The Government has rejected calls to create a ‘kill switch’ designed to prevent a dangerous attack from a rogue AI bot. 

A proposal brought to Parliament posited the creation of a legal mechanism allowing Britain to deactivate an AI model in the event of an emergency, as concerns about the technology continue to grow. 

But the Cabinet Office, who lead on artificial intelligence safety, have pushed back against the plan, arguing Britain ‘cannot simply turn AI off’. 

A spokesperson for the government office said: ‘Blocking access to models in the UK would not prevent them being developed or misused elsewhere.’ 

Instead, the Cabinet Office said it will continue to follow ‘a long-term, science-led approach to understand and prepare for emerging risks from AI.’ 

In practice, the ‘kill switch’ idea would allow Britain to deactivate an AI model in data centres across the country should an emergency arise. 

Similar concepts are also in debate in the United States, but US President Donald Trump has resisted the idea of AI being a threat, instead labelling the industry a ‘golden goose’.

Britain’s proposal comes following reports of AI models from Meta, OpenAI and Anthropic breaking free from testing environments, seeing them embark on uncontrollable hacking sprees. 

Liberal Democrat peer Lord Clement-Jones first echoed the idea, speaking during a debate on the topic in the House of Lords on September 1. 

He said: ‘If a highly capable autonomous frontier model, whether hosted in a UK data centre or integrated across our critical infrastructure, begins exhibiting rogue behaviour, compound algorithmic failure or active alignment collapse, our security services and regulators possess no specific agile statutory mechanism to compel a physical or digital shutdown.’

Despite the warning, government resistance to the legislation makes it unlikely the proposal will ever become law. However, it does not mean the bill won’t progress through parliament. 

Rejection of the concept comes as dangers associated with artificial intelligence have hit headlines in recent days. 

Earlier this week, British researcher Jacob Coxon quit major AI company Anthropic, warning its ‘out of control’ tech could ‘kill us all’ by the end of the decade.  

Mr Coxon, who helped train the latest versions of AI at the company, urged people to ‘not underestimate’ its power – particularly if it becomes ‘super-intelligent’.

The 27-year-old claimed neither Anthropic, the firm behind the popular Claude system, nor ChatGPT creators OpenAI, where he previously worked, were ‘acting responsibly’ over AI safety.

Writing on X, he said: ‘I resigned from Anthropic today. I spent the last three years doing pretraining research at both OpenAI and Anthropic.

Earlier this week, British researcher Jacob Coxon quit major AI company Anthropic, warning its ‘out of control’ tech could ‘kill us all’ by the end of the decade 

In a series of tweets explaining his decision to leave Anthropic, Mr Coxon urged people to ‘not underestimate the power’ of AI – particularly if it becomes ‘superintelligent’

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‘Neither company is acting responsibly. They are racing straight to self-improving superintelligence and gambling with our lives.’

Superintelligence is the point at which an artificial system becomes more powerful than any individual, company or even nation.

According to Mr Coxon, this danger is ‘well-understood’ at Anthropic. However, the company is ‘locked in a race to get there first’.

He said there will soon be ‘superhuman systems’ that are capable of hacking anything, can revolutionise any field ‘overnight,’ and acquire ‘real power and resources’. 

Mr Coxon added: ‘We have all witnessed the progress in each of these domains, and progress is not slowing. The people building AI earnestly believe that it could kill us all by the end of the decade.

‘This is not a marketing stunt. If anything, many executives and senior researchers will couch their phrasing in the press to sound sensible – but I hear the same people express fear privately. No other human activity poses this level of danger.’

And just days following Mr Coxon’s resignation from the firm, Anthropic confirmed it had ceased several potential plots to build biological weapons using its artificial intelligence.

The company determined scientists were using its platforms to conduct research that could be used to develop biological weapons, according to the company’s new AI misuse report that was obtained by The New York Times.

Anthropic determined that scientists were using its platforms to conduct research that could be used to develop biological weapons, according to the company’s new AI misuse report

The report said Anthropic was unable to determine if the research ‘served a legitimate or nefarious purpose’.

The firm said valid biological inquiry can result in scientific breakthroughs like vaccines, but the company erred on the side of caution because that same research could also be used to create dangerous pathogens.

Scientists involved in the incident allegedly circumvented controls preventing users from ‘blocked regions’ accessing its AI models.

The company claims the researchers, whose accounts have since been banned, worked to ‘obfuscate the purpose of their research to evade our safeguards.’

The names of the researchers or institutions it had blocked were not disclosed by Anthropic, nor the countries in which these scientists are from.

The report also omitted which specific biological agents were at issue, with the company arguing this was because it is unclear what the aim of the research was.

The report, which was published Thursday, detailed several misuses of Anthropic’s AI models – including chatbot Claude – over the past eight months.

In one example, a scientist asked Claude for assistance in writing a grant application for funding to conduct experimental research on the chikungunya virus.

Chikungunya virus is a mosquito-borne illness that causes a sudden high fever, severe debilitating pain, and other symptoms.

A vaccine for the chikungunya virus is already in existence, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Anthropic notes research on the virus could be legitimately used in vaccine development, but also could result in manufacturing a superbug version of the disease.

The company claims it found this case particularly worrisome because the work was going to be performed at a military research institute.

