UK2.XYZ NEWS

Watch: Celebrity Traitors series two kicks off with a wild curveball

The BBC's Noor Nanji on the gameshow's new twist and a traitor's shocking admission.

Bill Nighy wins best host at British Podcast Awards

The actor has become an agony uncle in what award organisers called an "irresistibly endearing series".

UK in talks with EU partners over fuel reserves after Trump diesel threat

President Donald Trump has threatened to ban diesel exports in a bid to ease prices in the US.

What's gone wrong at Nike? How the world's sportswear giant lost its mojo

Several self-inflicted mistakes have cost the biggest sportswear brand on the planet in recent years.

Christa Pike in critical condition after surviving two lethal injections, lawyer says

Pike’s lawyers have asked for her death sentence to be commuted following the botched execution.

Renee Good: Family of US woman killed by ICE agent sues Trump officials

Lawyers for Good's family say US officials created "an unprecedented environment for state sponsored violence" in Minneapolis.

What we know about Christa Pike’s condition after failed execution

The BBC’s Ione Wells reports from outside the Tennessee hospital where Pike is said to have arrived Wednesday night after surviving two lethal injection attempts.

Drumcree talks resume at Hillsborough as residents' legal challenge postponed

The Orange Order and members of the Garvaghy Road Residents Coalition have arrived at Hillsborough Castle for further talks over the Drumcree parading dispute.

Netanyahu says Flydubai flight attacker 'underwent Islamist radical indoctrination'

Israel's prime minister says the pilot who tried to take over the Flydubai plane clearly intended to "down the plane".

UK-Iranian dual national arrested over RAF Fairford incident, police say

The 25-year-old man was arrested in Westminster, London, marking the sixth arrest in connection with Sunday's incident near the airbase.

British-Iranian arrested over RAF Fairford attack plot is 'alleged mastermind'

An British-Iranian arrested over a foiled RAF Fairford bomb plot was the alleged mastermind who hired a proxy gang to carry out a dramatic attack, it is claimed

Putin warns West that Russia is ready to use every weapon to protect Kaliningrad

The Russian leader insists Moscow is "not threatening anyone" and is merely responding to statements by Western leaders.

Fires break out at French schools as students protest over funding

The French government holds a crisis meeting as demonstrations grow and become violent in places.

Woman 'showed teen boy how to kiss and have sex and told him to keep it secret'

A jury heard a teenager testify that Kirsty Slater, 38, engaged in sexual activity with him and swore him to secrecy, allegations she strongly denies

Fury as Andy Burnham accused of backing football cash cheats Manchester City

Downing Street has to step in to calm storm after Prime Minister slammed by players and politicians who accused him of supporting Premier League cash cheats

David Sullivan sues BBC for £150m over sexual misconduct claims made by Panorama

West Ham United's co-owner says TV programme's 'false' allegations exposed him to 'profound public hatred', 'universal ridicule', 'severe commercial alienation' and 'financial destruction’

PM warned Rosebank oil field could breach West Bank sanctions

Campaigners and Green Party leader Zack Polanski raise concerns about Rosebank's ties to an Israeli firm.

Why the Cornell University frat house rape investigation was reopened

The woman alleges she was drugged and raped at a fraternity house at the university two years ago.

HMRC urged to scrutinise tax implications of Man City case

The Treasury Committee, which is responsible for overseeing HMRC, has urged the body to scrutinise tax implications of the Manchester City verdict.

HMRC urged to scrutinise tax implications of Man City case

The Treasury Committee, which is responsible for overseeing HMRC, has urged the body to scrutinise tax implications of the Manchester City verdict.

Schools set alight by students in protests across France

Students in France have set fire to schools and vehicles, including a fire engine, during increasingly violent protests over teacher shortages and run-down buildings.

Shooting down UFOs 'could spark deadly alien retaliation - and interstellar war'

A legal expert has warned that military strikes on UFOs could risk triggering an unwinnable interstellar war against far superior alien technology

Man City not 'above the rules', says No 10 after backlash to Burnham remarks

The prime minister said he would be "really concerned" if the club's owners sell up after Premier League rule breaches.

Man City not 'above the rules', says No 10 after backlash to Burnham remarks

The prime minister said he would be "really concerned" if the club's owners sell up after Premier League rule breaches.

Travelodge failed sex assault victim 'at every stage', review finds

Room intrusions were still being reported at one-in-10 Travelodge hotels this summer, a review finds.

