Andrew Savage, known as Machete, was found to have sold more than £1m worth of cocaine after he was traced from the other man’s mobile phone.

The 34-year-old, who spent £127,000 on luxury items and holidays, had taken a total of 15,604 payments for the class A drug weighing around 13.7kgs through a bank account.

Teesside Crown Court heard how Savage, who would organise cars and supplies for a team of drug dealers, had more than £20,000 in cash hidden away inside his Stockton home.

Shaun Dryden, prosecuting, said a search of Savage’s mobile phone, which he had previously used to call police about a burglary, contained countless details of drug transactions.

While a check of his finances revealed he had handled more than £1m in payments for cocaine and spent the cash on living a lavish lifestyle between January 2020 and March this year.

Mr Dryden said the investigation also uncovered how Savage had been trading in gold bullion while buying Rolex watches and designer goods.

He said 25 wraps of cocaine was also recovered from his home which was hidden inside a box in his rear yard.

“From the lost, police recovered a carrier back with £20,000 in cash and a further amount of £1,800 from his bedroom,” he said.

A credit card used by the defendant showed transactions worth £127,000 spent on foreign holidays and designer goods.

Savage, of Swinton Road, Stockton, pleaded guilty to being concerned in the supply of cocaine, possession with intent to supply cocaine and possession of criminal property following his arrest on March 20, this year.

Gary Wood, representing Savage, told the court how his client’s young child had a serious medical condition and urged the judge to take that into account at sentence.

“He was not at the top of the organisation,” he said. “He didn’t have any influence on those higher up.”

Recorder Marco Giuliani, who locked Savage up for a total of 12 years, said: “For six years, you were leading a gang of people supplying cocaine on the streets.

“You were facilitating the restocking of the cocaine and you were providing cars to those working on the drug line.

“You were receiving money for your own use as a result of you leading this group of drug suppliers.

“I accept that you not at the top of the chain and you were being supplied by another individual but you actively participated in ensuring that cocaine could be placed on the streets.”

Speaking after the hearing, DC Maloney, of Cleveland Police, said: “Savage operated his criminal network under the radar by using a pseudonym.

During this time, he was found to have profited significantly from the supply of cocaine earning more than a million pounds through expensive holidays, cars and jewellery.

“Following the arrest of another individual, a thorough investigation took place to identify who ‘machete’ was and the level he was operating in through the recruitment of drug dealers in Cleveland.

“This led us to Savage and seizing cocaine and cash within his property.

“The sentence handed to Savage is testament to his criminality and how he exploited others to do his dirty work while he enjoyed the rewards.

“Thankfully it has all come crashing down on him and he is now spending time behind bars.”

A proceeds of crime hearing against Savage will be heard in due course once his finances have been analysed.

One of Teesside’s most recognisable venues has this week launched “the next stage in its evolution” with The Brasserie, a “completely refreshed food offering”. 

The Hall Drive restaurant, in Acklam, had been operating as Tomahawk Steakhouse for the last six years and before that as The Brierley for four years. 

Bosses behind the new venture, which is still being run under the Tomahawk umbrella, described the revamp as the hall “growing into itself”. 

IMPRESSIVE: The exterior of Middlesbrough’s only Grade I-listed building

They say the new look compliments the way guests are increasingly using the 1683-built hall – from breakfast meetings and morning coffee to lunch, afternoon catch-ups, drinks and dinner. 

The project is being led by head chef Dan Wood, who has a long connection with the Tomahawk group as the original head chef at Tomahawk in Potto, which closed earlier this year. 

After six years of Tomahawk at Acklam Hall, Dan believes the time is right for the restaurant to evolve alongside the changing way guests are using the venue. 

The Brasserie has launched at Acklam Hall in Middlesbrough (Image: Social Allies)

“Tomahawk has been part of Acklam Hall since 2020 and it has been a really important part of the journey here,” he said. 

“But it feels like the right time for a refresh and to bring something lighter and more versatile to the Hall. We see people using Acklam Hall very differently throughout the day now. 

