News

Updated: 15:16 EST

Christine Keeler dies aged 75 

Ms Keeler, who was thrust into the spotlight as a showgirl in the 1960s, died on Monday night, at the Princess Royal university hospital in Farnborough, Hampshire. She had been ill for several months, suffering from the lung disease COPD. The former model (pictured right in 2013) became embroiled in the Profumo affair after she enjoyed a romance with Secretary of State for War, John Profumo, at the height of the Cold War. But Ms Keeler and Profumo’s romance only lasted a few weeks and at the same time she became involved in an affair with Commander Eugene Ivanov, a Soviet naval attaché at the Russian Embassy in London.

Two men are charged with manslaughter of Megan Lee

Megan Lee (pictured left), 15, died on New Year's Day, two days after she was admitted to hospital She had fallen ill after eating an Indian meal from Royal Spice (right), in her home town of Oswaldtwistle, Lancashire. Mohammed Abdul Kuddus (inset), 39, and 38-year-old Harun Rashid have been charged with the manslaughter of Megan Lee The pair, from Blackburn and Haslingden respectively, will also face one count of failing to discharge general health/safety duty to a person other than an employee and one count of contravening or failing to comply with EU provision concerning food safety and hygiene. Just days after her death, Royal Spice was closed down due to its poor management and 'infestation of mice'.

The International Olympic Committee announced the decision on Tuesday after examining evidence of state-sponsored doping that reached its peak during the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi.

Police found Noel and Marie Brown's bodies inside a home in Deptford, south-east London , after receiving a tip off from a concerned member of public and bursting through the front door.

Simon McEvoy, 36, held a steak knife to Caroline Tranter's throat and threatened to burn down her house in Warndon, Worcester, in a fit of rage jealous rage.

Arthur and Eva Evans, who are in their eighties, say the Lancashire home they hoped would be a rural idyll is turning into a prison due to a fence put up by neighbour Roger Clark.

Manchester Arena bomber Salman Abedi was a former 'subject of interest' and it is 'conceivable' the attack 'might have been averted', an official review has confirmed.

Forecasters have warned road, rail, air and ferry services could all be disrupted while homes might lose power as the Scottish Highlands are worst hit by the strong wind gusts on Thursday.

The rise in train fares by an average of 3.4 per cent from January 2 comes after one in nine trains failed to meet the rail industry's punctuality target in the past 12 months.

Paul Smith has pleaded guilty at Birmingham Crown Court to the manslaughter by gross negligence of his five-year-old stepson Charlie Dunn who drowned at a water park.

A pair of 'war-weary' sandals that belonged to TE Lawrence are going on auction among a collection of the British Army officer's keepsakes that are expected to sell for £3,000.

EXCLUSIVE: Stacey Flounders was travelling from her home in Hartlepool to HMP Mooreland in South Yorkshire shortly after 9am today when she suffered the collision.

May races to win over DUP to Brexit divorce deal

DUP leader Arlene Foster (inset in Belfast tonight) has refused to back down in a row over Brexit insisting she was just as 'unequivocal' as Dublin about the terms of the Irish border. In a clear signal there will not be a quick fix as Theresa May (top right in No 10 today) scrambles to reassemble a draft deal that was ready for agreement yesterday lunchtime, Mrs Foster blamed Dublin for the breakdown in communication with the Tories. The DUP leader is due to finally speak to the Prime Minister later tonight, more than 24 hours after a call yesterday that forced Mrs May to quit a crucial round of Brexit talks. The Government in Westminster has scrambled today to insist any arrangement for Northern Ireland will be matched across the UK, meaning in some areas rules after Brexit will still follow EU terms. Brexit Secretary David Davis (left in the Commons this afternoon) flatly denied that the government was prepared to sign up to terms that would risk Northern Ireland's future, vowing that the 'integrity of the UK comes first'. DUP Westminster leader Nigel Dodds (bottom right at Parliament today) defended his party's decision to torpedo the deal.

