News 29/09/25

Sir Keir Starmer will today warn that Britain stands at a fork in the road, as he contrasts Labour with Reform in his closing conference speech.

Due to speak at 2pm, the prime minister is expected to frame the choice as one between decency or division, renewal or decline. He’ll tell delegates the fight for the country’s future is as significant as rebuilding after the Second World War, insisting the challenge is one the whole nation must rise to.

The world’s biggest YouTuber, MrBeast, has defended his latest viral video after criticism that it could encourage reckless behaviour.

Titled Would You Risk Dying for $500,000, the video shows a professional stuntman escaping a blazing building while collecting bags of cash. Some viewers branded the spectacle irresponsible, but MrBeast — real name Jimmy Donaldson — insists safety was his top priority. With more than 440 million subscribers, Donaldson is YouTube’s highest-earning creator, branching into fast food and a forthcoming Amazon gameshow.

A man from Slough has driven away in a brand-new £25,000 car after taking part in a football challenge on YouTube.

Known only as Arjun, he featured in a video hosted by KSI — the YouTuber, boxer and rapper — which has already clocked more than two million views. The 43-minute challenge was posted in late August to KSI’s 16 million subscribers.

Donald Trump has named former British prime minister Tony Blair as the only member of what he is calling his “Board of Peace.”

Mr Blair, described by Trump as a “good man,” has praised the president’s plan for Gaza as bold and intelligent, saying it offers the best chance of ending two years of war, misery and suffering. In a statement, he welcomed Trump’s commitment to chairing the board, calling it a huge signal of support for both Palestinians and Israelis, and a potential step towards wider regional peace.

A woman has admitted money laundering linked to the UK’s largest ever cryptocurrency seizure, worth more than five billion pounds.

Yadi Zhang, also known as Zhimin Qian, was arrested last year after years on the run. The 47-year-old Chinese national is accused of running a massive investment scam in her home country that defrauded more than 130,000 investors between 2014 and 2017. She arrived in Britain using a false passport and was later tracked to a luxury rented home in north London.

Donald Trump has responded to a video from Europe’s Ryder Cup team after their dramatic win over the United States.

Still dressed in their final-day outfits, the players chanted “Are you watching, Donald Trump?” while holding the trophy. The clip later appeared on Trump’s Truth Social platform at 2.40am UK time, with the president replying “Yes, I’m watching. Congratulations!” The light-hearted exchange was a stark contrast to the tense atmosphere on the course earlier in the competition.

Andy Burnham would beat Sir Keir Starmer among Labour members by two to one if a leadership contest were held today, according to a Sky News poll.

The YouGov survey of more than 700 members found 62 percent back Burnham compared with 29 percent for Starmer. Burnham has claimed Labour MPs have urged him to stand, though returning to Parliament would require him to quit as Manchester’s mayor, a move that could hand Reform UK an opening to win the role.

Migrants will need to show they are contributing to society in order to stay in Britain permanently under new government plans.

The home secretary Shabana Mahmood told Labour’s conference that migrants must meet strict conditions to qualify for indefinite leave to remain. These include learning English to a high standard, keeping a clean criminal record and volunteering in their community. Labour says the policy shows a clear dividing line with Reform UK, which wants to scrap indefinite leave to remain altogether.

The British Medical Association has warned that patients could be put at risk when a new online GP booking system goes live on Wednesday.

The union says serious health problems may be missed if people rely solely on digital requests. Ministers insist the system, which lets patients request appointments or callbacks online throughout the day, will cut phone queues and reduce the so-called 8am scramble. The health secretary Wes Streeting says safeguards have already been agreed with the BMA.

The chancellor has again ruled out a return to what she calls Conservative-style economics. Addressing conference, Rachel Reeves said Labour would never repeat the mistakes that, in her words, hurt working people.

She criticised those suggesting government can simply abandon financial discipline, calling that view “dangerously wrong.” Reeves warned that losing market confidence would drive up prices and interest rates, and insisted there is nothing progressive about spending billions of pounds on servicing debt.

Irish police are investigating the deaths of three people in County Louth.