The Brasserie has launched at Acklam Hall in Middlesbrough (Image: Social Allies)

“We have guests coming for breakfast and coffee, businesses meeting here during the day, people having lunch with clients and then, of course, guests joining us for dinner and celebrations in the evening. 

“We wanted to create a menu that works naturally across all of those occasions.” 

Alongside the established wedding business, there are also plans for more meetings and conferences for exclusive use, corporate dining, and serviced business events. 

The Brasserie has launched at Acklam Hall in Middlesbrough (Image: Social Allies)

This autumn, the hall plans to launch The 1683 Club, a new invitation-only business and private members club designed to create a home for relationships and connections within Teesside’s business community. 

Bosses also want to launch a dedicated hot-desk and co-working space at The Parlour, previously a private dining area, for freelancers and professionals to base themselves.

The Brasserie’s new restaurant will keep long-standing steak favourites on the grill, including ribeye, fillet, and flat iron, but a “more varied collection of dishes” have been added. 

New dishes include King Scallops Saint Jacques, twice-baked mature cheese soufflé, trio of lamb with fondant potato, and lobster and crab linguine. 

The Brasserie has launched at Acklam Hall in Middlesbrough (Image: Social Allies)

With an earlier opening time of 8am, breakfast will also be on offer from a full English to cinnamon French toast and smashed avocado on sourdough with poached eggs.

Sunday dining will also remain an “important part of the week”. 

Dan added: “People who love coming here for a great steak absolutely don’t need to worry – those favourites aren’t disappearing. 

The Brasserie has launched at Acklam Hall in Middlesbrough (Image: Social Allies)

“But alongside them we’ve been able to introduce some lighter, more refined dishes and give the menu much more breadth. 

“We want the food to feel sophisticated and stylish, but still relaxed and accessible. 

“Ultimately, it needs to be somewhere you could happily eat several times a week rather than saving it for one particular type of occasion.”

The Brasserie has launched at Acklam Hall in Middlesbrough (Image: Social Allies)

Tomahawk Steakhouse, which has branches in Yarm, Durham, and Newcastle, closed at Acklam Hall for the final time on August 23. 

Since then, work has gotten underway to refresh the space and train staff ahead of the official opening as The Brasserie last Sunday (August 30). 

The Brasserie has launched at Acklam Hall in Middlesbrough (Image: Social Allies)

The opening came just a week after plans were unveiled for a 59 bedroom boutique hotel on the land next door, which has been described as a “major investment opportunity”. 

The project is hoped to boost Acklam Hall’s wedding and events business and comes two years after a previous hotel and spa bid was rejected by Middlesbrough Council. 

The Brasserie has launched at Acklam Hall in Middlesbrough (Image: Social Allies)

The land owner of the proposed hotel site James Watson, who runs Over Ice Business Consultants and Teesside Restaurant Week, said talks are already ongoing with national hotel brands, as well as potential investors and operators from the Far East. 

Formal plans for the project are expected to be lodged later this month. 

The Brasserie has launched at Acklam Hall in Middlesbrough (Image: Social Allies)

Acklam Hall was built by William Hustler and owned by generations of his family for centuries before being sold and opened as a grammar school for boys in 1935.

It later merged with Kirby Girls’ Grammar School to form the co-educational Acklam High School before being turned into a sixth form. 

Middlesbrough College then ran the site until it moved to a new purpose-built campus in Middlehaven in 2008, and the building shut.

It remained empty until 2014, when the land was sold and Acklam Hall Ltd finally started work on its restoration. It reopened in 2016 as a wedding venue, restaurant and office space.

By CAITLIN LENG

Published: 01:42 BST, 5 September 2026 | Updated: 01:58 BST, 5 September 2026

Two beavers released into the wild in Exmoor earlier this year have formed a pair – and now may even start their own family. 

Trail-camera footage from the National Trust‘s Holnicote Estate shows what conservationists have said is a blossoming relationship between the rodent pair. 

The animals were captured grooming one another and spending time close together, indicating they are settling into the landscape and establishing the social bonds that could form the basis of a future family group. 

The beavers were released in February and are part of the second wild release on National Trust land – and the third in England – since last year.

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Mathieu Burtschell, a National Trust ranger, described seeing the pair together as ‘really exciting’. 

