British Foreign Office chief David Lammy, who has been sharply critical of Donald Trump in the past, yesterday praised him as ‘friendly, generous and warm’ before the new US president was sworn in. According to the Daily Telegraph, this is part of an effort to secure a trade deal.more
Tax changes announced in the Budget could make it "harder for people to enter the workforce", according to the boss of retail giant Next.
Lord Wolfson told the BBC that a rise in National Insurance paid by business would hit the retail sector in particular and meant "the axe [had] fallen particularly hard" on entry-level jobs.more
Axel Rudakubana, 18, accused of murdering six, seven and nine-year-olds attending dance and yoga classes in Southport, UK, last July, pleaded guilty today. Sentencing in the case is expected to take place on Thursday.more
A 40-year-old nurse underwent the first operation in the UK to remove a brain tumour through the eye socket. Neurosurgeons performed a similar operation in Poland in October 2024. This is a new method of removing previously inoperable brain tumours or very risky ones.more
The former boss of M&S and Asda has said working from home has meant a generation of people is “not doing proper work”.
Stuart Rose, who was chief executive of M&S for six years until 2011 and then executive chair of its supermarket rival Asda until November, claimed that working from home had harmed employee productivity – a longstanding problem in the world’s wealthier economies.more
Anyone buying their shopping with their bank card could be in for a major change under plans unveiled by the government. If you’re doing your weekly shop and it totals more than £100 then currnently people have to put their card into the chop and pin machine and enter the number on the keypad.more
The proportion of younger workers needing time off for stress has grown compared with older colleagues, according to a report on burnout which also revealed far fewer feel comfortable opening up to bosses about the pressure they are under.more
Scientists from the British University College London (UCL) are testing the psychedelic substance DMT, an ingredient in the ritual drink ayahuasca, used by indigenous communities of the Amazon as a potential means of supporting the treatment of alcoholism, the Guardian reported.more
Over 100 film, theatre, visual arts, design and music events in dozens of cities in Poland and the UK – these are the plans for the Poland-UK 2025 Cultural Season starting in March. The programme will last until the end of November.more
Retailers in Great Britain experienced a surprise fall in sales volumes last month, as supermarkets and other food stores had their worst Christmas since 2013, according to official figures.more
Nestled right next to Monument station lies a forgotten piece of London's commuting history - the site of an ancient Underground station named King William Street. Despite only being in operation for a decade, this historic Tube station holds a fascinating story.more
A significant DWP benefit is set to be abolished, affecting all current claimants. Tax credits are scheduled to cease in April amid sweeping reforms to the welfare system. The Government has issued a stark warning that there will be "no more payments" from that point forward. more
Mobile, broadband, and pay TV companies will no longer be allowed to give surprise price rises in the middle of a customer's contract as a regulator ban comes into effect.more
We have identical views with the UK on the situation in Ukraine and how to act when it comes to supporting the country, Prime Minister Donald Tusk stressed after his meeting with the head of the British government. Tusk also said that he had asked the European Council to hold an informal summit with the British Prime Minister.more
Sir Sadiq Khan has been urged to hold a review into whether the capital’s water supply should be fluoridated to reduce tooth decay among Londoners.
Following a cross-party investigation, the London Assembly’s health committee has, among other recommendations, told the mayor the move could play a valuable part in improving oral health across the capital. more
The 50 best cities in the world for 2025 have been named and London was named the fifth best.
Created by Time Out, the list highlights cities offering, strong cultures, tasty food, buzzing nightlife, neighbourhoods and things to do.more
Britain is one of the "least work-oriented countries in the world", BrewDog co-founder James Watt has said.
He also suggested Britons need to end their obsession with "work-life balance".more
There has been a rise in the proportion of women seeking abortions despite using "natural" methods to prevent pregnancy, like fertility tracking apps, a study in England and Wales suggests.more
An emergency alert will sound an alarm on people’s mobile phones as the government tests the warning system later this year.
In line with recommendations from the Covid inquiry, ministers will test the Emergency Alert System set up in the wake of the pandemic, causing a siren to sound on millions of mobile phones across the UK.more
People are being “overdiagnosed” with obesity, leading medics have warned as they called for a “reframing” of the way the condition is diagnosed.
Academics have suggested that a body mass index (BMI) score is not “nuanced” enough to measure obesity and more assessments are needed before someone is told they are obese.more
InPost Group will invest almost 600 million pounds in the UK by 2029, bringing the total investment to 1 billion pounds. The company will expand its network of machines and increase its logistics infrastructure, the company said in a statement.more
Currys has said it is entering a period of “depressed hiring” and is to bring in more automation after imminent changes to employers’ national insurance.
The electrical goods retailer’s plans to install electronic price labelling at 100 stores this year so shelf-edge information can be changed with the press of a button, and add more equipment in warehouses to improve efficiency.more
