'Fair fa' your honest, sonsie face,/Great chieftain o the puddin'-race!'

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi effectively disinvited Trump from addressing Congress until an agreement to pay US federal workers can be reached

Watch the latest UK weather forecast from the Independent for today.

Country's royal palace issues decree authorising an election to be held on 24 March

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi effectively disinvited Trump from addressing Congress until an agreement to pay US federal workers can be reached

South Australian weather records fall as Tasmanian bushfires rage, while extreme heat is forecast for Victoria and NSW. Follow developments live

No venue can compete with ‘history and tradition’, says president, after Nancy Pelosi blocks him from making speech in House chamber Donald Trump has said he will wait until the government shutdown is over before giving his State of the Union address because nowhere could compete with the “history and tradition” of the House chamber. House speaker Nancy Pelosi told the president earlier on Wednesday that she would block him from delivering the speech in the House chamber until the government has reopened.

With high temperatures also forecast for Victoria and NSW, there are warnings about potential power outages and blackouts, as well as total fire bans amid worsening weather. Follow developments live

Venezuela has been thrown into turmoil after opposition leader Juan Guaidó

Russian military spells out exact specifications of the land-based cruise missile to demonstrate it conforms with the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty

Philip Hammond and Amber Rudd are reportedly among five cabinet ministers who have attended the secret meetings

Initial video went viral over weekend, but it has since then been questioned whether clip shows whole story

With high temperatures also forecast for Victoria and NSW, there are warnings about potential power outages and blackouts, as well as total fire bans amid worsening weather. Follow developments live

The child was born last month, and healthcare workers at the facility reportedly had no idea the woman was pregnant

Speaker says Trump cannot deliver speech from chamber until government is reopened

The Met Office has issued another weather warning for ice across most of the country - from 6pm tonight until 11am tomorrow - amid an alert for further snow and told motorists to take extra care.

With high temperatures also forecast for Victoria and NSW, there are warnings about potential power outages and blackouts, as well as total fire bans amid worsening weather. Follow developments live

Pelosi says Trump cannot deliver speech from House chamber until government is reopened

Survey results come after Republican attacks on government-backed health programs, including the Affordable Care Act About 7 million fewer Americans have health insurance today than did four years ago, a new survey has found, the highest uninsured rate since 2014.

Pelosi says Trump cannot deliver speech from House chamber until government is reopened

The novelist, blogger and former Chinese diplomat did not complete the second leg of his travel plans from Guangzhou to Shanghai Chinese-Australian writer Yang Hengjun has been detained in China by local authorities, the Australian government has confirmed. Australia’s foreign affairs department received confirmation on Wednesday that the novelist and influential online commentator had been detained.

Venezuela’s opposition leader, Juan Guaidó, has declared himself the country’s interim president in a dramatic escalation of efforts to force out

Jack Shepherd, convicted of killing Charlotte Brown, had been on the run for six months A fugitive who

Police to decide on Thursday whether to keep searching, as pilot is named as Dave Ibbotson Rescuers fear there is little hope of finding the footballer Emiliano Sala and an experienced pilot alive after their light aircraft went missing over the Channel Islands. The search for the new Cardiff City striker Sala and the pilot, who has been named as Dave Ibbotson from Lincolnshire, was postponed as darkness fell on Guernsey on Wednesday. A decision on whether to resume the search would be made early on Thursday, police said. It is understood that a French navy vessel had been directed to the area to assist.