He said: ‘When the animals were released, we hoped they would explore the landscape, establish territories and begin forming the relationships that are so important to a healthy beaver population.

‘The fact that they have paired up is a good indication that they have found the right conditions at Holnicote, with enough suitable habitat, food and space to establish a territory together.

‘They are largely active at night, so trail cameras give us a valuable window into what they are doing when we are not there.’

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Mr Burtschell added if the pair remain together, they may eventually ‘establish their own family group and help strengthen the beaver population across the estate.’

Two beavers that were released in Exmoor earlier this year have formed a pair – and may even start their own family (Pictured: CCTV footage of the pair)

The animals were spotted grooming one another and spending time close together

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Beavers – the world’s second-largest rodent – typically live in small family groups centred around an adult pair who usually mate for life.

Once established in a territory, their dams, canals and wetlands can create new habitats for wildlife while helping water remain in the landscape for longer.

Releasing the beavers into the wild is part of the National Trust’s work to restore rivers, wetlands and floodplains across the 5,000-hectare Holnicote Estate in Somerset.

The beavers are being monitored to understand how they settle, move through the catchment and shape the surrounding habitat.

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“We’re breaking down barriers to accessing university by increasing maximum maintenance loans this year, targeting the largest amount of support to students from the lowest income families, and we’re reintroducing targeted maintenance grants to help people from all backgrounds access university or college.”

The 58-year-old British actress has stepped back into the role of Sadie King, a character she originally played from 2004 to 2006.

During her original two-year stint, Sadie caused chaos in the Dales with explosive storylines, including a dramatic house explosion and affairs with a young Robert Sugden and Cain Dingle.

Patsy Kensit says returning to Emmerdale is “wonderful” 

Ms Kensit said: “It’s a role that I’ve really cherished and I’m very protective about her.

“It changed my life when I did it, 20 odd years ago.

“It’s just wonderful to be back for a little while and just get to say all those horrible things to people.

“I’m pathologically polite so it’s wonderful to live vicariously through this woman who who seems to have no shame in her game, but does she really have what what she had before when she left?”

Ms Kensit praised the script for her return, calling it “beautifully written” and full of references to her character’s past, including her memorable helicopter arrival.

She said: “I’m loving it.

“I’ve been here a couple of months now.

“It’s flown by.”

Sadie’s latest appearance comes after the death of her ex-husband Jimmy King, who died in a car crash.

She reveals to his grieving wife Nicola, played by Nicola Wheeler, that she and Jimmy had been secretly seeing each other for the past three years—prompting a slap.

Ms Kensit admitted she was “absolutely shitting” herself on her first days back but said the cast, especially Ms Wheeler, made her feel welcome.

She said: “I get a wallop.

“It’s very funny.”

Ms Kensit, who shares a son with former partner Liam Gallagher, is also known for her role as Faye Morton in Holby City and appearances in The Great Gatsby, Hanover Street, Absolute Beginners, and Lethal Weapon 2.

Emmerdale airs weeknights at 8 pm on ITV1 and STV, with all of the show’s episodes also available on the Emmerdale YouTube channel.

Are you excited to see how Sadie King’s storyline develops in Emmerdale? Let us know in the comments. 

For lots of people, holidays are a tinderbox. There’s this pressure to have the best possible time ever because a) everyone else is (I mean, we’ve all seen the adverts), b) you’re in the most magical place in the world, and c) you have spent so much money.

And yet, if you weren’t in a great place back at home, a holiday is like a magnifying glass on your marital problems, because you’ve packed up all those issues and squeezed them into a one-bedroom villa – it’s a case of ‘same s***, different kitchen’!

Interestingly, although I know lots of couples who have had blazing rows on holiday, that was never my experience. From very early on I realised that my ex-husband and I wanted totally different things. I’m like, ‘Lie me on a beach, baste me and turn me over every 30 minutes.’ The only activity I want on holiday is to put my hand up and say, ‘Another margarita, please!’ He wants to go cycling or hiking, or to the gym every morning.

Even on our honeymoon to Mauritius, he took his golf clubs – and I didn’t see anything wrong in that because, you know, it’s a compromise, and that’s what a marriage is all about.

