News 12/11/25

Sir Keir Starmer has denied ever authorising personal attacks on members of his cabinet, calling recent anonymous briefings against them “unacceptable.”

Speaking during Prime Minister’s Questions, he said such behaviour had no place in government, following claims that his allies had briefed the press about possible leadership challenges. Reports suggested Health Secretary Wes Streeting could be positioning himself for a leadership bid, something he’s dismissed as “totally untrue.”

Streeting has urged Starmer to sack whoever was behind the briefings, warning they distract from delivering for the country.

A British couple jailed in Iran have begun a hunger strike in what their family describes as a desperate plea for help. Craig and Lindsay Foreman were arrested in January while travelling around the world on motorbikes and later accused of spying. Their son, Joe Bennett, told the BBC the charges were “ludicrous” and said his mother told him “not eating was the only power she’s got” during a brief phone call this week. He said she felt “lost and let down” by both the UK government and Iranian authorities. The Foreign Office says it’s urgently seeking more information.

Democrats in the United States have released a series of emails which they claim directly link President Donald Trump to the late financier and convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.

Members of the House Oversight Committee published three messages this morning from a trove of thousands obtained from the Epstein estate. One email allegedly claims Trump spent several hours with a victim, while another suggests he “knew about the girls.” The committee says it will continue reviewing the material in the coming days before deciding whether to refer the matter for further investigation.

A five-year-old boy has died and a six-year-old girl has been injured after a wall collapsed at a golf centre in south-east London.

Emergency services were called to Sidcup Family Golf on Sunday evening following reports of children trapped beneath debris. The boy was flown to hospital in a critical condition by London Air Ambulance but died on Tuesday. Police say his family is being supported by specialist officers. The girl remains in hospital with non-life-threatening injuries as investigations continue into how the wall came down.

Baroness Helen Newlove, the Victims’ Commissioner for England and Wales, has died at the age of sixty-three following a short illness.

Her office described her as a passionate advocate for victims of crime who led by example. Baroness Newlove began campaigning after her husband Garry was murdered by a gang of teenagers in 2007. She fought tirelessly for justice reform and for victims to be treated with compassion and respect.

An inquiry has found that an officer at a notorious youth detention centre was “possibly the most prolific sex offender in British history.”

Neville Husband, who worked at Medomsley in County Durham, was jailed in 2003 for abusing teenagers held there between 1961 and 1987. He died in 2010. The Prisons and Probation Ombudsman says police, the Home Office, and prison managers repeatedly failed to act on warnings. Both Durham Police and the Ministry of Justice have issued formal apologies.

Three men have been arrested following the discovery of a body in an Inverclyde field.

Police Scotland said formal identification is yet to take place, but the family of a 50-year-old man reported missing from Greenock on Tuesday have been informed. His body was found near High Mathernock Farm in Kilmacolm, around fifteen miles west of Glasgow, at about 9.20am on Tuesday.

Officers are also investigating a disturbance on Lansbury Street in Greenock reported at around 2.45am the same morning, with enquiries ongoing to establish if the incidents are connected.

The government is deploying military driving examiners to help cut the backlog of civilian driving tests.

The Department for Transport says up to 6,500 additional tests will be offered over the next year at locations with the highest demand.

Thirty-six defence driving examiners, who normally test service personnel, will conduct public tests one day a week for twelve months. Officials say the scheme is aimed at easing pressure on waiting times and getting more drivers safely on the road.

A woman is fighting for her life after an attack at a Shell garage near Slough.

Emergency services were called to Burnham Lane just before 1.45 yesterday morning, where the site was cordoned off and forensics teams worked through the day. Police tape remains in place near Burnham Station, with officers continuing to attend the scene. Thames Valley Police say the investigation is ongoing and are urging anyone who witnessed the assault to come forward.

The parents of the Southport killer could face renewed scrutiny after comments made at the public inquiry into the attack.

Merseyside Police say detectives will review transcripts of testimony from Alphonse Rudakubana and Laetitia Muzayire, who spoke last week. Their son, Axel Rudakubana, murdered three children and injured eight others at a Taylor Swift themed dance class last July. The inquiry heard he’d shown violent and disturbing behaviour for years. Police had previously considered charges against his parents but said the evidence did not meet the threshold for prosecution.

Detectives are appealing for information after a woman was sexually assaulted on a train between Edinburgh and Wolverhampton.

The attack happened around nine in the morning on Thursday the twenty-third of October, when the victim woke to find a man assaulting her. British Transport Police say the suspect left the train at Wolverhampton shortly afterwards.

Officers have released a CCTV image of a man they want to speak to in connection with the incident and are urging anyone with information to come forward.

Health Secretary Wes Streeting has dismissed rumours that he’s plotting to replace Sir Keir Starmer as Labour leader.

Speaking to Sophy Ridge, he joked that “whoever’s been briefing this has been watching too much Celebrity Traitors,” calling it “the worst attack on a faithful since Joe Marler was kicked out in the final.” Streeting said the reports were “totally self-defeating” and “not true,” insisting the party must focus on delivering for voters rather than indulging in gossip about leadership plots.

Slough Borough Council could be heading for a fresh financial crisis if urgent action isn’t taken to curb spending.

A new report warns of a forecast overspend of seventeen and a half million pounds this year, despite efforts to make savings. The council managed to cut its predicted deficit from over twenty million to around thirteen million in the first quarter, but the latest figures show little further progress.

Officials say unless the overspend is brought under control, it could threaten the council’s recovery plan, just three years after it effectively declared bankruptcy.

Sir Keir Starmer is preparing to fight off any attempt to oust him as Prime Minister, amid claims of plotting by Labour MPs being compared to the TV show The Traitors.

Number 10 is reportedly bracing for turbulence ahead of this month’s budget, with fears it could trigger a leadership challenge if it proves unpopular. But allies insist Starmer has “no intention of giving way.” They’ve warned that any attempt to remove him would spark a “drawn-out leadership contest,” risk “spooking the markets,” and cause further instability for Labour.

Senior figures suggest any serious move against him is more likely to happen after next May’s local elections.

Thousands of job cuts across the NHS are set to go ahead after the Treasury approved one billion pounds to fund redundancy costs.

The plan will see around eighteen thousand administrative and managerial roles axed across NHS England and the Department of Health. Ministers say the move will reduce bureaucracy and free up cash for frontline services, generating around a billion pounds a year by the end of the parliament.

Talks between NHS England, the Department of Health and the Treasury have now finalised how to fund the one-off payout.

Security has been tightened at the COP30 climate summit in Brazil after protesters stormed the venue in Belem.

Dozens forced their way inside, clashing with guards and demanding greater rights for indigenous communities. Some carried flags reading “our land is not for sale.”

An indigenous leader told Reuters they were angered by continued development in the Amazon rainforest despite global promises to protect it.

Groups tackling AI-generated child abuse content could soon get new powers under a proposed law.

It would allow the Internet Watch Foundation and AI firms to test whether models can create such material, helping them act before illegal images appear online. The IWF says it removes hundreds of thousands of abusive images every year and needs stronger legal backing.

And the Liberal Democrats are urging the Chancellor to cut VAT from twenty to fifteen percent in this month’s budget.

Deputy leader Daisy Cooper says the five percent cut would help struggling pubs and restaurants and could be funded through a new windfall tax on big banks. The party says it’s about giving people back “small joys” — like a meal out — during tough economic times.