Emergency crews discovered the bodies of two men and a woman at a house in Tallanstown on Monday morning. A man in his thirties has been arrested and is being questioned under the Criminal Justice Act. Gardaí say the investigation remains at an early stage.

The main suspect in the Madeleine McCann case has come out of hiding to challenge the prosecutor accusing him of murder.

Christian B, who cannot be fully identified under German privacy laws, travelled for hours to confront lawyer Hans Christian Wolters, who has claimed to hold evidence that he abducted and killed Madeleine in 2007. The suspect, recently released from a rape sentence, told Sky News he wanted Wolters’ help to “get his life back” after being refused a meeting.

Jaguar Land Rover says it will restart partial production in the coming days after nearly a month-long shutdown caused by a cyber attack.

Manufacturing stopped on 31 August, forcing thousands of staff across the supply chain to down tools. JLR employs more than 33,000 people in the UK, mainly at its Solihull and Halewood plants. The company says recovery work is continuing but production lines are expected to reopen soon.

Rachel Reeves has insisted she stands by Labour’s fiscal rules and the party’s pledge not to raise taxes on working people, despite rising borrowing costs.

Speaking ahead of the Autumn Budget in November, the chancellor acknowledged long-term borrowing costs have increased significantly, saying the UK, as an open trading economy, is not immune. Labour has promised not to raise income tax, national insurance, or VAT ahead of the 2024 general election, and Reeves said the party remains committed to that pledge.

Councillors have approved a new licensing policy, though some members raised concerns about enforcement on noise levels.

The updated rules, agreed at a full council meeting on Tuesday, strengthen safeguards around public protection. Councillor Richard Coe, cabinet member for household and regulatory services, noted this is the first policy since the Covid-19 pandemic allowed local authorities to consult with traders. The new licensing policy is set to take effect from 2026 and run until 2030.

The former head of MI5 has suggested that those who believe the UK is already at war with Russia “may be right.”

Baroness Manningham-Buller was speaking on the House of Lords podcast and referenced UK defence advisor Dr Fiona Hill’s comments from June. Dr Hill said that, considering the poisonings, assassinations, sabotage operations, cyber attacks, and influence operations linked to Russia, it is fair to conclude “Russia is at war with us.” Manningham-Buller added: “Since the invasion of Ukraine, and the various things I read that the Russians have been doing here, sabotage, intelligence collection, attacking people, and so on… Fiona Hill may be right in saying we’re already at war with Russia.”

Five people have died and at least eight others have been injured after a mass shooting and fire at a Mormon church in Michigan.

Police say the attack happened on Sunday morning at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Grand Blanc Township, north of Detroit. The suspect, 40-year-old Thomas Jacob Sanford from Burton, was shot dead by officers. He was a former Marine who served in Iraq between 2004 and 2008.

Chancellor Rachel Reeves will today set out plans for a “youth guarantee” aimed at cutting unemployment, insisting on the principle of “hard work matched by fair reward.”

In a separate speech, Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood will outline new conditions for migrants, saying they will need to prove they are contributing to society to secure indefinite leave to remain in the UK. Both ministers will address Labour’s annual conference in Liverpool.

Sadiq Khan has criticised politicians he says are “spreading misinformation” about crime in London.

New data from the mayor’s office shows violent offences leading to injury fell in every borough over the past year. Across the capital there were almost 9,000 fewer such crimes, a drop of nearly 12 percent. The sharpest declines were in Havering and Enfield, while the smallest reductions were in Greenwich and Kensington and Chelsea.

In Moldova, President Maia Sandu’s pro-European party is on course for a majority in parliamentary elections described as pivotal for the country’s EU ambitions.

With almost all votes counted, the Party of Action and Solidarity has secured close to half the vote, well ahead of its pro-Russian rivals. Turnout topped 52 percent, higher than in recent years. Opposition leader Igor Dodon has called for protests despite his bloc trailing in the results.

In Maidenhead, councillors have delayed a decision on the £500 million redevelopment of the Nicholsons Centre.

The project would see the shopping centre demolished and replaced with flats, offices and retail units. But concerns were raised over parking and available retail space, with members saying they did not yet have enough detail to approve the plans. The proposals will return to committee at a later date.