Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenski and UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer signed an agreement in Kyiv today on a ‘100-year partnership’ between the two countries. It addresses issues in the fields of security and health care, among others.more

Carlsberg's £3.3bn deal to buy J2O maker Britvic has been approved by a High Court judge. The Danish brewery, which also owns brands including 1664 and Brooklyn, said it planned to create a single integrated drinks business called Carlsberg Britvic following the takeover.more

The “cost of dying” has hit a record high, prompting growing numbers of grieving UK families to turn to crowdfunding or sell possessions to help pay for a funeral, according to a report. The average cost of a basic funeral has increased by 3.5% in a year to hit an “all-time high” of £4,285, according to the insurer SunLife, which has been monitoring UK funeral costs for two decades.more

British motorists can expect a major change in private parking rules in a bid to combat unfair parking fines after legal action was launched against a driver for taking more than five minutes to pay for using a car park.more

Transport for London (TfL) is "prioritising work" on new artificial intelligence (AI) technology aimed at keeping passengers safe on station platforms. The technology is already being trialled on the Docklands Light Railway (DLR) platforms at Custom House station, and comes after similar systems were recently tested at Willesden Green Underground station.more

People are realising they can get Tube themed furniture amongst other London Underground memorabilia to style out their home - but the cost of some items have left them shocked. London Transport Museum's shop offers a range of homeware from Tube line hats for £15 to sofas costing more than £2,000.more

Landlords in England would be banned from charging more than a month’s rent upfront under changes MPs are due to vote on on Tuesday. Angela Rayner, the housing secretary, has amended her renters’ rights bill to limit the amount of money property owners can demand before a tenant moves in, as part of a package of new protections for those in rented accommodation.more

UK inflation unexpectedly dipped in December, raising expectations of an interest rate cut next month. Prices rose 2.5% in the year to December, down from 2.6% the month before, marking the first fall in inflation for three months.more

A convicted rapist who attacked a sleeping woman cannot be deported from the UK to Jamaica because he is bisexual, judges have ruled. The man – known only as AA – was jailed for seven years in 2018 of forcing himself on a sleeping woman after a drinking and cannabis session at a party. more

Broccoli, cauliflower and other brassicas may be in short supply this spring as the mild autumn and winter has caused the crops to come up early, growers have said.more

The UK's competition watchdog has launched an investigation into whether Google has too much power in online search. Google accounts for 90% of UK web searches - the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) is looking at whether it is using that dominant position to harm competition or choice for users.more

The Princess of Wales has revealed she is in remission from cancer after making an emotional return to the hospital where she received treatment. In a message posted on social media, Catherine spoke of her "relief" and said she remained "focused on recovery".more

Customers of Lloyds, Halifax and Bank of Scotland will be able to use the branches of any brand for in-person banking as the group continues to shake up its branch network, raising concerns among unions over potential further closures. more

A pizzeria is asking its customers to put their dough where their mouth is if they want to eat a Hawaiian – charging £100 for a ham and pineapple-topped pizza. The owners and staff of Lupa pizza in Norwich are so revolted by the Hawaiian that they have reluctantly added the topping to their delivery menu but only with the eye-watering price tag.more

Business leaders plan to cut costs and rein in hiring in response to government tax increases set out in the autumn budget, with employment expectations taking the sharpest tumble since the start of the coronavirus pandemic.more

The prisons watchdog has warned that drones delivering weapons to two of England's highest security prisons have become a national security risk. The chief inspector of prisons, Charlie Taylor, said drops of contraband to inmates at HMP Manchester and HMP Long Lartin, in Worcestershire, were now so regular that guns could be smuggled in.more

The UK has introduced a ban on pigs, sheep and cattle imports from Germany after a case of foot-and-mouth disease was confirmed in the country. The government said on Tuesday it will no longer approve health certificates for animals, fresh meat and animal products susceptible to the disease to prevent its spread to the UK where there are currently no confirmed cases.more

Millions of UK drivers who passed their tests before 2016 need to take action soon - or risk being fined £1,000. Once you receive your licence it is valid for 10 years before it will need to be renewed.more

Heathrow airport said 2024 was its busiest year for passenger numbers. Some 83.9 million passengers travelled through the west London airport’s terminals last year.more

King Charles III received a Holocaust survivor yesterday. Buckingham Palace, which broke the news, also confirmed that the British monarch would be coming to Poland at the end of the month to celebrate the 80th anniversary of the liberation of the former German concentration camp Auschwitz-Birkenau.more

Scottish police, who have been searching for sisters Eliza and Henrietta Huszti in Aberdeen since Friday, have extended their search to the coast, SkyNews TV reported yesterday. So far, the action has focused on the city itself.more

The government will "mainline AI into the veins" of the UK, with plans being unveiled today by Sir Keir Starmer. The prime minister is set to promise investment, jobs and economic growth due to a boom in the sector.more

He was a writer concerned with poverty, class and power; we will never know how George Orwell would feel about being commemorated on a coin.more

There are fewer than three weeks to go before the deadline to file self-assessment tax returns for the 2023-24 tax year, but millions of people still haven’t knuckled down and done theirs. This week HM Revenue & Customs said 5.4 million people had yet to file.more

Victims are being “let down time and time again” by police, a minister has said, as almost every violent or sexual offence went unsolved in hundreds of crime hotspots last year.more