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Today — 4 November 2025BBC | Top Stories

Police investigating whether train attack suspect linked to stabbing of 14-year-old on Friday

4 November 2025 at 02:57
CCTV A blurry CCTV image of Anthony Williams wearing a hooded black coat and a blue zip sweater . he has a beard and moustache.CCTV
The BBC has obtained an image of Anthony Williams in Peterborough the evening before the alleged train attack

A police force said it was reviewing whether three incidents involving a man carrying a knife were related to a stabbing attack on a train.

Passengers said a man brandishing a knife began stabbing people on the London-bound LNER train after it passed through Peterborough at about 19:30 GMT on Saturday.

Cambridgeshire Police said it was investigating whether there was a connection between the attack and three previous incidents in Peterborough between Friday evening and Saturday morning.

Anthony Williams, 32, of no fixed abode, has been remanded into custody, charged with 10 counts of attempted murder, after multiple people were injured in the incident on the train.

Shaun Whitmore/BBC A group of transport police officers walk along the track, looking closely for clues. They wear high-vis jackets over black hoodies and black trousers., One railway worker dressed in orange walks ahead of them.Shaun Whitmore/BBC
British Transport Police is overseeing the investigation with help from Cambridgeshire Police

Mr Williams has also been charged with one count of attempted murder in connection with an attack in east London in the early hours of Saturday.

A man was left with facial injuries following the attack at about 00:45 at a station in Silvertown.

PA Media A train is parked at the station at night. People wearing various emergency kit uniforms mill around. Some all black, some green paramedics, and a few of them wear helmets.PA Media
Emergency teams attended Saturday's train stabbing in which multiple people were injured

At about 19:10 on Friday, a 14-year-old was stabbed by a man with a knife in Peterborough city centre.

Police said the victim was treated at Peterborough City Hospital for minor injuries and later discharged.

Cambridgeshire Police said: "The offender had left the scene when the call was made and despite a search of the area by officers and a police dog, the offender was not identified."

Also on Friday evening, a man was seen with a knife at a barbers' shop in the Fletton area of Peterborough.

Police said the incident took place at 19:25, but was reported to officers two hours later at 21:10, by which time the man had left the shop.

Officers were not sent, the force added.

The same barbers' shop called the police at 09:25 on Saturday to report that a man carrying a knife was at the shop.

Officers arrived at the site within 18 minutes and searched the area, but were unable to locate or identify the man.

In all three cases, a "crime was raised" and investigations launched.

Joe Giddens/PA The exterior of Ritzy barbers shop, which is mostly large floor to ceiling windows between a beige front. It looks quite smart. A dog stands outside looking at the shop.Joe Giddens/PA
A barbers' shop called police twice to report a man at the premises with a knife

Cambridgeshire Police said: "We are currently reviewing all incidents in the timeframe to understand whether there were any further potential offences.

"British Transport Police retain primacy for the overall investigation, which will include these three incidents."

Cambridgeshire Police referred itself to the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC), as it typical in these cases.

The IOPC, however, said it would not be investigating the incident as "it did not meet the criteria for a valid referral".

A composite features Jonathan Gjoshe on the left and Stephen Crean on the right.
Footballer Jonathan Gjoshe, 22, and Forest fan Stephen Crean were injured during the train attack on Saturday

Scunthorpe United footballer Jonathan Gjoshe, 22, and Nottingham Forest fan Stephen Crean were travelling on the LNER train from Doncaster to London King's Cross when they were injured during the attack at about 20:00 GMT.

Mr Gjoshe was slashed across the bicep and had been operated on, his club said.

Mr Crean has been hailed a hero after he confronted the train attacker, going face to face with him in the carriage.

He described how he "tussled" with the man, who was shouting at him as he slashed him on the head and hand.

He said he was determined to confront the attacker to give another passenger time to close the door of the buffet car, where other passengers had gathered.

Parliament TV Keir Starmer at the despatch box in the House of Commons. He is wearing a blue suit and has a poppy on his lapel. He is flanked by two other MP who are sitting on the green benches behind him. Parliament TV
The prime minister praised the "heroic" actions of members of staff onboard the train

In the House of Commons earlier, Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer praised police, first responders and the "heroic" actions of the driver and the members of staff aboard the train when the "vile and horrific attack" took place.

"There's no doubt that their collective action, their brave action, saved countless lives and I know the whole country is grateful for that," he said.

Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood also paid tribute to the "breathtaking bravery" and "heroic acts of the passengers and train crew who intercepted the attacker".

She told earlier that one member of the train crew "ran towards danger" and confronted the knife-wielding attacker.

His actions stopped the attacker from advancing through the train, she said.

Andrew Johnson/Facebook Andrew Johnson is stood in the middle of the image looking towards the camera. He is stood behind a table which has poppy's on for an appeal. He is wearing a forces suit and is stood in front of flowers. Andrew Johnson/Facebook
Andrew Johnson, a LNER train driver, pictured at a Royal British Legion stall

MPs also praised the quick reaction of train driver Andrew Johnson, a former Royal Navy officer.

Mr Johnson contacted the control room to get the train diverted from the fast track to the slow track when the alarm was raised.

It meant it could stop in Huntingdon, which allowed emergency services to quickly access the scene.

Mr Johnson said: "As train drivers, we hold a lot of responsibility. We practise our emergency response and keep up to date with our knowledge of the route, so if needed, we know exactly where to stop and what to do.

"The action I took is the same as any other driver.

"I think my colleagues onboard were the real heroes and I'd like to pay tribute to their bravery."

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William poses for selfies as he arrives in Rio for Earthshot Prize

4 November 2025 at 03:03
PA Media Prince William and a woman taking a selfiePA Media
Prince William found time to pose with members of the public who gathered at Sugarloaf Mountain

The Prince of Wales was presented with the keys to Rio de Janeiro as he began a five-day visit to Brazil.

Prince William was on the city's Sugarloaf Mountain, with a bird's eye view of the iconic Christ the Redeemer statue, as he received the honour from the city's mayor, Eduardo Paes.

The prince had travelled to the top of the mountain by cable car, to the surprise of several groups of tourists queuing to travel up the mountain. As he came down again, he posed for selfies with several of the people who had waited to catch a glimpse of him.

He is visiting Brazil for the first time with two key environmental missions. On Wednesday he is presenting the Earthshot Prize, the annual award from the charity he set up himself.

The following day he will travel to Belem, in the Amazon rainforest, where he is scheduled to deliver a speech as part of COP30, the annual UN climate meeting where governments discuss how to limit and prepare for further climate change.

PA Media Prince William is presented with the keys to the city by the Mayor of Rio de Janeiro, Eduardo Paes, during a 'Welcome to Rio' event at Sugarloaf Mountain, in Rio de Janeiro,PA Media
The prince received the award of the keys to Rio from Mayor Eduardo Paes at a helipad platform on Sugarloaf Mountain...
PA Media The Prince of Wales (left) is presented with the keys to the city by the Mayor of Rio de Janeiro, Eduardo Pae - with Rio in the backgroundPA Media
...but it is only a wider shot of the same moment that shows the majestic background of the city those symbolic keys represent.

It is the first time that Prince William has travelled internationally for a COP summit, as his father, King Charles, has previously led the way for the royals, making several keynote speeches to world leaders over the years.

Prince William did attend, along with his father, when it was held in Glasgow 2021, two weeks after the first Earthshot Prize.

The prize annually awards a £1m grant in five different categories for projects that aim to repair the world's climate - and Prince William has committed himself to it for10 years, with Rio marking a halfway point for the venture.

This year's shortlist includes an upcycled skyscraper in Sydney, the entire island of Barbados and a Bristol based company that filters microplastics from washing machines.

When he announced the nominees, the prince spoke of the optimism and courage he was looking for.

"The people behind these projects are heroes of our time, so let us back them. Because, if we do, we can make the world cleaner, safer and full of opportunity - not only for future generations, but for the lives we want to lead now."

PA Media The Prince of Wales poses for pictures with members of the public during a Welcome to Rio event at Sugarloaf Mountain, in Rio de JaneiroPA Media
Prince William's first visit to Brazil was scheduled for five days to give him the chance to carry out other engagements before his more formal duties later in the week

After the ceremony, Mayor Paes said Prince William has been "amazed with the beauty of the city" and he joked: "So he's got the keys, he can do whatever he wants in the next 72 hours. The city belongs to Prince William. I'm still the king, but it will belong to him!"

Prince William's visit to Rio de Janeiro is the most significant royal engagement he will make this year and also mark the first time he will be seen representing the Royal Family since the crisis surrounding his uncle Andrew.

There has been speculation that Prince William was heavily involved in the King's announcement last week to sanction Andrew by removing his remaining titles and asking him to leave his home in Windsor - but those close to the situation say that was not the case.

Although William would have had a powerful, influential voice as the future monarch, the decision was ultimately the King's working with his private team of advisers and in conjunction with the government.

PA Media Cafu presenting a shirt to Prince WilliamPA Media
Cafu lined up 142 times for his national team and moved to Italy to play for Roma and AC Milan in the second half of his illustrious career

The visit to Brazil will include the two key environment-based events but will also allow him to take in some of Rio's other famous sights.

As an avid football fan and chairman of the English Football Association, it was no surprise that a pilgrimage was arranged on his first day to the Maracana Stadium, the stage of some of the football-mad nation's most famous moments.

Once there, he was greeted by the player who wore the yellow and green kit more than any other, Brazil's most capped-star Cafu, who presented him with a signed number 2 Brazil shirt.

The legendary right back, who is the only player in history to appear in three World Cup finals, was scheduled to join the prince leading training drills involving local children.

Cafu has also agreed to be one of the star presenters of the Earthshot Prize, alongside former F1 driver Sebastian Vettel, Olympic gymnast Rebeca Andrade and Brazilian environmental activist Txai Suruí.

Three climbers dead and four missing after Nepal avalanche

4 November 2025 at 00:40
Getty Images The Himalayan mountain range located in NepalGetty Images
A search and rescue operation is continuing for the rest of the group, which includes other foreign nationals and local guides
Kathryn Armstrong and
Diwakar Pyakurel & Phanindra Dahal,BBC Nepali in Kathmandu

At least three climbers, including a French national and two Nepalese people, have died after being hit by an avalanche on a Himalayan peak in north-eastern Nepal, police say.

The incident happened at 09:00 local time (03:15 GMT) on Monday near the base camp of the Yalung Ri mountain in Dolakha district.

A further four climbers - two Italians, a German and a Canadian - are feared dead but a search for them is continuing. The killed and missing were part of a group of 12 trekkers and local guides that set out over an hour before the avalanche hit, the district police chief told the BBC.

Five Nepali guides who returned to the base camp were injured but not critically.

"Three bodies have been seen and rescue teams have to find four more," local deputy superintendent of Police Gyan Kumar Mahato told the BBC.

It is not clear if the other two confirmed dead, who are both Nepali, were working with the group or were climbers themselves.

Mr Mahato said a rescue helicopter had landed on Monday in the Na Gaun area of Dolakha - a five-hour walk from the Yelung Ri base camp.

Efforts to locate those still missing have been hampered by poor weather and logistical issues, according to local media reports.

A map of Nepal showing Kathmandu and the Dolakha region
The Yalung Ri mountain is located in Nepal's Dolakha district

Separately, attempts to rescue two Italian climbers who went missing while attempting to scale the Panbari mountain in western Nepal are continuing.

Stefano Farronato and Alessandro Caputo were part of a three-man group that became stranded along with three local guides last week. The third member of the group, named in media reports as Velter Perlino, 65, has since been rescued.

Autumn is a popular season for trekkers and mountaineers in Nepal as weather conditions and visibility have tended to be better. However, the risk of severe weather and avalanches remains.

Last week, Cyclone Montha triggered heavy rain and snowfall across Nepal, stranding people in the Himalayas.

Two British and one Irish woman were among a group that had to be rescued after being trapped for several days in the western Mustang region.

Severe weather also left hundreds of hikers stranded near Mount Everest in October.

Huge tax cuts not currently realistic, Farage says

4 November 2025 at 00:45
PA Media Nigel Farage giving a speech at Banking Hall in the City of London. He is wearing a blue suit and tie with a red poppy pin badge and speaking into a microphone.PA Media

Reform UK leader Nigel Farage has rowed back on his party's previous promise to deliver tax cuts worth £90bn a year.

Ahead of last year's general election, Reform's pledges included slashing corporation tax, cutting stamp duty on home purchases and lifting the threshold when people start paying income tax.

However, Farage said "substantial tax cuts" were not currently "realistic" because of the "dire state" of the public finances.

He added that if Reform wins the next election, it would still make some "relatively modest" changes, such as lifting income tax thresholds and immediately scrapping inheritance tax for family farms and family-run businesses.

In a wide-ranging speech setting out Reform UK's vision for the economy, Farage accused both Labour and the Conservatives of failing to cut public spending and allowing the national debt to increase "in the most extraordinary way".

"We want to cut taxes, of course we do," he said.

"But we understand substantial tax cuts, given the dire state of debt and our finances, are not realistic at this current moment in time."

He added that the state of the economy was now "far worse than it was in the run-up to the 2024 general election".

Challenged during a Q&A session after his speech over how the public could trust Reform if it reversed promises it had made before the last election, Farage said: "We are being mature, we are being sensible and we are not over-promising.

"But for us not to take account of the dire state of our public finances, that, I think, would be irresponsible."

He insisted it was still his party's "aspiration" to lift the threshold when people start paying income tax to £20,000, saying this was "vital" for incentivising people to work.

But he said the party had to be "realistic about the state of the economy", suggesting that by the time of the next general election it could be "in an even worse state than any of us in this room could even predict".

Labour minister Lisa Nandy said Reform's sums "just don't add up".

She added: "You just can't trust a word Reform say. Under any kind of pressure their whole programme is unravelling."

Conservative shadow chancellor Mel Stride said Farage's speech "has left the public with far more questions than answers".

"Farage did not set out which of the £140bn of commitments he made last year he still stands by, and which he has now dropped," he said.

"After this rambling, incoherent speech, it is clear Reform's economy policy is in chaos."

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The 20 terrifying minutes endured by train attack passengers

4 November 2025 at 03:06
Getty Images A picture of the train and a forensic investigator wearing protective clothing and carrying a camera next to itGetty Images

On Saturday night a train from Doncaster bound for London was dramatically diverted after an alarm was raised on board. A man armed with a large knife, who is believed to have joined the train at Peterborough, carried out a vicious attack on multiple victims. Within 20 minutes a suspect had been arrested in Cambridgeshire, more than 70 miles from the train's intended destination of King's Cross in London.

Eleven people were treated in hospital, where one person remains in a stable but critical condition. The BBC has spoken to train passengers and stabbing victims alongside video and police statements to build a picture of how the attack and the emergency response unfolded.

'You need to run, you need to run'

The attack started just over an hour after the LNER train left Doncaster. At 19:29 it had pulled out of Peterborough station, where the suspect had apparently boarded. Just five minutes later the alarm was pulled near the middle of the train in coach J.

Amira Ostalski and a friend, both students at Nottingham University, had got on the train at the previous stop of Grantham and were travelling to London to "have some fun".

