1. Putin will ‘try to hide war crimes’ Volodymyr Zelenskyy has warned that Russia’s forces will try to cover up evidence of their “war crimes”, but added that “they will not be able to deceive the whole world”. The Ukrainian president is addressing the UN Security Council this afternoon in a meeting which is likely to focus on what appears to be the widespread killing of Ukrainians by Russian soldiers. Joe Biden has called for Vladimir Putin to be tried for war crimes. “You saw what happened in Bucha – he is a war criminal... but we have to gather all the detail so this can have a war crimes trial,” he said. 2. Channel 4 to be privatised The government is pressing ahead with plans to privatise Channel 4 after 40 years in public ownership. The culture secretary, Nadine Dorries, claimed that “a change of ownership will give Channel 4 the tools and freedom to flourish and thrive as a public service broadcaster long into the future”. The news has been met with horror in the industry. Veter

Neither stand-in, in short, is beloved by their party leadership, and today’s unedifying salvos showed why. After starting soberly, and welcoming the news that Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe has been freed, Angela Rayner soon lobbed attack after attack at an unending pitch. “These uncertain times require a leader with integrity, a leader that works  with  the security services,” she said – referring to recent reports that Johnson insisted on handing the Russian businessman Evgeny Lebedev a peerage despite objections from MI6 – before rising to her theme, “[and a leader] that can be trusted to say the right thing for British diplomacy, and provide security for the British people.  “Instead, Mr Speaker, we have this sorry excuse of a government sat before us. They hike tax on 27 million working people, while the super rich increase their wealth. They watch energy prices rise by over 50 per cent, while the companies enjoy profits they didn’t even expect. And they cavort with Russian oligarchs

Chelsea FC owner Roman Abramovich has been sanctioned by the UK government as part of its response to Russia's invasion of Ukraine. He is  one of seven oligarchs to be hit with fresh sanctions , including asset freezes and travel bans. The list also includes billionaires Igor Sechin and Oleg Deripaska, both seen as allies of Vladimir Putin. Prime Minister Boris Johnson said "there can be no safe havens" for those who have supported the invasion. Chelsea FC cannot sell any more tickets for games, its merchandise shop will be closed, and it will be unable to buy or sell players on the transfer market. The government said it would issue a special licence that allows fixtures to be fulfilled, staff to be paid and existing ticket holders to attend matches. Ministers have come under pressure to sanction Mr Abramovich, who  said he had made the "difficult decision" to sell Chelsea FC  earlier this month. The football club is among the assets frozen as part of the sanct

Boris Johnson has announced he will set out an Energy Independence Plan in the "course of the next few days" as April price hike looms. At Prime Minister's Questions, Mr Johnson said his government "need to meet the long term impact of the energy price spike". The announcement came as the prime minister was pressed by Sir Keir Starmer to force the Treasury into a U-turn on government support for working families, focused on the domestic implications of the Russian invasion of Ukraine. The Labour leader started by calling on Johnson to force Chancellor Rishi Sunak into a U-turn on his policy of a £200 loan to help with energy prices.

Is it time for Boris to go? Johnson admits he attended drinks party during first Lockdown . Boris Johnson apologised after admitting he attended a party at Downing Street during lockdown /> He said he thought it was a work event but now admits he should have sent everyone back inside. Boris Johnson has apologised after admitting he attended a "bring your own booze event" in the No 10 garden during the first Covid lockdown. The embattled prime minister said he believed the May 20 gathering was legal because it was a work event but admitted "there would be millions and million of people who would not see it that way." "I know the rage they feel with me and the government I lead when they think, in Downing Street itself, the rules are not being properly followed by the people making the rules," he said. "I have learned enough to know there were things we simply did not get right and I must take responsibility." He said he was at the event for 25

  Prime Minister's Question Time, also referred to as PMQs, takes place every Wednesday the House of Commons sits. It gives MPs the chance to put questions to the Prime Minister. In most cases, the session starts with a routine 'open question' from an MP about the Prime Minister's engagements. MPs can then ask supplementary questions on any subject, often one of current political significance. Want to find out more about what's happening in the House of Commons this week?  Follow the House of Commons on:  Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/HouseofCommons   Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ukhouseofcom...   Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ukhouseofco...   Thumbnail image ©UK Parliament / Jessica Taylor

