UK2.XYZ NEWS

Blue Planet and Gandhi composer George Fenton dies aged 76

The musician received five Oscar nominations, and soundtracked dozens of memorable nature films.

I won't accept exclusion, says Polanski after criticism of Zionism motion

Labour MPs and the European Greens have demanded clarity from the Green Party over a "Zionism is racism" motion.

Tories pledge £10bn 'Britannia Shield' air defence system

The Conservatives said their plan would protect the UK at a time when Nato allies have warned of Russian drone incursions.

Trump says 'threat' led US to pull bombers from RAF Fairford

The Pentagon confirmed on Sunday it had removed the B1 bombers from the base in England back to their home stations in America.

Dad who demolished half a semi-detached house then fled UK defends 'nightmare' move

A man who tore down half a semi-detached house before moving abroad has blamed council delays and safety guidance, while his ex-neighbour reports severe damage to his home

Author and former politician Jeffrey Archer dies aged 86

His last book, Adam and Eve, is set to release this month.

US 'watching closely' after plague researcher dies in Russia

Donald Trump says the US was looking "very strongly" at the case of a lab technician who died at a research centre in Siberia.

France braces for national day of school protests after injuries and mass arrests

France prepares for a day of protests in support of students who’ve been demanding more investment in education.

UK could build Britannia Shield drone and missile system to stop Russian WW3 attack

An 'impenetrable' defence system could be built to stop rogue nations like Russia and Iran attacking the UK from the skies under plans announced by the Conservative Party

BREAKING Bestselling author Jeffrey Archer dies aged 86 after battle with prostate cancer

Bestselling author and ex-politician Lord Jeffrey Archer has died aged 86 following a prostate cancer battle, passing away peacefully between writing sessions

Jeffrey Archer: successful novelist, disgraced politician and convicted liar

Politician and best-selling author whose career was mired in scandal and disgrace.

Former American Idol singer jailed for murdering wife

A former music pastor who was once a contestant on the TV talent show American Idol was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole after being convicted of the murder of his wife.

Labour and Tory war over rival Bayeux Tapestries featuring Daily Star lettuce

Labour and the Conservatives have clashed over parody versions of the Bayeux Tapestry, with Labour mocking the Tories' AI-generated artwork using the Daily Star lettuce

Spain PM pins hopes on housing crisis to help win snap election

Calling of a snap election was not a knee-jerk reaction from Pedro Sánchez but a carefully thought-out manoeuvre, Guy Hedgecoe reports from Madrid.

Gabriel in Man Utd team photo but no hint of reconciliation

As he prepares to celebrate his 16th birthday, the rift between Manchester United and JJ Gabriel shows no sign of being healed.

Everyone wants to be a nerd as they are 'straight-up hot' on dating sites, poll finds

The word used to be seen as an insult but now brains are the new brawn and nerds are 'in' with scammers even trying to fake geek-hood to impress dates

England's greatest international? Kane is now a serious contender

With Harry Kane set to equal Peter Shilton's all-time England appearance record, where does he rank among England greats?

Two dead after school bus crash in US

Two people, including a teenage pupil, were killed when a school bus crashed in central Florida.

King's funding for Andrew not to be used for legal action against police

Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor is taking action over search warrants issued ahead of his arrest in February.

British Airways flight from London turns back after 27,000 feet drop

A British Airways flight descended more than 27,000 feet within minutes after a "technical issue" caused it to declare an emergency and return to London.

It's been a terrible year for farming, Jeremy Clarkson tells Tory conference

The former Top Gear presenter and star of Clarkson's Farm also said farmers were being "attacked" from every angle.

The Maga cultist who insisted that life ‘begins at inception’ is still up there in the Good Liars Hall of Fame

The Good Liars may be the most adept nterviewers when it comes to shining a light on Maga idiocy, and one clip from 2025 is still among our favourites of the genre. At Trump’s victory rally in Washington DC, one fan had the misfortune to run into Jason Selvig and Davram Stiefler, who ran rings […]

The post The Maga cultist who insisted that life ‘begins at inception’ is still up there in the Good Liars Hall of Fame appeared first on The Poke.

Prisoner took his own life after terror order had 'substantial impact' on mental state, inquest finds

Akhtar Uddin was jailed for breaching Terrorism Prevention and Investigation Measures in 2020.

