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

Sir Keir Starmer has condemned Russia’s strikes on Ukraine’s energy grid “with no respite even at Christmas”. Russia launched a massive missile barrage on Christmas Day, with the aim of crippling ...

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.

Elsewhere in the world, Hanukkah started on Christmas Day for the first time since 2005 and celebrations were muted in Germany.

One of the first babies born on Christmas Day in Scotland interrupted her parents’ Christmas Eve movie night after arriving early. Anne-Marie Hunt and Gordon Wilson, of Livingston, were just settling ...