69% of Poles intend to reduce their Christmas spending, most often by taking advantage of promotions, foregoing the purchase of new decorations and clothes, and preparing meals themselves, according to a survey by ANG Odpowiedzialne Finanse.more

American pop star Mariah Carey will perform at the opening ceremony of the Winter Olympics in Milan and Cortina d'Ampezzo, organisers announced on Monday.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

Barcelona defeated third-division side Guadalajara 2-0 away to advance to the round of 16 of the Spanish Cup. German Marc-Andre ter Stegen started for the visiting side for the first time in nearly seven months. Wojciech Szczęsny was a reserve, and Robert Lewandowski was absent.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

According to a survey conducted by BIG InfoMonitor, the average Pole will spend PLN 1,122 on this year's Christmas celebrations, which is one third less than last year. Respondents declared that they would spend the most on gifts (PLN 447) and food (PLN 413).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

Chelsea held off League One leaders Cardiff City to secure their place in the EFL Cup semi-finals with a hard-fought and absorbing win in south Wales. Roared on by a fervent capacity crowd at Cardiff City Stadium, the home side impressed in and out of possession as they contained their Premier League opponents and showed flashes of their own attacking threat in a goalless first half.more

Australian police announced today that they have charged one of the two men who attacked the Jewish community at Bondi Beach in Sydney on Sunday, killing 15 people, with 59 offences, including 15 counts of murder and an act of terrorism, Reuters reported. The second attacker was killed.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 European Commission is backing away from a total ban on the sale of new combustion engine cars in the EU from 2035. Yesterday, it proposed that car manufacturers must meet a 90 per cent reduction in CO2 emissions from 2035.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

On Sunday, in Priscos, a suburb of Braga in north-western Portugal, Europe's largest live nativity scene was inaugurated. It covers an area of over 30,000 square metres and presents over 90 biblical scenes.more

Spain’s Aitana Bonmatí claimed a historic third-straight The Best FIFA Women’s Player award, and France’s Ousmane Dembélé was crowned The Best FIFA Men’s Player, at a special event held in Doha, Qatar, on Tuesday.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

The world number one, Aryna Sabalenka of Belarus, was voted the best tennis player of 2025 in the WTA poll by sports journalists. This is the second time in a row that she has received this honour.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