NewsBeat
Minister warns Putin over Russian spy ship in UK waters
Political reporter
Defence correspondent
Ministry of DefenceThe Royal Navy has been monitoring a Russian spy ship after it entered British waters earlier this week, the defence secretary has told MPs.
John Healey said the vessel, Yantar, was used for gathering intelligence and mapping the UK’s critical underwater infrastructure.
He said the incident was “another example of growing Russian aggression”.
Healey added: “I also wanted President Putin to hear this message: we see you, we know what you’re doing and we will not shy away from robust action to protect this country.”
Russia describes Yantar as an oceanic research vessel and it is operated by the country’s Ministry of Defence.
Western nations have often tracked the ship operating in European waters and they suspect part of its mission has been to map undersea cables.
They also believe Russia has been stepping up this activity since it launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
As well as surveillance equipment the ship can operate submersible drones capable of reaching the ocean floor.
Undersea infrastructure is crucial for energy supply through power cables and pipelines, while more than 95% of internet traffic is also secured via undersea cables.
Healey said Yantar was currently in the North Sea, after passing through UK waters and being detected 45 miles off the British coast in the English Channel on Monday.
“For the last two days the Royal Navy has deployed HMS Somerset and HMS Tyne to monitor the vessel every minute through our waters,” he said.
“I changed the Royal Navy’s rules of engagement so that our warships can get closer and better track the Yantar. So far, the ship has complied with international rules of navigation.”
The defence secretary said it was the second time the vessel had entered British waters in recent months, with Yantar also detected “loitering over UK critical undersea infrastructure” in November.
He said a Royal Navy submarine had been authorised to surface close to Yantar “strictly as a deterrent measure” and “to make clear that we have been covertly monitoring its every move”.
“The ship then left UK waters without further loitering and sailed down to the Mediterranean,” he added.
Healey said the government was strengthening its response to Russian naval activity with its Nato allies.
He said the Royal Air Force would provide surveillance aircraft to join a Nato deployment to protect critical infrastructure in the Baltic Sea.
It comes after an undersea cable between Estonia and Finland was damaged in December, with Finnish police investigating whether a Russian ship was involved.
Shadow defence secretary James Cartlidge said the Conservative Party stood “shoulder to shoulder” with the government’s approach and its “transparency” over the Russian naval threat.
He also welcomed the change to the Royal Navy’s rules of engagement, adding: “This sends a powerful signal to Putin that we will not be intimidated and that if his aim is to keep pushing the boundaries of malign activity in our waters, and those proximate to us, we will respond.”
Cartlidge said the Russian activity showed why defence spending needed to be increased as soon as possible.
NewsBeat
Axel Rudakubana’s neighbours sell homes and tell of horror at living next to Southport murderer: latest
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Axel Rudakubana’s neighbours have been selling their homes and telling of their horror at living next to the Southport murderer.
Residents of the quiet cul-de-sac of new build homes where Rudakubana lived with his family in Banks, Lancashire, have been left reeling, with at least one property put on the market in the wake of the attack, local Paul Jones, 66, told The Independent.
Owen Aimson, 21, said: “It’s crazy to know I have lived with him four doors down from me for a few years.”
Rudakubana, 18, on Monday admitted murdering three girls aged between six and nine in his frenzied knife attack at a Taylor Swift-themed dance class in Merseyside last year.
Since then, The Community Church, which his father attended, revealed the killer’s family have been moved to a secret location for their protection.
Sir Keir Starmer warned that those responsible for failures that enabled the “senseless, barbaric” murders would not be allowed “to deflect from their failures” after he announced a public inquiry this week.
The prime minister also reiterated his pledge to take action against the “unacceptable” online sale of “murder weapons” in efforts to tackle knife crime after it emerged that Rudakubana used a knife bought from Amazon in his attack.
Knife sales crackdown divides commentators
Government critics say Sir Keir Starmer’s pledge to crack down on online knife sales is missing the point, many pointing to the failure of authorities to stop Southport killer Axel Rudakubana.
Reform leader Nigel Farage claimed: “The truth is there are murder weapons in every kitchen drawer. What we should be talking about is the total failure to stop this terrorist & the cover-up of information.”
But his former Ukip colleague Henry Bolton called for a ban on knives openly sold as “fashion accessories”.
Jane Dalton22 January 2025 16:40
Charities call for knife sales crackdown
Knife crime charities have demanded stricter regulation of online marketplaces, because “careless” retailers are making it too easy for young people to buy knives.