Critics said it was 'disgusting' Mr Davis had been offered the role having 'failed to properly plan for Brexit and storming out of the cabinet'

Nancy Pelosi asks president to delay State of the Union as dispute enters 33rd day

Country's royal palace issues decree authorising an election to be held on 24 March

Dominik Bayer claims the well lit spots suggest women can't look after themselves

Peter Blasic accused of plagiarism and citing untraceable sources

President refuses to back down from border wall demands as nation continues longest shutdown in history

Nancy Pelosi asks president to delay State of the Union as dispute enters 33rd day

Increase should 'serve as a wake-up call to everyone about the deadly consequences of hateful rhetoric' says Anti-Defamation League

The ruthless crushing of protests shows how little has changed since Emmerson Mnangagwa took overPeople do not always want to be proved right. Many Zimbabweans watching the

At an Independent readers' event this week, I espoused a perhaps unpopular opinion

The student is now a doctor after having been graduated from Northwestern University, where he was tackled

Researchers say experiments could help treat human diseases ranging from brain conditions to cancers

Paying tax | Suez crisis | James Dyson | Welsh language | London’s new concert hallWhile heartily

Gene drives could be used to wiped out pests and invasive species such as rats on islands

Complex heart surgery at St Georges suspended after leaked review found 'dark force' consuming dysfunctional unit put patients at risk

Twenty-eight-year-old described as 'greatly valued' by colleagues

He left school to work in a hotel and went on to become a culinary artist, blending classical French cuisine with that of his homeland

Prosecution alleges father set up attack to discredit wife as "unfit" in custody battle

'After further interrogation, it transpired that the owner had ordered a crackdown on hookers: the free-range escorts who roamed the Upper East Side,' says regular customer

EU’s chief negotiator warns UK will crash out unless ‘positive majority’ of MPs agree on new vision

Exclusive: Home Office grant Eritrean orphan passage to Britain more than two years after unlawfully denying him right to reunite with UK aunt following Jungle demolition

Reports say brutal crackdown persists after president vows to rein in security forces A brutal crackdown on protesters and opposition activists in Zimbabwe has continued despite President

Yesterday, Brexiteers were asking Poland to overrule the House of Commons. Today, it's only the Queen. That's progress of sorts

Nancy Pelosi asks president to delay State of the Union as dispute enters 33rd day

Follow all the latest updates from Westminster

Wife of assassinated mayor says national broadcaster has 'responsibility' for killing at charity event

Far-right leader is rebuked by French government in diplomatic spat

Significant waiting times prompt introduction of new technology

The New York Democrat joins Rashida Tlaib and a slate of progressive newcomers on the powerful committee

Victoria Cross says she was 'bored and didn't care about anyone else'

Fugitive arrested a day after Charlotte Brown's family demand justice at meeting with home secretary

The passenger was arrested on a DUI charge

The failed cafe chain says 920 jobs will be lost due to the closure of 71 outlets.

Nancy Pelosi asks president to delay State of the Union as dispute enters 33rd day

Prime minister accused of 'stench of complacency', 19 months after the catastrophic fire that claimed 72 lives

Hampshire branch shuts as retailer battles tough trading conditions

Sony and Panasonic are among household names to be lured away with promise of access to EU markets

Donald Trump praises Kentucky students and lambasts 'Fake News' media for initial criticisms

'The government should focus on fixing a finance system which piles huge debts on students'

It is the chain's first store closure for 12 years, but it insists no other closures are planned.

The company has previously been accused of losing dogs

Nancy Pelosi asks president to delay State of the Union as dispute enters 33rd day

The legendary astronaut suggests renaming it to "Space Guard"

One-fifth of respondents admit they tend to buy things and never use them again

Met Office warns of icy conditions on coldest day of the week

Adam Ali regularly posted 'images of himself in clubs and driving sports cars', police say

Metropolitan Police assistant commissioner Neil Basu tells The Independent it would be 'complacent to think threat has gone'

Baker is remembered for the sharp with that fuelled his humorous, informative columns

Leading Brexiter dismisses speculation that he was softening towards the prime minister's deal

Met Office warns of icy conditions on coldest day of the week

Follow all the latest updates from Westminster

Nancy Pelosi asks president to delay State of the Union as dispute enters 33rd day

Radar-like programme encourages individuals to alert authorities to those suspected of shirking their debts

