UK2.XYZ NEWS

Dictator meme shows lack of human awareness - Mbappe

Kylian Mbappe criticises a viral meme which superimposes his face on the body of a dictator, saying it shows "a lack of political and human awareness".

An extraordinary result - why did MPs reject assisted dying bill this time?

Although supporters say they will try again, for now the momentum has fallen away from a change in the law.

Dunbar wins stage as Mas maintains lead in Vuelta

Ireland's Eddie Dunbar wins the 19th stage of the Vuelta a Espana as Spain's Enric Mas maintains his overall lead with two stages remaining.

Police to crack down on face coverings at protests

Hampshire and Isle of Wight Constabulary says it will use powers under the Crime and Policing Act.

Girls given legal right to wear trousers in schools in Northern Ireland

Guidelines stipulate that school uniform policies for the 2027/28 school year onwards must include the option for girls to wear trousers.

How global trade and oil prices could be hit by Houthi advance

Yemen's Houthis have seized territory near the Bab al-Mandab Strait - a key trade gateway for oil and global shipping.

Lindblad crashes as Antonelli fastest in Madrid

Arvid Lindblad crashes his Racing Bulls in Friday practice at the Spanish Grand Prix, where Kimi Antonelli sets the fastest time.

Norway's Princess Astrid dies two days after attending brother King Harald's funeral

Princess Astrid "represented the Royal House in a warm and dutiful manner", the new king, Haakon VIII, said in a tribute to his aunt.

MPs vote against fresh attempt to legalise assisted dying

The proposed law sought to introduce one of the biggest societal changes in recent years.

Sacked Grand Theft Auto worker claims Rockstar staff placed on 'watch list'

The makers of Grand Theft Auto deny staff were sacked for union organising and were instead dismissed for sharing confidential information online.

Israel says it has destroyed major underground Hezbollah base

The powerful blast registered as the equivalent of a magnitude 4.1 earthquake, according to the US Geological Survey.

Ryanair boss O'Leary defends 'high-fare rapists' airlines remarks

O'Leary has said airline passengers "can't afford to fly with the high-fare rapists around Europe".

Sicko salesman encouraged man to drug and sexually abuse sleeping wife

Darren Conway was part of a group which police said saw videos of sexual offending and domestic abuse exchanged between offenders across the country

Stacey Solomon and Alesha Dixon to host The Voice UK in ITV revamp

The pair replace Emma Willis, who has hosted the show since 2014 but is leaving to front Strictly.

MPs Vote Against Assisted Dying Bill

MPs vote against the assisted dying bill with 286 votes against and 270 in favour.

Adventure loving Brits book trips earlier than ever - with 3 out of 10 booked up for 2027 already

The findings highlight a growing appetite among Brits for travel and adventure experiences, with one in five (21%) saying they would like to try an adventure holiday

UK government rejects 'kill switch' idea for dangerous AI

The Cabinet Office, which leads on AI safety, says the UK "cannot simply turn AI off".

Appeal to find owner of lost urn with 'human ashes' left on train

Police are looking to trace the owner of a tiny urn believed to contain human ashes that was left on a train between London and Aberdeen.

Céline Dion duets with fan ahead of Paris comeback concert

The Canadian singer - who was diagnosed with an incurable condition four years ago - has been interacting with fans outside her hotel, ahead of a much-anticipated show on Saturday.

Kate visits cancer patients in hospital she helped fund with climb

The princess completed the Three Peaks Challenge in aid of the hospital where she was treated for cancer.

As Trump dominates convention, some Republicans quietly ask who comes next

JD Vance delivered the keynote speech to end the party's convention - but the president still took centre stage, the BBC's Daniel Bush writes.

JD Vance complained about being called racist right before saying something that will definitely not help his case

The never-before-needed Republican midterm convention continues to expose the Maga movement for exactly what it is. This is not the victory Republicans think it is. Human charisma vacuum JD Vance made an appearance on the second night. The Vice President made it clear just how nefarious his intentions are for anyone trying to live in […]

The post JD Vance complained about being called racist right before saying something that will definitely not help his case appeared first on The Poke.