BREAKING British Airways jet plunges 28,000ft in 7 minutes before 4-hour 'zig-zag' nightmare

A Chicago-bound British Airways jet plunged 28,000ft over Ireland before spending four hours zig-zagging back to Heathrow after a technical fault

British Museum boss 'sorry' for Bayeux Tapestry visitor issues

Changes to how visitors see the Bayeux Tapestry exhibition were made after concerns over long queues and overcrowding.

'Plunging temperatures' and 'wall of rain and snow'? Met Office sets the record straight

The Met Office has poured cold water on claims the UK is about to be "smashed" by snow and "plunging" temperatures.

ECB will 'look at' funding women's Windies Test if needed

The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) will “look at” the unusual step of funding a women’s Test in the West Indies next year in order to aid England’s Ashes preparations.

Someone asked hospitality workers for examples of ‘customers acting like it’s their first day on earth’ – 24 people barely able to order a coffee

Being able to walk into a bar or restaurant and ask for a meal or a drink is a pretty basic skill that shouldn’t be hard to master, right? Well, no, wrong actually, if thus this post by hospitality worker tawohlebanna on the AskUK subreddit are anything to go by… What are your favourite examples […]

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Teenager's hand blown off during confrontation between France school protesters and police

The prefect of Pas-de-Calais says the 15-year-old's life is "not in danger" after the "very serious" incident.

Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor instructed not to use King’s money to pay for legal action

The former prince is taking police who nicked him on his birthday to court alleging their search warrants were illegal

Pentagon stops using Anthropic AI tools after blacklisting company, BBC told

It labelled Anthropic a "supply chain risk" in February after the firm refused to remove safety guardrails from its tools.

Would the Conservatives' plan make new houses £50,000 cheaper?

BBC Verify looks into the shadow chancellor's plan to cut some building regulations to reduce construction costs.

Zelensky condemns 'horrific' Russian strike on boat carrying corn in Black Sea

The vessel's captain was killed and 11 crew members were rescued after the attack on the Turkish-owned ship, Ukraine's leader says.

Twelve arrested for allegedly running cat trafficking ring in Vietnam

The men are accused of stealing around 2,700 cats in Ho Chi Minh City, allegedly to be slaughtered for food.

Woman crushed to death by falling bricks, court told

A woman was crushed to death by a pile of bricks as she walked past a construction site after doing the school run, a court has heard.

Player welfare, injury worries & boredom - has extended break worked?

The extended international break was brought in with player welfare in mind, but has it been a success?

Medvedev disqualified from Djokovic match for hitting spectator with ball

Daniil Medvedev is disqualified from the China Open after hitting a spectator in the face with a ball during his semi-final against Novak Djokovic.

Henry Zeffman: Tensions exposed among Greens by 'Zionism is racism' conference vote

What may be troubling for the Greens institutionally is what this episode reveals about some of the dynamics in the party.

Lord Jeffrey Archer dies

Lord Jeffrey Archer has died aged 86.

Rachel Jupp is a bold choice for BBC News chief, says Katie Razzall

The new director of news takes over from Deborah Turness, who resigned as CEO last year.

Billy Bragg’s magnificent takedown of Nigel Farage feels even more relevant now than it did then

Question Time is back on our screens and we don’t know if the new run will feature a return appearance by Billy Bragg but, well, fingers crossed. Because the great man’s takedown of Nigel Farage from this time last year feels even more relevant now than it did then. The singer’s one-minute takedown of Nigel […]

The post Billy Bragg’s magnificent takedown of Nigel Farage feels even more relevant now than it did then appeared first on The Poke.

In case you thought there was even a shred of dignity left in the White House, this NSFW Trump supercut just erased all doubt

Throughout his two Presidential terms, Donald Trump has tirelessly worked to lower the bar of international discourse, political and otherwise. He shouts down reporters, usually women. He mocks the physical appearance of his rivals. He makes up grade school-style nicknames for both friends and foes. He bullied his way to the top of the Republican […]

The post In case you thought there was even a shred of dignity left in the White House, this NSFW Trump supercut just erased all doubt appeared first on The Poke.

Failed asylum seeker jailed for life over knife attack attempt at Israeli embassy in London

Abdullah Albadri arrived in the UK on a small boat 16 days before trying to break into the embassy with two knives.

Tina Fey and Amy Poehler’s ‘Meet Your Second Wife’ SNL sketch is going viral and it’s a hilarious must-watch

America’s Saturday Night Live has produced its fair share of iconic comedy over the decades, but few sketches hit quite as hard as ‘Meet Your Second Wife’. It’s deliciously dark and utterly hilarious and we’re so glad that it’s been shared on Twitter by Audu as it’s the first time that we’ve seen it. I […]

The post Tina Fey and Amy Poehler’s ‘Meet Your Second Wife’ SNL sketch is going viral and it’s a hilarious must-watch appeared first on The Poke.