Counter terror police arrest UK-Iranian national over RAF Fairford investigation

A dual UK-Iranian national has become the sixth suspect to be arrested over an alleged terror plot near RAF Fairford.

England avoid Australia & India in World Cup draw

England avoid defending champions Australia and world number one-ranked side India in the group-stage draw for the 2027 ICC Cricket World Cup.

Burglar who killed pensioner with headbutt jailed

A burglar who killed a pensioner as he tried to protect his 91-year-old wife has been jailed for 18 years.

Sophie Lancaster's 'feral' killer freed despite denying he attacked her

Sophie Lancaster's killer Brendan Harris was released after an appeal to block his parole failed, even though he denied he personally attacked her

Russia moves to control bear population after 22 people killed

Russia is devising urgent measures to control its population of brown bears after at least 22 people killed in attacks.

Family of woman shot dead by ICE agent sues Trump administration

The family of a US woman killed by an immigration agent while she protested against their mass deployment in Minneapolis last year is suing the US government over her death.

Lib Dem MPs criticise Davey over pension triple lock response

Sir Ed questioned the PM's plans to change the triple lock, telling the BBC removing it "would put more pensioners into poverty".

Hundreds of criminals start leaving prison under new early release scheme

Around 4,500 inmates are expected to be released early by June 2027 under a scheme designed to stop prisons becoming full.

'My boss stabbed me then left prison early, but no one told me for months'

Hannah Pritchett said she was not told for five months that her attacker had been freed from prison.

Man killed brother after punching him in social club playfight

A man has been found guilty of killing his brother after punching him at a social club while "playfighting".

Donald Trump’s trade secretary just lowered the bar for publicly kissing his big ass and the internet nearly died of second hand shame

There’s nothing in America that can’t be achieved with the right amount of hard work. As long as all of that hard work is focused directly on slinging third grade teacher-level praise at the President. Donald Trump’s hand-picked Secretary of Commerce leads the pack when it comes to heaping compliments on his dear leader. Howard […]

The post Donald Trump’s trade secretary just lowered the bar for publicly kissing his big ass and the internet nearly died of second hand shame appeared first on The Poke.

Russia targets busy bridge in central Kyiv

The Pivdennyi bridge came under fire as a metro train was travelling across - the first such attack on Kyiv's bridges.

Richard Keys tried to take revenge on Liam Gallagher over the Man City fallout but the joke was still very much on him

It’s the only sports story in town right now as Manchester City wait to find out just how severe a punishment they will face after being found guilty of a mountain of serious financial breaches. One person who was keen to tell everyone how he wasn’t surprised was Richard Keys, who older readers might remember […]

The post Richard Keys tried to take revenge on Liam Gallagher over the Man City fallout but the joke was still very much on him appeared first on The Poke.

Elon Musk claimed that AI will make us all rich and got dragged to the bank and back in the replies – 17 withering takedowns

Of all the condescendingly idiotic things Elon Musk has said over the years, this might be the most mortifying. Musk was at the White House alongside the other geekiest, and richest, minds in tech to draft a plan for policing artificial intelligence. After putting together a typo-filled, “morally” binding “constitution” for AI, Musk and Trump […]

The post Elon Musk claimed that AI will make us all rich and got dragged to the bank and back in the replies – 17 withering takedowns appeared first on The Poke.

Travelodge 'fundamentally failed' woman sexually assaulted in hotel room

A woman who was assaulted at a Travelodge when a man was given a key card to her room was treated in a "disgraceful" way by the hotel chain, an independent review found.

Baby's body found on shoreline may have been in water for weeks

A baby girl whose body was found on a shoreline in North Wales may have been in the water for weeks, police have said.

'Buzzing' inmates freed early from prison say ‘thank you Andy Burnham’

Prime Minister Andy Burnham has been thanked by some prisoners who have been released from jail early today, a decision made by the government due to overcrowding in prisons

Trump's AI rebrand causes 'unprecedented' demand for Slovenian website names

The president wants AI to be called super intelligence - or SI - the same initials used by Slovenian domains.

‘What’s an obscure item you own that 99.9% of the population does not have?’ – 22 weird and wonderful possessions

We live in a world of rampant consumerism, which means that the vast majority of our possessions are exactly the same as everyone else’s. Yes, it’s a bit embarrassing when you realise your friends’ houses are cookie-cutter versions of yours because they kitted out the whole place from IKEA too. But, very occasionally we end […]

The post ‘What’s an obscure item you own that 99.9% of the population does not have?’ – 22 weird and wonderful possessions appeared first on The Poke.

