News Headlines
National Headlines
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England and Scotland fans discover where their opening World Cup games will be played
England and Scotland fans have found out where their World Cup group games will be played when the tournament kicks off in June.
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Nigel Farage sang antisemitic songs to Jewish classmates, former Dulwich pupil claims
Nigel Farage sang antisemitic songs to Jewish schoolmates - and had a "big issue with anyone called Patel", a former schoolfriend has claimed.
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World Cup 2026 - who England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland will play
Scotland and England now know who they will face in the group stage of the next summer's world cup.
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Charlton Athletic fan dies and match abandoned after medical emergency at ground
A Charlton Athletic fan died after a medical emergency at their ground, the football club have said.
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Elderly woman killed in hit-and-run crash on way to shops in Liverpool
An elderly woman has died after being hit by a car on her way to a local shop.
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Prostate cancer treatment with potential for fewer side effects to be trialled in UK
A groundbreaking trial for a prostate cancer treatment has been launched in the UK, with the hope of reducing the side effects.
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Crumble and custard thrown at State Crown display case in Tower of London
Part of the Tower of London has been closed following reports of criminal damage to a display case containing the Imperial State Crown, part of the Crown Jewels.
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Piers Morgan's Uncensored nears £100m valuation after stake sale
Piers Morgan, the broadcaster and journalist, is raising tens of millions of dollars of funding from heavyweight investors as he seeks to turn Uncensored, his YouTube-based venture, into a broad-based global media business.
Local Headlines
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Poll suggests risk of children being harmed or abused at home increases over Christmas
More than three in five adults in the West Midlands believe children face an increased risk of harm or abuse at home and exposure to domestic violence during the Christmas holidays.
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Committee told social workers lied and ignored emails
Dudley social workers lied and ignored emails councillors were told during an emotional session of a watchdog committee meeting.
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Record-breaking trading standards team wins national award
Dudley Council’s trading standards team has won a national award for its record-breaking work in shutting down shops linked to organised crime.
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Road improvements confirmed near primary school
Chiefs at Dudley Council have confirmed the authority will make road safety improvements near Red Hall Primary in the summer of 2026.
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DJ releases cover of iconic 80s song in support of Dementia UK
An award-winning DJ from Worcestershire has released a heartfelt new single with all of the proceeds supporting Dementia UK.
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Benjamin Zephaniah writing competition sparks powerful new poems
The wife of Birmingham poet Benjamin Zephaniah says a writing competition celebrating his life is empowering people across the UK to use their voices for the planet.
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Leader hails budget plans as “giant leap” towards financial stability
The leader of Dudley Council says the authority has taken a “giant leap” towards financial stability after budget plans over the next five years were revealed.
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Council tax increase proposed as part of budget blueprint
Proposals to increase council tax by 4.99 per cent in 2026 will go before cabinet for discussion next week.
Entertainment News
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Piers Morgan’s Uncensored nears £100m valuation after stake sale
Piers Morgan, the broadcaster and journalist, is raising tens of millions of dollars of funding from heavyweight investors as he seeks to turn Uncensored, his YouTube-based venture, into a broad-based global media business.
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Netflix agrees blockbuster $72bn deal for Warner Bros studios
Netflix has agreed a $72bn (£54bn) deal to secure Warner Bros Discovery's film and TV studios and supercharge its library through rights to top franchises including Harry Potter and Game Of Thrones.
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Celebrities join the Princess of Wales for a carol service to thank Britain's volunteers
The Prince and Princess of Wales and their children have attended the Together at Christmas carol service where they were joined by Hollywood stars.
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Jamie Oliver revives high street Italian restaurant chain, six years after collapse
Jamie Oliver is relaunching his high street chain, Jamie's Italian, six years after the business collapsed, causing hundreds of job losses.
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Israel allowed to take part in Eurovision 2026 - as several countries withdraw
Israel will be allowed to compete in next year's Eurovision Song Contest, organisers have said - with several broadcasters saying they will now boycott the event.
National Sport
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Arsenal slip up at Aston Villa: Will injuries scupper Premier League title march? Are Unai Emery's side now contenders?
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World Cup 2026 fixtures, match schedule, UK kick-off times and venues confirmed as England and Scotland discover schedule
England will open their World Cup bid in Dallas against Croatia in a 9pm kick-off UK time, while Scotland will face Haiti in a 2am kick-off UK time.
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The Ashes: England stumble towards second Test defeat in Brisbane as top order subsides under lights at The Gabba
England stumbled towards a 2-0 series deficit as they closed day three of the second Ashes Test on 134-6 in their second innings, still trailing Australia by 43 runs.
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2026 World Cup draw: England and Scotland learn group stage opponents for tournament in USA, Canada and Mexico
England have been drawn in a group with Croatia, Panama and Ghana at the 2026 World Cup, while Scotland will face five-time winners Brazil, Morocco and Haiti.
