UK news

• X Factor killed the Christmas Number One — but there’s still hope

  21-12-2024 09:00 via metro.co.uk
  
  A decade of X Factor finalists slowly suffocated the Christmas Number One (Picture: Ken McKay/REX/Shutterstock)Does anyone still care about the Christmas Number One? Be honest. Does it matter to you who is at the top of the charts on December 25?Long gone are the epic battles of Slade vs Wizzard, Wham! Vs Band Aid, or even East 17 vs Mariah Carey (with the former shockingly winning).Official Charts formed in the 50s but Christmas Number Ones really kicked off in 1973 when Slade’s Merry Xm
  
  Read more

• Full list of 37 NHS trusts that have upped parking charges – is yours included?

  21-12-2024 11:24 via metro.co.uk
  
  A patients’ charity attacked the hikes as unfailry penalising people who are unwell (Picture: Getty)At least a quarter of NHS trusts in England have increased the cost of parking in the two years to March 2024.The hikes were criticised by a patients’ charity who accused bosses of unfairly penalised people who are sick.But health experts said hospitals are ‘under huge financial pressure’ and simply cannot afford to maintain car parks free of charge.Some 37 trusts –
  
  Read more

• Having themselves a VERY Merry Christmas! Revellers hit the town on Black Eye Friday as the festive season gets properly underway

  21-12-2024 11:11 via dailymail.co.uk
  
  The Friday before Christmas Eve has earned the nickname 'Black Eye Friday' due to the number of fights that break out in bars, pubs and clubs, with A&E departments in full swing.
  
  Read more

• Aussie entrepreneur is BANNED from Indonesia after falsely claiming he owned ritzy villas in Bali and bragging about 'making millions' on the resort island

  21-12-2024 11:08 via dailymail.co.uk
  
  Julian Petroulas, 33, has garnered thousands of followers on social media with posts showing off his ritzy life on the holiday island.
  
  Read more

• Advertisement

• The UK’s top 10 songs for driving home at Christmas includes a controversial hit

  21-12-2024 11:00 via metro.co.uk
  
  All the top Christmas songs to make your holiday merry and bright (Picture: Getty)As Christmas Day inches closer, many of us are set to be driving home to spend the holidays with our families.As it’s the only time of the year to listen to festive bangers, a drive home is the perfect opportunity to listen to classic hits or even an alternative Christmas song or two.While we can all guess that Chris Rea’s Driving Home for Christmas is probably the best festive driving tune, Brits have
  
  Read more

• The spookiest Simpsons predictions that came true in 2024 – and one that crashed and burned

  21-12-2024 11:00 via metro.co.uk
  
  They’ve done it again! (And again, and again) (Picture: 20thCentFox/Everett/Shutterstock)Several times this year, The Simpsons did it again, adding to their list of chilling predictions that have come true.For more than three decades, loyal fans have been left astounded time and time again over the residents of Springfield finding themselves in major world events before they’ve even happened.From Lady Gaga at the Super Bowl, the Titanic submersible tragedy and even the Coronavi
  
  Read more

• 'I couldn't get pregnant for years but one Christmas drink changed everything'

  21-12-2024 11:00 via mirror.co.uk
  
  After unsuccessful fertility treatment and a dangerous ectopic pregnancy, Hayley Keeber gave up her baby hopes until a festive celebration made her dreams come true
  
  Read more

• Exact number of days you can keep Christmas drinks for after opening

  21-12-2024 11:00 via metro.co.uk
  
  Bottles will be popping this holiday season, but how long can you keep them for? (Picture: Natasha Pszenicki/Getty)In my house, opened bottles of alcohol don’t last long enough to worry about. Even over Christmas…Yes, December is the one month of the year where it’s acceptable to indulge in the full gamut of drink styles all at once, from wines of all descriptions, port, sherry, spirits, aperitifs, digestifs, liqueurs, you name it. So, there’s bound to some half-drunk b
  
  Read more

• Advertisement

• ‘I joined Arsenal at 28 – Marcus Rashford could still be a success at a big club’

  21-12-2024 10:54 via metro.co.uk
  
  Marcus Rashford’s days at Manchester United appear to be numberedIan Wright has refused to accept that Marcus Rashford’s career at the top level is finished despite his apparent Manchester United demise.The England international’s career appears to be at a crossroads following United manager Ruben Amorim’s decision to axe him from last weekend’s squad for the Manchester derby.
  Rashford was again left out and played no part in Thursday night’s Carabao Cup defe
  
