Tag: United Kingdom

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The next James Bond will be ‘an unknown’ British actor, according to a report

Director Denis Villeneuve is on the hunt for a potentially unknown actor to play James Bond next year, according to a new report.

On Wednesday, Sept. 24, Deadline reported that Dune filmmaker Villeneuve, 57, will begin a casting search for the next 007 after he finalizes production on Dune: Part Three with Timothée Chalamet. The outlet reported that Villeneuve and the producers behind the next iteration of the Bond franchise are looking for a “fresh face” to portray the iconic British spy, citing sources.

As Deadline reported, the next Bond will be male and portrayed by an actor from the United Kingdom, ruling out any recent rumors that American actors have been in consideration for the part. Its sources said Villeneueve’s approach is to cast “an unknown,” potentially in his late 20s or early 30s, which remains in line with what the series’ former producer Barbara Broccoli said as recently as November 2024, before she exited the franchise and handed full control over to Amazon MGM Studios in February.

“Whoever it is, has to look like he could kill you with his bare hands in a trice. From the moment you see him, that has to be readily apparent,” a source told Deadline. The outlet also reported that screenwriter Steven Knight, who is writing the next Bond movie, may be approaching the story by going back to Bond’s origins as a British naval officer before his time at MI6, though the outlet noted that the script is still being written. 

“Every name you’ve heard of, and many you’ve never heard of,” one source told the outlet. “We’ve been flooded. But understand that the casting process has not begun and it won’t until Denis finishes the Dune movie.” 

Villeneuve was announced as the next Bond director back in June; the filmmaker described the franchise as “sacred territory” in a statement at the time. “I intend to honor the tradition and open the path for many new missions to come. This is a massive responsibility, but also, incredibly exciting for me and a huge honor,” he added, in part.

Screenwriter Knight, who is best known for creating the British crime series Peaky Blinders, said in an August BBC Radio interview that he intends to “produce something that’s the same but different and better and stronger and bolder” with the next movie’s script. Knight, 65, said that casting for the lead part remains a “very good question and one I can’t give you the answer to” at that time.

Deadline reported that the next Bond movie currently plans to release in 2028 and film in 2027. Dune: Part Three, Villeneuve’s next movie, is expected to hit theaters Dec. 18, 2026. (People)

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France among six more countries to formally recognise Palestinian statehood

The leaders of six countries, including France, have moved to recognise Palestinian statehood at a high-level summit ahead of the annual United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) meeting in New York.

Alongside France, which co-convened the meeting with Saudi Arabia on Monday in New York, Andorra, Belgium, Luxembourg, Malta and Monaco said they were recognising a Palestinian state.

Leaders from Australia, Canada, Portugal and the United Kingdom, which formally made the move to recognise Palestine a day earlier, also spoke at the meeting.

“We have gathered here because the time has come,” Emmanuel Macron said at the summit convened to revive the long-delayed two-state solution to end the Israel-Palestine conflict.

“It falls on us, this responsibility, to do everything in our power to preserve the possibility of a two-state solution,” Macron said.

“Today, I declare that France recognises the state of Palestine,” he said.

The additional countries recognising Palestine now join some 147 of the 193 UN member states that had already formally recognised Palestinian statehood as of April this year.

With more than 80 percent of the international community now recognising the state of Palestine, diplomatic pressure has ramped up on Israel as it continues its genocidal war on Gaza, where more than 65,300 Palestinians have been killed and the has been enclave turned into rubble.

Spain, Norway and Ireland recognised Palestinian statehood last year, with Madrid also imposing sanctions on Israel for its war on Gaza.

Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez told the summit on Monday that a two-state solution was not possible “when the population of one of those two states is the victim of a genocide”.

“The Palestinian people are being annihilated, [so] in the name of reason, in the name of international law and in the name of human dignity, we have to stop this slaughter,” Sanchez said.