Amira was seated watching a film when she saw a man in a white shirt leap out of his seat about five rows in front of her followed by screams of "knife, knife". Amira then spotted a man holding a large kitchen knife and fled towards the rear of the train with her friend.

'He ran right towards us... we decided to hide in a taxi', says eyewitness

In the next carriage, coach H, YouTuber Olly Foster heard shouts of "run, run, there's a guy literally stabbing everyone", and initially thought it was a Halloween prank. But as passengers began pushing through the carriage Olly could see "blood all over the chair" he had leaned on, covering his hand in blood.

Olly then saw an older man, thought to be an LNER staff member, who "blocked" the attacker from stabbing a younger girl, leaving him with a gash on his head and neck.

A graphic of coach J showing where the first person was attacked and the direction people ran towards at the rear of the train. It also notes the alarm was pulled in the carriage.

Nottingham Forest fan Joe, 24, was not meant to be on the train. He had watched the team's football match against Manchester United earlier and missed a connecting train in Grantham.

Joe was texting his friends about his plans for the night when people came rushing through the carriage. "You need to run, you need to run," someone told Joe. He started running but when he turned to look behind him saw "a tall black male" holding "a bloodied knife".

Matt Kingston took his headphones out as he saw a group of people heading his way in coach H and also began running down the train. Another Nottingham Forest fan Alistair Day, 58, was next to the train's cafe bar in coach G, and saw people fleeing down the train with blood on their clothes.

Sheltering inside the cafe

Graphic of carriage G, showing where the cafe that passengers used to lock themselves in is located. It also shows the direction other people used to run towards the back of the train and notes the attacker walked up and down the carriage near the cafe bar.

The train's cafe bar transformed into an impromptu hiding space for those fleeing the attacker. Alistair said he saw around a dozen people inside this enclosed buffet counter in coach G and they were "trying to close up the shutters" to protect themselves from the assailant. Matt had managed to get inside the booth with the others.

Alistair saw the man near the door waving a knife and trying to open the shutters, which by then had been locked. A video he provided to the BBC from inside the cafe bar shows multiple passengers inside, with at least one on the phone to emergency services. Alistair and another witness, Tom McLaughlan, told the BBC they saw a Nottingham Forest fan move to confront the attacker. "He wasn't the biggest guy. We tried to stop him," Alistair said.

It appears they were referring to Stephen Crean who later told the BBC the man pulled out a large knife when he confronted him outside the cafe bar. "He's gone for me and there was a tussle in the arms and that's where my hand, the fingers are really bad, four cuts through them, sliced. And then he raised it and must have caught me when I was ducking and diving and caught me on the head."

PA Media Stephen Crean with a bandaged handPA Media
Stephen Crean sustained injuries to his head and hand

Stephen said he had been trying to give another passenger time to close the door to the cafe bar. "That door still wasn't shut behind me, because I could still see him struggling to close it. So until I knew it was I wasn't moving away from it."

Matt said the attacker then walked past the locked door while waving the knife around. "He then returned back up the train and passed us again." At that point a young man told Matt he'd been stabbed in the chest "so I helped with putting pressure on the wound and helped hold him up".

Another victim of the train attack was Scunthorpe United footballer Jonathan Gjoshe, who was slashed across the bicep and later needed an operation.

Alarm raised and train diverted

As soon as the alarm was raised the train driver, Andrew Johnson, a Royal Navy veteran, sprang into action and contacted the control centre. The decision was made to divert the train, which was travelling at 125mph (201km/h), to a slow track, which allowed it stop at Huntingdon Station just minutes after the emergency services were first called.

The East of England Ambulance Service received the first emergency call at 19:38. A minute later, Cambridgeshire police received a report about multiple stabbings on a train. Together, they mobilised a response team outside Huntingdon Station, just under 300m away from the police force's headquarters. At 19:41 the train arrived at the station, a minute before British Transport Police were also called to the incident.

Escape at Huntingdon Station

Watch: Police rush to scene of Cambridgeshire train attack

CCTV footage captured by a business in its car park shows passengers running up platform two towards the main station building. A dramatic TikTok video, filmed from a bridge on Brampton Road overlooking the rail tracks and station, shows police officers running towards the train along the same platform.

Tom saw two men who appeared to have been stabbed "covered in blood" as he fled the train. Alistair said he saw a man who had been in the cafe bar with him being carried towards an ambulance by paramedics. "I just want to know he's okay," he said.

Emergency services took 10 people to hospital where a further victim was treated. Six patients have since been discharged.

The LNER staff member who remains in a critical but stable condition "undoubtedly saved people's lives" by trying to stop the attacker, British Transport Police said.

Forced to flee again

CCTV footage shows a man climbing a fence at the station at 19:43 to an adjacent car park while holding a knife.

Amira, who had been hiding at the back of coach G armed with a metal tray to fight off the attacker if necessary, had run to the car park with her friend for safety when they got off the train.

But they saw the man walk in their direction. Fearing for their lives, they hid in a taxi. An image captured by Amira's friend through its windscreen shows the man being detained by six police officers near several bins in the car park, around 50m (160ft) from the fence.

Video filmed from a separate taxi nearby shows the officers armed with guns, Tasers and accompanied by a dog detaining a man on the ground. Clicks from the Taser are audible in the footage.

By 19:50 police had two men in custody, 32-year-old Anthony Williams, and a 35-year-old man who was released a day later after police established he was not involved. On Monday morning Williams appeared in court charged with 10 counts of attempted murder over the train attack.

Additional reporting by Adam Durbin.

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Rescue under way after medieval tower partially collapses in Rome

4 November 2025 at 00:19
Watch: Moment part of medieval tower collapses in Rome

Part of a medieval tower in the heart of Rome's tourist district has collapsed, trapping one man and leaving another critically injured.

A section of the Torre dei Conti, on the edge of the famous Roman Forum and close to the Colosseum, gave way just after 11:30 local time (10:30 GMT).

"It's a very complex situation for the firefighters because there is a person trapped inside," Rome Prefect Lamberto Giannini said. The man is conscious and communicating with rescue workers.

The tower has been closed to the public for many years, and was undergoing conservation work when a section collapsed.

While rescue efforts were still under way, a second section of the 29m (90ft) high tower began crumbling again, with bricks raining down, creating a huge cloud of dust.

The firefighters were unharmed, pausing their rescue work for a time, but then continuing their search for the missing man.

After the initial collapse, firefighters "put up some protection" around the trapped man, so when the second collapse happened, "they obviously shielded him", Lamberto Giannini said.

"It will be a very long operation because we have to try to save the person, but we also have to try to mitigate... the enormous risks faced by the people trying to carry out the rescue," he added.

A police chief has said there is no imminent danger that the tower will disintegrate.

BBC map

One worker was taken to hospital in a critical condition, local and foreign news agencies report.

Another worker, 67-year-old Ottaviano, who was inside at the time of the collapse but escaped from a balcony uninjured, told AFP news agency: "It was not safe. I just want to go home."

Rome's mayor and the country's culture minister have visited the scene. A crane and drone are also being used to assist with the rescue operation.

The 13th Century tower is part of the Roman Forum, a major tourist attraction right in the heart of the city, but it is separated from the main visitors' area by a road. The streets all around have been taped off by police as a precaution.

The medieval tower was built by Pope Innocent III as a residence for his brother.

French climber among at least three killed in Nepal avalanche

4 November 2025 at 00:40
Getty Images The Himalayan mountain range located in NepalGetty Images
A search and rescue operation is continuing for the rest of the group, which includes other foreign nationals and local guides
Kathryn Armstrong and
Diwakar Pyakurel & Phanindra Dahal,BBC Nepali in Kathmandu

At least three climbers, including a French national and two Nepalese people, have died after being hit by an avalanche on a Himalayan peak in north-eastern Nepal, police say.

The incident happened at 09:00 local time (03:15 GMT) on Monday near the base camp of the Yalung Ri mountain in Dolakha district.

A further four climbers - two Italians, a German and a Canadian - are feared dead but a search for them is continuing. The killed and missing were part of a group of 12 trekkers and local guides that set out over an hour before the avalanche hit, the district police chief told the BBC.

Five Nepali guides who returned to the base camp were injured but not critically.

"Three bodies have been seen and rescue teams have to find four more," local deputy superintendent of Police Gyan Kumar Mahato told the BBC.

It is not clear if the other two confirmed dead, who are both Nepali, were working with the group or were climbers themselves.

Mr Mahato said a rescue helicopter had landed on Monday in the Na Gaun area of Dolakha - a five-hour walk from the Yelung Ri base camp.

Efforts to locate those still missing have been hampered by poor weather and logistical issues, according to local media reports.

A map of Nepal showing Kathmandu and the Dolakha region
The Yalung Ri mountain is located in Nepal's Dolakha district

Separately, attempts to rescue two Italian climbers who went missing while attempting to scale the Panbari mountain in western Nepal are continuing.

Stefano Farronato and Alessandro Caputo were part of a three-man group that became stranded along with three local guides last week. The third member of the group, named in media reports as Velter Perlino, 65, has since been rescued.

Autumn is a popular season for trekkers and mountaineers in Nepal as weather conditions and visibility have tended to be better. However, the risk of severe weather and avalanches remains.

Last week, Cyclone Montha triggered heavy rain and snowfall across Nepal, stranding people in the Himalayas.

Two British and one Irish woman were among a group that had to be rescued after being trapped for several days in the western Mustang region.

Severe weather also left hundreds of hikers stranded near Mount Everest in October.

Peter Mandelson was not interviewed for US ambassador job, MPs hear

4 November 2025 at 02:03
Reuters Former US ambassador Lord Mandelson shakes hands with US President Donald Trump in the Oval Office. The two men are wearing dark suits and white shirts and ties as they shake hands.Reuters

Civil service bosses have told MPs that Lord Mandelson, who was sacked as UK ambassador to the US due to close links with convicted paedophile Jeffrey Epstein, was never formally interviewed for the job.

The head of the civil service, Sir Chris Wormald, said there was no interview because Lord Mandelson was directly appointed to the role.

MPs heard that process meant Lord Mandelson was not directly asked about any conflict of interest with interviewers in person, but instead needed to fill in a form aimed more at potential financial conflicts.

Sir Chris said this process has been changed since Lord Mandelson's exit, to ensure a formal, minuted interview happens.

Lord Mandelson replaced career diplomat Dame Karen Pierce in Washington DC in December 2024, when Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer decided he was the best candidate to build links with the newly-elected Trump administration.

Concern around Lord Mandelson's friendship with Epstein were raised at the time, but his ability to deal with President Trump, as well as his ability as a networker and seasoned political operator, was seen as a valuable asset.

That changed when emails were published showing Lord Mandelson sent supportive messages to Epstein as he faced charges for sex offences in 2008, which the government insisted was new information about the "depth" of the pair's relationship.

Sir Keir fired him in September, a day after having told MPs the Labour peer retained his "full confidence" at PMQs.

Ambassadors are managed by the Foreign Office and the civil service, and bosses of both were answering questions from MPs on the Foreign Affairs Committee.

Foreign Office head, Sir Oliver Robbins, was asked whether Lord Mandelson went through the normal process for appointing an ambassador and told MPs: "No, it was different because this was not run as a standard civil service process."

Labour MP Fleur Anderson asked whether Lord Mandelson's interview specifically included the opportunity to share "anything that could bring the government into disrepute".

Sir Chris said: "There was no interview for Mr Mandelson, it was done as a direct appointment by ministers, as Sir Oliver has described, and therefore there was no panel interview.

"That was the normal practice for direct ministerial appointments."

Changes have been made since Lord Mandelson's sacking, Sir Chris added, "so that we effectively replicate what would normally happen in a panel interview... where there is a minuted conversation with the candidate".

Sir Oliver said Lord Mandelson did complete a conflict of interest form, but when pressed on whether that included "friendships", he said: "No, it's not a sort of reputational conflict that's being targeted by that form, it's about reality of perception of economic or financial conflicts."

The two were also questioned on why Sir Keir appeared not to have been fully briefed about the seriousness of the new information by civil servants before defending Lord Mandelson at Prime Minister's Questions (PMQs).

Conservative MP Sir John Whittingdale set out how emails were sent to the Foreign Office by journalists at Bloomberg on Tuesday evening.

He said: "It must have been apparent to you before the prime minister got up at 12 o'clock on Wednesday that this was pretty explosive and did somebody not say to Number 10 'hold on, just before you express your complete confidence in Lord Mandelson there's something here you might like to be aware of'."

Defending the material being treated "sensitively and as a management issue", Sir Oliver said he needed to treat Lord Mandelson "as an employee to whom I owed a duty of care".

Sir John responded: "So you're saying to protect Lord Mandelson you gave no indication to Number 10 before PMQs that you had come across information which might cause serious doubt as to the appropriateness of his position?"

Lord Mandelson had not had a chance to respond to the Foreign Office about the "veracity and risks" around the emails ahead of PMQs, Sir Oliver said, adding "I had not personally spoken to the prime minister, no."

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Unexpected O2 price rise is disappointing, government says

4 November 2025 at 02:05
Getty Images The blue and white O2 logo on a shop front in a shopping centre.Getty Images

The government has asked the media regulator to revisit its rules on phone companies raising their prices in the middle of a contract, after O2 unexpectedly announced it was raising prices by £2.50 a month.

Technology Secretary Liz Kendall said O2's higher than expected price increase is "disappointing given the current pressures on consumers".

"I believe we need to go further, faster. I am keen that we look at in-contract price rises again," she wrote in a letter to the media regulator.

Ofcom said it shared the government's concern "customers who face price rises must be treated fairly by mobile providers".

O2 said in a statement: "We appreciate that price changes are never welcome, but we have been fully transparent with our customers about this change, writing directly to them and providing the right to exit without penalty if they wish."

Ofcom has been given until 7 November to respond to Ms Kendall's letter, and said it would respond to her specific questions shortly.

In January, new rules came in which cracked down on phone and broadband providers increasing prices in the middle of a contract without warning.

However, last week O2 announced it would be raising its monthly prices by more than originally promised.

It was able to do this because the increase was not linked to inflation, and it has given customers 30 days to leave without penalty - so long as they pay off the cost of their device in full.

The company said it has not gone against the regulation and Ofcom's rules do not stop providers from raising prices.

"A price increase equivalent to 8p per day is greatly outweighed by the £700m we invest each year into our mobile network, with UK consumers benefitting from an extremely competitive market and some of the lowest prices compared to international peers," it said.

Getty Images Head and shoulders shot of a woman wearing a white shirt and dark jacket. She has shoulder length brown hair and a pair of black glasses are resting on the top of her head.Getty Images
Liz Kendall has been secretary of state for science, information and technology since September 2025

Ms Kendall said O2 went "against the spirit" of the rules in her letter to Ofcom's chief executive Dame Melanie Dawes.

She has asked Ofcom to look into whether the 30-day switching period makes it easy enough for consumers to move to another provider.

"I would welcome your undertaking a rapid review on how easy it is for customers to switch providers," she said.

"If companies are determined to increase pricing, it is beholden on us to make sure that customers are able to go elsewhere as easily as possible."