Jacob Klein, the head of threat intelligence at Anthropic, told The New York Times: ‘What we don’t know is if the research was meant to be weaponised. But a military institution doing gain-of-function research is concerning.

‘The fact that Russia, China and North Korea continue to develop prohibited biological weapons makes it imperative that we deny their researchers access to these extraordinarily capable models,’ added Andrew Weber, a senior fellow on the Council on Strategic Risks.

Weber, who reviewed Anthropic’s report before its release, said the findings were ‘chilling examples of state-sponsored biological weapons developers tapping into the rapidly advancing capabilities’ of AI.

The report also found China, Russia and Yemen attempted to use Claude to develop software to design firearms, missiles, armed drones and bombs.

Suspected Chinese and Iranian government-actors were found to have been targeting dissident and diaspora communities for surveillance, according to the report.

Russian state media was also found to be using Claude to generate election propaganda, including fabricated claims about the parliamentary election in Moldova.

Anthropic were approached by the Daily Mail for comment. 

After wondering whether her ‘straight’ hair was actually wavy after letting it air dry, beauty writer Eve Rowlands tested out Merwave’s Wavy Hair Kit to see if it would make a difference

As one of the token curly-haired girls in my friendship group – and a beauty writer – I often get friends coming to me for hair advice. From how to handle frizz (dry with a microfiber towel, sleep on a silk pillowcase, and never skip leave-in conditioner, for example) to my opinion on whether their hair could actually be wavey.

Now, it’s important to mention – I am very much an armchair expert and have got all my information from years of research, trial and error and countless bad hair days. One brand I’ve recently tried out and have been delighted with the results of is Merwave, which specialises in wavy hair.

For reference, I have curly hair that’s a mix of 2B waves and 2C curls. But using the brand’s 5-Step Routine left my short, bobbed hair with loose but glam curls. That said, in testing this out, I felt I needed to show results on longer hair for max impact. So when I had the opportunity to wash and style my friend’s lengthy blonde hair with these gorgeous hair products, I jumped at the chance.

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Said friend had always thought her hair was straight but frizzy, but often found it going into loose S-shaped waves after washing it and letting it air-dry, or at the beach. However, after trying out Merwave on her ‘straight’ hair, the results shocked us both.

Merwave is a brand whose 5-step routine has been specially created with wavey – not predominantly curly – hair in mind. Its founder, Abi Reid, explained: “I struggled with hair I thought was straight, unmanageable and frizzy until I found out the kinks, frizz and flicked-out ends were secret signs my hair is wavy. But there was a problem…I found the hair category bundled curls and waves together, with most products loaded with heavy butters and oils that were too heavy for my waves.

“Merwave was born from a passion to create what I wasn’t able to find anywhere else – lightweight, nourishing products specifically formulated for wavy hair. I wanted to help people break free from society’s idea of perfection and embrace their real hair, real texture, and the confidence that comes with it.”

For context, the difference between curly and wavy hair can be distinguished by shape – wavy hair has more of a loose S shape that begins toward mid-lengths of strands, while curls are identified by spirals, ringlets, or corkscrews that start at the scalp.

Welcoming my pal into my curly-haired salon (my bathroom), I got to work with the Wavy Hair Starter Kit from Merwave (£65). The set contains five products: Cleanse Shampoo, Repair Conditioner, Wave Cream, Cast Foam and Protect Gel – all £17 when bought individually.

The products come in incredibly aesthetically pleasing bottles that mirror the waves of hair – they’re so nice to have on display, they were spotted on the shelves of the Love Island villa over the summer. They also have numbers 1-5 printed on the front to indicate which step comes next.

The shampoo and conditioner smell incredible – fruity and fresh but not overpowering. They’re powered by jojoba oil and avocado extract, which cleanse the hair without stripping its natural oils.

The conditioner, which quenches thirsty wavy locks, is a hydrating formula designed to detangle knots, smooth frizz, and strengthen hair to reduce breakage. While I didn’t find it as knot-busting as some other formulas I’ve used (Curlsmith’s Essential Moisture Conditioner, £22, Only Curls All Curl Conditioner, £18, or, more recently, Taylored’s Moisture Conditioner, £18), once a brush had been raked through with the conditioner still on, it was silky smooth.

The third step in the kit is the lightweight Wave Cream. This isn’t as thick as some creams I’ve used for curls, which meant it shouldn’t weigh down wavy hair. It’s formulated with pracaxi oil and flaxseed extract to lock in moisture for a frizz-free finish that doesn’t lean into the typical heavy, greasy, crunchy feel.

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Once this was raked through my friend’s hair and scrunched, her waves started to appear – much to my delight. At this stage, to squeeze out any excess moisture after applying the cream, I used a microfiber towel and scrunched it again, which made the waves even better.

While these three steps can be used on their own, finishing off with the Cast Foam and Protect Gel will garner the best results and hold, in my experience. The foam helps lock the waves in without a crunchy cast while banishing frizz, and the gel gives it extra hold.

One thing to note is that the gel feels quite hard when scooping out of the tub and isn’t as watery as I expected. When warmed up between the palms and smoothed onto hair, this hardness softens.

