The UK unemployment rate in the three months to October has increased to 5.1%, according to official figures. That marked a rise from 5% for the three months to September.more

The ‘sons and daughters’ of Great Britain must be ready to fight in the face of the growing threat from Russia, British Armed Forces Chief of Defence Staff Richard Knighton said yesterday. He warned that the Russian military is growing in strength and is battle-hardened from fighting in Ukraine.more

The world number one, Aryna Sabalenka of Belarus, was voted the best tennis player of 2025 in the WTA poll by sports journalists. This is the second time in a row that she has received this honour.more

US President Donald Trump has sued the British public broadcaster BBC, demanding $10 billion in damages for alleged defamation and violation of unfair trade practices. The lawsuit was filed yesterday in federal court in Miami, Florida.more

A court in Liverpool today sentenced Paul Doyle, who drove his car into a crowd of celebrating fans in May, to 21 years and six months in prison. The man pleaded guilty to 31 charges, including seriously injuring 29 people aged between six months and 77 years old.more

British Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper announced yesterday that the Chinese ambassador to the UK had been summoned in connection with the sentencing of pro-democracy activist Jimmy Lai, who holds a British passport.more

After talking to Wojciech Szczesny and Marc-André ter Stegen, Barcelona coach Hansi Flick will decide which of them will defend in today's Spanish Cup round of 32 match against third-division Guadalajara. The coach assured that Robert Lewandowski will also be ready to play.more

Ukraine, Palestine and Sudan will remain the world's bloodiest conflicts next year, according to a forecast by research institutes in Oslo and Uppsala. The estimates were made using an advanced artificial intelligence system.more

London’s Chief Nurse called for people in the capital to come forward to get the vaccine against super flu ripping through the city so more than two million have had the jab by Christmas. Some 1.87 million Londoners had had the flu jab as of December 7, up from just over 1.8 million on November 30, 1.7 million on November 23, and slightly more than 1.6 million on November 16.more

Spain has imposed a fine of €64 million on the short-term rental platform Airbnb for publishing offers that do not have the appropriate licences, the Spanish Ministry of Consumer Affairs announced yesterday.more

Britain’s new spy chief is warning of the acute threat to Europe from an “aggressive, expansionist, and revisionist” Russia under Vladimir Putin. Blaise Metreweli accused the Russian president of “exporting chaos” with his war in Ukraine, air incursion into eastern Europe and hybrid warfare including against Britain.more

Manchester United took the lead three times, but also trailed for over a quarter of an hour and ultimately drew 4–4 with AFC Bournemouth in front of their home crowd in the last match of the 16th round of the Premier League.more

US President Donald Trump announced yesterday that he had held long and productive talks with the leaders of Ukraine, European countries and NATO. We are closer than ever to resolving the war in Ukraine, he added.more

Electric flying taxis may become available to London airport passengers from 2028, a UK company has announced. Vertical Aerospace hopes its Valo aircraft, which has a capacity for up to six passengers, can get regulatory approval in three years – with the first planned commercial routes to include airport-to-city centre connections.more

Istanbul has ranked as the world’s most congested city for the second year in a row. Transport analytics company Inrix found that traffic delays rose by 12% in the Turkish city over 2024, with the average driver losing 118 hours to traffic. The findings come from Inrix’s 2025 Global Traffic Scorecard which analysed congestion and mobility trends in more than 900 cities across 36 countries.more

The leader of the overall Ski Jumping World Cup standings, Slovenian Domen Prevc, who triumphed twice again during the weekend, this time in Klingenthal (previously in Wisła), is the undisputed number one on the payroll and is the only one to have already exceeded 100,000 euros.more

With Brits rewatching their favourite Christmas films, they might be left wondering if there’s anywhere quite like the quaint villages taking centre stage in festive classics. One village in particular stands out - Shere in Surrey.more

The festive season is among the most turbulent periods for travel, with thousands of Britons taking planes or trains to reconnect with loved ones, whether domestically within the UK or internationally. Given that travel chaos is already expected in the lead-up to Christmas, it's crucial to grasp your rights concerning refunds and compensation should you encounter any delays or cancellations.more

Lens won 2–0 at home against Nice in the 16th round and returned to first place in the French top flight. Before the Christmas and New Year break, they are one point ahead of Paris Saint-Germain, who won 3–2 away against Metz on Saturday.more

Reform UK claims it is now the largest political party in Britain, following reports Labour has lost more members. According to the Times newspaper, internal figures show Labour's membership has fallen below 250,000.more

Thousands of people are set to endure a bleak Christmas sleeping rough, following record numbers of people counted on the streets for this period of the year. 2,195 people were counted sleeping rough in London in September.more

The municipal authorities of London, Paris, Berlin and New York have tightened security measures in connection with the start of Hanukkah, following yesterday's attack on the Jewish community celebrating at Bondi Beach in Sydney, Australia.more

Real Madrid defeated Alaves 2–1 away. After 16 rounds of the Spanish top flight, Los Blancos are in second place, four points behind leaders Barcelona.more

A popular high street chain is due to enforce a number of closures. River Island says a total of 33 stores will be shut by the end of January. The news comes as part of a major restructuring plan to save the high street brand, which has been approved by the High Court.more

A special Christmas Eve dinner for people experiencing homelessness, loneliness and difficult life situations was organised on December 13 by the Barka Foundation for Mutual Help Ireland, in cooperation with the Consular and Polish Diaspora Section of the Polish Embassy in Dublin.more