News – World and UK

Around one in eight parents claim they have been able to sign up their child to an NHS dentist only if they agree to be a private patient at the surgery, a poll suggests. Healthwatch England has called for action, saying the condition put on parents is a “breach of contract”. The patient champion said a new poll revealed a “worrying” number of parents who said their dentist would see […]

Commuters face widespread travel disruption on Wednesday morning after parts of the UK saw heavy snowfall and ice. The Met Office put in place a yellow warning for ice for much of southern England, the Midlands and eastern Wales from 5pm on Tuesday to 10am on Wednesday. Several other warnings for snow and ice have been in force across the UK, with the Met Office advising that vehicles could be […]

Sir Keir Starmer has declined to say whether he would follow the advice of close Labour ally Lord Mandelson and end a feud with US businessman Elon Musk. Senior Labour figure Lord Mandelson also urged the Prime Minister to use Reform UK leader Nigel Farage as “a bridgehead, both to President Trump and to Elon Musk and others”. The Prime Minister and his team have attempted to build links with […]

Sir Keir Starmer has pledged to “restore the UK’s role as a climate leader” as he launched an international green alliance at the G20. Countries including Brazil, Australia, Canada and France are among those to have signed up to the first “mission” of the UK-led Global Clean Power Alliance, in what the Prime Minister has labelled a “once in a generation opportunity” to face up to the “climate crisis”. Sir […]

The best-selling virtual building game Minecraft is to become a real-life destination in a deal with UK-based theme park owner Merlin. Merlin, the owner of Legoland, Alton Towers and Thorpe Park, has agreed on a deal with Mojang Studios, the creator behind the globally popular sandbox game, to invest more than £85 million in the first two Minecraft attractions in its existing UK and US parks between 2026 and 2027. […]

The Government is facing calls from farmers and opposition parties to scrap its changes to agricultural inheritance tax ahead of protests in Westminster. The National Farmers’ Union (NFU) is holding a mass lobby of MPs with 1,800 of its members – three times as many people as originally planned – to urge backbenchers to stand up to the Government’s plans to impose inheritance tax on farms worth more than £1 […]

A competition to find innovative new solutions to how artificial intelligence can be used to help boost clean energy has been opened by the Government. As part of a new round within the existing Manchester Prize – a competition to find new AI innovations – academics, start-ups, entrepreneurs and others are being encouraged to apply for funding to develop solutions to help decarbonise the UK’s energy grid. It comes as […]

Allies must “come together” to back Ukraine and ensure Vladimir Putin “does not succeed”, the Defence Secretary warned as Britain announced further military aid for Kyiv on the 1000th day of the war. The UK will provide £7.5 million for new attack and surveillance drones, the Ministry of Defence said on Tuesday. It comes as Russia’s invasion enters its 1,000th day and amid concerns about a potential change of US […]

Salmonella bacteria could be used to treat bowel cancer, scientists hope. Bowel cancer is the second most common cause of cancer death in the UK after lung cancer, with around 16,800 deaths per year. Scotland is “disproportionately” affected, with around 4,000 people being diagnosed each year, according to Cancer Research UK. Bacterial cancer therapy has been a focus of scientific interest since the 19th century but the health risks prevented […]