UK2.XYZ NEWS

Labour mayors in England vow to cap tourist tax at 5%

Reform UK and the Conservatives have criticised plans for the new levy on visitors' overnight stays.

Man United put four past Sabah on Champions League return

Manchester United recorded their biggest Champions League victory since 2020 as they swept Sabah FK aside at Old Trafford.

Man jailed after threatening to kill son's teacher in French village

The father had threatened to behead a female primary school teacher near Toulouse.

At least 26 students dead after DR Congo school fire

A deadly blaze left as least 26 students dead and dozens injured after a fire swept through two schools in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).

Teacher sexually abused pupils at multiple schools

Bronwen James, 30, admitted abusing two girls and was convicted of offences against a teenage boy.

US airport security weighs major changes 25 years after 9/11

The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) is reversing policies put in place after 9/11.

More than 20 children killed in DR Congo school fire

Officials say there was a stampede as they fled a fire that engulfed two schools in the eastern rebel-held city of Bukavu.

PE teacher guilty of sex with boy, 16, had previously abused two teen schoolgirls

Disgraced former PE teacher Bronwen James faces prison after being convicted of sexually abusing a schoolboy, having already admitted targeting two teen girls

2030 Winter Olympics boss departs amid turmoil

Edgar Grospiron leaves his position as president of the organising committee for the 2030 French Alps Winter Olympics just 18 months after his appointment.

Four hurt and seven arrested in London stabbing

Seven people are arrested after a fight that an eyewitness says broke out near a KFC restaurant.

Mother charged with murdering 17-month-old daughter

A mother has been charged with the murder of her 17-month-old daughter, police said.

Four killed and 60 injured in Russian strike on shopping centre, Ukraine says

The attack in Pavlohrad city centre was the third Russian strike on a mall within days, local media report.

Watch: Is the Bayeux Tapestry exhibition worth the hype?

Crowds have been flocking to the British Museum to see the Bayeux Tapestry as it's on public display in the UK for the first time since it was created nearly 1,000 years ago.

Father of A66 teen charged with funeral assault

Police charged Gye Worthy with assault at the funeral for his son who was killed in the A66 crash.

Yemen's Houthis reportedly seize strategic Red Sea port of Mokha

Mokha's capture would bring the Iran-backed group closer to controlling the Bab al-Mandab Strait waterway, a key shipping route.

Harry and Meghan 'happy to be back' in UK as pal reveals couple's true feelings on move

Harry and Meghan have moved back to the UK to focus on settling their children, amidst renewed royal tension over a letter sent by King Charles

Oil, gas and borrowing costs surge as fears over Middle East escalate

The price of oil jumps to $105 a barrel amid signs the Iran war will not be resolved quickly.

Hamilton and Leclerc 'squash' Monza controversy

Lewis Hamilton says he and Ferrari team-mate Charles Leclerc have "squashed" any controversy between them from the Italian Grand Prix.

'We never recovered him': Quest to identify remains from Ground Zero continues

New York officials are working with new, complex technology to find traces of more than 1,000 victims.

Ex-Tory campaign chief pleads guilty over election bet

Anthony Lee passed confidential information to his wife Laura Lee about when the 2024 election would be held.

Use all powers necessary on anti-migrant protests, home secretary tells police

Two anti-migrant protests took place in Dover and Portsmouth last weekend.

Can Trump pay $5,000 to every American adult if Republicans win midterm elections?

Analysts question if the US president's election year offer is workable, legal or affordable.

England's push for two-day win halted by weather

England's charge towards a two-day victory in the final Test against Pakistan is only halted by rain at Edgbaston.

Esther Rantzen says she is too fragile to travel to Switzerland to end life

The broadcaster and campaigner says she missed her chance to go before living with cancer became "unbearable".

Theatregoer who throttled woman at show is jailed

Malcolm Potier attacked the audience member after she started singing along, a judge is told.

Four rushed to hospital after afternoon stabbing terror on busy London high street

Four people have been taken to hospital after an afternoon stabbing on a high street triggered a major emergency response involving London's Air Ambulance.

Man jailed for throttling woman for singing during West End show

A man who once ordered a hitman to kill his ex-partner has been jailed for throttling a woman because she was singing along during a performance of We Will Rock You.

Trump's $5,000 Payout Promise

Trump says every adult American will get $5,000 if the Republicans win the midterms.