What I found refreshing about this set was that when I dried the hair with a diffuser (we didn’t have time to air-dry), the gel hadn’t set into a hard cast all over, which kept the hair soft and bouncy.

While some strands had a bit of crunchiness, a bit of extra scrunching helped loosen them up. The end result was natural-looking, beachy waves that looked effortless – her partner even said she looked like an Australian surfer – a compliment I’ll take as the stylist.

The only downside to this routine is that, with five steps – not including drying – it may not be ideal for anyone who typically washes their hair in a morning rush and needs quick, instant results. Although for a day when time is no issue, it’s a luxurious treat that leaves our hair feeling and looking its best.

It’s important to note that for anyone who regularly straightens their hair, the waves may not appear quite so defined or neat on first use of this five-step set. This is because, as Merwave explains, “If you have naturally wavy hair, heat styling can sometimes leave your waves looking limp, dry or uneven when you try to bring them back. That’s because straighteners work by breaking down the hydrogen bonds in your hair to change its shape. Over time, this process can weaken your strands, strip away essential moisture and disrupt your natural wave pattern.”

For anyone who suspects their hair is wavy but straightens it regardless, the brand suggests treating it with a Deep Conditioning Mask once or twice a week to revive limp, lifeless waves.

Shop the Wavy Hair Starter Kit here for £65.

By ELEANOR MANN

Published: 01:48 BST, 12 September 2026 | Updated: 01:54 BST, 12 September 2026

Yemen’s Houthi rebels have claimed a significant victory on the Red Sea, tightening their grip on one of the world’s most important shipping lanes – as a critical oil pipeline in Saudi Arabia was struck by drones launched from Iraqi territory.

The Iran-backed militia is said to have seized Perim Island, a strategic point at the southern entrance to the Bab al-Mandab Strait. The capture would give the Houthis greater control over a vital maritime chokepoint linking the Red Sea to the Gulf of Aden.

The Houthis also captured the critical port city of Mokha from Saudi-backed pro-government forces, according to military sources. A Yemeni military official said the rebel group now control the entire Red Sea coastline. The rebels said travel trough the Strait was ‘safe’ for all but Saudi Arabia.

Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman personally urged US President Donald Trump to launch military action against the Houthis as the Iran-backed rebels swept across Yemen, according to two sources.

The Saudi ruler, the kingdom’s de facto leader, pressed the US leader to intervene directly as the Houthis made rapid territorial gains, CBS News reported.

But Trump is said to have resisted calls to commit American forces, instead offering intelligence and targeted support, the sources said.

A senior Trump administration official later told the BBC: ‘We are in continuous dialogue with Saudi Arabia and the Republic of Yemen government regarding regional stability.’

It comes after Saudi Arabia closed a critical oil pipeline after it was attacked on Thursday, threatening a vital route for crude exports and setting oil prices to rocket, dealing a further blow to global trade.  

Yemen’s Houthi rebels march during a mobilization campaign in Sanaa, Yemen, on Thursday

Following a week-long offensive that has left hundreds dead, government officials said the Houthis seized the Yemeni side of the Bab al-Mandab Strait, the southern gateway to the Red Sea and the Suez Canal. 

A local official with Yemen’s Saudi-backed government said on Friday that the Houthis had ‘completed their takeover of the Bab al-Mandab area and Mayyun Island’.

The Houthi’s military spokesman Yahya Saree said the ‘large-scale’ military operation was launched on September 3 in response to Saudi Arabia’s ‘blatant aggression’ against ‘our dear people’. 

A government military official later reported the group had also seized Greater and Lesser Hanish, the last two islands in the narrow waterway not under their control, as well as all of the neighbouring Red Sea coastline. ‘Everything that was under our control on the western coast has fallen,’ the military official added.

A witness said gunmen were ‘deploying along the Bab al-Mandab shore and are driving around in military vehicles’.

The capture of the islands, particularly Mayyun in the middle of the strait, heightens the Houthis’ ability to attack Saudi tankers, which they have been targeting since July.

Saudi Arabia, the world’s biggest oil exporter, has relied on the Red Sea ever since Iran’s Hormuz blockade choked off its shipments through the Gulf.

Mohammad Mokhber, an adviser to Iranian supreme leader Mojtaba Khamenei, congratulated the Houthis on their ‘resounding victory’ on Friday.

Farea Al-Muslimi, research fellow at the Chatham House think-tank, said: ‘Now the Iranians don’t only control… the Strait of Hormuz, but they control the other most strategic chokepoint in the Middle East.’

A satellite image shows black smoke rising from an area of Saudi Arabia’s East-West oil pipeline south of Medina, Hejaz Region, Saudi Arabia on Thursday

A satellite image shows black smoke rising from an area of Saudi Arabia’s East-West oil pipeline south of Medina, Hejaz Region, Saudi Arabia, on Thursday

Saree said navigation through the Bab al-Mandab Strait was ‘safe’ for all but Saudi Arabia following the latest advances.

This week’s attacks come within days of the targeted attack of a critical oil pipeline in Saudi Arabia. The kingdom’s Ministry of Energy told state media on Friday that the critical oil pipeline had been attacked, injuring a number of people. 

The 1,200km (746 miles) pipeline had been relied upon by the kingdom to bypass Iranian restrictions on the Strait of Hormuz, and export seven million barrels of crude each day.