Teacher who tied boy, 9, to bed and called husband's name during sex act is jailed

WARNING, DISTRESSING CONTENT: Former prep school teacher Deborah Franklin, 65, has been jailed at St Albans Crown Court for seven years after being found guilty of gross indecency against a boy she tutored

This looks like George Osborne has just found out how the triple lock works, 16 years after he launched it

The former political opponents Ed Balls and George Osborne now have a podcast together, named Political Currency. The two former chancellors don’t solely talk about finance, but it’s often at the heart of their discussions, and their recent dissection of Andy Burnham’s conference performance included their take on his remarks about changing the pensions triple […]

The post This looks like George Osborne has just found out how the triple lock works, 16 years after he launched it appeared first on The Poke.

People shared the ‘craziest thing’ their spouse has ever done and these 14 range from adorably unhinged to utterly bonkers

Ah, marriage, the sacred bond where two people vow to love and honor each other until they eventually drive each other completely insane. We say this after one of the good folk over on Reddit asked married folks to dish on their spouses. And let’s just say people did not hold back. ‘Married people of […]

The post People shared the ‘craziest thing’ their spouse has ever done and these 14 range from adorably unhinged to utterly bonkers appeared first on The Poke.

What role would you play in the Traitors castle? Take our quiz to find out

Navigate the early stages of the series with our interactive

More than a third of UK business owners fell into entrepreneurship by accident, according to a poll

A study of 1,000 business owners found 35% hadn't planned to run a business, while 62% had no previous business experience when they started out

An influencer told Chat GPT she was deleting the app and its brain-melting response is a hideous snapshot of where we find ourselves now

Like us you might not be familiar with influencer Alexandra Cross but no matter because you will be perfectly well acquainted with the world of Chat GPT. And that is what brings us here right now after Cross went viral – wildly viral – after she told Chat she was deleting the app. And it […]

The post An influencer told Chat GPT she was deleting the app and its brain-melting response is a hideous snapshot of where we find ourselves now appeared first on The Poke.

Mum's 'nightmare' as neighbour demolishes his semi-detached home without proper permission

Shivarna Mitra saved up for years to put a deposit down on her three-bed home in Pudsey, Leeds, but claims her house has now been left riddled with problems and 'unsellable'

Some flag-waving patriots had a get-together in the woods and as a vision of Farage’s Britain it’s hard to beat

If you go down to the woods today you’re sure for an unpleasant surprise. Because a bunch of flag-waving patriots have got there before you for what appears to be a bit of a get-together with like minded folk. And as a vision of Farage’s Britain – or something like it – it is surely […]

The post Some flag-waving patriots had a get-together in the woods and as a vision of Farage’s Britain it’s hard to beat appeared first on The Poke.

Pete Hegseth just declared the American military a ‘woke free zone’ and of all the funny replies this one hit hardest

It’s mission accomplished for Donald Trump’s secretary of defence, sorry, secretary of war Pete Hegseth. No, nothing to do with the absolute clusterfuck that is the war on Iran, but something much closer to Hegseth’s tiny heart – the war on woke. Hegseth: "It's worth saying again so the fake news understands it. We are […]

The post Pete Hegseth just declared the American military a ‘woke free zone’ and of all the funny replies this one hit hardest appeared first on The Poke.

How much do you know about the celeb Traitors line-up? Take our fiendishly tricky quiz to find out....

Think you're a Traitors super-fan? Then prove it by showing you know these little known facts about this series' crop of stars. Why not take on your mates to see who can score highest?

GB News’ Tom Harwood was wanging on about plastic bottle tops again, but sympathy was thin on the ground – 18 of the juiciest replies

We’re not exactly sure at what point tethered bottle tops became a central battleground in the modern culture wars, but here we are. For months now, commentators on the right have been directing their absolute fury toward these eco-friendly lids, though few have framed the issue as a personal safety hazard quite like GB News […]

The post GB News’ Tom Harwood was wanging on about plastic bottle tops again, but sympathy was thin on the ground – 18 of the juiciest replies appeared first on The Poke.

