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UK News News 15 December 2025 - 2 January 2026

UK New Year Honours 2026: Ex-Aviva leader Cathryn Riley and Lloyd’s Dhruv Patel get CBEs

UK New Year Honours 2026: Ex-Aviva leader Cathryn Riley and Lloyd’s Dhruv Patel get CBEs

NEW YORK, January 2, 2026, 05:44 ET Former Aviva executive Cathryn Riley has been named a Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) in Britain’s 2026 New Year Honours list, Insurance Post reported on Friday. Dhruv Patel, a London-based civic leader linked to the insurance market, was also appointed a CBE. The New Year Honours list is a closely watched annual roll-call of people recognised by King Charles for service in public life, business and charity. A CBE is a senior grade in the UK’s honours system. For insurers, the awards land at the start of a new
2 January 2026
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Lloyds Bank closures start this month as 17 UK branches set to shut in January 2026

Lloyds Bank closures start this month as 17 UK branches set to shut in January 2026

NEW YORK, January 2, 2026, 05:38 ET Lloyds Bank will close 17 branches across Britain in January, according to closure notices posted on the lender’s branch locator website. The first closures are scheduled for Jan. 8, including the bank’s branch in Gillingham, Dorset. The timetable matters now because it lands at the start of the year, when households and small businesses often still depend on counter services for cash deposits, withdrawals and in-person support. In many towns, losing a local branch means longer travel for basic banking, particularly for older customers and people who do not bank online. The branch
2 January 2026
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New Year’s supermarket opening times UK: Tesco and Asda cut hours as Aldi shuts Jan. 1

New Year’s supermarket opening times UK: Tesco and Asda cut hours as Aldi shuts Jan. 1

NEW YORK, December 31, 2025, 03:53 ET Britain’s Aldi will close its UK stores on New Year’s Day, according to the discounter’s holiday opening hours. ALDI The timing matters because Wednesday is New Year’s Eve, a peak day for last-minute grocery runs ahead of celebrations. New Year’s Day is a UK bank holiday, and shorter trading windows can leave fewer options for shoppers. Retailers are publishing holiday schedules branch by branch, and hours can differ sharply between big supermarkets and smaller convenience formats. Most chains are directing customers to check store locators for specific sites before travelling. In London, local
31 December 2025
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Tesco gives away free apples for kids in 800 UK stores as New Year health push begins

Tesco gives away free apples for kids in 800 UK stores as New Year health push begins

NEW YORK, December 30, 2025, 06:08 ET Tesco will give free British-grown apples to children at the checkout in more than 800 large UK stores from Dec. 30 to Jan. 13 under its “Less to pay for 5-a-day” campaign, the retailer said on Tuesday. It expects to hand out more than 3 million apples sourced from six UK suppliers, extend the offer to families using its Click and Collect pickup service at 119 large stores, and run “Clubcard Challenges” from Jan. 12 to Feb. 22 to reward purchases of fruit and vegetables, beans and pulses, canned products and dried fruit.
30 December 2025
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UK passengers warned of higher air fares as regional airports face sharp property-tax hikes

UK passengers warned of higher air fares as regional airports face sharp property-tax hikes

NEW YORK, December 29, 2025, 13:03 ET Air travellers across the UK could face higher ticket prices next year as regional airports brace for steep increases in business rates, the property tax charged on commercial sites, according to a PA Media analysis of government data. (The Guardian) The warning matters now because the higher tax bills would raise fixed costs for airports outside London that rely heavily on airline fees to fund day-to-day operations and investment, industry figures said. AirportsUK, which represents the sector, is preparing a response to a Treasury consultation on business rates that closes in February, and
29 December 2025
UK pothole claims surge 91% — but most drivers get nothing back, RAC says

UK pothole claims surge 91% — but most drivers get nothing back, RAC says

NEW YORK, December 29, 2025, 07:18 ET Pothole compensation claims made to councils in Britain jumped 91% over three years, as motorists sought reimbursement for damage blamed on deteriorating road surfaces, the RAC said on Monday. RAC Media Centre The figures land as the government presses local authorities to move from short-term patching to longer-term maintenance, after announcing multi-year funding settlements for councils, the motoring organisation said. RAC Media Centre The RAC data also shows how slim the odds are for drivers trying to recover repair costs, with councils rejecting the vast majority of claims even as the number filed
29 December 2025
UK energy customers urged to take a year-end meter reading ahead of Jan. 1 price cap change

UK energy customers urged to take a year-end meter reading ahead of Jan. 1 price cap change

NEW YORK, December 29, 2025, 05:42 ET Key points Go.Compare on Monday urged British households to submit gas and electricity meter readings on Dec. 31, saying it can help prevent billing errors as the country’s energy price cap resets in January. GoCompare News The timing matters because rates on “standard variable” deals — default tariffs for customers not on a fixed-price contract — are set to change from Jan. 1. A reading near year-end helps suppliers split usage between the outgoing and incoming rates rather than relying on estimates. GoCompare News+1 The warning comes as winter energy use typically rises
29 December 2025
Nationwide £50 Bonus Cheque Deadline: How to Claim the “Big Nationwide Thank You” Before 1 January 2026

