UK news

UK news

British police have set up a new national group to deal with allegations that Jeffrey Epstein's trafficking of women had ties to Britain, as well as claims against his associates, such as Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor. At least three British police forces are dealing with allegations triggered by the revelations about Epstein and his associates in documents released in the US, with more claims of wrongdoing expected by police officials.

The Six Nations is a cruel mistress. Two days before the tournament started for Scotland, Gregor Townsend said this was the strongest playing group of his tenure. Two days later, one bad half of rugby, some abysmal weather and he is facing calls for his head. If you take your eye off the ball in this competition for half an hour on the field your campaign can be over for another 12 months.

In one of sport's weirder coincidences, England are about to play must-win games against Scotland in both rugby and cricket on the same day. The forecast 3C temperatures for the Calcutta Cup encounter may be cooler than in Kolkata appropriately the venue for the T20 World Cup group fixture but a white-hot contest inside a chilly Murrayfield can be absolutely guaranteed.

Mark Harding, 55, from Feltham, Peter Costello, 44, and Robert Townsend, 58 from Sutton, were all charged with burglary and acquiring, using or possessing criminal property. Hertfordshire Police detective chief inspector Tony Fontenelle said: Thanks to diligent work from officers, we have now successfully secured three charges and the case will now progress through the court system. Phoenix Healthcare Distribution centre delivers medicine to 6,700 pharmacies across the UK (Google Maps)

London's taxi drivers have clashed with driverless car firm Waymo after its vehicles were caught hogging electric charging bays meant exclusively for black cabs. Cab groups report numerous instances of Waymo's electric cars plugging in at dedicated e-taxi points, forcing Transport for London to step in. Representatives from the industry say frustrated taxi drivers have taken matters into their own hands by cancelling the robocars' charging sessions.

A 25-year-old man has been handed a life sentence for attempting to murder a uniformed Army officer in a "vicious and deliberate" attack near a barracks in Kent. Anthony Esan will be detained in hospital indefinitely after repeatedly stabbing Lieutenant Colonel Mark Teeton with two knives in Sally Port Gardens, near Brompton Barracks, Chatham, on July 23 2024.

The government said the plans would increase the number of England's official bathing sites to 464. An official bathing spot on the Thames in London would mark a "vast transformation" in water quality in the river which was declared biologically dead in the 1950s due to pollution, officials said. Water minister Emma Hardy said rivers and beaches were "at the heart of so many communities, where people come together, families make memories and swimmers of all ages feel the benefits of being outdoors safely".

Under his leadership, Canterbury have also won two domestic 50-over competitions and are currently second in the Plunkett Shield. "I have always followed county cricket and wanted an opportunity to be a part of it," Fulton said. "The club has a rich history and I can't wait to arrive and get to work on building a cricket team of which the club and supporters can continue to be very proud of."

I am sure this would have led to the deaths of many people and serious injuries to many, many more. Your plan envisaged you and two others discharging AK-47s into a large crowd of marchers, who were unarmed and defenceless; 120 bullets could have been discharged before any reloads were required. You planned to have spare magazines available. Your attack would have led to the deaths of people of all ages, including children.

The Footsie has scaled fresh heights, as demand for London-listed assets intensifies. The mega takeover of Schroders by US institutional investor Nuveen demonstrates how overseas players are sniffing out untapped value in UK companies. The acquisition will create an asset management behemoth and, thanks to the decision to locate the merged company in London, adds shine to the City's reputation as a leader in global asset and wealth management.

The UK economy expanded by 0.1% in the final three months of last year, according to official data, despite signs that tax speculation around Rachel Reeves's budget had dampened spending. Figures from the Office for National Statistics show that the economy picked up a little in the fourth quarter, increasing from a rate of 0.1% growth in the previous three months. Economists had been expecting a rise of 0.2%.

The accounting watchdog said that, although there had been no new financial issues, it "disclaimed" the college's latest 2024-25 accounts because of the continuing "fallout" from financial reporting problems that resulted from a problematic IT project. "We were not able to provide a complete opinion on the opening position or in-year transactions for 2024-25, both of which are heavily derived from the closing position of the prior year," it added.

Greenwich Council has denied claims it airbrushed evidence of public opposition in reports concerning a contentious Low Traffic Neighbourhood (LTN) scheme. The South London authority also firmly rejected the notion that the consultation for the West and East Greenwich Neighbourhood Management scheme was biased, undemocratic or secretive. The council implemented the first stage of the LTN scheme in November 2024, trialling the project in an attempt to reduce traffic and improve air quality in two residential areas in Greenwich.

Baby Victoria's body was found in a shopping bag in Brighton in 2023, after her parents concealed her birth and went on the run in an attempt to avoid contact with social services. Marten and Gordon, a convicted rapist, were both sentenced to 14 years for gross negligence manslaughter last year. The review, chaired by Sir David Holmes, sought to identify missed safeguarding opportunities, and to learn lessons from what the review called the "extreme case" of baby Victoria's death.

York Knights produced an incredible comeback to stun the reigning Super League champions and win their first ever game in the top flight on the opening night of the 2026 season. North Yorkshire hosted Super League rugby for the first time in front of a full house and many of those who were watching York for the first time will have seen enough to return.

"absolutely furious", adding: "The results were there on a computer system, they were there."

A thief who was trying to evade police detection was found wedged behind a boiler during a house raid. Footage shared by the Metropolitan Police on Tuesday (10 February) shows officers making their way through a property when they noticed a limb sticking out from a cupboard. I think there's a dead body, one officer says. Upon opening the door, they discovered an individual tucked behind the boiler.