News 08/10/25

Donald Trump says peace negotiations in the Middle East are progressing well and could reach a breakthrough within days.

Speaking at the White House, the president said talks involving “just about everybody,” including Muslim and Arab nations, were moving in a positive direction. He added there was a “good chance” of a deal and that he might travel to the region toward the end of the week. Final discussions, he said, are ongoing with Hamas.

A woman accused of stalking Madeleine McCann’s parents broke down in court as she was led away by officers.

Twenty-four-year-old Julia Wandelt, from Poland, denies stalking Kate and Gerry McCann after allegedly sending them emails, making phone calls, and turning up at their home. Mrs McCann told the court her first contact with Wandelt was about three years ago. The defendant previously claimed to be Madeleine, who vanished in Portugal in 2007.

In California, a man has been arrested over a wildfire that killed twelve people and destroyed thousands of homes in Los Angeles.

Twenty-nine-year-old Jonathan Rinderknecht is accused of starting the blaze that tore through the Pacific Palisades in January. Prosecutors say he lit the fire after finishing an Uber shift on New Year’s Eve, sparking a week-long inferno that wiped out much of the wealthy coastal community.

Police say the Manchester synagogue attacker pledged allegiance to the so-called Islamic State in a 999 call made during last Thursday’s assault.

Thirty-five-year-old Jihad al Shamie tried to force his way into Heaton Park Hebrew Congregation Synagogue in Crumpsall before being stopped by officers.

Counter Terrorism Policing North West confirmed that after the first emergency calls were made, al Shamie phoned police himself, claimed responsibility, and declared loyalty to Islamic State.

Stephen Lawrence’s mother has called one of her son’s killers a “coward” and a “liar” after he finally admitted his part in the racist murder but refused to name the rest of the gang.

David Norris, now forty-nine, told a parole hearing he was “deeply sorry” and revealed he punched Stephen during the 1993 attack in Eltham, but said he won’t identify others involved for fear of reprisals.

Doreen Lawrence said his comments bring no comfort and that the full truth is still being withheld.

Police in Leicester have discovered human remains while searching for a woman missing for almost twenty years.

Malgorzata Wnuczek, known as Gosia, vanished in May 2006 after leaving her workplace at Peter Jackson Logistics and catching a bus into the city.

Detectives say the remains are being forensically examined as her family in Poland await confirmation.

A Slough woman has been banned from owning animals for ten years after leaving a dog to starve in an empty house.

Jade Williamson’s Cane Corso was found surrounded by filth and rubbish when police and RSPCA officers forced entry to her Egerton Road home in May last year.

Magistrates heard the dog had been abandoned for three weeks before being rescued.

Kemi Badenoch has pledged to abolish stamp duty if she becomes Prime Minister.

She says Britain’s housing market must be freed up, warning that a society where people can’t afford to buy or move is one where “social mobility is dead.” The move wasn’t trailed in advance and is being described as a “rabbit out of the hat” policy.

Badenoch says the funding would come from cuts already announced in her campaign plans.

Dolly Parton’s sister says the country legend is “going to be just fine” after sparking concern by asking fans to pray for her.

Freida Parton posted on Facebook that she’d spent the night praying for Dolly, who “hasn’t been feeling her best lately.” She urged fans to join her in prayer, saying she believes strongly in its power.

It’s not yet known what’s caused Dolly’s recent illness, but fans around the world have flooded social media with messages of support.

Sir Keir Starmer says the government is “disappointed” the high-profile China spy trial was dropped—and he’s blaming the previous Conservative administration.

Two men, a teacher and a former parliamentary researcher, were accused of spying for China but cleared when the Crown Prosecution Service said it lacked the evidence needed to proceed.

The Director of Public Prosecutions told MPs the CPS had spent months trying to obtain key material that was never provided, adding pressure to explain how the case collapsed.

 

Three eateries in Slough have failed their recent hygiene inspections, all assessed on the same day.

Steakout on the High Street, Nawal on Farnham Road, and Colnbrook Food and Wine on Bath Road were visited by Slough Borough Council officers on August 28. Steakout received the lowest score, zero, with assessors stating the venue needed urgent and necessary improvements.

A new report says Britain’s wealth gap is widening so sharply that it’s now virtually impossible for the average worker to become rich through savings alone.

The Resolution Foundation found that a typical earner would need to save almost all their income for 52 years to climb from the middle to the top of the wealth ladder — requiring around £1.3 million. The think tank says wealth in the UK is now so “entrenched” that family background matters more than effort or hard work in determining living standards.

Hundreds of National Guard soldiers from Texas have arrived outside Chicago following Donald Trump’s order to deploy troops to Democratic-led cities.

The US president says the move is aimed at tackling lawlessness, but it’s been condemned by Illinois Governor JB Pritzker, who accuses Mr Trump of using soldiers as “political props.” A legal challenge to block the deployment was rejected on Monday, though state officials insist they’ll keep fighting what they call an “unconstitutional overreach.”

Sir Keir Starmer has ruled out relaxing visa rules for India as he begins a two-day trade mission to Mumbai.

The Prime Minister arrived this morning with senior business leaders from companies including British Airways, Barclays, BT and Rolls-Royce. It’s the first major UK trade visit to India since Theresa May’s in 2016 and aims to strengthen post-Brexit ties. Sir Keir, whose image has appeared on billboards across the city, will meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi tomorrow, five months after the UK signed its first trade deal with India since leaving the EU.

West Midlands Mayor Richard Parker has called on Robert Jenrick to apologise for what he described as “disgraceful comments” about the ethnic make-up of Birmingham’s Handsworth area.

A recording obtained by The Guardian captured the Shadow Justice Secretary saying he “didn’t see another white face” during a visit earlier this year. Mr Parker said he was shocked and appalled by the remarks, calling them deeply divisive.

A breakthrough blood test could diagnose chronic fatigue syndrome with up to 96% accuracy.

Scientists at the University of East Anglia say the test analyses chemical markers in blood to identify the illness, also known as ME. They hope it could lead to a similar test for long COVID, though experts warn it needs independent trials before being offered to patients.

The number of people dying while homeless in the UK has reached its highest level on record.

The Museum of Homelessness says 1,611 people lost their lives last year, a nine percent rise, with most deaths linked to suicide or drug use. Its director, Matthew Turtle, said the figures reveal how the system continues to fail vulnerable people.