UK2.XYZ NEWS

England beat Sri Lanka by six wickets to take T20 series win

England's impressive T20 form continues as they thrash Sri Lanka by six wickets in Cardiff to seal the series with a match to spare.

England crush Sri Lanka to seal T20 series win

England comfortably chase a below-par target of 146 to thrash Sri Lanka by six wickets and seal the three-match T20 series with a game to spare.

Brit mum 'kidnapped on school run' has been rescued by police as 'hero' officer shot

Nusrat Osman, a British mother-of-two who is believed to be from Leicester, has been rescued in a major police operation after she was kidnapped while on the school run

UN experts say grounds to believe US committed war crimes in Iran strikes

The US has not acknowledged carrying out February's deadly strikes on a primary school in Minab and a sports complex in Lamerd.

Archbishop of Canterbury withdraws award from Muslim cleric who praised Osama bin Laden

The award was handed out last week, on the anniversary of the 9/11 attacks.

White House withdraws Trump's ICE nominee as Republican senator objects

One senator from Trump's party blocked the bid as he demands information about the fatal killings of US citizens by immigration enforcement.

Why Canadians are ready for closer ties with Europe

People the BBC spoke to are excited by the prospect of working and studying in the EU, a suggestion Carney made this week.

This Olympic river has 500 crocodiles in it - but that's not the main concern

Queensland's Fitzroy River has been selected for the 2032 Games, despite concerns over the course - and its inhabitants.

This Olympic river has 500 crocodiles in it - but that's not the main concern

Queensland's Fitzroy River has been selected for the 2032 Games, despite concerns over the course - and its inhabitants.

Andy Burnham urged to set dementia waiting-time target

An 18‑week referral‑to‑treatment target has been backed by England's former national cancer director.

Diana claims about King are 'nuclear strike at the heart' and 'Harry is probably aware'

Former royal butler Grant Harrold has slammed claims made by Princess Diana's brother Earl Spencer in his new book after making allegations regarding King Charles' conduct at the times

Charles 'sounded giddily elated' after Diana died, Earl Spencer claims

Buckingham Palace has strongly pushed back against claims in a new book by the late Princess of Wales's brother.

'My heart is breaking without you': Mum's emotional plea for missing daughter, 13

The mother of a 13-year-old who has been missing for six days has appealed to her daughter, saying: "I need to know you are safe."

'Built differently' - Hodgkinson reveals hamstring abnormality

Olympic champion Keely Hodgkinson says she is "built differently" after an MRI scan uncovered an "abnormality" in her hamstring.

UK needs 'credible path' on defence spending, says Nato chief

Mark Rutte tells the BBC that UK ministers accept the need to make yearly steps to up spending.

Man, 29, jailed for raping two 14-year-old girls

One victim escaped and told a neighbour her friend was being raped by the Afghan national, the court heard.

UK Youth Parliament looks set to be axed

Some say scrapping the parliament for 11 to 18-year-olds would be a blow for democracy, while others say it is overdue.

Afghan man who raped two intoxicated girls, 14, was 'driven by sexual gratification'

WARNING, DISTRESSING CONTENT: Bakatash, 29, who once served in the British Army, was convicted of raping and sexually abusing two girls, both aged 14, after plying them with vodka until they were barely conscious

Couple's 'sickening and horrifying' plot to abuse child

Victoria and Shaun Lewis have been jailed after they had made plans for Shaun to meet the child, while Victoria knew he had plans to abuse her, police said.

Ukrainian guilty of vandalism at mosques linked to Russian network behind Starmer arson attack

Illia Bilyk, a 21-year-old Ukrainian man, has pleaded guilty to targeting five locations in east London.

Asylum camp plans plunged into chaos - by bats, badgers and great crested newts

Proposals to house up to 1,256 asylum seekers in the village of Piddington may have been scuppered after the site was found to be teeming with wildlife

Warm words on Canada's EU 'associate membership' but no guarantees

There is no certainty that the idea will ever get off the ground, let alone become a blueprint for other countries, writes Katya Adler.

Family of 'Putney pusher' suspect say he was innocent and blame police for his death

The family of Nicholas Brandram said there was no forensic evidence linking him to the incident.

