NewsBeat
Xi and Putin hold video call after Donald Trump’s inauguration
Chinese President Xi Jinping and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin had a video call hours after Donald Trump was sworn in yesterday, pledging to bring bilateral ties to “greater heights”, according to state media on both sides.
Calling Xi a “dear friend”, Putin said Russia and China were building ties “on the basis of friendship, mutual trust and support” despite external pressure.
Xi called on Putin to “continue deepening strategic coordination, firming up mutual support, and safeguarding legitimate interests”.
Trump on Tuesday threatened tariffs on Beijing, calling it “an abuser”, and warned that “big trouble” will come for Moscow if it does not strike a deal to end war in Ukraine.
Putin told Xi, however, that any Ukraine settlement “must respect Russian interests”, according to foreign affairs adviser Yuri Ushakov who spoke to reporters after the call.
Beijing has been accused of building up Moscow’s war machine by providing it with critical components for the conflict in Ukraine.
Trade between both countries reached a record $240bn (£191bn) in 2023, up more than 64% since 2021 – before Russia invaded Ukraine.
“Putin and Xi confirmed readiness to build relations with the US on a mutually beneficial and respectful basis, if the Trump team shows an interest”, Ushakov said.
He also said, however, that the call was “not connected with Trump’s inauguration in any way”.
The call lasted about one-and-a-half hours, during which Putin and Xi also discussed the situations in the Middle East, South Korea and Taiwan, according to Ushakov.
Chinese state media said Xi also expressed readiness to work with Putin in response to “external uncertainties”, without mentioning specifics.
Xi held a phone call with Trump last week, which the US president described as a “very good” discussion for both countries. They spoke about trade, fentanyl and TikTok, among other things, he said.
Putin has yet to speak with Trump, but congratulated him on state television hours before the inauguration.
Musician Chris Brown says he’s suing a film studio over a documentary released last year which included accusations of sexual assault.
Chris Brown: A History of Violence was released by Warner Bros in October and featured testimony from an anonymous dancer who claimed he raped her on a yacht in 2020.
In a statement, the Forever singer’s lawyers say the film is “defamatory”, and her claims were “baseless” and “sensationalised”, accusing Warner Bros of “recklessly damaging” his reputation.
As well as Warner Bros, the lawsuit also names production company Ample. Neither firm responded when contacted for comment by BBC Newsbeat.
Chris Brown’s lawyers say he is seeking $500m (£405m), after filing the complaint at a court in Los Angeles on Tuesday.
The statement goes on to say that his lawyers had told producers the allegations – which also included evidence tampering – were “misleading” and “discredited” but that Warner Bros proceeded to release the documentary “without regard for Mr Brown, prioritising profits over journalistic integrity”.
Chris Brown first faced allegations from the dancer, known in court and in the documentary as Jane Doe, in 2022 when she sued him for $20m (£14.9m).
Her lawsuit claimed he drugged and raped her during a party on a yacht at a property owned by Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs’ in Miami, Florida.
But the case was reportedly dismissed by a judge.
As well as Jane Doe’s allegations, last year’s documentary also examined other allegations against Chris Brown.
They include allegedly assaulting a woman in 2021, a rape inquiry in Paris in 2019 – where he was released without charge – and when in 2009 he pleaded guilty to assaulting Rihanna, who was his girlfriend at the time.
His lawyers say he’s “never been found at fault for any type of sexual crime”.
“Their actions undermine not only Mr Brown’s decade-long efforts to rebuild his life but also the credibility of true survivors of violence,” his lawyer Levi McCathern says.
Chris Brown says a portion of any damages would be donated to survivors of sexual violence.
Donald Trump has hit out at the bishop of Washington after she lectured him on respecting immigrants and LGBT+ citizens during a televised church service.
The president remained straight-faced alongside his vice president JD Vance as bishop Mariann Edgar Budde addressed him at Tuesday’s interfaith prayer service at Washington National Cathedral, telling him to “have mercy upon the people in our country who are scared now”.
Latest on Trump’s new presidency
The direct appeal to Mr Trump, which went on for around two minutes, has gone viral on social media and drawn criticism from Republicans, including a congressman who urged the president to deport the bishop.
But what exactly did Bishop Budde say and what has the president’s response been?
What did Bishop Budde say?
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Watch the moment Bishop Budde confronts Trump
She began: “Let me make one final plea, Mr President. Millions have put their trust in you.
