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 Norfolk and Norwich Hospital has reported two births so far this Christmas Day. The first was baby Felix, who was born at 12.46am to parents Lisa and Adam. The second, baby Becky, arrived to ...

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 ...

Hardy swimmers, including many in fancy dress, started Christmas Day around the UK and Ireland with an outdoor swim. Although Wednesday was forecast to be “dry and cloudy” with no snow or frost likely ...

The King and Princess of Wales shared a tender moment with a cancer patient who travelled to Sandringham to catch a glimpse of the royals on Christmas Day. Arriving from north Lincolnshire, ...

The Princess of Wales has hugged and spoken with a cancer patient after attending the royal family’s traditional Christmas Day church service following her own “brutal” year with the disease. Kate, ...

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

December, with its short daylight hours, challenging weather and the Christmas holidays can be a difficult time for those already suffering ...

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

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.