Macron, in his speech to the summit, also outlined a framework for the creation of a “renewed Palestinian Authority”. The post-war framework envisages an International Stabilisation Force (ISF) that would assist in preparing the Palestinian Authority (PA) to take over governance in Gaza.

PA President Mahmoud Abbas commended the countries that had recognised Palestine. He made his statement to the conference by video because he was denied a visa by the administration of US President Donald Trump to attend the UNGA this week.

“We call on those that have not yet done so to do so to follow suit”, Abbas said, adding that the PA also demanded “support for Palestine’s full membership in the United Nations”.

Israel and the US, which are becoming increasingly isolated internationally on the issue, boycotted the summit, with Israel’s UN ambassador, Danny Danon, describing the event as a “circus”.

Although the vast majority of UN member states now recognise Palestinian statehood, new UN member states must have the support of the UN Security Council, where the US has used its veto to block Palestine from becoming a full UN member state.

Speaking at the summit, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres reiterated his support for the two-state solution, framing it as the only viable path towards peace after years of failed negotiations and ongoing violence.

Guterres said that statehood for Palestinians “is a right, not a reward”, rejecting US and Israeli claims that it was a reward for Hamas.

Saudi Arabia’s foreign minister, Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud, thanked Macron and the UN chief for their efforts towards a two-state solution, which he said is “the only way to achieve just and lasting peace”.

He said the conference comes at a time when “the Israeli occupation authorities continue their aggression and their brutal crimes” against Palestinians in Gaza.

Israel also continues its “violations in the West Bank, and its repeated attacks on Arab and Muslim countries, with the most recent attack on Qatar”, he said.

“These actions underline Israel’s insistence on continuing aggressive practices that threaten regional and international peace and stability and undermine efforts of peace in the region,” he added. (AlJazeera)

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Trump says he will designate anti-fascist ‘Antifa’ as a “terrorist organization”

US President Donald Trump early Thursday said he would designate “Antifa” – a shorthand term for “anti-fascist” used by Trump allies to describe diffuse left-wing groups – as “a major terrorist organization”.

Trump, who is on a state visit to the United Kingdom, made the announcement in a social media post, calling Antifa a “SICK, DANGEROUS, RADICAL LEFT DISASTER”. He also said he will be “strongly recommending” that funders of antifa be investigated. 

Trump and his supporters have, without evidence, ascribed blame to Antifa for various actions Trump dislikes, from violence against police to the US Capitol riot on January 6, 2021.

It’s unclear how the administration would label what is effectively a decentralized ideology as a terrorist organization, and the White House on Wednesday did not immediately offer details.

Trump’s previous FBI director, Christopher Wray, said in testimony in 2020 that Antifa is an ideology, not an organization, and lacks the hierarchical structure that would usually allow it to be designated as a terror group by the federal government.

While federal law enforcement includes combating domestic terrorism under its purview, the United States does not have a list of designated domestic terrorist organizations.

Senior White House official Stephen Miller has vowed the administration would dismantle an alleged “vast domestic terror movement” that he linked to the killing of right-wing activist Charlie Kirk. The political leanings of the suspect in Kirk’s death remain unclear. 

After Trump’s post, Senator Bill Cassidy, R-La., praised the announcement, saying: “Antifa seized upon a movement of legitimate grievances to promote violence and anarchy, working against justice for all. The President is right to recognize the destructive role of Antifa by designating them domestic terrorists.”

Cassidy and Senator Ted Cruz, R-Texas, introduced a July 2019 resolution in the Senate to condemn “Antifa” and designate it a domestic terror organization. (France24)

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Tinubu returns to Abuja after vacation in Europe

President Bola Tinubu on Tuesday returned to Abuja after concluding his annual working vacation in Europe.

Tinubu arrived at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport and was received by Senate President Godswill Akpabio and Nasarawa State Governor Abdullahi Sule.

Also at the airport were his Chief of Staff, Femi Gbajabiamila, and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Wale Edun.

The Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, confirmed the President’s return in a statement issued on Monday.

