Eurostar passengers are braced for more possible delays and cancellations after the train network was forced to cancel large parts of its London-Europe service on Tuesday.

Countries around the world are preparing to welcome the New Year. We'll bring you the latest updates throughout the day. Follow our live coverage - and watch a recap of the big stories of 2025 below.

Snow is expected to fall across much of the UK in a chilly start to 2026, forecasters have said.

Microsoft AI chief warns against ‘uncontrollable’ AI

Forecasting tool predicts when demand will be highest, allowing NHS trusts to better plan staffing and bed space Hospitals in England are using articificial intelligence to help cut waiting times in emergency departments this winter. The A&E forecasting tool predicts when demand will be highest, allowing trusts to better plan staffing and bed space. The prediction algorithm is trained on historical data including weather trends, school holidays, and rates of flu and Covidto determine how many people are likely to visit A&E. Continue reading...

Western Highlands and southern Wales among most active regions, according to British Geological Survey More than 300 earthquakes have been recorded in the UK this year, according to the British Geological Survey (BGS). Among the most active regions to experience quakes were Perthshire and the western Highlands in Scotland, southern parts of Wales, and Yorkshire and Lancashire in England, the BGS data shows. Continue reading...

The wars in Ukraine and Gaza and the migrant crisis continued, and demonstrations became ever more violent. But there were also incredible moments of sporting glory and light relief. Photographers recall the moments when they took these era-defining photos

Survivors urge government to stop using suppliers cited in public inquiry into fire in which 72 people died Survivors of the Grenfell Tower fire have called on the government to stop companies implicated in the disaster from receiving public contracts, after it was revealed several were still in receipt of multimillion-pound deals. New analysis found at least 87 contracts across the public sector in the government’s own database involve companies criticised in the phase 2 report into the Grenfell fire, published in September 2024, though some contracts may have since expired. Continue reading...

With limited access on NHS and a hefty price tag, black market is booming and counterfeit drugs are on sale Losing weight might be a common new year resolution, but health experts have warned against purchasing medications for such purposes from social media sellers or other illegitimate channels. Jabs such as Wegovy and Mounjaro have become hugely popular for weight loss, with trials suggesting the latter can help people lose an average of 20% of their body weight after 72 weeks of treatment. Continue reading...

Cybersecurity experts reveal what they do for high-profile clients targeted by hackers such as Scattered Spider

Those celebrating the arrival of the new year will have to brave cold temperatures, with an amber health alert in place across parts of the UK.

Charities and MP Bob Blackman urge government to implement law to tackle scandal of ‘exempt’ accommodation People are dying in unsafe accommodation and communities are being irreversibly damaged due to delays to a new law to clamp down on unregulated supported housing in England. It has been more than two years since the Supported Housing Act, a private member’s bill brought by the Conservative MP Bob Blackman, that applies to England and Wales, was given royal assent but it has yet to be implemented due to delays in creating the regulations. Continue reading...

Ferry passengers getting home for Christmas from Dover face delays of up to one hour after French border controls were hit by IT issues.

The £100 cap on contactless card payments is to be lifted – under changes that will allow some shoppers to set their own limits.

The elections watchdog has criticised the government for offering to consider delaying 63 local council elections next year - as five authorities confirmed to Sky News that they would ask for a postponement.

Resident doctors in Scotland have voted to go on strike in January – as their union called on the devolved government to present a "credible" pay offer.

Wes Streeting and BMA urged to seek mediation as hospitals in England struggle amid flu outbreak Hospitals are cancelling tens of thousands of appointments and operations after resident doctors voted overwhelmingly to reject a last-ditch government offer to avoid this week’s strike. The health secretary, Wes Streeting, and the British Medical Association (BMA) are being urged to agree to see if an independent mediator can break the deadlock in the almost three-year-old pay and jobs dispute in England. Continue reading...

Exclusive: Analysis of NHS data shows rise in patients ‘stranded’ in beds as flu crisis hits and resident doctors’ strikes loom Hospitals in England face dangerous overcrowding this winter because even more patients than last year are “stranded” in a bed, according to an analysis of NHS figures. The findings come as the health service struggles to cope with the early onset of its usual winter crisis driven by a crippling “flu-nami” and the NHS in England is bracing itself for a five-day strike by resident doctors starting on Wednesday. The percentage of bed days used by patients whose discharge was delayed rose from 10.1% in 2024 to 11% this year, an increase of 9% or 19,000 bed days. That rise was driven by an 8% year-on-year rise in the number of discharges, equivalent to about 3,800 patients a month. The number of the NHS’s overall stock of about 100,000 general and acute beds occupied last winter by delayed discharge patients hit a peak of 14%, but it is likely to be even higher this winter. Continue reading...