United Kingdom
- 3d ago
Vodafone raises VodafoneThree cost savings target to £1 billion by fiscal 2032
Vodafone is raising annual cost savings at VodafoneThree to £1 billion by fiscal 2032, and plans to cut its mast and tower network from around 37,000 sites to about 26,000. The extra £300 million a year sits on top of the original £700 million target.
- 3d ago
Prince Harry says depression followed 2019 Canada break and adrenaline crash
Prince Harry told a MasterClass grief course that a low followed his 2019 break in Canada, lasting about two weeks after an adrenaline crash. He also said he did not cry for nearly two decades after his mother, Princess Diana, died in 1997.
- 3d ago
British grower Ian Paton sets Guinness record with 1,295.8 kg pumpkin Bagheera
The 65-year-old grower from Lymington, Hampshire, had Bagheera weighed on 3 October at a competition in Berkshire. Guinness World Records confirmed the result, which beats the 2025 record set by Ian and his twin brother Stuart by 17 kg.
- 3d ago
Fonagy review warns of ADHD and autism overdiagnosis as private clinics face inspections in England
The report finds the risk of overdiagnosis is rising but has not yet shown it is happening at scale, while about 810,000 children and adults in England wait for an assessment. The Care Quality Commission will start inspecting private clinics.
- 3d ago
Gen Z art buyers outspend older collectors, Art Basel and UBS survey finds
The survey of 3,100 high-net-worth collectors in ten markets found Gen Z buyers account for almost half of purchases above $1 million. Family remains the main entry point, and more collectors now use AI tools to research their purchases.
- 3d ago
French minister invites UK back to EU as Burnham keeps rejoining option open
Burnham is in Germany for talks with Friedrich Merz while he keeps a second Brexit referendum open. Roland Lescure said Britain can return to the EU 'anytime', and the offer comes as French borrowing costs reach a level not seen since 2002.
- 3d ago
US and Britain return to WRC in 2027 as Portugal drops off the calendar
The 2027 World Rally Championship calendar has 15 rounds, adding the United States and Britain while dropping Rally de Portugal. The promoter and the FIA released the schedule on Thursday, 8 October.
- 3d ago
Tesco raises bottom of profit outlook after 6.5% first-half rise
Britain's largest grocer reported sales of £33.8bn for the 26 weeks to 29 August as oil prices near $103 a barrel weighed on the wider market.
- 3d ago
Google Maps starts showing UK pump prices as diesel hits record £2 a litre
From Thursday, drivers in the UK can see petrol and diesel prices alongside forecourt locations in Google Maps and Waze. The prices come from the government's Fuel Finder scheme, as diesel reached record levels.
- 3d ago
Two Latvian men arrested inside UK base used by US military and NATO intelligence
Counter-terror police are investigating after two Latvian men aged 32 and 36 were found inside the perimeter of RAF Molesworth in Cambridgeshire in the early hours of Thursday. Police say nothing so far links the arrests to the late-September incident at RAF Fairford.
- 3d ago
UK and Germany enact Kensington Treaty as Burnham proposes joint GCAP fighter jet project
British Prime Minister Andy Burnham and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz exchanged ratification papers in Berlin on Thursday, formalizing bilateral ties and agreeing on joint defense measures against hybrid attacks.
- 4d ago
Royal Navy sailor Teddy Young charged under National Security Act over alleged spying plot
Teddy Young, 24, appeared at Westminster Magistrates' Court on Thursday and was remanded in custody. Police did not name the foreign power the two charges relate to.
- 4d ago
Bank of England picks puffin, barn owl, bumblebee and hedgehog for new banknotes
The Bank of England said on Thursday that four British animals will replace Winston Churchill and other historical figures on its next notes. The choice followed a public vote that drew almost 500,000 people.
- 4d ago
Genomic study of 194-year-old tortoise Jonathan identifies 287 anti-aging gene variants
Researchers have sequenced the genome and epigenome of Jonathan, a 194-year-old Aldabra giant tortoise living on Saint Helena, identifying 287 unique genetic variants that protect against cellular aging.
- 4d ago
UK tax authority probed Manchester City accounts in 2018 following leaked email cache
HM Revenue & Customs opened a civil tax inquiry into Manchester City in 2018 under Code of Practice 8, years before the Premier League found the club guilty of more than 100 financial rule breaches.
- 4d ago
HSBC plans to cut up to 70% of UK wealth advisers in artificial intelligence push
The lender has entered a consultation period to eliminate roughly half of UK wealth management roles and 70% of financial advisers as automated tools replace routine advisory tasks.
- 4d ago
Ikea expands second-hand furniture marketplace to the UK, Ireland and Germany
The Ingka Group is rolling out its second-hand platform across the UK and Ireland before launching in Germany on 14 October, allowing customers to trade used furniture with an optional 15% gift card bonus.
- 4d ago
Reform UK clears aides over donation sting but acknowledges internal failings
An internal Reform UK investigation concluded that two senior officials did not breach electoral funding laws when discussing prospective overseas cash, though both remain suspended during a Metropolitan Police inquiry.
- 4d ago
Weston family holding company agrees to acquire pharmacy chain Boots for $8.9 billion
Canada's Wittington Investments has agreed to purchase UK health retailer Boots from Sycamore Partners and Stefano Pessina in an 8.9 billion dollar deal scheduled to complete in early 2027.
- 5d ago
Royal Mail plans to cut up to 2,500 head office jobs by the end of 2027
The British postal operator will reduce head office and support roles by less than 2% across its 131,000-strong workforce through voluntary redundancies and natural attrition.