He said Tinubu concluded his work vacation ahead of schedule and would resume official duties on Tuesday.

The President departed Nigeria on September 4 for France, intending to split his annual holiday between France and the United Kingdom.

During his stay in Paris, Tinubu held a private luncheon with French President Emmanuel Macron at the Élysée Palace.

Both leaders discussed bilateral cooperation and pledged to strengthen partnerships for mutual prosperity and global stability. (Channels)

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US, UK hail Nigeria over arrest of Ansaru terrorist kingpins

The United States and the United Kingdom on Monday commended the Federal Government and its security agencies for the successful arrest of two senior leaders of the terrorist group Jama’atu Ansarul Muslimina fi-Biladis Sudan, also known as Ansaru.

The arrests were confirmed by the National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu, who described the development as the result of a “high-risk, intelligence-led, counter-terrorism operation” carried out between May and July 2025.

The individuals apprehended include Mahmud Usman, identified as the self-styled Emir of Ansaru.

According to the NSA, Usman served as the coordinator of numerous terrorist sleeper cells across the country and was behind several high-profile kidnappings and armed robberies used to fund the group’s activities.

His deputy, Mahmud al-Nigeri, led the group’s “Mahmudawa” cell, which was said to be active around the Kainji National Park area, spanning Niger and Kwara states and extending into neighboring Benin Republic.

Following the arrests, the US Embassy in Nigeria issued a statement via its official X handle, describing the operation as a major step in Nigeria’s ongoing efforts to combat terrorism and extremism.

The embassy praised the Nigerian security forces and described the arrests as a significant achievement.

The post read, “We commend the Nigerian government and security forces on the successful arrest of wanted #Ansaru leaders, Mahmud Muhammad Usman (aka Abu Bara’a) and Mahmud al-Nigeri (aka Mallam Mamuda).

“This is a significant forward in Nigeria’s fight against terrorism and extremism.”

Similarly, the British High Commissioner to Nigeria, Richard Montgomery, also took to X to describe the operation as an extraordinary and very significant success, commending the security agencies and their leadership under the NSA.

“An extraordinary & very significant success. A major step forward in the fight against terrorism. Congratulations to the security agencies & officers involved under the leadership of NSA Ribadu,” Montgomery noted.

According to the Federal Government, the arrested terrorist leaders, who were internationally wanted, are now in custody.

Ansaru, formed in January 2012 as a splinter group from Boko Haram, presented itself as a more “humane” alternative but quickly turned to violent attacks on civilians, security forces, and infrastructure. The group aligned ideologically with global jihadist movements, particularly Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb, and established a presence in urban cells and forest enclaves, especially around Kainji National Park.

Two key figures from Ansaru, long on Nigeria’s most-wanted list, led several major attacks, including the 2022 Kuje prison break, a uranium facility attack, and high-profile kidnappings such as that of French engineer Francis Collomp and traditional leader Alhaji Musa Uba. They also had strong ties with terrorist groups across the Maghreb. (Punch)

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British backpacker pleads guilty to killing man while drunk on e-scooter

A British backpacker has pleaded guilty to killing a man in Australia after hitting him while riding an e-scooter with an alcohol level more than three times the legal limit.

Alicia Kemp, 25, from Redditch, Worcestershire, had been drinking with a friend on a Saturday afternoon in May when she was kicked out of a bar because the two of them were drunk, the court heard earlier.

The pair hired an e-scooter in the evening, and Kemp was driving at speeds of 20 to 25km/h (12 to 15mph) when she hit 51-year-old Thanh Phan from behind on a pavement in Perth’s city centre.

The father-of-two hit his head on the pavement and died in hospital from a brain bleed two days later.

Kemp’s passenger was also hurt in the crash – sustaining a fractured skull and broken nose – but her injuries were not life-threatening.

In Perth’s Magistrates Court on Monday, Kemp – appearing via video link – pleaded guilty to dangerous driving causing death while intoxicated. The charge carries a maximum 20-year prison term.