She has also asked for an assessment into whether the January rules give consumers enough transparency into price rises during their contracts.

Ofcom's rules require companies to tell customers how much their bills will rise by in pounds and pence before their contract starts.

O2 initially said its monthly prices would increase by £1.80 a month in April 2026 for current customers.

But the firm now says they will go up by £2.50 instead.

Ms Kendall said she wants phone providers to inform all their customers - including those whose contracts started before the new rules - how much their monthly prices will go up by.

"We've always said fixed should mean fixed," said Tom MacInnes, director of policy at the Citizens Advice charity, and added the current rule "hasn't gone far enough to protect customers".

"If one company is able to get away with this, other providers could follow suit," he said.

"The time has come for the regulator to banish mid-contract price rises for good."

Meanwhile, telecoms analyst Paolo Pescatore of PP Foresight said UK network operators are "cash-strapped as margins are being squeezed".

He added: "Striking the right balance between raising much-needed funds and investing in next-generation networks is never easy."

But he said while other providers would have usually followed in announcing similar prices rises, "it seems highly unlikely that rivals will follow suit, given the consumer backlash and awareness generated thus far".

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Former footballer Joey Barton 'crossed line' with offensive X posts

4 November 2025 at 01:50
BBC Former Man City midfielder Joey Barton, wearing sunglasses and a dark grey jacket, is pictured arriving at Liverpool Crown Court. He is holding his left hand up to the top of his jacket as he walks toward the court. The background is blurred.BBC
Former Man City midfielder Joey Barton arriving at Liverpool Crown Court

Retired footballer and manager Joey Barton "crossed the line between free speech and a crime" with social media posts about broadcaster Jeremy Vine and female television pundits Eni Aluko and Lucy Ward, a jury has heard.

The former Manchester City midfielder, 43, is on trial at Liverpool Crown Court accused of 12 counts of sending a grossly offensive electronic communication with intent to cause distress or anxiety.

The charges arise out of posts made in January and March last year on social media platform X.

Peter Wright KC, prosecuting, told jurors Mr Barton "engaged in a quite deliberate course of conduct" and targeted the trio with a "slew of grossly offensive electronic communications".

'Cutting, caustic'

Mr Barton is accused of posting messages using slang to refer to Mr Vine as a paedophile.

He is also accused of describing the former footballers Ms Ward and Ms Aluko as "the Fred and Rosemary West of football commentary" - a reference to the notorious serial killers.

Mr Wright said Mr Barton, from Widnes, Cheshire, who denies all the charges, had a "sizeable following on X in excess of two million" and his comments on the social media perform "may well be characterised as cutting, caustic, controversial and forthright".

He added: "Some may even consider some of them humorous.

"Everyone is entitled to express views that are all of those things.

"They are even entitled in a democratic, free society to express views that are offensive, shocking or personally rude when considered against and applying the contemporary standards of an open, just, multi-racial, equal and diverse society.

"What someone is not entitled to do is to post communications electronically that are - applying those standards - beyond the pale of what is tolerable in society."

'Grossly offensive'

Mr Wright added: "We say that the defendant Mr Barton crossed the line between free speech and a crime on 12 occasions.

"On 12 occasions between early January and mid-March last year, he engaged in a quite deliberate course of conduct in which he targeted three people, who are in different ways in the public eye, and he subjected them through his posts to a slew of grossly offensive electronic communications with intent to cause distress or anxiety."

Mr Wright said the defendant had cultivated a publicly-expressed disapproval of female commentators in what he sees as the male preserve of football.

Following a televised FA Cup tie between Crystal Palace and Everton he likened Ms Aluko and Ms Ward in an X post to the "Fred and Rose West of commentary" and added the former was "only there to tick boxes".

Mr Barton later posted an image of the serial killers with the faces of the two pundits superimposed onto them, the court heard.

'Puerile and infantile'

Mr Wright said TV and radio presenter Mr Vine responded to Mr Barton's comparisons by posting on X: "What's going on with Joey7Barton? I just glanced at the Rose West thing... genuinely, is it possible we are dealing with a brain injury here?

"A brain injury can cause changes to a person's character, eg disinhibition, anti-social behaviour. I sincerely hope he is okay."

The prosecutor told the jury: "The defendant did not read these interventions as an expression of concern for his wellbeing but rather as an insult.

"He sent a post to Jeremy Vine's X account in which he referred to him as 'you big bike nonce'."

Among other posts, Mr Barton then reposted an image of Mr Vine with the caption "If you see this fella by a primary school call 999", said Mr Wright.

"We say this defamatory, frankly puerile and infantile behaviour by a grown man in respect of these people was, and is, beyond the pale of what is tolerable in society and therefore characterised as criminal."

As well as Manchester City, Mr Barton also played for Newcastle United, Queens Park Rangers, Burnley and Marseilles before he moved into management after his retirement.

He was sacked from his most recent role of manager at Bristol Rovers in October 2023 after almost three years in charge.

The trial continues.

Read more stories from Cheshire on the BBC, watch BBC North West Tonight on BBC iPlayer and follow BBC North West on X. You can also send story ideas via Whatsapp to 0808 100 2230.

Scunthorpe player and Forest fan among train attack victims

3 November 2025 at 23:50
BBC A composite features Jonathan Gjoshe on the left and Stephen Crean on the right. BBC

A Scunthorpe United player and a Nottingham Forest fan are among the victims stabbed in a knife attack on a train in Cambridgeshire on Saturday evening. They are among 10 people injured on the train during the mass stabbing.

Footballer Jonathan Gjoshe, 22, and Forest fan Stephen Crean were travelling on a LNER train from Doncaster to London King's Cross when they were attacked at around 20:00 GMT.

Mr Crean has been hailed a hero after he confronted the train attacker, going face to face with him in the carriage.

Mr Gjoshe was slashed across the bicep and has been operated on, his club said.

Anthony Williams, 32, has been remanded in custody following the incident and is charged with 11 counts of attempted murder, two counts of possession of a bladed article and one count of actual bodily harm. One of the attempted murder counts relates to a separate incident.

Speaking to the BBC on Monday, Mr Crean's left hand could be seen heavily bandaged and he still had blood in his hair. He is one of the train passengers the 32-year-old is accused of attempting to murder.

Mr Crean described how he "tussled" with the man who was shouting at him as he slashed him on the head and hand.

He said he first saw people running down the train shouting that there was a man with a knife. As people ran to the buffet car he said he wanted to make sure passengers were safe.

"I saw him coming towards me - a guy with a rucksack and he's obviously got something in there.

"Everyone's gone towards the buffet, and that is on the verge of being full up. There's no-one else getting in there. I wasn't even going to bother pushing to get in.

"There's young women and they need to get them in. I confronted this guy, because I've got to make sure that the door's locked and I've looked around to save a bit of time.

"But then he started, he pulled this thing out. It was an over large blade thing".

Mr Crean said the man asked him: "Do you want to die? Do you want to die?"

"He's gone for me and there was a tussle in the arms with him and that's where my hand, the fingers are really bad, four cuts through them, sliced. And then he raised it and must have caught me when I was ducking and diving and must have caught me on the head."

Scunthorpe United A photograph of Jonathan Gjoshe sitting in the stands while wearing a burgundy and blue scarfScunthorpe United
Scunthorpe United football player Jonathan Gjoshe

Mr Crean says it's nice to hear that people are calling him a hero but that he wasn't the only one.

"It's lovely to hear. But I'd say there are other heroes like the police and the guys that got me off the train and the ambulances and the hospital staff, they're probably real heroes.

"And the train guy that's really badly injured. So, you know, it's a big shout to call someone a hero, but it's nice."

He says he was determined to confront the attacker to give another passenger time to close the buffet door.

"That door still wasn't shut behind me, because I could still see him struggling to close it. So until I knew it was I wasn't moving away from it."

A photograph of Stephen Crean with his hand in bandages
Stephen Crean still had blood in his hair when he spoke to the BBC

'A thud, then train rocked and tilted': Passengers tell of Glasgow-London derailment

3 November 2025 at 23:28
Supplied The front of the train which looks badly damaged and is covered in mud. There are wires visible. There is a man in hi-vis standing to the right with his hands on his hips.Supplied
The train travelling from Glasgow to London derailed in Cumbria at 06:10 GMT

An early morning train from Glasgow to London has derailed, seemingly after hitting a landslip, leading to major disruption set to last for "a number of days" on the West Coast Mainline.

At 06:10 GMT the 04:28 Avanti West Coast service from Glasgow Central to London Euston came off the tracks at Shap in Cumbria, the train operator said.

Lines north of Preston and south of Carlisle were blocked as a result, leaving passengers stranded either side of the crash.

The North West Ambulance Service said there were 87 people, including staff, on board and four suffered minor injuries that did not require hospital treatment.

A spokesperson for Avanti said: "It is likely there will be significant disruption to our network for a number of days."

The derailment has also hit TransPennine Express services which use the West Coast Mainline.

A map which is focused on the south of Scotland and the north of England. There is a line running from Glasgow Central in the top left, down the west coast towards London, signposting Liverpool and Manchester on either side at the bottom. Above that, Penrith North Lakes and Oxenholme Lake District stations are highlighted, with the line between them in red. There is a red box to the side with reads: "Train derailed at 06:10 GMT near the village of Shap."

James Burrow, who was on the derailed service, said "there was a flash and a bang," before staff quickly informed passengers the train had derailed.

He said he was escorted off the train at 08:50 to go to the nearby Shap Wells Hotel.

"People were confused but calm," Mr Burrow said.

"At first we thought a car or something had hit the train.

"I was taking a picture of the train and a man came and said 'I was driving that'.

"He's kind of a hero really, it could have been a lot worse."

After being kept at the hotel, passengers were transferred to two coaches - one heading to London and the other going back up to Scotland.

Campbell Watson, from Glasgow, told BBC Radio Cumbria: "I was sleeping and there was a big jolt on the train, a real big screech and then all of a sudden the train came to a stop and the power went off.

"It was a very shocking experience."

Reuters A sign at London Euston detailing the delay. There is a woman and a man walking underneath the sign. It reads 'SERVICE DISRUPTION- Due to a derailed train between Penrith North Lakes and Oxenholme Lake District all lines are blocked. Train services running through these stations may be cancelled or delayed by up to 120 minutes. Customers are advised Do Not Travel north of Preston until further notice. We are sorry for an inconvenience caused today.'Reuters
Passengers coming from the south have been warned not to travel north of Preston

Network Rail confirmed a landslip had occurred in the area before the train derailed, however it was still trying to determine whether that was the cause of the service coming off the tracks.

BBC Weather lead presenter Helen Willetts said it was a wet weekend in Cumbria.

"In the last three days, 77.4mm of rain has fallen," she said.

"It's a wet time of year, but that's over a third of the expected rainfall for November."

Shap Parish Council chairman Jean Jackson said "the rain is phenomenal" around Cumbria.

Combined with the "steep slopes" that are next to the railway line, she was "not surprised" that there was a landslip.

Last year there were delays after heavy rain caused a landslip on the same stretch of track.

Director of operations at Network Rail Sam MacDougall said Cumbria posed these "specific challenges" because of the regional weather and topography.

What trains are affected?

The disruption will continue until at least the end of Monday as lines remain blocked by the derailed train. This means:

  • Avanti West Coast services travelling southbound from Edinburgh or Glasgow Central to London Euston will be cancelled
  • Avanti trains coming north from London will run to Preston only
  • Scotrail and some Avanti trains are running south as far as Carlisle
  • TransPennine services from Edinburgh and Glasgow heading to Liverpool or Manchester will run until Carlisle
  • Services coming from Liverpool or Manchester will run until Preston

TransPennine has warned that an hourly rail replacement bus running between Preston and Carlisle is "proving difficult" due to the limited supply of coaches.

Tickets for travel on Monday will be accepted on Tuesday.

Meanwhile, Avanti and TransPennine tickets are being accepted on the following services:

  • Between London King's Cross and Edinburgh with LNER
  • Between Edinburgh and Glasgow Central with ScotRail
  • Between Edinburgh and Birmingham New Street with CrossCountry
  • Between Carlisle and Newcastle with Northern
  • Between Preston and York with Northern
  • Between Preston and Manchester Piccadilly with Northern and TransPennine Express

On the West Coast Mainline itself, trains from the south were travelling no further than Preston, while services from the north were terminating at Carlisle.

'Absolute relief'

The Liberal Democrat MP for Westmorland and Lonsdale, Tim Farron, said he has spoken to Network Rail about the damage to the line and what the next steps would be.

He said he will be raising the issue in the House of Commons with the transport secretary and discussing the long term infrastructure on the West Coast Mainline.

Scotland's First Minister John Swinney said he was "very concerned" about the derailment and it was an "absolute relief" that no-one was injured.

He said he was in touch with the UK government to make sure anyone affected was "properly supported".

Follow BBC Cumbria on X, Facebook, Nextdoor and Instagram.

Israeli military's ex-top lawyer arrested over leak of video allegedly showing Palestinian detainee abuse

3 November 2025 at 23:09
IDF Israel Defense Forces (IDF) handout photo showing its former Military Advocate General Major General Yifat Tomer-YerushalmiIDF
Major General Yifat Tomer-Yerushalmi resigned on Friday, admitting her role in leaking the video

The former top lawyer in the Israeli military has been arrested, as a political showdown deepens over the leaking of a video that allegedly shows severe abuse of a Palestinian detainee by Israeli soldiers.

Maj Gen Yifat Tomer-Yerushalmi resigned as the Military Advocate General of the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) last week, saying that she took full responsibility for the leak.

On Sunday, the story took a darker turn when she was reported as missing, with police mounting an hours-long search for her on a beach north of Tel Aviv.

She was subsequently found alive and well, police said, but was then taken into custody.

The fallout from the leaked video is intensifying by the day.

Broadcast in August 2024 on an Israeli news channel, the footage shows reserve soldiers at the Sde Teiman military base in southern Israel taking aside a detainee, then surrounding him with riot shields to block visibility while he was allegedly beaten and stabbed in the rectum with a sharp object.

The detainee was subsequently treated for severe injuries.

Five reservists were subsequently charged with aggravated abuse and causing serious bodily harm to the detainee. They have denied the charges have not been named.

On Sunday, four of the reservists wore black balaclavas to hide their faces as they appeared at a news conference outside the Supreme Court in Jerusalem along with their lawyers, who demanded the dismissal of their trial.

Adi Keidar, a lawyer from the right-wing legal aid organisation Honenu, claimed his clients were subject to "to a faulty, biased and completely cooked-up legal process".

Anadolu via Getty Images File photo showing the entrance to Sde Teiman military base in the Negev desert, southern Israel (10 January 2025) Anadolu via Getty Images
The leaked surveillance video was filmed at the Sde Teiman military base in southern Israel

Last week, a criminal investigation was launched into the leaking of the video.

Gen Tomer-Yerushalmi was put on leave while the inquiry took place.

On Friday, Defence Minister Israel Katz said she would not be allowed to return to her post.

Shortly after that, Gen Tomer-Yerushalmi resigned.