We met another couple who were also on their honeymoon and the two guys went off to play golf every day while the wife and I lay on the beach. Then we’d meet up again for lunch. And it was absolutely fine because we were both doing exactly what we wanted, and we felt very modern and forward-thinking.

For most of my marriage, this approach worked perfectly well – once we’d had our three children, they’d go off and he’d play golf and I would lie by the pool. Everyone was doing the things they enjoyed. What’s not to love?

It’s only when we were on a family holiday the summer just before I left my husband and I got chatting to two other couples that I realised this might not be the future I wanted. These couples were slightly older than me, they had no kids with them and they were having the most fabulous time. They seemed nothing like me and my husband. 

I asked, ‘How long have you been married? Because you look like you’re having so much fun, and you seem to really like each other!’ Turned out both couples were on their second marriage.

All the pennies dropped and I thought, ‘When our kids have grown up and left home, do I want another 20 years of this, or do I want to sit with someone and belly laugh all day long?’ It made me think that maybe there was a way to have another bite of the cherry.

I mean this for my ex-husband, too. I did think, ‘Hang on a minute, what if he would much rather be with someone who wants to go cycling with him on holiday?’ In fact, one of the very first things I said to him when I was leaving was that I didn’t want to spend the rest of my life compromising – and neither should he.

If you think it was happy ever after straight after I left, though, let me tell you that the first few holidays with my children as a single parent were like a cross between a Bushtucker Trial and The Hunger Games.

It was mainly down to naivety on my part. The marriage had been over eight months earlier but we held off telling the children until after the elder two had done their exams. So, I planned the trips for the school holidays thinking, ‘I am now in a really good place, so we’re going to have the best holidays ever!’ while they were still coming to terms with their parents getting divorced.

Of course, I had turned their world upside down, so imagining that I could fix everything with holidays was a car crash of an idea. I went into overdrive, desperate to make everything amazing and be the perfect parent – almost as if to prove that in leaving their father, I’d done the right thing. Whereas my children were still processing it all and, of course, they were used to holidays where everyone did their own thing, so why would we suddenly become the Brady Bunch?

I didn’t mind being on my own when it was my choice, but as soon as they went to leave the room I’d be like, ‘Guys! I thought we were going to all play a game?’ Honestly, I may as well have had ‘Can we play dominoes?’ tattooed on my forehead.

One day I even sat at breakfast from 7.30am until 10am because they all ate at different times and I was thinking, ‘I must have breakfast with all of them!’ It was ridiculous.

I am happy to say it is totally different now, so much more relaxed. I have worked out that we all have a better time when we do active things (the irony, when all I ever wanted to do was lie on a beach!). So this year we went to Iceland, which was incredible. We had the best time walking and going to see waterfalls.

This brings me to holidaying with my new partner and the biggest revelation of my post-divorce life: I don’t have to check in! When I was married, I did it all – book the holiday, pack for the kids, find the passports… The first time my partner and I went away together, I said something about needing to check in and he replied, ‘Oh, I’ve already done it.’

It was a small thing that might sound inconsequential, but the implications were huge. The fact that someone would do something so considerate for me… oh my god, it was like a seal of approval from the universe that I’d done the right thing. Suddenly I felt like part of a team again, which I hadn’t for so long.

In the same way a holiday shines a light on the cracks in a relationship, it also shows if you’ve made the right choice.

My ex-husband is now with someone who shares more common interests – and I am sure he’s all the happier on holiday for it.

Similarly, I love a walking tour but never did one with my ex because it would have ended up in a row. With my new partner, if we get lost it’s hilarious – I can laugh at his terrible sense of direction and he thinks it’s amusing. My ex would have taken offence.

My partner also loves lying on a beach doing nothing as much as I do. And it’s during moments like these when I think, ‘I am now with the right person.’

• If you have any questions you’d like to ask Kat or topics you want her to cover, write to her at editor@you.co.uk

@doesmybumlook40 

Hair: Dayna Vaughan-Teague. Make-up: Levi-Jade Taylor.

