
Vladimir Putin has urged Theresa May not to succumb to calls for a second referendum on Brexit. Speaking at his annual question and answer session with journalists, the Russian president questioned whether re-running a vote could be construed as democratic.

The boss of London's Gatwick Airport has refused to rule out the possibility of future drone disruption once the military leave. Gatwick chief operating officer Chris Woodroofe said there is currently no commercially available equipment he could put in place to neutralize the threat.

The Bank of England has kept interest rates on hold at 0.75% as it cautioned “intensified” Brexit uncertainties were slamming the brakes on UK growth. Policymakers on the Bank’s nine-strong Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) voted unanimously to keep rates unchanged in its last decision of 2018.

The Santander group has been fined more than £30m for serious failings in processing the accounts of dead customers, the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) said. The FCA found that Santander failed to transfer funds worth more than £183m to beneficiaries.

While the relationship between the UK and Argentina is changing, the UK commitment to the people and sovereignty of the Falklands is unchanging, assured Prime Minister Theresa May in her Christmas speech to the Falklands.

Another Brexit referendum will become a plausible way forward if there is deadlock in Parliament, Work and Pensions Secretary Amber Rudd has said. She told ITV's Peston show while she did not personally support another vote, the case for one would grow if MPs could not agree another solution.

The European Commission says it has started to implement its preparations for a no-deal Brexit - in case the UK leaves the EU without a plan. It has announced temporary measures to try to reduce the impact but says it cannot counter all the problems it expects.

The United Kingdom Ministry of Justice, the British-Chilean Chamber of Commerce and the British Embassy in Santiago organized a visit to Chile of UK legal professionals. The delegation of experts in maritime law visited Chile in late November to join HRH Princess Anne, who travelled to the country to join the celebrations of the Chilean Navy’s 200th anniversary.

The leader of Britain’s main opposition Labour Party, Jeremy Corbyn, said he was calling for a no-confidence vote in Prime Minister Theresa May — a largely symbolic gesture — for not putting her Brexit plan to a vote by lawmakers immediately.

British economic growth this year and in 2019 looks set to be the weakest since the country’s last recession, due to a freeze in business investment and weak consumer demand ahead of Brexit, the British Chambers of Commerce forecast on Tuesday.