Announcement follows Panasonic's decision to make similar move, and comes as Dyson switches HQ from Wiltshire to Singapore

Day two of the annual summit gets underway in Switzerland

WikiLeaks founder’s lawyers file urgent application in attempt to prevent extradition to US

Move is first major eviction since rightwing government enacted hardline migration law More than 500 people are being ousted from a refugee reception centre in a town close to Rome in the first major eviction since Italy’s rightwing populist government enacted hardline immigration measures into law. Thirty people were evicted from the centre, the second-largest of its kind in Italy and the place where

Man, 23, arrested on suspicion of murder

Chief negotiator also ruled out 'managed no-deal' and calls for revisiting of future relationship

'The bill barely tinkers at the edges of what is necessary to ensure migrant women are treated fairly,' says Director of Amnesty UK

'What steps are our leaders taking to tackle the effects of climate change in the future?' residents of Alice Springs ask

Met Office warns of icy conditions on coldest day of the week

They will be given leave over Chinese New Year to 'go home and date'

'These assets cannot be replaced,' joint terrorism task force coordinator says

'Do not run out of firewood, this will last a long time,' says union boss as protesters disrupt Spanish capital

'There's nothing more dangerous than a man ready to die'

Chief negotiator also ruled out 'managed no-deal' and calls for revisiting of future relationship

Police believe suspect arrested on immigration charges is responsbile for string of killings

'If we could prevent influenza virus crossing from wild birds into chickens, we would stop the next pandemic at source'

Met Office warns of icy conditions on coldest day of the week

Follow all the latest updates from Westminster

The story of the daring and inventive escape he orchestrated within an enemy state ended up in an Oscar-winning film

Tiredness, heavy workloads and lack of exercise led many to feel in poor condition

'It is prudent that schools begin to plan for possibility of disruption following Brexit'

Campaigners to argue welfare reform has 'disproportionately adverse effect' on disabled claimants

Lender blames 23% fall in the number of transactions in branches over last three years

As a single parent caught in the welfare trap, Stephanie Land got the only job she could, tidying homes for the comfortably well-off. Now she has turned her experiences into an acclaimed new bookAt first glance, it’s not immediately obvious that the toddler in the video I am watching is taking her first wobbly steps in a homeless shelter. Watching the tiny girl babble to her mother behind the camera, I am distracted by how spotless the floor looks. Yet in the eyes of

Comparison of blood sample with distant relative of war criminal finds match

Profit for the full year set to be 15 per cent lower than previously expected

The social activist called on global business leaders to join the fight against extreme poverty

Day two of the annual summit gets underway in Switzerland

Tala and Rotana Farea tied themselves together with duct tape before slipping into river, medical examiner concludes

Former UK finance director acquitted after high-profile Serious Fraud Office case collapses

‘Unethical’ claims process can re-trigger trauma, says victims’ commissioner Survivors of violent crime are being re-traumatised by the government’s compensation body, according to a report. The victims’ commissioner, Helen Newlove, said her review into the criminal injuries compensation scheme found victims were alienated and frustrated by the process. Many reported that the compensation scheme was so stressful it could re-trigger trauma.

Rolling coverage of the second day of the World Economic Forum, as Shinzo Abe, Angela Merkel and Wang Qishan all speak, and Prince William discusses mental health

Viral video puts community in middle of controversial debate about politics and race

Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi asks president to delay event

Ben Broadbent said tha most of the growth in unsecured debt over the past decade was acccounted for by car and student loans, which are different from other forms of debt

The city's housing problems must be understood in the context of how its richest residents, Bill Gates and Jeff Bezos, made their money

Rolling coverage of the second day of the World Economic Forum, as Shinzo Abe, Angela Merkel and Wang Qishan all speak, and Prince William discusses mental health

‘Unethical’ Westminster claims process can re-trigger trauma, says victims’ commissioner Survivors of violent crime are being re-traumatised by the government’s compensation body, according to a report. The victims’ commissioner, Helen Newlove, said her review into the criminal injuries compensation scheme found that victims were alienated and frustrated by the process. Many reported that the compensation scheme was so stressful it could re-trigger trauma.

