News 31/10/25

A convicted murderer who stabbed his pregnant girlfriend 23 times in Walthamstow has been jailed for life with a minimum term of 42 years.

Forty-seven-year-old Shaine March attacked 32-year-old Alana Odysseos at her home last July, when she was in the early stages of pregnancy. Appearing by video link from Belmarsh Prison, March showed no emotion as her family told the court how his actions had destroyed their lives.

A hockey coach who killed his wife at their home in Worcestershire has been sentenced to life in prison with a minimum term of 21 years.

Forty-three-year-old Mohamed Samak stabbed his wife Joanne six times, then claimed she’d taken her own life. A retrial heard new evidence of hidden bloodstained clothing. Prosecutors said he murdered her because of financial problems and an affair.

A former Army sergeant major has been jailed for sexually assaulting a teenage soldier who later took her own life.

Warrant Officer Michael Webber pinned down 19-year-old Gunner Jaysley Beck and tried to kiss her during a social event in 2021. Her mother says the assault and the Army’s failure to protect her daughter cost Jaysley her life. Webber received six months in prison and was placed on the sex offenders register for seven years.

Three Just Stop Oil activists who sprayed Stonehenge with orange powder have been cleared of causing a public nuisance.

They admitted taking part but argued they had a reasonable excuse under their rights to protest and free speech.

The man behind the Manchester synagogue attack earlier this month died from multiple gunshot wounds, an inquest has heard.

Jihad al Shamie was shot dead by armed police after driving at worshippers and attacking others with a knife. The inquest has been opened and adjourned.

The attacker who targeted a Manchester synagogue earlier this month died from multiple gunshot wounds, an inquest has heard.

Jihad al Shamie drove his car at worshippers outside the Heaton Park Hebrew Synagogue in Crumpsall on Yom Kippur, before attacking others with a knife and trying to enter the building. Armed police shot him after he ran toward officers carrying a knife and what appeared to be an explosive device, which was later found to be fake.

The inquest into his death opened and adjourned within 15 minutes at Manchester Coroner’s Court.

Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer has announced that Chancellor Rachel Reeves will face no further action over her failure to obtain a rental licence for her south London home.

Ms Reeves was under pressure to clarify whether she broke housing law when she rented out the property after moving into Number 11 Downing Street.

Despite calls from Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch for her to resign or be dismissed, the prime minister said a letter from Ms Reeves showed that her husband had been told by their estate agents they would apply for the necessary licence.

The family of the woman who accused Prince Andrew have welcomed the King’s decision to strip him of his royal titles and move him from his Windsor home.

Andrew, now known simply as Andrew Mountbatten Windsor, will leave Royal Lodge and relocate to the Sandringham estate in Norfolk. His future living arrangements will be privately funded by the King.

Buckingham Palace says the formal process to remove his titles and honours has begun. Royal historian Kate Williams says there are only two other major examples in history of someone losing titles like this, calling the move a very significant moment.

A group of MPs says delays and budget pressures have damaged the UK’s F-35 fighter jet programme.

The Public Accounts Committee says a lack of cash has driven delays and increased costs, while a shortage of pilots and engineers is also limiting how often the fast jets can fly. The report also questioned the government’s plan to buy a nuclear-capable version of the jet, saying there is no timeframe for when that capability will be ready or how much extra it will cost.

The findings come as Air Chief Marshal Sir Richard Knighton, the new head of the armed forces, takes up his post.

Campaigners say the government must act urgently to tackle long A and E waits, calling the situation the rot at the heart of the NHS.

Age UK has shared what it calls heartbreaking cases of older patients left waiting for hours in corridors, some receiving treatment like blood transfusions in temporary areas, and some dying there.

It says older people are far more likely to face long delays, with one in three patients over 90 waiting more than twelve hours in A and E in England last year.

The Trump administration has announced it will cap refugee admissions to the United States at seven thousand five hundred over the next year, with priority given to white South Africans.

That is a major reduction from the previous limit of one hundred and twenty-five thousand. A notice published by the government did not give a reason for the cut, but said it was justified by humanitarian concerns or the national interest.

Earlier this year, President Trump signed an order pausing the US refugee programme, saying it would allow authorities to focus on national security.

Apple and Amazon have both beaten market expectations with strong financial results.

Apple reported record iPhone sales, while Amazon saw a surge in revenue from its cloud computing division, Amazon Web Services. AWS grew more than twenty percent to thirty-three billion dollars, despite a major outage last week. It now makes up sixty percent of Amazon’s operating income.

Analysts say the strong cloud performance helps Amazon stay competitive against Google and Microsoft, who also reported rising revenues this week.