Jeans by Hush. All other items, Kat’s own

GTA 6 may have the best graphics ever, and a gigantic open world to explore, but one reader feels it’s missing something very important, that was not evident in the recent Netflix show.

Like many people, I was distinctly unimpressed with the latest reveals of GTA 6. For over 10 years and $1 to $3 billion, one might’ve expected a little more innovation. The extended gameplay reveal was classic GTA – car chases, gunfights, store robberies – but little more, and so far we’ve seen nothing to suggest GTA 6 will be more than GTA 5 with a fresh face.

Personally, I’m not too fussed about that. There’s a reason people continue to play GTA 5 and Red Dead Redemption 2 today – they’re incredible games. If GTA 6 maintains the core loop of its forebears, it will be a hit even without extensive new gameplay systems, because the basic feel of shooting, driving, and exploring in a Rockstar title remains satisfying.

Graphically, the game looks impressive too. Interiors are more detailed and there’s hope for a wider variety of buildings you can actually enter. The draw distance is incredible, showing detailed objects and topography miles off, a feat rivalled only by Crimson Desert. Character models are a standout, too, with greater diversity of body shapes and fashion.

But of everything we’ve seen so far, there is something crucial missing which makes me worry. The previews contained extensive dialogue between the game’s protagonists, Jason and Lucia, and a host of antagonists, mentors, conspirators, and throwaway characters, and in all that time the game failed to do the one thing which is essential for a Rockstar game to thrive.

It wasn’t funny.

Though they have plenty of dark, serious, even emotional moments, GTA 5 and Red Dead Redemption 2 are absolutely hilarious at times. Larger than life main and supporting characters like Trevor Phillips and Lamar Davis deliver cutting, chaotic, and extravagant jokes and behaviours which bring the story to life; Lamar’s salty reaction to not winning Employee of the Month for stealing cars well enough, for example, is one of the more memorable scenes in the early game.

Even drier characters like Franklin Clinton or Arthur Morgan have plenty of humorous moments, be it Franklin’s incredulity at Lamar’s antics, or Arthur’s impatient interplay with some of his lazier camp members (‘I was thinking.’/’Does it pay well?’).

For contrast, the best attempts at humour in the GTA 6 preview were Jason making an offhand remark about how long Lucia took to get ready – a stale joke 50 years ago – and a streamer asking his chat what to do when he gets carjacked, which might be funny in the full release if Lucia reacts with some personality… she certainly didn’t in the preview.

Rockstar often litters their world with humorous brands and irreverent real-world references, often outrageously offensive. The best we got here was an advert about turning majestic animals into burgers… reused satire from previous games.

Worse than that not being funny, though, almost none of the dialogue was vaguely interesting. Jason has the personality of a spoon and Lucia isn’t much better. The opening scene of the preview, where the pair walk through Raymond’s gang hideout repeating the same lines of dialogue to nondescript non-player characters is tedious viewing. Raymond’s personality turns out to be saying swear words a lot. When they are betrayed by a voice on a phone, the most sinister line the villain delivers is, ‘It is what it is.’

There’s no subtle character building here. No tension. No humour. It’ just functional, matter-of-fact dialogue delivered with a po-faced, almost apathetic tone. Like a story about gangsters you’d rush out as homework for a school English or drama project.

Anyone familiar with GTA Online will know Rockstar’s writing chops haven’t been up to scratch in recent years. Most of those characters are annoying at best, and almost every attempt at humour ranges from cringeworthy to painfully so. But GTA 6 is supposed to be their biggest flagship launch to date and you’d expect them to deliver the best GTA their years of experience can concoct. On current evidence, though, I can’t help but feel it is going to fall flat and be – I can’t believe I’m saying this – boring.

By reader Harley Dalton

The reader’s features do not necessarily represent the views of GameCentral or Metro.

You can submit your own 500 to 600-word reader feature at any time, which if used will be published in the next appropriate weekend slot.

Just contact us at gamecentral@metro.co.uk or use our Submit Stuff page and you won’t need to send an email.