Dame Esther Rantzen admits it's 'too late' for Dignitas flight as TV legend stuck in UK

Terminally ill TV legend Dame Esther Rantzen has urged MPs to pass the assisted dying bill, revealing she is now too fragile to travel to Dignitas

Police and army attend funeral for officer killed in wrong-way A66 crash

Former army colleagues attend PC Tom Clough's funeral alongside police and emergency workers.

Pressure on UK air traffic control boss to quit over flightmare air shutdown

Martin Rolfe, 51, the senior executive of National Air Traffic Services (Nats) said he took “full responsibility” after Tuesday's outage left more than 2,000 flights to be cancelled

Love Islander demands "kill switch" on explicit abuse images after sex vid hell

TV star Georgia Harrison has warned that failure to take action on explicit images could lead children to suicide as she demands greater action on abuse images online

RNLI warns staff not to wear uniform after 'unacceptable abuse'

The RNLI has advised its staff and volunteers to choose carefully when to wear its uniform after what it described as "unacceptable abuse" endured in recent weeks.

GB return after pregnancy 'hard to put into words' - Kinsella

A year after giving birth, Alice Kinsella takes the latest step on her groundbreaking return to gymnastics at an international meeting for Great Britain.

Drone display recreates the Twin Towers over New York City

Organisers say each of the 2,977 drones in the display represents a victim of the 9/11 attacks.

The US Treasury Secretary just called Trump the ‘president who refuses to sleep’ and the hilarious clap backs were the stuff dreams are made of

The Maga clown car emptied out into the American Airlines Center in Dallas, Texas last night. One after another, the imbeciles Donald Trump appointed to his administration trotted on stage in a desperate attempt to drum up support for Republicans in the upcoming midterm elections. The saddest such appearance comes courtesy of Trump’s Treasury Secretary, […]

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Viral sleep hacks fall short as expert warns 'many are oversimplified'

Research has discovered most adults in the UK have tried an average of two different sleep methods they've seen online over the last 12 months – but few say they actually work

Can you make a case for Chelsea being stripped of 2016-17 title?

Does Mauricio Pochettino have a case that Tottenham should be retrospectively crowned Premier League champions?

Gruffalo illustrator says rise of AI images 'worrying'

Axel Scheffler speaks to the BBC alongside author Dame Julia Donaldson, who reads an extract from their new book.

Half of women would book cosmetic treatments without making safety checks

Research shows many women would book Botox or filler treatments without checking reviews or credentials.

'We lost over £1,000': Why some passengers were hit harder than others by air traffic chaos

Flight disruption has ruined holidays and left passengers sleeping on airport floors - so what are their rights?

6 ways AI could wipe out all of humanity after 'we could be dead in a decade' claim

Experts warn that a super artificial intelligence could cause human extinction within a decade - but how would the computer do it?

Two arrested in London on suspicion of assisting Iran's intelligence service

Two people have been arrested on suspicion of assisting Iran's intelligence service, the Metropolitan Police said.

Seven men arrested after quadruple stabbing in London

Seven men have been arrested after four were injured, one critically, following a stabbing in a London high street.

JD Vance just tried to justify Trump’s $5,000 election ‘bribe’ scheme and made everything so much worse

It’s not easy being the Vice President. Strike that. It’s not easy being the Vice President to Donald Trump. Most VPs just ride the president’s coat tails and kiss a lot of babies. But when Donald Trump is running things, the Veep gets thrown into the fire. Every public appearance involves tip-toeing through a minefield […]

The post JD Vance just tried to justify Trump’s $5,000 election ‘bribe’ scheme and made everything so much worse appeared first on The Poke.

Teacher who taught Fred West's child reveals chilling excuse he gave when she vanished

Margaret Newman has spoken for the first time about her dealings with the monster while teaching his daughter Heather - who he would go on to murder

One year on, this viral Bohemian Rhapsody flash mob still looks like an all-time hall-of-famer

We have never been more disappointed to have missed a flash mob than this high-energy performance of Queen’s Bohemian Rhapsody, which took place in Paris one year ago, courtesy of pianist Julien Cohen and his cohort of ridiculously talented musicians. We can’t even imagine how much planning and rehearsal it took – but it was […]

The post One year on, this viral Bohemian Rhapsody flash mob still looks like an all-time hall-of-famer appeared first on The Poke.