Afghan refugee who stabbed dog walker to death detained

An Afghan refugee who fatally stabbed a man walking his dog in a random attack has been sentenced to an indefinite hospital order.

Donald Trump just shared his secret to living longer and it’s not exactly the fountain of youth he thinks it is

Donald Trump likes to brag about a lot of things. He brags about acing cognitive tests. He brags about his spelling. He brags about being able to walk up stairs. It’s all incredibly embarrassing. But this latest boast might be the most revealing in terms of just how little Trump actually understands about what’s going […]

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Leeds Bradford Airport could 'shutdown for 2 days next week 'as strike action announced

Leeds Bradford Airport could be set to be shut next weekend from Friday morning as almost 130 workers are expected to walk out in a dispute over pay, Unite warns

‘What’s a one-liner joke so stupidly good it instantly ruined you?’ – 21 short, sharp and utterly hilarious gags

If there’s anything better in the world than a really good joke, it’s a really good joke which is so pithy and clever that you’re laughing almost before your brain has figured out what’s been said. They’ve been discussing the joy of these gags on the AskReddit page after user Far_Engineering3356 posted this appropriately concise […]

The post ‘What’s a one-liner joke so stupidly good it instantly ruined you?’ – 21 short, sharp and utterly hilarious gags appeared first on The Poke.

US removed its bombers from RAF Fairford 'due to reported threat of possible Iranian drone attack'

The US removed its bombers from RAF Fairford partly because of a reported threat of a possible Iranian drone attack against the base, American officials have said.

What we know about Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor's legal action against police

Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor is taking legal action against Thames Valley Police over his arrest in February.

BBC appoints Rachel Jupp as new director of news

Jupp is a former deputy editor of BBC Two's Newsnight and has also served as Panorama's editor.

Jacob Rees-Mogg just owned Tucker Carlson so hard he had no words and it was basically Britain 1, America 0

We wouldn’t ordinarily recommend you watch anything with Tucker Carlson in it, nor would you eagerly direct you towards content labelled Jacob Rees-Mogg. Except it turns out when the two of them met – to paraphrase the old ’80s detective series Hart to Hart – it was murder. Specifically, Rees-Mogg absolutely killing Tucker Carlson in […]

The post Jacob Rees-Mogg just owned Tucker Carlson so hard he had no words and it was basically Britain 1, America 0 appeared first on The Poke.

Cardiff Half Marathon runner dies during event as organisers release statement

A runner has died during the Cardiff Half Marathon, one of the biggest events in the UK, with organisers confirming the tragic news in a statement

‘You can drop a single F-bomb into Shakespeare. Where are you putting it?’ – 18 hilariously inspired replies

If you’ve ever felt that Hamlet was a little too polite, or that Macbeth was needing an extra punch of drama, then you’ve come to the right place. Over on Threads, cookywook gave his followers licence to drop a single, well placed F-bomb into the words of The Bard. Here’s how he kicked things off. […]

The post ‘You can drop a single F-bomb into Shakespeare. Where are you putting it?’ – 18 hilariously inspired replies appeared first on The Poke.

F1 needs to have hard look at itself - Sainz

F1 "needs to have a hard look at" itself in the wake of unprecedented software glitches that affected the Bahrain Grand Prix in Malaysia, Carlos Sainz says.

Tucker Carlson said Russia doesn’t punish people whose ideas it doesn’t like and Jacob Rees-Mogg’s one word response spoke for the entire internet

Tucker Carlson has finally achieved something of which we are genuinely in awe – he’s got people agreeing with Jacob Rees-Mogg. And nowhere did he do it more strikingly than in this particular exchange in the American’s interview with the former Tory MP, when Carlson said Russia wasn’t in the business of punishing people whose […]

The post Tucker Carlson said Russia doesn’t punish people whose ideas it doesn’t like and Jacob Rees-Mogg’s one word response spoke for the entire internet appeared first on The Poke.

