First-look images have been unveiled for the upcoming BBC drama Dear England, which is set to star Joseph Fiennes and Jodie Whittaker. Jodie Whittaker as Pippa in Dear England. BBC/Left BankMeanwhile, Sam Spruell (The Gold, Fargo) plays fictional coach Mike Webster, and John Hodgkinson (Small Axe, Life After Life) reprises his stage role as former FA chairman Greg Clarke. Will Antenbring as Harry Kane in Dear England. AdCheck out more of our Drama coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on.

The Sunday Times Parent Power Guide 2026 has been released, confirming which are the UK’s highest-achieving primary and secondary schools. Readers can view the following in the guide: Top primary schools in the Southwest, the top secondary independent schools in the Southwest, the top comprehensive secondary schools in the Southwest, and the Top state secondary schools in the Southwest. Somerset schools in top 10 Sunday Times Parent Power Guide:The following awards are judged on year-on-year performance as well as editorial discretion, according to the Sunday Times. The Parent Power league table is based on exam results as outlined in the methodology. Helen Davies, editor of The Sunday Times Parent Power Guide, said: “The educational landscape is testing – budget challenges, rising student mental health issues, special educational needs and an increasingly uncertain future.

SPACEHOPPER SWITCHCONSIDERING Odegaard and Zubimendi haven’t played together so much given the injuries, their telepathy and understanding in midfield was really impressive. While he’s running, he’s point and clapping and keeping them all on the press. As he vacates that space, Odegaard hops straight into it. Then for the second goal, he’s dropped into the centre-circle. But as we saw with the Merino goal, White gives Madueke the ball and then makes a looping run around the back.

One of Britain's most distinguished scientists, Prof Sir Paul Nurse, says the government is "shooting itself in the foot" with its visa system for science researchers. Sir Paul told BBC News that high visa fees are deterring early-career researchers, who are instead being welcomed by the UK's economic rivals. Supporters of the current system say higher visa costs help to fund the NHS and reflect wider public concerns about immigration. "Having expensive visa costs is shooting yourself in the foot. It absolutely doesn't help in attracting these sorts of people," Sir Paul said.

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Leaders at two Surrey schools named as among the best in the region say they are "delighted" at the "great" recognition. Nonsuch High School for Girls is named state secondary school of the year in the South East and South Farnham School is the highly-commended primary school of the year for 2026 in a Sunday Times list. Head teacher at Nonsuch, Alexis Williamson, said it had "created a real buzz around school". William Wallace, acting head teacher of South Farnham, said it was "beyond words" to be recognised.

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Nicholas Orlando Green stabbed one man 13 times in the “truly horrific” stabbing last year at Kennington Underground station. The two victims, aged 44 and 42, entered Kennington station at around 10.30pm on March 27, 2024. A short time later Green tapped into the station and made his way down to the platform. Both stab victims were rushed to hospital. The 44-year-old victim suffered multiple stab injuries to his chest, as well as a fractured arm.

The Sunday Times Parent Power Guide is a fully searchable national database of the UK's best 2,000 schools. The UK’s highest-achieving primary and secondary schools are revealed in the 33rd edition. Helen Davies, editor of The Sunday Times Parent Power Guide, said: “The educational landscape is testing – budget challenges, rising student mental health issues, special educational needs and an increasingly uncertain future. In the Top Primary Schools category, Alpington and Bergh Apton CofE Primary School placed fourth in East Anglia and 246th nationally, followed by Ashleigh Primary School and Nursery in sixth place and 264th nationally. READ MORE: Best state secondary school in Norfolk revealedNorwich School came third in East Anglia in the Best Independent Schools category, placing 122 nationally.

The annual Parent Power Guide is widely acknowledged as "the most authoritative survey of the country’s top schools". The Sunday Times said: "Recognised as the definitive ranking of the UK’s top primary and secondary state and independent schools, this guide remains an essential resource for parents seeking the very best in education for their children." Editor of The Sunday Times Parent Power Guide, Helen Davies, said: "The educational landscape is testing – budget challenges, rising student mental health issues, special educational needs and an increasingly uncertain future. Welsh schools recognised in the Parent Power National Awards included:State Secondary School of the Year in Wales 2026 : Cowbridge School: Cowbridge School State Secondary School in Wales for Academic Excellence 2026 : Cowbridge School: Cowbridge School Independent School of the Year for A-levels 2026 : Cardiff Sixth Form College: Cardiff Sixth Form College Independent Secondary School of the Year in Wales 2026: Westbourne SchoolWestbourne School Independent Secondary School of the Year in Wales for Academic Excellence 2026 : Cardiff Sixth Form CollegeYou can view the full 2026 Parent Power Guide via The Times and Sunday Times website (a link to which can be found above). Why Christ College Brecon is among the best secondary schools in the UKChrist College Brecon, which was founded by King Henry VIII back in 1541, is located in the Bannau Brycheiniog (Brecon Beacons) National Park.

Heathrow Airport has announced changes to passenger drop‑offs at its terminals, making it more expensive and enforcing a time limit for the first time. From January, the west London airport will increase its terminal drop-off fee from £6 to £7 and will give travellers 10 minutes in the drop-off areas before issuing a Parking Charge Notice (PCN). Visitors to the drop-off zones can pre-pay online or by phone and must do before midnight the following day otherwise they could be charged an £80 fine. A spokesperson for the airport, which is the busiest in the country, said the changes were aimed at "smoothing traffic flow and reducing congestion".

The UK government is ready to transfer £8 billion (over US$10.6 billion) in frozen Russian assets to support Ukraine. Source: The Times, citing government sourcesDetails: The Times stated that the UK government considers Russian leader Vladimir Putin a threat to the people, security and prosperity of the United Kingdom. Background:On 3 December, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen announced two proposals on funding Ukraine in 2026 and 2027, one of which would use proceeds from frozen Russian assets in the EU to provide Ukraine with a reparations loan. Even before the new proposal from the European Commission was made public, Belgian Foreign Minister Maxime Prévot said it was absolutely unacceptable . Other EU countries are opposed to granting Belgium unlimited guarantees to release the loan for Ukraine.

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Britain and Norway will mount joint naval patrols to protect undersea cables from Russia, the U.K. said Thursday, as Prime Minister Keir Starmer and Norwegian counterpart Jonas Gahr Støre held talks on defense. The U.K. government says a combined fleet of at least 13 warships will “hunt Russian submarines and protect critical infrastructure in the North Atlantic.”It follows a 10-billion-pound ($13.4-billion) deal struck in August for Norway to buy at least five British-made frigates. Those Norwegian vessels and eight British ships will operate jointly in the seas along NATO’s northern flank. AdvertisementAs part of the agreement, formally signed Thursday in London by the two countries’ defense ministers, the U.K. has agreed to use Norwegian missiles for the Royal Navy’s surface fleet. Britain says Russian naval activity around U.K. waters has increased by 30% in the last two years.

The Online Safety Act is being implemented in phases, and is intended to prevent past practices which Ofcom described as online platforms being "unregulated, unaccountable and often unwilling to prioritise people's safety over profits". Tougher age checks for porn websites were introduced in July, though some people have pointed out these could be easily avoided with a virtual private network (VPN), which reroutes internet traffic. In October, Pornhub's parent company told BBC News it had seen a 77% drop in UK visitors since the age checks had come in. Also introduced this year were tougher guidelines on ensuring the internet was safer for women and girls, with Ofcom vowing to name and shame platforms that did not comply. Critics say the Act needs to be toughened to make the internet safer, particularly for women and girls.