  Read more

• Gregg Wallace, 60, escapes UK with wife, 38, after MasterChef replacement announced

  21-12-2024 10:52 via metro.co.uk
  
  Gregg Wallace has left the country after his MasterChef replacement was announced (Picture: Gregg Wallace/ Instagram)MasterChef star Gregg Wallace has left the UK amid an investigation into his alleged misconduct over the years.Earlier this month it was announced Wallace, 60, would be stepping away from the long-running BBC series which he’d hosted alongside John Torode for nearly 20 years.It came after it was revealed the BBC had launched an investigation into the presenter after he was
  
  Read more

• Woman whose cat passed away left speechless as vet sends her heart-breaking 'message'

  21-12-2024 10:37 via mirror.co.uk
  
  A woman has been left speechless over the keepsake her vet sent to her after her cat tragically passed away – as other owners shared their grief after losing a pet
  
  Read more

• Ski resort avalanche kills teen judo star, 18, despite efforts to save him

  21-12-2024 10:32 via mirror.co.uk
  
  International judo star Emre Yazgan, 18, was killed after an avalanche at the Palandoken Ski Center in Erzurum in North-East Turkey, despite efforts to save him
  
  Read more

• Most romantic hotel in the Lake District where you don’t even have to leave your room

  21-12-2024 10:30 via mirror.co.uk
  
  Our travel writer reviews Storrs Hall in the Lake District, a luxury hotel with incredible views of Lake Windermere, a hot tub and pamper package, and a top-end restaurant
  
  Read more

• Strong winds warning as Christmas getaway continues

  21-12-2024 10:10 via bbc.com
  
  Disruption is expected on the roads, with Met Office yellow warnings announced for parts of the UK.
  
  Read more

• Mum stuck in Spanish hospital for Christmas after stroke as family tries to get her home

  21-12-2024 10:09 via mirror.co.uk
  
  Robyn Taylor, 34, was visiting her parents, Tony and Karen Summer, in Murcia, Spain when she suffered a stroke which has left her unable to speak and blind in one eye
  
  Read more

• The world needs a good Superman video game ASAP – Reader’s Feature

  21-12-2024 10:00 via metro.co.uk
  
  Superman has never been done justice in video games (Warner Bros.)Enthused by the new movie trailer, a reader hopes for a Superman video game that can use the character and his villains to their full potential.As a big fan of DC Comics I was overjoyed to see the new Superman teaser trailer this week. Not only was it really good but it seems to have been very popular, with lots of views that suggest the film will be a big hit. This pleases me, as people have been saying for years that an optimis
  
  Read more

• The grave of Emmerdale legend is dug up – with the body missing

  21-12-2024 10:00 via metro.co.uk
  
  To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a webbrowser thatsupports HTML5 video Up NextPrevious PageNext PageThere won’t be a dry eye in the Emmerdale-watching land at Christmas, as Belle Dingle (Eden Taylor-Draper) gets a joyous reunion with a dear friend she thought she would never see again.  Back in August, Belle’s abusive husband Tom King (James Chase) carried out one of his most sick and cruel acts, when he pretended that Belle’s dog
  
  Read more

• Music was about to die – then these pop girlies saved it

  21-12-2024 10:00 via metro.co.uk
  
  Charli XCX, Sabrina Carpenter, and Chappell Roan saved music in 2024 (Picture: Getty Images)Before Chappell Roan, Sabrina Carpenter and Charli XCX came along in 2024 music was dying – literally. Then they, alongside Taylor Swift, saved it.
  Pre-2024 the music world was obsessed with older, established acts from the 70s, 80s, 90s and 00s – and these golden oldies turned up in their droves to fill this demand.The Rolling Stones released their 24th studio album in 2023, Hackney Diamonds
  
  Read more

• Map shows the best and worst places to be trans in Europe and Central Asia

  21-12-2024 10:00 via metro.co.uk
  
  Out of 54 countries, Iceland ranked the highest (Picture: Getty Images)Trans rights are becoming increasingly ‘polarised’ in Europe and Central Asia, a map has shown.Campaign group TGEU’s annual Trans Rights Map ranks the legal situation for trans people in 54 countries.One of the best places to be openly trans in 2024 is Iceland, which scored 30 out of 32, up from 26 last year.Russia – where among the anti-LGBTQ+ laws in the books is a ‘gay propaganda’ polic
  
  Read more

• Carla Connor announces her love for Lisa Swain in Coronation Street – and gets a humiliating response

