News 08/08/25

Donald Trump says a peace deal for Ukraine could involve what he called “some swapping of territories to the betterment of both sides.”

Speaking at the White House, the US President said the conflict has been raging for three and a half years with heavy losses on both sides. He said the negotiations are complicated but that he’s looking at ways to recover some territory while also agreeing to exchanges.

Trump said the aim is to bring the war to an end while benefiting both Russia and Ukraine.

The remains of three victims of the 9/11 terror attacks have been identified thanks to advances in DNA technology.

New York City officials say the remains belong to 26-year-old currency trader Ryan D. Fitzgerald, 72-year-old retired non-profit executive Barbara A. Keating, and a third woman whose name is being withheld at her family’s request. The remains of Keating and the unidentified woman were recovered in 2001, with Fitzgerald’s found the following year.

They were matched using improved DNA testing of material recovered from the wreckage.

Retired astronaut Jim Lovell, commander of the Apollo 13 mission, has died at the age of 97.

NASA described Lovell as a four-time spaceflight veteran whose courage under pressure helped shape America’s journey to the Moon and beyond. He was best known for leading Apollo 13 in 1970, which suffered an oxygen tank explosion on the way to the Moon.

Lovell and his crew managed to return safely to Earth in what became known as a “successful failure” and one of NASA’s most remarkable rescues.

A former police community support officer obsessed with weapons has been jailed after trying to build a gun with a 3D printer.

Zoe Watts, who’s 39 and from Lincoln, was sentenced to eight years and six months after a raid at her home uncovered knives, a crossbow and parts for 3D-printed firearms. Lincolnshire Police say the case involved multiple departments and led to Watts receiving a serious crime prevention order.

She’ll also be banned from owning any weapons for five years after release.

A 37-year-old mother is set to stand trial accused of murdering her four-year-old son.

Akanksha Adivarekar, from Maidenhead, is charged with killing Agustya Hegishte at their home on June 10. The details were revealed after a media application was approved. Adivarekar first appeared before Reading Magistrates Court last month, where she was committed for trial and remanded in custody.

An inquest into Agustya’s death has been opened but was adjourned by the senior coroner for Berkshire.

Donald Trump’s former ambassador to Israel has launched a scathing attack on Sir Keir Starmer after the Prime Minister criticised Israel’s plans to take control of Gaza City.

Starmer called the move “wrong” and urged Israel to “reconsider immediately.” Mike Huckabee hit back online, accusing Starmer of hypocrisy and asking whether Britain would have air-dropped food to Nazis during the Second World War. Huckabee claimed that Israel had already sent two million tons of aid into Gaza and accused the UK leader of ignoring the plight of hostages.

A man who raped and murdered his ex-fiancée at a five-star hotel in Surrey has been jailed for life with a minimum term of 28 years.

Samantha Mickleburgh, described as her family’s “champagne girl,” was found dead at Pennyhill Park Hotel in Bagshot in April last year. James Cartwright, 61, was convicted last month after jurors found he attacked the mother-of-two during a birthday stay. While he was cleared of coercive control, prosecutors described his behaviour as cruel and oppressive.

The National Crime Agency is taking over an investigation into allegations that police officers in South Yorkshire sexually abused girls in Rotherham.

Five women say they were abused by grooming gangs and also by officers during the 1990s and early 2000s. South Yorkshire Police had planned to handle the inquiry but faced pressure to step aside. The NCA says victims will be kept at the centre of the investigation.

JD Vance says the United States is working “incredibly hard” to get more humanitarian aid into Gaza.

The Vice President says there have been constant negotiations over the past 24 hours, focused on solving the crisis and restricting Hamas’s ability to continue threatening civilians in Israel.

He says both the US and UK share common goals, but admits there may be disagreements on how best to achieve them.

Vance says the situation is complex, but stresses the US remains committed to both humanitarian relief and regional stability.

A 15-year-old boy has been found guilty of murdering fellow student Harvey Willgoose at a school in Sheffield.

