UK: Tractor convoy in protest of farming tax change

A convoy of more than 30 slow-moving tractors, organised by farmers, took place on the A5 in Shrewsbury.The vehicles started at Halls Shrewsbury Livestock Auction Centre before driving repeatedly between…

UK: Reeves defends China visit and hails £600m boost to UK

Chancellor Rachel Reeves has defended her decision to travel to China to improve economic ties at a time when soaring government borrowing costs threaten to squeeze UK public finances.She says…

Baltic Sea: Germany says Russian ‘shadow’ ship stuck in

German authorities have said an oil tanker stuck in German waters belongs to Russia’s “shadow fleet” that Berlin says is used to avoid sanctions. Germany’s maritime authorities (CCME) said on…

USA: Biden toughens sanctions on Russian oil industry

The Biden administration has imposed some of its toughest sanctions yet on Russia, in a move designed to hit Moscow’s energy revenue that is fuelling its war in Ukraine. The…

USA: Meta and Amazon ditch diversity initiatives joining US corporate rollback

Meta and Amazon are axing their diversity programmes, joining firms across corporate America that are rolling back hiring and training initiatives criticised by conservatives, citing legal and political risks. The…

USA: Boeing and Google each give $1m for Trump inauguration

US aviation giant Boeing has told BBC News it is donating $1m (£812,600) to an inauguration fund for President-elect Donald Trump. Google has also confirmed that it has made a…

USA: TikTok appear before the US Supreme Court to prevent ban

TikTok will appear before the US Supreme Court on Friday in a last-ditch effort to overturn a ban, in a case testing the limits of national security and free speech.The…

Italy: Journalist Cecilia Sala returns home after being freed from Iranian jail

An Italian journalist has returned to Rome after spending weeks in an Iranian jail. Cecilia Sala, 29, was arrested on 19 December, three days after an Iranian engineer was detained…

UK: Man told he can’t recover £598m of Bitcoin from tip

A judge has thrown out a man’s attempt to sue a council to recover from a rubbish tip a Bitcoin hard drive that is now worth about £598m.James Howells had…

UK: Master of disguise’ shoplifter banned from county

A shoplifter who became known for his use of disguises has been jailed for 43 weeks and banned from all Boots stores as well as the county of Worcestershire. Craig…