Patrick Green, chief executive of knife crime charity the Ben Kinsella Trust, said the tragedy in Southport showed “how careless the online marketplaces are”.
He added that the ease of online sales is “a damning indictment”, saying: “Retailers are just completely focused on making money and not protecting the public. The law has proved inadequate.
“We need to close the loophole that exists around online marketplaces.
“This isn’t an isolated incident. There have been a number of incidents like this.”
Bruce Houlder, founder of Fighting Knife Crime London, told the PA News Agency that knife crime was “more worrying than ever”.
He said: “I think there should be much tougher legislation. It’s foreseeable that these knives are going to be used to cause injury.”
Mr Houlder added there is “insufficient being done” to stop online retailers selling knives, calling them “complicit in the crimes that eventually get committed”.
Jane Dalton22 January 2025 15:40
No 10 could replicate porn access curbs for knife sales
Downing Street has indicated “nothing is off the table” to protect children when asked what actions would be taken to enforce Sir Keir Starmer’s promise of tougher rules on online knife sales.
The prime minister’s official spokesman was asked whether the government was happy to see how the Online Safety Act beds in before considering any further legislation.
He replied: “We have worked at pace to implement the Online Safety Act. Our message remains as the home secretary and technology secretary said yesterday. The social media companies should take action now. There is no need to wait for laws to kick in and the prospect of significant penalties.
“More broadly, we have been clear that nothing is off the table with keeping our children and communities safe.”
Asked whether measures aimed at verifying the age of children trying to access pornography could be replicated for knife sales, the spokesman said: “We are obviously looking at these plans and we will update urgently on how we will deliver on these plans in due course.”
Jane Dalton22 January 2025 15:10
Axel Rudakubana’s neighbours want to move after learning of horrors carried out by Southport murderer
Horrified neighbours in quiet cul-de-sac of new build homes where Axel Rudakubana lived with his family in Banks, Lancashire, have been left reeling after learning the horrors that he perpetrated.
Local councillor John Howard said some people want to move away after angry troublemakers threatened to target properties in the aftermath of the attack.
At least one home has been put on the market in the wake of the tragedy, resident Paul Jones, 66, told The Independent.
It is not known what will happen to the Rudakubana’s three-bedroom semi-detached home, which has lain empty since the family were taken into hiding.
Owen Aimson, 21, said most residents had never even laid eyes on the reclusive teenager, who made the biological toxin ricin in his bedroom, until CCTV emerged of him walking down the road on the day of the attack.
But he recalls seeing a police car outside the home on multiple occasions. Following Rudakubana’s conviction on Monday, police confirmed five calls to were made to the force from the address between 2019 and 2022 relating to concerns about the teen’s behaviour.
“Once in a blue moon I would get home at 10 or 11pm at night and there would be a police car outside his house,” he said. “No commotion or anything, just a police car so they were in the house. No one knew why.
“It’s crazy to know I have lived with him four doors down from me for a few years.”
Tara Cobham22 January 2025 13:29
Starmer reiterates pledge to take action against ‘unacceptable’ online sale of ‘murder weapons’
Sir Keir Starmer has reiterated his pledge to take action against the “unacceptable” sale of “murder weapons” in ongoing efforts to tackle knife crime.
The prime minister told the Commons during PMQs that the government is committed to regulating the online sale of knives.
He said: “It is unacceptable that these murder weapons can be bought with two clicks. The technology is there to stop it and we’re going to take action.”
Southport murderer Axel Rudakubana used a knife bought from Amazon to kill three girls at a Taylor Swift-themed dance class in Southport, Merseyside, in July.
Tara Cobham22 January 2025 12:39
Closing all of Parliament’s bars could lead to greater security risks for MPs, the leader of the House of Commons has suggested.
Lucy Powell said she was open to “having a debate” on the future of drinking venues on the Parliamentary estate after one bar was temporarily closed for a security review linked to an alleged drink-spiking incident.
But she argued that MPs and staff would visit venues outside Parliament’s secure zone if bars, restaurants, hair salons and other facilities were shut down.
She told BBC Radio 5Live’s Matt Chorley said “there is no point spending the millions of pounds” on security if staff were encouraged to leave the estate.
Parliament’s most famous pub, the Strangers’ Bar, is currently shut while police investigate a report a woman had her drink spiked on 7 January.
Powell said she was in favour of reopening Strangers following a review of its security arrangements.
