How long it takes to renew a UK passport, cost and if you can do it early

[ Since the UK officially left the European Union after Brexit, it has been more difficult for Brits to travel to the 27 countries remaining in the EU. Regulations have since tightened post-Brexit, as British passport holders wishing to travel to EU countries are treated as non-EU nationals. This means stricter rules for British passport … Read more

UK granting asylum to Rwandans shows country is not safe, says ex-Tory attorney general

[ Granting asylum to people from Rwanda “undermines” the Government’s claims the country is safe, the former attorney general has said. i revealed on Thursday that a further 15 Rwandans were granted asylum in the UK in the final three months of 2023, taking the total number to 21 since the Government signed its controversial … Read more

How I decide if the UK will get a white Christmas, as a Met Office meteorologist

[ The picture-postcard image of snow-blanketed festive scenes has become synonymous with Christmas thanks to Charles Dickens, Bing Crosby and, frankly, the entire Hollywood festive film output. In the UK, a white Christmas is officially announced by the Met Office – and it is a responsibility they don’t take lightly. Here, Craig Snell, a senior … Read more

Unsung city with a brewing tradition is cheapest to visit at the weekend

[ “We have all the attributes of the best-known cities in Flanders, but on a [smaller] scale – this is a living and working city where you don’t have to elbow your way through tourists to get through the street,” says Jo Celis, an engineer-architect whose passion for history led him to become a tour … Read more

the Yorkshire village with community spirit, cosy pubs and poetic links

[ Surrounded by moorland, Marsden in West Yorkshire is often overshadowed by better-known villages, such as Haworth and Saltaire. Yet it has a similarly Gothic appeal, helped by its 19th-century mills and St Bartholomew’s Church, which has a history dating to the 15th century. There is also an active pagan community that runs events such … Read more