One year after Charlie Kirk's death, conservative students struggle to fill void he left

The assassination sent shockwaves through the conservative youth movement, which students say has lost momentum and a vital figurehead.

Somebody asked about the ‘dumbest thing’ people had ever heard said – 22 people who weren’t even in the queue when brains were handed out

Are people less intelligent these days? Or are we just exposed to the idiocy of a greater volume of people thanks to the internet? It’s hard to say, but there are definitely a worryingly large amount of quarter-witted folks walking the earth, some of whom came to light on the AskReddit page after user SuspiciousSpell5386 […]

The post Somebody asked about the ‘dumbest thing’ people had ever heard said – 22 people who weren’t even in the queue when brains were handed out appeared first on The Poke.

What is something in your home, which is generally considered boujee, but is absolutely paramount to your happiness? – 23 unmissable treats

It’s a hard life if you have nothing in it that can be described as a luxury, even if not everybody sees it the same way. It might be the more expensive insoles that make your job a bit more tolerable, or a high-end shampoo that just smells perfect. Sometimes, though, a luxury is genuinely […]

The post What is something in your home, which is generally considered boujee, but is absolutely paramount to your happiness? – 23 unmissable treats appeared first on The Poke.

This Brit’s unlikely praise for an American TikToker kicked off a voyage of linguistic discovery that will make you proud to be British

Like us, you may not have come across Kalani Smith before. Going by the name of Kalani Ghost Hunter (KGH), the TikTok and much else besides star is a food reviewer who has made it his mission to show the world that British food is not all bad. And we mention him because of this […]

The post This Brit’s unlikely praise for an American TikToker kicked off a voyage of linguistic discovery that will make you proud to be British appeared first on The Poke.

EastEnders appeared to start a second or two before the actors and it’s surely the most entertaining thing the soap’s ever done

You don’t have to be a fan of EastEnders to enjoy this. It’s the start of Wednesday night’s episode and the aftermath – Google, Google – of Max Branning’s wedding to Cindy Beale (Cindy’s still in it?) And by the looks of it they started a second or two before the actors get going, and […]

The post EastEnders appeared to start a second or two before the actors and it’s surely the most entertaining thing the soap’s ever done appeared first on The Poke.

Sicko pensioner, 90, jailed after raping stepdaughter, 14, and making her pregnant

EXCLUSIVE: Daniel Delves, 90, raped his victim multiple times in her bedroom and in his car after telling her he was preparing her for what “boys would do to her”

Victoria Derbyshire’s eye-opening response to the threat posed by AI to humanity surely speaks for us all

To the studios of Newsnight now, where the estimable presenter Victoria Derbyshire was finding out just how serious a threat AI might be to the future of humanity. Here she is chatting to Nobel Prize Winner and so-called ‘Godfather of AI’ Geoffrey Hinton and her response – unusual for a TV news presenter you might […]

The post Victoria Derbyshire’s eye-opening response to the threat posed by AI to humanity surely speaks for us all appeared first on The Poke.

Donald Trump is trying to bribe voters with the promise of five grand if the Republicans win the midterms – 18 highly sceptical reactions

If there’s one thing Donald Trump enoys, it’s a re-run of his big hits – Sleepy Joe ‘Windmills’ are dangerous The 2020 election was stolen Dumb ends with a b ‘Russia, Russia. Russia’ hoax. You know the drill. We’re personally crossing everything for a return of the shark discourse. One popular line from last year […]

The post Donald Trump is trying to bribe voters with the promise of five grand if the Republicans win the midterms – 18 highly sceptical reactions appeared first on The Poke.

'My cancer spread while I waited months for surgery': The cost of England's cancer wait times

Cancer care has got worse since the government announced plans to speed up waiting times and save more lives, BBC analysis shows.

A Little Englander said she was ‘disgusted’ by the ‘greedy’ RNLI and ended up owned into next year

Like us you won’t have come across Debi Evans who is apparently a retired NHS matron and a super-proud Little Englander by the looks of it. She’s also not happy with the RNLI, the extraordinary volunteer organisation which has been targeted by the far-right this week for refusing to discriminate between people who might be […]

The post A Little Englander said she was ‘disgusted’ by the ‘greedy’ RNLI and ended up owned into next year appeared first on The Poke.

