UK news

UK news

The billionaire brothers behind Betfred have topped the Sunday Times 2026 Tax List, after paying an estimated £400.1 million to the UK Treasury, making them the country's biggest individual taxpayers. Fred and Peter Done, founders of the betting empire, took the top spot in the annual rankings, with around half of their contribution linked to gambling duties generated by Betfred's nationwide chain of betting shops.

From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.

A sea captain has been found guilty of killing a crew member when his ship crashed into an oil tanker off the coast of Yorkshire. Russian Vladimir Motin had been on sole watch duty when the Solong collided with the Stena Immaculate anchored near the Humber Estuary at 9.47am last March 10. Mark Angelo Pernia, 38, who was working on the Solong's bow, died instantly in the fire, although his body was never recovered.

The Bank of England is widely expected to keep interest rates on hold this week after inflation rose for the first time in five months, although markets believe the door remains open to a cut later in the spring. Analysts expect the Bank's Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) to vote to maintain the base rate at 3.75 per cent when it announces its decision on Thursday.

Google The meeting heard from Richard Smith, representing members of the church, said they did not want to stop the business trading. "Trading from a pizza van at the gates of the church in such a location is demonstrably unsuitable even, some say, disrespectful," he said. Smith also said the location of the van caused "disturbance and inconvenience" for churchgoers, particularly disabled and elderly people.

Mark Hehir, 62, was driving the 206 bus between Wembley and Maida Vale in north-west London in June 2024 when the incident unfolded. Metroline told a tribunal the driver's use of force was "excessive" after the thief, who was shown on CCTV to have thrown the first punch, was knocked unconscious. More than 100,000 people have signed a petition supporting the reinstatement of Hehir, whose dismissal was upheld in November following a tribunal.

was arrested while carrying a placard that read: Globalise the intifada: Non-violent resistance. End Israel's occupation of Gaza and the West Bank. In a statement released by the Peter Tatchell Foundation, the 74-year-old said the arrest was "an attack on free speech". He said: "The police claimed the word intifada is unlawful. The word intifada is not a crime in law. Thousands marched through the streets of central London for a pro-Palestine rally "The police are engaged in over-reach by making it an arrestable offence.

Emergency services, including police and fire, were called to the scene at Summerfield Road, Boythorpe, Chesterfield at 2.50pm on Friday, where officers discovered the growth of suspected cannabis plants. Derbyshire Constabulary said the explosion had damaged the detached house as well as a nearby property, and a man had suffered burns that were believed to be life-changing. The force told The Independent that no arrests had been made as of yet.

Patrick Matthews and Emma Fernandez have run the cafes at Parliament Hill Lido, Queen's Park and Highgate Wood for several years, but were told just before Christmas they had been unsuccessful in a retendering process. The corporation, the governing body that runs London's Square Mile, has responsibility for managing green spaces such as Hampstead Heath, which it runs as a registered charity.

The rocket, a Chinese Zhuque-3, was launched in early December and is now expected to crash into the atmosphere later this afternoon. The UK government has asked mobile network providers to ensure the alert system is operational, in preparation for the possibility of an alert being issued.

AI firms were rapidly emerging as the new gatekeepers of the internet and intervention was needed to create a healthy AI news environment. It recommended standardised labels for AI-generated news, showing what information had been used to create those answers, including peer-reviewed studies and articles from professional news organisations. It also urged the establishment of a licensing regime in the UK allowing publishers to negotiate with tech companies over the use of their content in AI news.

Group finance officer Andrew Moody and general counsel David Brookes claim that they were dismissed in retaliation for blowing the whistle on an alleged attempt by an investor to acquire the company's intellectual property without the knowledge of nChain's directors. The firm, together with three company officials, dispute the claims, which were made yesterday at a London employment tribunal. They argue that the directors had not made protected disclosures and were properly dismissed for gross misconduct.

From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging. At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story. The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.

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Mr Justice Saini ruled that the Saudi government infected the phone of Ghanem al-Masarir with Pegasus spyware and, while surveillance was continuing, in 2018, its agents attacked him outside Harrods in central London. It was a landmark judgment, holding to account a regime that has faced numerous allegations of human rights abuses but has consistently managed to avoid legal responsibility for abuses.

Lloyds Banking Group is handing more than £3.1 billion back to shareholders after delivering stronger-than-expected annual profits, underlining the financial firepower of Britain's biggest domestic lender. The FTSE 100 bank reported full-year pre-tax profits of £6.66 billion, up 12 per cent on 2024 and comfortably ahead of the £6.38 billion forecast by City analysts. The performance was supported by lower-than-expected bad loan provisions and growing income from non-lending activities.

A couple initially expecting to pay less than 50 for a locksmith became victims of a "bait-and-switch scam" which ended up costing them more than 5,000, an investigation has found. The scam involves baiting a customer with an initial cheap quote before adding on hidden charges and carrying out unnecessary work that leads to spiralling costs. As part of the BBC's investigation, the company involved - 24/7 Locksmiths UK - was secretly filmed trying to charge up to 10 times the original quote for the job.

From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging. At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground.

A driver who killed a man and mowed down others in a drink-fuelled rampage in London's West End on Christmas Day has been jailed for life for murder and attempted murder. During his trial in December, the Old Bailey heard how Anthony Gilheaney, 32, deliberately drove his Mercedes into a gay couple, a pair of friends and another man on Shaftesbury Avenue, following an evening of drinking and fighting.

Not many chefs working in small, family-run restaurants expect global megastars to turn up for dinner and to design them a menu from scratch. But that's what happened to Simona Di Dio last weekend, when she cooked dishes inspired by her Italian grandmother's recipes for Madonna, who sat on the single wooden dining table in their cosy, candlelit Italian restaurant in Margate's old town.

From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.

Colin Howell's second wife said she quoted Bible verses to him after he confessed to two murders, but did not tell detectives at the time that she had known about the killings for more than a decade.

British pharmaceutical giant AstraZeneca has pledged a $15 billion investment in China by 2030, aiming to expand its medicines manufacturing and research and development capabilities. The announcement, made on Thursday during Prime Minister Keir Starmer's visit to Beijing, marks the largest deal of his trip as Britain seeks to strengthen ties with China amid strained relations with Washington. Prime Minister Starmer welcomed the investment, stating: "AstraZeneca's expansion and leadership in China will help the British manufacturer continue to grow - supporting thousands of UK jobs."