Author: UK News

The digital licences would be available via government app Digital driving licences you can access on your phone set to be rolled out this year Ministers are set to unveil plans for digital driving licences next week, according to reports. The licences will be available through a new government app, potentially by the end of this year, according to The Times. Officials have emphasised that a digital licence would not be mandatory. The digital wallet that will contain the licence would be accessed through a government app which will have security measures similar to banking apps, according to reports. Digital…

What to do if you have information on missing Aberdeen sisters Missing Aberdeen sisters latest: Police reveal eerie final text sent to landlady at same time as last sighting A major police update has revealed a final eerie text was sent from the phone of one of the missing Aberdeen sisters at the same time as the last sighting of the pair. The pair’s landlady received the message from Henrietta Huszti’s phone, which indicated they would not be returning to their flat, at 2:12am on 7 January from the area of Victoria Bridge. The phone was then disconnected from the…

The release of three Israeli hostages in Gaza dominates the UK news today. Israeli-British citizen Emily Damari was among those released. She lost two fingers during her 15-month ordeal. The ceasefire will also see much-needed humanitarian aid to the Gaza Strip as well as the return of 90 Palestinian prisoners (mostly women and teenage boys).

The weekend’s Premier League action leads the social media trending stories for the UK as Manchester United and Spurs lose again and discussions of what keeps going wrong has begun amongst pundits and fans.

Emily Damari is among the three hostages released – in a prisoner swap as part of the Israeli-Hamas ceasefire.

British hostage freed as Gaza ceasefire starts The Independent reports that British hostage Emily Damari is one of three hostages in Gaza to be released – 15 months after being kidnapped. The front page shows footage of the tree reuniting with family. The UK economy – and the paper’s assessment of the chancellor feature at the top of the paper.

Hostages out as truce holds The Guardian reports Emily – the last remaining British hostage in Gaza  – has arrived in Israel to be reunited with her family after 471 days in captivity. The paper also reports that hundreds of aid trucks queued to enter Gaza, bringing supplies to its 2.3 million residents as the ceasefire took effect. Simultaneously, Red Cross officials worked at Israel’s Ofer prison to oversee the release of Palestinian prisoners. Donald Trump is to be sworn in as president on the same spot as the Capitol riots, the paper says.

As the fighting stops after 15 months … Home at last The Metro leads with the headline “Home at last,” recounting the “chaotic scenes” surrounding the trio’s release. The paper says Emily “was shot in the hand, injured by shrapnel in her leg, and saw her dog Choocha killed before she was blindfolded and bundled into a car that took her to Gaza.”

British hostage Emily Damari among three released in Gaza ceasefire: Home after 471 days in hell The Daily Express reports after 15 months of unimaginable torment, Emily Damari’s return home is a beacon of hope amid a sea of despair in the Middle East. Her mother’s tears of joy tell a story of love and resilience. The ceasefire is now in its second day – Palestinian prisoners are being swapped for Israeli hostages.

Gaza hostage release: Out of the darkness .. back in mum’s arms The Daily Mirror leads on the release of the hostages as the Israel-Hamas ceasefire begins. The paper focuses on Israeli British hostage Emily’s reunion with her mother Mandy, quoting Mrs Damari’s call to action: “Every hostage must be released.”

After 471 days of Gaza hell … Home at last The Sun front page reports on British hostage Emily Damari who was amongst the first to be freed in the first stage of the agreed ceasefire between Israel and Hamas. The front page also reports on the weekend’s Premier League action – as both Man United and Spurs lose again.

Monday’s front pages lead on the ceasefire between Hamas and Israel – as a prisoner-hostage swap deal takes place. Amongst the hostages released include a British-Israeli citizen who leads most of the paper’s images this morning.

Beyond the Middle East truce, the papers leave space to report on President-elect Donald Trump – who takes the oath of office today, Monday 20 January 2025. Several stories regarding the US president make the front pages, including reports about the prime minister racing to secure a deal with the new president.

Last night’s Premier League matches dominate the UK back pages – with Manchester United’s 3-2 loss to Brighton leading several after Man Utd boss Amorim labelled his squad the worst side in Manchester United’s 147-year history. Spurs also suffered a loss to Everton, putting pressure on boss Ange Postecoglou.

A band of rain across western Scotland will clear into northern England and northwest Wales throughout today. Rather cloudy to the south of this, although perhaps a few breaks developing. To the north a mix of bright spells and showers. Tonight: The band of patchy rain will stall across the central swathe of the UK overnight. Otherwise a mix of cloud and clear spells, with some fog patches developing.

Reform UK leader Nigel Farage accused the Labour prime minister of ‘getting off to the worst possible start’ with the incoming Trump administration Keir Starmer embroiled in row over Sadiq Khan’s ‘fascism’ jibe at Donald Trump on eve of inauguration  Sir Keir Starmer is embroiled in another row over Donald Trump after the Labour mayor of London warned of a “resurgent fascism” on the eve of his inauguration. Allies of the prime minister slapped down Sir Sadiq Khan, distancing the government from his comments, while the Tories condemned them as “unacceptable”. The latest spat comes at a difficult time for…

Exclusive: Nearly two-thirds of Labour voters say that with Donald Trump about to enter the White House, they back closer post-Brexit connections to Europe Starmer warned not to cosy up to Trump as new poll shows Labour voters want closer EU ties instead  Sir Keir Starmer has been warned not to “cosy up to the White House” as a new poll shows nearly two in three Labour voters believe he should build closer economic and security ties to Europe as Donald Trump returns to power. The same proportion of Labour voters, 67 per cent, say they are “worried” about the…