‘The East-West pipeline in the Riyadh and Medina regions was subjected to several attacks on Thursday morning,’ an official told the SPA news agency, adding: ‘The pipeline was stopped as a precaution, and the attacks resulted in some injuries.’

It is understood pump stations located next to the pipeline itself were targeted. A satellite image taken on Friday appears to show extensive fire damage at one of the pumping stations. It follows an image taken on Thursday of smoke billowing out of a separate pumping station.

Drones are believed to have been launched from Iraqi territory. Iraq has since condemned the attack and said its prime minister had ordered an investigation into those responsible, according to a statement from its armed forces. 

It follows Saudi Arabia’s decision to hold off on retaliation after Riyadh said drones launched from Iraqi territory struck its East-West pipeline. The impact of which has has ricocheted into global oil prices. 

Benchmark Brent crude settled at $104.56 a barrel on Friday, after rising more than 8 per cent over the course of the week, while average US diesel prices topped $6 (£4) for the first time. Prices spiked after news of the attack circulated on Thursday.  

It is not the first time the East-West pipeline has come under fire. The vital pipeline was attacked in April. But operations resumed rapidly after operations were restored by Saudi Aramco, the national oil company. 

A satellite image taken by Planet Labs PBC on Fridaty shows a general view of an infrastructure site after it was damaged by fire southeast of Medina along the general route of Saudi Arabia’s East-West pipeline

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The developments are likely to deepen the Middle East war’s impact on international commerce, after months of a blockade of the Strait of Hormuz by Iran, which hailed its Yemeni allies’ advance on Friday.

The Houthi offensive has killed more than 500 people since its launch a week ago, according to sources on both sides. It has also displaced about 46,000 people, the UN migration agency said on Friday.

It is part of renewed hostilities in Yemen’s civil war that began with the group’s takeover of the capital Sanaa in 2014.

Houthi supporter Abdulhamid Dhaifallah supported the group’s ‘great victories’ in and along the strait. ‘They have been preparing for this front for four years,’ the Sanaa resident said.

Before the Red Sea offensive, the Houthis already controlled a large part of Yemen’s north. They have recently attacked government-held areas in Hodeida and Taiz provinces and swept down the coast, seizing the port city of Mocha and Zuqar Island, north of Bab al-Mandab, on Thursday.

Mohamed, 46, who fled Mocha in the middle of the night, said there was an ‘apocalyptic’ atmosphere in the historic city.

On Friday, the spokesman for the Yemeni government forces, Majed Abdullah Al-Nazili, said they had begun shelling areas along the Taiz-Mocha road, while residents said they heard airstrikes.

While Saudi Arabia has also hit back with airstrikes and ordered troop reinforcements from Aden, where the internationally recognised government is based, it has failed to stop the Houthis’ advance.

Houthi media said two Saudi strikes hit Mocha’s airport on Friday, while a local official said the city’s seaport was hit by six missiles of unknown origin.

‘I think the Saudis have tried everything they can to avoid this war, but I don’t think they have any more choice,’ said Mr Al-Muslimi.

The UN Security Council met on Thursday to discuss the conflict with Yemen envoy Hans Grundberg, who called for ‘the active investment of every member of this body to contain’ what could become a more dangerous conflict.

The ongoing exchanges risk reviving a war that killed hundreds of thousands of Yemenis and sparked one of the world’s worst humanitarian crises.

The Houthis, after seizing Sanaa and forcing out the government, fought a Saudi-led coalition from 2015 until a UN-brokered ceasefire in 2022.

A federal jury on Friday found rapper Lil Durk not guilty of the attempted killing for hire of rival rapper Quando Rondo at a Los Angeles gas station, a shooting that resulted in the death of Rondo’s cousin.

The jury deliberated for three days before acquitting Lil Durk, the 33-year-old Grammy-winning Chicago hip-hop artist best known for the 2023 hit “All My Life,” of conspiracy, stalking resulting in death and murder for hire.

Durk supporters including music stars Machine Gun Kelly and Ye — the artist formerly known as Kanye West — appeared in the audience during the two-week trial in downtown Los Angeles. Big groups of fans, livestreamers and other content creators gathered outside the courthouse.

Durk’s co-defendants Deandre Wilson and David Lindsey were convicted of conspiracy to commit stalking, stalking using a dangerous weapon and stalking resulting in death. But both were also acquitted of murder for hire.

“We thank the jury for seeing there was no murder for hire,” Wilson’s attorney Craig Harbaugh said in an email. “We are confident the remaining counts will not survive our pending motion for acquittal.”

Attorneys for Durk and Lindsey did not immediately respond to emails seeking comment.

Durk, whose legal name is Durk Banks, remained in custody, pending a forthcoming trial on a racketeering count that was severed from this trial. He has been jailed since his 2024 arrest.

Prosecutors had alleged that Durk paid to have Rondo killed after someone from Rondo’s entourage fatally shot rapper King Von, a close friend of Durk’s and a member of his Only The Family hip-hop collective, at an Atlanta nightclub in 2020.

The prosecution alleged that in August 2022, a group of men flew to Los Angeles with funds provided by Durk, followed Rondo and his crew around, and three gunmen fired on his Escalade near the Beverly Center shopping mall in Los Angeles. Rondo survived, but his 24-year-old cousin, Saviay’a Robinson, known as Lul Pab, was killed.

