News 02/08/25

Hamas says it will not lay down its weapons unless an independent Palestinian state is created with Jerusalem as its capital.

The militant group issued the statement following reports that a US envoy had suggested Hamas was open to disarmament. In a strongly worded response, Hamas reaffirmed its position, calling armed resistance a legitimate and legal right while the occupation continues.

The statement added this right could only be relinquished once full national rights are restored, including the establishment of a sovereign Palestinian state with Jerusalem at its heart.

Police in Taplow are looking for a man they believe may have crucial information about a robbery outside Tesco on Bath Road.

The incident happened around 2:30pm on Friday the 27th of June, when a man in his seventies was targeted while withdrawing cash. His wallet was stolen, and he suffered minor injuries during the robbery.

Thames Valley Police have released an image of the man they want to speak to.

Pop star Dua Lipa says being granted Kosovo citizenship has brought together two sides of her identity.

Born in London to Kosovan-Albanian parents, she briefly lived in Pristina at age 11 after her family returned following Kosovo’s independence. President Vjosa Osmani awarded the singer citizenship during a special ceremony, calling her one of Kosovo’s most iconic cultural figures.

Lipa said the honour completes the duality she’s always felt, adding that she and her family are deeply proud.

Several people have been detained after rival protests clashed outside a north London hotel housing asylum seekers.

Demonstrators gathered near the Thistle City Barbican Hotel in Islington, waving union flags and chanting slogans including “get these scum off our streets.” Police imposed restrictions after scuffles broke out between protesters and counter-protesters.

The main demonstration, organised by local residents, was under the banner “Thistle Barbican needs to go – locals say no.”

American sprint star Sha’Carri Richardson was arrested last weekend on suspicion of domestic violence.

The 25-year-old 100m world champion was detained at Seattle-Tacoma airport following an alleged assault involving her boyfriend, fellow sprinter Christian Coleman. Police say they were alerted by TSA staff to a disturbance between the pair.

The arrest happened just four days before Richardson competed in the US Track and Field Championships in Oregon.

A 76-year-old man has been remanded in custody after appearing in court charged with child cruelty offences.

Jon Ruben faced magistrates in Leicester on Saturday, following an incident at a summer camp in Stathern, Leicestershire. He’s accused of wilfully assaulting or neglecting three boys between the 25th and 29th of July, in a way likely to cause unnecessary suffering or injury.

Ruben only spoke to confirm his name, age and address. He’ll remain in custody until his next court appearance.

Heathrow’s proposed £49 billion expansion has received a mixed reaction from local residents.

The plan includes building a third runway, a new terminal, and rerouting the M25 in a tunnel underneath the airport. Heathrow’s CEO, Thomas Woldbye, said the expansion is urgent and necessary to modernise the UK’s busiest airport.

But in Datchet, Berkshire, which sits under the flight path, some residents welcomed the economic boost while others raised concerns about increased noise and traffic.

Kemi Badenoch says she no longer sees herself as Nigerian, despite spending her childhood in Lagos.

The Conservative leader was born in Wimbledon but lived in Nigeria until the country’s economic crisis in the 1990s. At 16, she returned to the UK alone to continue her education.

Speaking on the Rosebud podcast with Gyles Brandreth, Badenoch said she no longer holds a Nigerian passport and, as most of her life has been in Britain, she doesn’t identify as Nigerian.

Two siblings who drowned while on holiday in Spain have been named, as donations to support their family pass £40,000.

Ameiya and Ricardo Junior Parris, aged 13 and 11, died on Tuesday evening after getting into difficulty in the sea off Llarga beach in Salou. Their father, Ricardo, also got into trouble trying to save them. He was pulled from the water unconscious but later released from hospital with concussion.

The family had been staying at the Hotel Best Negresco with their six children when tragedy struck.

Tesla has been found partly responsible for the death of a young woman hit by one of its vehicles while in Autopilot mode.

Naibel Benavides was stargazing in Florida in 2019 when she was struck by the electric car, which sent her 22 metres through the air. Her boyfriend was seriously injured in the crash, and her body was found in a wooded area nearby.

A jury has now awarded $243 million in damages to her family and partner Dillon Angulo.