Struggling budget chain Poundland has been sold for £1 and now faces a shake-up which could see up to 100 stores close, the BBC understands. Its owner Polish firm Pepco confirmed it had sold the brand for a "nominal" sum to US investment firm Gordon Brothers.more

A Defence Minister has confirmed that the Royal Air Force is still exploring the possibility of operating a mix of F-35B and F-35A fighter jets, suggesting a potential future acquisition of the A variant.more

Reform UK has joined MPs from across the political spectrum in supporting an amendment to provide every new home in England with at least one swift brick to help endangered cavity-nesting birds, after a similar amendment was blocked by Labour in the committee stage.more

Property experts at Rightmove unveil the happiest places to live at the end of each year, with the East Anglian market town of Woodbridge taking the top spot late in 2024. As one of the most desirable commuter towns in Eastern England, this Suffolk gem is nestled alongside the stunning Suffolk Coast Heaths.more

Council tax is expected to rise by 5% a year to pay for local services including policing, documents in the Spending Review suggest. Local authorities in England have the power to raise the tax by up to 4.99% every year, without central government approval, although some choose lower increases.more

The UK economy suffered its worst contraction for a year and a half in April as taxes increased for businesses, household bills jumped and exports to the US plunged. The economy shrank by 0.3%, more than the 0.1% fall predicted by experts - marking the steepest monthly decline since October 2023.more

A number of products from a brand of US sweets are "unsafe to eat" and contain ingredients which could damage DNA and increase the risk of cancer, the Food Standards Agency (FSA) has warned.more

During anti-immigrant riots, protesters set fire to a building in Larne, Northern Ireland, suspecting that evacuated migrants from another town had been brought there, the website of "The Telegraph" reported today. The migrants had already been moved to a safe location.more

Gatwick Airport has confirmed that a plane flying from Ahmadabad in India to London crashed today. According to Indian police, at least 242 people were on board the machine. Indian Aviation Minister Kinjarapu Ram Mohan Naidu said he was ‘shocked and devastated’.more

After more than three years of talks, Spain, the UK and the European Commission reached an agreement in Brussels yesterday on Gibraltar's future relationship with the European Union. It includes, among other things, the abolition of land border controls.more

Health officials have issued a warning over the latest Coronavirus strain, which comes with a host of unpleasant symptoms. This new variant, which has been detected across Europe and other continents, has symptoms that differ from the flu-like signs of previous strains.more

The biggest lottery prize the UK has seen could still be won after Tuesday’s EuroMillions draw had no winners. Friday’s jackpot will be an estimated £208 million and would be the largest prize awarded in the UK, National Lottery operator Allwyn said.more

Rental price growth has slowed significantly, according to the latest figures from Zoopla's Rental Price Index, with the average rents for new lets agreed 2.8% higher in April 2025 than the same time a year ago.more

Cheap chicken and beef from Australia, Poland and Uruguay is on the rise on UK supermarket shelves, according to the National Farmers’ Union, as supermarkets look for money-saving options.more

Rough sleeping will be decriminalised next year under government plans to scrap a 200-year-old law. Ministers are planning to scrap the Vagrancy Act, which outlaws rough sleeping in England and Wales. The law was introduced in 1824 to deal with rising homelessness, but Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner has called it "cruel and outdated".more

Britons are hoarding physical cash amid extreme economic uncertainty and to provide a safety net for possible banking system outages such as the recent one in Spain, according to the Bank of England’s chief cashier.more

Millions more people will have robotic surgery over the next decade under NHS plans to slash the huge waiting list for hospital treatment. The move will mean a significant expansion in how often surgeons use robots when treating people for cancer, hysterectomies and joint replacements, as well as in medical emergencies.more

Eurostar hailed the arrival of a “new golden age of international sustainable travel” as the rail operator unveiled plans to launch direct services linking London St Pancras with Germany and Switzerland.more

Brits select Rolls Royce as SMR reactor supplierThe UK government-owned Great British Energy-Nuclear yesterday named Rolls Royce SMR as the supplier of small nuclear reactors. The winning technology will get government backing, with the new reactors scheduled to start up in the mid-2030s.more

Self-driving taxis and bus-like services will be permitted on England's roads by spring 2026, the Department for Transport (DfT) has announced. This marks a significant step forward, as it will be the first time companies in the UK can trial autonomous commercial services without a human driver monitoring journeys. more

London could bask in 27C heat this week, although thunderstorms may break up the pleasant weather. The Met Office has warned thunderstorm alerts could have to be issued as it forecasts "intense rainfall" across parts of the UK.more

Unemployment in the UK rose in April to the highest level in almost four years, official figures showed, as tax increases introduced by Rachel Reeves added to a broader slowdown in the jobs market.more

Northern Irish police said 15 of their officers were injured yesterday during anti-immigrant rioting that took place in Ballymena, about 40km from Belfast, Skynews reported.more

According to the British daily “The Times”, PM Keir Starmer's office intends to impose sanctions on two Israeli government ministers representing Orthodox Jews: the head of the security ministry, Itamar Ben Gwir, and the head of the finance ministry, Becalel Smotrich.more

The store was forced to pause online orders in April following the cyberattack. In an update, the retailer said on their website: “You can now place online orders with standard delivery to England, Scotland and Wales. Delivery to Northern Ireland will resume in the coming weeks.more