Retail sales in the United Kingdom have fallen to their lowest level in more than four decades, according to a survey by the Confederation of British Industry (CBI). The CBI data, reported by Al Jazeera, show that the retail sales volume index dropped to -68 in April from -52 in March, marking the weakest reading since the index began in 1983. The decline is attributed to the ongoing war surrounding Iran and rising inflation concerns.

The survey also indicates growing pessimism for May, with the forecast index falling to -60, the lowest since March 2021 during the COVID-19 pandemic. CBI economist Martin Sartorius said the economic impact of the Iran conflict is becoming more evident and urged the government to recognize that reducing living costs requires lowering business expenses. The organization called on the government to ensure new labor laws do not excessively raise employer costs and recommended reducing property taxes and electricity bills.

The survey, conducted between March 26 and April 14 among 61 retail firms, found that weak consumer confidence negatively affected April sales.

More than 130 prominent individuals, including scholars, writers, and artists, have publicly challenged the United Kingdom’s ban on the pro-Palestinian group Palestine Action. They signed an open letter to the Court of Appeal ahead of a hearing in London next week, declaring their opposition to genocide and support for the group. The signatories include Irish author Sally Rooney, Swedish activist Greta Thunberg, British musician Brian Eno, and academics from Oxford and Cambridge universities.

The letter, containing only a few words, has become a symbol of the “Lift the Ban” campaign, launched after the UK government banned Palestine Action under terrorism laws in July 2025. Since then, thousands of the group’s supporters have reportedly been arrested. Professor Penny Green of Queen Mary University of London criticized the government for labeling peaceful protesters as terrorists and accused the Labour government of avoiding accountability.

Human rights organizations and UN experts have also condemned the UK’s increasing crackdown on peaceful demonstrations and urged the government to lift the ban on Palestine Action.

Egyptian forward Mohamed Salah left the field injured during Liverpool’s Premier League match against Crystal Palace, raising speculation that it might have been his final appearance for the club. Salah was substituted in the 59th minute after suffering a hamstring injury and waved to the crowd as he exited, a gesture many interpreted as a farewell. Liverpool coach Arne Slot said the severity of the injury was still uncertain, but with only a few weeks left in the season, Salah’s return appears doubtful.

Egypt national team director Ibrahim Hassan stated that Salah could need around four weeks to recover, suggesting he may have already played his last match for Liverpool. The forward is expected to end his nine-year spell with the club at the conclusion of the current season. Since joining from AS Roma in 2017, Salah has scored 257 goals in 435 appearances, ranking third among Liverpool’s all-time top scorers. However, his current season’s performance has been below par, with only seven league goals.

The uncertainty now centers on whether Salah will recover in time to play again for Liverpool or if his farewell has already taken place.

A new report has revealed that more than 400,000 people are diagnosed with cancer each year in the United Kingdom, marking a record high and signaling growing pressure on the country's healthcare system. According to Cancer Research UK, around 403,000 new cancer cases are identified annually, averaging about 1,100 new patients daily or one every 80 seconds.

The report attributes this rise mainly to population growth and an aging demographic, along with increasing obesity rates and smoking habits. It notes that smoking alone causes approximately 57,700 cancer cases each year. While survival rates have improved significantly, with about half of patients now living at least ten years after diagnosis, the report warns that progress could stall without stronger preventive and diagnostic measures.

Cancer Research UK urged governments across the UK to expand screening programs, reduce preventable risks, and invest more in research and healthcare to ensure sustainable improvements in patient outcomes.

More than 80 former British diplomats, including 60 ambassadors and high commissioners, have called on the United Kingdom and its allies to take stronger measures against Israel’s settlement expansion in the occupied West Bank. In a letter published Friday in the Financial Times, they warned that current policies are encouraging territorial annexation and undermining international law.

The diplomats argued that Israel’s expansionist activities in the occupied Palestinian territories amount to accelerating the occupation process. They said Israel is violating both the EU–Israel Association Agreement and the UK–Israel Trade and Partnership Agreement, which require respect for human rights and democratic principles. The letter cited growing settlements, discrimination against Palestinians, and what it described as state-backed settler violence as evidence of these breaches.

The signatories urged the EU to suspend its cooperation agreements with Israel, ban trade with settlements, halt arms transfers, and limit Israel’s participation in EU programs. They also called on the UK to ban all trade with settlements and review its agreements with Israel, stressing that condemnation alone is insufficient and urging the government to take effective action.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky accused Russia of engaging in 'nuclear terrorism' during a speech on Sunday marking the 40th anniversary of the Chernobyl nuclear reactor disaster. According to a report by AFP, Zelensky said that Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine had once again brought the world to the brink of a man-made catastrophe.