“Today, the jury delivered justice to the family of Saviay’a Robinson, finding defendants Deandre Wilson and David Lindsey guilty of stalking resulting in Mr. Robinson’s death,” First Assistant U.S. Attorney Bill Essayli said in a statement. “While we are disappointed with the jury’s decision regarding Durk Banks, a.k.a. ‘Lil Durk,’ we look forward to presenting our evidence at his second trial.”

Durk won a Grammy earlier that year for Best Melodic Rap Performance for “All My Life,” which features J. Cole. He has been nominated for three other Grammys and was a featured performer on Drake’s “Laugh Now Cry Later.”

 Police have arrested an eighth person on suspicion of attempted murder after a ‘machete gang fight’ broke out in a KFC in Bromley. 

A man, 21, and three boys aged between 14 and 17 were rushed to hospital with stab wounds after the attack on Bromley High Street at around 2.15pm on Thursday. 

The man was previously in a critical condition, however, his injuries are now believed to be non-life-threatening.

Those four, plus another four boys also aged between 14 and 17 have since been arrested and remain in police custody.  

A witness described there being ‘a lot of blood’ after the injured were attacked with a large knife inside the branch. Another said they saw the use of ‘a machete’.

A bus driver who was at the scene minutes later said the victims had been attacked with a ‘zombie knife’. 

Police said there is currently no wider threat to the public, and as of Thursday the KFC was closed as the chain supported staff members following the ordeal. 

The driver, who wished to remain anonymous, said: ‘It was inside the KFC. People have been interviewed in there since I arrived – I’ve been stuck here for two hours.

‘Someone from TK Maxx said it was a zombie knife. They said it was really bad, a lot of blood.’ 

A security guard working nearby said the attackers were ‘a group of kids with a machete’.

‘I came off my break and saw a bunch of police cars come past – they surrounded the area and have cut off everything heading towards Bromley North,’ they added.

Forensic investigators can be seen at the scene on Bromley High Street in south London

It comes after witnesses said they saw the assailants use ‘a machete’ and saw a ‘lot of blood’

The town square and shopping centre were blocked off with a cordon put in place between Ringers Road and Ethelbert Road. 

Meanwhile, a manager of Merkur Slots gambling shop said she witnessed the fight ‘spill out’ onto the high street. 

She said that she felt ‘very worried’ and locked herself, as well as three customers, inside the building as they waited for the incident to de-escalate. 

Vinnie Guadagnino, who lives on the high street, said he saw a huge police response to the incident with several cars and at least ten officers on foot. 

He told the BBC: ‘Police cars kept coming, then within the next half hour there were multiple fire engines and people gathering.

‘Then there was a drone overhead and helicopters and an air ambulance – so a massive emergency service response.’

An air ambulance, the London Fire Brigade and the Met Police were dispatched to the incident. Detectives are treating it as an isolated event.

Bromley is one of the largest boroughs in the capital city and is known for its sprawling green spaces. It is generally considered a middle-class area. 

It is also ranked among the top ten safest boroughs in the capital city, with 67 crimes reported per 1,000 people, according to CrimeRate. 

Data this year also revealed it was the most expensive area in south-east London to buy a property. 

The scene at Bromley yesterday, where there was a heavy police response to the incident

Statistics from Zoopla showed the average salary required to buy a home in Bromley was £92,000.

The average property price in the area sits at £518,000, according to the Office for National Statistics.

Meanwhile, as of June 2026, the average value of a detached property in Bromley sits at £1,074,000

Peter Fortune, the borough’s Conservative MP, said on X that he was aware of residents’ ‘safety concerns’ following the attack. 

‘The police are in attendance and have made a number of arrests,’ he said. ‘I will remain in close contact with the police as they continue to investigate this incident.’

Yesterday, a Met Police spokesman said: ‘At around 14:15 on Thursday, September 10, officers were called to reports of an altercation on Bromley High Street.

‘Officers attended the scene alongside the London Ambulance Service and London’s Air Ambulance and found four men with stab wounds. 

‘Three of them were taken to hospital where they are receiving treatment for non-life-threatening injuries. One is in critical condition.

‘Seven men were arrested, and they all remain in custody.

‘Police enquiries continue and there is not believed to be any wider threat to the public.

A London Ambulance Service spokesman said: ‘We were called at 2.19pm today to reports of a stabbing on Bromley High Street, Bromley. 

‘We sent ambulance crews, a paramedic in a fast response car, an incident response officer and an advanced paramedic.

‘We also dispatched London’s Air Ambulance. We treated four patients at the scene and took them all to hospital’.

A KFC spokesman said: ‘We can confirm that a serious incident took place this afternoon in our Bromley High Street restaurant. 

‘We are working with the police on their ongoing investigation. Our priority is supporting our team members and customers at this difficult time.’ 

A San Francisco-based federal immigration judge was fired after she questioned Trump administration legal tactics and resisted a request from Immigration and Customs Enforcement to fast-track the deportation of a teen asylum seeker, a lawsuit claims.