In her resignation letter, she said she took full responsibility for any material that was released to the media from the unit.

"I approved the release of material to the media in an attempt to counter false propaganda against the army's law enforcement authorities," she said.

That is a reference to efforts by some right-wing political figures in Israel to claim that the allegations of severe abuse of the Palestinian detainee had been fabricated.

She added: "It is our duty to investigate whenever there is reasonable suspicion of acts of violence against a detainee."

After her resignation, Katz issued a fierce condemnation of her conduct.

"Anyone who spreads blood libels against IDF troops is unfit to wear the army's uniform," he said.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu echoed his defence minister's words on Sunday, saying that the incident at Sde Teiman was "perhaps the most severe public relations attack that the State of Israel has experienced since its establishment".

Hours later, the first reports began appearing in the Israeli media that Gen Tomer-Yerushalmi was missing, sparking fears that a political scandal had taken a turn towards tragedy.

A massive search effort was launched. Several hours later, she was found "safe and in good health" in the coastal area of Herzliya, Israeli police said.

Overnight, a police spokesperson announced that two people had been arrested on suspicion of "leaking and other serious criminal offences" as part of an investigation.

Israeli media reported that the pair were Gen Tomer-Yerushalmi and the former chief military prosecutor, Col Matan Solomosh.

Reuters Israeli security forces search for Major General Yifat Tomer-Yerushalmi after the former Military Advocate General of the Israel Defense Forces went missing in the coastal Herzliya area of Israel (2 November 2025)Reuters
Israeli forces mounted an hours-long search for Gen Tomer-Yerushalmi when she went missing on Sunday

The Sde Teiman incident has been a lightning rod for the division between the left and right in Israel.

On the right, the leaking of the video is denounced as a defamation of the Israeli military, all but amounting to an act of treason.

After Israeli military police went to Sde Teiman to question 11 reservists over the incident in July 2024, far-right protesters - including at least three lawmakers from Netanyahu's governing coalition - broke into the facility to show their support.

On the left, Gen Tomer-Yerushalmi's decision to enable the footage to be released is seen as the one time she lived up to the responsibilities of her post.

The video is regarded by the left as concrete evidence backing up multiple reports of abuse of Palestinian detainees since the Hamas-led 7 October 2023 attacks on Israel.

Last October, a report by a UN commission of inquiry alleged that thousands of child and adult detainees from Gaza had been "subjected to widespread and systematic abuse, physical and psychological violence, and sexual and gender-based violence amounting to the war crime and crime against humanity of torture and the war crime of rape and other forms of sexual violence".

Israel's government said it rejected the accusations of widespread ill-treatment and torture of detainees, and insisted that it was "fully committed to international legal standards". It also said it had carried out thorough investigations into every complaint.

'He put himself in harm's way': The train driver, crew and passengers who saved lives

3 November 2025 at 22:27
"Run there's a guy stabbing everyone" - witnesses describe attack

Passengers have described blood-covered seats and attempting to protect themselves with a bottle after a mass stabbing on a LNER train left 11 people injured and needing hospital treatment. Two remain in a life-threatening condition.

Police met the Doncaster-London King's Cross train as it made an unscheduled stop at Huntingdon in Cambridgeshire shortly before 20:00 GMT.

Hiding in buffet car

Alistair Day, who was travelling back to Hertford having watched Nottingham Forest, was on the train when the attack happened - having narrowly missed his original connecting service.

He joined others and hid in the train's buffet carriage as a fellow passenger confronted a man with a knife.

"I was just by the buffet car. It was odd. I was at the end of the carriage. All these kids were running up and I thought it was like a prank - Halloween or students," he said.

"Then they're getting louder and louder any sorts of people with blood on them [appeared] and I thought, 'Oh, bloody hell, this is not good.'

"I saw a guy flailing out - a fracas with arms going everywhere. I didn't see him that well because there were people in front of him.

"My initial thought was I'm going to sit there and try and do something but I changed my mind.

"We all jumped up and everyone kept running but I was next to the buffet car and the guys in the carriage were trying to close up the shutters and everything.

"So I said, no, you've got to let us in here. So I jumped in there - there were about 12 of us in there.

"I was the first one in, so I was in the corner. A young woman who I spoke to afterwards was by the window and the guy was at the window with his knife trying to get in. Obviously we'd locked it by then."

'You need to run!'

Joe, who was also travelling back from the Nottingham Forest v Manchester United match, said the scenes were "like something out of a movie".

The 24-year-old, from Peckham in south-east London, said: "I was texting my friends about my plans for that night and then people came rushing through from the carriage, running through, saying, 'You need to run, you need to run'.

"At first it didn't really register what was going on.

"And then quickly, I just dropped my stuff and I started running along with them.

"And then I looked back, and I could see this guy - he was quite a tall, black male, and he had a bloodied knife.

"You just looked around and there was blood just everywhere."

'What if we run out of carriages?'

Joe continued: "We kept moving through the train. We could see him behind us coming through.

"The scariest thing was that I knew that because the stops at this stage of the journey are just Stevenage and King's Cross there's quite a lot of big distances between stops.

"So we had no idea how long we were going to be on the train for.

"The thing that was in my mind was we're running through this train now but what if we run out of carriages to run through? What if we reach the end of the train? What happens there?

"It all happened very quickly. I was just in a fight or flight mode really."

Whiskey bottle

Joe Giddens/PA The head and shoulder of a police forensics officer is visible through a train carriage window. Their white hood is over their head, and they have a white mask over their nose and mouth.Joe Giddens/PA

Olly Foster, a passenger on the train, told the BBC he initially heard people shouting "run, run, there's a guy literally stabbing everyone", and believed it might have been a Halloween related prank.

He said within minutes, people started pushing through the carriage, and he noticed his hand was "covered in blood" as there was "blood all over the chair" he had leaned on.

An older man "blocked" the attacker from stabbing a younger girl, leaving him with a gash on his head and neck, Mr Foster said.

Passengers around him used jackets to try to staunch the bleeding.

He added that the only thing people in his carriage could use against the attacker was a bottle of whiskey, leaving them "staring down the carriage" and "praying" that he would not enter the carriage.

Although it lasted 10-15 minutes in total, Mr Foster says the incident "felt like forever".

Describing the scene when he got off the train, he said: "There were three people bleeding severely. One guy was holding his stomach and there's blood coming from his stomach and going down his leg.

"He was going 'help, help, I've been stabbed'."

PA A large group of police and emergency responders stand in communication on the platform at Huntingdon station in Cambridgeshire, after a number of people were stabbed.PA
The incident prompted a huge response by the emergency services

The train's only other scheduled stop before King's Cross was due to be at Stevenage.

Wren Chambers, who was due to get off in the Hertfordshire town, said they first became aware something was wrong when a man bolted down the carriage with a bloody arm, saying "they've got a knife, run".

Wren said they and a friend ran to the front of the train and saw a man who had collapsed on the floor.

Wren said they felt "stressed and pretty scared" once they knew what was happening, but they were eventually able to get off the train unharmed.

"There was quite a lot of blood on the train, there was some on my bag, some on my jeans," she told BBC Radio 5 Live.

"As soon as the train stopped and people got off most of them ran outside trying to get away from it, because we knew the attacker was still inside on the train."

PA Media A train with people wearing forensic white suits at the station PA Media
The incident took place at 19:42 on Saturday and British Transport Police (BTP) received reports of multiple stabbings aboard the 18:25 LNER service from Doncaster to King's Cross

London Underground worker Dean McFarlane told the BBC that he saw the train pull into Huntingdon railway station at 20:00 with a passenger bleeding.

He said that on arrival, he saw multiple people running down the platform bleeding, with one man in a white shirt "completely covered in blood".

He said he grabbed people and told them to leave the station, and tried to assist passengers who he believed were having panic attacks.

PA Media Police tape over an area with police equipment behind it PA Media
Ten people have been taken to hospital and nine have life-threatening injuries

Follow Cambridgeshire news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram and X.

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How passengers hid from the Cambridgeshire train attacker - what we know so far

4 November 2025 at 00:06
Fleeing man shouted 'someone's got a knife', eyewitness tells BBC

Passengers travelling from Doncaster to London have been attacked in a mass stabbing on Saturday night.

Ten people were injured and taken to hospital. Nine of them are believed to have life-threatening injuries.

Two people were arrested after the train made an unscheduled stop at Huntingdon, Cambridgeshire and witnesses reported that police used a Taser on one man holding a knife.

Counter-terror police have joined the investigation. Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer said the attack was "appalling" and "deeply concerning".

Here is what we know so far about what happened.

How did the attack unfold?

PA Media Black-clad police officers and emergency crews wearing green-and-yellow coveralls on the platform of Huntingdon train station, where a train has stoppedPA Media
Emergency crews and police rushed to Huntingdon station in Cambridgeshire after 999 calls from the London-bound train

The stabbing took place on the 18.25 GMT Saturday night LNER train service from Doncaster to London's King Cross station.

Passengers reported that at least one person brandishing a knife began stabbing people on the train after the train stopped at Peterborough, Cambridgeshire.

Witnesses told the BBC of panic and confusion.

Olly Foster, who was on the train, said he heard people dashing across carriages shouting "run, there's a guy stabbing literally everyone and everything" - and thought it might have been a Halloween-type prank.

Another passenger heard someone shouting, "someone's got a knife"

Some passengers hid inside the toilets while others swarmed towards the front of the train.

At 19:39, the train driver made an unscheduled stop at Huntingdon, Cambridgeshire, where dozens of armed police officers and emergency services rushed to the platform.

Witnesses said police used a Taser on one man. Two people, whose identities are not yet known, were arrested.

Altogether, the incident was estimated to last roughly 10 to 15 minutes.

The uninjured passengers were interviewed by police and some boarded a coach bound for London.

What do we know about the victims?

Emergency crews took 10 people to hospital, nine of whom are believed to have suffered life-threatening injuries, according to police.

The identities of the victims are not yet known.

Witnesses described some of the victims, including a man keeled over in pain on the platform, bleeding from his stomach.

Wren Chambers, a passenger on the train, told the BBC that one person had been stabbed in the arm and bolted down the train to alert others.

Olly Foster told the BBC how an older man had gashes on his head and neck after he "blocked" the attacker from stabbing a younger girl and passengers then used their jackets to try to staunch the bleeding.

London Underground worker Dean McFarlane told the BBC how he saw multiple people running down the platform bleeding, with one man in a white shirt "completely covered in blood".

What is happening with the train services?

London North Eastern Railway (LNER), which operates East Coast Mainline services in the UK, has urged passengers to avoid travelling on Sunday 2 November.

Ticketholders who are no longer planning to travel will be eligible for a full refund. Unused weekend LNER tickets will be valid until Tuesday 4 November.

Huntingdon station is not guaranteed to reopen on Sunday, LNER warned. Disruption to services between Stevenage and Peterborough are due to last all day.

Passengers are able to use their tickets on the following services without incurring extra cost:

• Avanti West Coast between London Euston, Manchester

• TransPennine Express between Manchester, Leeds and York/Newcastle

• ScotRail between Glasgow Central and Edinburgh Waverley

• Northern between Carlisle and Newcastle

• East Midlands Railway (EMR) between London St Pancras, Leicester and Sheffield.

• CrossCountry between Sheffield, Doncaster/Leeds, York and Newcastle/Edinburgh

• Greater Anglia between London Liverpool Street, Stevenage and Peterborough.

• Great Northern and Thameslink between London Kings Cross, Stevenage and Peterborough

• London Northwestern Railway services from Euston

LNER said delays are expected across the train system, including from other services and operators in the East of England and London, throughout Sunday.

Thameslink tickets that were not used on Saturday will be valid for Sunday.

In a statement published early on Sunday morning, LNER Managing Director David Horne wrote that he was "deeply shocked and saddened by this serious incident" and thanked emergency services for their "quick and professional" response.

Yesterday — 3 November 2025BBC | Top Stories

Conservative Party nearly ran out of money, says Badenoch

3 November 2025 at 22:25
BBC Kemi Badenoch in the Newscast studio BBC

Kemi Badenoch said the Conservative Party nearly ran out of money when she took over as leader, following their worst-ever election defeat.

Badenoch said she inherited a party facing internal problems, with donors considering pulling funding after the loss of 250 seats in last year's general election - the worst result in Conservative history.

Speaking to the BBC's Newscast to mark her first year as Conservative Party leader, Badenoch said she spent her first months "working furiously behind the scenes", leading to some thinking her team "were not doing anything".

But Badenoch defended her position arguing: "Without money, a party can't survive."

Asked if there was risk that the Conservatives could have gone bankrupt, Badenoch said: "Yes, there was."

Badenoch would not say how near the party came to going running out of money, but admitted there was a moment when donors could have walked away.

Speaking to the BBC, she said keeping donors on board "actually took quite a lot of quite a lot of my time" which she wished she had spent "out there a bit more".

Badenoch insists the party is now on a firmer footing and has begun to set out a new policy agenda, thanks to the groundwork she laid in the first few months.

In a wide-ranging interview, Badenoch spoke about learning on the job, including realising she should treat Prime Minister's Questions more as "panto" than a cross-examination.

The Conservative leader admitted she initially spent a day preparing lines and data, only to find that people were not following what she was saying.

"It is more theatre than it is a prosecution or interrogation," she said.

"It is the nature of British politics that we will have a panto" while political debate in other countries will have other "culturally appropriate analogies", she argued.

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What the suspect is charged with

3 November 2025 at 21:50
Fleeing man shouted 'someone's got a knife', eyewitness tells BBC

Passengers travelling from Doncaster to London have been attacked in a mass stabbing on Saturday night.

Ten people were injured and taken to hospital. Nine of them are believed to have life-threatening injuries.

Two people were arrested after the train made an unscheduled stop at Huntingdon, Cambridgeshire and witnesses reported that police used a Taser on one man holding a knife.

Counter-terror police have joined the investigation. Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer said the attack was "appalling" and "deeply concerning".

Here is what we know so far about what happened.

How did the attack unfold?

PA Media Black-clad police officers and emergency crews wearing green-and-yellow coveralls on the platform of Huntingdon train station, where a train has stoppedPA Media
Emergency crews and police rushed to Huntingdon station in Cambridgeshire after 999 calls from the London-bound train

The stabbing took place on the 18.25 GMT Saturday night LNER train service from Doncaster to London's King Cross station.

Passengers reported that at least one person brandishing a knife began stabbing people on the train after the train stopped at Peterborough, Cambridgeshire.

Witnesses told the BBC of panic and confusion.

Olly Foster, who was on the train, said he heard people dashing across carriages shouting "run, there's a guy stabbing literally everyone and everything" - and thought it might have been a Halloween-type prank.

Another passenger heard someone shouting, "someone's got a knife"

Some passengers hid inside the toilets while others swarmed towards the front of the train.

At 19:39, the train driver made an unscheduled stop at Huntingdon, Cambridgeshire, where dozens of armed police officers and emergency services rushed to the platform.

Witnesses said police used a Taser on one man. Two people, whose identities are not yet known, were arrested.

Altogether, the incident was estimated to last roughly 10 to 15 minutes.

