UK

The sex crimes trial of the main suspect in the Madeleine McCann case has been held up after the defence accused prosecutors of creating worldwide prejudice against him. Lawyers for Christian B, 46, told a German court that he could not get a fair trial on rape and sex assault charges because prosecutors had consistently

Labour could be swept into power with a landslide of more than 400 seats at the next general election, according to the latest YouGov mega poll. The survey of 18,000 people predicts Sir Keir Starmer’s party will gain a parliamentary majority of 154 – almost double what the Conservatives achieved with Boris Johnson in 2019.

JK Rowling’s comments about new hate crime laws “are not assessed to be criminal”, police have said, as they confirmed no further action would be taken. The Harry Potter author dared police to arrest her on social media over the legislation that came into force in Scotland. The new measures aim to tackle the harm

An 80-year-old man who has been on the run for 27 years has been arrested at Heathrow Airport, police said. Richard Burrows was arrested on Thursday after returning to the UK from Thailand, a spokesman for Cheshire Police said. He has been remanded in custody and is due to appear at Chester Crown Court on

Labour is set to launch a “cost of chaos” website that criticises the amount of government spending under Rishi Sunak. Launched today – a month before the local elections on 2 May – it aims to count the cost of decisions made by the prime minister, including scrapping the northern leg of the HS2 rail

J K Rowling has dared police to arrest her as the Harry Potter author lashed out against new hate crime laws that have come into force in Scotland The new measures aim to tackle the harm caused by hatred and prejudice, extending protections from abusive behaviour to people on grounds including age, disability, religion, sexual

More than 250 patients a week in England may have died unnecessarily last year due to very long waits for a bed in A&E, new estimates suggest. A study by the Royal College of Emergency Medicine (RCEM) suggests patients are put at risk by spending hours in A&E, particularly after a decision has been made

The King waved to well-wishers as he attended the traditional Easter Sunday church service at Windsor Castle in a rare public appearance since he was diagnosed with cancer. The 75-year-old monarch, who has stepped back from major public engagements while receiving treatment, was joined by the Queen and other members of the Royal Family. But

Rishi Sunak’s Conservatives are on course to win fewer than 100 seats in the general election, according to a major poll that suggests the party is facing the worst result in its history. A survey of 15,000 people, used to build a seat-by-seat breakdown, indicated the Tories would win in just 98 constituencies in England

There is no threat to Northern Ireland’s power-sharing agreement after the leader of the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) resigned over allegations of historical sexual offences, First Minister Michelle O’Neill has said. Sir Jeffrey Donaldson stepped down on Friday. It is understood he will be “strenuously contesting” all charges against him. Sinn Fein vice president Ms

Nearly 100,000 cancer patients have now had fast-track access to newly approved NHS drugs – with one teen saying his treatment felt like being on a “slope going up”. Yuvan Thakkar, 16, was the first NHS patient to receive a therapy that uses the body’s own cells to fight cancer. He was diagnosed with a

The Easter getaway has started, with 2.6 million car journeys expected on the nation’s roads today. Good Friday is likely to be the busiest day for travel during the Easter break, with the number of car journeys higher than the two million expected on Easter Monday and the 2.3 million forecast for Saturday and Sunday.

A man in his 40s has been arrested on suspicion of gross negligence manslaughter in connection with the death of Gogglebox star George Gilbey. Essex Police say the 40-year-old is thought to have died after a fall at work. Gilbey appeared on the Channel 4 series alongside his mother Linda McGarry and stepfather Pete McGarry,

The Met Office has warned there is a “small chance” of injuries and “danger to life” as a result of strong winds and large waves hitting the south of England. Winds of up to 70mph battered the south coast, along with hail and thunder, as the Easter weekend kicks off. Yellow weather warnings for rain

Public satisfaction with the NHS has dropped to the lowest level on record, according to findings from a long-running poll. Just 24% of people said they were satisfied with the health service in 2023, with poor access to GPs and long wait times for hospital treatment the main reasons for dissatisfaction. More than 3,000 people

First-time buyers are being offered the chance to pay a modest £5,000 deposit and potentially borrow up to 99% of a property’s value. The mortgage from Yorkshire Building Society is valid on places up to £500,000 and comes without a fee – but there are a few key exceptions. Money blog – latest updates It’s