News 18/09/25

Donald Trump has been speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One on his way back to Washington, where he made clear he disagrees with Sir Keir Starmer on both immigration and energy.

The US president repeated his belief that Britain should exploit North Sea oil reserves, telling journalists “drill, baby, drill,” while describing wind power as, in his words, a “very expensive joke.” On immigration, Trump urged the Prime Minister to take what he called a tougher line on the crisis in the Channel, even suggesting military involvement to stem the flow of small boats.

A judge has ruled that an Eritrean man can be deported to France under the government’s “one in, one out” scheme.

It’s the second such case to reach the High Court this week. In a separate hearing, another man’s deportation was temporarily blocked, but in this case ministers have won the right to send him back across the Channel. The man, who cannot be named, arrived in Britain last month by small boat. Court documents say he fled Eritrea in 2019 to escape conscription and passed through several countries, including France, before entering the UK.

At Reading Crown Court, Khalil Muhammad has been jailed for life with a minimum term of 24 years for the murder of 23-year-old Frederick Mutala.

The court heard Frederick was stabbed to death in Rochfords Gardens in Slough last September during a dispute over cannabis supply. He died at the scene. Muhammad was arrested hours later and charged two days on.

The presidential aircraft known as Air Force One is on standby at Stansted Airport, ready to take Donald Trump back to the United States.

The president is expected to arrive by helicopter from Chequers before boarding the plane. Before leaving, he recorded an interview with Fox News, which will be broadcast at eight o’clock tonight. It’s expected to feature his characteristic unscripted style, reflecting on how the state visit has gone.

Former Labour MP Zarah Sultana has accused Jeremy Corbyn of running what she called a “sexist boys’ club” within the new left-wing party they launched earlier this year.

Sultana claims she was pushed aside despite agreeing to share authority with Corbyn. The row deepened after an email went out to supporters offering £55 memberships, which Corbyn later called “unauthorised” and said he was seeking legal advice over. Sultana insists she set up the website in line with the party’s agreed plans.

Scientists say they’ve identified the brain’s so-called “mileage clock” for the first time.

Tests on rats showed cells in a navigation and memory region fired in patterns that tracked distance travelled. When humans repeated a scaled-up version of the test, researchers saw the same clock mechanism in action, suggesting both species measure movement in steps.

Actress Anna Friel has told a court she felt threatened and shocked after being stalked for nearly three years.

Seventy-one-year-old Phil Appleton was handed a 15-year restraining order and a two-year community order at Reading Crown Court. The court heard he left unwanted gifts, sent repeated messages, and was caught on CCTV outside her Windsor home blowing kisses and mouthing “I love you.”

Two teenagers have been charged over a cyber attack on Transport for London that investigators say cost millions of pounds.

The so-called “network intrusion” last summer is believed to have been carried out by the online criminal group Scattered Spider. Nineteen-year-old Thalha Jubair from east London and eighteen-year-old Owen Flowers from Walsall were arrested at their homes on Tuesday. The operation was led by the National Crime Agency and City of London Police.

Rain is set to continue through the weekend, with the Met Office warning of potentially disruptive conditions.

Friday will see outbreaks across central parts of Britain and the south of Ireland, though other regions could stay dry with spells of sunshine. It will also turn noticeably warmer, with the South East becoming humid and temperatures possibly reaching 27 degrees.

The Bank of England has held interest rates at 4 percent, in line with economists’ expectations.

The Monetary Policy Committee says inflation remains stubbornly high at 3.8 percent, almost double the 2 percent target, with food and wage costs still a concern. The rate was cut from 4.25 percent last month, but many analysts believe no further cuts are likely before March.

Three people have been arrested in Essex on suspicion of assisting the Russian intelligence service.

The Metropolitan Police confirmed a 41-year-old man and a 35-year-old woman were detained at an address in Grays, while a 46-year-old man was arrested at another property in the town. Officers say the arrests were part of a wider counter-terror investigation.

A migrant has been deported to France after crossing the Channel illegally, in what’s believed to be the first return under the new one-in, one-out deal between the UK and France.

Under the pilot scheme, those making the crossing can be sent back, while the UK accepts the same number of migrants with legal asylum claims. Ministers say numbers will rise as the programme develops.

Donald Trump says being the first US president to enjoy a second British state visit is “one of the highest honours” of his life.

The president was hosted at Windsor Castle on Wednesday, where he attended a state banquet alongside the King and Princess of Wales. It followed a day of pomp and ceremony, including a carriage procession and military parade.

Trump thanked the Royal Family for their “extraordinary graciousness” and called the banquet a “singular privilege”.

The new Home Secretary has criticised a High Court ruling that blocked the deportation of an asylum seeker to France.

An Eritrean man, who cannot be named, was due to be removed on Wednesday morning but won a last-minute legal challenge.

Shabana Mahmood called the decision “intolerable” and promised to appeal, saying she would “robustly defend the British public’s priorities”.

A man has died and a woman has been injured in a shooting at a London park.

Police were called to Clissold Park in Hackney just after 7 o’clock on Wednesday evening. A man in his forties was taken to hospital with gunshot wounds but later died.

A woman, also in her forties, was treated for injuries and remains in hospital.

The Bank of England is widely expected to keep interest rates on hold at 4 percent when its policymakers meet later today.

The Bank’s Monetary Policy Committee cut rates from 4.25 to 4 percent in August, taking them to their lowest in more than two years. But with inflation still running at nearly double the official target, analysts say no further cuts are likely this year.

The decision will be announced at midday.

London’s mayor, Sir Sadiq Khan, has described the situation in Gaza as a “genocide” for the first time, directly contradicting the government’s position.

It follows a UN Commission report earlier this week which said genocide was taking place in Gaza, something Israel continues to deny. Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer is under pressure to raise Israel’s bombardment of the territory with President Trump during his state visit.

The prime minister is expected to hold talks with Mr Trump today, but reports suggest he will wait until after the visit before moving towards recognition of a Palestinian state.