World News
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Finland PM issues apology to Japan, China and South Korea after MPs’ racist posts spark outcry
Finland’s Prime Minister Petteri Orpo has issued a formal apology to Japan, China and South Korea after three members of parliament caused international outrage by posting images online inRead More... -
Federal police to pull out of Antwerp’s Jewish quarter from January
Antwerp’s Jewish quarter will lose 16 federal police officers currently assigned to its protection from 1 January, mayor Els van Doesburg confirmed on Tuesday during the Play4 talk showRead More... -
EU moves to end Russian gas imports by 2027
The European Parliament has approved legislation to phase out Russian gas imports, marking a major shift in the EU’s energy policy and efforts to curb Moscow’s influence over the bloc’sRead More... -
French court jails DR Congo ex-rebel leader Lumbala for crimes against humanity
A French court on December 15 sentenced former Congolese rebel leader Roger Lumbala to 30 years in prison for complicity in crimes against humanity committed during the Second CongoRead More... -
Louvre shuts as staff strike over working conditions
The Louvre Museum closed its doors on Monday, turning away thousands of visitors after staff launched a rolling strike to protest deteriorating working conditions at the Paris landmark, justRead More...

Culture
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Captain John Narbrough’s journal faces export ban amid fears it could leave the UK
A rare 17th-century manuscript journal documenting Captain John Narbrough’s secret expedition to Spanish America and the Pacific has been placed under a temporary export ban, giving UKRead More... -
Earliest evidence of human fire-making unearthed in Suffolk
A team led by the British Museum has uncovered what is now the earliest known evidence of humans deliberately making fire—dating back around 400,000 years—at a site in Barnham,Read More... -
Rothschild 15th-century prayer book set to fetch up to $7 million at Sotheby’s auction
Ultra-rare 15th-century mahzor features vivid medieval illustrationsRead More... -
Ray Winstone honoured with Freedom of the City of London
Ray Winstone, one of the UK’s most celebrated ‘hard man’ actors, has been awarded the Freedom of the City of London in recognition of his extensive charitable and fundraising work.Read More... -
Golden Globe 2026 nominations announced ahead of January ceremony
The nominations for the 83rd annual Golden Globe Awards were unveiled on Monday, setting the stage for the first major awards ceremony of the season on January 11.Read More... -
Mayor of London granted right to use historic GLC coat of arms
The Mayor of London has been officially granted permission to use the historic coat of arms once belonging to the former Greater London Council (GLC), following approval from the King.Read More... -
Who will shape the National Gallery’s tomorrow? Architects shortlisted for landmark expansion
The National Gallery has announced a shortlist of six architectural teams competing to design a major new wing as part of its ambitious £750 million Project DomaniRead More... -
National Gallery unveils ambitious exhibition programme for 2026
The National Gallery has announced a landmark line-up of exhibitions for 2026, spanning five centuries of European art and bringing together rare loans, first-ever UK presentations, and iconicRead More... -
OUP India launches 100 libraries for underprivileged children across Uttar Pradesh
Oxford University Press (OUP) India has partnered with the National Book Trust (NBT) to establish 100 libraries for underprivileged children across Anganwadi centres inRead More... -
Children’s author Iryna Kotlyarevska: “Stories born from family evenings”
Iryna Kotlyarevska is a name increasingly found on the shelves of family libraries. A mother of four, a Bachelor of Philosophy, a Master of Political Science, and the creator of the worlds ofRead More... -
Ashmolean Museum passes one million visitors for first time since 2008
The Ashmolean Museum in Oxford has recorded more than one million visitors in a single year, the first time it has reached the milestone in 16 years, the institutionRead More... -
Writer’s Award 2026 honours Jacqueline Crooks and Vanessa Londoño
Jacqueline Crooks and Vanessa Londoño have been named the 2026 recipients of the Eccles Institute and Hay Festival Global Writer’s Award. The announcement was made Monday evening atRead More...

British Queen celebrates
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Comment

UK Statement for the Interactive Dialogue with the Commission of Inquiry on Ukraine. Delivered by the UK's Permanent Representative to the WTO and UN, Simon Manley.

Presented at the United Nations in Geneva, the United Kingdom delivered a statement during the Interactive Dialogue with the Special Rapporteur on Torture at the 55th session of the
The UK Government has issued a statement on the 10th Anniversary of the Russian annexation of Crimea.

Statement from Minister of State for the Middle East, following publication of a report from the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) which finds Daesh responsible for
Ambassador Neil Holland thanks the ODIHR mission for observing the Presidential election that took place on 7 February in Azerbaijan.

Defence Secretary Grant Shapps delivered a speech at the 2024 World Defense Show in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
The UK's Permanent Representative to the WTO and UN, Simon Manley, delivered a statement during Mauritius's Universal Periodic Review (UPR) at the Human Rights Council in Geneva.
Statement by Ambassador Barbara Woodward at the UN Security Council meeting on Ukraine.
Well, Happy New Year, everyone. Thank you, Christopher, for that kind introduction. I’m delighted to be invited to join you here in Oxford today. And as someone who represents a farming

As another New Year dawns, I’d like to pass on my best wishes for 2024 to my fellow Scots at home and abroad.