The big questions for Tuchel's first England squad since World Cup

Before Thomas Tuchel names his first squad since the World Cup on Friday, BBC Sport looks at the big questions facing the England boss.

Ed Sheeran's tour in 'damage control mode' after Macklemore backlash

US stadium owner Robert Kraft says Sheeran asked him to match his own $2m (£1.5m) donation for "aid in the region".

1980s voted as best decade ever - and it's all about TV and music

The 1980s tops the charts as the nation's favourite decade - winning six out of eight categories including TV shows, music, pop culture and iconic catchphrases

King Charles 'elated like a lottery winner' in Diana death call, claims Earl Spencer

Earl Spencer has dropped bombshell claims regarding the moment he was called by King Charles following the death of his sister Princess Diana, allegedly that the then Prince was "like a lottery winner"

What’s the greatest ‘well, their career is over’ moment of all time? – 17 livelihoods that came to a crashing halt

Careers often gradually taper off as a person slowly winds down their obligations. But sometimes they come to an abrupt halt due to a massive screw up. And while it remains to be seen where Ed Sheeran sits on this spectrum, Ok-Poetry8702 wanted to hear about those unfortunate occasions where a person’s career drops off […]

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There’s never a bad time to rewatch the legend that is Steven the lazy horse

Back in 2022, Scottish TikToker @glittergreigy shared a short clip (clop?) that went wildly viral, and deservedly so, with the description – ‘He thought about it for a second .. he really thought about it.’ If you haven’t seen it, you’re in for a treat. If you have, we know you’re going to want to […]

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Celebrity Traitors to return as Alan Carr's 2025 win named a top unifying moment

Alan Carr's 2025 Celebrity Traitors victory among the most unifying cultural moments of the past 25 years – alongside Queen's funeral

What does Britain do better than anywhere else in the world? – 17 little things to feel patriotic about

It’s all too easy to despair about the state of the nation. Trains always seem to be delayed, and now people are picking on the RNLI of all things. But there are lots of ways where this country actually excels. To learn more, Odd-Paramedic-3826 tasked r/AskUK with sharing the British things that are the best […]

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‘What’s something that was hyped as ‘the future’ 10 years ago that you barely hear about now?’ – 17 gadgets and gizmos that never really took off

As the old saying goes, the future ain’t what it used to be. Time was, we were promised flying cars and bases on the Moon. Sadly, things haven’t worked out that way. Where did it all go awry though? How were we robbed when it came to developments? To find out, CottonCandyCloud9 turned to r/AskReddit […]

The post ‘What’s something that was hyped as ‘the future’ 10 years ago that you barely hear about now?’ – 17 gadgets and gizmos that never really took off appeared first on The Poke.

Remains found after wildfire identified as mother-of-three missing since 2019

A 56-year-old man is arrested after the remains of Joanne Sheen were found in London almost seven years after she went missing.

Hyrox athlete apologises for continuing race after soiling herself

Joanna Wietrzyk has also forfeited her win in the fitness competition after competing last week.

Father's tribute to 'sweetest little boy' Noah Woods

Rhys Woods pays tribute to his three-year-old son and offers "deepest gratitude" to local people.

Noah Woods cops issue update on his death after 'most tragic of circumstances'

Suffolk Constabulary have issued an update following the death of three-year-old Noah Woods after formal identification of a body found in a pond yesterday has taken place

King Charles warns of 'existential danger' of AI falling into wrong hands

The comments were made at a summit in Scotland with participants from AI giants such as Nvidia, OpenAI and Anthropic.

Donald Trump tried to break down the numbers on his trade policy and it did not add up – 15 calculated clapbacks

So much gets made of the nonsense Donald Trump spews on a daily basis that it’s good to get back to the basics. The American economy has been struggling under Trump’s stewardship and the nation’s people want to hear what his thought process is behind the decisions impacting their day-to-day expenses. Luckily, Donald took a […]

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British businessman victim in Swiss Alps plane crash as tributes paid to 'adored grandfather'

Owain Davies, 55, managing director of Carmarthenshire engineering firm Amcanu, was a passenger in a light aircraft which crashed near the Leukerbad resort in the Swiss Alps

GTA 6 soundtrack reveal revives digital release debate

Fred Again, PinkPantheress and Travis Scott are on CD and vinyl editions of the album, but some fans have pointed out the "irony" of this following a controversial decision for a digital-only release of the game.