“In the name of our God, I ask you to have mercy upon the people in our country who are scared now.
“There are gay, lesbian and transgender children in democratic, republican and independent families, some who fear for their lives.”
The bishop then highlighted the contributions of asylum seekers – a group Mr Trump has wasted no time in cracking down on.
She listed groups including “the people who pick our crops and clean our office buildings” and those “who wash the dishes after we eat in restaurants and work the night shifts in hospitals”.
“They may not be citizens or have the proper documentation, but the vast majority of immigrants are not criminals,” she said. Mr Trump then looked down at the floor.
She continued: “I ask you to have mercy, Mr President, on those in our communities whose children fear that their parents will be taken away.
“And that you help those who are fleeing war and persecution in their own lands, to find compassion and welcome here.
“Our God teaches us that we are to be merciful to the stranger, for we were all once strangers in this land.”
Her comments came after Mr Trump promised to carry out the biggest deportation in US history and his executive order stating the government will recognise only two sexes.
How did Donald Trump and other Republicans react?
Trump speaks to Vance during sermon. Pic: Reuters
The president remained stony-faced during the remarks, during which he sat alongside wife Melania in the front row, and next to Mr Vance and his wife Usha Vance.
He did at one point turn away and look over his shoulder before examining the booklet he was holding.
At another point in the sermon, Mr Trump turned towards his VP and the pair shared a wordless exchange of looks.
JD Vance furrowed his brow as the bishop mentioned the LBGT+ community
Mr Vance raised his eyebrows at one stage and turned to share a look with his wife, whose gaze remained firmly forward.
He repeated the move after the bishop spoke about immigrants, and followed it up by whispering to Mrs Vance.
When Bishop Budde finished her sermon, Mr Trump leaned over to say something to Mr Vance, who shook his head in response.
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Asked what he thought of the sermon as he returned to the Oval Office, the president told reporters: “They could have done better.”
In a late-night post on his social media platform Truth Social, he called Bishop Budde a “radical left hardline Trump hater” and said she was “nasty in tone, and not compelling or smart”.
“She brought her church into the world of politics in a very ungracious way,” he said.
“Apart from her inappropriate statements, the service was a very boring and uninspiring one. She is not very good at her job. She and her church owe the public an apology.”
Republican congressman Mike Collins shared a video of the sermon on X and wrote: “The person giving this sermon should be added to the deportation list.”
Who is Mariann Edgar Budde?
She was elected as the ninth bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Washington (EDW) in 2011, having served as rector of St John’s Episcopal Church in Minneapolis for 18 years.
She has had her sermons published in several books and journals, and has authored three of her own books about faith – most recently in 2023.
The bishop during the service. Pic: Reuters
She has also been openly critical of Mr Trump before, having written an opinion piece for The New York Times in 2020, in which she condemned him for clearing Lafayette Square, near the White House, amid the George Floyd protests and then posing for photos on the grounds of nearby St John’s Church while holding a Bible.
She said she was “outraged” by the move and claimed he was using the Bible and the backdrop of the church, which belongs to her diocese, “for his political purposes”.
The EDW’s website describes her as “an advocate and organiser in support of justice concerns, including racial equity, gun violence prevention, immigration reform, the full inclusion of LGBTQ+ persons, and the care of creation”.
The bishop is married and has two children and grandchildren, the website adds.
NewsBeat
Kyle Clifford pleads guilty to murders of racing commentator’s wife and daughters | UK News
A man has pleaded guilty to murdering the wife and two daughters of racing commentator John Hunt in a crossbow attack.
Kyle Clifford, 26, from Enfield, was accused of stabbing Carol Hunt, 61, to death and fatally shooting Louise, 25, and Hannah Hunt, 28, with a crossbow at their family home in Bushey, Hertfordshire, on 9 July last year.
He pleaded guilty to two counts of possession of an offensive weapon, alongside the murder charges. He denied one count of rape and will face a trial for this charge later in the year.
Kyle Clifford. Pic: Hertfordshire Constabulary
Clifford had tied the arms and ankles of his former partner, Louise, with duct tape before he shot her through the chest with a crossbow bolt.
Her sister, Hannah, was found in the main doorway of the house with a crossbow bolt to the chest. She was still alive when police arrived at the property, having managed to call the emergency services, telling officers she feared she was going to die.
Their mother, Carol, sustained significant stab wounds to her knee, hands, back and torso after Clifford attacked her with a 10in butcher’s knife.