The uninjured passengers were interviewed by police and some boarded a coach bound for London.

What do we know about the victims?

Emergency crews took 10 people to hospital, nine of whom are believed to have suffered life-threatening injuries, according to police.

The identities of the victims are not yet known.

Witnesses described some of the victims, including a man keeled over in pain on the platform, bleeding from his stomach.

Wren Chambers, a passenger on the train, told the BBC that one person had been stabbed in the arm and bolted down the train to alert others.

Olly Foster told the BBC how an older man had gashes on his head and neck after he "blocked" the attacker from stabbing a younger girl and passengers then used their jackets to try to staunch the bleeding.

London Underground worker Dean McFarlane told the BBC how he saw multiple people running down the platform bleeding, with one man in a white shirt "completely covered in blood".

What is happening with the train services?

London North Eastern Railway (LNER), which operates East Coast Mainline services in the UK, has urged passengers to avoid travelling on Sunday 2 November.

Ticketholders who are no longer planning to travel will be eligible for a full refund. Unused weekend LNER tickets will be valid until Tuesday 4 November.

Huntingdon station is not guaranteed to reopen on Sunday, LNER warned. Disruption to services between Stevenage and Peterborough are due to last all day.

Passengers are able to use their tickets on the following services without incurring extra cost:

• Avanti West Coast between London Euston, Manchester

• TransPennine Express between Manchester, Leeds and York/Newcastle

• ScotRail between Glasgow Central and Edinburgh Waverley

• Northern between Carlisle and Newcastle

• East Midlands Railway (EMR) between London St Pancras, Leicester and Sheffield.

• CrossCountry between Sheffield, Doncaster/Leeds, York and Newcastle/Edinburgh

• Greater Anglia between London Liverpool Street, Stevenage and Peterborough.

• Great Northern and Thameslink between London Kings Cross, Stevenage and Peterborough

• London Northwestern Railway services from Euston

LNER said delays are expected across the train system, including from other services and operators in the East of England and London, throughout Sunday.

Thameslink tickets that were not used on Saturday will be valid for Sunday.

In a statement published early on Sunday morning, LNER Managing Director David Horne wrote that he was "deeply shocked and saddened by this serious incident" and thanked emergency services for their "quick and professional" response.

Rail security to be reviewed, transport secretary says

3 November 2025 at 20:50
PA Media Two armed policemen walking through St Pancras International station, LondonPA Media
There will be increased visible patrols at mainline stations over the coming days, the Transport Secretary said

There will be a review of rail security in the UK following a mass stabbing on a train, Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander has said.

A man has been charged with 10 counts of attempted murder after the knife attack on a Doncaster to London service on Saturday night.

Alexander told the BBC the government would "review security arrangements" and respond "swiftly and in a proportionate way".

But she did not think airport scanning technology "is the right solution for stations in the UK".

Questions about passenger safety on the UK's rail network have been raised after a a black British national, who boarded a train at Peterborough station, attacked passengers with a knife.

Eleven people were treated in hospital including a member of train staff who is said to be in a "critical but stable condition".

Anthony Williams, 32, from Peterborough has been charged with 10 counts of attempted murder, one count of actual bodily harm and one count of possession of a bladed article, British Transport Police (BTP) said on Monday morning.

Alexander told BBC Breakfast that BTP officers would increase visible patrols at mainline stations over the coming days "because I do understand that people will want to feel reassured following what happened".

"Thankfully incidents like this on the public transport network are very, very rare," she added.

She said the rail network in the UK was a "low crime environment" and for every one million passenger journeys only 27 crimes were committed.

Asked what steps the government would take to improve security on trains, she said: "We are investing in improved CCTV in stations and the Home Office will soon be launching a consultation on more facial recognition technology which could be deployed in stations as well."

Asked about luggage scanners similar to those used in some major train stations abroad she said: "At the moment that type of airport scanning technology I don't think is the right solution for stations in the UK."

Andy Trotter, former British Transport Police Chief Constable told BBC Breakfast Saturday's attack illustrates "people's real concerns about being trapped with an offender or with someone causing disorder".

"I hope this results in a broader review of security, the need for more British Transport Police, the need for more security from the rail companies themselves."

Can a computer game help women's football grow even more?

3 November 2025 at 15:26

Will Football Manager help women's football grow?

Football Manager 26 features female players and teams for the first time, and also a female manager in its artworkImage source, Sports Interactive
Image caption,

Football Manager 26 features female players and teams for the first time, and also a female manager in its artwork

  • Published

Women's football has already taken some huge steps in recent years, but will a computer game help it grow even more?

This week's launch of FM26, the latest edition of the popular Football Manager series, will enhance visibility of the women's game and may also help unearth some unheralded female talents too.

The previous edition of FM - which sees you step into the shoes of a manager, pick a team, and try to lead them to victory - was released in 2024 and has been played by 19 million people.

The series' origins go back more than 30 years to 1992's Championship Manager but, for the first time, FM26 allows fans to manage women's teams as well as men's.

It features a database of more than 36,000 female players and another 5,000 staff, with 14 playable leagues across 11 nations and three continents.

The company behind it, Sports Interactive, already share their extensive data on more than 700,000 male players with real-life clubs who have used it as a scouting tool for more than a decade.

Now they can do the same with the stats on female players that they began collating in 2021.

'An army of people from the women's game helped us represent it properly'

Screenshot from the new Football Manager 26 gameImage source, Sports Interactive
Image caption,

The game allows players to control many aspects of running a football club - but, like real managers, the matches themselves must be watched from the sidelines

"There were a lot of challenges around adding the women's game to FM," said Miles Jacobson, studio director of Sports Interactive.

"We've had our scouting set-up for 30-plus years in men's football but we had to start from scratch on the women's side, and we wanted to ensure that there were women's football experts involved.

"In the end, an army of people from the women's game helped us, who wanted us to ensure that women's football was properly represented.

"It was hard to find certain bits of information because although data is prevalent in men's football, it is not the same in the women's game, where it is often inaccurate or missing altogether.

"Putting it all together was certainly a challenge, but it was one that we took on and hope what we've produced is not just of use in the game but is actually of use in women's football as well.

"We have 40 clubs who we work with on the data side, that we have a direct relationship with, and hopefully they are going to benefit from our database because the majority of those clubs have women's teams as well as men's as part of their group."

'We're about to engage a whole new audience'

Two women wearing black, skin-tight motion capture suits with white, ping-pong ball-style spheres attached to them, make kicking motions like those you'd see in a game of football. Numerous small cameras are attached to the grey walls of the studio to record their movements from different angles.Image source, Sports Interactive
Image caption,

As well as building a new stats database, Football Manager's makers also had to record motion capture for female players, using former pros Rosie and Mollie Kmita to suit up and execute the moves

The game prides itself on its depth, realism and authenticity and new motion-capture sequences were recorded for FM26 to represent female players in the 3D match simulations.

Everyone on the database has a set of individual attributes marked out of 20, ranging from physical statistics such as pace, agility and acceleration to skills like passing ability and dribbling. It also reflects characteristics like bravery and composure.

"We had a big debate that went on for many months about how to deal with the differences between male and female players in the stats," Jacobson added.

"The fastest woman in the world, as we know from world records, is slightly slower than the fastest man, but we thought it was unfair that the fastest woman in the game wouldn't have a 20 rating for pace or acceleration.

"So we kept it separate. We compare women with women and men with men when it comes to playing attributes. When it comes to staff attributes, there isn't a difference."

Former professional players, twin sisters Mollie and Rosie Kmita, were both involved in the motion capture process for the game, and Mollie feels being able to manage a women's team will engage new gamers and educate existing ones.

"Growing up, I would never have imagined playing Football Manager because it wasn't a space for us," she said.

"Normalising women's football in the game is exciting and we'll see the repercussions of that.

"For someone who's never been interested in women's football before and decides to manage a women's team, the amount of information and knowledge they will learn about players, teams and leagues is exciting.

"I think we're about to engage a whole new audience and I'm excited to see how this community continues to grow."

Ellen White, Jen Beattie and Ben Haines

Ben Haines, Ellen White and Jen Beattie are back for another season of the Women's Football Weekly podcast. New episodes drop every Tuesday on BBC Sounds, plus find interviews and extra content from the Women's Super League and beyond on the Women's Football Weekly feed

I'm the luckiest man alive but I'm suffering, says Air India crash sole survivor

3 November 2025 at 14:50
Viswashkumar Ramesh breaks down in tears as he talks about the loss of his brother in the crash

The sole survivor of the Air India plane crash, which killed 241 people on board, has said he feels like the "luckiest man" alive, but is also suffering physically and mentally.

Viswashkumar Ramesh walked away from the wreckage of the London-bound flight in Ahmedabad in extraordinary scenes that amazed the world.

He said it was a "miracle" he escaped but told how he has lost everything, as his younger brother Ajay was a few seats away on the flight and died in the crash in June.

Since returning to his home in Leicester, Mr Ramesh has struggled with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), his advisers said, and has been unable to speak to his wife and four-year-old son.

Flames engulfed the Boeing 787 flight when it went down shortly after take-off in western India.

Shocking video shared at the time showed Mr Ramesh walking away from the aftermath with seemingly superficial injuries, as smoke billowed in the background.

Speaking to BBC News, an emotional Mr Ramesh, whose first language is Gujarati, said: "I'm only one survivor. Still, I'm not believing. It's a miracle.

"I lost my brother as well. My brother is my backbone. Last few years, he was always supporting me."

He described the devastating impact the ordeal has had on his family life.

"Now I'm alone. I just sit in my room alone, not talking with my wife, my son. I just like to be alone in my house," Mr Ramesh said.

Watch: The moment Viswashkumar Ramesh walked away from the crash

He spoke from his hospital bed in India at the time, describing how he had managed to unbuckle himself and crawl out of the wreckage, and met Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi while receiving treatment for his injuries.

Of the passengers and crew killed, 169 were Indian nationals and 52 were Britons, while 19 others were killed on the ground.

A preliminary report into the crash, published by India's Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau in July, said fuel supply to the engines was cut off just seconds after take-off. Meanwhile, an investigation is ongoing and the airline said care for Mr Ramesh, and all families affected by the tragedy, "remains our absolute priority".

This is the first time the 39-year-old has spoken to the media since he has been back in the UK. A documentary crew were also filming in the room.

The BBC had detailed discussions with his advisers around his duty of care before the interview.

When asked about his memories of the day of the crash, he said: "I can't say anything about that now."

'I'm suffering'

Flanked by local community leader Sanjiv Patel and spokesman Radd Seiger, Mr Ramesh said it was too painful to recall the events of the disaster, and broke down during parts of an interview at the home of Mr Patel in Leicester.

Mr Ramesh described the anguish he and his family are now living through.

"For me, after this accident... very difficult.

"Physically, mentally, also my family as well, mentally... my mum last four months, she is sitting every day outside the door, not talking, nothing.

"I'm not talking to anyone else. I do not like to talk with anyone else.

"I can't talk about much. I'm thinking all night, I'm suffering mentally.

"Every day is painful for the whole family."

Mr Ramesh also spoke about the physical injuries he suffered in the crash, which saw him escape his seat - 11A - through an opening in the fuselage.

He says he suffers pain in his leg, shoulder, knee and back, and has not been able to work or drive since the tragedy.

"When I walk, not walk properly, slowly, slowly, my wife help," he added.

Sanjiv Patel wearing a blue shirt and sitting on a yellow sofa, with a grey sofa with cushions on in the background
Sanjiv Patel said he was supporting, advising and protecting the family

Mr Ramesh was diagnosed with PTSD while he was being treated in hospital in India but has not received any medical treatment since being back home, his advisers said.

They described him as being lost and broken, with a long journey of recovery ahead, and are demanding a meeting with Air India's executives, claiming he has been treated poorly by the airline since the crash.

"They're in crisis, mentally, physically, financially," Mr Patel said.

"It's devastated his family.

"Whoever's responsible at the highest level should be on the ground meeting the victims of this tragic event, and understanding their needs and to be heard."

'Put things right'

Air India has offered an interim compensation payment to Mr Ramesh of £21,500, which has been accepted, but his advisers say this is not enough to meet his immediate needs.

The family fishing business in Diu in India, which Mr Ramesh ran with his brother before the crash, has since collasped, his advisers said.

Spokesman for the family Mr Seiger said they had invited Air India for a meeting on three occasions, and all three were either "ignored or turned down".

The media interviews were the team's way of reissuing that appeal for the fourth time, he said.

Mr Seiger added: "It's appalling that we are having to sit here today and putting him [Viswashkumar] through this.

"The people who should be sitting here today are the executives of Air India, the people responsible for trying to put things right.

"Please come and sit down with us so that we can work through this together to try and alleviate some of this suffering."

In a statement, the airline, which is owned by Tata Group, said senior leaders from the parent company continue to visit families to express their deepest condolences.

"An offer has been made to Mr Ramesh's representatives to arrange such a meeting, we will continue to reach out and we very much hope to receive a positive response," it said.

The airline told the BBC that this offer was made before the media interviews with Mr Ramesh.

'Anger and revenge': Anthony Hopkins on how being bullied at school spurred him on

3 November 2025 at 14:08
BBC Sir Anthony Hopkins looking to camera and smiling; dressed in navy blue suit, light blue shirt, and dark blue and white tieBBC
Two-time Oscar winner, Sir Anthony Hopkins tells the BBC that he can't "take credit" for his success

Not many people can say they've been given a private piano recital by Sir Anthony Hopkins.

But that's exactly what happened when our four-strong BBC team went to interview the double Oscar-winning actor in Los Angeles.

We were in the same room as the man who terrified as Hannibal Lecter in The Silence of the Lambs, shattered as a butler in The Remains of The Day and devastated as a dad with dementia in The Father.

An actor who was cast by Oliver Stone as President Nixon because - according to Sir Anthony - the director said "you're nuts like Nixon".

At a grand piano in a hotel in Beverly Hills, as he plays us a piece he calls Goodbye, it's clear an artistic soul exudes from his every pore. Haunting notes of music, lines of poetry and Shakespearean verses cascade out of him.

A private piano recital with Sir Anthony Hopkins

We were meeting because Sir Anthony's publishing his autobiography, We Did OK, Kid, an honest and at times upsetting account of a loner who was bullied and written off as a child in Wales and became one of Britain's finest acting exports.

He puts his success down to sheer luck, telling me: "I couldn't take credit for any of it, I couldn't have planned any of this - and now at 87, about to turn 88, I get up in the morning and I think, 'Hello, I'm still here,' and I still don't get it."

From the outside, it looks less about luck and more about his deep understanding of human emotion, as his performances testify. I ask what makes him such an instinctive actor.

"It's such a miracle being alive," he says.

He finds the complexity of human beings "fascinating... I mean, how can you produce Beethoven, Bach and then Treblinka and Auschwitz?"

Sir Anthony has always understood the duality of being human, and it explains his acting range.

He got his first break on film when the actor Peter O'Toole suggested he audition for the 1968 movie The Lion in Winter, in which O'Toole was playing Henry II.