Bing

An inquest report on 18 November featured a photograph of a woman named as Joan Blaber. In fact the picture showed a different woman who has no connection to the events reported.

Henry Cyril Paget, the 5th Marquess of Anglesey, who loved performing and diamonds, thoroughly deserves his reputation as one of the most eccentric aristocrats in British history.

Britain's first ever double decker caravan for sale

The only surviving example of Britain's first ever double-decker caravan is up for sale at £40,000. The Berkeley Statesman double-decker cost around £1,065 - the same as a terraced home - when it was launched at the Earl's Court Motor Show in 1951. It was a star attraction thanks to its upstairs bedroom (top inset), rooftop patio and cutting-edge interiors by mid-century modern design icons John and Sylvia Reid - now the only example left is being put up for sale. It has been fully restored but also now features modern conveniences such as showers, flushable toilets, gas cooker (bottom inset) and even a fold-away sink. Tim Mitchinson (shown main, on top of the vehicle), from York, rescued the van 10 years ago (top left) after buying it from a caravan club for £1, and is now looking to sell it to fund an extension to his home. Since being refurbished, the caravan has even lapped at the Goodwood Festival (bottom left).

Emily Shepherd was on a service from Bournemouth to Manchester when she heard the love rat bragging to his friends about bedding other women, despite having a girlfriend.

Jane Park - who found fame after scooping £1million on a Euromillions lucky dip ticket - hit out after Ora was seen on McGregor's lap at the Fashion Awards in London last night.

Stephen McKinney, 41, is accused of killing Lu Na McKinney, 35, during a holiday with their two children near Devenish Island in County Fermanagh, Northern Ireland.

Lancashire woman rescues stolen dogs from pet dungeon

Deniqua Westwood (left and right), 30, from Lancashire, was reunited with her beloved pets almost a week after they were dognapped from a stable from which she runs an equine business. The huge dogs, Walter (right) the two-year-old bull-mastiff and Betty (left) the three-year-old blind St Bernard, were drugged and carted away in a haulage wheel barrow in a planned nighttime snatch. Distraught business owner Ms Westwood raised the alarm on social media and offered a staggering £20,000 reward for the safe return of the dogs.

Debbie Greenhalgh, 48, of Blackburn, was horrified after ordering a set of gold sticker letters on Amazon for her granddaughter Millie, nine, only to receive a phallic 'StressWilly' toy instead.

Ovidiu Mamaliga, 30, and Andrei Mamaliga, 28, (pictured) attacked the woman in Ealing, west London. Police believed there could be other victims of the pair who are yet to come forward.

Paul Sandeman, 40, is on trial at Exeter Crown Court accused of indecently assaulting a young boy he was babysitting in the 1990s and allegedly used a card game to groom the child.

Awkward personalised pet lovers' Christmas cards

However you feel about people dressing up their pets, if there was ever a more hilarious time to do so — it's at Christmas. Because garish festive jumpers and hats look comical enough on humans let alone on dogs, cats and monkeys. And those who enjoy playing dress-up with their furry friends are more than likely to be all too willing to share snaps of their escapades on the internet. Consequently, this cringe-worthy gallery of awkward shots contains everything from a monkey dressed up as a baby, to a dog wrapped up like the baby Jesus.

Dutch-born Jozef De Bie, of hated the idea of putting his feet up in his retirement and last year offered his services as a part-time packer at a comic book company in Heybridge, Essex.

Tadesse Kersmo (pictured), 51, was arrested by counter terrorism officers at London Heathrow Airport on September 27 last year on an inbound flight from Eritrea, via Cairo.

Lynda Collins, 69, encouraged people to visit her Blackpool business for cheap dental work using internet adverts and a sign in her window.