Following the deaths, Sky Sports and BBC racing commentator Mr Hunt said the devastation he and his surviving daughter Amy feel “cannot be put into words”.
Recap: How manhunt unfolded
Clifford, a former member of the military, became the subject of a manhunt for a number of hours before he was found injured in Lavender Hill Cemetery in Enfield. He had shot himself in the chest with the crossbow.
Kyle Clifford was discovered by police in Lavender Hill cemetery in Enfield, north London, following a large manhunt
Following the attacks, the Home Office said Home Secretary Yvette Cooper was urgently considering whether tougher crossbow laws were needed. But in the King’s Speech, which took place just days later, no proposal for action on the weapon was mentioned.
The previous government looked at bringing in firearms licensing-style rules in the wake of an attempt to kill the late Queen with a crossbow.
Read more: What the law says on crossbows
Carol Hunt pictured with her husband John Hunt. Pic: Facebook
There is currently no registration system for owning a crossbow, but it is illegal for anyone under 18 to buy or own one, and carrying one in public without reasonable excuse can be punished by up to four years in prison.
Politics
Keir Starmer’s Chagos deal threatening UK-US ‘special relationship’ as Donald Trump to give verdict in days
A key aide for Donald Trump has warned the surrender of the Chagos Islands to Mauritius will jeopardise the “special relationship” between the UK and US.
The decision to cede the islands has been described as “haphazard” by former Department of Veterans Affairs Secretary Robert Wilkie.
It comes as Downing Street is hoping for a friendly start to the relationship between the new Trump regime and Sir Keir Starmer.
Wilkie, who is leading the current transition team within the Pentagon, told the BBC: “I think it was a calamitous decision, I don’t think there was much thought put into it.”
Starmer has been warned by President Trump about the islands
Getty/Pa
Wilkie added that President Trump considered the move to be “something that could impinge on that special relationship” between the two nations, and that the Diego Garcia military base, on the largest of the Islands, provides “leverage to project power”.
A Foreign Office spokesman said: “Given Diego Garcia’s status as a key strategic asset, it is right to discuss the agreement with the new US administration.”
Meanwhile, Conservative former minister Sir Oliver Dowden asked Chancellor Rachel Reeves about how the Government would fund the proposed deal to give up control of the Chagos.
He said: “Does the Chancellor of the Exchequer propose to fund the reported £9 billion bill for the continued use of Diego Garcia to the Mauritians through higher taxes, through more borrowing or through spending cuts?”
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Reeves replied: “We’re in discussions with the new administration in the United States around the future of Diego Garcia and will set out details in the spending review, as you’d expect.”
Foreign Secretary David Lammy said he was confident that the intelligence and military agencies in the US would persuade the new President it was a good agreement.
The UK plans to cede sovereignty of the British Indian Ocean Territory to Mauritius, leasing back the strategically important Diego Garcia base used by the US for 99 years at a reported annual cost of around £90million.
It comes as possible challenges for the UK could be exacerbated if President Trump hikes tariffs to protect American businesses.
The islands in the Indian OceanGB News/GoogleBusiness and Trade Secretary Jonathan Reynolds said: “We understand there is a genuine analysis in the US that feels that the very big trade deficit in goods that the US has both with the EU and with China, the sense of unfairness that is the root point of – we understand that, we might disagree, but we’ll engage with that.”
He said the US did not have the same trade deficit on manufactured goods with the UK that it does with the EU bloc and China, “so there’s the basis for a conversation” with Washington.
“But it will be a choppy time to be a trade minister, there’s no doubt about that, but our job is to navigate through that…You don’t get to pick the world as you want it to be. You get the world as it is.”
Downing Street has declined to comment on the President’s controversial first acts in office.
A man has admitted murdering a mother and two of her daughters in a crossbow and knife attack at their home in Hertfordshire.
Carol Hunt, 61, was stabbed to death and Hannah Hunt, 28, and Louise Hunt, 25, suffered fatal crossbow bolt injuries in Bushey, near Watford, on 9 July.
Kyle Clifford, 26, from Enfield, north London, changed his plea to the murders during an appearance via video link at Cambridge Crown Court.
The three women were the wife and daughters of BBC racing commentator John Hunt, and Louise was a former partner of Clifford.
The attacks in the cul-de-sac of Ashlyn Close sparked a manhunt which ended with Clifford being found injured in Lavender Hill Cemetery in Enfield.