Sainsbury’s asked a customer to review their purchase of an onion and they were only too happy to oblige in hilarious fashion

In the not too distant past you could go to a shop, buy an item and that was pretty much the end of it. Nowadays, however, if you make a purchase online then it invariably brings about a seemingly endless string of email notifications. We have received your order! Your order is being processed! Your […]

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Interest rates held but Bank signals rise if energy prices stay high

Rates are held for the sixth time in a row but the Bank of England says high energy prices make a future rise more likely.

Mark Carney’s European Parliament speech was a devastating takedown of Donald Trump despite not mentioning the American president once

As you’ll have read elsewhere, Canada looks all set for closer – much closer – ties to the European Union after its prime minister Mark Carney’s visit this week. The prospect of Canada becoming the EU’s first associate member – raised by European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen – already felt like a good […]

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Verified video shows wreckage of Saudi fighter jet shot down over Yemen

BBC Verify tracks down the location of a Houthi video showing the wreckage of an F-15 they claim to have shot down.

Wildfire reveals remains of mum-of-three who disappeared in 2019

Human remains discovered in woodland following a wildfire are those of a mother-of-three who disappeared nearly seven years ago, police said.

Somebody asked women about ‘the most ridiculous reason they’ve decided they didn’t like a man’ – 21 traits that seem silly but loom large

Given the difficulty of meeting someone – anyone! – to date these days, you’d think that the red flags would have to be huge and wildly flapping to put people off each other. However, sometimes it’s the small, apparently rather petty things that actually undermine a relationship before it’s even got off the ground. Over […]

The post Somebody asked women about ‘the most ridiculous reason they’ve decided they didn’t like a man’ – 21 traits that seem silly but loom large appeared first on The Poke.

FA demands release of files on World Cup sell-off plan and Balogun red card row

England's FIFA vice president has called for an independent review into Gianni Infantino's attempt to sell off the World Cup and asked him to release all documents on the Folarin Balogun red card controversy, Sky News understands.

Donald Trump called North Carolina ‘one of the worst states’ while speaking in *checks notes* North Carolina

In something straight out of a Spinal Tap movie, Donald Trump decided to dust off his thoughts on the state of North Carolina at the worst possible time. The President continues to travel the country stumping for Maga candidates ahead of the increasingly important midterm elections. He made a stop in the key swing state […]

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What’s something about Britain you only appreciate after living abroad? – 17 things other countries just don’t do better

It’s in the national character for British people to moan and criticise their native islands. But as much as we whinge, deep down there are lots of things we all love about this country. Sometimes it takes a bit of distance to truly appreciate the good things though. In fact even a little time abroad […]

The post What’s something about Britain you only appreciate after living abroad? – 17 things other countries just don’t do better appeared first on The Poke.

Ireland to boycott Eurovision for second year in a row

Ireland will boycott the Eurovision Song Contest for the second year in a row in protest at Israel's participation, broadcaster RTE says.

‘What’s a rule at your workplace that clearly exists because someone did something ridiculous?’ – 23 regulations created by idiots

Having to go to your job every day can be bad enough. But having to put up with some monumentally idiotic colleagues is often what tips it over into unbearable. They’ve been discussing the woes of working with other people on the AskReddit page after user Prize-Sale-4004 posed this question: What’s a rule at your […]

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Portsmouth RNLI station remains temporarily closed after anti-migrant protests

The RNLI says it hopes to have the lifeboat station operational again as soon as possible.

'I can get more time': Breast cancer patient finds out she can get life extending drug

Patients in England with an incurable breast cancer can now access a life-extending drug on the NHS.

