News 07/09/25

Up to 14.2 million people could receive an average of £700 each in compensation for car loan mis-selling.

The Financial Conduct Authority says nearly half of all car finance agreements made between 2007 and 2024 may be affected. It found that many lenders broke the law by failing to disclose commissions paid to brokers, meaning customers often missed out on cheaper deals and in some cases paid more than they should have.

Sir Keir Starmer has launched the first major UK trade mission to India in almost a decade, leading a delegation of 125 business leaders and academics to Mumbai.

Among them are senior figures from British Airways, Barclays, Rolls-Royce and BT. The prime minister will meet India’s leader Narendra Modi tomorrow to discuss strengthening economic ties. The visit follows the post-Brexit trade deal signed earlier this year, though key details – including tax waivers for Indian workers in Britain – remain under consultation.

Donald Trump says the US is engaged in “very serious negotiations” with Israel and Hamas to end the Gaza conflict.

Speaking alongside Canada’s Prime Minister Mark Carney at the White House, he said there is now “a real chance for peace in the Middle East,” and claimed his team is working closely with regional powers to secure an agreement.

Police have arrested a 17-year-old boy and a 22-year-old man over a cyber attack on the Kido nursery chain.

The pair were detained in Hertfordshire on suspicion of blackmail and computer misuse after hackers allegedly leaked details of thousands of children while demanding a Bitcoin ransom. Detectives say the investigation remains ongoing.

 

The Crown Prosecution Service will appeal against the decision to throw out a terrorism case involving a member of the Irish rap group Kneecap.

Rapper Liam Óg Ó hAnnaidh was accused of displaying a Hezbollah flag during a London gig last November, but the case was dismissed after a technical error. Chief Magistrate Paul Goldspring ruled the charge was unlawful and said he had no jurisdiction to hear the case. The CPS now says it will challenge that decision in the High Court.

One of Stephen Lawrence’s killers has publicly begged his victim’s family for forgiveness – but still refuses to reveal who stabbed the teenager to death.

David Norris, now forty-nine, admitted for the first time that he punched Stephen during the racist attack in Eltham in 1993. Speaking at a public parole board hearing, he said he “didn’t have violence at the forefront” of his mind but was “ready for violence at the drop of a hat.” Norris called Stephen a completely innocent victim, though he suggested “something must’ve happened” before the stabbing. He remains behind bars, serving a life sentence for murder.

A man has been found guilty of stalking Myleene Klass after sending her an air gun, handcuffs, a police uniform and “disturbing” letters.

Sixty-one-year-old Peter Windsor targeted the Classic FM presenter and her colleague Katie Breathwick between 2020 and 2024.

Windsor, who has schizophrenia, was convicted at Birmingham Crown Court after claiming insanity. Ms Klass told the court she felt “sheer terror” after receiving the air pistol and other unsolicited packages at the station’s London studios.

A British scientist is among three winners of this year’s Nobel Prize in Physics.

Professor John Clarke shares the award with Michel Devoret and John Martinis for their groundbreaking research into quantum tunnelling, which could revolutionise digital technology.

The trio will share the prize of more than eight hundred thousand pounds. Professor Clarke described the honour as “the surprise of my life.”

Twenty Conservative councillors have defected to Reform UK in a single day.

Nigel Farage hailed the move as proof the “Conservative Party is finished.”

Despite the defections, the Tories still have over four thousand councillors nationwide, while Reform remains below nine hundred.

In Maidenhead, two people have been rescued from a kitchen fire on Hungerford Drive.

Fire crews from Maidenhead and Slough brought the blaze under control using a hose reel and cleared smoke from the property with a ventilation fan.

A growing wave of Conservative councillors are defecting to Reform UK, with the number now reaching double digits.

Four councillors in Gravesham — Emma Elliott, Aaron Elliott, Gary Harding, and David Beattie — are the latest to switch allegiance, bringing today’s total to eleven. Tory leader Kemi Badenoch has been defending her record, insisting her party remains focused on delivering for voters despite the defections.

A company providing accommodation for asylum seekers has made nearly £187 million in profits since securing major Home Office contracts.

Clearsprings Ready Homes is one of three firms with decade-long agreements to provide housing across the south of England and Wales. Despite widespread criticism of conditions described as “terrible,” government spending on the scheme has more than tripled from £4.5 billion to £15 billion, with Clearsprings alone expected to receive £7 billion.

Sir Keir Starmer has condemned plans for pro-Palestine protests marking two years since the October 7th attacks on Israel, calling them “un-British.”

Writing in The Times, the prime minister said demonstrations planned at several universities showed a lack of respect for others and claimed some previous rallies had been used as a “despicable excuse to attack British Jews.” He also paid tribute to victims of the Hamas assault in which 1,200 people were killed and 251 taken hostage, adding that the UK’s Jewish communities have faced “rising antisemitism” since — including last week’s attack on a Manchester synagogue that left two worshippers dead.

Three people are in a critical condition following a helicopter crash in Sacramento.

The aircraft, believed to be an air ambulance, came down on the eastbound lanes of Highway 50 on Monday evening. Fire officials say the pilot, nurse, and paramedic on board were rescued and rushed to hospital. No patients were being transported at the time.

Indirect talks aimed at finalising a US peace plan to end the war in Gaza continue today in the Egyptian resort of Sharm El-Sheikh.

Palestinian and Egyptian officials say discussions are focusing on conditions for a possible exchange that would see all Israeli hostages freed in return for Palestinian prisoners. Israel’s prime minister has suggested a deal could be reached “in the coming days,” while President Donald Trump told reporters the US believes there’s “a real chance” for a lasting peace.

Parking in Windsor is to become cheaper this autumn.

From October through November, drivers will pay up to 25 percent less for stays between two and five hours at key car parks including Alexandra Gardens, King Edward VII, and Meadow Lane. The Royal Borough says the trial aims to help local businesses by encouraging shoppers and visitors to spend more time in the town.