Kemi Badenoch’s ‘free childcare’ pledge to reward the hard work of people on £100k-plus salaries went down as well as you’d expect – 17 votes of no confidence

The Tory conference is in full flight, as you might have spotted from their Glastonbury-alike notice. The line-up is in. 🎟️ #CPC26 https://t.co/r6sd7BhYOA — Conservatives (@Conservatives) October 3, 2026 We’d bet good money that Mrs Badenoch wouldn’t be up for queueing in a muddy field for a Portaloo. With the party announcing some key policies […]

The post Kemi Badenoch’s ‘free childcare’ pledge to reward the hard work of people on £100k-plus salaries went down as well as you’d expect – 17 votes of no confidence appeared first on The Poke.

This mega Maga said Nazis were actually ‘left wing socialists’ and this A++ reply took precisely zero prisoners

There is a certain sort of person – Maga, we’re looking at you – who would have you believe that the Nazis were actually left wing because they called themselves ‘National Socialists’. Not only would they have you believe it, maybe they even believe it themselves. Case in point – this particular mega Maga who […]

The post This mega Maga said Nazis were actually ‘left wing socialists’ and this A++ reply took precisely zero prisoners appeared first on The Poke.

London power cut shuts down major travel hub as 32 postcodes hit by electricity outage

Parts of London were hit by a major power outage that has caused travel disruption and issues for both homes and businesses following an electricity issues across 32 postcodes

Which British stereotype do you wish would disappear? – 17 clichés about the UK that can get in the sea

When you think of Britain, what comes to mind? Big Ben? The Royal family? Cockney chimney sweeps? Like any other country, Britain can be reduced to these stereotypes. And while some are harmless enough, others are getting on people’s nerves. u/fmh40 invited r/AskUK users to share the stereotypes they wish would disappear, and even kicked […]

The post Which British stereotype do you wish would disappear? – 17 clichés about the UK that can get in the sea appeared first on The Poke.

Average five-year mortgage rate hits 6% for first time in three years

The cost of a new fixed-rate mortgage has been rising in recent weeks as lenders face higher costs.

US 'closely monitoring' after Russian lab worker 'dies of suspected plague'

The US says it is "closely monitoring" the situation after the death of a laboratory worker in Russia who may have been exposed to pneumonic plague.

This woman had the perfect response for a mansplainer who accused her of saying ‘meaningless, ridiculous things’ and people loved it

To the world of the mansplainer now, and in particular writer and social critic Caitlin Flanagan who has been writing about the phenomenon of frat parties in the wake of the Cornell University frat house rape investigation. Here is what @CaitlinPacific wrote on Twitter, with a link to her column in the Free Press. https://t.co/CKkM0p8opi […]

The post This woman had the perfect response for a mansplainer who accused her of saying ‘meaningless, ridiculous things’ and people loved it appeared first on The Poke.

Trump claimed to know more about everything than anybody in the world, and the world hasn’t stopped laughing

Once Donald Trump has won the Nobel Peace Prize he craves so much, he’s bound to be a shoo-in for ‘Rear of the Year’, Gold in the 110-metre hurdles, and the Ballon d’Or. If he manages to pull that off, then we expect a phone call making him Life President of Mensa can’t be far […]

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This influencer complained she wasn’t allowed to film in a restaurant and the owner’s A++ response was simply magnificent

We’ve featured a fair few influencer types being given the exactly the what for they deserved, and they don’t come much better than this. It’s an influencer who complained that she wasn’t allowed to film in a restaurant and despite enjoying the food she naturally made it all about her in the review. And we […]

The post This influencer complained she wasn’t allowed to film in a restaurant and the owner’s A++ response was simply magnificent appeared first on The Poke.

Just when we couldn’t possibly like Richard Ayoade any more he goes and says this about Nigel Farage on HIGNFY

Have I Got News For You was back on BBC1 on Friday for its 72nd – 72nd! – series. And the even better news was that Richard Ayoade was in the guest host’s chair, and it didn’t get any better than this particular gag. Richard Ayoade -In Essex, one local man tries to walk normally […]

The post Just when we couldn’t possibly like Richard Ayoade any more he goes and says this about Nigel Farage on HIGNFY appeared first on The Poke.

