News 14/08/25

Donald Trump has been asked whether Vladimir Putin has a “strong hand” ahead of their meeting tomorrow.

The US president replied, “Well, he came to our country,” adding that he believes Putin would like to see a deal. Trump also told reporters that if he were not president, Putin would have taken over all of Ukraine by now, calling it a war that should never have happened.

Three men have been jailed for kidnapping a pregnant mother outside her home in north London.

Audi Johnson, aged 35, Ahmad Ghiasi, 26, and Nicholas Mitchell, 55, were part of a London gang hired to carry out the abduction in Enfield last May. The 36-year-old victim was forced into a van, blindfolded and bound with cable ties before being interrogated about her partner.

At one point, a gang member threatened to “kick the baby out” of her stomach.

Artificial intelligence has helped to design two new antibiotics that could kill drug-resistant gonorrhoea and MRSA.

Researchers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology say the drugs, created atom by atom by AI, have successfully killed the superbugs in both lab and animal tests. The compounds still need years of development and clinical trials before being prescribed, but scientists say AI could spark a second golden age of antibiotic discovery.

Drug-resistant infections are already causing more than a million deaths each year worldwide.

The death of a teenager who was left unsupervised at an intensive psychiatric care unit in Berkshire has been ruled as an unlawful killing.

Ruth Szymankiewicz, 14, died at John Radcliffe Hospital in Oxford on 14 February 2022 while she was a patient at Huntercombe Hospital – also known as Taplow Manor.

She had been left unsupervised by an agency worker before her death, an inquest jury at Buckinghamshire Coroner’s Court heard.

Former world snooker champion Graeme Dott is to stand trial next year over allegations of historical child sex abuse.

The 48-year-old is accused of offences against two primary school-age children in the Glasgow area. The allegations span from 1993 to 1996 involving a girl, and from 2006 to 2010 involving a boy.

A virtual hearing at the city’s high court heard that Dott, who was not present, denies the charges.

The NHS waiting list in England has risen slightly, with experts warning hospitals are struggling to keep pace with demand.

At the end of June, the list stood at 7.37 million, up 10,000 on May. Although that’s down on last year’s 7.62 million, documents seen by the BBC suggest part of the drop is linked to patients being removed from the list without treatment, either because they paid privately or recovered.

Health experts say it highlights the pressure the NHS is under, while the government insists it is working to make sure all patients get care as quickly as possible.

A man accused of driving into crowds at Liverpool FC’s title parade is now facing 24 additional charges.

More than 130 people, including children, were injured when Paul Doyle allegedly drove his Ford Galaxy into fans celebrating on 26 May.

The 53-year-old, from Croxteth in Liverpool, had already been charged with wounding, grievous bodily harm, attempted GBH, and dangerous driving.

He now faces a further 23 counts of assault and one of affray.

Thirteen children and one adult have been injured after a rollercoaster appeared to derail at a seaside amusement park in Wales.

Emergency crews were called to Coney Beach Pleasure Park in Porthcawl just before 6pm on Wednesday after reports of an incident on the Wacky Worm ride.

Pictures and video shared online show part of the children’s rollercoaster off the track, with adults helping youngsters to safety.

In a statement, the park said the ride was operated by a third-party and confirmed police had ordered the site to be cleared for investigation.

Police have closed their investigation into the death of Gogglebox star George Gilbey.

The 40-year-old died in March last year after falling through a plastic skylight while working on a roof in Shoeburyness, Essex. He suffered traumatic head and torso injuries.

Two men arrested on suspicion of gross negligence manslaughter in connection with his death will face no further action, Essex Police confirmed on Wednesday.

The UK economy grew more slowly in the second quarter of the year as Donald Trump’s tariffs began to bite.

Official figures from the Office for National Statistics show GDP increased by just 0.3 percent in the three months to June.

That’s down from 0.7 percent growth in the first quarter, when many firms rushed to prepare for the US president’s import taxes.

The ONS says caution from customers and rising costs for employers contributed to the weaker performance.

An American man who faked his death to avoid prosecution in the US has been found guilty of rape in Utah.

38-year-old Nicholas Rossi fled to the UK after being accused of sexually assaulting two women in 2008. He denied the allegations.

The cases are being tried separately. In the Salt Lake County trial, the jury heard evidence from one of his accusers and her parents over three days.

A man accused of driving into crowds during Liverpool FC’s title parade is due in court today.

More than 130 people, including children, were injured when Paul Doyle allegedly drove a Ford Galaxy into fans celebrating on 26 May. The 53-year-old from Croxteth faces multiple charges including wounding with intent, grievous bodily harm with intent, attempted grievous bodily harm, and dangerous driving.

He is expected at Liverpool Crown Court for a plea and trial preparation hearing.

Donald Trump says he will not be discussing potential territorial divisions in Ukraine when he meets Vladimir Putin later this week.

According to NBC News, the US president made the comments to European leaders during a call on Wednesday. Mr Trump said his priority in the talks is securing a ceasefire.

Ukraine’s president Volodymyr Zelenskyy was also on the call, which some officials said left them feeling the US leader is not optimistic about Friday’s meeting.