British Prime Minister Keir Starmer announced yesterday before the House of Commons that he is prepared to release the frozen assets of Russian oligarch Roman Abramovich, former owner of Chelsea FC, in order to help Ukraine. This was in response to a question from a Member of Parliament regarding the United Kingdom's support for Ukraine.more

London has been named the kindest city in the UK at Christmas, outranking Liverpool and Manchester, according to new research. A study of 2,000 adults commissioned by Santander found that one in three Britons say they are more inclined to carry out random acts of kindness during December.more

Falls in food, alcohol, and clothing prices last month helped drive inflation to its lowest level in eight months in November. The inflation rate fell to 3.2% from 3.6%, a larger fall than analysts expected.more

This year’s Christmas getaway is expected to be the busiest on record, new figures suggest. The AA forecast that traffic for all journey purposes in the run-up to December 25 will peak on Friday when about 24.4 million cars are expected on the UK’s roads.more

The Chief of the Defence Staff of the United Kingdom, Air Chief Marshal Richard Knighton, said in an interview with LBC radio that work is underway to create Iron Dome, an integrated air and missile defence system. As he explained, this is related to the ‘evolution of threats from Russia’.more

The United Kingdom will rejoin the Erasmus student exchange programme, the government in London announced today. In December 2020, the UK left the programme as part of its post-Brexit trade agreement with the European Union.more

Resident doctors across England began a five-day strike today, demanding, among other things, higher wages. With the flu season in full swing, hospital directors are warning of overcrowding in medical facilities and numerous difficulties that may affect patients.more

The British government has pledged £600 million for air defence systems for Ukraine, British Defence Minister John Healey announced yesterday. The support is intended to help repel Russian attacks on Ukraine's energy network during the winter.more

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer has ordered an ‘urgent’ investigation into foreign interference in British politics, ‘The Times’ reported yesterday. This is a direct response to the conviction in November of a Reform UK politician for accepting bribes in exchange for pro-Russian activities.more

The US has suspended a trade agreement with the UK that was intended to strengthen technological cooperation between the two countries, the ‘Financial Times’ reported yesterday. According to the newspaper, this decision undermines ambitious plans for cooperation in the fields of artificial intelligence, quantum computing and nuclear energy.more

Pubs in England and Wales could stay open until 01:00 next summer if a home nation reaches the quarter-finals or further at the football World Cup. The government has launched a six-week public consultation on extending pub licensing hours to allow fans to come together and support the teams.more

The UK unemployment rate in the three months to October has increased to 5.1%, according to official figures. That marked a rise from 5% for the three months to September.more

The ‘sons and daughters’ of Great Britain must be ready to fight in the face of the growing threat from Russia, British Armed Forces Chief of Defence Staff Richard Knighton said yesterday. He warned that the Russian military is growing in strength and is battle-hardened from fighting in Ukraine.more

US President Donald Trump has sued the British public broadcaster BBC, demanding $10 billion in damages for alleged defamation and violation of unfair trade practices. The lawsuit was filed yesterday in federal court in Miami, Florida.more

A court in Liverpool today sentenced Paul Doyle, who drove his car into a crowd of celebrating fans in May, to 21 years and six months in prison. The man pleaded guilty to 31 charges, including seriously injuring 29 people aged between six months and 77 years old.more

British Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper announced yesterday that the Chinese ambassador to the UK had been summoned in connection with the sentencing of pro-democracy activist Jimmy Lai, who holds a British passport.more

London’s Chief Nurse called for people in the capital to come forward to get the vaccine against super flu ripping through the city so more than two million have had the jab by Christmas. Some 1.87 million Londoners had had the flu jab as of December 7, up from just over 1.8 million on November 30, 1.7 million on November 23, and slightly more than 1.6 million on November 16.more

Britain’s new spy chief is warning of the acute threat to Europe from an “aggressive, expansionist, and revisionist” Russia under Vladimir Putin. Blaise Metreweli accused the Russian president of “exporting chaos” with his war in Ukraine, air incursion into eastern Europe and hybrid warfare including against Britain.more

Electric flying taxis may become available to London airport passengers from 2028, a UK company has announced. Vertical Aerospace hopes its Valo aircraft, which has a capacity for up to six passengers, can get regulatory approval in three years – with the first planned commercial routes to include airport-to-city centre connections.more

With Brits rewatching their favourite Christmas films, they might be left wondering if there’s anywhere quite like the quaint villages taking centre stage in festive classics. One village in particular stands out - Shere in Surrey.more

The festive season is among the most turbulent periods for travel, with thousands of Britons taking planes or trains to reconnect with loved ones, whether domestically within the UK or internationally. Given that travel chaos is already expected in the lead-up to Christmas, it's crucial to grasp your rights concerning refunds and compensation should you encounter any delays or cancellations.more

Reform UK claims it is now the largest political party in Britain, following reports Labour has lost more members. According to the Times newspaper, internal figures show Labour's membership has fallen below 250,000.more

Thousands of people are set to endure a bleak Christmas sleeping rough, following record numbers of people counted on the streets for this period of the year. 2,195 people were counted sleeping rough in London in September.more

A popular high street chain is due to enforce a number of closures. River Island says a total of 33 stores will be shut by the end of January. The news comes as part of a major restructuring plan to save the high street brand, which has been approved by the High Court.more

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen held talks on Saturday about the US peace plan for Ukraine, according to a spokesperson for the British Prime Minister's Office.more