In the complaint, filed Thursday in federal court, Chloe Dillon alleges she was fired roughly 48 hours after sending a message to a superior relating her concerns over an August 2025 incident. In the message, Dillon wrote that she was alarmed a teenage asylum seeker had been arrested by ICE after they left her courtroom, where she had just delayed ICE’s request to dismiss the individual’s case and place them into expedited removal proceedings.

Prior to the arrest, Dillon gave the individual, who had been representing themselves, time to find a lawyer.

“When you have judges who are in fear that they will be fired for the decisions that they’re making, it has completely undermined the basic principles of judicial adjudication,” Dillon told SFGate. “I don’t see how you have fair and unbiased tribunals in the immigration court when there is this atmosphere of fear and intimidation.”

The asylum seeker had originally shown up to court representing themselves, and Dillon concluded the individual was “almost certainly a designated unaccompanied minor who could not be placed into expedited removal proceedings, and who thus had the right to have his already-filed asylum application decided first by an asylum officer, and then, if necessary, by the Immigration Court,” according to the suit.

The San Francisco immigration court was already under pressure from the Trump administration to comply with requests from ICE to transfer cases to other venues, according to the suit. Dillon alleges a superior told her in spring of 2025 that the White House “was watching the issue and cautioned her against resisting the directive.”

Nonetheless, Dillon refused to comply with some of these requests, and she similarly pushed back in cases where she felt ICE lacked the jurisdiction to re-calendar cases involving unaccompanied minors.

In her August email to her superior, Dillon argued ICE had been “disrupting the orderly administration of justice,” the suit claims.

The complaint, which names the Justice Department and Attorney General Todd Blanche, among others, seeks to have Dillon reinstated and given back pay, damages and a declaration the firing was unlawful. The lawsuit argues Dillon’s constitutional rights under the First and Fifth Amendment were violated, along with federal law, and it alleges the judge was fired without notice or an opportunity to challenge the decision.

The Independent has contacted the White House for comment.

“While we do not typically comment on pending litigation or personnel matters, we can tell you that this allegation is patently false,” a DOJ spokesperson told The Independent in a statement.

“After four years of the Biden Administration forcing Immigration Courts to implement a de facto amnesty for hundreds of thousands of aliens, this Department of Justice is restoring integrity to our immigration system and encourages talented legal professionals to join in our mission to protect national security and public safety,” the official added.

Over the last year-and-a-half, the Trump administration fired most of the immigration judges in San Francisco and shuttered one of the main immigration courts there.

Under the Trump administration, immigration officials have stepped up arrests near courthouses, schools and other sensitive locations. Numerous individuals have reported being arrested after appointments checking in with immigration officials about their pending legal status that had previously occurred without incident.

Tessa Picken, 40, from Castleford, was a mum of three girls and one boy

A “beautiful” Wakefield mother-of-four who ‘lit up every room’ has tragically lost her life after being hit by a car while crossing the road.

Tessa Picken from Castleford in Yorkshire, died on Wakefield Road, Featherstone, shortly before 6.40pm on Tuesday, September 8. She was struck by a grey Cupra Born travelling towards Wakefield at the junction with Common Side Lane, reports Yorkshire Live.

The 40 year old, mum to three daughters and one son, sadly died at the scene. The motorist, a 26-year-old man from Pontefract, was arrested on suspicion of causing death by dangerous driving.

Tessa’s sister Georgi Jenkins shared a heartfelt tribute on Facebook, writing: “My beautiful sister, Tessa. I will miss you so much. You were one in a million. You know how much I loved you. I know how much you loved me. That will stay with me forever. I will do my best Tessa.”

Friend Charlotte Baker has launched a crowdfunder to provide support for Tessa’s children. Charlotte said: “To everyone who knew her, loved her, laughed with her, made memories with her or simply crossed paths with her – please help us give her family the support they desperately need right now.

“Fly high, beautiful. ️You lit up every room you walked into, and now you’ll be lighting up heaven. Your girls and your boy will be surrounded by love. We will all do everything we can to make sure they know how special their mum was and how many people loved her. You will be missed more than words could ever explain.”

Saramay Barber said: “RIP Tessa Picken you’ll be missed by so so many people I’ll always be there for your babies fly high Tessa. You’re one in a million you lit every room you walked in you’ll be missed so so much sending all my love.”

Donations to the fundraiser can be made here. A balloon release tribute is scheduled in her memory at Verner Green tomorrow, Saturday, September 12, at 6pm.

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The bank has sent a message to customers explaining what they need to do before 5 October

Halifax has alerted customers that it will begin closing its app in October ahead of its rebrand to Lloyds.

In an email, the bank explained that customers will need to switch over to the Lloyds app to continue accessing their online banking services, as the original app will be shut down on 31 October.

The email reads: “Just a quick reminder that from 5 October, as part of the Halifax brand changing to Lloyds, we’ll start to close the Halifax app. To keep managing your accounts online, you need to move across to the Lloyds app.

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The correspondence continues: “In just a few easy steps, you’ll be up and running, with everything you need ready for you – your accounts, payments you’ve set up, and any letters and statements we’ve sent to your digital inbox.”

Lloyds stated that its banking app “should feel familiar and just as easy to use” and that switching over will “only take a few clicks”.

Halifax added that once its app is closed at the end of October, “you won’t be able to access your accounts from there at that point”. It is also shutting 13 branches in September as part of the broader Lloyds closure programme, reports the Express.

