Biographer says government departments give contradictory refusals to requests and accuses them of ‘cover up’Researchers have called for greater transparency from the Foreign Office over the files it holds on the Duke of York. Officials responding to freedom of information requests have given a variety of reasons why the files cannot be released.Andrew Lownie, an author who is researching a biography of Prince Andrew, was told that the files could not be made public until 2065, and implied there was a general rule that papers relating to members of the royal family must remain closed until 105 years after their birth. Continue reading...

Politics

He’s been on screen since he was seven – but only prepares for a scene 10 minutes before. Yet somehow the mischievous Succession star is now tipped for an Oscar. How did the chaotic, charismatic actor do it?Kieran Culkin tries the upright chair first, the one opposite me, high-backed and leather. But no, that’s no good. He can see his reflection in the wall mirror, he’ll be catching himself all interview, thinking how tired he looks with his hooded eyes and beard, how jet lagged. Sleep is always tricky, but he’s been up with the kids – five and three – who weren’t supposed to join him for this publicity tour but there was a last-minute crisis, the short version of which is that the whole family is over from New York (with Culkin, 42, there’s always a long and short version).So, he flumps on the banquette, where he’ll be facing guests drinking afternoon cocktails in the low-lit, high-ceilinged bar here at the Corinthia hotel in London. He tests the firmness of the upholstery. Pa...

Society

When David Clarke’s mother died, it took him 10 years to work out what to do with the money she left him. This year, a panel of locals in Liverpool made the decision for himIt was a quiet act of generosity that briefly captured the news agenda: David Clarke, a researcher in Liverpool, made the extraordinary decision to give away the £100,000 he had inherited from his late mother a decade ago. But instead of donating it to one cause, Clarke did something radical. He wrote to 600 addresses in the L8 postcode, where he lives, inviting people to nominate where the money should go.Clarke lost his mother in a cycling accident. “Her death was a devastating shock to me,” he says. “She had a huge social conscience and was interested in the world and how it worked – a lot of my moral framework comes from her. I don’t believe in holding on to inherited wealth, so I spent a long time thinking about what to do with the money.” Clarke wanted to do something that would speak to his mother’s values...

Economics

His death comes just six days after his last fight - a win over Rogelio Medina Luna in New Jersey that saw him named the WBA Gold Cruiserweight world champion.

Sport

Court found 51 men guilty including Dominique Pelicot, who was given a 20-year prison sentenceAt least 15 of the men found guilty of raping or sexually abusing Gisèle Pelicot have appealed against their convictions and will be given a second trial.All 51 men, including her ex-husband, Dominique Pelicot, were convicted and given prison sentences of between three and 20 years before Christmas after a trial lasting three and a half months. Dominique Pelicot was sentenced to 20 years. Continue reading...

Events

The American photographer on capturing a moment of intimacy between himself and his baby sonOn a sunny Sunday morning in June, Spencer Ostrander returned from the local hardware store to find his wife, Sophie, gardening in their back yard in Brooklyn, New York. “I handed her the supplies she needed, and a hot coffee, and she handed over our son,” Ostrander says. Their boy, Miles, was six months old at the time.“As I was taking him inside, I saw the reflection of my son’s back rolls in the glass door.” Ostrander grabbed his iPhone 14 Pro and turned the front camera on. “He was teething back then; not crying, but not his usual pleasant self either. I was juggling a wiggling baby and my phone, so I could only take two frames.” Continue reading...

Culture

Surgeons who have committed serious misconduct, sometimes ending in death and life-changing injuries for patients, are continuing to operate on unsuspecting patients around the world.

Science

Stansted, Heathrow, Manchester, Gatwick and Luton are among airports experiencing delays.

Transport

Brenda Fricker is best known for starring as the homeless woman in Home Alone 2: Lost In New York back in 1992. 

Politics

North-east England will enjoy the brightest weather of the day, with some sunshine in Aberdeenshire in the afternoon and temperatures of about 10C to 12C across the country

Society

U.S. officials say the United States is expected to announce it will send another $1.25 billion in military assistance to Ukraine

Economics

Gavin and Stacey officially bowed out after a thrilling final episode, but some eagle-eyed viewers were less than thrilled when they spotted a bizarre plot hole in the story

Sport

A former Watford player has been accused of domestic violence and has reportedly been arrested after his ex-wife filed a complaint to officials, with a court date expected soon

Events

A father tackled his 13-year-old autistic son out of the way of a large truck after his child ran onto a busy highway in Thailand on 23 December.