First arrest over anti-migrant protests in Portsmouth

A 42-year-old man has become the first person to be arrested in connection with anti-migration protests in Portsmouth last weekend, with more arrests expected.

Assisted dying: How laws differ around the world

About 400 million people have access to some form of assisted dying - what are the policies of other countries?

Hull fined £30k & bans issued over Chelsea chant

Hull City have been fined £30,000 over discriminatory chanting with the club issuing three supporter bans following their FA Cup defeat by Chelsea in February.

‘What did you think was an American stereotype until you actually visited?’ – 21 ways the USA is exactly like in the movies

In the UK, and the world in general, we are so used to seeing American TV shows and movies that the place can seem almost fictional in our minds. So when we actually visit and find out that the things we thought must be made up are real, it blows our minds a bit. They’ve […]

The post ‘What did you think was an American stereotype until you actually visited?’ – 21 ways the USA is exactly like in the movies appeared first on The Poke.

Donald Trump was asked why he didn’t give each American that $5k already and his brain basically imploded

Donald Trump, as you’ll probably know, has been raising eyebrows even higher than usual by promising Americans $5k each if the Republicans cling onto power in November’s midterms. That’s north of $1tn dollars but Trumps insists they’ve got the money to do it (bribery accusations aside, obviously). Which got Fox News wondering – if Trump’s […]

The post Donald Trump was asked why he didn’t give each American that $5k already and his brain basically imploded appeared first on The Poke.

Heathrow Airport passengers 'vomited blood' after tear gas sprayed near Caffe Nero

The incident at Heathrow Airport in December last year saw dozens of passengers left "coughing" and "vomiting blood" as tear gas was sprayed in Terminal 3 near a a Caffè Nero branch

Norway's Princess Astrid dies two days after funeral of her brother, the late King Harald

Norway's ‌Princess Astrid, an older sister ‌of the late King ​Harald, died on Friday at ​the ‌age of 94, the royal palace ​said in a statement.

Someone asked about worst thing people had done at a work drinks – 21 proper jaw-droppers

Work culture is a ridiculous thing, isn’t it? Companies claim they want you to feel happy and comfortable in your workplace, but have one too many at a social and suddenly the boss in no longer your best friend and HR come down on you like a ton of bricks. Over on the AskUK subreddit, […]

The post Someone asked about worst thing people had done at a work drinks – 21 proper jaw-droppers appeared first on The Poke.

Vladimir Putin's cronies threaten to 'wipe UK city off map' in horrific nuclear strike boast

Russian state TV propagandists have chillingly debated using nuclear weapons to wipe out a British city and destroy the UK's Trident submarine base

Donald Trump made his entire audience pledge to cheat in the upcoming midterm elections in case you’re wondering how the cult allegations are going

These truly seem like the end times in the United States. Dictator in Chief, Donald Trump, hosted a second consecutive night of his unprecedented Republican RNC Midterm Convention in Dallas, Texas last night. No party has ever been this desperate to maintain hold of Washington, DC heading into midterms. While things continue to trend in […]

The post Donald Trump made his entire audience pledge to cheat in the upcoming midterm elections in case you’re wondering how the cult allegations are going appeared first on The Poke.

UK placed on flash flood alert as 60mph Atlantic storm smashes Britain

The Met Office warns 60mph Atlantic winds and 50mm of rain could trigger flash flooding across many UK areas this weekend

Princess Diana's 'revenge dress' goes up for auction

Auction house Sotheby's expects the dress to sell for up to $300,000 (£220,000) when it goes under the hammer on 9 December.

People shared the most middle aged things they do and this one knocked the rest out of the park

You don’t have to be a reader of a certain age to appreciate this … actually, scrap that, you absolutely 100% do have to be a reader of a certain age to appreciate this. It’s a question that went viral on Twitter after it was posted by @MichaelCGlasper … What's the most middle-aged thing you […]

The post People shared the most middle aged things they do and this one knocked the rest out of the park appeared first on The Poke.