Ukrainian 'Black Widow' asks High Court to rule on case

A Ukrainian internet bride accused of organising the hit-and-run death of her British millionaire husband says it is 'nonsense' that she did it 'for the money'. Anna Ziuzina, dubbed the 'Black Widow', has asked for a High Court ruling that she did not murder Barry Pring, who died on their first wedding anniversary in 2008. Mr Pring's family believe the 47-year-old IT consultant's death in Kiev was deliberate and premeditated. Relatives also believe that Ms Ziuzina, 38, who has changed her name by deed poll to Julianna Moore, was implicated, said Deputy Master Lloyd on Tuesday. If that belief was proved to be correct, the forfeiture rule - which precludes a person who has unlawfully killed another from benefiting in consequence - would 'unquestionably' apply, he added.

Janet Pritchard, 54, pretended to be a single mother to falsely claim state benefits from 1998 until 2015 - but she and her husband David were living together at their home in Gwent, Wales.

Jason Dors-Lake, 48, son of the 'British Marilyn Monroe' Diana Dors, was given a conditional discharge after stealing a £5 bottle of wine from a Sainsbury's in Notting Hill.

John Hughes, 54, used his phone and iPad to secretly film pupils and young girls under the desk at a primary school in North Lanarkshire, Scotland, where he worked as a teacher.

Artist creates haunting images of London's Christmas past

The images have been masterfully altered to showcase the holiday season in the capital throughout the early 20th century, 1950s and 1960s. One depicts a group of men dressed as Father Christmas while waiting for a bus at Holborn in 1960 — while a modern-day scene buzzes around them. Another shows Christmas turkeys strung up by their feet at Smithfield Market in 1968 against a backdrop of a very different-looking city today. Perhaps the most striking is an image of a man dressed Father Christmas walking up Regent Street during the Second World War in 1940.

Aaron Graham, then 17, has been detained in a mental hospital after he assaulted the woman at the Stalybridge Country park in Greater Manchester.

Mateusz Madej, 23, disappeared after being granted bail in September last year over the brutal machete murder of cage fighter Sebastian Zuchlinski, 39, in Bolton, Greater Manchester.

Eoghan Gallagher (pictured), 34, is said to have 'grabbed' and 'squeezed' the stranger between her legs as she walked past him at Floritas in Newcastle.

What a BREEZE! British windsurfer, 51, breaks the world speed record for the SECOND time reaching 54mph

British windsurfer Zara Davis (top right) broke the world speed record after hitting 54mph while zipping along a canal in Namibia, western Africa (left and bottom right), which is faster than most speed boats. The 51-year-old, who works full time as an osteopath near Bristol, previously held the record between 2012 and 2015 at 52.74mph until it was broken by Swiss windsurfer Karin Jaggi who hit 53.2mph. Ms Davis said she still believes she can go faster but was delighted to regain the record.

EXCLUSIVE: Russian-born Elena Holdsworth, 42, of Southend, Essex, was facing being unable to introduce her 12-week-old son Brian to her parents in Russia - until MailOnline intervened.

John Bowe and his partner Sharon Murray, paid £2,400 for their 10-night holiday on the African island in October but were horrified to awake and find they had been bitten by bed bugs.

Police were called last night to Baylee's Laundrette in Grays, Essex, after a member of the public made the grisly discovery. The man had suffered multiple injuries.

Children to wear safety helmets during nativity play

The Bridge Church nativity in Neath, Wales, will see Mary and Joseph riding into town on two donkeys this Saturday. The pair will be sporting an addition to the tale of Christmas, after organisers were told the children needed to wear hard hats so they didn't breach tough council rules. Mark Barrett, a youth worker at The Bridge Church, said he was advised any children riding the donkeys would need to don the headwear as they were on a public highway. Pictured is Keziah Wapshott, six, riding a donkey through the town wearing a helmet.

An Ofsted inspection at the Park Avenue Girls' High School in Stoke-on-Trent found it was 'not common practice' to provide soap, toilet paper or drinking water.

Adele, who grew up in Tottenham, North London,  tweeted her support for a petition that calls for the appointment of individuals from a wide range of backgrounds to sit alongside the retired judge.