“We definitely need to look at this and make sure we have the measures in place so that people are not in the situation where they think they have been spiked or showing the effects of being spiked,” Powell said.
She said she was open to having a public debate “on whether there should be any bars on the estate at all”.
But not all of the sprawling eight-acre (32,000 sq-m) Palace of Westminster is a workplace, she told Matt Chorley, and there were several venues serving alcohol for MPs and their guests.
She said she did not “get the sense that there’s a groundswell” of support for closing these down.
In the evening members of staff and others who “might want a drink” are “not at work at that point,” she argued.
She said they would MPs be less well protected attending venues “where they have not got the security protection”, she added.
“They have not got police around” and would also not be covered by the Independent Complaints and Grievance Scheme (ICGS) – which investigates allegations of sexual misconduct and bullying by parliamentary staff.
The ICGS has previously argued parliament’s bars and associated culture of drinking fuels inappropriate behaviour in Westminster.
Parliament had increased security “with good reason” because “there are a lot of people trying to attack MPs and attack Parliament” she said.
“That is why we provide services on the estate.
“There is no point spending the millions of pounds we spend keeping everyone secure and on this estate – if we then actually just encourage people to pop off to go and get their hair cut or have lunch with a journalist off the estate.”
Politics
Number of Britons who believe migration is too high reaches greatest level on record as Starmer told to ‘get a grip’ on crisis
The amount of Britons who think migration to the UK is too high has reached record levels, a damning new poll has found.
Analysis by pollsters at YouGov has revealed that 71 per cent of Britons now think too many people are arriving in the UK – the highest percentage since its records began in July 2019.
The data also shows that 63 per cent of Labour voters now think immigration is too high – also the largest percentage on record.
And voters for Sir Keir Starmer’s party appear not to be alone. The groups which have voiced fears at record levels include 25-64-year-olds, men, women, Conservative voters, Remain voters, and Britons from every region of the UK except Scotland and the North of England – which still poll at 68 and 69 per cent, respectively.
71 per cent of Britons now believe immigration is too high
YOUGOV
The only group which didn’t show majority support for the view that migration is too high was 18-24-year-olds, at 44 per cent.
The data has sparked calls for Starmer and Home Secretary Yvette Cooper to act – led by Migration Watch UK chairman Alp Mehmet.
He told GB News: “Public concern about immigration is longstanding, and has now reverted to the levels we saw before the electorate were fooled into believing it was going to be controlled and reduced.
“We warned that was never going to happen with the ridiculously lax immigration system introduced after Brexit.
MORE ON BRITAIN’S MIGRATION CHAOS:
‘Sir Keir Starmer and Yvette Cooper would do well to regard this poll as another red flag and get a grip,’ Alp Mehmet warned
PA
“We also warned that failure to control immigration and reduce immigration would further erode trust in politicians and our political system.
“It gives me no satisfaction to say we were right.
“Sir Keir Starmer and Yvette Cooper would do well to regard this poll as another red flag and get a grip of both legal and illegal immigration.”
Migration under the former Conservative Government has been the subject of attacks from Starmer himself – he has accused the Tories of running “a one-nation experiment in open borders” and has claimed cutting migration “will only be done with a serious plan”.
Migration under the former Conservative Government has been the subject of attacks from Starmer himself
PA
Setting out his five ‘milestones’ in Labour’s “Plan for Change” at the end of November, Starmer warned: “This happened by design, not accident.
“Policies were reformed deliberately to liberalise immigration.
“Brexit was used for that purpose… to turn Britain into a one-nation experiment in open borders. Global Britain – remember that slogan… That is what they meant.”
While the Home Office’s line is the same – Seema Malhotra, Minister for Migration and Citizenship, said: “Net migration quadrupled in the past five years and we have been clear that we will get the numbers down and restore order to our broken immigration system as part of our Plan for Change.”
A series of videos show the moment a car carrying a family in the occupied West Bank came under attack during an Israeli raid into the city of Jenin yesterday.
NewsBeat
Prince Harry will celebrate his settlement – but it’s unlikely to be the end of his personal crusade | UK News
It was going to take something dramatic to encourage Prince Harry to settle.
That was abundantly clear in everything he’s said in the run up to this trial, and not purely from a personal point of view.
As one of the last men standing, the Duke of Sussex felt it was his responsibility to bring justice and accountability for the thousands of people he feels had also been maliciously targeted and tormented by The Sun and the News Of The World. He felt he was their last hope.
