Job vacancies have fallen to the lowest level in nearly four years, suggesting demand for workers is weakening as employment costs grow. The number of jobs on offer fell to 781,000 in the first three months of the year, the Office for National Statistics (ONS) said, while payroll numbers also declined. more

Easter is nearly here, but it’s beginning to feel a lot like Christmas as Britons decorate trees, buy pricey gifts and pull crackers. High street stores are decked with wreaths, baubles and table decor, although it is the Easter bunny, not Santa, that looms large. With shelves full of chick- and bunny-shaped trinkets it’s clear that putting up an Easter tree, or twig, is increasingly mainstream.more

Western England and the whole of Wales are set for heavy rain and possible flooding as the school holidays get into full swing and the Easter weekend approaches. The Met Office issued a yellow warning for rain beginning at noon on Tuesday and lasting for 24 hours, advising that there could be transport disruption, flooding of homes and businesses and a chance of power cuts.more

Hollywood actor Mickey Rourke has left Celebrity Big Brother after "further use of inappropriate language" and "instances of unacceptable behaviour", ITV has said.more

The British government on Monday sanctioned what it said was a Swedish-based Iranian criminal network and its leader, citing the group's role in attacks against Israeli and Jewish targets across Europe. Britain imposed an asset freeze on the group known as "Foxtrot Network" and an asset freeze and travel ban on Rawa Majid, who the government said was in charge of the network.more

Requests to remove books from library shelves are on the rise in the UK, as the influence of pressure groups behind book bans in the US crosses the Atlantic, according to those working in the sector.more

The iconic London Tube map, sprawling across zones and neighbourhoods, hasn't always looked the same. For nearly two decades, one station was missing from its intricate design - Kensington (Olympia).more

Tourists from Great Britain who travel to the continent to satisfy their epicurean desires for cured meats and fragrant cheeses will be frustrated in their attempts to bring home some of their favourite foods after a ban on meat and dairy imports from EU countries came into force this weekend.more

The number of women subjected to stop and search by the police has risen in England and Wales despite a fall in the use of the tactic towards men, figures show. Analysis of Home Office data reveals that thousands more searches of women took place in the year ending March 2024 than in the same period the year before.more

The number of migrants arriving in the UK after crossing the English Channel has reached a new record for the first four months of the year. Some 656 people arrived in 11 small boats on Saturday, taking the total number of people crossing in 2025 so far to 8,064, according to provisional Home Office figures.more

Italy’s state railway has announced plans to run between London and Paris by 2029 as part of a €1bn (£860m) investment in services through the Channel Tunnel and beyond. Ferrovie dello Stato Italiane (FS) says it will use trains inspired by its Frecciarossa (“Red Arrow”) express services in continental Europe to establish competition against incumbent, Eurostar.more

UK Trade Minister Jonathan Reynolds stated yesterday that China's involvement in the British steel industry is not welcome. In an interview with SkyNews television, he thus referred to the circumstances that prompted the British government to take control of British Steel.more

Thousands of tonnes of rubbish are piling up on the streets in Birmingham, UK, after more than a month of strike action by waste collection workers, and residents are complaining of ‘cat-sized rats’. Today trade unionists are due to vote on a proposal to end the crisis.more

Wera Hobhouse, a member of the UK Parliament, has been banned from entering Hong Kong. This is the first such case since the former British colony returned to Chinese rule in 1997. - reported the Associated Press.more

Some experts on the subject believe that the time has come for the UK to curtail intelligence sharing with the United States, long one of the most important elements of the two countries' special relationship, writes the Politico website.more

The UK has today announced that it will increase financial support to exporters by £20bn, particularly those affected by the tariff increases introduced by the US, in order to give them stability and certainty in the new era of global trade.more

A hidden gem just two hours from London, a beach on the Kent coast is tipped as "a surfer's paradise". Joss Bay, just 200 metres long, has been named the best beach near London (two and a bit hours, to be not so precise) by the travel buffs over at Conde Nast Traveller.more

Those taking part in the great bank holiday getaway will have to contend with busy roads, a strike by some Gatwick workers and significant works on the railways, including Euston station shutting.more

The UK government yesterday called on MPs to return from their Easter break to pass a bill to save the country's last steelworks smelting steel from iron ore from closure. According to media reports, nationalisation of the plant's owner, British Steel, is being considered.more

British specialists have developed a saliva test that examines DNA to detect men who are more susceptible to prostate cancer. They report on this in the ‘New England Journal of Medicine’.more

The UK economy unexpectedly grew by 0.5% in February, official figures showed, in a boost for the chancellor Rachel Reeves before an expected downturn sparked by Donald Trump’s tariff war.more

The UK is considering sending its troops to Ukraine for five years, in line with plans discussed among allies, the UK's ‘Daily Telegraph’ reported. The objectives of the military mission will focus on training and rebuilding the Ukrainian army.more

A Polish woman who had her application to remain in the UK rejected because she mistakenly filled in a form online instead of on paper has been granted permission to stay in Britain after a change of mind by the Home Office.more

Ukraine will receive another tranche of military aid worth £450 million, AP reported today, citing the UK Ministry of Defence. Additional funds will also be provided by Norway through the UK-run International Fund for Ukraine.more

Prince Harry made an unannounced visit yesterday to a medical centre in Lviv, in western Ukraine, where he visited wounded soldiers and civilians. For security reasons, the prince's trip was not announced until afterwards, AP reported.more