An inquest heard that Mrs Hunt died from stab wounds to her chest and abdomen, while her daughters both died from crossbow injuries.
During the court hearing where he admitted the murders, Clifford denied a charge of rape in connection to Louise Hunt.
He had denied murdering the three women during a hearing at the same court in December.
Police had been called by Hannah Hunt, who told officers she feared she was going to die as she had been shot and her sister and mother had also been attacked.
Following the manhunt, Clifford, who served in the military from 2019 for about three years, was taken to hospital as he had shot himself in the chest with the crossbow.
Joker: Folie a Deux leads this year’s Razzie nominations – five years after the first film led the nods for the Oscars.
The infamous Golden Raspberry Awards mark the films its voters believe to be the worst of the year, with the winners always announced the night before the Academy Awards.
While Joker received 11 Oscar nominations in 2020 – with a best actor win for star Joaquin Phoenix – the sequel was not so well received.
It is up for seven prizes including worst film at this year’s Razzies, with Phoenix and his co-star Lady Gaga also nominated in the acting categories.
Jennifer Lopez is up for a Razzie for her performance in Atlas. Pic: Evan Agostini/Invision/AP 2024
Also up for worst film are sci-fi comedy Borderlands, starring Oscar winner Cate Blanchett; the critically panned Spider-Man spin-off Madame Web, starring Dakota Johnson; Francis Ford Coppola’s self-financed passion project Megalopolis; and Reagan, starring Dennis Quaid as the former president.
Other actors nominated for what the Razzies describes as “less-than-stellar star turns in 2024” include Jennifer Lopez (Atlas), Kevin Hart (Borderlands), and one of Donald Trump’s newly appointed apparent “ambassadors to Hollywood” Jon Voight.
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Voight has a “near record” four titles (Megalopolis, Reagan, Shadow Land and Strangers) that have been included in consideration for his nomination for worst supporting actor, organisers said.
Meanwhile, in contention for worst director alongside Coppola for Megalopolis are SJ Clarkson (Madame Web), Todd Phillips (Joker: Folie a Deux), Eli Roth (Borderlands), and Jerry Seinfeld (Unfrosted).
The Razzies nominations come a day before the shortlists for the Oscars are announced.
More than 1,200 Razzie members – “movie buffs, film critics and journalists” from across the US and more than 20 other countries – voted for the nominees.
The winners will be unveiled on Saturday 1 March, with the Oscars ceremony taking place on Sunday 2 March.
The Duke of Sussex has settled his High Court case against the publisher of The Sun.
Politics
The 10 countries that will be worst hit by Trump’s tariffs as shock graph shows surprising twist for Britain
Donald Trump announced a flurry of executive orders on his first day in office, but for now, at least, he has held off slapping universal tariffs on all imports.
Financial markets breathed a sigh of relief, but he did tell reporters in the White House Oval Office that he’s considering introducing a 25 per cent tariff on all products imported into the US from Mexico and Canada as soon as February 1.
Make no mistake: economic pain is coming down the pike as Trump threatens a trade war with countries that run large deficits with Uncle Sam.
The deficit-to-surplus ratio is not the only determining factor – geopolitics will play a role in who will be hit hardest too – but generally, Trump subscribes to the mercantilist mindset of might is right when it comes to international trade, so he will look to maximise exports and minimise imports to shrink America’s trade deficit.
GB News has ranked from highest to lowest in the countries that run the largest trade deficits with America and will therefore be slapped with the most punitive tariffs.
Who will be hit the hardest?
China, Mexico and Vietnam top the list, running trade deficits of around $300billion, $156billion and $109billion respectively.
Trump has pledged to impose an additional 10 per cent tariff on all imports from China, adding to the already existing tariffs.
This makes the total tariff on Chinese goods potentially as high as 60 per cent if all proposed tariffs are implemented.
The economic impact could be substantial, with previous studies indicating significant job losses and GDP reduction in China in response to similar tariff impositions.
The Chinese government has responded by asserting that no one wins in a trade war, hinting at potential retaliatory measures.
Donald Trump is expected to slap tariffs on its trading partners, with China, Mexico and Vietnam worst hit
Getty Images/ChatGPT
As Mexico’s economy is heavily integrated with that of the US, with approximately 83 per cent of its exports going across the border, the proposed 25 per cent tariff on all Mexican goods will significantly impact this trade relationship.
Analysts predict tariffs could plunge Mexico into a recession, depreciate its currency and drive up inflation.
