A crackdown on rogue landlords renting out homes blighted by mould and other dangers is to be expanded across London. A pilot of the scheme, which seeks to force landlords to improve properties in dire conditions, was carried out in Camden. more

Just over half of the British public are cutting back on the number of presents they are buying for friends and family this Christmas, a poll suggests. Rising prices for household goods have influenced 51% of Britons to buy fewer gifts this year, the Savanta polling revealed.more

Doctors in England are returning to work on Monday after a planned five-day walkout over ongoing pay disputes. The strike went ahead amid surging flu cases, and despite last-minute talks, external between the British Medical Association (BMA) and the government. BMA members rejected a new government offer that aimed to tackle issues with training and job security.more

More than 800 migrants in 13 boats crossed the English Channel on Saturday, according to Home Office data. The figure is a record for a December day in recent years, and is believed to be due to a backlog of people wanting to get across to Kent because of recent bad weather.more

Britain's internet cables and gas pipelines could be in the crosshairs of a shadowy Russian underwater unit, the head of the Royal Navy has warned. General Sir Gwyn Jenkins said Moscow is once again pouring money into its elite deep-sea sabotage force - a highly secretive group capable of operating at extreme depths.more

An urgent recall notice has been ordered for an electric blanket sold across the UK over risks of fire and electric shocks. The blanket, sold by B&Q, presents risk of fire as it contains an electric component that can overheat, the Office for Product Safety and Standards says. This means it could catch fire itself or set furniture around it ablaze, presenting a serious danger.more

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer discussed efforts to achieve a "just and lasting end" to the war in Ukraine on Sunday with President Donald Trump, Starmer's Downing Street office said in a statement, after talks between officials in Florida.more

Thousands of revellers gathered at Stonehenge in Wiltshire on Sunday morning to welcome the sunrise on the winter solstice - the shortest day of the year. Wearing Celtic clothing and elaborate, nature-inspired headdresses, druids and pagans danced around the Neolithic stone circle in Wiltshire thought to have been built by distant ancestors to align with the movements of the Sun.more

A London borough with one of the highest rates of people sleeping rough is rolling out ‘personal passports’ for people experiencing homelessness to limit the impact of their trauma.more

A vehicle was stolen once every five minutes in England and Wales between January and September 2025, according to new research which has also revealed the cars most likely to be targeted by thieves.more

The broadcasting regulator said around three in 10 complaints were about one programme.more

Millions of people will be able to set their own contactless card payment limits or even have no limit at all, a regulator has confirmed. Banks and card providers will be given the power, from March, to set a maximum - or unlimited - single payment amount without the need to enter a four-digit PIN.more

Pope Leo XIV yesterday appointed Bishop Richard Moth as the new Archbishop of Westminster, the Primate of England and Wales, the Vatican announced. He will replace Cardinal Vincent Nichols, who is retiring and has led the local Catholic community since 2009.more

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer has nominated career diplomat Christian Turner as ambassador to the US, the Prime Minister's Office announced yesterday. Turner will replace Peter Mandelson, who was dismissed due to his past ties to sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.more

One London borough has earned the unwelcome distinction of being branded the most miserable place to reside in the UK. Property platform Rightmove released its yearly Happy at Home Index, which polls thousands of inhabitants across more than 200 locations to identify the most content places nationwide.more

Travellers in and around London are being urged to plan ahead as a series of major rail closures, engineering works and reduced services are set to affect journeys over the Christmas and New Year period. more

Human remains found by police have been confirmed as those of a woman who disappeared nearly 20 years ago. Malgorzata Wnuczek, 27, from Poland, was living in Leicester when she went missing on 31 May 2006.more

A number of UK supermarkets have slashed their veggie prices to as little as 5p in a bid to entice last-minute shoppers as they stock up ahead of Christmas.more

British Trade Minister Chris Bryant announced today that the government in London had been the victim of a cyberattack in October. Earlier, The Sun newspaper reported that a Chinese group had hacked into government systems to gain access to Foreign Office data, according to Reuters.more

A London court has postponed its decision on the extradition of Michał Kuczmierowski, former head of the Government Agency for Strategic Reserves (RARS), until 27 February 2026, his lawyer Adam Gomoła announced yesterday. He noted that regardless of the court's decision, both parties will appeal.more

The phrase "ghost jobs" might sound like something from Halloween, but it refers to the practice of employers advertising vacancies that don't exist. In some cases the positions may have already been filled, but in others the job might not have ever been available. It's a real and continuing problem on both sides of the Atlantic.more

Scaredy cat Brits aren't irrational in their fears as they're based on ancient survival instincts, according to a brain boffin. Skittish Brits' fears of heights, snakes and spiders aren't unfounded, with many rooted in evolutionary traits to survive in the wild, a psychologist claims.more

Net migration to the UK could rise to about 300,000 by the end of the decade, a leading government adviser has said. Prof Brian Bell, the chair of the migration advisory committee, said the overall migration figure would jump “in the medium term” from the current level of 204,000 as the numbers of overseas students and workers rose againmore

The weather may seem particularly dull and overcast at the moment, but there have been enough clear skies over the past 12 months for 2025 to rank as the UK’s sunniest year on record.more

The Government is considering offering free TV licences to benefits claimants as part of proposed reforms to the licence fee. More than half of Britain’s poorer households were falling behind with payments, according to a review of the BBC’s Royal Charter.more