Politics

British-Iranian comedian Omid Djalili has been using his platform to amplify protesters in Iran and highlight reports of a harsh government crackdown; an internet blackout and differing accounts from human rights groups mean casualty figures are difficult to verify.

Chancellor Rachel Reeves said freezing the Plan 2 repayment threshold is 'fair and reasonable' and aims to align repayment plans; personal finance expert Martin Lewis criticised the move as treating loans like a tax.

Sir Keir Starmer concluded a three-day visit to China that Downing Street said secured £2.2 billion in export deals and further market access, and Chinese firms pledged investments including Pop Mart's plan to open UK stores.

Acting President Delcy Rodríguez announced a bill that could lead to the release of hundreds detained for political reasons and said the National Assembly will take it up urgently. The government has not released the bill text, and the prisoners' rights group Foro Penal estimates about 711 people remain detained.

Prime Minister Keir Starmer said China has lifted sanctions on six British MPs and peers during his visit to Beijing. The targeted parliamentarians issued a statement saying they would rather remain under sanction than be used as a bargaining chip.

Iran’s supreme leader acknowledged several thousand deaths during nationwide protests, and witnesses interviewed by the Associated Press described large, cross‑sectional demonstrations met with a forceful government response amid internet restrictions. Undetermined at this time.

President Zelenskyy said he is waiting to see whether Russia will observe a proposed pause in strikes on Ukrainian cities and energy infrastructure after Donald Trump said he asked Vladimir Putin to halt attacks; Ukrainian and Russian officials are due to meet in Abu Dhabi this weekend.

Israeli reservists, activists and the UN say settler-only 'hagmar' regional defence units were armed and deployed across the occupied West Bank from October 2023 and have at times operated with limited oversight. The Israeli military says some incidents have been investigated and some reservists removed.

Sir Keir Starmer's visit to Beijing marked a cautious reset in UK-China relations, producing agreements on 30-day visa-free travel and reduced Scotch whisky tariffs; business announcements included AstraZeneca's pledge to expand investment in China and Octopus Energy's new partnership.

The Warm Home Discount of £150 will continue for five more years, and 345,000 Scottish low-income households will automatically receive the rebate next winter.

A London bus driver says he intervened after a passenger's necklace was taken and later struck the man; an employment tribunal has upheld Metroline's decision to dismiss him.

Lincolnshire Police will not cut officer numbers after receiving additional government funding of £100.1m for 2026/27 and a further targeted £12m, the chief constable said.

Reports say Russia has agreed to a partial ceasefire that would halt attacks on Ukrainian cities for one week; further details and verification were not included in the initial report.

Explosions and reports of gunfire were heard near Niamey airport shortly before midnight, and security sources described the incident as a "terrorist attack" while saying a store of uranium yellowcake at the airport was not affected.

At the OSCE the UK said Russia's victory in Ukraine is far from inevitable, citing substantial Russian military losses, economic strain and growing European support for Ukraine.

The Office for National Statistics reports 499 victims of murder and manslaughter in the year to September, the lowest figure since 1977, with knife-related homicides down 23%.

The UK told the OSCE that Holocaust Memorial Day honours victims, including six million Jewish lives and other persecuted groups, and warned of rising antisemitism while reaffirming support for IHRA tools and global guidelines.

US officials say President Trump is considering targeted strikes on Iranian security leaders and institutions to try to influence domestic unrest; no final decision has been announced and additional US naval forces have arrived in the region.

A US think tank study says combined Russian and Ukrainian military casualties may be nearly two million; officials also reported a Russian drone strike on a Kharkiv passenger train that killed five.

Rights groups report that Iranian authorities have detained several doctors and healthcare volunteers who treated people wounded in recent protests, and at least one surgeon faces a charge that can carry the death penalty; the US State Department has called for their release.

The Department for Education says pupils suspended for non-violent reasons should sometimes remain on site with structured learning, and the change will be part of a forthcoming Schools White Paper.

Families and officials gathered to mark the first anniversary of the midair collision that killed 67 near Reagan National Airport, one day after NTSB testimony said the crash was preventable and set out safety recommendations.

A US immigration judge granted asylum to Guan Heng after finding he had a well‑founded fear of persecution linked to footage he released of Xinjiang detention facilities; the Department of Homeland Security has reserved the right to appeal and Guan remains in custody.

Ahead of a Sundance premiere, Brittney Griner said a new documentary about her 2022 detention in Russia could shed light on parallels she sees with recent U.S. immigration enforcement in Minneapolis.

The government will seek a law change to make in-school suspensions the default while current law requires suspensions to take place off-site. New guidance will say headteachers should send pupils home only in extreme circumstances, though they will retain discretion to do so.

Dame Vera Baird’s Criminal Cases Review Commission has referred five cases of men given IPP sentences when under 21 to the appeal courts, and about 2,400 people remain held under IPP, a sentence type abolished in 2012.

Sarah Mullally was confirmed as Archbishop of Canterbury in a formal ceremony, and the article notes she has spent more time in bureaucratic roles than in ordinary parish ministry.

Federal agents shot and killed a protester in Minneapolis, and senior administration figures including Stephen Miller have altered their public statements; DHS says an investigation is under way.

Lady Smith's report for the Scottish Child Abuse Inquiry says pupils at Fettes College were sexually, physically and emotionally abused across several decades and were "wholly failed" by the school; Fettes has issued an unreserved apology and said its current welfare culture is very different. Extradition proceedings are ongoing for one alleged perpetrator living in South Africa.

A CSIS study estimates about 1.2 million Russian and 600,000 Ukrainian troop casualties to date, and the Kremlin has dismissed the report as not credible.