Learner drivers may have to wait six months before taking test

Learner drivers in England and Wales could face a minimum period of up to six months between sitting their theory and practical tests. The measure, which will be subject to consultation, is part of the government's wider road safety strategy launched on Wednesday.more

Tesco has announced it will be bringing back a nostalgic 90s feature that was abandoned over a decade ago, much to the delight of shoppers. The supermarket is restoring its blue and white stripes in a “significant” effort to compete with Aldi in an ongoing price war.more

Racial and religious hate crime on public transport is on the rise, according to new data obtained by the Guardian, as community groups report how people are restricting their daily journeys because they fear abuse or assault.more

High-stakes fraud and traditional text message scams are being favoured by fraudsters, according to data from a major bank. Barclays said that its own data indicates investment scams, which often involve significant amounts of money, are making up a growing proportion of the value of fraud cases reported to it.more

The UK and its Nato allies must upgrade their military capabilities if the coalition of the willing in Ukraine is to be a successful deterrence against Vladimir Putin, a former military chief has warned.more

The Duke of Sussex is not expected to meet his father, the King, when he returns to the UK this month for his trial against the publisher of the Daily Mail, it is understood. Harry is set to travel from California to London for the start of his High Court legal action against Associated Newspapers Limited (ANL).more

The Met Office has issued fresh weather warnings as Storm Goretti is set to bring heavy snow to the UK. Storm Goretti, named by French meteorological service Meteo-France, is the first storm of the year and is likely to cause significant travel disruption in Britain, although France will be the most severely impacted.more

HSBC UK has launched an incentive of up to £750 cashback for new Premier customers. Under its “bring more, get more” offer, new customers can earn £250 for switching a salary of £100,000-plus, and £500 for transferring £100,000-plus in savings or investments to an HSBC Premier account.more

The British armed forces yesterday supported the American operation to seize a Russian-flagged tanker in the North Atlantic, the Ministry of Defence confirmed earlier media reports. The tanker Marinera, formerly known as Bella 1, was detained by the US Coast Guard as it sailed north through the waters between Iceland and Scotland.more

London Stansted Airport is opening new flight routes this year as it seeks to further unlock travel options for travellers in 2026. Airlines that use Stansted, such as Ryanair and easyJet, have unveiled a number of new destinations for holidaymakers flying in and out of the UK.more

More than a million people across the UK have been issued an unexpected tax bill from HMRC, after a sharp rise in the number of households caught by the “simple assessment” system. The latest figures show that over 1.3 million people received these bills in 2023/24, almost twice as many as two years earlier.more

Labour's plan to roll out an extra eye test for older drivers risks forcing thousands of careful motorists off UK roads, an expert has said. The Government's plan also reeks of discrimination, Dennis Reed, the founder and director of Silver Voices, a campaign group for the over-60s, said.more

Cash remains “important to many people” with £76 billion withdrawn from ATMs last year, according to cash machine network Link. Figures from the ATM and cash access network show £76.7 billion was withdrawn from Link ATMs in 2025, with 1.27 billion transactions recorded across the year.more

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said today that the issue of possibly sending British troops to Ukraine will first be put to a vote in Parliament. He added that such a contingent would only be sent after a truce between Ukraine and Russia had been concluded, and its size would be adjusted to the military's plans.more

The discounters Aldi and Lidl grabbed their biggest share of Britain’s Christmas grocery market to date, while Asda and the Co-op lost out as shoppers sought out bargains to help offset rising household bills. The German-owned supermarket chains grabbed a 16.8% slice of the market in the four weeks to 28 December, up from 16.3% a year earlier.more

Men with prostate cancer symptoms will be able to get fast-tracked video appointments with doctors via an upgraded NHS app. Health Secretary Wes Streeting said he was determined to make accessing healthcare "as simple as ordering a cab or takeaway", and ensure those facing long waits are "seen on time again".more

Britain on Tuesday urged Elon Musk's X platform to urgently address a proliferation of intimate 'deepfake' images created on demand via its built-in AI chatbot Grok, joining a European outcry over a surge in non-consensual imagery on the platform.more