At that point, Sir Anthony had been a member of Sir Laurence Olivier's National Theatre company for several years. But, he recalls: "I couldn't fit into the British theatre style, I just felt out of it."

He also "didn't want to be standing on stage holding a spear for the rest of my life, in wrinkled tights, I just wanted to have a bit of a life".

He was cast as Richard the Lionheart and couldn't believe that a baker's son from Port Talbot was working with Katharine Hepburn.

The actress, playing his mother Eleanor of Aquitaine, gave him "the best advice I've had" as they rehearsed their first scene together. She told him to "just speak the lines... Don't act, just do it". She also said he was "real good".

Hepburn was right, of course. Some classically trained theatre actors, particularly back then, didn't appreciate how much they needed to adjust their performance for the intimacy of a camera. He did.

He doesn't much care for talking about the craft of acting, or certainly the reverence there can be around it, but he shares his method with me: "Be still. Be economic. Don't act or twitch around, you know, 'showing off' acting... simplify, simplify, simplify'."

Hollywood Pictures Behind the scenes black and white photo showing:
The director, Oliver Stone (L) with glasses and holding a file  talking to Hopkins in character in a suit with his arms closed
Hollywood Pictures
Director, Oliver Stone (L) told a reluctant Sir Anthony that he wanted him to play Nixon because he was "nuts" like President Nixon

His performances stand out because he's an actor of huge emotional depth and psychological insight. Think of him as Dr Treves, the friend and protector of John Hurt's Elephant Man.

Or as Lecter, still for me the most terrifying of characters more than 30 years on. The serial killer is a monster but Sir Anthony understood that less is more, on screen.

Instead of playing Lecter as obviously monstrous, "you go the opposite way, you draw back", he explains. He realised as soon as he had read a few pages of the script that the role was "a life-changer".

He writes in his memoir that he "instinctively sensed how to play Hannibal. I have the devil in me. We all have the devil in us, I know what scares people".

Getty Images Hopkins in black dinner suit with his arm around Jodie Foster in white suit & gloves & red brooch both smiling and holding OscarsGetty Images
Sir Anthony and Jodie Foster both won Oscars for their roles in The Silence of the Lambs

He tells me he played Lecter still - and deadly. So when he was in character opposite other actors, he decided, "Don't take your eyes off the person. That's terrifying."

He puts on Lecter's metallic rasp for me and appears to enjoy repeating his character's words to Jodie Foster's Clarice. "You're not real FBI," he almost hisses.

"That's scary," he says. He's not wrong. Even in an upmarket LA hotel on a warm autumn afternoon, I'm feeling chilled.

And what about the famous line - "I ate his liver with some fava beans and a nice Chianti", which he follows with that vampire-like hiss?

He explains as a child he'd seen the Hungarian-American actor Bela Lugosi do the same when playing Count Dracula in the 1931 movie. Sir Anthony decided in the moment of filming to copy it and The Silence of the Lambs director, Jonathan Demme, kept it in.

Getty Images Black and white photo of Bela Lugosi as Dracula - in a black dinner suit  looking down and his right arm up - with his hand in a clawGetty Images
Bela Lugosi's portrayal of Count Dracula in the 1931 horror film influenced Sir Anthony when playing Hannibal Lecter

What is startling about the memoir is the disconnect between how the world viewed the young actor and how much it was clearly missing about him. He was bullied at school for what other kids saw as his large "elephant" head.

He was slapped around by teachers who deemed him a complete dunce. Even his parents pretty much wrote him off.

He believes it was the making of him. It "gave me a core of anger, resentment and revenge", he says.

But why hadn't they all noticed his talents? This was a child who was given the 10 volume Children's Encyclopaedia when he was six ("I was so captivated, I read every one of them") and became fascinated by astronomy.

A boy who played the piano, made art and loved Dickens and Shakespeare, quoting from them extensively.

A school report in 1955 when he was 17 marked "the turning point" in his life. It was terrible, as usual. "What's going to happen to you?" Sir Anthony recalls his father lamenting. "I said: 'One day, I'll show you, both of you'."

Sir Anthony Hopkins Anthony at 3, smiling, in white shorts and embroidered cardigan, curly hair, and 
his father, Richard, crouching in beige trousers and dark jacket
at Aberavon Beach in 1941 Sir Anthony Hopkins
Sir Anthony, a "little confused boy" by his own recollection, with his father at Aberavon Beach in 1941
Sir Anthony Hopkins A grainy image of Anthony Hopkins at school in 1953. Outside in school uniform, looking to camera, with trees in the backgroundSir Anthony Hopkins
Sir Anthony Hopkins, here in 1953, says he was bullied at school, where teachers thought he was "thick"

He's pleased his parents lived long enough to see him succeed. When he won his first best actor Oscar, for The Silence of the Lambs in 1992, 11 years to the day after his father died, he rang his mother in Wales and said: "I guess I did OK."

But it was a rough ride in the early days. He was an alcoholic who picked fights with directors and others. He wasn't always a good husband to his first two wives. Booze turned him nasty.

"That's the ugly side of alcoholism," he writes. "It brought out a brutal side of me. I'm not proud of it at all."

The anger, he believes, came "from inside, my own insecurities, being bullied at school and all the rest of it. I didn't like authority".

Shutterstock Hopkins looking dishevelled , with checked jacket, shirt with top bottom open, holding a drink, seated at a table with a bottle of alcohol in the foreground.
Kate Nelligan standing in light beige mac, short brown hair, looking sadly at himShutterstock
Sir Anthony (seen with co-star Kate Nelligan) played an alcoholic actor, Theodore Gunge, in the 1974 TV drama The Arcata Promise

Then one night in LA in December 1975, almost 50 years ago, he drove his car while in "a complete alcoholic blackout". When he came to, he realised that he was "out of control" and could have killed someone. He made a phone call to ask for help.

"Suddenly, something said 'it's all over, now you can start living'... the craving left and it's never come back."

At his first meeting of Alcoholics Anonymous, he had a realisation about everyone else in the room.

"They're all misfits like me. Like all of us. We feel we never belong. We feel self-hatred. All of us are the same. I'm not alone."

It's that feeling of disconnection that shines out of the book.

He writes that his wife Stella believes he is on the autism spectrum which is "likely right, given my proclivity for memorisation and repetition... and my lack of emotionality" but he says he prefers the term "cold fish". I want to know why.

It seems to have begun as a reaction to the bullying and screaming at him through school and National Service.

"I'd just stare them out, and that drove them mad," he recalls. "You withdraw into yourself and think, 'OK you can't hurt me, can you?" It was, he says, his "only defence... and that's a power, you see: I don't care."

Of course, Sir Anthony does care and we talk a little about the state of the world. It's at this point in our interview that he becomes his most passionate. He grew up in Port Talbot surrounded by people who had been impacted, even brutalised, by war.

He played Sir Nicholas Winton, the man who saved hundreds of mainly Jewish children from the Nazis, in the film One Life.

Warner Bros. Side profiles of Hopkins as Sir Nicholas Winton in dark grey suit and tie with gold circles. looking at & holding the hand of woman in black jacket and black, grey and white scarfWarner Bros.
In One Life, Sir Anthony played Sir Nicholas Winton, a stockbroker who helped to save nearly 700 mainly Jewish children from the Nazis

When I ask him about whether he worries about increasing polarisation now, he becomes very animated and intense.

"The world has always been a place of utter turmoil. But I think if we go on in this way of hatred... we are dead.

"Nobody's allowed to have an opinion. Nobody can have a different view. That's fascism. And it's insanity."

If he has any advice about it all, it's to say "'Come on, stop this rubbish, beating each other up over ideas. They're only ideas and we're only going to be dead one day'."

Sir Anthony Hopkins' best performances

Shutterstock Hopkins as President Nixon, hair greased back his arms folded looking to camera with two microphones on his dark desk. US flag and curtains in backgroundShutterstock
Brooks Films Black and white photo of Sir Anthony as Dr Treves looking unsmilingly to camera with moustache and beard, white collar and cravatBrooks Films

Sir Anthony played President Nixon, but told us that, if offered the role of President Trump, he'd say no
Sir Anthony played the role of Dr Frederick Treves with compassion and said of his character that he "wrestled with his goodness"

I ask him, as he looks back at his long life, what his biggest regrets are and he's quick to answer. "People I've hurt over the years, the stupid things I did."

He's estranged from his only child, his daughter Abigail, who he walked out on when she was just one and he was in the depths of alcoholism.

He writes that "after realising I was unfit as a father for Abigail, I vowed not to have any more children... I couldn't do to another child what I'd done to her".

He has tried to repair their relationship over the years.

Getty Images Hopkins in black suit, white shirt and blue tie, with his arm around his daughter Abigail, short bob,  in black dress and gold necklace. Hopkins is pointing to herGetty Images
Sir Anthony with his daughter, Abigail (here at the premiere of Little Man Tate in Los Angeles in 1991), describes his estrangement as "a tremendous source of pain"

When he took on the role of King Lear in his 80s, in Sir Richard Eyre's 2018 film, Lear's words to his daughter Cordelia struck a painful chord.

He writes in his new book: "The line that hit me harder than perhaps any other I've ever spoken was 'I did her wrong'. Saying those words, I felt deeply, perhaps for the first time in my life, how I had hurt my own daughter.

"I remembered how as a baby she'd lit up when I walked into the room. I remembered how I said goodbye to her the night I walked out. I remembered how I had tried and failed to win her back later. I remembered how I had given up. And as Lear, but also as myself, I began to cry."

He didn't want to talk about it in our interview. Poignantly, in this section of the book, he writes: "I hope my daughter knows that my door is always open to her."

I couldn't help feeling moved reading this. It's as if he is trying to send a message to her, hoping against hope that there might be a reconciliation before it is too late.

Playground Television Hopkins in khaki uniform with his arm around Florence pugh's chest, also in khaki.
Florence in front, looking upset.
Soldiers in khaki in background with guns
Playground Television
Sir Anthony (pictured with Florence Pugh) says playing King Lear made him reflect on the hurt he caused his own daughter, Abigail

At 87, he is looking back, aware he has lived many years longer than he has left to live. "Most of my friends have died, they're gone, God bless them," he says. "I hope to be around a little longer. But even that, I'm thinking, 'oh well, I had a good time'."

He certainly still appears to be having fun. After some early reserve when we first met, he quickly relaxed. When he played the piano, he shared how he had lost two much-loved pianos when his house burnt down in the LA fires earlier this year. "They were all under the rubble".

As we walked through the hotel lobby together, he was spotted by guests and waved happily to them. "I like to say hi because people think actors are special. We're not at all," he smiles.

Reuters Stella on the left smiling in black chiffon and lace dress and Sir Anthony in black suit with white shirtReuters
Sir Anthony credits his third wife Stella Arroyave with helping him overcome "feelings of anxiety in a way that set [him] free"

Whatever he says, it was special to spend a few hours in his presence. He's an acting legend who's given us six decades of memorable performances. He's also a genuine heavyweight who is steeped not just in musical knowledge, but culture, history and philosophy.

And we end the interview on a philosophical note - as he recites "They are not long, the days of wine and roses" from an Ernest Dowson poem and muses on the fleeting nature of life.

"What are we doing here, what are we?" he asks. "We can't explain anything about ourselves. We may have fancy ideas, religious ideas, philosophical ideas, scientific ideas... what's that all about? We're nothing finally, and yet we're everything".

We Did OK, Kid by Sir Anthony Hopkins is published on 4 November.

Israeli military's ex-top lawyer arrested as scandal over video leak deepens

3 November 2025 at 19:17
IDF Israel Defense Forces (IDF) handout photo showing its former Military Advocate General Major General Yifat Tomer-YerushalmiIDF
Major General Yifat Tomer-Yerushalmi resigned on Friday, admitting her role in leaking the video

The former top lawyer in the Israeli military has been arrested, as a political showdown deepens over the leaking of a video that allegedly shows severe abuse of a Palestinian detainee by Israeli soldiers.

Maj Gen Yifat Tomer-Yerushalmi resigned as the Military Advocate General of the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) last week, saying that she took full responsibility for the leak.

On Sunday, the story took a darker turn when she was reported as missing, with police mounting an hours-long search for her on a beach north of Tel Aviv.

She was subsequently found alive and well, police said, but was then taken into custody.

The fallout from the leaked video is intensifying by the day.

Broadcast in August 2024 on an Israeli news channel, the footage shows reserve soldiers at the Sde Teiman military base in southern Israel taking aside a detainee, then surrounding him with riot shields to block visibility while he was allegedly beaten and stabbed in the rectum with a sharp object.

The detainee was subsequently treated for severe injuries.

Five reservists were subsequently charged with aggravated abuse and causing serious bodily harm to the detainee. They have denied the charges have not been named.

On Sunday, four of the reservists wore black balaclavas to hide their faces as they appeared at a news conference outside the Supreme Court in Jerusalem along with their lawyers, who demanded the dismissal of their trial.

Adi Keidar, a lawyer from the right-wing legal aid organisation Honenu, claimed his clients were subject to "to a faulty, biased and completely cooked-up legal process".

Anadolu via Getty Images File photo showing the entrance to Sde Teiman military base in the Negev desert, southern Israel (10 January 2025) Anadolu via Getty Images
The leaked surveillance video was filmed at the Sde Teiman military base in southern Israel

Last week, a criminal investigation was launched into the leaking of the video.

Gen Tomer-Yerushalmi was put on leave while the inquiry took place.

On Friday, Defence Minister Israel Katz said she would not be allowed to return to her post.

Shortly after that, Gen Tomer-Yerushalmi resigned.

In her resignation letter, she said she took full responsibility for any material that was released to the media from the unit.

"I approved the release of material to the media in an attempt to counter false propaganda against the army's law enforcement authorities," she said.

That is a reference to efforts by some right-wing political figures in Israel to claim that the allegations of severe abuse of the Palestinian detainee had been fabricated.

She added: "It is our duty to investigate whenever there is reasonable suspicion of acts of violence against a detainee."

After her resignation, Katz issued a fierce condemnation of her conduct.

"Anyone who spreads blood libels against IDF troops is unfit to wear the army's uniform," he said.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu echoed his defence minister's words on Sunday, saying that the incident at Sde Teiman was "perhaps the most severe public relations attack that the State of Israel has experienced since its establishment".

Hours later, the first reports began appearing in the Israeli media that Gen Tomer-Yerushalmi was missing, sparking fears that a political scandal had taken a turn towards tragedy.

A massive search effort was launched. Several hours later, she was found "safe and in good health" in the coastal area of Herzliya, Israeli police said.

Overnight, a police spokesperson announced that two people had been arrested on suspicion of "leaking and other serious criminal offences" as part of an investigation.

Israeli media reported that the pair were Gen Tomer-Yerushalmi and the former chief military prosecutor, Col Matan Solomosh.

Reuters Israeli security forces search for Major General Yifat Tomer-Yerushalmi after the former Military Advocate General of the Israel Defense Forces went missing in the coastal Herzliya area of Israel (2 November 2025)Reuters
Israeli forces mounted an hours-long search for Gen Tomer-Yerushalmi when she went missing on Sunday

The Sde Teiman incident has been a lightning rod for the division between the left and right in Israel.