MORE: Despite what some people say Hideo Kojima has not wasted his career – Reader’s Feature

MORE: I’m worried how GTA 6 is going to affect my children – Reader’s Feature

MORE: Why my kids gave up on Roblox and started playing real console games – Reader’s Feature

The United Nations General Assembly on Friday endorsed a new world map that represents Africa more accurately in its larger size, a culmination of a recent campaign led by African countries and advocacy groups.

Friday’s resolution, which was sponsored by Togo and backed by members of the African Union, was passed with 164 member states voting in favor. Only the U.S. voted against it while six other countries — Serbia, Estonia, Georgia, Lithuania, Moldova and Ukraine — abstained.

The vote encourages governments and institutions around the world to replace the traditional Mercator map, commonly used since the 16th Century, with the Equal Earth projection that advocates and geographers say shows locations more accurately.

The Mercator projection shows Greenland and Africa as appearing to be about the same size whereas in the Equal Earth projection that shows continents in their true proportions, Africa is 14 times larger than Greenland.

Friday’s resolution does not ban the Mercator projection or impose a replacement, but only encourages the use of the Equal Earth projection, the U.N. said in its report.

“Maps shape our understanding of the world,” the global body quoted Togo’s Foreign Minister Robert Dussey as saying before the vote. “They guide education, nourish the imagination, and influence collective perceptions.”

Africa No Filter, one of the lead campaigners for the adoption of the new map, hailed the resolution, adding: “We want to see accurate maps in schools, textbooks, newsrooms, businesses and on the digital platforms billions of people use every day.”

Several countries hailed the adoption and urged the adoption of the Equal Earth map. “Changing the map obviously doesn’t change the world. But correcting a representation that distorts it is already an act of truth,” French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot said on X after the vote.

The Mercator map was designed by Flemish cartographer Gerardus Mercator to help European navigators at sea, but advocates say it distorted landmasses by enlarging regions near the poles such as North America and Greenland while shrinking Africa and South America.

The 2018 Equal Earth projection, on the other hand, follows the Earth’s curvature and shows continents in their true proportions.

Cody Gakpo has been key to Liverpool so far under Andoni Iraola but the Dutchman might not have been at Anfield after all had a move to Manchester City been completed over the final days of the window

Virgil van Dijk insists Cody Gakpo will continue to be crucial to Liverpool after his failed move to Manchester City. The Dutchman was thought to be on the way out of Anfield over the final days of the transfer window.

Tottenham Hotspur had been credited as admirers, only to be gazumped by Premier League rivals Manchester City. Gakpo even went as far as approving a switch to the Etihad Stadium.

But for various reasons – including Liverpool’s inability to find a replacement – his switch was not completed. The Reds might be thankful of that fact given how key the Dutch forward has been to Liverpool.

He netted on the opening day of the season and followed that up with an assist against Nottingham Forest. Gakpo then set up Alexander Isak twice against Ipswich on Friday evening.

Speaking after that game, club and international teammate Virgil van Dijk was full of praise. Asked how important Gakpo has been, he said: “Massively.

“Obviously I said before the transfer window was closed that he’s important for us and he will be important for us this season as well. And he showed it again today. Last week as well with the assists, over the last couple of years as well. So keep going.”

Isak’s comments are very similar to that of Liverpool boss Andoni Iraola, who suggested that he had no doubts over the forward’s commitment. Speaking ahead of the trip to Portman Road, the Spanish coach said: “My relationship with Cody has been very honest from the beginning.

“He has played very well for us so far. He was always aware of the situation in the market, we were constantly talking, I hope we can keep him at the same level. He is in a good place physically and mentally and I’m very happy to pick him.”

Gakpo now appears set to remain at Liverpool until January at least – and Liverpool fans will be hopeful that his fledgling partnership with Isak will continue to improve.

Speaking about his understanding with the Swedish forward, Isak said: “We will see. Obviously as attackers, we always train with each other and try and get to know each other even better again. Hopefully we can assist each other many times so he owes me a few assists now.”

Liverpool are back in action on Wednesday as they kick-off their Champions League campaign against Spanish giants Atletico ahead of a home clash with Fulham.

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Javier Milei has demanded a Hong Kong-style handover of the Falklands to Argentina as part of what he called a ‘consensus solution’. 