A Maga audience member heckled the whole of Europe at this comedy gig in Poland and it ended just as well for them as you’d hope it would

To a stand-up comedy gig in Krakow, Poland now – no, we didn’t think we’d be using that phrase today either – where the audience included an especially vocal American. Not just an especially vocal American but an especially vocal Republican American who voted for Donald Trump. They were just as warm and empathetic to […]

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This mum was devastated by the ‘overt racism’ in her Oxfordshire village and Nigel Farage’s response nailed the essence of the man in 15 seconds flat

You will no doubt have seen the story of the Oxfordshire village which voted to be ‘independent’ from the UK in a symbolic referendum held in protest at plans to house more than 1,000 migrants at a former military base. Some 285 residents of Piddington voted to leave, with 26 voting no (and one spoiled […]

The post This mum was devastated by the ‘overt racism’ in her Oxfordshire village and Nigel Farage’s response nailed the essence of the man in 15 seconds flat appeared first on The Poke.

Welsh man among two Britons who died in plane crash at popular resort

A Welsh businessman has been named as one of the three people killed after a light aircraft crashed in a popular resort in the Swiss Alps.

Man who just found out there’s a b in dumb announces he’s a ‘high-IQ person’ – 18 brutal clapbacks

Despite his approval rating being at an all-time low, and at a record-breaking low level for any US president, Donald Trump has been telling voters to imagine he’s on the ballot in the upcoming midterm elections. This may be why the Democrats are on course to take control of the House of Representatives, and have […]

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'Reasonable grounds' US committed war crime in Iran school strike, UN experts claim

Human rights experts commissioned by the United Nations (UN) have concluded that there are "reasonable grounds" to believe that the US committed a war crime when it struck a school in Iran.

Donald Trump vowed to cut off Europe if Canada joins the EU and the whole of Europe responded as one

Donald Trump has spent much of his second term in the White House slagging off Canada and its PM Mark Carney, suggesting it should become the 51st state of America instead. So it should be no surprise that Canada (and Carney) should look elsewhere for alliances, and this week it emerged that it could become […]

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Father of Noah Woods, 3, pays tribute to his 'sweetest and most innocent' little boy

The father of a three-year-old child who was found dead following a huge search described his son as the "sweetest and most innocent little boy".

Grand Designs is back and people have been busy guessing how this first episode will go – 14 funniest and most totally on-point

This week just got so much better when we realised Grand Designs is back. Other Channel 4 property shows have come and gone but it is Kevin McCloud’s magnificent creation that continues to reign supreme. Bryony and Matt are spending £820,000 on a modern, high-performance home on the Cornish coast – designed to meet the […]

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In ‘serious party’ news, Reform’s new immigration-tracking app features a game where you turn back small boats crossing the channel – 17 dumbfounded reactions

As you’re no doubt aware, Nigel Farage’s Reform UK are rather flush with cash at the moment after being handed a whopping £72 million from just two crypto-billionaire donors. But how to spend these riches handed over by people who obviously don’t expect anything in return for their largesse? Why not a nice shiny new […]

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Deaths of nine women in South Africa could be 'linked to serial killer', police say

The bodies of nine women have been found in South Africa in just two months - sparking a major police investigation into whether the deaths are linked.

Ted Cruz warned that if Democrats take Congress they’ll ‘stop Trump’s agenda’, and the entire internet said “No shit, Sherlock!”

The US midterm elections are just 47 days away, and the polls suggest that the Democrats will probably take the House of Representatives, and might even end up controlling the Senate. Before you get too excited, remember that the only poll that counts is the actual election – right up until Trump declares it void […]

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Anthropic claims to be highly profitable, if you ignore their major expenses, and the internet understood the assignment – 18 hilariously sarcastic takedowns

We’re very grateful to the wily bunch over at Anthropic, the company behind AI chatbot Claude, for taking time out of their busy schedule of developing their product (which experts say could wipe out the human race within a decade) to come up with a hilarious explanation of their finances. The company has put off […]

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Balaclava boys on electric bikes: How to tackle the problem?

The sight of masked young men on electric bikes or motorcycles is becoming increasingly familiar - what can be done about it?

Steve Rosenberg: Russia's elections will have few surprises, but for the Kremlin they matter

There is no doubt over the outcome of this vote, but for the Kremlin they are still an important moment.