Culture

Flu cases have soared in Scotland as health officials warn the public to stay away from A&E unless necessary.

Science

Passengers at Gatwick have been warned to expect possible delays on Saturday because of poor visibility and to contact their airline for information.

Transport

If you’re planning on ringing in the new year quietly at home, you’re not alone

Politics

Bitter feud is alleged to have begun while filming the box office hit ‘It Ends With Us’

Society

The DWP has issued an update on the progress of the State Pension Underpayments

Economics

A yellow alert for rain and snow has been issued for most of Scotland on December 30 and 31.

Events

Travellers face further disruption at UK airports including Gatwick, Heathrow and Manchester due to thick fog which is set to persist today says the Met Office

Transport

After a tumultuous fight against the drop last season, the manager has made smart changes and instilled firm bondsIt is just over a year since Nuno Espírito Santo arrived at the City Ground with the task of turning the ship around. The Portuguese found Nottingham Forest in a battle for survival, sitting one place above the relegation zone, which is exactly where they finished the season, confirming their top-flight status only on the final day. It was an effective first few months in charge but did not suggest Forest would become Champions League challengers as 2025 approaches.Forest visit Goodison Park on Sunday, the scene of their lowest moment since returning to the Premier League in 2022 when an emotional social media post from the club’s X account lambasted the officials during Everton’s 2-0 victory in April. At that point Forest looked like a circus and the prospect of reacquainting themselves with the Championship was a serious possibility, but they did just enough by winning...

Politics

We cooked ragu and listened to records while lying on chaises longues. Then the M11 link road was built – and everything changedIn our end of year series, writers and public figures remember the place or time when they felt most at homeIn the mid-1980s, I was in my early 20s and was reading for the Bar in London. I was living in a mouldy Balham bedsit and returning regularly to the comfort zone of my native York, when a friend told me a room was going in a shared house in Leytonstone.I wasn’t expecting much of E11. I wasn’t expecting trees, for example, but my walk from the attractive art deco tube station took me along roads better described as avenues. The house itself seemed almost the last one in London, an illusion created by the proximity of Wanstead Flats. It was a rangy, detached 1920s house, white with a red roof, and it had a name, but I’ll just call it the villa.Andrew Martin is an English novelist; his latest book is The Night in Venice Continue reading...

Society

Driving in fog can be tricky when there is limited visibility, but it's crucial to know when and how to use your fog lights correctly as it could result in fines, the RAC has warned

Economics

Court found 51 men guilty including Dominique Pelicot, who was given a 20-year prison sentenceAt least 15 of the men found guilty of raping or sexually abusing Gisèle Pelicot have appealed against their convictions and will be given a second trial.All 51 men, including her husband, Dominique Pelicot, were convicted and given prison sentences of between three and 15 years before Christmas after a trial lasting three and a half months. Dominique Pelicot was sentenced to 20 years. Continue reading...

Events

Two huge orbs could be seen over a major city in new footage acquired by conspiracy theorists online, the latest in strange drone developments over recent weeks

Politics

Louis Price was knifed to death in his home where he lived with his parents in the quiet Staffordshire village of Norton Canes.

Events

India announced a seven-day mourning period and cancelled all cultural and entertainment events in the coming week

Politics

Investigation to follow after Disney actress found dead

Events

Gaza health officials said the IDF detained the director of a hospital, which the WHO said was put out of service by an Israeli raidNearly one in five of the world’s children live in areas affected by conflicts, with more than 473 million children suffering from the worst levels of violence since the second world war, according to figures published by the UN.The UN humanitarian aid organisation for children, Unicef, said on Saturday that the percentage of children living in conflict zones around the world has doubled from about 10% in the 1990s to almost 19%, and warned that this dramatic increase in harm to children should not become the “new normal”. Continue reading...

Politics

More than 1,100 people have crossed the Channel in small boats over the Christmas period.

Events

The couple saw Ring doorbell footage that showed a fire being set close to their home in Bootle, Merseyside, after being alerted by their daughter while they were on holiday

Politics

The grieving Prime Minister has opened up about how his beloved brother, Nick Starmer, was told he had inoperable lung cancer .