The apology from News Group Newspapers (NGN) is far reaching. Reading it, you get the impression Harry and his legal team made the publisher’s lawyers work hard to get it over the line.
Being in court on Tuesday, as both sides asked for more time for negotiations, that certainly seemed the case.
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Prince Harry’s big settlement explained
The apology for unlawful activities at The Sun, albeit, they say, by private investigators and not journalists, is something we have never heard before.
The apology to Princess Diana is particularly unexpected. It gets to the heart of one of the overriding reasons Harry refused to give in: his anger at what he perceives these publications did to him, his mother and his wider family.
It has stopped him having his moment in court. He was pencilled in to give evidence and be cross examined for three days.
Inevitably it will be a relief in some ways for other members of his family – who knows what may have come out in court?
Harry has plenty to celebrate. File pic: Reuters
Harry said his father called taking on the tabloids a suicide mission and we know Prince William accepted a settlement from NGN.
You wonder if despite their differences, they will acknowledge that his perseverance paid off.
We now wait to see if this has brought him some sense of peace. But this was an apology for past wrongdoings.
We know Harry still has significant issues with how he feels he is treated by the press now, and he’s spoken of feeling that he and Meghan have faced intimidation from the papers, because of his decision to pursue them in the courts.
Read more:
What happens next after the settlement?
What the Royals have been up to
This will be a moment to celebrate, both with the extent of the apology and a chance to publicly shout for further investigations.
But knowing the man Harry is, and his conviction to do what he thinks is morally right, it is unlikely to be the end of what has always been the most personal of crusades.
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Britain is set to be battered by winds of up to 90mph from Storm Eowyn as the Met Office warned of a danger to life in parts of the country over the next few days.
Very strong winds are forecast to strike the north of England, south of Scotland and North Wales.
The forecaster issued an amber warning of wind from 6am to 9pm on Friday across the north of England, south of Scotland and North Wales.
There is also a yellow warning of wind for the north of Scotland, Northern Ireland, the south of England and the midlands.
“Storm Eowyn is expected to bring very strong winds and widespread disruption on Friday,” a Met Office spokesperson said.
“There is a chance that damage to buildings and homes could occur, with roofs blown off and power lines brought down.
“Injuries and danger to life could occur from flying debris, as well as large waves and beach material being thrown onto sea fronts, coastal roads and properties.”
Meteorologists said the strongest winds of up to 90mph were likely to be found along the more exposed coastal areas, while gusts are expected inland of between 60mph and 70mph.
The change to conditions is being caused by a powerful jet stream pushing low pressure across the Atlantic and towards the UK, following a recent cold spell over North America.
The forecaster advised securing loose items outside homes, including bins, garden furniture, trampolines and sheds, and gathering torches and batteries in case of any power cut.
Those travelling in this “disruptive spell of weather” are urged to be cautious, as road, rail, airports and ferries are likely to be affected.
Another area of low pressure could bring further wet and very windy weather across the UK by Sunday.
There is the potential for further weather warnings over the weekend and throughout next week, the Met Office added.
Meanwhile, the entire island of Ireland will be under weather warnings due to Storm Eowyn.
The Republic of Ireland’s forecasting agency issued a nationwide Status Orange wind warning for between 2am and 5pm on Friday.
The UK Met Office has issued a yellow wind warning for Northern Ireland due to Storm Eowyn.
Politics
Labour told to ‘hang their heads in shame’ as Lee Anderson lashes out over Axel Rudakubana ‘cover-up’
Reform UK MP Lee Anderson has accused Labour politicians of orchestrating a “cover-up” over the Southport attack, saying they should “hang their heads in shame”.
Speaking on GB News, Anderson claimed the public had suspected terror links from the start, while politicians at Westminster denied them.
He praised Nigel Farage for demanding immediate answers about the case last summer.
The MP suggested the riots in the North West could have been “nipped in the bud” if authorities had been more forthcoming with information.
Lee Anderson blasted politicians in a furious rant
GB NEWS
“The great British public deserve to know the truth and there has been a cover-up,” Anderson told GB News viewers.
Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer yesterday admitted he had “withheld” information about Axel Rudakubana’s terrorist links but denied being part of a cover-up.
LATEST DEVELOPMENTS
Axel Rudakubana pleaded guilty to murdering three young girls in the Southport knife attack in July 2024PASpeaking at an emergency press conference, he acknowledged being “kept up to date with the facts” by police and prosecutors.