 1 February COVID-19 in the UK: The government orders an extra 40 million doses of VLA2001, a vaccine from French biotech company Valneva SE, for availability later in the year and into 2022. COVID-19 in the UK: Door-to-door testing is launched, in an attempt to contain the spread of a new South African variant of the virus, after cases are found in Hertfordshire, Surrey, Kent, Walsall, Sefton and three London boroughs. Online retailer ASOS acquires the Topshop, Topman and Miss Selfridge brands for £330m, but does not retain any of the brands' 70 stores, putting 2,500 jobs at risk. 2 February COVID-19 in the UK: Public Health England (PHE) says that the UK variant of COVID-19 has mutated again and that they are investigating "worrying" new changes. Tests show cases of the new strain have a mutation called E484K that is present in the South African variant. COVID-19 in the UK: A study by the University of Oxford suggests that a single dose of the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine

1 January Boris Johnson has described the UK’s first full day of freedom from the EU as an “amazing moment for this country”. In his New Year message, the Prime Minister issued a rallying cry to Britons to make the most of independence from Brussels. Nigel Farage declares that his people’s “Purple Revolution” against Brussels and its allies in the Establishment has finally won. 2 January  A record high daily positive test figure is reported at 57,725, as the new strain of the virus continues to spread. 4 January The UK's second vaccine against COVID-19, developed by Oxford-AstraZeneca, begins to be rolled out. Most of England's primary schools reopen after the Christmas break, amid concerns over whether pupils should be returning during the current level of COVID infections. The Joint Biosecurity Centre recommends that the COVID Alert Level is moved from 4 to 5, indicating a "material risk of healthcare services being overwhelmed". Nicola Sturgeon announces tougher re

1 December MPs vote 291–78 in favour of introducing England's new COVID-19 tier system with the The Health Protection (Coronavirus, Restrictions) (All Tiers) (England) Regulations 2020, with 55 backbench Conservatives voting against the government, while another 16 abstain. Debenhams stores are set to close with the loss of 12,000 jobs after attempts to find a buyer for the retailer fell through when JD Sports pulled out. 2 December  The UK becomes the first country to approve the new Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine. 800,000 doses are planned for arrival in the coming days, with a further 40 million in 2021, enough to vaccinate 20 million people. The BBC reports that the jab is "the fastest vaccine to go from concept to reality, taking only 10 months to follow the same steps that normally span 10 years." 3 December Four people are killed after a large explosion at a waste water treatment works in Avonmouth, Bristol. The first batch of the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine arrives in the UK

3 November The UK terror threat level is raised from "substantial" to "severe", following recent Islamist attacks in France and Austria. 5 November Chancellor of the Exchequer Rishi Sunak extends the government's furlough scheme to the end of March 2021. Dominic Chappell, the former owner of BHS, is sentenced to six years in jail for tax evasion. 7 November The Scottish Government and the British Government impose a ban on non-British citizens arriving from Denmark after a new SARS-CoV-2 variant, Cluster 5, being spread from mink to humans in mink farms. Boris Johnson congratulates Joe Biden on being elected President of the United States, saying: "The US is our most important ally and I look forward to working closely together on our shared priorities, from climate change to trade and security." 9 November  The House of Lords votes by 433 to 165 to remove a section of the Internal Market Bill which allowed the government to break international law. 10

1 October  After the British government ignored its early September demands to scrap parts of the Internal Market Bill by the end of the month, the European Commission launches legal action against the UK in response to the bill, which could be used to override sections of the Brexit divorce deal. Margaret Ferrier, MP for Rutherglen and Hamilton West is suspended from the British parliamentary Scottish National Party after travelling from London to Scotland after being confirmed positive for COVID-19.   2 October  Cumbria County Council approves the first new deep coalmine for 30 years, voting 12–3 in favour. Opponents, which include Extinction Rebellion, argue that it contradicts the UK's pledge to be carbon neutral by 2050. 3 October The wettest day on record occurs, with an average of 31.7 mm (1.24 in) of rain across the entire country. 4 October A huge spike in new cases occurs from a backlog of unreported positive results, caused by an IT glitch. This results in the d

1 September The majority of schools in England, Wales and Northern Ireland reopen at full capacity early in September, following those in Scotland that did so last month, ending almost half a year of closures due to the COVID-19 pandemic. KPMG speculate that the British economy is unlikely to reach its pre-COVID level until early 2023. 4 September Construction work officially begins on the HS2 high-speed rail network. Former Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott is appointed as an unpaid trade adviser to the British government. The decision causes controversy over his past comments regarding women and LGBT people that have been labelled misogynistic and homophobic. A group of equality activists including Ian McKellen and Russell T Davies write an open letter against the appointment.             5 September Extinction Rebellion activists block access to three printing presses owned by Rupert Murdoch, delaying the publication of several national newspapers. Police arrest 6