Donald Trump said there were no empty seats at his Maga-fest and give this camera operator the rest of the week off

We’re not saying the Republicans fear a complete and utter meltdown in the midterm elections in November, but they just held their first ever convention in the middle of a presidential term in a desperate bid to shore up support. And Donald Trump was busy doing what he does best – making stuff up – […]

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The BBC got absolutely dragged for using ‘food pipe’ in a headline about the health risk of hot drinks – 17 favourite clapbacks

We cross now to BBC News, where there is a report of a worrying finding from a health study. The article in question warns that people who drink their tea and coffee without giving it the chance to cool down a little are as much as three times more likely to develop oesophageal cancer than […]

The post The BBC got absolutely dragged for using ‘food pipe’ in a headline about the health risk of hot drinks – 17 favourite clapbacks appeared first on The Poke.

The hilarious Community Note on this ‘fighter plane versus flying carpet’ clip may be the greatest of all time

There’s a lot of misinformation and disinformation relating to the Iran-US war – much of it, bizarrely, coming directly from the Orange Man-baby in the White House. Trump posts AI slop with the caption, “Kharg Island being blown to smithereens!!!” pic.twitter.com/HVTF9xFC6B — Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) August 31, 2026 Obviously, much of it is quite obviously […]

The post The hilarious Community Note on this ‘fighter plane versus flying carpet’ clip may be the greatest of all time appeared first on The Poke.

Supervolcano with strength of 'thousands of atomic bombs' discovered under England

The massive supervolcano has recently been discovered beneath England's east coast extending into two counties — and its eruption was one of the largest in Earth's history.

Myra Hindley's horrifying admission about first Moors Murder with Ian Brady

WARNING: DISTRESSING CONTENT Ian Brady and Myra Hindley were responsible for the Moors Murders, killing five children in the 1960s – Hindley's own confession details the chilling story behind their first victim, Pauline Reade

Ricky Hatton's ex admits the heartbreaking truth she realised about the ex boxer

Jennifer Dooley, who was engaged to boxer Ricky Hatton, has spoken for the first time since his death about how she feared he'd never grow old

Man just missed deadly Tenerife plane crash and then escaped two IRA bombs

Steve Potts survived the 1980 Tenerife Dan Air crash by one last minute decision, and two IRA bombings. If he had made three slightly different decisions any one of these incidents would mean he was not here today.

A gang of bigoted demonstrators had egg all over their masked faces after the ‘asylum seekers’ they spotted turned out to be Pakistan’s U19 cricket squad

In the latest ‘We only object to illegal immigration’ news, a crowd of balaclava-clad demonstrators rocked up to Portsmouth’s Marriott Hotel after someone spotted young brown men arriving by coach. With no justification or information other than the colour of these men’s skin, the mob remained outside the hotel until a local Reform councillor informed […]

The post A gang of bigoted demonstrators had egg all over their masked faces after the ‘asylum seekers’ they spotted turned out to be Pakistan’s U19 cricket squad appeared first on The Poke.

The Met Police have opened a new investigation into Reform UK’s finances, and the schadenfreude is off the scale – 23 top responses

In shocking news, it seems that Nigel Farage has taken some time off from his tireless work for the constituents of Clacton to go on a jaunt to Washington DC, where he’s taking part in celebrations of the anniversary of the launch of GB News in the US. Gasps all round, eh? – Re-elected MP […]

The post The Met Police have opened a new investigation into Reform UK’s finances, and the schadenfreude is off the scale – 23 top responses appeared first on The Poke.

St Leger hailed as 'most iconic race' as it celebrates incredible anniversary

The St Leger has been hailed as “the most iconic race in the country” as it celebrates an incredible 250 years from Thursday. Doncaster Central MP Sally Jameson said the racing spectacular remains a source of huge pride for the city and a vital boost for its pubs, hotels, restaurants and shops.

This cat owner checked in on her pet while she was away and the camera footage is surely the funniest animal video you’ll watch this week

Cat owners know what they’re getting into the moment they bring the furball home. Hardly no attention almost all of the time. But also unrelenting attention at the least convenient times. Early morning face sits and middle of the night bathroom trippings will haunt the cat owner for the entirety of their time together. The […]

The post This cat owner checked in on her pet while she was away and the camera footage is surely the funniest animal video you’ll watch this week appeared first on The Poke.

