British Isles
Friday, 16 January 2026 10:46
Chinese super embassy in London 'could spy on the whole of Europe'
Concerns are growing in the UK over plans for a vast new Chinese embassy in London, amid warnings it could become a major hub for espionage across Europe. Unredacted planning documents reveal a concealed underground chamber…
Friday, 16 January 2026 10:40
‘Critical incidents’ at NHS hospitals as winter viruses surge
Six NHS hospital trusts across England have declared critical incidents as winter pressures intensify, driven by rising flu cases, norovirus, Covid, staff sickness, and delayed discharges. Nottingham University Hospitals and Sherwood Forest Hospitals and four others…
Friday, 16 January 2026 10:38
UK economy grew by 0.3% in November, beating forecasts
The UK economy recorded stronger-than-expected growth in November, expanding by 0.3% and exceeding forecasts of 0.1%. The rebound, after a contraction in October, was driven largely by renewed industrial output and growth in the services sector.…
Friday, 16 January 2026 10:24
Jenrick sacked by Tories, defects to Reform UK
Robert Jenrick’s political journey has taken another dramatic turn after his sacking from the Conservative shadow cabinet and his decision to align himself at once with Nigel Farage’s Reform UK party. Long known for courting controversy,…
Friday, 16 January 2026 10:21
Twenty-two councils ask for election delays
More than twenty English councils have requested permission to delay their local elections scheduled for May, affecting over 2.5 million voters. The proposed postponements are linked to the government’s wide-ranging reorganisation of local government, which will…
Friday, 16 January 2026 10:17
PM: 'X is acting to ensure full compliance with UK law'
Keir Starmer has said that Elon Musk’s social media platform X is acting to ensure compliance with UK law, following outrage over its AI tool, Grok, being used to generate non-consensual sexualised images. There was widespread…