Kate Garraway burst Suella Braverman’s hypocritical migration bubble in four words flat and it was just magnificent

To ITV’s Good Morning Britain now, where Reform UK-er and Tory turncoat Suella Braverman was in the studio to big up her memoirs about growing up in Thatcher’s Britain and rising up the ranks to be a minister in one of the least effective governments in living memory. And during this particular exchange she looked […]

The post Kate Garraway burst Suella Braverman’s hypocritical migration bubble in four words flat and it was just magnificent appeared first on The Poke.

Major high street giant Boots in '£7 billion sale deal talks' with ex-Selfridges owner

High street giant Boots is reportedly close to be sold in a huge £7 billion deal to the Canadian arm of the Weston family, who use to own department store Selfridges

Pete Hegseth is creating the Office of Religious Affairs, and the US Constitution would like a quiet word – 21 alarmed responses

We cross now to the United States, where Pete Hegseth, the self-styled Secretary of War, has been making a fool of himself and the country with some grade A macho BS. He took some of the military on a run …with flags. We are a ridiculous country. https://t.co/vxqt230J6v — S.V. Dáte (@svdate) September 30, 2026 […]

The post Pete Hegseth is creating the Office of Religious Affairs, and the US Constitution would like a quiet word – 21 alarmed responses appeared first on The Poke.

Mum says a school worker called her a 'nutter' and accused her dog's breed of 'killing babies'

Teresa Clive, 36, describes a "scary" dog lead dispute with a school worker in Greenwich Park, who allegedly called her dog Storm an XL Bully and warned children about "murder dogs'"

This American mocked Brits for saying ‘washing-up liquid’ and these 18 comebacks will make you proud to be British

We feature no end of transatlantic confusion – and sometimes just plain old conflict – on these pages, but this one really is a classic of the genre. It’s a tweet that went viral – so very viral – a little while back about Brits’ penchant for saying ‘washing up liquid’ rather than – stand […]

The post This American mocked Brits for saying ‘washing-up liquid’ and these 18 comebacks will make you proud to be British appeared first on The Poke.

Prince William's true feelings about Meghan Markle summed up in two brutal words

Prince Harry is back in the UK but his older brother, Prince William, is said to be keen to "avoid" drama over the return of the Sussex family

Donald Trump unveiled a new and utterly baffling way of standing, sending the internet into a hilarious frenzy of speculation – 18 funniest reactions

We’ve grown used to the unusal stances of Donald Trump. Not political stances – we’ll never get used to the idea that five-year-olds should go hungry because Doge cut their food stamps, while every raised surface in Washington DC needs to be plastered in gold leaf. No, the stance we’ve accepted is this weird tilt […]

The post Donald Trump unveiled a new and utterly baffling way of standing, sending the internet into a hilarious frenzy of speculation – 18 funniest reactions appeared first on The Poke.

'I love the sheep and the people' - Knitters flock to Shetland's wool week

The annual event is marking its 17th year and draws visitors from all over the world.

Veteran broadcaster Dame Esther Rantzen has died at the age of 86, sending this incredibly moving moment of TV history viral again

Dame Esther Rantzen has died at the age of 86, almost six decades after beginning a career in broadcasting that would see her become a household name. Broadcaster and campaigner Dame Esther Rantzen has died at the age of 86. Her family said in a statement she was the “most wonderful mother” and “cherished grandmother” […]

The post Veteran broadcaster Dame Esther Rantzen has died at the age of 86, sending this incredibly moving moment of TV history viral again appeared first on The Poke.

OAP arrested after police find suspicious items at Somerset property and evacuate 153 homes

A 100m police cordon has been set up overnight in Worle, near Weston-super-Mare, following the discovery of suspicious substances and items at a property in Somerset

Death row inmate in critical condition after 'torturous' failed execution

A death row inmate set to be the first woman to be executed in Tennessee for more than 200 years is in a critical condition after two "tortuous" failed execution attempts.

