News 06/10/25

The Metropolitan Police say they’ve arrested forty-six people after breaking up a major criminal network accused of smuggling up to forty-thousand stolen phones from the UK to China.

The investigation began last December when officers found a box near Heathrow Airport containing around a thousand iPhones bound for Hong Kong — almost all confirmed as stolen. Detectives launched Operation Echosteep, intercepting further shipments and using forensics to identify two ringleaders in their thirties. Both men have since been charged with handling stolen goods and remanded in custody.

A friend of synagogue killer Jihad al Shamie says the attacker became radicalised after watching Islamic State videos online.

Qas, who knew him socially, told the BBC that al Shamie began using encrypted apps such as Telegram to access extremist content. Another friend said he’d noticed changes in his behaviour about a year ago, describing him as “obsessed with computers and online groups.” Police are continuing to examine how al Shamie planned his attack.

Indirect talks aimed at reaching a final deal on a US peace plan to end the war in Gaza are under way in Sharm El-Sheikh.

Egyptian and Palestinian officials say discussions focus on conditions for a hostage and prisoner exchange. Hamas has partially accepted the plan but is yet to agree on disarmament or its role in Gaza’s future. Israel’s prime minister says he hopes to confirm the release of hostages within days.

Slough Borough Council says restoring its finances is only part of its recovery, as it continues efforts to overhaul local services.

A new “transformation plan” aims to improve how services are delivered, cut waste, and resolve problems earlier — helping residents while saving money.

Police have arrested a 46-year-old man after a suspected arson attack at a mosque in East Sussex.

The fire broke out at the Islamic Centre in Peacehaven’s Phyllis Avenue late on Saturday night. CCTV footage showed two people wearing dark clothing and face coverings approaching the entrance, spraying a liquid and setting it alight. Sussex Police say the man, arrested on suspicion of arson with intent to endanger life, remains in custody as investigations continue.

Junior doctors in their first year of training have voted overwhelmingly for strike action in England over job shortages and pay erosion.

The British Medical Association says 97 percent of almost four thousand first-year residents backed industrial action, with a turnout of 65 percent. While no strike dates have been announced, the union says government talks must now deliver solutions on both jobs and the 21 percent real-terms pay cut doctors have faced since 2008.

Two teenagers have been jailed for killing a 15-year-old boy with a machete in southeast London.

Imre Doue was found guilty of murder, while Marko Balaz was convicted of manslaughter over the fatal stabbing of Daejaun Campbell. The attack took place following a confrontation in Eltham last year.
Doue, who was 17 at the time but has since turned 18, was sentenced to a minimum of 21 years in prison. Balaz, 19, from Abbey Wood, will serve at least 11 years. The judge described the killing as a “brutal and senseless act of violence.”

Israel has deported 171 pro-Palestinian activists from the Gaza-bound Global Sumud Flotilla to Greece and Slovakia, including Swedish climate campaigner Greta Thunberg.

She was among more than 450 people detained when Israeli forces intercepted the flotilla in the Mediterranean last week. Activists say the mission aimed to deliver humanitarian aid and raise awareness of conditions in Gaza. Israel called the flotilla a “provocation” and said it would not allow any breach of its blockade.

Author Dame Jilly Cooper has died at the age of 88. Her publisher confirmed she passed away on Sunday morning after a fall.

In a statement, her children described her as “the shining light in all of our lives,” saying her love for family and friends “knew no bounds.” They added that her death came as a complete shock. Dame Jilly was best known for her racy romantic novels, including Riders and Rivals, which made her one of Britain’s most popular authors.

France has been thrown into political turmoil after Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu resigned less than a month into the job.

President Emmanuel Macron accepted his resignation, just hours after Lecornu named his cabinet. The move follows days of threats from opposition parties to bring down his fledgling government. The new cabinet had been due to meet for the first time this afternoon.

Grace O’Malley-Kumar, one of the victims of last year’s Nottingham attacks, is to be posthumously awarded the George Medal for bravery.

The 19-year-old medical student died trying to protect her friend Barnaby Webber from their attacker, Valdo Calocane. Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer praised her courage, saying her “ultimate sacrifice” would stand as a lasting example of heroism.

France’s new prime minister, Sebastien Lecornu, has resigned after less than a month in office.

The Elysee Palace confirmed that President Emmanuel Macron has accepted his resignation, marking a sudden shake-up at the heart of the French government. Lecornu’s departure comes amid growing political uncertainty and questions over Macron’s ability to push through his agenda in the months ahead.

England’s 2003 Rugby World Cup winner Lewis Moody has revealed he has been diagnosed with motor neurone disease.

The 47-year-old former England captain described the news as “incredibly hard to process and a huge shock” for him and his family. In a social media post, Moody said he feels fit and well, and is focusing on staying positive, living life fully, and adapting to the changes the condition will bring.

A major shake-up of the house-buying process could cut around a month off the time it takes to move and slash roughly £700 from the average bill.

Proposals being considered would require sellers and estate agents to provide more information upfront, reducing the need for buyers to carry out searches and surveys. Binding contracts could be introduced earlier, helping to prevent chains collapsing and cases of “gazumping,” where a higher offer overtakes an already accepted one.

The reforms would also improve transparency, giving buyers clearer details on estate agents and conveyancers, including track record and expertise, and could introduce mandatory qualifications and a new code of practice to raise standards across the industry.

Donald Trump has raised the pressure ahead of today’s peace talks, urging negotiators to “move fast” as they attempt to end the fighting in Gaza and secure the release of hostages.

The US president posted on Truth Social: “TIME IS OF THE ESSENCE OR, MASSIVE BLOODSHED WILL FOLLOW – SOMETHING THAT NOBODY WANTS TO SEE!” Egypt has agreed to host the indirect negotiations in the Red Sea resort of Sharm el-Sheikh. Delegations are being led by Israel’s strategic affairs minister Ron Dermer and Hamas’s exiled Gaza chief, Khalil Al-Hayya. US envoy Steve Witkoff is also expected to join.

Tuesday marks two years since the Hamas attack that sparked the war.

Romance fraud is becoming “increasingly sophisticated”, according to police.

Thames Valley Police are warning people to “stay vigilant” as romance fraud cost victims across the country over £106 million last year. Detective Inspector Duncan Wynn, Head of Central Fraud Unit, said this type of fraud is “becoming increasingly sophisticated”, with criminals deploying a range of tactics including stolen identities, fake online profiles, and psychological manipulation.

The inspector emphasised the financial and emotional impact of romance fraud, describing it as a “deeply personal betrayal” that can have a “devastating” emotional impact

Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) is set to restart some production this week following a major cyber-attack that forced the carmaker to shut down factories and send workers home.

Manufacturing will resume first at JLR’s engine factory in Wolverhampton, but it is expected to be several weeks before all operations are running at full capacity, with other sites to return gradually. Work at JLR’s three UK sites in the West Midlands and Merseyside has been suspended since a cyber-attack at the end of August forced the company to shut down.

The resumption of operations will be a welcome relief to JLR’s array of suppliers, some of which are small businesses that have faced huge financial pressure.

Nearly 30 million people in the UK who bought an Apple or Samsung smartphone between 2015 and 2024 may be entitled to about £17 if the consumer campaign group Which? is successful in a case against US tech giant Qualcomm.

The consumer group is taking the tech giant to the Competition Appeal Tribunal in London on Monday. The trial between Which? and Qualcomm is expected to last five weeks. The consumer group is accusing the chip company of anti-competitive practices.

It claims the firm forced Apple and Samsung to pay inflated prices and licensing fees for essential handset components, which then pushed up the cost of those smartphones for consumers