Zelensky alleged that Russian drones regularly fly over the Chernobyl nuclear power plant and that one drone struck the site’s protective structure last year. He urged the international community not to allow such 'nuclear terrorism' to continue, emphasizing that the best way to stop it would be to compel Russia to end its reckless attacks.

The Chernobyl disaster occurred in 1986 and remains one of the most severe nuclear accidents in history, serving as a grim reminder of the potential dangers of nuclear mishandling.

At least eight people were killed and 49 injured in a 20-hour Russian drone and missile assault on the central-eastern Ukrainian city of Dnipro, local authorities said on Saturday. The attack, which began before dawn and continued into the afternoon, struck residential areas, businesses, and energy infrastructure. Officials described it as the largest attack on Dnipro to date. Among the injured were two children and a city mayor’s adviser. Additional casualties were reported in other parts of the Dnipropetrovsk region and in neighboring Zaporizhzhia.

Ukraine’s air force reported that Russia launched 619 drones and 47 missiles overnight, most of which were intercepted. The Russian defense ministry claimed it targeted Ukrainian military sites, denying attacks on civilians. A drone also crashed in Romania, prompting evacuations and the deployment of British fighter jets. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, visiting Azerbaijan, urged the international community to respond more firmly to Russia’s actions.

The Dnipropetrovsk region is a key industrial area located about 100 kilometers from the front line. Diplomatic efforts to end the war remain stalled, with peace initiatives disrupted by other global conflicts.

In eastern Ukraine, remotely controlled ground robots carrying 66 pounds of explosives are being deployed toward Russian positions, supported by drones that clear paths with aerial bombs. One robot detonates near enemy lines while others remain behind to observe. The footage, recorded last summer, illustrates Ukraine’s adoption of new combat methods, according to the country’s leaders.

Facing manpower shortages, Kyiv is expanding its use of drones and automated weapons for defense. President Volodymyr Zelensky stated that an attack in the Kharkiv region last year demonstrated Ukraine’s ability to seize Russian positions using automated systems alone. Although ground robots are typically used for logistics and medical evacuations, Ukraine is increasingly employing them for offensive operations.

According to the Defense Ministry, Ukrainian forces conducted over 9,000 frontline missions in March using drones equipped with explosives, machine guns, or rockets. While slower and more visible than quadcopter drones, ground robots can carry heavier explosive loads, though they remain vulnerable to enemy fire and have limited operational lifespans of about 24 hours.

A major fire erupted early Sunday at the United Kingdom’s RAF Fairford airbase, which has been used in operations against Iran. According to reports, firefighters from Gloucestershire Fire and Rescue Service battled the blaze for several hours before bringing it under control. Video footage shared on social media showed smoke rising from the base’s commissary building, whose roof collapsed due to the intensity of the fire. Authorities advised nearby residents to keep doors and windows closed. No casualties or damage to Royal Air Force aircraft were reported.

The British government had allowed the U.S. Air Force to use the base after the Middle East war began in March. American bombers have been deployed from Fairford for so-called defensive missions against Iran, reducing flight time from the U.S. by nearly half. On Saturday, around 200 protesters gathered outside the base, calling for an end to the war in Iran and the withdrawal of U.S. forces from British bases.

RAF Fairford, built in 1944, is one of only two European bases capable of hosting all three U.S. long-range bombers: the B-1 Lancer, B-2 Spirit, and B-52 Stratofortress.

Two civilians were killed in a Russian drone attack in Ukraine’s northeastern Sumy region, according to the local military administration. The strike targeted a civilian area in the Bilopillia community, less than five kilometers from the Russian border. The victims were two men aged 48 and 72, local officials confirmed.

The report noted that Moscow has been conducting hundreds of drone attacks across various parts of Ukraine almost daily amid the ongoing war. In response, Kyiv has continued to strike Russian energy and military targets. Separately, in Russian-occupied Crimea’s Sevastopol, a Ukrainian drone attack killed one person inside a car and damaged several houses and a dance school.

Russia’s defense ministry claimed to have shot down 43 drones during the Sevastopol incident. The previous day, at least eight people were killed in a Russian assault on the central-southern city of Dnipro, which lasted nearly 20 hours in multiple waves, according to Ukrainian authorities.

More than 130 public figures have written to the UK’s Court of Appeal expressing support for Palestine Action ahead of a key hearing on the government’s ban of the group. The letter, released Friday with 132 signatures, declared: “We oppose genocide, we support Palestine Action.” The appeal hearings are scheduled for April 28 and 29, when the court will consider the government’s attempt to uphold its proscription of the organisation.