Lord Hermer has faced questions over the government’s decision to open the door to potential compensation for imprisoning another of his clients Gerry Adams, during the Troubles. Starmer’s attorney general in row over Chagos refugees  The attorney general is embroiled in a fresh row after it emerged asylum seekers he represented as a lawyer were granted a “one-off ” deal to come to Britain from the Chagos Islands months after he joined the government. Lord Hermer unsuccessfully took the UK government to court in 2023 on behalf of five Sri Lankan asylum seekers. The group, along with dozens more, had…

Neighbours ‘hope and pray sisters found safe’ Missing Aberdeen sisters latest: Police reveal eerie final text sent to landlady at same time as last sighting A major police update has revealed a final eerie text was sent from the phone of one of the missing Aberdeen sisters at the same time as the last sighting of the pair. The pair’s landlady received the message from Henrietta Huszti’s phone, which indicated they would not be returning to their flat, at 2.12am on 7 January from the area of Victoria Bridge. The phone was then disconnected from the network and has not…

February 2025 dates for benefits and pensions as DWP PIP cuts rumoured  With 2025 well underway, millions continue to look for ways to keep household costs low as new expenses seem to wait around every corner. Household bills, groceries, mortgages and rents have all hit record highs over the past year, as the country navigates the ongoing cost of living crisis. Chancellor Rachel Reeves had a bumpy start to the year, as the pound slumped and government bonds hit new highs. However, inflation also saw a slight 0.1 per cent drop in December, bringing it to 2.5 per cent, while…

Vet Amir Anwary went viral on TikTok for his hot takes on dog breeds Five dog breeds you shouldn’t own as a pet, according to a vet  A vet has given his “brutally honest” advice about the five dog breeds that he would advise pet owners to think twice about owning. In a divisive new video, which has three million views on TikTok, South African vet Amir Anwary shared his top five breeds that might seem like the perfect fit for pet owners lives, but can lead to expensive vet bills and stressful lifestyle changes. As a result, he would…

Mr Trump’s swearing-in as the 47th president is set to be followed by scores of executive orders and a massive shift in domestic and global policy as allies hail his Maga revolution while critics fear a resurgence of fascism Trump to start ‘two year race’ to change America and the world as he returns to the White House Donald Trump and his team will be in “a two-year race” to change the US – and the world – from the moment he is inaugurated inside the Capitol on Monday. Sources close to the 47th president of the United States of…

Santander already announced it was cutting more than 1,400 jobs across its UK business Santander ‘considering quitting the UK’ after two decades on the high street Santander is reportedly reviewing its presence on the British high street after shedding hundreds of jobs in the last year. The UK arm of the bank has seen lower returns than overseas markets, according to the Financial Times, and the company is said to be considering a number of options. A former executive said Santander UK had caused ‘frustrations’ within the wider group in recent years for a number of reasons including ‘its persistently…

Exclusive: Maria Juliana Marquez Monsalve says she was forced to pay over £700 for new flights to the UK after airline refused to let her board Woman stranded in Brazil after airline ‘refuses to allow her to board flight home to UK with eVisa’  A woman says she was left stranded in Brazil when airline staff refused to let her board her flight home to the UK after refusing to accept her eVisa. Maria Juliana Marquez Monsalve, 29, claims staff at Belem International airport told her she needed in-date physical proof of her immigration status to travel rather than an…

The former Labour leader was accused of breaking through police lines at the Palestine Solidarity Campaign in central London Jeremy Corbyn and John McDonnell interviewed by police under caution after attending pro-Palestine rally  Jeremy Corbyn and John McDonnell agreed to be interviewed by police under caution after they appeared at a pro-Palestine rally in central London. The former Labour leader and his former shadow chancellor were among hundreds of people who attended a Palestine Solidarity Campaign (PSC) protest on Saturday, that resulted in 77 arrests. Police claim demonstrators broke through a police line as they marched from a rally in…

Labour chancellor will try to attract overseas investment at World Economic Forum meeting this week while row rages at home over tax changes for millionaire foreign nationals living in the UK Reeves blasted over Davos investment drive while millionaire non-doms desert the UK  Labour has been accused of trying to have it both ways as Rachel Reeves jets off to Davos to try to attract foreign investment while new figures show a millionaire leaves the country every 45 minutes. The chancellor will travel to the World Economic Forum’s annual meeting in the Swiss ski resort this week hoping to attract…

An advert promoting the controversial Scientology religion at a London Tube station has caused shock and disbelief among commuters. The poster, which encourages Londoners to find out more about the group, was spotted over the weekend at a Tube platform. Scientology has been labelled a ‘cult’ by critics, and has been criticised for its claims about mental health, its finances and even abusive practices. The Tube advert says in large writing ‘I’m a Scientologist’, accompanied by the picture of a cinematographer called Robert. The billboard hopes to spark the interest of commuters, asking ‘Curious?’ before directing them to the religion’s website.…

The long-awaited ceasefire in Gaza has come into force after a delay of nearly three hours, and thousands of Gazans are beginning to return home. The first three Israeli female hostages are expected to be freed later – Hamas has named them as 31-year-old Doron Steinbrecher, dual British-Israeli Emily Damari, 28, and 24-year-old Romi Gonen.

Several thousand Pro-Palestinian supporters have taken part in a demonstration in central London. The rally – the latest UK protest organised by the Palestine Solidarity Campaign (PSC) since the war in Gaza began in 2023 – comes as Israel and Hamas agreed to a ceasefire and hostage release deal.

TikTok has gone offline in the US, hours before a new law banning the platform was due to come into effect. A message appearing on the app for US users said a law banning TikTok had been enacted, meaning “you can’t use TikTok for now”.

A roundup of last night’s Premier League matches dominates the UK news. Arsenal threw away a 2-0 lead at home to draw 2-2 with Aston Villa, potentially throwing away any chances of winning the title. Liverpool beat Brentford 2-0 yesterday, going six points clear at the top of the table.