In his homily, Francis said the Holy Year is an opportunity to relieve the debt of poor countries and commit to protecting the planet.

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 ...

Pope Francis has used his traditional Christmas message to urge “all people of all nations” to find courage during this Holy Year “to silence the sounds of arms and overcome divisions”.

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

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

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.

Police said they believed the suspect was ‘involved in an altercation at a nightclub prior to getting in his car and mounting the pavement’.

Bishop of Dover Rose Hudson-Wilkin is giving the Christmas Day sermon from Canterbury Cathedral (Andrew Matthews/PA) Bishop of Dover Rose Hudson-Wilkin is giving the sermon at Canterbury Cathedral in ...