The plane crashed while en route from the Azerbaijani capital Baku to the Russian city Grozny in the North Caucasus.

The wife of deposed Syrian leader Bashar Assad is severely ill with leukaemia and has been given a 50/50 chance of survival, media reports have claimed. Asma Assad is being isolated to prevent ...

The mildest start to Christmas Day on record has been recorded for Northern Ireland and Scotland. In Kinloss, Moray, temperatures reached 11.9C, while at Killowen, Co Down, it peaked at 11C for the 24 ...

Here is the full text of the King’s Christmas broadcast: “Earlier this year, as we commemorated the 80th Anniversary of D-Day, the Queen and I had the enormous privilege of meeting, once again, the ...

Swimmers take part in an early Christmas Day dip on Boscombe beach in Dorset (Andrew Matthews/PA) Some members of the Serpentine Swimming Club were in fancy dress for the Peter Pan Cup race, which is ...

The Bishop of Newcastle has criticised the Christmas Day sermon delivered by the Archbishop of York, describing his suggestion that the Church of England needs to change as “empty words”. Stephen ...

An Amsterdam District Court has sentenced five men to up to six months in prison for violence that erupted around a Uefa ...

Moscow has launched a massive missile barrage on Christmas Day, with the aim of crippling energy infrastructure sites across Ukraine.

The Princess of Wales joined other members of the royal family as they walked from Sandringham House to the church.

Brave outdoor swimmers wore Father Christmas hats as they kicked off their celebrations with a festive dip. Sea surface temperatures across the country were between 8C and 11C, the Met Office said.

Almost 800 runners, many wearing Father Christmas and elf costumes, crossed the finish line at the landmark Belfast venue.

In her first Christmas address, Olivia Bailey, the Labour MP for  Reading West and Mid Berkshire, wishes everyone a merry festive season.