Cabinet sources said the Chancellor made the claim at No.10, while in a heated meeting discussing new defence cuts with former Defence Secretary, Sir Michael Fallon.

Buckinghamshire house is festooned with Christmas lights

The occupants in the home on Hill Farm Road in Marlow Bottom, Buckinghamshire, have lit up the neighbourhood with festive cheer this December. Even the trees have been decorated with red and white lights and both entrances to the home have pretty archways, with love hearts at the top (inset). On the top floor windows and above the garage, an array of purple lights can be seen glowing, with white snowflakes at either end of the house.

Rose Coull from Scotland ended up with 20 Bunchems tangled in her hair thanks to her mischievous little brother and it took her pained mother two hours to get them out.

Fran Thomsen, 14, from Lincolnshire, has been told he can't return to school until he spends a day in isolation after he wore his dry trainers instead of his snow-soaked school shoes.

Toni Stevens, 32, pleaded guilty to engaging in sexual communications with children at Plymouth Magistrates Court last week, where he admitted to arranging to meet decoys in hotels for sex.

BBC accused of racism after Shashi Kapoor blunder

The BBC was accused of racism last night after it played a clip of the wrong actor while paying tribute to Bollywood legend Shashi Kapoor (left). Tributes poured in from all around the world for the actor who made more than 100 films and died on Monday in Mumbai at the age of 79. His death made the BBC News at Ten, but the video tribute they played caused fury because it showed footage of fellow star Amitabh Bachchan by mistake (bottom right). It got worse when they also featured footage of actor Rishi Kapoor (top right) instead of his famous uncle. The BBC faced backlash on social media with users claiming it was an insult that showed to some 'brown people' look the same. Others said that the same mistake wouldn't have been made if a white star had died. The BBC faced backlash on social media with users claiming the same mistake wouldn't have been made if a white star had died. Actor and comedian Adil Ray tweeted: 'Someone at the BBC thought the brown person in this VT is the same person'.

Plea for free Wendy's chicken nuggets most retweeted post

Carter Wilkerson's (left) quest for free chicken nuggets from Wendy's fast food chain in the US was the most retweeted post of the year topping Ariana Grande's (centre) heartfelt tribute to terror victims. Mr Wilkerson's effort gained 3.6million retweets, more than double Grande's 1.1million for her post in which she said she was 'broken' at the deaths of 23 people at the MEN Arena. In third place with 240,000 retweets was footballer Jermain Defoe's tribute to young cancer victim Bradley Lowery (right with Defoe) who died earlier this year after forming a close friendship with the then-Sunderland star.

Excl: The British Army has 78,407 personnel but just 60,546 of them are fully fit to be sent to the frontline – sparking fears the force does not have the manpower to do everything asked of it.

Oliver Jones-Lee found disgruntled former worker John Blanchard ransacking his home in Hull following his departure from waste management firm The Rubbish Man.

Nicola Sturgeon has urged pro-EU politicians to join forces and seize the 'moment' to force the government to change stance.

Surgeons reveal the dramatic moment North Korean soldier was air-lifted for surgery after being shot as he defected.. and the horrific ten-inch parasites removed from his body

Surgeon Lee Cook-Jong described North Korean defector Oh Chong Song as looking 'like a broken jar' when he was airlifted into his hospital in Seoul, South Korea. Video shows the moment the 24-year-old arrived in Seoul via helicopter, having been shot four times as he ran across the border (left and right). Dr Lee also found that his body was riddled with parasites (inset) and Hepatitis B. 'In my over 20 year-long career as a surgeon, I have only seen something like this in a textbook,' Dr Lee said shortly after the soldier defected.

China has been staging military drills in the Yellow Sea and the East China Sea in recent days, the Air Force said, reportedly in response to the current US-South Korean joint exercise (pictured).

Images of the launch of North Korea's latest missile test show it being blasted off into the night against a starry sky - but there are inconsistencies in the photos.

Tokyo, which has a population of 9.3million, will conduct nuclear evacuation drills for the first time in case Kim Jong Un launches a ballistic missile attack from North Korea.

