The West must not be cowed by Vladimir Putin, the head of Britain’s Armed Forces has warned ahead of Donald Trump’s high-stakes meeting with the Russian president. Admiral Sir Tony Radakin said Nato allies must be “assertive in every domain – nuclear, land, sea, air, cyber and space – as well as in the diplomatic and economic arenas”.more

The message, which was recorded in the Morning Room at Clarence House earlier this month, echoes the address to the nation made by his grandfather, King George VI, at the end of the war in 1945.more

Strikes during the busy holiday period at Gatwick Airport have been suspended following an improved pay offer. Baggage screeners employed by ICTS had planned to walk out from August 22-26 – which includes a bank holiday weekend – and August 29 to September 2.more

There has been a significant increase in the number of UK cases of a mosquito-borne virus that can cause sudden fever and joint pain and is normally only found in Africa and southern Asia. The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) says more than 70 cases of the chikungunya virus were reported in the first six months of this year, more than double than in the same period last year.more

There has been a record number of wildfires in England and Wales in the first six months of 2025, fire chiefs say. By the end of July, fire and rescue services had responded to 793 such incidents.more

A man accused of deliberately driving into a crowd of fans at Liverpool's Premier League victory parade has been charged with 24 new offences, including attempted grievous bodily harm against two babies.more

When you ponder London's best walks, your mind likely drifts to images of the Thames path leading up to Westminster, leaves crunching underfoot in Hyde Park or playing fetch with your dog on Hampstead Heath. However, the reality is that London is chock-a-block with fantastic trails, and unfortunately, most Londoners are unaware of the absolute gems right on their doorstep.more

Dairy farmers have warned that a long-running shortage of workers, exacerbated by Brexit and the pandemic, has put the UK’s food security under pressure.more

UK economic growth slowed between April and June, according to official figures, but came in better than expected. The economy expanded by 0.3%, down from 0.7% in the first three months of the year, the Office for National Statistics said.more

UK ministers have appointed insolvency advisers to make contingency plans for the potential collapse of Thames Water. The company, which supplies 16 million customers, has been racing to pull together a deal to avoid financial collapse.more

Around 150 people were evacuated from the basement and ground floor of a building at Guy's Hospital in central London after reports of a chemical incident, London Fire Brigade (LFB) said. The brigade sent two fire engines, two fire rescue units, a command unit and specialist hazardous materials officers after being called to the hospital, near London Bridge railway station, at 08:49 BST.more

The Channel migrant crisis has taken a grim new turn, as 106 people were crammed onto just one migrant boat overnight in the largest single load to arrive in UK waters.more

Attacks on A&E nurses have almost doubled over the last six years, with incidents often involving patients frustrated at waiting so long for care. Nurses have been punched, spat at, pinned up against a wall, had a gun pointed at them and been threatened with having acid thrown at them, according to the Royal College of Nursing (RCN).more

Microplastics are all around us – in the air we breathe, in seas and rivers, they're found in the guts of sharks, and inside growing plants. They’re also inside humans, too: in our blood, accumulating in our brains, and even in our testicles.more

Independent Cottages has named this very old Gloucestershire village the country’s most scenic. The top rated village was… Bourton-on-the-Water in the Gloucestershire Cotswolds! more

Universal Credit claimants have reached a record eight million, according to official figures published on Tuesday. This unprecedented number for July 2025 marks the highest level since the benefit's introduction in 2013.more

Policing Minister Dame Diana Johnson has said shoplifters "will be pursued and will face consequences" regardless of how much they steal, as she visited a town centre. Dame Diana made the comments on a visit to Woking as part of Surrey Police's involvement in the Safer Streets summer initiative.more

Despite the ban on XL Bullies, there were ten reported dog-related fatalities in the UK in 2024 — higher than in any full year before the ban was first announced.more

More live facial recognition (LFR) vans will be rolled out across seven police forces in England to locate suspects for crimes including sexual offences, violent assaults and homicides, the Home Office has announced.more

Poundland is continuing to undergo huge structural changes which will see almost 50 stores close this month.more

A nationally significant water shortfall is gripping England, the government has warned, as experts say the conditions could last until mid-autumn. The National Drought Group met to discuss actions to save water across the country, and Steve Reed, the environment secretary, briefed the chancellor of the duchy of Lancaster, Pat McFadden, about the risks posed by the dry weather.more

Plans are moving ahead to create a new direct connection from London to the picturesque Durham coastline in the north of England. From December this year, trains will start stopping in the town of Seaham in County Durham, known for its dramatic cliffs, sandy beaches, and rich maritime history. And it's worth arriving hungry as the town has no fewer than 10 chippies, according to Google Maps.more

Employers have cut annual pay increases and pared back hiring in recent months as the economic slowdown took its toll on the jobs market. Data from the Office for National Statistics (ONS), released on Tuesday, showed that UK unemployment edged higher in the three months to June but the official jobless rate was unchanged at 4.7%, a four-year high.more

EU citizens waiting for the Home Office to decide their pre-Brexit residency status should not be removed from the UK if they make a short return visit abroad for business, leisure or family matters, the statutory body for EU citizens’ rights has said.more

English swimming waters are five times more likely to be polluted than those in the EU, new research has revealed. Experts have said that the country is in danger of becoming the “dirty man of Europe” again as it falls at the bottom of the leaderboard for bathing water which is free of bacterial contaminants.more