UK weather maps show -1C Arctic blast to hit Britain after Polar Vortex forecast

Bitterly cold weather could be just days away, with forecast models suggesting temperatures will dip below 10C across every part of the UK at some point in October

Boy, 8, dies after being kicked by horse at UK stables in tragic accident

Louie Isaac Webster, 8, from Wigan, was pronounced dead at Alder Hey Children's Hospital after being kicked in the head by a horse at a Warrington livery stables — a coroner recorded a conclusion of accidental death

China spies target 100 UK academics to get hands on James Bond-style secret tech

China is looking at real-life Q's to get hands on 007-style tech after eggheads were given research cash by an organisation the British security service says is a front for Beijing’s intelligence agency

Andy Burnham vows 'honesty' over funding costs of National Care Service

The PM promised to “say where that money is coming from” for the free-at-the-point-of-use service, leaving the door open to tax rises

Teenager admits trying to have sex with Shetland pony named Cheeky

WARNING, DISTRESSING CONTENT: Thomas Mikaelson, 19, pleaded guilty at Leeds Crown Court on Wednesday (September 30), to attempting to allow sexual penetration by a living animal as he was photographed outside court

Three teens who died when car plunged into River Wear pictured for first time

The three youngsters were in a car that came off the road, and plunged into the River Wear in Sunderland yesterday afternoon

Andy Burnham says 'strong indications Iran played a part' in suspected RAF Fairford plot

Prime Minister Andy Burnham has said there is “strong indications” Iran played a part in a suspected terror plot near RAF Fairford as he responds to Trump's comments

Police probe spikings amid claims 'university rugby players plotted to target freshers'

Officers toured 20 University of Bath Freshers' Week events to reassure students after a WhatsApp message warning spikers were 'on the prowl' was circulated around the campus

First murder probe on tiny Channel Island since WW2 as woman found in water

The body of mother-of-two Hannah Benfield, nee Cox, was discovered in the sea at the base of cliffs on the western end of Alderney early on Monday

Precise moment 'fashionably late' becomes plain rude - what time is unacceptable

A poll of fed-up folk found arriving 15 minutes behind schedule is still considered socially acceptable but get near the half hour mark and you're in trouble

Donald Trump had big tech’s biggest names sign an AI ‘Constitution’ but the document had one glaring mistake – 17 super intelligent shutdowns

For anyone worried about the creepily encroaching artificial intelligence takeover, have no fear, Donald Trump is here to save the day. While he’s not busy renaming AI to SI (that’s “super intelligence” for all of you luddites out there) and launching ruthlessly honest chatbots, the President of the United States is penning contracts to keep […]

The post Donald Trump had big tech’s biggest names sign an AI ‘Constitution’ but the document had one glaring mistake – 17 super intelligent shutdowns appeared first on The Poke.

Russell Crowe’s no-nonsense way of dealing with autograph hunters was already good but the final payoff was absolute Maximus

Hard to believe we know but no-one’s ever asked for our autograph but you can imagine it might get a little tiresome of you were someone of the stature of, say, Russell Crowe. And we mention the great man because of this particular clip of the star dealing with autograph hunters that has just gone […]

The post Russell Crowe’s no-nonsense way of dealing with autograph hunters was already good but the final payoff was absolute Maximus appeared first on The Poke.

Someone asked about things that are ‘basically on life support and we don’t realise it yet’ – 21 everyday features we’re about to lose

The world around us changes at such a breakneck pace that things that we thought would be with us long term are suddenly redundant. Just ask anyone with multiple shelves of unwatched DVDs still cluttering up their living room. So can we predict what’s next for the chop? They’ve been discussing this on the AskReddit […]

The post Someone asked about things that are ‘basically on life support and we don’t realise it yet’ – 21 everyday features we’re about to lose appeared first on The Poke.

Donald Trump tried to brag about how he doesn’t take a salary and the internet buried him in a pile of receipts

Of all the things that didn’t happen, Donald Trump not making any money as President of the United States didn’t happen the most. And yet he keeps insisting that everyone sing his praises for not taking a salary during his current term. Here he is bragging to a room full of hostages (probably?) that he […]

The post Donald Trump tried to brag about how he doesn’t take a salary and the internet buried him in a pile of receipts appeared first on The Poke.

This young lad’s show-and-tell rock-out is still one of the most joyous things on the internet

Back in 2021, when we seem to remember there being an awful lot of misery in the world for some reason, one thing that brought a brief light into the gloom was this absolutely brilliant viral video of a small boy’s moment in the classroom spotlight. @britaincovey Teacher didn’t know how to react 😂 ♬ […]

The post This young lad’s show-and-tell rock-out is still one of the most joyous things on the internet appeared first on The Poke.

Breast Cancer Scandal: Exposing the Harm

BBC Health correspondent Sharon Barbour investigates a deepening breast cancer scandal.

BBC News app

Top stories, breaking news, live reporting, and follow news topics that match your interests