On the right, the leaking of the video is denounced as a defamation of the Israeli military, all but amounting to an act of treason.

After Israeli military police went to Sde Teiman to question 11 reservists over the incident in July 2024, far-right protesters - including at least three lawmakers from Netanyahu's governing coalition - broke into the facility to show their support.

On the left, Gen Tomer-Yerushalmi's decision to enable the footage to be released is seen as the one time she lived up to the responsibilities of her post.

The video is regarded by the left as concrete evidence backing up multiple reports of abuse of Palestinian detainees since the Hamas-led 7 October 2023 attacks on Israel.

Last October, a report by a UN commission of inquiry alleged that thousands of child and adult detainees from Gaza had been "subjected to widespread and systematic abuse, physical and psychological violence, and sexual and gender-based violence amounting to the war crime and crime against humanity of torture and the war crime of rape and other forms of sexual violence".

Israel's government said it rejected the accusations of widespread ill-treatment and torture of detainees, and insisted that it was "fully committed to international legal standards". It also said it had carried out thorough investigations into every complaint.

Strictly's Amy Dowden to undergo second mastectomy

3 November 2025 at 19:54
BBC Amy Dowden stands outside in the sunshine wearing a mac and looking happy. She has long, blonde hair past her shoulders and wears a light brown jacket over a pink top with a white collar. Behind her is a white railingBBC
The dancer's treatment for stage three breast cancer was depicted in a BBC documentary

Strictly Come Dancing's Amy Dowden has announced she is to undergo "another mastectomy this week".

The 35-year-old said the surgery was "not to treat a new cancer diagnosis" but came following an appointment with her "incredible" medical team, adding that she wanted to be "clear" and "open" with her followers.

In a post on Instagram, accompanied by a video of her stroking her dog, the Welsh star said: "They're [the medical team] confident that, all going well, I can expect a straightforward recovery.

"Once I have healed I look forward to rejoining my Strictly family."

She added that she would "of course" miss not being part of the show as much but would be "watching from home and look forward to cheering everyone on".

"Thank you always for all the support," said Dowden.

The dancer revealed she had been diagnosed with breast cancer in May 2023 after finding a lump in April, the day before going to the Maldives on her honeymoon with fellow professional dancer Ben Jones.

After her diagnosis, Dowden had a mastectomy and underwent chemotherapy, with her treatment preventing her from being able to compete with a celebrity partner on the BBC dancing programme that year.

Dowden documented her cancer experience online, and revealed in February 2024 that "no evidence of disease" was found at her latest health check.

She returned to the dancefloor a few months later, partnered with former JLS star JB Gill.

However, she was forced to pull out of Strictly midway through the 20th anniversary series due to an injury and was replaced by Lauren Oakley.

BBC/PA Amy Dowden is dancing alongside Thomas Skinner on the Strictly dancefloor. She is wearing a pink sleeveless top and silver hot pants and Skinner is wearing silver trousers and a sparkly silver top. A prop of a mock set of DJ decks is behind themBBC/PA
The Strictly professional was partnered with former Apprentice contestant Thomas Skinner for the latest season of Strictly Come Dancing

Dowden returned once again in this year's series where she was partnered with former Apprentice contestant and social media star Thomas Skinner, being eliminated in week two.

Her cancer treatment and experience with Crohn's disease have been depicted in the BBC documentaries Strictly Amy: Cancer And Me and Strictly Amy: Crohn's And Me.

She was formally made a Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) earlier in the year for services to fundraising and raising awareness of the inflammatory bowel disease.

'I worry about unity' - Southgate on St George's flag

3 November 2025 at 18:20

'I worry about unity' - Southgate on St George's flag

Gareth SouthgateImage source, Getty Images
Image caption,

Gareth Southgate managed England between 2016 and 2024

  • Published

Former England manager Sir Gareth Southgate says he is "worried about unity" amid a debate about flying the St George's flag.

A growing number of St George's and union jack flags have appeared across England in recent months.

While some people feel the flag-raising is patriotic, others feel it is intimidating.

Southgate, who spent eight years in charge of the Three Lions, stepped down as manager following a Euro 2024 final defeat by Spain.

Though he failed to win silverware with England, he is widely recognised for uniting the country in support of the national side and has now written a book called Dear England: Lessons in Leadership.

On Monday, BBC Breakfast presenter Jon Kay asked Southgate for his opinion on the flags debate, saying: "Some people are proud of them. Some people are questioning the use of them in certain circumstances. What do you think of that flags debate in the context of what you think about patriotism?"

Southgate replied: "I worry about unity. I've seen what we did with the team [England] to unify every community.

"I do think there's more that bonds us all than separates us. We should try and focus more on what brings us together than what separates us."

Former England defender and Salford City co-owner Gary Neville recently criticised the "negative" display of the St George's flag and said he had ordered the removal of a flag from a building site that he invests in.

Salford City's League Two fixture against Oldham Athletic was delayed later that week when two pitch invaders attempted to place a St George's flag inside the centre circle at the Peninsula Stadium.

Far-right group Britain First claimed responsibility for the incident, saying they "teamed up with local Salford patriots" to protest against the "treachery of Gary Neville".

"At any time in history there will always be some disunity under the surface," said Southgate.

"Life is economically tough for a lot of people so I understand why people are disaffected.

"Covid [the pandemic] was a good example where people did shopping for their neighbours, they rallied round one another, that's what British spirit is about."

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Southgate 'very relaxed not being in football at the moment'

Southgate, who was appointed England head coach in November 2016 after an interim spell, earned 57 caps for the Three Lions during his playing career.

The closest the defender came to silverware with the national side as a player was in 1996, when he missed a penalty in a semi-final shootout defeat by Germany at Wembley.

Asked about the importance of failing, Southgate said: "It's one of the certainties of life that things are going to go wrong for you. What I learned from 1996 is that I failed to execute a skill under pressure and that I needed to be better prepared.

"When I went to bed that night I remember thinking: 'I don't know how I'll ever get over this.'

"The whole country was on this carnival of football in 1996 and heading to the final, and I was responsible for us going out.

"But you step outside the house the next day and slowly get over it. People weren't shy of reminding me about it when I played at opposition grounds but there's always a way through these things and you have to find that strength to come through it."

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'He put himself in harm's way': How train driver, crew and passengers saved lives

3 November 2025 at 20:24
"Run there's a guy stabbing everyone" - witnesses describe attack

Passengers have described blood-covered seats and attempting to protect themselves with a bottle after a mass stabbing on a LNER train left 11 people injured and needing hospital treatment. Two remain in a life-threatening condition.

Police met the Doncaster-London King's Cross train as it made an unscheduled stop at Huntingdon in Cambridgeshire shortly before 20:00 GMT.

Hiding in buffet car

Alistair Day, who was travelling back to Hertford having watched Nottingham Forest, was on the train when the attack happened - having narrowly missed his original connecting service.

He joined others and hid in the train's buffet carriage as a fellow passenger confronted a man with a knife.

"I was just by the buffet car. It was odd. I was at the end of the carriage. All these kids were running up and I thought it was like a prank - Halloween or students," he said.

"Then they're getting louder and louder any sorts of people with blood on them [appeared] and I thought, 'Oh, bloody hell, this is not good.'

"I saw a guy flailing out - a fracas with arms going everywhere. I didn't see him that well because there were people in front of him.

"My initial thought was I'm going to sit there and try and do something but I changed my mind.

"We all jumped up and everyone kept running but I was next to the buffet car and the guys in the carriage were trying to close up the shutters and everything.

"So I said, no, you've got to let us in here. So I jumped in there - there were about 12 of us in there.

"I was the first one in, so I was in the corner. A young woman who I spoke to afterwards was by the window and the guy was at the window with his knife trying to get in. Obviously we'd locked it by then."

'You need to run!'

Joe, who was also travelling back from the Nottingham Forest v Manchester United match, said the scenes were "like something out of a movie".

The 24-year-old, from Peckham in south-east London, said: "I was texting my friends about my plans for that night and then people came rushing through from the carriage, running through, saying, 'You need to run, you need to run'.

"At first it didn't really register what was going on.

"And then quickly, I just dropped my stuff and I started running along with them.

"And then I looked back, and I could see this guy - he was quite a tall, black male, and he had a bloodied knife.

"You just looked around and there was blood just everywhere."

'What if we run out of carriages?'

Joe continued: "We kept moving through the train. We could see him behind us coming through.

"The scariest thing was that I knew that because the stops at this stage of the journey are just Stevenage and King's Cross there's quite a lot of big distances between stops.

"So we had no idea how long we were going to be on the train for.

"The thing that was in my mind was we're running through this train now but what if we run out of carriages to run through? What if we reach the end of the train? What happens there?

"It all happened very quickly. I was just in a fight or flight mode really."

Whiskey bottle

Joe Giddens/PA The head and shoulder of a police forensics officer is visible through a train carriage window. Their white hood is over their head, and they have a white mask over their nose and mouth.Joe Giddens/PA

Olly Foster, a passenger on the train, told the BBC he initially heard people shouting "run, run, there's a guy literally stabbing everyone", and believed it might have been a Halloween related prank.

He said within minutes, people started pushing through the carriage, and he noticed his hand was "covered in blood" as there was "blood all over the chair" he had leaned on.

An older man "blocked" the attacker from stabbing a younger girl, leaving him with a gash on his head and neck, Mr Foster said.

Passengers around him used jackets to try to staunch the bleeding.

He added that the only thing people in his carriage could use against the attacker was a bottle of whiskey, leaving them "staring down the carriage" and "praying" that he would not enter the carriage.

Although it lasted 10-15 minutes in total, Mr Foster says the incident "felt like forever".

Describing the scene when he got off the train, he said: "There were three people bleeding severely. One guy was holding his stomach and there's blood coming from his stomach and going down his leg.

"He was going 'help, help, I've been stabbed'."

PA A large group of police and emergency responders stand in communication on the platform at Huntingdon station in Cambridgeshire, after a number of people were stabbed.PA
The incident prompted a huge response by the emergency services

The train's only other scheduled stop before King's Cross was due to be at Stevenage.

Wren Chambers, who was due to get off in the Hertfordshire town, said they first became aware something was wrong when a man bolted down the carriage with a bloody arm, saying "they've got a knife, run".

Wren said they and a friend ran to the front of the train and saw a man who had collapsed on the floor.

Wren said they felt "stressed and pretty scared" once they knew what was happening, but they were eventually able to get off the train unharmed.

"There was quite a lot of blood on the train, there was some on my bag, some on my jeans," she told BBC Radio 5 Live.

"As soon as the train stopped and people got off most of them ran outside trying to get away from it, because we knew the attacker was still inside on the train."

PA Media A train with people wearing forensic white suits at the station PA Media
The incident took place at 19:42 on Saturday and British Transport Police (BTP) received reports of multiple stabbings aboard the 18:25 LNER service from Doncaster to King's Cross

London Underground worker Dean McFarlane told the BBC that he saw the train pull into Huntingdon railway station at 20:00 with a passenger bleeding.

He said that on arrival, he saw multiple people running down the platform bleeding, with one man in a white shirt "completely covered in blood".

He said he grabbed people and told them to leave the station, and tried to assist passengers who he believed were having panic attacks.

PA Media Police tape over an area with police equipment behind it PA Media
Ten people have been taken to hospital and nine have life-threatening injuries

Follow Cambridgeshire news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram and X.

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Rail security to be reviewed after train stabbings

3 November 2025 at 20:50
PA Media Two armed policemen walking through St Pancras International station, LondonPA Media
There will be increased visible patrols at mainline stations over the coming days, the Transport Secretary said

There will be a review of rail security in the UK following a mass stabbing on a train, Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander has said.

A man has been charged with 10 counts of attempted murder after the knife attack on a Doncaster to London service on Saturday night.

Alexander told the BBC the government would "review security arrangements" and respond "swiftly and in a proportionate way".

But she did not think airport scanning technology "is the right solution for stations in the UK".

Questions about passenger safety on the UK's rail network have been raised after a a black British national, who boarded a train at Peterborough station, attacked passengers with a knife.

Eleven people were treated in hospital including a member of train staff who is said to be in a "critical but stable condition".

Anthony Williams, 32, from Peterborough has been charged with 10 counts of attempted murder, one count of actual bodily harm and one count of possession of a bladed article, British Transport Police (BTP) said on Monday morning.

Alexander told BBC Breakfast that BTP officers would increase visible patrols at mainline stations over the coming days "because I do understand that people will want to feel reassured following what happened".

"Thankfully incidents like this on the public transport network are very, very rare," she added.

She said the rail network in the UK was a "low crime environment" and for every one million passenger journeys only 27 crimes were committed.

Asked what steps the government would take to improve security on trains, she said: "We are investing in improved CCTV in stations and the Home Office will soon be launching a consultation on more facial recognition technology which could be deployed in stations as well."

Asked about luggage scanners similar to those used in some major train stations abroad she said: "At the moment that type of airport scanning technology I don't think is the right solution for stations in the UK."

Andy Trotter, former British Transport Police Chief Constable told BBC Breakfast Saturday's attack illustrates "people's real concerns about being trapped with an offender or with someone causing disorder".

"I hope this results in a broader review of security, the need for more British Transport Police, the need for more security from the rail companies themselves."

I don't see streaming as the competition, says Vue cinema boss

3 November 2025 at 19:00
BBC Tim Richards, a 66 year old man, in front of a green backdrop with the BBC Big Boss Interview logoBBC
Tim Richards appeared on the BBC's Big Boss Interview podcast

The boss of one of the UK's biggest cinema chains says he does not see streaming services and home entertainment as competition.

Tim Richards, the founder and chief executive of Vue International, says film studios tried to "circumvent" cinemas during the pandemic but lost "hundreds of millions of dollars" as a result.

"I think the studios certainly learned that we are in one small ecosystem, we all need each other," he told the BBC's Big Boss Interview podcast.

Rival cinema chains have a constructive relationship too, he says: "We are fairly open in terms of trading best practices. We want to have a message that cinemas are a great place to have a good time."

Infocard for Tim Richards
Age: 66
Family: married, three children
First job: roughneck drilling for oil in northern Canada
Best career advice received: always be true to yourself
What he does to relax: family, reading, kitesurfing, skiing and car racing
Photo of Tim Richards: A white man with light brown hair and stubble. He is wearing a white shirt and dark grey suit jacket

Richards spoke of the turbulence of the last five years for the film industry.

Vue went from having its best year ever in 2019, to being "effectively closed for almost two years" during the Covid-19 pandemic, to grappling with actors' and writers' strikes which shut down production for nearly another year.

While Richards was trying to figure out how to prevent Vue from going under, or from having to lay off any of its staff, streaming services like Netflix saw their subscriber numbers explode.

"I had a singular focus: save the company and save all of our 10,000 employees," he says.

"When you have a mission like that, failure is not really an option, because the consequences are too high."

Even as cinemas began to re-open, industry figures questioned whether the model of film release had changed for good. Films like Marvel's Black Widow saw minimal theatrical runs as streaming platforms tried to push their original productions.

