
Britain will continue to expand trade relations with Iran despite Donald Trump’s decision to re-impose sanctions on the state, Downing Street has said. The government “regrets” the US president’s move to restore restrictions on Tehran that were lifted when it signed up to a nuclear deal in 2015, and believes the agreement makes the world a safer place, No 10 insisted.

Members of Parliament have been urged to back another Brexit referendum by 1,400 of the UK's top lawyers. They have written to Prime Minister Theresa May to say that Parliament should not be bound by the 2016 vote. “Democratic government is not frozen in time,” the letter said.

Some 10,000 flames were lit at the Tower of London to mark the centenary of the end of the First World War. Yeoman Warders, also known as Beefeaters, who have all served in the military, and representatives from the armed forces, started the process of lighting the flames at a ceremony on Sunday.

British Prime Minister Theresa May and Argentine president Mauricio Macri are scheduled to hold a bilateral meeting in the framework of the coming G20 summit to be held in Buenos Aires at the end of the month.

UK residents working for an employer who has voluntarily signed up to the real Living Wage are set for a 2.8% pay rise this week. For the first time they will receive £9 an hour. This is not to be confused with the compulsory National Living Wage, which is currently £7.83 an hour for anyone over the age of 25.

The United Kingdom and the European Union have made progress on a deal to give London’s dominant financial center basic access to EU markets after Brexit, two British officials said, but no agreement has yet been clinched.

Brexit backer Arron Banks is being investigated by the UK’s serious crime agency for “suspected criminal offences” over £8 million of campaign funding during the Brexit referendum.

Shale gas has flowed for the first time at the UK's only fracking site currently in operation, energy firm Cuadrilla says. Operations began at the Lancashire site in October for the first time since 2011 when it was suspended because of earth tremors. There have been suspensions of the renewed underground drilling operations after further tremors in the area.

Brussels and Downing Street have played down speculation about a breakthrough in Brexit talks. Reports that a Brexit deal could safeguard the City’s access to European Union markets led to an increase in the value of sterling.

Bank of England governor Mark Carney has warned interest rates could rise in the event of a no-deal Brexit if a cliff-edge withdrawal sends the pound into free fall. Mr. Carney said there are scenarios where policy “might need to be tightened in the event of a no deal, no transition Brexit”, should a plunge in the value of the pound cause inflation to surge and impact UK production.