Prosecutors dropped a second charge of dangerous driving causing bodily harm to her passenger.

Earlier, the court heard that Kemp’s blood alcohol content level was 0.158 after the crash, more than three times the legal limit of 0.05 in Australia.

Prosecutors said CCTV footage showed Kemp’s “inexplicably dangerous” riding before she struck Mr Phan, who was waiting to cross the road.

In a statement from Mr Phan’s family earlier this year, the structural engineer was described as a beloved husband, father, brother and dear friend.

Kemp’s lawyer Michael Tudori said she was relieved after pleading guilty and hoped to be sentenced before Christmas, according to local media.

“You could see she was ready to say those words, you know, she’s obviously done something stupid,” Mr Tudori told the ABC.

Kemp, who was in Western Australia on a working holiday visa, will remain in custody until her sentencing. (BBC)

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Bank of England cuts rate amid tariff concerns

The Bank of England on Thursday cut its key interest rate by a quarter point to four percent, the lowest level in 2.5 years, as it bids to boost a UK economy threatened by US tariffs.

Alongside the expected decision, the BoE forecast British economic growth to hit 1.25 percent this year, slightly better than the central bank’s previous estimate of one percent.

“The direct impact of US tariffs is milder than feared, but more general tariff-related uncertainty still weighs on sentiment,” the BoE said in a statement after studying data gathered by UK businesses.

London and Washington reached an agreement in May to cut levies of more than 10 percent imposed by US President Donald Trump on certain UK-made items imported by the United States, notably vehicles.

The quarter-point cut on Thursday was the BoE’s fifth such reduction since starting a trimming cycle in August 2024.

“Interest rates are still on a downward path, but any future rate cuts will need to be made gradually and carefully,” its governor, Andrew Bailey, said following Thursday’s decision.

The BoE voted 5-4 for the reduction, but not before an unprecedented second vote owing to a three-way split among its nine policymakers that prevented a necessary majority result.

Initially, four members voted for the reduction and four for no change. One member called for a larger cut of 0.50 percent, before switching in favour of a quarter-point drop, as voted for by Bailey.

It was the first time since the BoE became independent of the UK government in 1997 that a second vote had to be held.

“Looking ahead, interest rates are expected to be 3.5 percent in a year, which is slightly higher than before the (latest) meeting,” noted Kathleen Brooks, research director at XTB trading group.

Expectations that the rate will remain at four percent for longer boosted the British pound.

The BoE’s main task is to keep Britain’s annual inflation rate at 2.0 percent, but the latest official data showed it had jumped unexpectedly to an 18-month high in June.

The Consumer Prices Index increased to 3.6 percent as motor fuel and food prices stayed high.

The BoE on Thursday predicted that the annual inflation rate would peak at four percent next month.

Latest official figures show that Britain’s economy unexpectedly contracted for a second month running in May, and UK unemployment is at a near four-year high of 4.7 percent.

This is largely down to Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s Labour government increasing a UK business tax from April, the same month that the country became subject to Trump’s 10-percent baseline tariff on most goods.

Finance minister Rachel Reeves welcomed the latest rate cut, saying in a statement that it helps to “bring down the cost of mortgages and loans for families and businesses”.

The US Federal Reserve last week kept interest rates unchanged, defying strong political pressure from Trump to slash borrowing costs in a bid to boost the world’s biggest economy.

Asked about US tariffs following the decision, Fed Chair Jerome Powell told a press conference: “We’re still a ways away from seeing where things settle down.”

The European Central Bank is meanwhile widely expected to keep rates unchanged at its next meeting, with eurozone inflation around the ECB’s two-percent target.

But that could change, according to some economists, based on how Trump’s tariffs affect the single-currency bloc. (Punch)

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UK introduces tougher gun laws following deadly shootings

People with a record of violence or domestic abuse will be prevented from owning firearms under new rules in the United Kingdom following a series of killings in recent years.