Kate visits hospital where she was treated for cancer

The Princess of Wales has visited the cancer hospital where she was treated for the illness and praised the "incredible" care she received.

This note left at a campsite for a fellow dad was both the ultimate compliment but also just a little bit terrifying

Here’s a ray of light in an increasingly uncertain and let’s face it downright depressing world. It’s a note left for a dad on a campsite by a fellow (camper) and dad which has just gone viral on Reddit and it’s making everyone’s day better. It was posted on Reddit by RCampR6 who said: ‘To […]

The post This note left at a campsite for a fellow dad was both the ultimate compliment but also just a little bit terrifying appeared first on The Poke.

Hull City footballer in crash near training ground

Premier League winger Sorba Thomas's Land Rover overturns in Cottingham.

We challenge anyone to find a better mattress advert than this one from 2018

A Purple mattress company advert from 2018, named ‘Don’t Let Your Mattress Steal Your Sleep’ has still got it after all these years. See it for yourself. That’s probably what happened to Goldilocks, too. It turned up again on Twitter/X, in 2024, where Baba had this high praise. This is top tier marketing pic.twitter.com/EOSiJq7bsk — […]

The post We challenge anyone to find a better mattress advert than this one from 2018 appeared first on The Poke.

Man admits murdering mother of seven who disappeared 28 years ago

A man has admitted murdering a mother of seven who disappeared 28 years ago, telling police he disposed of her decomposed body months after killing her.

Polanski selected as Green Party candidate for Starmer's former seat

The Green Party leader said the party is the "underdog" in Holborn and St Pancras but "can win".

Half a million Russians killed in Ukraine war, British intelligence says

Half a million Russian soldiers have been killed in Vladimir Putin's full-scale war against Ukraine, according to British military intelligence.

Man admits to murdering mum-of-seven after disposing of 'decomposed' body in bin

Trevor Dunkley, 66, has admitted to the murder of a mum-of-seven in 1998 after he told police he disposed of her "decomposed" body in a bin nine months following killing her

Top tipster's tasty Championship double to bash the bookies with -Wardy's Wagers

Our man also reckons there is cash to be made in the opening weekend of the NFL season and a crafty bet on Oasis will leave bookmakers crying their heart out

Our 25 Favourite Funny Tweets of the Week

Hello and welcome to this week’s round-up of funny things from Twitter. There are all different types of funny tweet, so you should find something to make you laugh, but if not – at least it’s Friday, right? Let’s dive in. 1. The hardest part of being an art thief must be getting your entire […]

The post Our 25 Favourite Funny Tweets of the Week appeared first on The Poke.

Donald Trump was asked how he’d stop AI destroying humanity and his terrifying answer was the absolute opposite of reassuring

This week has been full of apocalyptic warnings of the dangers of AI and how, if left entirely unchecked, it might one day soon basically destroy the entirety of humanity, Happy Friday, people! So it was only natural that Donald Trump would be asked what concerns he had about cyber technology and what guards were […]

The post Donald Trump was asked how he’d stop AI destroying humanity and his terrifying answer was the absolute opposite of reassuring appeared first on The Poke.

UK travel firm collapses as urgent advice issued for customers with holidays booked

Barnes Worldwide Travel Ltd, an independent travel agency in Liverpool, has ceased trading after nearly 20 years in business – here's what ABTA says affected holidaymakers with bookings need to do

Piers Morgan says Harry and Meghan have brutal nickname in US as he blasts 'hypocrisy'

Piers Morgan claimed Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have a two-word nickname in America as he shared his thoughts on the couple's return to the UK

Arsonist who went on day-long rampage jailed

An arsonist who went on a day-long rampage has been jailed for 18 months.