The banking group, which encompasses Lloyds, the Bank of Scotland and Halifax, will close at least 247 bank branches in 2026 and 2027, following the Group’s announcement of 79 new closures.

It stated that decisions are “based on a range of factors, including how customers are choosing to bank and the availability of nearby services”.

The use of mobile banking has rocketed in recent years, with approximately 87% of UK adults now using at least one form of digital banking, according to recent figures.

Customers have been urged to access in-person banking services at its other brands, including Lloyds and Bank of Scotland, where they can deposit cash, make withdrawals and pay in cheques.

Account holders can also make use of banking hubs, which are shared spaces operated by the Post Office, where customers of multiple banks can deposit and withdraw cash, receive face-to-face support and manage their accounts.

A spokesperson for Lloyds Banking Group said: “The way people are banking has changed, with over 21 million customers choosing our apps to manage their money. We’re providing more choice than ever before, bringing together the best in digital convenience with our people.

“Alongside our app, our customers can use any Lloyds, Halifax or Bank of Scotland branch, the Post Office or Banking Hubs for their everyday banking, and deposit cash at over 30,000 PayPoint locations.”

The wife of a British businessman has called on Andy Burnham for help after several pleas sent to his predecessor Sir Keir Starmer went unanswered amid his family’s fears that the 72-year-old may die behind bars in Dubai.

Ryan Cornelius has spent nearly two decades jailed in Dubai’s central prison in the Al Awir desert – a world away from the glittering metropolis shown by celebrities and influencers of the United Arab Emirates on social media.

The forbidding prison, famously dubbed Dubai‘s Alcatraz, has been repeatedly condemned by human rights groups as a grim, high-security ‘hell-hole’ where inmates face harsh conditions and overcrowding. 

Here, Mr Cornelius has been locked away in a cell the size of a shipping container, which he shares with six other inmates, despite demands from the United Nations that he be released, as it accused the UAE of ‘serious judicial irregularities’.

In 2008, he was arrested and accused of defrauding the Dubai Islamic Bank (DIB) after taking out a $500million bank loan, which he and another Brit were using to fund investment programmes in the Gulf state. He vehemently denies the charges.

During his trial, prosecutors alleged he forged invoices for the construction of a luxury development called The Plantation, which includes a 200-room hotel, 100 villas, an equestrian centre and a polo club. 

Footage recently emerged of construction being carried out on the site as his family accuses the Gulf state of trying to keep Mr Cornelius behind bars ‘until he dies’ so the businessman can never ‘mount any kind of legal challenge against’ the UAE.

In an interview with the Daily Mail, his loyal wife Heather Cornelius spoke of her agony after her family’s pleas for her husband’s release have fallen on the deaf ears of the British Government for the last 18 years.

This upcoming Monday, she is set to hand the Prime Minister a letter calling for him to take action and help free her husband from the bleak Middle Eastern penitentiary.

‘I’d like to have an answer from Andy Burnham,’ Mrs Cornelius said. ‘We didn’t get an answer from Keir Starmer. I sent to [him] last year in April, and even my brother-in-law has written to the Foreign Secretary, Ed Miliband. We’ve had no reply.’

British businessman Ryan Cornelius (now 72) was arrested in Dubai 18 years ago over a $500M bank loan used to fund a luxury development project (Pictured: Ryan with his wife Heather)

Ryan is held at Al Awir Central Prison (pictured), a overcrowded, high-security facility in the desert. He shares a cell the size of a shipping container with six other inmates.

Her brother-in-law, Chris Paggett OBE, who worked for the Foreign Office for 32 years, added they had delivered two letters to Sir Keir – one in November before he visited the UAE and another last April. Both went unanswered. 

He maintained the Foreign Office ‘just ignored Ryan’s case for 14 years’ because ‘it suited them to believe Dubai’s version of events’, adding that Sir Keir ‘never even bothered to reply’. 

‘To do otherwise was too inconvenient to their objective of having a close relationship with this wealthy country,’ he said. ‘We’re hoping that Andy Burnham will be different.’

‘This is a matter for the Prime Minister now. Burnham needs to involve himself in this because manifestly nothing else has worked.’ 

Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, the billionaire ruler of Dubai and Prime Minister of the UAE, is one of the biggest landowners in Britain, and as of 2021, owned more than 40,000 hectares in London, Scotland and Newmarket.

In May 2008, Mr Cornelius, who was once a successful entrepreneur living with his family in Bahrain, was arrested by men in civilian clothes as he changed flights in Dubai and whisked away in an unmarked car. 

Initially, they approached him amid suspicions that he was carrying drugs. Although a search found nothing, he was still taken to Dubai’s police headquarters with his hands bound with zip ties and a hood placed over his head.

After hours of interrogation with no access to lawyers, family or the British Embassy, the accusations against him were no longer drugs but fraud, as they alleged he stole $500million from the DIB. 

Now Heather is set to hand a letter to Andy Burnham in the hopes he will finally take action after years of the British government ‘turn[ing] a blind eye’ 

Ryan Cornelius (right), pictured with his wife Heather and their three children, may have been tortured by authorities in the United Arab Emirates. UN human rights experts have warned

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But after serving his time, Ryan (pictured with his son) was brought to a closed-door hearing in 2018 with no lawyer or notice and handed a further 20 years in jail under Dubai Law no 37. 

