News 03/09/25

At least fifteen people have been killed and eighteen others injured after the Gloria funicular in Lisbon derailed and crashed.

Emergency services say five of the injured are in a serious condition. The tram-like funicular, popular with tourists, was left almost completely destroyed. Video showed rescuers pulling people from the wreckage. Authorities say foreign nationals are among the victims but have not released identities.

Two women have been arrested after a Sky News interview in Nuneaton was disrupted by shouting.

Warwickshire Police confirmed a 30-year-old and a 43-year-old woman were both arrested on suspicion of public order offences, with the older woman also held on suspicion of racially aggravated common assault. The force says the arrests form part of an investigation into an incident widely shared on social media.

Thames Valley Police has released images of a man officers want to trace following a voyeurism incident in Maidenhead.

At around 2.50pm on July 20, inappropriate photos were taken of a woman in her thirties in a shop on High Street. Officers say the man in the images may have vital information and have urged the public to view the images.

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Vladimir Putin has warned Russia is ready to keep fighting unless Ukraine agrees to a deal.

Speaking in China after a large military parade, he dismissed US pressure despite what he called President Donald Trump’s “sincere desire” to end the conflict. Meanwhile, in Kyiv, UK Defence Secretary John Healey told the BBC Trump had at least brought Putin to the negotiating table, but pressure may still be needed.

A company set up by “Britain’s kindest plumber” has breached fundraising rules, according to a regulator.

James Anderson’s firm, Depher Community Plumbing and Heating, became famous for offering free boilers to vulnerable people during the cost-of-living crisis. The campaign attracted over £2m in donations, but an investigation found some of the stories shared online had been faked.

Topshop is set to return to the High Street five years after closing all UK stores.

From February 2026, the brand will be sold in 32 John Lewis shops, with Topman returning in six. Once a staple of 2000s fashion, Topshop disappeared after Sir Philip Green’s retail empire collapsed. Online retailer Asos later bought the brand, before selling a majority stake to Danish tycoon Anders Holch Povlsen, who is now leading its comeback.

The governor of the Bank of England has warned there is now “considerably more doubt” over when future interest rate cuts might happen.

Andrew Bailey told MPs that inflation risks had increased and he was more concerned about weakness in the labour market. Bank forecasts expect inflation to rise to four percent this year, double the two percent target, from its current level of three-point-eight.

Bailey said there was uncertainty over when and how quickly rates could be reduced further.

A convicted rapist who staged his own death and fled the UK has been found guilty.

Fifty-seven-year-old James Clacher was convicted at the High Court in Glasgow of violently raping two women. The former gym boss vanished in May 2022 while awaiting trial, leaving his car and a suicide note at Loch Long in Argyll and Bute.

Angela Rayner has admitted she did not pay the correct amount of stamp duty on the purchase of her second home and has referred herself to the independent adviser on ministerial standards.

The deputy prime minister became emotional as she said she received incorrect tax advice and even discussed with her family the idea of stepping down.

The Daily Telegraph reported she avoided forty thousand pounds in stamp duty on a flat in Hove by removing her name from the deeds of another property in Greater Manchester. In a statement today, Ms Rayner described the situation as a complex living arrangement, explaining her first home was sold to a trust after her divorce to provide security for her teenage son, who has lifelong disabilities.

The Treasury has confirmed that the Budget will be delivered on the 26th of November.

The statement, presented by the chancellor, will set out government plans for tax, spending and priorities across health, education, policing and other public services.

Police leaders say protests over the use of hotels for asylum seekers are placing forces under what they call chronic pressure.

Chief Constable Gavin Stephens, who chairs the National Police Chiefs’ Council, warned that those in positions of influence must avoid sowing division. Senior officers are increasingly worried about misinformation being spread on social media.

Between June and late August, more than three thousand protests were reported, up on last year’s figures and more than triple the number in 2023.

Xi Jinping has hailed what he called the “great regeneration of China” as he hosted Vladimir Putin and Kim Jong Un at Beijing’s largest ever military parade.

The three leaders, described by some as an “axis of upheaval,” watched tanks, troops and heavy weaponry roll through the Chinese capital. The event marked the 80th anniversary of Japan’s defeat in the Second World War, with President Xi paying tribute to soldiers who fought what he called “the Japanese invaders.”

Liz Truss has defended her short-lived time as prime minister, insisting the real blame for the turmoil of 2022 lay with the Bank of England.

Speaking nearly three years after her resignation, she argued she was not “captain of the ship” when unfunded tax cuts worth £45 billion caused economic chaos. Ms Truss also called for what she described as “institutional change” in Britain, comparing her approach to Donald Trump’s “revolution” in the US.

The government is planning new legislation in England to ban under-16s from buying energy drinks.

The rules would cover shops, restaurants, cafes, vending machines and online sales of brands such as Red Bull, Monster and Prime. Research suggests around a third of UK children drink them weekly, despite a voluntary ban in most supermarkets. Health Secretary Wes Streeting said the law would respond to concerns from parents and teachers and protect young people’s health.