The Argentine president insisted his countrymen ‘do not believe in war’ and would not ‘start yelling like savages’ about the contentious archipelago. 

His remarks were published in an interview after his nationalistic TV speech overnight on Thursday, where he announced plans for a new military base in Tierra del Fuego – the part of Argentina closest to the Falklands.

He also warned of sanctions that would stop companies drilling for oil off the Falklands, while insisting that the islanders have no right to self-determination.

Mr Milei added that Britain is ‘on a path of decline’ with social, economic and immigration problems.

In his interview with The Economist, he cited the Sino-British Joint Declaration signed in 1984, which saw the United Kingdom eventually hand Hong Kong to China in 1997.

Controversially, Hong Kong citizens were never given a vote on the matter.

The Argentine president said: ‘The UK did this with Hong Kong, so why not find the agreement so that sooner or later the islands return to Argentina? They’re ours.’

While Hong Kong became part of China’s national territory, it was able to retain its own laws and political system for 50 years, which will end in 2047.

But China has been widely accused of violating the agreement with its authoritarian regime that suppresses political dissent and public protest.

Mr Milei’s interview took place before his TV address to the nation on Thursday, but was published afterwards.

In his sombre speech from the presidential palace in Buenos Aires, the firebrand leader, flanked by his cabinet, declared: ‘The islands are ours, by history and by right, and they were taken from us.’ 

Mr Milei told his nation that Mr Trump was helping bring ‘winds of change’ favourable to his Falklands claim after the US President hinted he would not back Britain if Argentina invaded again because Sir Keir Starmer failed to support his war with Iran. 

Andy Burnham has yet to comment but Defence Secretary Wes Streeting hit back by insisting Britain’s commitment to the Falklands is ‘absolute and unshakeable’ amid ongoing concerns about the country’s ability to defend the islands as it did in 1982. 

It emerged on Thursday night that the Army is being forced to cancel training exercises in a bid to save £30million amid Labour’s refusal to increase defence spending.

Mr Streeting said: ‘Milei’s statement overnight tells us more about domestic politics in Argentina than it does about the Falkland Islands. The Falklands are British because Falkland Islanders choose to be British. Our commitment to the Falklands is absolute and unshakeable.’

Senior minister and Burnham ally Lucy Powell said Argentina’s president was ‘simply posturing’ ahead of his country’s elections. But former Foreign Office chief Lord McDonald told the BBC that Labour should review Britain’s Falklands policy and open diplomatic talks with Argentina over the islands’ future, citing the cost of defending them and their distance from the UK.

Mr Milei, who once praised Margaret Thatcher as one of ‘the great leaders in the history of humanity’, said last night that Argentina ‘will prevail’ in its bid to reclaim the Falklands because Britain is ‘on a path of decline’, beset by ‘multiple crises’ including social, economic and immigration problems.

‘In the world, the winds are blowing favourably for our claim right now. President Trump announced that the US is re-evaluating its historic position regarding the Malvinas’, he said.

The US has historically taken a neutral position on the Falklands, but Trump (pictured in 2025 with Milei) has hinted that they may review it. The men have become friends and allies

Mr Milei, who is a year away from an election and tanking in the polls, said Argentina needs to ‘recover these islands’ and would use ‘all the tools of the state: diplomatic, economic, judicial and legal’ to impede drilling in the Sea Lion oilfield, which holds 1.7 billion barrels of oil.

He did not mention military action, but announced his government would issue an immediate emergency decree to build a naval base on Tierra del Fuego, the Argentine coastline closest to the Falklands, which have been in British hands for centuries. 

Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch blamed Argentina’s threats on the Government’s plans to hand sovereignty of the Chagos Islands to Mauritius.

She said: ‘Javier Milei claims to admire Margaret Thatcher, but forgets this lesson: Britain does not surrender to bullies. If he wants a stronger Argentina, he should build its economy, not threaten others.

‘But there’s also a lesson here for our sleepy Labour government. The madness of surrendering the Chagos Islands means other countries are now trying their luck. If we do not defend our own interests, whether on energy or territory, others will happily exploit that weakness.’