Our health service is the biggest employer of people of colour in Europe, but, as Neil Singh recounts in his tale of three generations working alongside, and for, the British, that doesn't mean the age of empire is over

Victim walked away after incident but was later taken to hospital

Move to delay Brexit until end of 2019 - unless a deal passes by the end of February - appears to have the numbers

More travel disruption expected on coldest day of the week so far

Follow all the latest updates from Westminster

They argue it would give her leverage to extract concessions from the EU in critical talks over the next few weeks

Ms Harris is an early contestant in a Democratic field that is expected to balloon in the coming months

It is probably the first time a meteor impact has been filmed in such detail

The White House is considering a rally as an alternative to the State of the Union if necessary

Day two of the annual summit gets underway in Switzerland

Rolling coverage of the second day of the World Economic Forum, as Shinzo Abe, Angela Merkel and Wang Qishan all speak, and Prince William discusses mental health

Voicemail message revealed as police say chances of finding footballer alive are ‘slim’ The search for the plane carrying the Cardiff City footballer Emiliano Sala that went missing over the English Channel has resumed, amid only “slim” hopes he survived. The aircraft, carrying Sala and the pilot, disappeared off Alderney in the Channel Islands on Monday night.

Rising costs, particularly linked to labour, had an impact on profits in the first half of the year

Met Office’s yellow ‘be aware’ warning in place for most of UK as snow falls in some places A warning of icy conditions has been put in place for almost the whole of the UK until Wednesday morning, prompting police to urge drivers to slow down. The yellow “be aware” warning covers Scotland, Northern Ireland and the bulk of England and Wales apart from some coastal areas. It came into force at 4pm on Tuesday and continues until 11am on Wednesday.

Mike Pence, the US vice-president, has issued a video message offering the country's ’unwavering support’ to Venezuelans protesting against President Nicolás Maduro.  ‘We stand with you, and we will stay with you until Democracy is restored,’ Pence said on the eve of demonstrations expected to take place across the country. 

Clampdown on stars being paid for endorsing products without disclosing firm rewards them More than a dozen celebrities, including Alexa Chung and Ellie Goulding, have pledged to change the way they label social media posts after Britain’s competition watchdog clamped down on the practice of stars being paid for endorsing products without disclosing they were being rewarded by the company.

Use of the drug is associated with an 11 per cent lower risk of cardiovascular disease

A young woman has died after being hit by police car on a 999 call in London.

Five mayors warn their towns could run out of water within weeks and call for their needs to be prioritised over irrigators The mayors of several western New South Wales councils have warned their townships face major water crises within weeks and have urged the state government to impose a one-month embargo on irrigators pumping from the upper part of the Darling River system.

Human rights commission to interview possibly thousands of adults and children in wake of allegations South Korea’s human rights commission plans to interview possibly thousands of adult and child athletes about a culture of abuse in sports after a

Move follows calls to exempt people working in conflict zones from bill that would make it an offence to visit terror hotspots MPs have passed amendments to the government’s latest counter-terrorism bill to try to protect British aid workers and journalists from facing criminal charges in conflict zones. The controversial draft bill, aimed at tackling Isis fighters travelling abroad, allows the home secretary to declare somewhere a “designated area” and make it an offence for UK nationals and residents to be there. The bill orginally allowed individuals – including humanitarian workers, journalists and academics – to be investigated by the police and ultimately face 10 years in prison.

Met Office’s yellow ‘be aware’ warning in place for most of UK as snow falls in some places A warning of icy conditions has been put in place for almost the whole of the UK until Wednesday morning, prompting police to urge drivers to slow down. The yellow “be aware” warning covers Scotland, Northern Ireland and the bulk of England and Wales apart from some coastal areas. It came into force at 4pm on Tuesday and continues until 11am on Wednesday.

