UK

Boris Johnson has apologised after being fined by the Met Police for breaking lockdown rules but said he would not resign. The prime minister said: “I have paid the fine and I once again offer a full apology.” Asked if he would quit over the fine, Mr Johnson said: “I want to be able to

Boris Johnson and his wife Carrie, and chancellor Rishi Sunak, have been notified that they will be issued with fines for breaking lockdown rules. The fixed penalty notices are the result of a Metropolitan Police investigation into parties in Downing Street and Whitehall in 2020 and 2021. Labour immediately called for both to the PM

The government needs “much more ambition and focus” to tackle the “shocking collapse” in rape prosecutions, a group of MPs has said. Police forces in England and Wales recorded the highest number of rapes and sexual offences in a 12-month period in the year to September. However, at the same time, the proportion of suspects

A “bloodthirsty” and “fanatical” terrorist has been found guilty of the murder of MP Sir David Amess. The veteran Conservative politician was stabbed to death during a constituency surgery meeting in Leigh-on-Sea, Essex, in October last year. Sir David, who was the MP for Southend West, suffered more than 20 stab wounds in a “vicious

The chancellor has written to the prime minister asking him to refer him to the Independent Adviser on Ministers’ Interests to determine whether all his interests were “properly declared”. In a tweet, Rishi Sunak said he had “always followed the rules” and that he hoped the review would “provide further clarity”. In the letter Mr

Rishi Sunak and his wife have recognised her tax “situation” was “not favourable”, says a government minister – as the chancellor launched an inquiry into the leaking of details about her non-dom status. After the disclosure that Akshata Murty was “non-domiciled” in Britain for tax purposes sparked a political storm, policing minister Kit Malthouse told

Prime Minister Boris Johnson has travelled to Kyiv to meet Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelenskyy in a “show of solidarity”. “Right now a visit of Boris Johnson in Kyiv started from one-on-one meeting with President Zelenskiy,” Andriy Sybiha,deputy head of Ukraine’s president office, said on Facebook. A Downing Street spokesperson said the PM was making the

A British man and French woman who disappeared while diving off the coast of Malaysia have been found after drifting at sea for more than two days. Fishermen spotted Adrian Peter Chesters, 46, and Alexia Alexandra Molina, 18, at around 1am on Friday – a considerable distance south from where they had disappeared. “Both individuals

The sister of murdered primary school teacher Sabina Nessa says she will spend the rest of her life wondering how “vile animal” Koci Selamaj could carry out such a “horrific attack” on her. “How could he do that? How could he hurt my sister?”, Jebina Yasmin Islam said. “I think that will stay with me

The government has been accused of “incoherence” and “missed opportunities” in its Energy Security Strategy, by environmentalists who say it contradicts climate targets and overlooks cheaper, greener and faster alternatives. Policy experts, scientists, fuel poverty groups and campaigners have all picked out energy efficiency as the “missing piece” of the plans, with many pointing to

An “evil” garage worker who attacked primary school teacher Sabina Nessa as she walked through a London park has been jailed for life. Koci Selamaj, 36, was told by a judge he will serve at least 36 years for the “savage” sexually motivated attack. His sentencing heard how Ms Nessa appeared “oblivious” as he ran

Parents in the UK are being warned to check their children for signs of hepatitis after more than 70 youngsters aged under 10 were diagnosed with the illness. Jaundice, dark urine, itchy skin, muscle and joint pain, loss of appetite and a high temperature are among the symptoms of the inflammatory liver condition. Around 60

A security guard at the British embassy in Berlin suspected of spying for Russia has been extradited from Germany and will appear in a UK court on Thursday, police have said. David Smith, 57, was arrested by German police on 10 August last year and is accused of collecting information from the British embassy in

Millions of workers will begin paying higher National Insurance contributions from today as part of a plan to raise billions for the NHS and social care. The 1.25 percentage point increase, first announced last autumn, is being introduced despite pressure for it to be put off given wider cost of living pressures – with energy,

A musician has pleaded guilty to the murder of teenager Bobbi-Anne McLeod. The student, 18, went missing on the evening of 20 November and was last seen at a bus stop in Plymouth. She was due to travel to the city centre to meet friends but never arrived. Three days later, her body was discovered

Boris Johnson is set to announce plans to send migrants to Rwanda to be processed, it has been reported. The prime minister is edging closer to unveiling proposals to fly asylum seekers to Rwanda for processing and settlement, according to reports in The Times. The Home Office did not deny the reports, with a spokesperson

The government has decided to push ahead with plans to privatise Channel 4. Ministers have concluded, following a consultation, that while the broadcaster is “currently performing well” its public ownership is “holding it back in the face of a rapidly-changing and competitive media landscape”, a government source said. A spokesperson for Channel 4 said it

The official list of COVID-19 symptoms has been expanded to include nine new signs of the disease including headaches, diarrhoea and a blocked nose. The list has been updated as COVID infection levels hit a record high in the UK, with almost five million people estimated to be currently infected. Professor Tim Spector, lead scientist

Tory MP David Warburton has told friends he has been admitted to a psychiatric hospital after allegations about his behaviour were made in a Sunday newspaper, Sky News understands. The MP has said he is being treated “for severe shock and stress”, adding: “This has been sheer hell.” The Somerton and Frome MP has had

Rescue teams have carried out a search in the English Channel after a plane flying from the UK went missing. The P-28 plane, which was carrying two people, took off from Wellesbourne, in Warwickshire, on Saturday morning bound for Le Touquet in northern France. The French Coastguard said the aircraft is the “subject of a