UK News

A £7 million fund will be used to examine the potential for a future Olympics bid by northern England. Chancellor John Healey will use his Budget on Wednesday to announce a full feasibility study for a Northern Games. Prime Minister Andy Burnham said an Olympics bid would be “something everyone can get behind”. In May, before Mr Burnham entered No 10, the Government commissioned an assessment by UK Sport which […]

The Metropolitan Police confirmed it passed a letter featuring claims of alleged offending outside the UK by Meghan’s father Thomas Markle Sr to the Duke and Duchess of Sussex but did not share details with other law enforcement agencies. The force said on Saturday that it received a letter in 2019 about a “number of claims” relating to the Duchess of Sussex’s father, adding it was “reviewing the handling of […]

The Government is to make an unprecedented intervention in the process to set water bills, with Environment Secretary Dame Angela Eagle expected to get involved in the regulator’s next price review. She said she was “drawing a line under years of failure” and vowed to put an end to “business as usual”. Dame Angela has written to Ofwat and the water companies setting out her expectations for the sector. She […]

Major museums in Paris closed and authorities deployed a sizable police force for a round of new protests on Saturday across France, hoping to prevent a repeat of last week’s violent unrest that shocked the country. Scenes of looting, burned-out cars and attacks on public buildings left the impression that the government had lost control, as groups of masked vandals targeted businesses in Paris and other city centres. Interior Minister […]

Tea drinking is good for your heart, researchers in China have concluded. A new study looking at drinking tea and the risk of vascular disease (VD) in 485,934 people in the country found an 11% reduced risk among regular tea-drinkers. VD can include heart disease, cerebrovascular disease, pulmonary heart disease and peripheral artery disease. Experts in the UK noted the findings, but said far more work was needed before any […]

William joked about being mistaken for Purple Rain singer Prince and his childhood dreams of becoming a policeman or DJ during a surprise appearance on The Graham Norton Show. The Prince of Wales appeared on an Earthshot Prize edition of the chat show on Friday, alongside Cate Blanchett, Robert Irwin and Hannah Waddingham. During the show, William insisted that, despite being a famous face around the world, he “quite regularly” […]

A new “biosecurity lab” will seek to use AI to protect against potential future pandemics as part of a package of investment in the technology, Chancellor John Healey has announced. Backed by up to £200 million from OpenAI and Anthropic and £100 million from Government, the “world-first” unit will help to develop medical “countermeasures” for new pathogens, officials said. The lab is part of wider efforts to harness AI to […]

The north of the UK will face strong winds with gusts potentially exceeding 80mph, along with “widespread travel disruption” to ferries and trains, as a new storm hits the country, forecasters have said. An amber weather warning is in place across Scotland, the north of England down to Carlisle and the north-east of Northern Ireland on Saturday. Storm Boelo, the second named storm of the season, follows Storm Austen which […]

Mel C will take to the Strictly Come Dancing ballroom floor during a fitness-inspired dance routine. The 53-year-old singer, whose full name is Melanie Chisholm, will perform her song Sweat during the BBC dance programme’s results show on Sunday night. Sporting a pink exercise top and blue shorts, the high-energy routine includes Mel C being lifted into the air and pedalling on a disco-ball exercise bike. The Strictly professionals will […]