The new guidance, issued on Tuesday, came in response to concerns raised by coroners and campaigners after shootings in England’s Woodmancote and Keyham.

Police officers will be instructed to interview partners or other household members of people applying for a firearms licence to identify signs of domestic abuse.

Other factors that could make someone unsuitable to own a weapon.

They must carry out additional checks to ensure people with a record of violence are not permitted to hold a firearms licence.

The move came two years after an inquest found that “catastrophic failures” in the licensing system had meant Keyham gunman Jake Davison had been allowed to own a shotgun despite his history of violence.

Davison, then 22, killed his mother and four others, including a three-year-old girl, in an eight-minute shooting spree before taking his own life in August 2021.

Evidence of dishonesty will also be considered against an application, including the withholding of relevant medical history.

Robert Needham killed his partner, Kelly Fitzgibbons, and their daughters, Ava and Lex, with a legally owned shotgun at their home in Woodmancote in 2020.

He was given a licence even after admitting that he had failed to disclose a history of depression and work-related stress.

Emma Ambler, Fitzgibbons’ sister, welcomed the changes but said there was “still some way to go.”

She said: “I still believe that holding a gun licence is a privilege and not a right.

“The priority has to be the safety of society, and it’s so important to stop these extremely dangerous weapons falling into the wrong hands, which these changes will go some way to doing.”

Tuesday’s changes will also mean applicants for shotgun licences now require two referees rather than one, bringing the process into line with the rules for other firearms.

Policing minister Dame Diana Johnson said: “Only those who meet the highest standards of safety and responsibility should be permitted to use shotguns or firearms.

“It is crucial that police have full information about the suitability of all applicants for these lethal weapons.

“The events in Woodmancote in 2020, Plymouth in 2021, and other cases provide a tragic reminder of what can happen when these weapons are in the hands of the wrong people.

“We must do everything we can to protect the public.”

Controls on shotgun ownership could be further toughened after another consultation, due to be launched later this year, that will also seek views on improving the rules on private firearms sales.

The new consultation follows the case of Nicholas Prosper, who killed his mother, Juliana Falcon, and siblings Giselle and Kyle Prosper in Luton in 2024.

Prosper, 19, had been able to purchase a shotgun and 100 cartridges from a legitimate firearms dealer after forging a licence.

He was jailed for life with a minimum term of 49 years after pleading guilty to the murders earlier this year. (Guardian)

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Canada to recognise Palestinian state at UN General Assembly

Canada plans to recognise a Palestinian state at the UN General Assembly in September, Prime Minister Mark Carney said Wednesday, a major policy shift that drew an angry response from US President Donald Trump and was rejected by Israel.

Carney said the move was necessary to preserve hopes of a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, a long-standing Canadian goal that was “being eroded before our eyes.”

“Canada intends to recognise the State of Palestine at the 80th Session of the United Nations General Assembly in September 2025,” the prime minister said.

This makes Canada — a G7 nation — the third country, following recent announcements by France and the United Kingdom, to signal plans to recognise a Palestinian state in September.

Carney said the worsening suffering of civilians in Gaza left “no room for delay in coordinated international action to support peace.”

Israel blasted Canada’s announcement as part of a “distorted campaign of international pressure,” while Trump warned that trade negotiations with Ottawa may not proceed smoothly.

“Wow! Canada has just announced that it is backing statehood for Palestine,” the US president wrote on his Truth Social platform.

“That will make it very hard for us to make a Trade Deal with them.”

Asked by reporters if there was a scenario where Canada could change its position before the UN meeting, Carney said: “There’s a scenario (but) possibly one that I can’t imagine.”

Canada’s intention “is predicated on the Palestinian Authority’s commitment to much-needed reforms,” Carney said, referring to the body led by President Mahmoud Abbas, which has civil authority in parts of the Israeli-occupied West Bank.

Carney said his plans were further predicated on Abbas’s pledge to “hold general elections in 2026 in which Hamas can play no part, and to demilitarise the Palestinian state.”