Business News
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Piers Morgan’s Uncensored nears £100m valuation after stake sale
Piers Morgan, the broadcaster and journalist, is raising tens of millions of dollars of funding from heavyweight investors as he seeks to turn Uncensored, his YouTube-based venture, into a broad-based global media business.
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Netflix agrees blockbuster $72bn deal for Warner Bros studios
Netflix has agreed a $72bn (£54bn) deal to secure Warner Bros Discovery's film and TV studios and supercharge its library through rights to top franchises including Harry Potter and Game Of Thrones.
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Netflix flexes its muscles and could yet get its way in Trump's America
Netflix’s $72bn takeover of Warner Brothers is a blockbuster in every sense.
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Oil prices are down but fuel prices aren't - here's why
It's a debate that has raged since the end of the COVID pandemic but, despite regulatory scrutiny, it's fair to say there's been no clear answer to accusations that UK drivers pay over the odds for fuel.
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Poundland reveals more store closures - here's the full list
Discount retailer Poundland has revealed another wave of store closures over the winter as part of turnaround efforts by the new owners.
Politics News
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Millionaire former Tory donor defects to Reform
Millionaire Tory donor Malcolm Offord has defected to Reform UK, saying he would be campaigning "tirelessly" to "remove this rotten SNP government".
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Nigel Farage sang antisemitic songs to Jewish classmates, former Dulwich pupil claims
Nigel Farage sang antisemitic songs to Jewish schoolmates - and had a "big issue with anyone called Patel", a former schoolfriend has claimed.
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Nigel Farage racism allegations are deeply shocking - but will they deter voters?
Allegations about Nigel Farage's schooldays have hit the headlines since the early days of the Brexit campaign in 2013.
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Child poverty strategy unveiled - but not everyone's happy
A new long-awaited child poverty strategy is promising to lift half a million children out of poverty by the end of this parliament - but critics have branded it unambitious.
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David Lammy suggests UK would benefit from rejoining an EU customs union
Deputy Prime Minister David Lammy has suggested it could be beneficial for the UK to consider re-entering a customs union with the EU.
World News
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Gaza ceasefire negotiations at 'critical moment', says Qatar PM
Negotiations on a lasting ceasefire deal for Gaza are at a "critical moment", the prime minister of Qatar, which has played a key role in brokering the deal, has said.
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Paramilitary drone attack in southern Sudan kills at least 50 people, including 33 children
At least 50 people, including 33 children, have been killed in southern Sudan after a drone attack by paramilitary forces hit a nursery in South Kordofan state.
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12-year-old girl from Gaza receives vital brain operation after Israeli bombing near her home
The 3D picture we're shown of Maryam's skull shows a gaping hole.
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Young Germans react to voluntary military service plans
Germany's parliament has voted to reintroduce voluntary military service, but getting Gen Z recruits could prove tricky.
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White House: Europe 'unrecognisable in 20 years or less'
President Trump's "America First" agenda has been spelt out in a new White House National Security Strategy that should make stark reading for allies and foes of the United States alike.
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Twelve killed in shooting at South African bar, including young children, police say
At least 12 people have been killed, including a three-year-old boy, in a shooting at an illegal bar in the South African city of Pretoria, police say.
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Donald Trump awarded FIFA peace prize at World Cup draw
US President Donald Trump has been awarded FIFA's new peace prize at the draw for next year's World Cup.
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Unapologetically political - a World Cup draw like no other
This was a World Cup draw like no other. Crafted less for the teams but for one man.
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Giving up territory would be 'unjust peace', says Ukraine's armed forces chief
It would be "unacceptable" for Ukraine to "simply give up territory" in any peace deal with Russia, the head of the Ukrainian armed forces has told Sky News.
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Irish police investigating after drone sightings during Zelenskyy visit
Irish police are investigating the presence of drones during Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's visit to Ireland.
Weird News
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Stolen Fabergé pendant passed to police - quite literally
A Fabergé pendant has been recovered - after police spent six days closely monitoring the man accused of swallowing it.
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'Drop and cover' earthquake alert turns out to be false alarm
An earthquake alert preparing people to "drop, cover, hold on" buzzed on phones in the US on Thursday - but turned out to be completely false.
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Spirit animal: Raccoon gets drunk as a skunk in a booze store - and sleeps off hangover in the toilet
A raccoon has gotten as drunk as a skunk.
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Is Die Hard a Christmas film? The public have spoken - and you might not like the result
It's a debate that's torn families apart for years - with selection boxes thrown in rage, and stony silences around the dinner table.
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Runaway reindeer sparks emergency rescue operation in Merseyside
"Christmas is saved" after a large search operation for a runaway reindeer found the animal on a beach in Merseyside, emergency services have said.
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Oxford Dictionary publisher reveals Word of the Year 2025 - do you know it?
Don't get too upset, but 'rage bait' has been named by Oxford University Press as this year's Word of the Year, beating other online terms.




