News 04/08/25

Sir Keir Starmer and French President Emmanuel Macron’s new migrant deal is set to come into force on Tuesday, with detentions expected to begin by the end of the week.

The “one in, one out” pilot scheme allows the UK to return some people who crossed the Channel illegally, in exchange for asylum seekers in France with family ties to Britain. The European Commission has now given the plan the green light, just days after it was formally signed. This comes as Channel crossings continue to rise.

New figures from the PA news agency show over 25,000 people have already made the journey this year — almost 50 percent more than this time last year.

Police have released new images of suspects wanted over last summer’s riots across parts of the UK.

Forty people are being sought by forces including Merseyside, Greater Manchester, Cleveland, Northumbria and Avon and Somerset. Some are suspected of serious public order offences, including throwing bricks and carrying out violent assaults.

The unrest was fuelled by false claims that a man responsible for killing three girls in Southport was an asylum seeker.

A four-year-old girl has died following an incident at a swimming pool in Stoke-on-Trent.

Emergency services were called to Waterworld on Festival Way just after 4.20 yesterday afternoon. Police say the girl was found in a critical condition and received immediate treatment from staff and paramedics before being taken to hospital. Despite the efforts of doctors, she was pronounced dead a short time later.

An investigation is now under way.

The Met Office says Storm Floris has now produced gusts reaching 124 miles per hour in the Cairngorms in northern Scotland — up from 122mph recorded earlier. That’s well above the forecasted 90.

Meanwhile, around 2,700 homes, farms and businesses in the Republic of Ireland remain without power.

Electricity provider ESB Networks says crews are working through the night to restore supply.

Dame Stella Rimington, the first woman to lead MI5, has died at the age of 90.

Her family say she passed away peacefully, surrounded by loved ones and her dogs, adding she held on to life “until her last breath.” Dame Stella ran the security service from 1992 to 1996, and later became a successful novelist.

She’s widely believed to have inspired Dame Judi Dench’s version of M in the Bond films.

The Kremlin is calling for restraint over nuclear rhetoric after Donald Trump said he’d moved US submarines into position.

A spokesman for President Putin told reporters this afternoon that American subs are already on permanent combat duty and downplayed the significance of Trump’s remarks.

It comes after Mr Trump said he gave the order in response to comments from former Russian president Dmitry Medvedev, who spoke of the risk of nuclear conflict.

Dozens of Eurostar services between London and Paris have been cancelled or delayed following a major power fault in northern France.

The issue was first reported just after 8:30 this morning, and trains are being rerouted onto slower lines.

So far, at least nine services have been scrapped, with delays on at least 15 more. Eurostar says passengers should postpone their journeys if they can.

An inquest has opened into the death of a 14-year-old girl who was a patient at Taplow Manor mental health unit in Maidenhead.

Ruth Szymankiewicz died in February 2022 at Oxford’s John Radcliffe Hospital. The inquest is being held at Buckinghamshire Coroners Court and is expected to last nine days.

Storm Floris is continuing to cause disruption across the UK today, with dozens of flights cancelled and thousands of homes without power.

Aviation analysts Cirium say at least 68 flights have been grounded, which is just over two percent of all scheduled departures. Aberdeen and Belfast City are the worst affected airports, with 12 and 10 cancellations respectively.

Meanwhile, Scottish and Southern Electricity Networks say more than 22,500 homes in the north of Scotland have lost power due to damage caused by the storm.

Storm Floris has brought hurricane-force winds to parts of Scotland, with gusts reaching 108 miles an hour at the summit of Cairngorm.

That’s well above forecasts, which had predicted peaks of 90. Elsewhere in Inverness-shire, Aonach Mor and Cairnwell have both recorded gusts of 106. The severe conditions have prompted councils to shut down non-emergency services.

Glasgow City Council says operations are suspended until at least 2 o’clock this afternoon, warning of “extremely hazardous conditions” across the region.

Prince Harry has rejected claims of a physical fight with Prince Andrew more than a decade ago.

The Daily Mail is serialising a new book which alleges “punches were thrown” in a row between the pair in 2013. It claims Andrew made remarks behind Harry’s back, ending with the Duke of York being left with a bloody nose and needing to be pulled away.

The book also suggests Andrew warned Harry against marrying Meghan, predicting the relationship wouldn’t last.

India have pulled off one of the most dramatic Test victories in cricket history — beating England by just six runs in a thriller at The Oval.

England had been chasing a record total of 374. With just 17 needed, Chris Woakes — injured and with his arm in a sling — came out to bat in a final push for glory. He stood at the non-striker’s end as Gus Atkinson tried to carry England over the line.

But India held firm amid deafening support from their fans to secure a famous win.

Two men have appeared in court over the alleged rape of a 12-year-old girl in Nuneaton.

Ahmad Mulakhil faces two counts of rape, while Mohammad Kabir is accused of kidnap, non-fatal strangulation, and aiding and abetting rape. Warwickshire County Council’s leader has claimed the pair were asylum seekers, though that hasn’t been independently confirmed.

The local force says it won’t be disclosing immigration status or ethnicity, in line with national guidance once charges are laid.

An early shutdown of rail services is now under way in parts of Scotland as Storm Floris intensifies.

ScotRail says some routes will see their final services run before midday, with others cancelled altogether. A blanket 50 mile-an-hour speed limit has been applied across the entire network.
The operator warns the storm could bring record-breaking winds for August, calling it “extremely intense for the time of year.”

Lines in the west and north of the country are among the worst affected, including the West Highland Line and all routes north of Perth and in Fife.

Reform UK has revealed Rupert Matthews as its latest high-profile defection from the Conservatives.

The Leicestershire Police and Crime Commissioner — and former MEP — says he’s switching parties over the government’s lack of direction. He criticised Kemi Badenoch’s mini reshuffle, calling it a missed opportunity to build what he described as “a dynamic team to deliver the changes this country needs.”

Matthews served as a Conservative MEP for the East Midlands between 2017 and 2019.

Storm Floris is approaching the UK, with severe weather warnings and major travel disruption expected today.

Train companies in the worst-affected areas are urging passengers not to travel, as the Met Office issues an amber “danger to life” warning for parts of Scotland.

Gusts of up to 90 miles an hour are possible between 10am and 10pm, with forecasters warning of road closures, power cuts and damage to buildings.

A wider yellow warning is also in place across Northern Ireland and the North of England from 6am this morning until just before midnight.

The NHS is launching a world-first vaccination programme against gonorrhoea in England from today.

Sexual health clinics will now begin offering the free jab, as cases of the infection reach record highs and concerns grow over antibiotic-resistant strains.

The rollout was first announced earlier this year, with eligible patients set to receive the vaccine from early August.

Public health minister Ashley Dalton has called it a major breakthrough in tackling an infection that continues to rise across the country.

The Home Office has announced an extra £100 million to tackle illegal people smuggling across the English Channel.

The funding will be used to recruit up to 300 new officers for the National Crime Agency, along with new technology and equipment to disrupt criminal networks.

So far this year, more than 25,000 people have crossed from France to the UK in small boats — a record for this stage of the year.

Home Secretary Yvette Cooper says the investment will help track and dismantle smuggling gangs. But the Conservative Party has dismissed it as a “desperate grab for headlines” that won’t make a real difference.