News 15/09/25

A long-awaited Hillsborough Law is to be introduced, forcing public officials to tell the truth during investigations into major disasters.

Campaigners have welcomed the move, after fears the legislation might be watered down. The Public Office Accountability Bill will require public bodies to fully cooperate with investigations or face criminal sanctions. It will also ensure legal funding is available to those affected by state-related disasters. Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer had pledged to bring in the law by the 36th anniversary of Hillsborough, though Downing Street later said more time was needed to redraft the bill.

President Donald Trump says the US military has destroyed what he called a Venezuelan drug vessel travelling in international waters towards the United States.

He claimed three men were killed in the strike on violent drug cartels, though no evidence was provided that the boat was carrying drugs. Earlier, Venezuela’s president Nicolás Maduro accused Washington of aggression and described US envoy Marco Rubio as the “lord of death and war.” Tensions escalated after the US deployed warships to the southern Caribbean on counter-narcotics operations, which recently killed eleven people.

Royal Air Force jets will fly air defence missions over Poland as part of a NATO operation.

The deployment follows what the government described as Vladimir Putin’s most serious violation of NATO airspace so far, when Russian drones crossed into Poland last week. Typhoon jets from RAF Coningsby in Lincolnshire will join forces from Denmark, France and Germany to reinforce the alliance’s eastern flank.

They will be supported by a Voyager refuelling aircraft from RAF Brize Norton in Oxfordshire.

Eight people have been charged after violence broke out during protests in central London over the weekend.

Police say between 110,000 and 150,000 attended Tommy Robinson’s Unite the Kingdom rally, with around 5,000 joining an anti-racism counter protest. The Met described the scenes as wholly unacceptable, confirming 24 arrests in total. Those charged face offences including assault and breaches of public order laws.

The government’s new Culture Minister has officially opened Pinewood Studios’ Independent Film Hub near Slough.

The facility at Iver Heath includes sound stages, production offices and workshop spaces, all designed to help independent filmmakers. Ian Murray toured the site and met producers and directors on live productions, including the first project to use the hub, Anxious People, starring Angelina Jolie, Aimee Lou Wood and Jason Segel, directed by Marc Forster.

Constance Marten and Mark Gordon have each been jailed for 14 years after being convicted of killing their baby daughter.

The couple, who went on the run to avoid social services, were sentenced at the Old Bailey. Their newborn, Victoria, was found dead in a shopping bag on an allotment in Brighton in March last year. The pair had fled after their four other children were taken into care.

The Speaker has granted permission for an emergency debate on the vetting of Lord Mandelson.

Conservatives hope to use it to push the government into releasing documents relating to his appointment as ambassador to the United States. The government has so far declined to publish the vetting details, but David Davis called for parliamentary procedure to force the issue. Lindsay Hoyle has now allowed the debate, dealing another blow to the Prime Minister.

A senior Downing Street aide has resigned over sexually explicit messages about Diane Abbott.

Paul Ovenden, the director of strategy at Number 10, stepped down on Monday after private messages from 2017 surfaced. The decision comes just days after Sir Keir Starmer sacked Lord Mandelson over links to Jeffrey Epstein. Ovenden reportedly quit to avoid becoming a distraction for the Prime Minister. The messages, shared with a colleague, contained graphic retellings of a conversation he claimed to have overheard about the independent MP.

A man in his thirties is in a critical condition more than a week after a fire at a garage in Wraysbury.

He has been in hospital since the blaze, which broke out on The Green at around 3.35pm on Saturday the 6th of September. Thames Valley Police has launched an industrial accident investigation and is appealing for witnesses to come forward.

Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has signalled that further strikes on Hamas leaders could take place, following last week’s attack in Qatar.

At a press conference in Jerusalem with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, he said no Hamas leader had immunity “wherever they are” and that Israel had the right to defend itself beyond its borders. The strike in Qatar, a key US ally, drew sharp criticism from President Donald Trump. Hamas says six people were killed but its leaders survived. Netanyahu insisted the operation was carried out without American involvement.

Armed police have been deployed to Windsor ahead of President Donald Trump’s state visit.

The US president, now in his second term, will meet King Charles at Windsor Castle before holding talks with Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer at Chequers. This will be his second official state visit to the UK, following his first in 2019.

Tory shadow minister Danny Kruger has defected to Reform UK.

He made the announcement at a news conference alongside Nigel Farage, declaring that the Conservative Party is “over.” Kruger will now head up Reform’s new unit preparing for government.

Sir Keir Starmer is under growing pressure from his own MPs over his handling of the sacking of US ambassador Peter Mandelson.

Labour figures are voicing public and private frustrations with the prime minister as he prepares to host President Donald Trump on a state visit this week. Mandelson was dismissed after Bloomberg published emails showing he expressed support for Jeffrey Epstein following his 2008 conviction for sex offences. Labour backbencher Richard Burgon told Radio 4’s Today programme Starmer could be “gone” if Labour performs badly in May’s elections in Scotland, Wales and parts of England.

Former MMA fighter Conor McGregor has withdrawn from the race for the Irish presidency.

In a statement on social media, McGregor said the decision came after what he called “careful reflection” and discussions with his family.

He admitted it was not an easy choice, but said stepping aside was the right decision at this time.

McGregor first announced his intention to stand for president in September last year.

The main suspect in the disappearance of Madeleine McCann has refused to speak to the Metropolitan Police.

German drifter Christian B became a key figure in the investigation after the three-year-old vanished from a holiday resort in Portugal in 2007. The 49-year-old is due to be released from prison in Germany this week, after serving a sentence for raping an elderly woman in Praia da Luz in 2005.

Scotland Yard says it sent him an international request to be interviewed – but he turned it down.

British actor Owen Cooper has become the youngest ever winner of an Emmy for outstanding supporting actor.

The 15-year-old, who starred in the hit Netflix drama Adolescence, was recognised for his role as Jamie Miller. The series, which dominated Netflix’s most-watched list earlier this year, also won awards for co-stars Stephen Graham and Erin Doherty, as well as director Philip Barantini. Shot entirely in single takes, the drama tells the story of a 13-year-old boy accused of murdering a classmate.

Cooper, who had never acted before, said in his acceptance speech he was “nothing three years ago.”

Migrants will be returned to France from the UK for the first time this week under a new agreement.

The deal, signed in July, allows the government to send people back if they’ve entered Britain illegally. In exchange, asylum seekers will be allowed to come through a safe and legal route, provided they haven’t tried to cross illegally before. The first returns will take place just weeks after detentions began in August.

The Home Office says the scheme is a pilot and will run until June 2026.

The UK and US are preparing to sign a major new deal on nuclear power.

It’s expected to create thousands of jobs, attract billions in private investment, and boost Britain’s energy security. The agreement will be finalised during President Donald Trump’s state visit this week.

Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer says the partnership marks a “golden age of nuclear,” and will put both countries at the forefront of global innovation.