McDonald's is being called on to stop its roll out of paper straws in the UK and Ireland, amid claims that they "dissolve" in drinks. The fast food giant is switching from plastic to paper straws at their 1,361 restaurants after customer pressure. An online petition calling for a return to plastic straws has so far garnered more than 35,000 signatures.

A "climate emergency" has been declared in Wales following protests demanding politicians take action on climate change. The Welsh Government's Lesley Griffiths said she hoped the declaration would trigger "a wave of action". Climate change threatens Wales' health, economy, infrastructure and natural environment, she said.

An end to the Aids epidemic could be in sight after a landmark study found men whose HIV infection was fully suppressed by antiretroviral drugs had no chance of infecting their partner. The success of the medicine means that if everyone with HIV were fully treated, there would be no further infections.

A rising number of underperforming “zombie firms” are creating a major drag on the UK economy and threaten to exacerbate a future downturn, says a new analysis by KPMG. As many as one in seven UK firms are potentially “under sustained financial strain” and had been able to “stagger on” partly thanks to low interest rates, the accountancy firm warned. These struggling firms are crowding out healthy rivals, when under more normal economic circumstances they would probably have ceased trading.

Scottish couples who chose a humanist wedding are less likely to divorce than those who had other types of marriage ceremony, figures for the BBC suggest. Humanist weddings have been legal in Scotland since 2005 and are now more popular than Church of Scotland and Roman Catholic weddings combined. Marriage experts said divorce rates across the UK generally were declining.

The UK’s greenhouse gas emissions fell 3% in 2018 as pollution from the energy sector continued to decrease, provisional government figures show. Emissions of the gases that drive climate change have fallen for six years in a row, and are 44% below the 1990 baseline for the UK. Emissions of carbon dioxide, the main greenhouse gas, are at the lowest level since before the start of the 20th century, when Queen Victoria was still on the throne, government officials said.

Footage has emerged showing members of the British army using a photo of Jeremy Corbyn for target practice. A 25-second clip showed at least four servicemen firing handguns towards a large image of the Labour leader, standing at a podium displaying the party’s logo. The soldiers drew their weapons and fired rapidly before stopping to reload as the camera zoomed in on bullet holes on Mr Corbyn’s face.

There's a number of people that really dislike Fortnite for whatever reason and that's fine, but there's disliking Fortnite and there's giving a prepared speech where you call for it to be banned. That's exactly what the Duke of Sussex and sixth in the line of succession for the British throne did at a YMCA event in London. "It shouldn't be allowed," Harry told the crowd, referring to Fortnite. "Where is the benefit of having it in your household? It's created to addict, an addiction to keep you in front of a computer for as long as possible and it's so irresponsible.

The University of Bristol has become the first in the country to declare a climate emergency. It follows a raft of organisations and local authorities, including the city council and North Somerset Council, across the UK in taking the step. Deputy vice-chancellor and provost Professor Judith Squires said the declaration reaffirmed the institution’s “key role” in fighting climate change.

Hackers protesting the arrest of WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange continued their reign of chaos on Thursday — crashing the website of British Prime Minister Theresa May. The hackers took down the website for the UK Police on Wednesday. Earlier in the week they had targeted the websites for the nation’s Supreme Court, National Crime Agency and 1,633 other UK websites hosted on the same server.

One million homes in Britain are now using “green gas” for heating and cooking after a surge in energy produced from farm and food waste. Biomethane plants – there are now 60 in the UK – use food leftovers, cattle and chicken manure as well as grass silage and hybrid rye to create gas.

Due to booming population, siblings will no longer have the privilege of getting a priority in school places. It has been announced by the Wandsworth council in London that it will be removing the rule that gives an automatic place to the pupil’s brothers and sisters even if the family has moved out

UK based mobile phone retailer Carphone Warehouse announced that it is planning to launch its own mobile network. The retailer promised an increased contract flexibility and greater access to free data roaming with the best value 4G network in the UK market. The upcoming network by Carphone Warehouse will be called as iD …Share the joy         

Fake mobile towers that scoop up data from passing phones are routinely being used in London, an investigation by Sky News suggests.

The BBC's Paddy O'Connell says that migrants in France are so desperate to get to Britain that they are now trying to swim across the English Channel.

Trusted authority in background check & drug testing services for healthcare, automotive & employment industries. Call + (888) 961-8646.

Any attempts to repeal the Hunting Act would be "deeply unpopular" among the majority of the British public, a new poll has found. The Ipsos MORI poll commissioned by animal welfare charity the League Against Cruel Sports found 84% of the public do not want a return to fox hunting. Opposition to hare hunting and deer hunting was even stronger, at 91% and 88% respectively.

Record collectors have flocked to a derelict Manchester shop where thousands of rare and antique records are being given away for free. Everything from Bob Marley LPs to Jimi Hendrix singles have been discovered within the haul of around 50,000 records in Newton Heath. Haulage collectors clearing out the store have been inundated with collectors and vinyl enthusiasts hoping to pick up something rare.

Anti-terror police were called to a catholic school in Doncaster following threats made against “infidel” pupils on social media. McAuley Catholic High School, in Cantley Lane, was placed on alert on Monday after the school was told “we have our sights set on you”. The message, uploaded to social media sites Facebook, Instagram and Snapchat, read: “We have our sights set on you, and by Allah we will kill every single infidel student at this school #McAuleySchoolMassacre.”

