, London mayor Sadiq Khan said the display showed Europe that the capital will remain open-minded and outward looking post-Brexit. Big Ben returned to action to kick off the sold-out show Europe's largest annual firework display after a year of renovation works. As London's landmark clock tower chimed, 70,000 projectiles made up of 12,000 fireworks lit up the sky above the capital in an occasion Mr Khan hoped would "send a message of support" to the more than one million European citizens who call the city their home. T...

    A shipping firm handed a £13.8m contract to run extra ferries in the event of a no-deal Brexit, has defended itself amid criticism it doesn't currently have any ships. Questions were raised over the Government's preparations after it emerged Seaborne Freight was one of three companies awarded contracts totalling £108m last week to lay on additional freight crossings to ease the pressure on Dover. Seaborne said it was on track to start twice-daily sailings by the end of March when the UK is due to leave the EU having initially planned to launch Ramsgate-Ostend crossings during February. A Department for Transport spokesman said: This contract was awarded in the full knowledge that Seaborne Freight is a new shipping provider, and that the extra capacity and vessels w...

    Home secretary Sajid Javid has spoken out on the English Channel migrant crisis, saying it's vital to strike a balance between protecting them and protecting our borders. It comes after Mr Javid cut short his family holiday to deal with the major incident of rising numbers of migrants attempting to cross the Channel by boat. In a statement, Mr Javid said on Saturday: The situation in the Channel is of grave concern, with people gambling their lives in reckless attempts to reach the UK in unsafe boats and treacherous conditions. It is vital we strike a balance between protecting them and protecting our borders, ensuring we do not encourage more people to make this dangerous journey. We have been working closely with our domestic partners and the French for some tim...

    Hundreds of thousands of small businesses face a VAT shock if Theresa May’s Brexit deal goes through, campaigners claimed last night. Small firms currently do not have to charge VAT on goods and services if their annual taxable turnover is less than £85,000 but an EU directive, expected to come into force next year, would reduce this to £76,700. The People’s Vote campaign which wants a second referendum claims Britain would have to implement this directive if MPs back Mrs May’s withdrawal agreement. This is because Britain would have to abide by EU rules during the transition period, without having the power to veto changes we do not like. The transition period lasts until at least the end of 2020. Europeans face having to send billions more to Brussels in a no-de...

    MPs could block the government’s ability to collect taxes to force Theresa May to allow a Final Say referendum. Influential Tory rebel Dominic Grieve has backed a plan to make a new public vote rather than a no-deal Brexit the default option if Ms May’s deal is not approved by parliament by exit day in March. Under the proposal, set out in a report by campaign group Best for Britain, MPs would amend the Finance Bill when it return to the Commons on January 8, making future taxation conditional on holding a referendum (with an option to remain). If there is no majority, MPs could also try to unite those who want a Final Say with those who oppose a no-deal, by making hampering efforts to collect taxes unless the deal has been approved or a referendum scheduled, the r...

    Hundreds of people have claimed they were sexually harassed by male police officers in the past six years, prompting calls from senior officers for outdated and unacceptable behaviour to be rooted out. A Guardian investigation using freedom of information laws has revealed that more than half of British police forces received almost 450 complaints from staff and members of the public about sexual harassment. They included accusations against senior detectives and inspectors. The true number of harassment grievances was likely to be even higher as only 28 out of 43 police forces provided data, with many including the Metropolitan police claiming they were unable to supply information or had failed to respond within the time limit. The National Police Chiefs’ Counci...

    The Duchess of Sussex looked absolutely glowing as she stepped out with her husband Prince Harry at the royal family's Christmas Day church service at Sandringham on Tuesday. The new royal is expecting her first child, with the world closely following her pregnancy and eagerly awaiting further news on her due date, especially as her bump looks very large for a spring baby. While no exact date had been given, Meghan was thought to be due in March or April 2019. But now, we have a little more insight into when the Queen's ninth grandchild is expected to arrive, thanks to amateur photographer Karen Anvil. This year, the mum returned to the same spot at Sandringham to take new photos of the royal family, and she posted an update on her Twitter page. Karen wrote: Got th...

    It’s Christmas time and so it hasn’t taken long for a national newspaper to run a feature implying British Muslims are poorly integrated for refusing to celebrate a Christian holiday. The irony of this pernicious Islamophobia, feebly hiding behind the banner of defending the Judeo-Christian values of our country, is that it is bereft of any meaningful understanding of Islam. You see, the thing is, Muslims love Jesus. In fact, the Prophet Muhammad said: The dearest person to me in friendship and in love, in this world and the next is Jesus, the son of Mary. It may come as a surprise to many to learn that Jesus is mentioned in the Quran over 100 times, while the Prophet Muhammad, by contrast, is mentioned just five times. Described as the best woman ever to have set...

    Meghan Markle and Kate Middleton looked like best mates as they arrived at the Royal Family's Christmas Day church service amid claims of a growing rift between them. The pair were all smiles and chatted as they walked shoulder-to-shoulder, along with their husbands, in front of an adoring crowd of hundreds. All eyes were on pregnant Meghan, 37, and Kate, 36, as they made one of their first public appearances together since the claims of a fallout emerged. It is Meghan's first Christmas as a member of the Royal Family, and the last before she becomes a mum for the first time. Well-wishers shouted Merry Christmas as the group passed by. The time-honoured tradition was led once again by the 92-year-old Queen at the church in the grounds of her private Norfolk count...

    Home Secretary Sajid Javid also took part in the call, along with representatives from the Cabinet Office, the Ministry of Defence and Sussex Police. The disruption, which began at about 9pm on Wednesday, affected about 1,000 flights and ruined the travel plans of more than 140,000 people. Ministers have labelled the police handling of communications surrounding the Gatwick Airport drone sightings as a mess-up, Sky News understands. After an hour-long conference call on Monday chaired by Transport Secretary Chris Grayling, it was acknowledged police have not handled their communication response well. Detective Chief Superintendent Jason Tingley said on Sunday that there were some persons of interest and denied the investigation was back to square one. There is a ...