The renationalising of train companies will not necessarily bring cheaper rail fares but should reduce cancellations and late trains, the UK transport secretary has suggested. South Western Railway is to become the first train operator nationalised under the Labour government, ministers announced on Wednesday. Greater Anglia and C2C will also be brought into public ownership next year.more

Almost half of Britons say they experience loneliness during the festive period, and more than a third will be spending Christmas apart from loved ones this year, a survey has suggested.more

UK missile frigate HMS Iron Duke has arrived in Tallinn to demonstrate to Russia its commitment to protecting the underwater infrastructure of NATO allies in the Baltic, Estonian broadcaster ERR reported today.more

The leader of a criminal group which, operating in Poland and Western Europe, defrauded more than 230 people using the accident method, has been arrested in the UK and handed over to Polish law enforcement authorities, the Gliwice prosecutor's office reported yesterday. The victims of the gang lost more than PLN 12.5 million.more

Mobile network EE has topped the tables again as the UK’s best network in the umlaut connect 2025 Mobile Network Test, which marks the 10th year in a row that they have won the award. The test was carried out by independent network testing organisation umlaut, an industry-recognised evaluation study.more

London residents working night shifts are 40 per cent more likely not to earn a 'real living wage' compared to those who work during the day, a report has found. The Living Wage Foundation (LWF) published research this week revealing that 17 per cent of the city's night workers earn less than £13.85 per hour, in contrast to 12 per cent of daytime workers.more

British actor Benedict Cumberbatch, known for his role as Sherlock Holmes, among others, will read a memoir by Russian opposition figure Alexei Navalny entitled ‘The Patriot’ on BBC Radio 4. ‘Patriot’.more

It’s not the first time that The Grand Tour star’s prices have been questioned since opening the establishment in the summer.more

Passengers will be allowed to use expired identity documents to travel to the UK because of flaws in the eVisa system, a minister has told the Guardian. Seema Malhotra, the migration and citizenship minister, said the government had postponed a planned full shift to the new digital immigration system amid “real fear” of another Windrush-style scandal among minority communities.more

Yasmin - not her real name - came from Iran to study for a master’s degree at a new university in the UK, but she was "shocked" to find many of her fellow students had limited English, and only one or two were British. "How is it possible to continue this coursework without understanding a British accent or English properly?" she tells BBC File on 4.more

The Post Office has announced that it is expecting Monday, December 9, to be its busiest day across UK branches for sending Christmas parcels and post.more

“Italian” tomato purees sold by several UK supermarkets appear to contain tomatoes grown and picked in China using forced labour, the BBC has found.more

Plans for a new Overground line linking Hounslow with Hendon have taken a step forwards, after Sadiq Khan confirmed this week that “feasible solutions” have been identified for “all elements” of the project. more

Journalists at the UK's Guardian and Observer newspapers, owned by the Scott Trust, began a 48-hour strike today in protest at the planned sale of the Observer to Tortoise Media, British media reported. This is the first strike at the Guardian in more than 50 years.more

A new map shows the London boroughs with the biggest increase in people coming from abroad. Every area of London had a net increase in migration. This means more people moved in from abroad than moved away.more

Just over a stone's throw away from London, two hours to be exact, lies one of the world's most beautiful villages that has become an international sensation, drawing visitors from as far as Japan. Bibury, nestled in the heart of the Cotswolds, has been dubbed "the most beautiful village in England" and it's easy to see why it garners global attention.more

The prime minister has rejected any suggestion that the UK must choose between closer ties with the US or the European Union, when Donald Trump returns to the White House.more

Nearly half of UK mortgage holders are set to see their payments rise over the next three years, according to the Bank of England (BoE). The central bank estimates that around 4.4 million mortgages will experience higher payments by 2027, with 420,000 households facing hikes of £500 per month.more

The Ministry of Defence is war-gaming a major conflict to "stress-test" supplies of ammunition and equipment in a war time scenario. The MoD says it is the first war games to involve representatives of the defence industry – alongside military commanders and officials. more

Londoners have mocked the Trafalgar Square Christmas tree as it was installed in place in central London on Monday. Officials have said the spruce needs time to unfurl after being transported hundreds of miles from Norway’s Nordmarka Forest last week before appearing at its full “majestic” height of 66ft.more

A van containing 2,500 pies destined for a Christmas market has been stolen, prompting an appeal from a Michelin-starred chef. Tommy Banks, who runs award-winning restaurants in North Yorkshire, says "nearly a tonne" of pies, worth £25,000 in total, were taken after the van was driven away from Barker Business Park in Melmerby on Sunday night.more

More than 600 Brazilians, including 109 children, have been secretly removed from the UK – on the three largest Home Office deportation charter flights in history – since the Labour government came to power, the Observer has learned.more

Britain's BBC has come under censure over the scandal surrounding its presenter, Masterchef co-host Gregg Wallace, who has been accused by more than a dozen women of inappropriate behaviour and making sexually explicit remarks over a 17-year period, writes AP.more

Typhoo Tea has been rescued by vape maker Supreme in a £10m deal which it said would keep the brand "in British hands". The 120-year-old teamaker fell in to administration in November as its sales slumped and debts rose.more

A white Christmas is not something we usually expect in London; however, one Christmas Market makes it a white Christmas every day with snow showers. Covent Garden's Christmas Market is a big draw every year. The area is always busy with people but their festive market makes the square a must not miss around Christmas Time.more