HSBC got the wrong end of the stick of this customer’s complaint and was mocked into oblivion – 14 funniest replies

Customer service ain’t what it used to be. Chances are these days you’ll always get a prompt response if you remember to complain in the right place. It just won’t necessarily be a human being doing the replying. We say this after this person complained on Twitter about the loss of their cricket ground after […]

The post HSBC got the wrong end of the stick of this customer’s complaint and was mocked into oblivion – 14 funniest replies appeared first on The Poke.

El Nino raises risk of wetter autumn and flooding across UK

The UK will experience a greater risk of flooding and a wetter autumn than average, the Met Office has said.  

I was in the epicentre - I'm so lucky to have lived

Paul Berriff says his life expectancy has been cut short because of being buried under rubble.

King Charles 'not engaging' with Harry as phone calls stop in row over letter

King Charles has reportedly cut off direct phone contact with Prince Harry following a tense row over a letter clarifying the Sussexes' non-royal status

The creepy trailer for Nathan Fielder’s documentary about fraudster Elizabeth Holmes has become an instant meme – 19 funny examples

In 2003, Elizabeth Holmes founded the medical technology company Theranos, which would go on to claim to have a ground-breaking method of performing blood tests, requiring a much lower volume than traditional ones. Holmes became the youngest self-made billionaire in 2015, thanks to the success of Theranos, but just three years later, the claims began […]

The post The creepy trailer for Nathan Fielder’s documentary about fraudster Elizabeth Holmes has become an instant meme – 19 funny examples appeared first on The Poke.

Prince Harry 'to divide himself away from royals' with new Diana documentary plans

Prince Harry has reportedly been reaching out to friends of his late mother, Princess Diana, in a bid to make a documentary about her for the 30th anniversary of her death next summer

Rory Stewart started doing a German accent while interviewing a German guest and it’s the funniest thing he’s ever done

Rory Stewart has wanted to be many things over the years – Conservative Party leader, Mayor of London, all that sort of thing – but these days is mostly known as a podcaster. And it’s to his podcast that we turn to now as the one-time Tory MP was joined by German journalist Paul Ronzheimer […]

The post Rory Stewart started doing a German accent while interviewing a German guest and it’s the funniest thing he’s ever done appeared first on The Poke.

Major high street chain shutting three stores forever as huge clearance sale starts

A major outdoor retailer is closing three more UK stores this month with clearance sales, as its parent company continues to reduce its high street presence

Donald Trump’s shocking outburst at a woman reporter felt like a properly unfiltered glimpse of what the president is really like

Time once again to turn our attention to Donald Trump – who else? – who’s got a proven track record of berating reporters (especially women reporters) whose questions he doesn’t like. But we’re not sure he’s ever lashed out at one quite like this, a genuinely shocking moment – even for the American president – […]

The post Donald Trump’s shocking outburst at a woman reporter felt like a properly unfiltered glimpse of what the president is really like appeared first on The Poke.

Anthropic blocks efforts to use AI to research weapons development and carry out cyber attacks

Anthropic says it has blocked efforts to use its artificial intelligence models to carry out cyber attacks and research which could have led to the creation of biological weapons.

Robert Jenrick thinks the crutch-wielding Reformer who struck out at female protesters should get a medal, if you were wondering how the ‘protect our women’ message is doing

Meanwhile, in ‘protect our women’ news, Robert Jenrick’s stated position on the Reform UK conference attendee who lashed out at female protesters with his crutch is that the man deserved a medal. This development broke during a Talk TV interview with presenter Peter Cardwell. Robert Jenrick(Reform MP) doubles down on the pensioner assaulting the protester […]

The post Robert Jenrick thinks the crutch-wielding Reformer who struck out at female protesters should get a medal, if you were wondering how the ‘protect our women’ message is doing appeared first on The Poke.