Vietnam, which has one of the largest (and rising) trade surpluses with the US, is also exposed.
The US trade deficit with Vietnam reached $102billion in the first ten months of 2024 alone, an almost a 20 per cent increase on the previous year.
Vietnam has capitalised on spiralling US-China trade tensions by becoming a manufacturing hub for companies leaving China. However, this could backfire if Trump imposes tariffs.
Canada also makes the top ten, with Trump signalling plans to impose a 25 per cent tariff on its neighbour as soon as February 1.
Outgoing Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has emphasised Canada’s readiness to support American economic prosperity but cautioned against the imposition of tariffs, asserting Ottawa’s intent to retaliate if necessary.
Trudeau has alluded to the possible implementation of dollar-for-dollar matching tariffs in response to new US duties.
In order of highest to lowest, other countries running the largest trade deficits with America include:
- Germany
- Japan
- Ireland
- South Korea
- Taiwan
- India
Trudeau has alluded to the possible implementation of dollar-for-dollar matching tariffs in response to new US duties
REUTERS
Which countries will be shielded from the worst impact?
Netherlands, Hong Kong, and UAE run the largest trade surpluses with Uncle Sam, with surpluses of around $42billion, 23billion and 18billion respectively.
Trump will be less inclined to slap punitive tariffs on these countries as it could hurt American industries that benefit from these surpluses, such as aerospace, agriculture, and technology.
The UK will also be shielded from the worst as runs relatively large surplus with America.
In 2023, the UK had a trade surplus of £71.4billion with the US in goods and services, which increased to £72.1billion in the 12 months ending June 2024.
However, with trade worth over £300billion flowing across the Atlantic every year, Trump’s mooted plan to slap universal tariffs of 10-20 per cent on all US imports would still have a seismic impact on the UK.
Everything from Scotch whisky, automotive products, and pharmaceuticals would face higher costs.
Analysts from various think tanks, like the National Institute of Economic and Social Research (NIESR), have estimated that Trump’s tariffs could halve UK economic growth, reducing it from an already low projected 1.2 per cent to about 0.4 per cent in the year following implementation.
This is due to both increased costs for UK exporters and potential retaliatory measures from other countries.
The imposition of tariffs would likely increase inflation by pushing up the cost of imports, impacting consumer prices across various sectors. The Bank of England might then consider raising interest rates, which could further slow economic activity
This would put further pressure on Rachel Reeves, who is already struggling to tame rising borrowing costs and reverse sluggish growth.
Lewis Hamilton is having his first experience of a Ferrari Formula 1 car at the team’s Fiorano test track.
The 40-year-old seven-time champion is testing a 2023 car as part of his acclimatisation work with his new team.
His test follows two days of work at the Ferrari factory in Maranello, of which the Fiorano track is a part.
Hamilton’s running was complete by shortly after 11:00 local time (10:00 GMT). Team-mate Charles Leclerc will drive the car in the afternoon as he begins to get back up to speed after the winter break.
Ferrari will release more information about Hamilton’s running later on Wednesday.
Hamilton will be limited to a total of 1,000km (621 miles) of what is known as testing of previous cars running by F1’s regulations.
The test will help him learn the way the Ferrari engine operates and allow him to build trust and working practices with his new race engineer Riccardo Adami and the rest of the team.
Adami worked with Carlos Sainz for the last four years and before that four-time champion Sebastian Vettel.
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A former chairman of the Conservative Party has made the bizarre claims that the beginning of Southport attacker Axel Rudakubana’s trial was scheduled on the same day as Donald Trump’s presidential inauguration as “a calculated and cynical move by the Labour Government to ‘bury bad news’ behind international headlines”.
The claim echoes other social media posts over recent months which make various claims about the timing of both events on the same day.
The claim made by Sir Jake Berry can be proven as false as the trial date is set by the courts, not the Government. The trial was scheduled months before Mr Trump’s victory in the US presidential election.
The trial date was set for January 20 2025 during a hearing on August 1 2024 by Honorary Recorder of Liverpool Andrew Menary KC – the judge who allowed Rudakubana’s name to be published despite him being under 18 at the time he was charged.
This was more than three months before the US presidential election was held on November 5.
While it was not known at the time the trial date was set that Mr Trump would become the next president, the US inauguration ceremony always takes place on January 20, or on January 21 if the 20th is a Sunday.
Trial schedules are set by the courts, never by the Government.