  21-12-2024 10:00 via metro.co.uk
  
  Carla announces her relationship with Lisa (Picture: ITV)Carla Connor (Alison King) and Lisa Swain (Vicky Myers) are totally smitten with each other after making their relationship official in Coronation Street – though unfortunately not everyone is as positive about it as they are.In recent scenes, the couple overcame their first official lover’s tiff after Lisa let her jealousy get the better of her during one of Carla’s meetings.When Lisa threatened to arrest the flirty cli
  
  Read more

• Northern Lights could return to UK in ‘once in a decade’ event

  21-12-2024 09:57 via metro.co.uk
  
  A spectacular show of colour fills the night skies as the Northern Lights aurora borealis wow spectators in Alnmouth, Northumberland (Picture: North News & Pictures Ltd)A ‘once in a decade’ solar event take place over the next few months – and it means you’ll get even more chances to see the Northern Lights.The neon spaghetti strings of green, red and blue have become an increasingly common occurrence in, of all places, people’s back gardens in London this year
  
  Read more

• Rev Richard Coles learning about spy brother through public inquiry into scandal

  21-12-2024 09:55 via metro.co.uk
  
  To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a webbrowser thatsupports HTML5 video Up NextPrevious PageNext PageI’m A Celebrity star Reverend Richard Coles has opened up about his ‘spy brother’ just days after an inquiry into his sexual history with a teenager.The 62-year-old media personality, who has just returned from the Australian jungle where he landed third place, revealed the eyebrow-raising family link during his appearance on The Last Leg.Whe
  
  Read more

• I'm a phone expert... here are seven ways to protect yourself from an abusive partner who may be spying on you

  21-12-2024 09:52 via dailymail.co.uk
  
  Alessia Bianco heads up the Everyone's Business team at the crisis support charity Hestia. She and her team work with employers to support victims of domestic abuse.
  
  Read more

• Moment couple's romantic Christmas proposal video was ruined by VERY unwelcome visitor

  21-12-2024 09:51 via dailymail.co.uk
  
  This is the moment that a couple's seemingly romantic Christmas proposal video was ruined by a gruesome detail occurring in just a split second in New York City.
  
  Read more

• Magdeburg Christmas market attack: All we know about carnage with at least two dead

  21-12-2024 09:50 via mirror.co.uk
  
  A suspect identified as a Saudi exile working as a psychotherapist close to the city of Magdeburg, drove his car into revellers, killing two people, including a child
  
  Read more

• Darts player hoping to be a cut above the rest against millionaire Luke Littler reveals return to hairdressing for two days before the big clash - but jokes he'd double prices if The Nuke wanted a trim

  21-12-2024 09:50 via dailymail.co.uk
  
  All eyes at London's Alexandra Palace this weekend will be on the PDC World Championship clash between Ryan Meikle, 28, and 17-year-old Luke Littler.
  
  Read more

• The chilling reason evil mother gave for hiding 'emaciated' boy, 3, in urine-soaked conservatory with lizard and rabbit with only pet food to eat

  21-12-2024 09:46 via dailymail.co.uk
  
  A horrified judge jailed the child's mother and father for three years for neglecting the three-year-old so badly a doctor said he looked like he'd been kept in a 'concentration camp'.
  
  Read more

• I'm a flight attendant... here is my biggest bug bear committed by travellers on long haul flights

  21-12-2024 09:46 via dailymail.co.uk
  
  Skye Taylor, 49, from Southampton, spent 17 years working as a stewardess, starting out at low-cost airlines to eventuallyand land a job at Virgin Atlantic.
  
  Read more

• Gabriel Jesus reveals the one question he will never ask Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta

  21-12-2024 09:46 via metro.co.uk
  
  Gabriel Jesus scored a hat-trick in Arsenal’s 3-2 win over Crystal Palace in midweekMikel Arteta faces a major selection headache ahead of Arsenal’s Premier League clash against Crystal Palace this afternoon following the return to form of Gabriel Jesus.The Brazil international has endured a difficult 12 months during which injuries and a loss of confidence had seen him fall down his manager’s pecking order.
  Kai Havertz, originally signed as an attacking midfielder, has been A
  
  Read more

• Revealed: Tyson Fury's uncle Peter tried to trick police with fake arms dump plot involving secret stash of Mac-10 machine guns and rocket launchers, legal sources disclose

  21-12-2024 09:43 via dailymail.co.uk
  
  EXCLUSIVE: Proud uncle Peter Fury was Tyson's trainer and stayed by his side as he rose to claim the heavyweight crown - which he is doing battle for in Riyadh.
  
  Read more

Follow @newslock_uknews on Twitter!