With Wednesday’s announcement, Carney positioned Canada alongside France, after President Emmanuel Macron said his country would formally recognise a Palestinian state during the UN meeting, the most powerful European nation to announce such a move.

The Israeli embassy in Ottawa said, “Recognising a Palestinian state in the absence of accountable government, functioning institutions, or benevolent leadership, rewards and legitimises the monstrous barbarity of Hamas on October 7, 2023.”

The PA’s Abbas welcomed the announcement as a “historic” decision, while France said the countries would work together “to revive the prospect of peace in the region.”

Canada’s plan goes a step further than this week’s announcement by British Prime Minister Keir Starmer.

Starmer said the UK will formally recognise the State of Palestine in September unless Israel takes various “substantive steps,” including agreeing to a ceasefire in Gaza.

Carney stressed that Canada has been an unwavering member of the group of nations that hoped a two-state solution “would be achieved as part of a peace process built around a negotiated settlement between the Israeli government and the Palestinian Authority.”

“Regrettably, this approach is no longer tenable,” he said, citing “Hamas terrorism” and the group’s “longstanding violent rejection of Israel’s right to exist.”

The peace process has also been eroded by the expansion of Israeli settlements across the occupied West Bank and east Jerusalem, Carney said.

The prime minister said a two-state solution was growing increasingly remote, with a vote in Israel’s parliament “calling for the annexation of the West Bank,” as well as Israel’s “ongoing failure” to prevent a humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza.

He framed his decision as one aimed at safeguarding Israel’s future.

“Any path to lasting peace for Israel also requires a viable and stable Palestinian state, and one that recognises Israel’s inalienable right to security and peace,” Carney said. (Punch)

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Your children are Nigerians, Falana corrects Badenoch on citizenship claim

Human rights lawyer, Femi Falana, SAN, has faulted United Kingdom Conservative Party leader, Kemi Badenoch, over her claim that she cannot pass Nigerian citizenship to her children because of her gender.

During an interview with CNN’s Fareed Zakaria on Sunday, Badenoch asserted that she cannot pass on her Nigerian citizenship to her children because of her gender. She suggested that it is easier for Nigerians to acquire British citizenship than for foreigners to become Nigerians.

She said, “It’s virtually impossible, for example, to get Nigerian citizenship. I have that citizenship by virtue of my parents. I can’t give it to my children because I’m a woman.

“Yet loads of Nigerians come to the UK and stay for a relatively free period of time, acquire British citizenship. We need to stop being naive.”

Reacting in a statement issued on Monday, Falana described Badenoch’s statement as “a display of utter ignorance” and accused her of misinforming the British public to score political points.

Falana said, “In her desperate attempt to impress the British electorate, Kemi Badenoch keeps running down Nigeria.

“Contrary to her misleading claim, her children are Nigerians because she is a Nigerian. Her assertion that she cannot give Nigerian citizenship to her children because she is a woman is not in consonance with Section 25(b) and (c) of the Nigerian Constitution which provides that every person born in Nigeria after independence, either of whose parents or grandparents is a citizen of Nigeria, or any person born outside Nigeria to a Nigerian parent, is a citizen.

“Furthermore, by virtue of Section 42(2) of the Constitution, no citizen shall be subjected to any disability or deprivation merely by reason of circumstances of birth, gender, or class. Therefore, her two children are Nigerian citizens. The fact that she may not want them to claim it is irrelevant. For now, they are dual citizens of Britain and Nigeria.”

Falana also faulted her assertion that Nigerian citizenship is impossible for foreigners to obtain, noting that “Sections 26 and 27 of the Constitution clearly state that foreigners can acquire Nigerian citizenship through naturalisation or registration once they meet the legal conditions.”

He, however, acknowledged gaps in the law, saying that “A woman married to a Nigerian man can be registered as a citizen, but the same privilege is not extended to a man married to a Nigerian woman, which reflects the patriarchal nature of the law. This should be urgently amended.” (Punch)