The Latest Breaking News from Britain

The conviction of Jimmy Lai in Hong Kong is another hostile act. How can Britain ignore Beijing’s provocations and human rights abuses, asks Guardian foreign affairs commentator Simon Tisdall

IN FOCUS: As comedian and writer Walliams is dropped by his publisher over claims of inappropriate behaviour, Nick Hilton looks back at years of building controversies around the star

System operator Neso predicts lowest carbon intensity ever on Christmas Day after new wind and solar power come online

The release of the Prince and Princess of Wales’s Christmas card this week provided momentary relief from the horror

Michael Edwards, famously known as “Eddie the Eagle,” has transitioned from Olympic ski jumper to small-time actor as he expands his repertoire. Edwards, who became Britain’s first Olympic ski jumper in 1988, has since embraced various roles, from recording songs to speaking engagements. Now 62, he continues to entertain audiences,…

Rejoining Erasmus should just be a first step – as the economic evidence piles up, the need for closer ties with Europe could not be clearer, says Guardian columnist Polly Toynbee

Rolling coverage of the latest economic and financial news

Dispatches investigates this growing crimewave. Plus: it’s getting very hot in the kitchen for the MasterChef final. Here’s what to watch this evening

PM has turned to one of the UK’s most respected diplomats to replace Lord Mandelson in Washington DC

In the last five days, 1,360 people have made the dangerous journey from France to the UK in small boats

The Tory leader has unveiled her plan to divert green spending into a new defence fund.