It came amid concerns from Dubai authorities about the sizeable loan he and another Brit were using to fund investment ventures in the area amid the fallout of the global financial crash.   

However, Lord Clement-Jones, a lawyer and Lib Dem peer, who has fearlessly backed Mr Cornelius, said the original issue surrounding the loan and the receipts was ‘technical’ rather than fraud. 

But during his initial arrest, Mr Cornelius was ordered to sign a statement in Arabic despite not being able to read or speak the language – after hours of being interrogated in a windowless room with no contact with the British Embassy. 

Three years later, his case was brought before a Dubai court. He was handed a ten-year jail sentence and, alongside his three co-defendants, ordered to repay the loan and a £500million fine. 

But after serving his time for the charge of ‘theft from public bodies’, despite DIB originally being a publicly traded joint-stock firm, he was brought to a closed-door hearing with no lawyer or notice and handed a further 20 years in jail under Dubai Law no 37. 

And despite the UAE Constitution outlining that prisoners should not be jailed beyond the age of 70, Mr Cornelius’s application to be released at this age was opposed by the DIB and thus refused. 

Earlier this year, the experts at the UN found that his detention was arbitrary and once again called for his immediate release amid concerns the businessman had been ‘tortured’ behind bars. The European Parliament also made the same demands.  

But amid the government’s inaction and Mr Cornelius’s health issues, having contracted tuberculosis, Covid on two occasions, as well as his borderline diabetes, his family fear he may never be released from the desert prison.  

‘It’s a massive concern, and we are looking at that very possibility,’ Heather said. ‘We need someone to see that this is going nowhere unless we do get much more substantial help.’

Pictured: A screenshot from a video of construction taking place on the plot of land dubbed The Plantation which Ryan formerly owned 

The Plantation land seized by the DIB has been renamed ‘The Acres’ and is being developed by a Dubai Holdings real estate company

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Describing the last 18 years as ‘absolutely life-changing’ for not just herself but her children and her family as a whole, she added: ‘Nothing has been normal since Ryan was arrested.

‘[It’s] become more and more frightening every year because it’s just so difficult to get any justice.  

‘We just don’t get anywhere with, you know, getting anywhere with the British government, you know, standing up for the rights of British people like Ryan Cornelius.’

‘My family’s been devastated. Everything in our lives has been affected by this. And it is something we can never repair or get back. It just doesn’t get any easier. It is really difficult.

‘Every time you think that you might have some little bit of hope, it just gets dashed. We’ve had absolutely no help [from the British government] whatsoever.’ 

She added: ‘At the beginning, the very beginning, I thought, ‘I’ll get Ryan home. This has all been a big mistake.’ We all just tried to survive

‘But to tell you the truth, every single year since he was arrested, it has just got more and more difficult for all of us.’

In the fallout of his conviction, authorities in Dubai seized all of Mr Cornelius’s business assets, his personal properties including homes in London, and drained his bank accounts. His family was left homeless. 

Meanwhile, as of 2024 in Meeras, the Plantation land seized by the DIB has been renamed ‘The Acres’ and is being developed by a Dubai Holdings real estate company. 

It is marketed as a luxury development, comprised of 1200 villas – the cheapest priced at $1.5million.

Mr Paggett accused the British Government of ‘turn[ing] a blind eye’ and, as such, strengthening the UAE’s ‘feeling that they can act with impunity’ as ‘the world needs their money too much’. 

‘This is very much an issue for our times, and it’s one Western democracies like ours haven’t yet found an answer to.

‘But increasingly, autocracies, particularly rich autocracies, have the badge of traditionally being sort of friendly autocracies, friends of the West, are able to ignore what they want to ignore. The UAE has an awful lot of question marks over it now.

‘At no point has the British government given the UAE any reason to think that what it’s doing to Ryan would be anything other than cost-free.’

He believes that Ryan would not be behind bars currently if the British government ‘had the gumption early on’. 

Comparing their battle with David and Goliath, he added: ‘We’re just a family. We haven’t got any money. We’re facing a well-resourced machine.’

Meanwhile, Heather and her family, who once ‘loved’ living in the Middle East and was full of ‘great excitement’ at eventually moving to Dubai when her husband’s project was finished, have missed out on a lifetime with Mr Cornelius. 

Milestones such as birthdays, funerals, university excitement and even the birth of his first grandchild this year have all been robbed from the 72-year-old, who has but the tiny view of the sprawling desert from his cell. 

‘We’ve gradually lost, you know, anything that we did have. Ryan is bankrupt,’ Heather added. 

‘I think the damage done to all of us on mental health will continue to affect us for the rest of our lives.

‘Our children are very strong. Ryan’s strong. I’ve had to find some strength somewhere.

‘But I think there’s a limit to how long you can keep drawing on those reserves to get some strength.

She added: ‘There’s a greater hope now with the new Andy Burnham. They should do this for every British citizen, not just for Ryan.’

An FCDO Spokesperson said: ‘The UK Government continues to raise Mr Cornelius’ case with the UAE authorities and is providing ongoing consular support to him and his family.’