Prince Harry's pals 'delivered brutal five-word verdict' after meeting Meghan for first time

Prince Harry's old Eton pals were reportedly left stunned and delivered a blunt verdict on his relationship with Meghan Markle after an awkward Sandringham weekend

Donald Trump Jr criticised ‘enriched elites’, and if ever a call was coming from inside the house … 17 scathing clapbacks

You can tell that Donald Trump is in squeaky bum territory – on many occasions quite literally – because he has created the first Republican Midterms Convention to try and drum up a little more enthusiasm for the party in the coming elections. And to bring in the donations, of course. Grifters gonna grift. The […]

The post Donald Trump Jr criticised ‘enriched elites’, and if ever a call was coming from inside the house … 17 scathing clapbacks appeared first on The Poke.

Dad of A66 teen 'attacked a mourner' at son's funeral over 'comments they made'

Gye Worthy, the father of 17-year-old Cole Worthy who died in the A66 wrong way crash, has been charged with assault and obstructing police at his son's funeral

Prince William's warning to Harry over Meghan Markle and huge fear he know has

Prince William and Kate Middleton are said to be "ignoring" the "drama" around Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's return to the UK

Spies, strategies and missed opportunities: How the lessons of 9/11 are still being learnt

Twenty-five years on, the attacks have come to define a generation of foreign, security and intelligence policy, the BBC's security correspondent writes.

I was weeks from marrying a violent serial rapist - my loved ones saved my life

Amy, not her real name, has told the BBC how her family and friends sent crucial evidence to police which led to the arrest of rapist Christopher Malcolm.

I watched as a hijacked plane flew over my home - moments later my wife was killed

A quarter of a century since the 9/11 attacks, Charles Wolf reflects on his wife's final moments.

Brexit bankroller Arron Banks ranted about the lack of ‘white faces’ working at Heathrow, and got the frank condemnation he deserved

Reform UK is in trouble. The right-wing party’s finances are the subject of several police and parliamentary investigations, they have plummeted in the polls, and key Reform figures haven’t exactly been clothing themselves in glory. Zia Yusuf has been supporting Danny Tommo – the leader of the balaclava-clad thugs taking their anti-immigration stance to the […]

The post Brexit bankroller Arron Banks ranted about the lack of ‘white faces’ working at Heathrow, and got the frank condemnation he deserved appeared first on The Poke.

The man who bought an island, hired hitmen and throttled a theatregoer

Malcolm Potier is beginning his third spell in jail after attacking the woman at a Queen musical.

Watch: Americans remember what they were doing on 9/11

The BBC asks people in Washington what they were doing on that day and how 11 September 2001 changed the country.

Waitrose issues urgent recall over listeria fears as food poisoning warning issued

The supermarket has issued an urgent recall notice to customers amid fears the common product may pose a bacterial infection risk

Weekly quiz: Alan Carr collected a prize for which TV show at the NTAs?

How much attention did you pay to what happened in the world over the past seven days?

'Like a hangover': Why your partner's snoring could be impacting your health

Sleeping next to a snorer could be having a negative effect on your health, experts tell the BBC.

New hurricane season record as 'historic' El Niño leaves Atlantic eerily quiet

The Atlantic hurricane season has reached its climatological peak, but a strong El Niño means no hurricanes have formed this year.

Civilians told to flee Ukraine's fortress cities as Russia bids to control Donbas

Kramatorsk and Slovyansk are now the main focus of Russian ground assaults, and residents are being told to leave.

Prince William warns nation is getting one major thing wrong as he opens up on 'dreary days'

Prince William warns the nation is making a critical mistake in daily life as he opens up on surviving 'dreary days' in a candid chat with a social media influencer

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

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

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.

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

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

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, […]

The post 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 appeared first on The Poke.

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

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.

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.

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.

Americast

And journalist Peter Bergen on his interview with Bin Laden before 9/11

Star-studded, iconic, Oscar-winning mafia epic

Directed by Francis Ford Coppola and starring Al Pacino, Marlon Brando and Diane Keaton

The pension form that can override your will | Money newsletter

More than 210,000 people have now signed up to our free Money newsletter, which brings the kind of content you enjoy in the award-winning Money blog directly to your inbox every week.

BBC News app

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