Nationwide £50 Bonus Cheque Deadline: How to Claim the “Big Nationwide Thank You” Before 1 January 2026

With New Year just days away, Nationwide Building Society is urging members who received a paper cheque—rather than an automatic bank credit—to pay it in before 1 January 2026 or risk losing the money. Nationwide says all payments under its “Big Nationwide Thank You” scheme have already been issued, but cheques must be paid in by the deadline to avoid missing out. Nationwide+2Nationwide+2 The timing matters: 1 January 2026 is a UK bank holiday, so leaving it to the last moment could be a gamble if your bank’s cheque-deposit options (branch, app, or Post Office) are limited over the holiday
28 December 2025
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Lloyds and Halifax Branch Closures 2026: Full List of 55 UK Bank Branches Shutting, Key Dates, and What Customers Can Do

Lloyds and Halifax Branch Closures 2026: Full List of 55 UK Bank Branches Shutting, Key Dates, and What Customers Can Do

Dozens of Lloyds Bank and Halifax branches are set to close across the UK in 2026, as Lloyds Banking Group continues to reshape its high-street footprint amid a long-term shift toward digital banking. A widely shared closure schedule lists 55 sites earmarked to shut next year — 40 Lloyds Bank branches and 15 Halifax branches — with closures starting in January 2026 and further dates running into October 2026. GB News+2GB News+2 Alongside the closure timetable, both banks publish branch-specific “Closing Branch Review” documents and guidance on alternatives such as nearby branches, Post Offices, and planned Banking Hubs. Lloyds Bank+1
28 December 2025
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Taco Bell Approved Near Merry Hill as UK Fast-Food Expansion Accelerates and Christmas Toy Deals Intensify

Taco Bell Approved Near Merry Hill as UK Fast-Food Expansion Accelerates and Christmas Toy Deals Intensify

December 23, 2025 — A new Taco Bell is on the way to one of the West Midlands’ busiest shopping corridors, after planners approved a move into a long-vacant retail park unit near Merry Hill. The decision lands during the peak Christmas rush, when retailers are fighting for footfall with late-season discounts — even as authorities warn families to avoid “too good to be true” toy bargains that could be counterfeit and unsafe. Together, the stories underline a wider December pattern: retail parks doubling down on food-and-drink anchors, and shoppers chasing value — whether that means a quick-service meal on
23 December 2025
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Royal Mail Delivery Delays: Full List of 92 Affected UK Postcodes in the Latest Service Update (22 December 2025)

Royal Mail Delivery Delays: Full List of 92 Affected UK Postcodes in the Latest Service Update (22 December 2025)

Royal Mail has issued a fresh operational update for Monday, 22 December 2025, confirming that deliveries and collections are taking place across the UK today—but warning that a small number of delivery offices are still facing disruption, which can lead to later-than-usual deliveries in certain areas. Royal Mail With Christmas just days away, the latest update will matter to anyone waiting on cards, letters, medication, or last-minute parcels—and to households already reporting that post has been arriving in batches after long gaps rather than on a regular daily round. Below is what Royal Mail says is happening, why it’s happening,
22 December 2025
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Evri Christmas Delivery Problems: Panorama Investigation, Missing Parcels and MPs Demand Answers Ahead of 2025 Festive Rush

Evri Christmas Delivery Problems: Panorama Investigation, Missing Parcels and MPs Demand Answers Ahead of 2025 Festive Rush

December 16, 2025 — With Christmas deliveries entering their most time-sensitive stretch, UK parcel carrier Evri is facing intensifying scrutiny from regulators, politicians and consumers after a wave of complaints about missing parcels, confusing proof-of-delivery photos, and inconsistent customer support. In the past 24–72 hours, the story has broken in multiple directions: a BBC Panorama investigation into delivery practices and pay pressure, local anger in England over parcels marked “delivered” but not received, and political interventions from MPs in Northern Ireland and across Great Britain demanding answers from Evri’s chief executive, Martijn de Lange. upday News+2Robin Swann MP+2 What is
15 December 2025
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Stock Market Today

Meta stock faces an AI split: ad gains vs a $135 billion bill

Meta stock faces an AI split: ad gains vs a $135 billion bill

7 February 2026
Meta shares dropped 1.3% to $661.46 on Friday after the company projected 2026 capital spending of up to $135 billion, raising investor concerns over cash flow. Meta reported Q4 revenue of $59.89 billion, up 24% year-over-year, with ad impressions rising 18%. Analysts remain divided on whether AI-driven ad gains can offset the steep spending ramp.
IAG share price jumps toward a 52-week peak — what to watch before London reopens

IAG share price jumps toward a 52-week peak — what to watch before London reopens

7 February 2026
IAG shares rose 4.33% to 438.50 pence Friday, near their 52-week high, ahead of full-year results due later this month. The company reported 162,073,135 treasury shares and total voting rights of 4,565,128,012. Brent crude fell 2.2% Thursday to $67.93 a barrel. South Europe Ground Services logged 712,340 operations in 2025 and seeks approval to operate in Portugal.
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