More snow and ice is set to hit the UK, as the bitterly cold weather continues with nearly all of the country facing yellow warnings. Ice warnings across vast parts of England, Wales, Northern Ireland and parts of Scotland came into effect on Tuesday evening and will last until Wednesday morning, while a snow and ice warning will continue for northern Scotland.more

People living in the north of Scotland are being invited to have their say on the potential reintroduction of lynx to the Highlands. A group of rewilding charities say reintroducing the wild felines could bring significant benefits to the region.more

Shop price inflation edged up in December as food price rises continued to add pressure to household budgets, figures indicate. Food inflation increased to 3.3%, up from November’s 3% and far outstripping wider shop price inflation of 0.7%, according to the British Retail Consortium (BRC) and NIQ data.more

Across the capital, Transport for London (TfL) has a calendar of scheduled works that it says will improve its network. Looking ahead to 2026, there are significant changes and closures planned that could affect passengers and drivers. Here are details of what they are and when they come into effect.more

The UK faces a “turning point” this year, with the number of deaths to outnumber births by ever-greater margins for the next 50 years, a think tank has predicted.more

High street retailers Claire's and The Original Factory Shop are being put into administration, risking 2,500 jobs. It comes amid a turbulent time for Claire's, popular with tweens for its brightly coloured accessories, which was seeking a buyer after its US owner filed for bankruptcy last year.more

The start of a new year is the ‘perfect time’ to reset financial goals according to Pensions UK, which commissioned the research. Nearly one in three (31%) working people are aiming to review and reduce their monthly spending for 2026, making it the most common financial new year’s resolution in a survey.more

Hundreds of schools in northern Scotland will remain closed for a second day as weather warnings of snow and ice continue across the country. The Met Office has issued an amber warning for snow for large parts of north-east and northern Scotland from 11am until 7pm on Tuesday, with forecasters warning of 5-10cm of snow widely, and up to 15cm in places.more

King Charles has led tributes to Anne Frank's step-sister and Holocaust survivor Eva Schloss who has died aged 96. Mrs Schloss was the co-founder and honorary president of the Anne Frank Trust, which Queen Camilla is Patron of.more

The sorry state of London’s hygiene poverty crisis has been laid bare, with almost a third of residents aged 16-55 struggling to live their life normally because they can’t afford basic products.more

UK unemployment levels hit the highest levels since Covid at the end of last year – but it could get even worse in 2026, experts have warned. In the three months to October, Office for National Statistics (ONS) data showed unemployment hit 5.1 per cent – up from 4.3 per cent a year earlier – highlighting the rise of joblessness across the year.more

More than 300 London bus drivers will go on strike later this week in an ongoing dispute over 'union busting and bullying'. Stagecoach staff at the Lea Interchange Bus Garage in Leyton plan to walk out on Thursday, January 8 and Friday, January 9, affecting travel in the east and northeast of the capital.more

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said today in two interviews, referring to the position of US President Donald Trump, that only Greenland, Denmark and ‘no one else’ can decide on the future of Greenland, and that London takes international law into account when assessing the governments of other countries.more

New powers allowing mobile phones to be seized from illegal migrants without arresting them have come into force. The government said it will help gather intelligence on smuggling gangs organising small boat crossings to the UK.more

Junk food adverts are banned on television and online starting on Monday as part of a drive to tackle childhood obesity. The UK-wide ban stops food and drinks high in fat, salt and sugar (HFSS) being advertised on TV before 21:00 and at any time online.more

The number of social media posts promoting the narrative that London is “dangerous” have spiked in the past year, despite a reduction in violent crime. Warning against the “dangerous” and “lawless” city, the posts are increasingly appearing on platforms like Reddit, Nextdoor.com and Instagram, according to an analysis. more

The Government has announced all bank holiday dates for 2026 with Boxing Day falling on a substitute day.more

Londynek.net has received a report from a reader that an increasing number of Poles have been experiencing problems checking in at automated gates at British airports in recent months. As it turns out, holders of newer passports, issued in 2025, are unable to pass through the gates.more