News 14/11/25

A nursery worker has been jailed for ten years for raping and sexually abusing boys as young as three.

Thomas Waller, eighteen, exploited his role at a Guildford nursery to gain the trust of two young boys in his care before attacking them, Guildford Crown Court heard. Judge Claire Harden-Frost said it was “heartbreaking” to see the victims’ parents carrying guilt for the crimes committed against their children.

A former vet has pleaded guilty to drugging and sexually assaulting two boys at a summer camp, as well as cruelty towards six other children.

Jon Ruben, of Nottinghamshire, admitted multiple offences including sexual assault of a child under thirteen, assault by penetration, child cruelty, making indecent images of children, and drug offences. Prosecutors told Leicester Crown Court that Ruben, who ran the camp for nearly three decades, laced sweets with tranquilising drugs and attacked two children during what he called a “sweet game.”

A man has been sentenced to thirteen months in prison for stealing Banksy’s Girl With Balloon painting from a London gallery.

Larry Fraser, forty-nine, from Beckton, admitted non-residential burglary at Kingston Crown Court. The artwork, valued at £270,000, was taken from the Grove Gallery last September after Fraser smashed through a glass door with a hammer.

In Sweden, several people have been struck by a bus in central Stockholm, near the city’s University of Technology.

Police say there are both injured and deceased, though the exact number of fatalities has not yet been confirmed. The cause of the crash is under investigation.

An attack at a Shell garage in Slough, which left a woman fighting for her life, has been described by police as an isolated incident, following safety concerns shared online by local women.

Two 24-year-old men, Matthew Smith from Iver and Joshua Watt from Aylesbury, were charged yesterday with one count of wounding with intent. The charges relate to an assault at the Burnham Lane garage in the early hours of Tuesday, November 11. The victim was seriously injured and remains in hospital with life-threatening injuries.

A former vet has admitted drugging and sexually assaulting two boys at a summer camp, as well as cruelty towards six other children.

Jon Ruben of Nottinghamshire pleaded guilty to sexual assault of a child under 13, assault by penetration, eight counts of child cruelty, three counts of making indecent images of children, and four drug offences. Prosecutors told Leicester Crown Court that Ruben, who ran the holiday camp for at least 27 years, laced sweets with tranquilising drugs and attacked two children after inviting them to play a “sweet game.” He denies one charge of assault by penetration, which prosecutors are still considering.

A man has been sentenced to 13 months in prison for stealing Banksy’s famous Girl With Balloon painting from a London gallery. Larry Fraser, 49, from Beckton in east London, admitted non-residential burglary at Kingston Crown Court on 9 October.

The artwork, valued at £270,000, was taken from the Grove Gallery on New Cavendish Street last September after Fraser smashed through a glass entrance door with a hammer.

Several people have been struck by a bus in central Stockholm, Sweden, near the city’s University of Technology.

Police say there are both injured and deceased, though the exact number of fatalities has not been confirmed. The cause of the crash is still under investigation.

Chancellor Rachel Reeves has confirmed she will not raise income tax rates at the upcoming Budget, following better-than-expected economic forecasts.

The decision avoids breaking Labour’s manifesto pledge not to increase the basic, higher, or additional rates of tax. Sources say the fiscal gap is now thought to be around ten billion pounds smaller than expected. Reeves could instead freeze or adjust the income tax thresholds, the salary levels at which each rate applies.

Tributes are being paid to a 17 year old girl after a murder investigation was launched in Cefn Fforest near Blackwood.

Armed officers were called early yesterday morning and found two people seriously hurt. The teenager, named locally as Lainie Williams, died at the scene. A 38 year old woman remains in hospital.

The future of the Daily Telegraph is uncertain again after RedBird Capital Partners pulled out of its proposed five hundred million pound takeover.

The consortium, which included UAE based investor IMI, has withdrawn its bid but says it still believes the paper has a strong future.

Officials are looking into claims that a man may have impersonated a senior naval officer during Remembrance Sunday events in Llandudno.

He laid a wreath and saluted while wearing Rear Admiral’s insignia and a Distinguished Service Order. The Ministry of Defence says it is taking the matter seriously.

The Health Secretary Wes Streeting says he remains committed to keeping income tax at current levels and will not speculate ahead of the budget.

NHS bosses say they are aiming to keep the vast majority of services running as resident doctors in England begin a five day walkout.

The strike, the thirteenth by British Medical Association members in the long running pay dispute, began at seven this morning and will run until seven on Wednesday. Resident doctors, formerly known as junior doctors, are walking out of both emergency and non urgent care, putting hospitals under significant strain. They make up around half of the medical workforce.

NHS England says patients should still attend appointments unless they are told otherwise, and that contingency plans are in place to minimise disruption.

No-fault evictions will be banned in England from the first of May as part of sweeping reforms to renters’ rights.

Fixed-term contracts will be scrapped, replaced by rolling agreements, and rules around pets and bidding wars will be tightened to give tenants greater protection. Landlords warn the reforms could lead to tougher screening of prospective renters and raise concerns about how to handle problem tenancies.

Housing Secretary Steve Reed says the government is calling time on rogue landlords and is committed to delivering a fairer system under the new Renters’ Rights Act.

The Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood will unveil major reforms next week aimed at tackling illegal immigration, including possible changes to human rights law.

The package is expected to make it easier to remove and deport illegal migrants, and reduce what ministers call pull factors drawing asylum seekers to the UK. The Home Office says these will be the most sweeping changes in modern times, arguing that years of excessive generosity and bureaucratic barriers have made deportations extremely difficult.

An amber weather warning is in place across parts of England and Wales today as Storm Claudia brings heavy rain and a risk of flooding.

Up to one hundred and fifty millimetres of rain could fall in some areas, with the warning active from midday until the end of the day. The Midlands, Wales, the South West, South East and East of England are all affected, with the storm also triggering alerts in Spain, Portugal and the Canary Islands.