Signatories include author Sally Rooney, climate activist Greta Thunberg, and scholar Judith Butler, along with musicians Nadine Shah and Brian Eno, and academics from universities such as Cambridge, Oxford, Yale, Columbia, and the London School of Economics. The UK government designated Palestine Action a “terrorist organisation” in July 2025, making membership or support punishable by up to 14 years in prison. In February, the High Court ruled the ban unlawful and disproportionate, but the government appealed the decision.

Activist group Defend Our Juries warned that signatories could face terrorism charges, calling the ban authoritarian. More than 500 protesters were arrested earlier this month after police reversed a previous decision to refrain from arrests while the appeal is pending.

Russia and Ukraine conducted a prisoner exchange on Friday, releasing a total of 386 soldiers, with each side freeing 193 individuals. According to Russia’s Defense Ministry, the United Arab Emirates and the United States acted as humanitarian mediators in facilitating the exchange. The freed Russian soldiers are receiving medical and psychological assistance in Belarus before being repatriated to Russia.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky announced that 193 Ukrainian fighters returned home as part of the exchange. In a post on social media platform X, he said the released personnel include members of the armed forces, National Guard, border guards, national police, and the State Special Transport Service. Some of those freed had been facing criminal charges in Russia, and several were wounded soldiers.

The exchange follows a previous swap on April 11, when Moscow and Kyiv exchanged 175 prisoners each, marking another step in ongoing humanitarian negotiations between the two countries.

A high-level two-day meeting begins Wednesday in London to discuss ways to ensure safe and normal shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, one of the world’s most critical maritime trade routes. The conference is jointly organized by the governments of France, led by Emmanuel Macron, and the United Kingdom. Defense ministers, senior military officials, and planners from more than 30 countries are expected to attend. Over a dozen nations have already expressed interest in joining a UK- and France-led international mission to protect navigation in the area.

According to Reuters, nearly 50 countries from Europe, Asia, and the Middle East have shown willingness to participate in the proposed mission. The London meeting follows an online video conference involving about 50 nations, where the decision to convene this gathering was finalized. The UK Ministry of Defence stated that the meeting aims to translate diplomatic consensus into a joint plan supporting a lasting ceasefire and freedom of navigation in the strait.

Analysts note that security in the Strait of Hormuz is vital for global trade and energy supply, but recent regional tensions and the Iran-Israel conflict have sharply reduced commercial traffic, affecting global energy markets.

The United Kingdom has passed a new law aimed at creating a smoke-free generation by banning the sale of all tobacco products to individuals born after 2008. According to The Guardian, the bill on tobacco and vaping received approval from both houses of Parliament and is awaiting royal assent to become law. Once enacted, it will prohibit the sale of tobacco to anyone born on or after January 1, 2009, gradually phasing out tobacco use nationwide.

The bill was first introduced on November 5, 2024, and completed its legislative journey after the House of Lords approved amendments from the House of Commons. Policymakers expect the measure to break the cycle of addiction and significantly reduce smoking-related health risks. Statistics show that in England alone, smoking leads to about 400,000 hospital admissions and 64,000 deaths annually, costing the National Health Service billions of pounds each year.

Health Secretary Wes Streeting described the bill as a historic step for public health, saying it will protect future generations from addiction and tobacco-related harm while promoting a healthier society.

At least twelve leading universities in the United Kingdom, including Oxford, Imperial College London, and the London School of Economics, have hired a private intelligence agency run by former military officers to monitor their own students and staff. According to a joint investigation by Al Jazeera English and Liberty Investigates, the surveillance targeted individuals expressing solidarity with Palestine. The firm, Horus Security Consultancy Limited, reportedly received about £440,000 since 2022 to conduct social media monitoring and secret counterterrorism threat assessments using artificial intelligence.

The investigation found that Manchester Metropolitan University requested a secret counterterrorism assessment on Palestinian-origin scholar Rabab Ibrahim Abdulhadi, while Bristol University asked the firm to monitor pro-Palestinian and animal rights activists. The United Nations special rapporteur Gina Romero described the surveillance as a matter of serious legal concern, and the University and College Union’s general secretary Jo Grady called it shameful. Horus declined to respond to Al Jazeera’s questions.

Imperial College and the University of Sheffield denied conducting surveillance, stating they only analyzed publicly available data to maintain campus safety. Horus, founded in 2006, is led by former military intelligence officers, including Colonel Tim Collins, who previously criticized pro-Palestinian protests.