A high-profile conspiracy theorist who was found dead in Poland sent a text warning his mother to investigate if anything happened to him. Max Spiers, 39, from Canterbury, was in Warsaw to speak at a conference about his research into extra-terrestrials and alleged government cover-ups. His body was found lying on the sofa of the apartment where he was staying. His mother says she received a text days before his death saying: "Your boy's in trouble. If anything happens to me, investigate."

London property prices are set to fall next year as uncertainty about Britain’s exit from the European Union damps the U.K. housing market, according to the Centre for Economics and Business Research. London, and especially the priciest areas of the capital’s housing market, will be most affected, with prices dropping 5.6 percent in 2017, according to the consultancy’s predictions. Across the U.K., while property value growth will accelerate to 6.9 percent in 2016, it’s set to slow to 2.6 percent next year.

Wages for average UK workers are less than they were 12 years ago shocking official figures revealed today. The gender pay gap also remains stubbornly high, data from the Office of National Statistics showed. The median full-time worker is now paid £539 per week (£28,028 a year), less than the £555 per week they earned in 2004, after taking inflation into account. Despite a 1.9 per cent salary increase this year, annual average earnigs in 2016 are still around £1,600 less than their 2009 peak.

A fire in Exeter has destroyed historic buildings including what is described as the oldest hotel in England. The fire began at around 05:00 BST in buildings on Cathedral Green in Devon and spread to the Royal Clarence Hotel, which dates back to 1769. Guests have described being evacuated from the building, which dates back to 1769, amid flames, ash and debris.

Two out of five EU citizens living in the UK have concerns over job security with Brexit on the horizon, with particular concern felt by those in the construction, manufacturing, retail and hospitality sectors, a survey of FT readers has found.

Theresa May appeals to a stereotype that has a deep grip on the English psyche. Sober and commonsensical, she behaves with the moral seriousness we expect from a vicar’s daughter. She may be a little clunky, but what a relief it is to have a straightforward leader from the heart of the country after the flash, poll-driven phonies of the past.

The widower of former MP Jo Cox, who was stabbed to death in her constituency days before the EU referendum, said he did not believe her murder was linked to the Brexit vote. In a moving television interview, Brendan Cox urged politicians in the centre ground to reclaim patriotism from the extreme right and “define Britain in an inclusive way”.

Brexit supporters have been ‘gently encouraged’ to accept the rule of law and allow parliament to vote on whether Article 50 should be triggered. The High Court has ruled that Parliament must vote on whether the UK can start the process of leaving the European Union, leaving all Brexit supporters having to get over it. Remain campaigner, Simon Williams, told us, “The entire Brexit movement is really big on accepting results, so we have no doubts whatsoever that they will give a knowing nod at this result and simply get over it.

Parliament must vote on whether the UK can start the process of leaving the EU, the High Court has ruled. This means the government cannot trigger Article 50 of the Lisbon Treaty - beginning formal exit negotiations with the EU - on its own. Theresa May says the referendum - and existing ministerial powers - mean MPs do not need to vote, but campaigners called this unconstitutional. The government is appealing, with a further hearing expected next month.

The Brexit-supporting press has mounted a vicious assault on the three high court judges who ruled in the article 50 case. And it has undermined our constitution in the process. The government appears to be fuelling this attack. Sajid Javid, the local government secretary, described the judges as seeking to “thwart the will of the people”. The judiciary is a pillar of our constitution. Allow faith in the judges to be eroded and that pillar is eroded at a huge cost to our freedoms.

An American sports presenter named Gina Miller has become the victim of “vitriolic abuse” meant for her namesake, whose high court case ensured the government will have to consult parliament before starting Brexit negotiations. The television presenter, who also works as a consultant, said she received a “large amount of hate-filled tweets” following the high court judges’ verdict on Thursday.

The Bank of England has warned households to expect a sharp rise in inflation next year as the weak pound ramps up the costs of imports and squeezes family finances. Predicting rises in petrol prices and other goods that the UK buys in from abroad, the Bank said inflation would rise from 1.3% this year to 2.7% in 2017 and 2018, higher than in its last set of forecasts three months ago. In its new outlook, the monetary policy committee (MPC), led by the Bank’s governor, Mark Carney, said it would take until 2020 for inflation to get back to the target of 2% set by the government.

According to an article posted by a Facebook group for UK Independence Party (UKIP) supporters, Jews are conspiring to subvert British democracy and engage in “treason” by undermining ‘Brexit’, Britain’s exit from the European Union. Posted by ‘The UKIP Society’ Facebook page as a “very interesting observation”, the article attempts to expose a Jewish conspiracy by highlighting the people involved in Thursday’s High Court decision against the Government’s proposed Brexit process whom the author suspects of having Jewish heritage.

Gina Miller has hit back at criticism and said "we do not live in a tin-pot dictatorship" and that "everyone should be my biggest fan" after the campaigner defeated the government in court on how Brexit should be triggered. Miller was subject vitriolic online abuse, death threats and severe criticism in the press after three High Court judges ruled that MPs should have a parliamentary vote before Article 50 is triggered.

The European Parliament is to consider a plan that would allow British citizens to opt-in and keep their European Union citizenship – and its associated benefits – once the UK leaves the EU. The proposal, which has been put before a parliamentary committee as an amendment, would grant the citizens of former member states the voluntary right to retain “associate citizenship” of the EU, such as after Brexit.

Government lawyers are exploring the possibility of arguing in the supreme court that the article 50 process could be reversed by parliament at any time before the UK completes its exit from the European Union. Prominent academic experts have told the Guardian they know the government’s legal team has sounded out lawyers about the potential change of tack, which some argue would lead to a victory in the case brought by Gina Miller and other campaigners.