National News

Here are the latest stories from the team at Radio News Hub. The links will open in a new page and take you to their website.

• Specialist teams for all police forces under violence against womens strategy

  Specialist rape and sex offences investigators will be introduced to every police force as part of reforms to be introduced under the Government’s violence against women and girls (Vawg) strategy.

• Transformational train timetables revamp comes into effect

  One of Britain’s most significant train timetable changes since the ill-fated May 2018 revamp comes into effect on Sunday.

• Met Police will not investigate recent Andrew accusations force says

  The Metropolitan Police has decided not to launch a criminal investigation into reports that Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor asked his taxpayer-funded bodyguard to dig up dirt on Virginia Giuffre.

• Channel crossings begin on Saturday after longest pause in seven years

  Migrants began crossing the English Channel on Saturday after the longest pause in small boat arrivals in the UK in seven years.

• Two people dead in house fire after explosion in garden police

  Two people have died in a house fire following reports of an explosion in the garden, police said.

• Kings message on cancer will save lives

  The King’s message about his cancer recovery “will save lives”, Charles’ friend and authorised biographer Jonathan Dimbleby has said.

• Sir Billy Connolly battling Parkinsons incredibly bravely Martin Compston

  Martin Compston has lauded Sir Billy Connolly for dealing with Parkinson’s “incredibly bravely”.

• Nordic resorts enter top 10 list of best value family ski destinations

  Relatively unknown Nordic resorts are rivalling Italy and Bulgaria as Europe’s best value ski trip destinations, according to new research.

• Legislation on alcohol ban at football games outdated ministers told

  Laws governing the sale of alcohol at football matches are “outdated and out of touch”, the Scottish Government has been told as it was urged to lift the ban on drinking at games.

• Half of secondary pupils avoided school in past year due to anxiety

  Half of secondary pupils have avoided school in the past year because of anxiety, a poll has found.

• Shoppers turning to alternative payments such as buy now pay later

  Shoppers increasingly turned to “alternative” ways to pay in 2024, such as buy now pay later methods, according to the British Retail Consortium (BRC).

• UK economy contracts for second month running in October

  The UK’s economy contracted for the second month running in October, defying expectations for a rebound as car manufacturing only made a slight recovery from the Jaguar Land Recovery cyber attack

• Reward of 20000 offered to help find grandmothers killer

  A £20,000 reward is being offered to help find the killer of a grandmother found dead in her home.

• Three jailed for life for murder caught on doorbell camera

  Three men have been jailed for life after an an innocent grandfather was shot through his living room window in a murder which was caught on a doorbell camera.

• Council deeply saddened by theft of more than 600 items from museum collection

  A city council says it is “deeply saddened” by the theft of more than 600 artefacts from its museum collection.

• Flu cases in NHS hospitals jump 55 in one week figures show

  The number of people in hospital in England with flu remains at a record level for this time of year and has jumped by 55% in a week, NHS figures show.

• Liverpool tops generous cities list in 2025 according to fundraising platform

  Liverpool is the most generous city in the UK this year, according to figures from a fundraising platform.

• Targeted support could see 18 million savers offered help in next decade

  At least 18 million people could be offered extra help with their investments and pensions over the next decade with the “game changing” introduction of targeted support, the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) has said.

• Trump says US has seized oil tanker off coast of Venezuela

  President Donald Trump has announced that the United States has seized an oil tanker off the coast of Venezuela amid mounting tensions with the government of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro.

• Social media firms must do more to stop underage image sharing

  Social media platforms must do more to stop explicit images of children being shared online, a police chief has said.

• Doctors strike over Christmas would have different degree of risk Streeting

  The Health Secretary has warned that a resident doctors’ strike over Christmas would have a “much different degree of risk” than previous walkouts, adding that he “cannot think of a single other trade union in this country that would behave this way”.

• Ray Winstone very proud after receiving Freedom of the City of London

  English actor Ray Winstone has said he is “very proud to be a Londoner” after receiving the Freedom of the City of London.

• Iceland becomes fifth country to boycott Eurovision 2026

  Iceland’s national broadcaster RUV has confirmed it will not participate in the Eurovision Song Contest 2026.

• Author Sophie Kinsella remembered as once in a lifetime author and friend

  Bestselling author Sophie Kinsella has died after being diagnosed with a form of aggressive brain cancer.

• PM warns of lost decade of kids as 10 year youth plan launched

  Sir Keir Starmer said improving prospects for young people is “our generation’s greatest responsibility” as the Government launches its 10-year youth plan.