The Government’s website states: “If the defendant pleads not guilty to the crime the court will need to arrange a trial to receive evidence about what happened. At the first hearing the court will ask for information about the case, set a trial date and make court orders (‘directions’) about getting the case ready for trial.”
Not guilty pleas were entered on Rudakubana’s behalf at Liverpool Crown Court on December 18 2024. His trial was expected to last four to six weeks.
Because Rudakubana pleaded guilty on the morning of January 20 the trial did not go ahead as planned.
Here is a timeline of what was known when about Southport killer Axel Rudakubana:
– 2019
Axel Rudakubana becomes known to a range of local agencies due to anxiety, social isolation and challenging behaviour.
In October he takes a knife to school, and in December attacks another child with a hockey stick.
He receives a youth justice referral order for the assault – a measure where juveniles who plead guilty to their first offence are placed under supervision to try to stop them reoffending – and completes this in 2021.
Between December 2019 and April 2021 he is referred to the government counter-extremism scheme Prevent three times.
He is aged between 13 and 14.
– October 2019 to May 2022
Lancashire Police have a series of interactions with the teenager, including being called to his house five times.
He is assessed for an autism spectrum disorder, and given mental health and educational support.
– February 2023
Rudakubana has stopped engaging with mental health workers, is struggling to attend school and has anxiety that makes him unwilling to leave his house.
– Monday July 29 2024
The teenager, then aged 17, murders Alice da Silva Aguiar, nine, Bebe King, six, and Elsie Dot Stancombe, seven, and injures eight other children and two adults in a knife rampage.
Within hours, just after 5.15pm, Merseyside Police releases a statement confirming “that the incident is not currently being treated as terror-related”, and this remains the case to date.
The force also says that the suspect they have arrested was born in Cardiff, amid false rumours online that the attack was carried out by an asylum seeker.
– Tuesday July 30
Rudakubana’s home in Old School Close, Banks is searched by police, and an unknown substance is found in his bedroom.
The search is halted and the substance is sent to the Defence Science and Technology Laboratory (Dstl) in Porton Down near Salisbury for analysis.
Separately, that evening there is both a peaceful vigil for the girls in Southport, and unrest outside the town’s mosque.
– Wednesday July 31
Rudakubana is charged with three counts of murder, 10 of attempted murder, and one of possession of a knife in a public place.
Demonstrators gather in Whitehall, London, for an “Enough Is Enough” protest.
Flares and cans are thrown at police and more than 100 people are arrested.
Disorder also breaks out in Hartlepool, County Durham, and Aldershot, Hampshire.
– Thursday August 1
Lab results suggest that the unknown substance is ricin.
This is a biological toxin estimated to be 6,000 times more poisonous than cyanide.
It can be fatal when inhaled, ingested, injected or swallowed.
– Friday August 2
The substance is confirmed by the Dstl to be ricin.
The form the poison was found in was deemed to be “low to very low risk”.
– Unconfirmed date in September
Merseyside Police pass a file of evidence to the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) concerning the ricin and an al Qaida training manual found in Rudakubana’s possession.
– October 29
The additional charges against Rudakubana over the ricin and the al Qaida document are publicly announced.
He is charged with possessing the document between August 29 2021 and July 30 2024.
The Government insists that the timing of the decision to announce the charges was purely a decision for the CPS, amid calls for more information to be released by politicians including Kemi Badenoch, Robert Jenrick and Nigel Farage.
The ricin charge required the authorisation of government officers the attorney general or solicitor general to proceed, and the BBC reports that senior government figures had been told about the new charges a few weeks before.
In January 2025 Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer said he had been updated about the case, but was unable to reveal any details publicly as it would have risked causing a future criminal trial to collapse.
The Attorney General’s Office is yet to confirm when the CPS applied for approval for the additional charge under the Biological Weapons Act and when the government’s law officers granted approval but it is understood this process took place within days.
– Monday January 20 2025
Rudakubana speaks for the first time at a court hearing and pleads guilty to all charges, paving the way for full details about the case to be revealed now that there will be no jury trial.
The referrals to Prevent are revealed publicly for the first time, along with details of his obsession with violence and attempt to travel to his school the week before the murders.
The debate over whether information about his background should have been released earlier is reignited.
– Tuesday January 21
Home Secretary Yvette Cooper tells the Commons that Rudakubana had admitted carrying a knife 10 times, and that he had bought the murder weapon on Amazon despite having a previous conviction for violence over the hockey stick incident and being underage.
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