United Kingdom

An outbreak of meningococcal disease in Kent, with 27 reported cases and two victims, has prompted an immediate response including screening, preventative antibiotic treatment and vaccines; NHS has raised a national alert asking to report any symptoms

Peter Mandelson has been appointed as ambassador to the US notwithstanding his ties to Jeffrey Epstein, the convicted sex offender; PM Starmer made the choice despite warnings of “general reputational risks”

Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, younger brother of King Charles III known as Prince Andrew before he was stripped of his royal title, was arrested and held in custody for 11 hours on suspicion of misconduct in public office amid Epstein scandal

The Prince and Princess of Wales in their first public statement on the Epstein scandal said they are "deeply concerned" and "focused on the victims" in light of the latest information released from the US

New BBC strategic partnership with video platform YouTube will showcase “the best homegrown storytelling and news from across” the British broadcaster; BBC will “expand” its activities on YouTube, including tailor-made content for younger audiences

UK's Stock Exchange index FTSE 100 on the first trading session of 2026 ended higher than the 10.000 points mark for the first time, on a wave of optimism driven by AI boom lifting sentiment and global markets

The number of flu cases in the UK reached a record high for this time of year: they rose by 55% last week, with an average of 2.660 patients per day ending up in hospital

Skipton in Yorkshire has been named happiest place to live in Great Britain: access to nature and essential services as well as friendliness of the people led the ‘gateway to the Dales’ to top Rightmove index 2025

Tens of thousands of turkeys and chickens have been culled in weeks because of a spate of avian flu cases in Wales; concerns about the spread of highly pathogenic HPAI H5N1 are serious according to the industry and the situation severe, Wales said

BBC's outgoing news CEO Deborah Turness insisted the corporation was not "institutionally biased" as she resigned alongside director general Tim Davie over the leak of memo saying the splicing of two parts of Trump's 6 January 2021 speech was misleading

Kazakhstan became the 116th country for Ross Jennings, a Scottish traveler and musician on a mission to play the bagpipes in every nation; dressed in a traditional kilt, he performed the Kazakh folk song “Dedimai au” in Astana