The Conservatives shared their conference lineup like it was Glastonbury, and got owned into next year – 17 brutal responses

Forget The Celebrity Traitors for a moment, as there’s now a rival in town. The Conservative Party Conference has kicked off and judging by the glitzy, festival-style lineup poster shared by the official Conservatives Twitter account, it’s gonna be HUGE! Let’s have a look. The line-up is in. 🎟️ #CPC26 pic.twitter.com/r6sd7BhYOA — Conservatives (@Conservatives) October […]

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Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor taking legal action against police after birthday raid

Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor is taking legal action against Thames Valley Police following the raid and his arrest on his birthday, with a private High Court hearing to take place later this week

Body of missing 11-year-old girl found dead in park as police 'increase presence'

Police have found a body in the search for a missing 11-year-old girl who disappeared last night as West Mercia Police have confirmed an “increased presence” while they investigate the area

Congratulations if you had ‘Tucker Carlson defends Hitler and makes Jacob Rees-Mogg look like the voice of reason’ on your bingo card – 21 resounding facepalms

For reasons known best to himself and his accountant, Jacob Rees-Mogg allowed far-right conspiracy theorist Tucker Carlson into his home to record an episode of his podcast – imaginatively named The Tucker Carlson Show. Move aside, Hemingway – there’s a new wordsmith in town. If Rees-Mogg’s intention were to make himself appear more moderate by […]

The post Congratulations if you had ‘Tucker Carlson defends Hitler and makes Jacob Rees-Mogg look like the voice of reason’ on your bingo card – 21 resounding facepalms appeared first on The Poke.

Andrew told not to use King's money to pay for legal action against police

Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor is taking legal action against police following his arrest earlier this year, with a private hearing taking place at the High Court on Thursday.

People have been sharing their ‘favourite one hit wonders’ – 21 stone cold bangers from artists who were never heard from again

No musical artist with ambitions of long-lasting fame wants to be a one hit wonder. They want to have the longevity of The Rolling Stones. But is sinking without a trace all bad? If you have a big enough hit you can probably quietly retire on the royalties and not have to put up with […]

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TalkTalk rescued out from collapse in huge deal as message issued to 2.5m customers

BT said it has agreed a deal to buy TalkTalk and its wholesale business PlatformX Communications out of administration to rescue the telecoms group from collapse

Kate Middleton's stark three word belief about Prince Harry lays bare true feelings

The Princess of Wales and the Duke of Sussex used to have a close friendship but now Kate, along with husband William, is said to be keen to avoid any "drama" surround the return of Harry and Meghan

Air fryer is now the UK's most-used cooking appliance

A new poll has found that the air fryer is now the most-used cooking appliance in the UK, with 64% of people using it more often than their conventional cooker

Baby killer Lucy Letby comforted by negligent mum Constance Marten in priosn

Lucy Letby fears her bid to clear her name is beginning to unravel and has been spending lots of time with fellow inmate Constance Marten

Real-life Father Ted in £100k theft probe ‘gambled collection cash & grave plot fund’

The unnamed priest has been accused of keeping collections done by those visiting church, and pocketing collections done during mass.

Notorious child killer is 'next target' for blood-thirsty lags in Monster Mansion

Mick Philpott, who was convicted over the deaths of six of his children in a house fire in Derby, is next on the hitlist by lags who want to take him out for his role in killing his own kids.

Bride, 19, unleashes fury at guests from altar as husband's best man forced to intervene

EXCLUSIVE: Kaitlin Rooney's big day featured one, particularly chaotic, memorable moment when her husband's best man was forced to whistle to get proceedings back under control

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle spotted on first 'date night' to pub since UK return

The married couple were seen on their way for a meal at a Cotswolds pub called The Falkland Arms amid the ongoing row over who should pay for their security and enjoyed some British classic grub.

Ian Huntley update as new details of life in prison emerge before he was battered to death

Huntley, 52, earned £20-a-week and was given his own clippers after passing a course and was trying to keep his head down after a number of repeated previous attacks on his life.

Backstage at Knebworth 1996 - Noel Gallagher was so unfazed he was more concerned about the TV working

Noel Gallagher says he was so arrogant at the time of the mega gigs that he wasn't that fussed by the 250,000 fans who bought tickets

Prince Harry put firmly in his place after making demand to King Charles and Prince William

Prince Harry has returned to the UK with his wife, Meghan Markle and their two children, Archie and Lilibet

Are The Public Ready To Vote Tory Again?

The BBC’s daily news podcast with episodes Monday to Sunday at 5pm.

Two dead as workers 'trapped in trench collapse' as 'avoid area' warning issued in Co Down

Two people have died after being trapped in a trench collapse at a workplace on Ballygowan Road, Crossnacreevy, Co Down, as emergency services launched a large rescue operation

Fifty thousand new UK prison places pledged as hundreds of criminals are released early

Tory leader Kemi Badenoch has pledged to deliver 50,000 new prison places by shrinking the overseas aid budget to £1 billion a year in a bid to end the early release of offenders

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