Biodiversity defenders have sounded the alarm about the United Kingdom government's Monday decision to provide another so-called "emergency" exception for the use of an outlawed neonicotinoid pesticide lethal to bees.

The Intellectual Property Office said the practice might break criminal and civil law.

Revised online safety bill proposes fines of 10% of revenue but drops harmful communications offence.

A hundred UK companies have signed up for a permanent four-day working week for all their employees with no loss of pay, a milestone in the campaign to fundamentally change Britain’s approach to work. The 100 companies employ 2,600 staff – a tiny fraction of the UK’s working population – but the 4 Day Week Campaign group is hoping they will be the vanguard of a major shift.

New research has found that more than half of gamers asked (52%) are now sharing new gaming purchases with friends and 62% say they are not buying new games at all - instead focusing on secondhand purchases or freebies.

The Bank of England has warned the UK is facing its longest recession since records began, as it raised interest rates by the most in 33 years. It warned the UK would face a "very challenging" two-year slump with unemployment nearly doubling by 2025. Bank boss Andrew Bailey warned of a "tough road ahead" for UK households, but said it had to act forcefully now or things "will be worse later on".

Former British Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced Sunday he will not run to lead the Conservative Party, ending a short-lived, high-profile attempt to return to the prime minister's job he was ousted from little more than three months ago. His withdrawal leaves former Treasury chief Rishi Sunak the strong favorite to become Britain's next prime minister — the third this year — at a time of political turmoil and severe economic challenges. He could win the contest as soon as Monday.

Amazon shoppers in the UK could receive a share of £900m in compensation, once a legal claim is submitted against the technology giant. The proposed claim alleges the company breached competition law and caused customers to pay higher prices. It is being led by consumer-rights champion Julie Hunter, who says products sold on Amazon.co.uk and the Amazon app obscured better-value deals.

The cost of decommissioning the UK’s 20th-century nuclear waste could rise to £260bn as the aged and degrading sites present growing challenges, according to analysis presented to an international group of experts. As the government pursues nuclear energy with the promise of a new generation of reactors, the cost of safely cleaning up waste from previous generations of power stations is soaring.

The British government on Wednesday said it would cap wholesale electricity and gas costs for businesses at less than half the market rate from next month, helping relieve the pressure of soaring energy costs but adding to the government's fast-rising spending.

He served as a lance corporal from 2001 until 2009, except for a three-month period in 2006 when he was demoted to fusilier, after inappropriate behaviour during the Queen's Official Birthday celebrations

The country's PM says the poll will be held within three years, but Australia rules out a vote.

Prince William, Earl and Countess of Wessex and Prince Andrew arrive at Balmoral to join Prince Charles, Camilla and Princess Anne at the Queen’s side

Would you like to live in a Martian house on Earth? If you like to live in one, a Martian house — designed to withstand Mars' harsh climate — was recently introduced in the heart of Bristol, United Kingdom. The Martian house was conceived by artists Ella Good and Nicki Kent, who wanted to use Mars as a lens to focus on what we need and how we want to live on Earth.

A protein implant could cure blindness, according to a new study. Researchers found no one who had the operation was still blind two years later and three people who were blind ended up with 20:20 vision.

A rare albino hedgehog was rescued by a six-year-old boy who found it at "death's door" in the middle of a road in West Yorkshire. Ruben Wiggins found the hedgehog – which has been named Jack Frost – dehydrated, malnourished and infested with parasites. With the help of his mother, he took it to Prickly Pigs Hedgehog Rescue, a charity in Otley, near Leeds.

Based on pre-orders alone, Eminem tops the Amazon hip hop best sellers chart. He beats himself to keep the leading position. At least, that happened on Amazon UK, where “Curtain Call: The Hits” had to step down to No.3 to allow Em’s new compilation to rise to No.1.

The Prince of Wales received a £1m donation for his charity from relatives of Osama bin Laden, according to a report. The Sunday Times alleged that the future king accepted the payment from Bakr bin Laden, the patriarch of the Saudi family, and his brother Shafiq.

The rise in sea levels around the UK is accelerating and has reached a rate more than double that in the first years of the 1900s. A report from the UK’s Met Office found that the seas have risen by about 16.5 centimetres (6.5 ins) since 1990 alone, driven by annual increases of 3-5.2 millimetres a year.