JD Vance’s plea for the US to give the Trump government ‘another chance’ wasn’t the winning midterms message he seemed to think – 24 votes of no confidence

JD Vance is not a man known for having a flare for communication …or empathy …or intellgence. In short, he’s the David Brent of Maga politicians, but with less charm and more eyeliner. Never forget that this is the man who – Claimed the Left would probably say drinking Diet Mountain Dew is racist. Vance: […]

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Stadium owner responds after Ed Sheeran row as Macklemore announces $1m donation

The stadium owner at the heart of the row over the removal of rapper Macklemore from Ed Sheeran's US tour says Sheeran asked him to match his own $2m (£1.5m) donation for "aid in the region".

Student found with hundreds of indecent images of kids makes odd request during arrest

Ashraful Islam, 21, from Chippenham avoided jail after police seized his phone during an unrelated arrest in March 2026, uncovering hundreds of child abuse images including nearly 350 of the most serious category

Palace hits back after Diana's brother claims King Charles said world would 'forget' her

Princess Diana's brother Earl Spencer has made a bombshell claim about King Charles in his new book Swan Song: Diana, My Sister, alleging the King said the world would 'forget' Diana following her death in 1997

Noah Woods search volunteers break down in tears as cop's voice cracks after body found

Many of the hundreds of volunteers searching for missing three-year-old Noah Woods have wept at the heartbreaking news that a body has been found in local pond in Brantham

Charles was 'giddily elated' in phone call after Diana's death, her brother claims in book

Earl Spencer has claimed Charles was "giddily elated" during a phone call after Diana's death, as new excerpts are released from his upcoming book.

Body of child found in search for missing three-year-old Noah Woods

Superintendent Tom Pearse from Suffolk Constabulary has issued a new statement in the search for missing three-year-old Noah Woods after the toddler disappeared over 24 hours ago

Gang jailed for horror UK airport gas attack where people 'vomiting blood'

Heathrow Terminal 3 was shut down after tear gas was sprayed leaving people hospitalised and bystanders coughing and choking

Noah Woods police share message from missing boy's family as specialist diving team sent

Police searching for missing three-year-old Noah Woods have shared a short message from the his family as the operation continues to find him over 24 hours since the toddler was reported missing

Dad jailed over extremist posts said 'If I go to prison, it’ll be for making real change'

Ivan Jennings, a dad of four, has been jailed for encouraging terrorism in an online chat as he encouraged attacks on migrants and how to use poisonous mushrooms in the food of Jews and Muslims

Harry and Meghan hit with 'fiasco of own making' and have 'serious questions to answer'

Prince Harry and Meghan face a backlash after pulling their kids from school over a security blunder, with experts branding their UK return a self-made fiasco

Major update on missing boy Noah as police issue statement on 'criminality' speculation

Suffolk Police Superintendent Tom Pearse has issued a new statement following online speculation of criminality as the search continues for the missing three-year-old boy Noah

Netflix star's 'nuclear' response to Harry and Meghan becoming his neighbours

Jack Whitehall: Travels with My Father star Michael Whitehall has shared a brutal verdict on Prince Harry and Meghan Markle after the royal couple became his new neighbours in the Cotswolds

Sprint star Amy Hunt says her attack on Sydney Sweeney is 'nothing personal'

The British 200m ace sparked a huge reaction after hitting out at an ad where Sydney posed naked with strategically-placed footballs and other sporting equipment

Slimmers risking death by buying 'dodgy weight-loss jabs' from fake online pharmacies

Around 5,000 bogus pharmacy websites were accessed by UK consumers in 2025, according to cybersecurity firm Avast

King Charles' hidden rules about how Prince Harry should be treated uncovered in letter

King Charles' letter confirmed that Prince Harry and Meghan Markle are considered "private citizens" and any duties carried out would not be on behalf of the Royal Family, as experts analyse what this means for the couple's new life in the UK

BBC Weather issues new heatwave verdict after Met Office 'rather warm' forecast

The UK had the hottest summer ever and now it has been suggested that yet more sunshine is on the way in the coming weeks

Furious airline boss slams 'unacceptable' UK flight chaos as 7,200 passengers stranded

The boss of a major airline has slammed the UK's latest air traffic control problems as 'unacceptable' after a rescue mission was launched to bring 7,200 stranded passengers home

Anne Hathaway and Jessica Chastain star in a psychological thriller

It's the only thing you can trust. A friendship forged in motherhood is broken by a loss

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