News 15/11/25

A teenager has been charged with murder and attempted murder following the death of a 17-year-old girl in Blackwood, Wales.

Armed police were called to Cefn Fforest at around 7.15 on Thursday morning after reports that two people were seriously injured. Lainie Williams was pronounced dead at the scene, while a 38-year-old woman has since been discharged from hospital. Gwent Police say 18-year-old Cameron Cheng, from Newbridge in Caerphilly, has also been charged with possession of a bladed article in a public place.

A new commissioner is being appointed to help run Slough Borough Council.

Kim Wright, currently Chief Executive at Brent Council, will join Slough in her new role at the end of November. She brings more than thirty years of experience in local government, having held senior positions at Hackney, Barnet and Lewisham councils.

Train guard Samir “Sam” Zitouni, who was seriously injured protecting passengers during the mass stabbing on the London-North Eastern Railway service, has been discharged from hospital.

The 48-year-old was on the Doncaster to London train when the attack began in Cambridgeshire on 1 November. LNER says Sam, a veteran employee of over twenty years, helped save multiple lives in the incident.

Conor Benn claimed revenge over Chris Eubank Jr in their rematch at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on Saturday.

Eubank Jr had won their first fight in April, but Benn dominated this time, flooring his opponent twice in the final round before celebrating wildly. The fight continues a bitter family rivalry that dates back 35 years, involving their fathers, Chris and Nigel Benn, from their clashes in the 1990s.

A 20-year-old man has admitted plotting to build an improvised bomb after visiting a British Army barracks.

Ilyas Akhtar, from Slough, pleaded guilty at the Old Bailey to gathering bomb parts and accessing instructions between July 2024 and May 2025. The court heard he visited Victoria Barracks in Windsor during his preparations. He appeared via video from Belmarsh Prison and denied further charges.

People granted asylum in the UK will no longer receive long term protection under sweeping reforms set to be unveiled on Monday.

The changes, modelled on Denmark’s system, are designed to make the country less attractive to illegal immigrants and to speed up deportations. Refugee status will become temporary and subject to regular review, with individuals removed once their home nations are deemed safe. At the moment, refugees are granted five years’ protection before becoming eligible to apply for indefinite leave to remain and move toward citizenship.

Ministers say the revised approach will focus on return rather than settlement, though refugee charities warn it could leave vulnerable people in prolonged uncertainty.

Donald Trump says he plans to sue the BBC for up to five billion dollars over what he claims was the deliberate editing of his speech on Panorama.

Speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One, the US president said legal action would begin next week, accusing the broadcaster of changing his words and insisting they had already admitted to wrongdoing. The BBC has not commented in detail but says any suggestion of intentional manipulation is categorically untrue.

A major incident has been declared in South Wales after severe and widespread flooding swept across Monmouth overnight.

Emergency services have carried out rescues, evacuations and welfare checks as rising water left some homes and roads cut off. South Wales Fire and Rescue Service says crews have been working tirelessly since the early hours, with more rain warnings in place and much of England now on alert for cold weather from Monday. Authorities say the situation remains highly unpredictable.

George Osborne has emerged as a surprise contender to become the next chairman of HSBC Holdings.

The former chancellor was first approached over the summer and is now one of three remaining candidates to succeed Sir Mark Tucker. City sources say Naguib Kheraj, a former Barclays finance director and deputy chairman of Standard Chartered, is also in the running. HSBC has not publicly commented on the recruitment process, but industry insiders say the appointment is expected in the coming months.