The Prime Minister insisted revealing crucial details about the killer’s fascination with terrorism could have prejudiced his trial.
“It was not my personal decision to withhold this information. That is the law of the land and it is in place to protect the integrity of the system,” Starmer said.
Home Secretary Yvette Cooper backed this position, saying ministers could not ignore legal advice about contempt of court.
Lee Anderson spoke on GB News
GB NEWS
The Crime Reporters Association (CRA) has complained to the Director of Public Prosecutions about the Crown Prosecution Service attempting to “gag” Merseyside Police.
The CRA said officers were instructed to “stay silent” about the case as riots broke out last summer.
According to the association, the CPS tried to prevent officers from revealing details about Rudakubana’s background, which might have prevented false rumours fuelling unrest.
Shadow Home Secretary Chris Philp said the failure to be transparent created a vacuum where dangerous misinformation took hold online.
“There could have been more openness and transparency … without prejudicing the trial,” Philp said.
Anderson drew direct comparisons to previous terror incidents, claiming there was a double standard in how information was handled.
“Jo Cox we had that instant and PC Palmer. These were all incidents that were stated as terror-related within 24 hours and it didn’t influence proceedings,” he told GB News.
The Reform UK MP accused Westminster politicians of hypocrisy in their approach to the Southport case.
His comments came as Starmer warned that Britain now faces new threats from “loners and misfits” radicalised by online violence, different from traditional organised terrorist groups.
Police say a 28-year-old man from Afghanistan has been arrested suspected of carrying out the attack.
With Democrats poised to deliver an early immigration victory to President Donald Trump, members of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus split over how to approach the issue in a closed-door meeting Wednesday morning.
Some discussed using Democrats’ limited political leverage under unified GOP rule: Rep. Juan Vargas (D-Calif.) floated conditioning Democratic support for a debt-limit increase on protections for Dreamers — undocumented migrants brought to the U.S. as children.
Reps. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) and Linda Sánchez (D-Calif.), meanwhile, debated how to respond to hard-line Republican-led immigration bills — such as the Laken Riley Act, which has attracted Democratic support and is poised to pass Congress Wednesday. Two people familiar with the meeting were granted anonymity to describe the private conversations.
Ocasio-Cortez emphasized the need for her party to develop a winning strategy and better messaging to respond to the Republican bills and prevent swing-district lawmakers from having to break party ranks.
But Sanchez, who leads the caucus’ political arm, said progressive members’ messaging efforts weren’t working and said that Democrats were at risk of losing the larger battle over immigration policy as a result.
It was the latest manifestation of an intense debate that has racked Democrats since the 2024 elections, where many blamed immigration and border issues for swinging the presidential and congressional results to Republicans.
The Laken Riley Act was only the first of numerous tough-on-immigration bills that Republicans are likely to bring to the House floor. Dozens of Democrats have broken ranks so far, much to the dismay of many Hispanic Caucus members who are watching the party move to the center on its issue — including, they fear, its leaders.
House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries stopped by the Hispanic Caucus meeting, the people familiar said.
Coming out of the broader House Democratic Caucus meeting earlier in the morning, Jeffries said Democrats were “unified in the position that we want to secure the border and fix our broken immigration system in a bipartisan and comprehensive manner.”
Hispanic Caucus chair Rep. Adriano Espaillat (D-N.Y.) called the meeting an “informative discussion” about members’ positions and said, “we all agree that the situation at the border needs to be stronger but that we also recognize that Dreamers, farmworkers and families must be protected.”
“We are all united on this,” he said, adding that included Jeffries.
Democratic lawmakers have broadly emphasized to leadership in the wake of the election there needs to be a cohesive message from the party on immigration. But the particulars of that has been tricky, with Republicans eager to put them on the spot by holding votes on bills that would, for instance, require the detention of many migrants accused of crimes.
Rep. Chuy García (D-Ill.) was among those calling for a more forceful response to the GOP legislation.
“I think we need to stand firm, as we’ve done on other causes in the Democratic caucus,” he said. “While we firm up a position on immigration policy in general as we plan forward, it’s important to push back on efforts like this, because if not, then you cede the ground to all kinds of other falsehoods that are to come.”
Some other lawmakers, however, said there had to be some recognition of political reality.
“I think each member has to have a response based on what’s in the best interest of their district,” said Rep. Darren Soto (D-Fla.). And he took a longer view of their response to Trump: “It’s not a sprint, it’s a two-year marathon.”
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