More recently, titles like K-Pop Demon Hunters and The Thursday Murder Club are playing for just a few weeks in cinemas, despite proving to be hugely popular.

But Richards is unfazed. Vue returned to pre-pandemic trading levels this year and is expecting next summer to be the company's biggest ever.

He is emphatic that there will always be an appetite for the big screen: "During the pandemic, there was an increase with subscription services because people had no choice...But that has not continued."

"I have never looked at what happens in the home as being competition...our biggest, most frequent customers are Netflix subscribers or Disney Plus subscribers. People who love movies love movies in all formats."

The Hollywood strikes, too, he says, were a supply issue, not a demand one. "We've never had a demand issue."

Richards clearly knows the ecosystem of films inside out. Before founding Vue (then Spean Bridge Cinemas) in 1999, he was a senior executive at Warner Brothers, operating the studio's own cinema chain, Warner Village. Spean Bridge bought Warner Village's 36 cinemas in 2003, and the Vue brand was born.

"The headline in the business section of the Times was: 'Unknown Bit Player Buys Warner Brothers,'" he recalls with a laugh.

Entertainment industry squeezed

Due to cost-of-living pressures persisting, many parts of the entertainment industry are seeing revenue slow down as people cut back on discretionary spending.

Coupled with this is rising operational costs: an increase in the minimum wage and higher employer national insurance contributions.

"We have done our very, very best to not pass on those costs to our customers," Richards said. "And we haven't. And we've taken a small hit as a consequence, but we're hoping that the volume which we've seen as a consequence will follow it."

Still, he says, the entertainment industry has been "squeezed...and kind of attacked in some instances".

Government decisions have "hurt the people they're trying to help", in his view.

What's the industry's message ahead of the upcoming budget? "Please don't touch [us] again."

And while Richards doesn't believe that streamers are poaching his customers, he says he does worry about "somebody turning right and going to a theme park or a football game or something else".

But it's not a case of teenagers and young adults sitting at home instead of going out: "They're a lot more social than previous generations, and that has shown in our attendance with a lot of our movies."

And what's his own favourite movie?

He responds diplomatically: "I see a lot - a lot - of movies every week.

"But I look at a movie like One Battle After Another. And when I see a movie like that, I have hope for the future because it's such an incredible movie. Original IP, original story, incredibly well done."

Trump tariffs head to Supreme Court in case eagerly awaited around the world

3 November 2025 at 09:13
Reuters Trump, wearing a navy suit jacket, white shirt and red tie, pictured holding a board titled: "Reciprocal tariffs". It lists several countries next to two other columns which are titled 'the tariffs charged to the USA' and 'USA discounted reciprocal tariffs'. Reuters
Trump announced new tariffs in the Rose Garden at the White House in April

What may be the biggest battle yet in Donald Trump's trade war is about to begin.

The Trump administration heads to the US Supreme Court on Wednesday, facing off against small businesses and a group of states who contend most of the tariffs it has put in place are illegal and should be struck down.

If the court agrees with them, Trump's trade strategy would be upended, including the sweeping global tariffs he first announced in April. The government would also likely have to refund some of the billions of dollars it has collected through the tariffs, which are taxes on imports.

The final decision from the justices will come after what could be months of poring over the arguments and discussing the merits of the case. Eventually they will hold a vote.

Trump has described the fight in epic terms, warning a loss would tie his hands in trade negotiations and imperil national security. He has even suggested he might take the unprecedented step of hearing the arguments at court in person.

"If we don't win that case, we will be a weakened, troubled, financial mess for many, many years to come," he said.

The stakes feel just as high for many businesses in the US and abroad, which have been paying the price while getting whipped about by fast-changing policies.

Trump's tariffs will cost Learning Resources, a US seller of toys made mostly overseas and one of the businesses suing the government, $14m (£10.66m) this year. That is seven times what it spent on tariffs in 2024, according to CEO Rick Woldenberg.

"They've thrown our business into unbelievable disruption," he said, noting the company has had to shift the manufacturing of hundreds of items since January.

Few businesses, though, are banking on a win at the court.

"We are hopeful that this is going to be ruled illegal but we're all also trying to prepare that it's setting in," said Bill Harris, co-founder of Georgia-based Cooperative Coffees.

His co-op, which imports coffee from more than a dozen countries, has already paid roughly $1.3m (£975,000) in tariffs since April.

A test to Trump's presidential power

In deciding this case, the Supreme Court will have to take on a broader question: How far does presidential power go?

Legal analysts say it is hard to predict the justices' answer, but a ruling siding with Trump will give him and future White House occupants greater reach.

Specifically, the case concerns tariffs that the Trump administration imposed using the 1977 International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA), which the White House has embraced for its speed and flexibility. By declaring an emergency under the law, Trump can issue immediate orders and bypass longer, established processes.

Trump first invoked the law in February to tax goods from China, Mexico and Canada, saying drug trafficking from those countries constituted an emergency.

He deployed it again in April, ordering levies ranging from 10% to 50% on goods from almost every country in the world. This time, he said the US trade deficit - where the US imports more than it exports - posed an "extraordinary and unusual threat".

Those tariffs took hold in fits and starts this summer while the US pushed countries to strike "deals".

Opponents say the law authorises the president to regulate trade but never mentions the word "tariffs", and they contend that only Congress can establish taxes under the US Constitution.

They have also challenged whether the issues cited by the White House, especially the trade deficit, represent emergencies.

Members of Congress from both parties have asserted the Constitution gives them responsibility for creating tariffs, duties and taxes, as well.

More than 200 Democrats in both chambers and one Republican, Senator Lisa Murkowski, filed a brief to the Supreme Court, where they also argued the emergency law did not grant the president power to use tariffs as a tool for gaining leverage in trade talks.

Meanwhile, last week the Senate made a symbolic and bipartisan move to pass three resolutions rejecting Trump's tariffs, including one to end the national emergency he declared. They are not expected to be approved in the House.

Still, business groups said they hoped the rebuke would send a message to the justices.

'An energy drain like I've never seen'

Three lower courts have ruled against the administration. After the Supreme Court hears arguments on Wednesday it will have until June to issue its decision, although most expect a ruling to come by January.

Whatever it decides has implications for an estimated $90bn worth of import taxes already paid - roughly half the tariff revenue the US collected this year through September, according to Wells Fargo analysts.

Trump officials have warned that sum could swell to $1tn if the court takes until June.

Cafe Campesino Pomeroy is wearing a black t-shirt and writing in a notebook with a black pen among green foliage, with the back of the head of a farmer in the foregroundCafe Campesino
Trip Pomeroy, chief executive of Cafe Campesino, one of the 23 roasteries that owns Cooperative Coffees, on a recent trip to Peru with a partner farmer

If the government is forced to issue refunds, Cooperative Coffees will "absolutely" try to recoup its money, said Mr Harris, but that would not make up for all the disruption.

His business has had to take out an extra line of credit, raise prices and find ways to survive with lower profits.

"This is an energy drain like I've never seen," said Mr Harris, who is also chief financial officer of Cafe Campesino, one of the 23 roasteries that own Cooperative Coffees. "It dominates all the conversations and it just kind of sucks the life out of you."

What could happen next?

The White House says that if it loses, it will impose levies via other means, such as a law allowing the president to put tariffs of up to 15% in place for 150 days.

Even then, businesses would have some relief, since those other means require steps like issuing formal notices, which take time and deliberation, said trade lawyer Ted Murphy of Sidley Austin.

"This is not just about the money," he said. "The president has announced tariffs on Sunday that go into effect on Wednesday, without advance notice, without any real process."

"I think that's the bigger thing for this case for businesses - whether or not that is going to be in our future," he added.

There is no clear sign of how the court will rule.

In recent years it has struck down major policies, such as Biden-era student loan forgiveness, as White House overreach.

But the nine justices, six of whom were appointed by Republicans, including three by Trump, have shown deference to this president in other recent disputes and historically have given leeway to the White House on questions of national security.

"I really do think arguments are available for the Supreme Court to go in all different directions," said Greta Peisch, partner at Wiley and former trade lawyer in the Biden administration.

Adam White, senior fellow at the American Enterprise Institute, said he expected the court to strike down the tariffs, but avoid questions like what constitutes a national emergency.

Reuters Von der Leyen, in a white cropped jacketa nd black pants reaches her hand in front of a side table with a white flower arrangement to grip the hand of Trump, who is in a blue suit and gold tie and holds papers in his other handReuters
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and Trump announcing a deal in July

The case has already complicated the White House's trade deals, such as one struck in July with the European Union.

The European Parliament is currently considering ratifying the agreement, which sets US tariffs on European goods at 15% in exchange for promises including allowing in more US agricultural products.

"They're not going to act on this until they see the outcome of the Supreme Court decision," said John Clarke, former director for international trade at the European Commission.

Chocolats Camille Bloch Daniel Bloch in a white lab coat and hair net stands with a woman in a black Camille Bloch t-shirt and hair net before a tray of chocolate bars in a factoryChocolats Camille Bloch
Swiss chocolatier Daniel Bloch says he is not confident the Supreme Court will resolve the tariff issues facing his business

In Switzerland, which recently downgraded its outlook for economic growth citing America’s 39% tariff on its goods, chocolatier Daniel Bloch said he'd welcome a ruling against the Trump administration.

His business Chocolats Camille Bloch is absorbing about a third of the cost of new tariffs on kosher chocolate that his firm has exported to the US for decades, aiming to blunt price increases and maintain sales. That decision has wiped out profits for the unit and is not sustainable, he said.

He hopes Trump will reconsider his tariffs altogether, because "that would be easiest".

"If the court were to make the tariffs go away of course we would see that as a positive sign," he said. "But we don't trust that that will bring the solution."

Will AI mean the end of call centres?

3 November 2025 at 07:20
Getty Images A woman wearing a phone headset at a call centreGetty Images
Many of us moan about calling call centres, but would dealing with AI be an improvement?

Ask ChatGPT whether AI will replace humans in the customer service industry, and it will offer a diplomatic answer, the summary of which is "they will work side by side".

Humans though, are not so optimistic.

Last year, the chief executive of Indian technology firm Tata Consultancy Services, K Krithivasan, told the Financial Times that AI may soon mean that there is "minimal need" for call centres in Asia.

Meanwhile, AI will autonomously resolve 80% of common customer service issues by 2029, predicts business and technology research firm Gartner.

There is currently a lot of hype around "AI agents". That is the term given to AI systems that can operate more autonomously and make decisions.

They could turbo-charge current non-AI chatbots, known as "rule-based chatbots", which can only answer a set list of questions.

My own recent experience with parcel delivery firm Evri's chatbot illustrates the existing, non-AI state of play.

My parcel had not arrived, and Ezra (the name of the chatbot), offered to "get this resolved straight away".

It asked for a tracking reference, and after I had typed that in, it told me that my parcel had been delivered.

I could request proof of delivery, and when I did so it showed me a photo of the package… at the wrong front door. And there was no option to advance the conversation after this "evidence" was shown.

In response, Evri tells the BBC it is investing £57m to further improve the service.

"Our intelligent chat facility uses tracking data to suggest the most helpful responses and ensure the customer's parcel is delivered as soon as possible, if this has not happened as scheduled," it says.

"Our data confirms the vast majority of people get the answers they need from our chat facility, first time, within seconds. We're always reviewing feedback to ensure our services are as helpful as possible, and we continue to make enhancements on a rolling basis."

On the flipside, rival parcel delivery firm DPD had to disable its less rule-bound AI chatbot after it criticised the company and swore at users.

Getty Images Close up of a chatbot screenGetty Images
Companies around the world are adding AI to their existing chatbots

Getting the balance right between being on brand and genuinely helping customers is a tricky one for businesses to grapple with as they migrate to AI.

Some 85% of customer service leaders are exploring, piloting or deploying AI chatbots, according to Gartner. But it also found that only 20% of such projects are fully meeting expectations.

"You can have a much more natural conversation with AI," says Garner analyst Emily Potosky.

"But the downside is the chatbot could hallucinate, it could give you out-of-date information, or tell you completely the wrong thing. For parcel delivery I would say rules-based agents are great because there are only so many permutations of questions about someone's package."

Resources and money are among the key reasons businesses may be considering the move from human to AI customer service. But Ms Potosky points out that it isn't a given that AI will be cheaper than human agents.

"This is a very expensive technology," she says.

The first thing that any business wanting to replace humans with AI will have to do is ensure that they have extensive training data.

"There's this idea that knowledge management becomes less important because generative AI can solve the fact that their knowledge is not particularly well organised, but actually the opposite is the case," adds Ms Potosky.

"Knowledge management is more important when deploying generative AI."

Joe Inzerillo, chief digital officer at software giant Salesforce, tells the BBC that call centres provide fertile training grounds for AIs, particularly ones that have been moved to low-cost areas such as the Philippines and India.

This is because a lot of staff training will have been done, which the AI can also learn from.

"You have a huge amount of documentation, and that's all really great stuff for the AI to have when it is going to take over that first line of defence," he says.

Salesforce's AI-powered customer service platform, AgentForce, is currently being used by a range of customers from Formula 1, to insurance firm Prudential, restaurant-booking website Open Table, and social media site Reddit.

Mr Inzerillo says that when Salesforce first put the platform through its paces it learned some valuable lessons about how to make the AI seem more human-like.

"While a human might say 'sorry to hear that', the agent just opened a ticket," says Mr Inzerillo.

So the AI was trained to show more sympathy, especially when a customer has a problem.

Salesforce also found that not allowing the agent to talk about competitors proved problematic.

"This backfired when customers asked legitimate questions about integrating Microsoft Teams with Salesforce," says Mr Inzerillo. "The agent refused to help because Microsoft appeared on our competitor list."

The firm subsequently replaced that rigid rule.

Salesforce has ambitious plans for the continuing rollout of its AI agents, and so far it claims that they are a hit with its customers. It also says that the vast majority of customers, 94%, are choosing to interact with AI agents when given the option.

"We've seen customer satisfaction rates that are in excess of what people get with humans – then AI can unlock the next level of customer service," says Mr Inzerillo.

It has also meant that the firm has cut customer service costs by $100m, but he was keen to play down recent headlines that suggest this has led to 4,000 jobs being slashed.

"A very large percentage of those people got redeployed in other areas around customer service."

Fiona Coleman Fiona ColemanFiona Coleman
Fiona Coleman says there will always be times when she wants to speak to a human

Fiona Coleman runs QStory, a firm which is using AI to offer human call centre workers more flexibility in their shift patterns. Its customers include eBay and NatWest.

While she sees the value in AI improving working conditions, she is not sure the technology can ever replace humans entirely.

"There are times where I don't want to have a digital engagement, and I want to speak to a human," she says.

"Let's see what it looks like in five years' time - whether an AI can do a mortgage application, or talk about a debt problem. Let's see whether the AI has got empathetic enough."

The use of AI in customer service could, in fact, already be facing a backlash.

Legislation currently proposed in the US to move off-shore call centres back to America also requires businesses to disclose the use of AI, and transfer a caller to a human if asked to do so.

Meanwhile, Gartner predicted that by 2028 the EU may mandate what is called 'the right to talk to a human" as part of its consumer protection rules.

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