Revised deal – including backstop concessions – could win support to see off ‘Europhile kamikaze MPs’ Tory Brexit supporters alarmed by the prospect of a delay have hinted they could be won over in the coming weeks – if Theresa May can produce a serious concession from Brussels on the Irish backstop. The numbers may not be enough for May to win support for her deal, given continued opposition from a hardcore of Brexiters who also object to the £39bn financial settlement, those with personal grudges against the prime minister and Tory remainers hoping for a second referendum. However, some Brexiter MPs or those in seats which voted leave have suggested in recent days that there is a path to win their support.

The ongoing Brexit negotiations are likened to the 1818 painting The Raft of the Medusa, by French Romanticist Théodore Géricault

Subsidies for coal, oil and gas are not falling despite EU pledges to tackle climate change

Filters have never been more prevalent – and it’s leading some people to have fillers, Botox and other procedures. What’s behind the obsessive pursuit of a flawless look?

Two years since his inauguration, millions of Americans have built on recent movements such as Black Lives Matter to rally, march and strike against the president For 125 days last year, Ashley Weitz stood with her four-year-old son on a quiet corner near their home in Salt Lake City for one hour daily to protest Donald Trump. This was unusual for a woman who had mostly ignored the wall-to-wall coverage of Trump’s unprecedented behavior in the White House, occupied instead by the full-time task of being a disabled, single mother. But when his administration separated thousands of migrant children from their parents at the border last summer as part of its immigration crackdown, Weitz erupted – a line had been crossed and she felt acutely the privilege in her life.

Mail Online rated one out of five for credibility by new feature to fight fake news

Serena Williams misses four match points before succumbing to Czech Karolina Pliskova in a dramatic Australian Open quarter-final.

Authorities say arriving flights were held briefly but services later resumed

Those breaking the rule could be jailed for up to three years and fined under proposed legislation Hong Kong is set to introduce a controversial bill on Wednesday that would make disrespecting the Chinese national anthem a crime punishable by up to three years in prison, raising fresh fears about freedom of expression in the city. Chinese authorities have sought to instil greater patriotism in the former British colony at a time of heightened tension between democracy activists and forces loyal to Beijing, with some in Hong Kong advocating independence from China.

President's lawyer has changed his position several times

Use of the drug is associated with an 11 per cent lower risk of cardiovascular disease

President changes tack after agreeing to release alleged mastermind behind Bali bombings on humanitarian grounds Indonesia’s president says the alleged mastermind behind the Bali bombings won’t be released from prison unless he renounces radicalism, backing down from plans to free him without conditions. President Joko Widodo said on Tuesday that Abu Bakar Bashir must fulfil conditions such as loyalty to the state and the national ideology to be eligible for release.

Police urge public not to become 'complacent' after lull in attacks

Government cuts to early-years services and public health funding also causing damage, according to Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health

The think tank said it was clear that EU law is not incompatible with state ownership

Life chances of hundreds of thousands of children in danger as cuts to services mean more youngsters going into care – but ministers failing to get to grips with issue, warns NAO

'When things go wrong in schools, pupils can be badly affected'

Joseph Parker, who led ‘Roast Busters’ group that boasted of sex with underage girls, has also launched fundraiser for his music career Women’s advocacy groups have criticised the decision to broadcast a TV interview with the ringleader of a gang that bragged about having sex with underage, intoxicated girls in New Zealand. The interview coincided with an attempt to crowdfund his music career. Joseph Parker told Newshub he was not a “monster”, adding: “we didn’t do all the things that people thought we did.” The interview comes years after Parker became known as the ringleader of Facebook group “Roast Busters”, in which he and a core group of four other young Auckland men boasted about group sex with young, drunk girls.