Ex-president of Georgia dragged off roof of Kiev apartment

Mikheil Saakashvili, who emigrated to Ukraine in 2013 and has emerged as an anti-corruption campaigner in his new country, was dragged off the roof by agents from Ukraine's intelligence on Tuesday. He had been standing on the roof (top left) addressing a crowd of his supporters below, who later blocked the police van holding Saakashvili and fought with riot police (bottom left). Footage from the scene showed protesters picking up cobblestones and construction rubble to build barricades, and two hours after the arrest, the police van had still not been able to leave.

Boys at Taliban run school in Afghanistan sitting exams

Images from Imam Ghazali School is in the Hindu Kush mountain range show pupils pour over their exam papers in a giant outside classroom – as armed invigilators patrol the rooftops above. They also show a member of staff wearing a combat jacket and with his face covered working at a desk, an AK47 assault rifle laid across it. Other pictures show staff walking through the ranks of boys as they work on their papers – one man in blue trousers appears to have a weapon slung over his back.

More than 170 dogs saved from a meat farm in South Korea

Animal rescuers from Humane Society International are flying the dogs to shelters across the United States, Canada and the United Kingdom after going through a quarantine process. The dog meat farm in Namyangju where the animals were found is thought to be one of 17,000 in South Korea that breed more than 2.5million dogs a year for human consumption. If they weren’t saved by HSI, the dogs would have been electrocuted at a local market or slaughterhouse and made into a spicy soup, called bosintang.

Southern California fire forces thousands to evacuate

A raging wildfire has threatened hundreds of homes near Los Angeles as 27,000 residents were told to evacuate as the terrifying blaze continues to sweep across the state (left and right). The 45,000-acre wildfire, known as the Thomas Fire, burned dry brush after erupting earlier in the evening in Ventura County (inset, map), 70 miles northwest of Los Angeles. More than 260,000 residents were without power with 150 structures were destroyed during the blaze, which at zero percent containment. Fire officials said the intensity of the fire and the high winds made the blaze pretty much unstoppable. Fire officials expect at least another 20,000 acres to burn before the fire is contained.

The court said Carles Puigdemont and four of his cabinet members also in Belgium had shown a willingness to return to Spain to take part in Catalonia's December 21 regional election.

Austria's top court said that the rules on same-sex marriage would remain in place until December 31, 2018, unless Austria's parliament changes the law before then. (file photo)

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said the country would call a summit meeting of the pan-Islamic group if Trump went ahead with recognising Jerusalem as Israel’s capital.

Lebanese Prime Minister Saad Hariri has formally rescinded his resignation. His decision was announced after Lebanon's first Cabinet meeting since he stepped down on 4 November.

Topping the list of foreign policy concerns were refugees, with 26 per cent of respondents to a Koerber Foundation survey worried about Germany's ability to cope with asylum seekers.

Dozens of locals helped arrange a pyre before watching the cremation near Nagpur, central India. Moving photos show the animal's body being placed on the wood, and covered in flowers.

The Good Price mini-market in Colombes, Paris was threatened with closure last year for violating the terms of its lease which required it to be a 'general food store.'

The Beverley cinema in the second arrondissement of Paris has been entertaining customers with vintage erotic films since 1960. But it will close at the end of this year.

Maria Angela Di Trapani has already spent seven years in prison for having passed the orders of her husband, a convicted mobster, from behind bars to the Sicilian Mafia on the outside.

Activists discovered the site, in northern Coahuila state, on Saturday after receiving an anonymous tip that the land was being used to 'disappear' victims of the country's brutal drugs gangs.

Jamiya Bauleni claims that a vampire sucked her blood in October. Such allegations in southern Malawi have triggered killer mob attacks on supposed suspects

Stories of midnight attacks by blood-sucking vampires is continuing to cause problems in Malawi, southeastern Africa, and recently forced the UN to pull their staff out of the country.