Right wing at war - Reform and Restore restart row, as fans beg them to make up

Reform voters are worried about everything falling apart, but right wing politicians are not, calling each other sell outs and "boring"

Funeral for cop killed in A66 crash sees hundreds line streets as 'dad' laid to rest

The funeral service for Pc Matthew Blades, who lost his life on duty with colleague Pc Tom Clough in the horror A66 crash, saw hundreds line the streets as police officers from every UK force were represented

What ‘compulsory’ things did you only realise later in life was totally optional? 23 people tell how they joyously saw the light

Despite fervently believing we’re intelligent and autonomous beings, the truth is that, for the most part, we move through life thinking and doing the same thing as everyone else. Just because that’s how it’s always been done. So when we witness somebody stepping outside of what’s expected and making a completely maverick move, it can […]

The post What ‘compulsory’ things did you only realise later in life was totally optional? 23 people tell how they joyously saw the light appeared first on The Poke.

Donald Trump tried to honour a fallen 9/11 hero without making it about himself but just couldn’t pull it off – 17 appalled and totally on-point responses

The 25th anniversary of the horrific World Trade Center terrorist attack is this Friday. New York City has already started honoring the people it lost and the heroes who did everything they could to help in the moment. Here is one of the many heroes from that devastating day. That man’s name was Welles Crowther […]

The post Donald Trump tried to honour a fallen 9/11 hero without making it about himself but just couldn’t pull it off – 17 appalled and totally on-point responses appeared first on The Poke.

Prince William takes Prince George to Eton but ends up in 'unlikely fight'

Prince George has started at Eton College, and his parents, Prince William and Princess Kate, were there to support him on his first day; however, his father is reported to have ended up in an "unlikely fight"

Harry and Meghan's response to King's 'royal slapdown' signals 'further bad blood'

Those in the know say the new "clarification" from King Charles is a "royal slapdown" and likely to cause offence to Harry and Meghan, just weeks after they returned to UK shores.

This brilliant Dylan Moran rant about the way we live now just went viral again and it’s even truer now than when he said it

We love pretty much everything Dylan Moran does, from Black Books to his brilliant stand-up and everything in between. And that includes this fabulous rant from back in the day – turns out it’s eight years (heck) back in the day – about the state of the state of the nation and the way we […]

The post This brilliant Dylan Moran rant about the way we live now just went viral again and it’s even truer now than when he said it appeared first on The Poke.

Brit drug lord with Pablo Escobar tattoo nicked after calling cops on burner phone

Andrew Savage - who ran a million-pound cocaine supply network - was captured after using his top secret burner mobile to call police and report a burglary

This hack for freeing a trapped electrical cord has absolutely broken people’s brains

We cross now to the fascinating mathematical field of topology, or rubber-sheet geometry – the study of properties that remain constant under multi-dimensional changes to an object. What we’re going to show you isn’t a Royal Institution Christmas lecture, or even a Ted Talk. It’s actualy a very handy life hack. Feast your eyes on […]

The post This hack for freeing a trapped electrical cord has absolutely broken people’s brains appeared first on The Poke.

Kate Middleton's subtle gesture on Prince George's first day at Eton speaks volumes

Prince George attended his first day at Eton College on Tuesday (8th September), and one subtle gesture his mum, Kate Middleton, made at the school has got people talking

Tom Daley unveils 22-foot Shaun the Sheep tapestry at Natural History Museum

Tom Daley has unveiled a giant Shaun the Sheep tapestry at London's Natural History Museum, ahead of the release of Shaun the Sheep: The Beast of Mossy Bottom.

Police swarmed UK high school as scared parents say 'not risking it' after 'threat'

Threatening messages were posted on social media targeting Calderglen High School in East Kilbride, South Lanarkshire, with an anonymous account on X claiming to have planted explosives — police searched the grounds and found nothing of concern

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle 'overshadowed' proud day for William after 'warning shot'

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's surprise return to the UK has "overshadowed" Prince George's first day at Eton College, according to royal expert Phil Dampier, who said King Charles's letter was a "warning shot"

Americanswers… on 5 Live! Why is Lindsay Clancy’s mistrial dividing America?

And will Trump succeed in limiting mail-in voting before the midterms?

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