Events

Luke Littler has taken the darts world by storm over the past 12 months, but the World Championship favourite can be a real headache for one group of officials in the sport

Politics

The French national has been held in Indonesia on drug charges as the authorities accused him of being a ‘chemist’

Events

It's all part of a government plan

Politics

Officers are at the scene

Events

A New Year's Eve and New Year's Day forecast which shows a -2C weather shift, while the Met Office The Met Office is predicting flurries and accumulations

Politics

Hussey and Leonard Whiting rose to fame as teenagers after starring in the 1968 film version of the Shakespearean tragedy.

Events

The letters tumbling onto the mat come from across the world - France, Australia, the US and many more - some just addressed to 'Alan Bates, North Wales.'

Politics

Officers are still standing guard at the stairwell to the flats above the Day-Today Express store at Calderwood Square while investigations are carried out.

Events

The world No 1 was defaulted from the World Rapid Championship and has also chosen to withdraw from the World Blitz saying ‘it became a matter of principle’Magnus Carlsen, the world No 1, has been disqualified from the World Rapid Championship in New York due to a dress code violation, refusing to change from jeans, after a previous warning. He is also withdrawing from the World Blitz which starts on 30 December.Fide explained their decision in a statement while Carlsen said: “I said I’ll change tomorrow but they said you have to change now it became a matter of principle for me so here we are! Honestly I’m too old at this point to care too much. If this is what they want to do I’ll probably set off to somewhere where the weather is a bit nicer.” Continue reading...

Politics

The death of Reggie Kray's first wife, Frances Shea, has often been speculated on, from rumours about Ronnie having her murdered to the twins' mum and aunt being the culprits, but below we look inside her tragic life

Events

Two top Canadian Cabinet ministers have met with President-elect Donald Trump’s nominee for commerce secretary at Mar-a-Lago as Canada tries to avoid sweeping tariffs when Trump takes office

Politics

A journalist from Italy has been arrested and detained in Iran in what has ben described as a 'circle of hell' prison which has been previously accused of abusing inmates

Events

Sean 'Diddy' Combs is said to have had a meltdown over the Christmas period as he struggled to believe he was spending the holidays in prison – but sources have disputed this

Politics

As Wallace and Gromit fans tune into a brand new adventure, Wallace & Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl, the Mirror takes a look back at some of the saddest moments in the beloved claymation series history

Events

Met Office weather forecasters have predicted snow could hit the UK in the New Year - but it will follow potentially severe rainfall that looks set to disrupt people's New Year's Eve plans

Politics

According to data from the Official Charts the hit has now accumulated the equivalent of 14 weeks of continuous airplay on radio and television since its release in 2013.

Events

The last of the crystal triangles that make up this year’s Times Square New Year’s Eve ball have been installed, marking the first time in 10 years that all 2,688 were replaced at once

Politics

One man more than any has been credited for the dramatic transformation in the couple's fortunes - Mark Bolland.

Events

Workers who reported symptoms of the illness often faced delayed or denied care and struggled to access benefitsA newly declassified US Senate report found that the CIA’s handling of mysterious health incidents known as Havana syndrome has been flawed and marred by inconsistent medical care, delayed compensation and communication failures – all while foreign adversaries remain “very unlikely” to be responsible.Many cases of the syndrome have been reported, mostly among US officials posted abroad, and the phenomenon has led to theories they had been targeted by a hitherto unknown weapon using directed energy of some sort wielded by a hostile power. Continue reading...

Politics

Americans have been gripped by the sightings of dozens of drones in the skies above New Jersey and New York with many conspiracy theories being shared to explain the phenomenon

Events

Coronation Street's iconic Webster family is get even bigger as Carl Webster is set to make his debut on the cobbles ahead of one family member's reported 'death'

Politics

Haunting video from Azerbaijan Airlines Flight J2-8243 showed the pained final moments of those on board before the deadly crash near Aktau in Kazakhstan on Christmas Day.

Events

A new member of Coronation Street's iconic Webster family is set to make their debut on the cobbles ahead of a beloved character's reported 'death' in a heartbreaking storyline

Politics

Vile 'initiation ceremonies' are reportedly carried out, where new sailors are terrorised and told to get onto 'their hands and knees' before being forced to perform sex acts on other experienced sailors.

Events