Harvey, also 15, was stabbed twice in the chest just minutes into the lunch break in February. The attack happened outside the school cafeteria at All Saints Catholic High School. The defendant, who cannot be named, had brought a 13-centimetre hunting knife into school.

Harvey’s parents have told Sky News that knife crime is now “a way of life for kids” and called for urgent action.

A yellow heat health alert has been issued across much of England, with summer heat returning next week.

The warning, from the UK Health Security Agency, will be in effect from midday Monday until 6pm on Wednesday. It covers areas including London, the East, the Midlands, the South West and Yorkshire.

Officials say high temperatures could lead to strain on health and social care services, with vulnerable groups at particular risk.

A four-year-old boy has died after being hit by a bus outside a hospital in Kent.

The crash happened just after 4pm on Thursday, outside Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother Hospital in Margate. The child, named locally as Zaahir Jan, had walked out of the hospital before being struck.

He was taken back inside but died shortly after. His family has been informed.

HM Courts and Tribunals Service has been accused of a cover-up, after a leaked report revealed it took years to act on a serious IT bug.

The issue caused evidence in civil, family and tribunal cases to disappear, be overwritten or appear missing altogether. The BBC has seen an internal report showing management chose not to tell judges or lawyers, fearing it would “cause more harm than good.”

It’s still unclear how many cases may have been affected.

An MP has admitted mistaking a team of charity rowers for illegal migrants off the coast of Norfolk.

Independent MP Rupert Lowe posted a photo on X showing a small boat near wind turbines off Great Yarmouth, claiming “dinghies [were] coming into Great Yarmouth, RIGHT NOW.”

But after HM Coastguard contacted the crew, it turned out they were a charity team rowing from Land’s End to John O’Groats to raise money for motor neurone disease.

Mr Lowe later apologised and pledged £1,000 to the team’s fundraising efforts.

Sir Keir Starmer has called the decision to escalate the Gaza offensive “wrong” and urged Israel to “reconsider immediately.”

He warned that the move will do nothing to end the conflict or help secure the release of hostages, and will only lead to more bloodshed.

Starmer also highlighted the worsening humanitarian crisis in Gaza, saying hostages held by Hamas are being kept in “appalling” conditions.

Israel’s security cabinet has approved plans for a military operation to take control of Gaza City, according to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office.

It follows overnight talks and signals a major escalation in the ongoing war, which began after the Hamas attacks last October.

The cabinet also agreed that a full security takeover of Gaza is necessary to bring the conflict to an end.

Speaking to Fox News ahead of the meeting, Mr Netanyahu said, “We intend to [take control], in order to assure our security, remove Hamas, and enable the population to be free of Gaza.”

He added that Israel does not plan to keep Gaza, but wants to establish a security perimeter and later hand over governance to Arab forces that won’t threaten Israel.

The United States has doubled its reward for information leading to the arrest of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, now offering 50 million dollars.

The move comes amid fresh accusations from Washington, branding Maduro as “one of the largest narco-traffickers in the world.”

President Trump has long criticised Maduro, who returned to office in January after an election widely condemned for alleged vote-rigging.

US Attorney General Pam Bondi announced the increased reward, saying there is direct evidence linking Maduro to major drug smuggling operations.

But Venezuela’s Foreign Minister Yvan Gil dismissed the announcement as “pathetic” and called it nothing more than political propaganda.

Three councillors have defended their decision after angry scenes broke out at a Slough Borough Council meeting over plans for new flats in Cippenham.

The meeting on Wednesday 30 July ended in chaos, after all councillors voted in favour of a proposal to build 68 flats on land in Elmshott Lane.

Their decision was met with furious outbursts from the public gallery, forcing the meeting to be closed early to both press and public.

Residents had raised a number of concerns ahead of the vote, including traffic, parking and the height of the building. Some also raised safeguarding fears, as the development would overlook Cippenham Primary School.