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European Union leaders have agreed a major new long-term financial support package for Ukraine, signalling continued backing for Kyiv as the war with Russia enters another year. The deal centres on a multi-billion-euro loan, underwritten by profits generated from frozen Russian state assets held in Europe.

At a summit in Brussels, EU leaders said the agreement would provide Ukraine with predictable funding for military support, public services and reconstruction, while avoiding the need for repeated, politically fraught negotiations. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, addressing leaders remotely, welcomed the move as “a vital signal of unity” and said it would help Ukraine plan ...

UK inflation cooled faster than expected in November, adding momentum to market expectations that the Bank of England will cut interest rates at its next decision on 18 December 2025.

The Office for National Statistics data showed CPI inflation fell to 3.2% in November from 3.6% in October, undershooting both economists’ forecasts and the Bank’s own projection. The drop was driven by easing food price rises and discounting effects around Black Friday, alongside softer prices in categories including clothing and some grocery staples.

Financial markets reacted swiftly: sterling weakened and government bond yields fell as traders moved to price in ...

At Prime Minister’s Questions, Sir Keir Starmer opened by condemning the anti-Semitic terror attack at Bondi Beach and said he had spoken with UK security and community leaders to help protect Hanukkah events, reaffirming a crackdown on antisemitism and hate crime.

Starmer was pressed on a UK scholarship scheme for students from Gaza due to expire on 31 December. He said the government was working on solutions for those unable to leave and wanted students to take up their places, pointing to an existing medical evacuation scheme for children.

The Leader of the Opposition attacked Starmer over economic performance, claiming unemployment has ...

The United States has proposed offering NATO-style security guarantees to Ukraine as part of a potential peace deal with Russia, in a move allies say could mark the most significant breakthrough in negotiations since the war began.

According to US and European officials, the proposal would provide Ukraine with Article 5-like protections, committing Western powers to respond if Ukraine were attacked again. While Ukraine would not become a NATO member under the plan, the guarantees are designed to deter future Russian aggression and reassure Kyiv that any ceasefire would not simply pause the conflict.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy welcomed what allies described as “serious ...

Resident doctors in England have voted to proceed with strike action after rejecting the government’s latest offer aimed at averting industrial action, escalating tensions in the NHS at one of the most pressured times of the year.

The British Medical Association (BMA) said a clear majority of members voted against the proposed deal, which would have delayed strike action until after Christmas and included changes to training and career progression but did not meet doctors’ demands on pay. As a result, strikes are now set to go ahead later this week.

The government expressed disappointment at the decision, warning that walkouts would place additional ...

Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer opened a wide-ranging appearance before Parliament’s Liaison Committee by condemning an antisemitic terror attack in Sydney, warning it had heightened fear within Jewish communities in the UK. He said the government was working closely with police, the Community Security Trust and religious leaders to ensure safety during upcoming Hanukkah events, stressing that antisemitic violence was “not an isolated incident”.

The session quickly turned to standards in public life, with MPs pressing Starmer on adherence to the Nolan Principles and the ministerial code. He was challenged over a social media post on bus fares, written ministerial statements being ...

US President Donald Trump has filed a high-stakes $10 billion defamation lawsuit against the BBC in a Florida federal court, claiming the British broadcaster intentionally misrepresented his speech ahead of the 6 January 2021 Capitol attack.

Trump’s legal complaint centres on a Panorama documentary aired in October 2024, which he alleges spliced together separate sections of his speech in a way that falsely implied he incited violence at the US Capitol. According to the lawsuit, the documentary omitted portions of his remarks that called for peaceful protest, creating a misleading narrative with “defamatory, deceptive, disparaging, inflammatory, and malicious” content.

The lawsuit, filed on 16 ...

The UK government has launched an independent review into foreign financial interference in domestic politics, prompted by the recent conviction and lengthy prison sentence of former politician Nathan Gill for accepting bribes to promote Russian interests.

Gill, a former member of the right-wing Reform UK party and ex-representative in the European Parliament, was sentenced to more than 10 years in prison after admitting he received approximately £40,000 between 2018 and 2019 in exchange for making pro-Russian statements in various forums. Prosecutors presented evidence of payments and directives from a sanctioned former Ukrainian lawmaker, as well as incriminating material found on Gill’s phone.

In ...

A Hong Kong court has found prominent pro-democracy media entrepreneur Jimmy Lai guilty of multiple national security offences, delivering a verdict that critics say underscores Beijing’s tightening grip on dissent and press freedom in the semi-autonomous city. The decision follows a high-profile, months-long trial that drew global scrutiny and widespread condemnation from rights groups and foreign governments.

Lai, a British citizen and founder of the now-closed Apple Daily newspaper, was convicted of charges tied to the National Security Law imposed by Beijing in 2020. The indictments included accusations of colluding with foreign forces to destabilise state power — provisions widely criticised by international ...

At least 12 people have been killed and around 29 wounded in a mass shooting at Sydney’s iconic Bondi Beach on Sunday evening, authorities confirm. The attack occurred during a Hanukkah celebration known as Chanukah by the Sea, where hundreds of families and visitors had gathered.

New South Wales Police say the incident — widely described as a terrorist act targeting the Jewish community — unfolded in the late afternoon when two gunmen opened fire on the crowd from a nearby bridge and public areas. Dozens of shots were reported, and witnesses described scenes of people fleeing in panic as gunfire echoed across the ...