Teenager fighting for life after shooting outside Wembley Stadium

An 18-year-old boy is fighting for life after being shot outside Wembley Stadium, police said.

Officers were called to Atlantic Crescent at around 5.30am on Sunday morning to reports of a shooting outside the stadium in north west London. They found an 18-year-old with a gunshot injury, who was reportedly rushed to a major trauma centre, where he remains in critical condition, according to the Metropolitan Police.

The teenager’s next of kin have been informed and are being supported by officers. There have been no arrests at this stage and enquiries are ongoing. Officers remain at the scene, according to local news, and South Way has been blocked off.

Chief Superintendent Tony Josephs, from the local policing team in north west London, said : “We recognise the shock and impact this incident will have on the community.

“The investigation is in its very early stages and we are working at pace to establish the full circumstances. There will be an increased police presence in the local area.

“We’d urge anyone who may know something about this incident, however small it may seem, to please get in touch and let us know.”

A London Ambulance Spokesperson said: “We were called at 5.26am today (21 September) to reports of a shooting in Atlantic Crescent, Wembley.

“We sent a number of resources to the scene including an ambulance crew, paramedics in fast response cars, an advanced paramedic and an incident response officer.

“We also dispatched a trauma team in a car from London’s Air Ambulance”, they added. “We treated a patient at the scene and took him to a major trauma centre.”

The route 440 bus, between Turnham Green and Wembley First Way, has been diverted in both directions, according to Transport for London who cited a “police incident.”

A statement on the website read: “Buses towards Wembley are terminating at Brent Civic Centre (E), with no service between Olympic Way and First Way. Buses towards Turnham Green are starting from Lakeside Way (C), with no service at stops First Way, Olympic Way and Brent Civic Centre.”

Anyone with information is asked to call police on 101 or online, quoting CAD 1343/21SEP, or can contact Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.

Rachel Reeves facing backlash in ‘taxi tax’ Budget row

Rachel Reeves is facing a backlash over plans to impose VAT on taxi fares, with critics warning the charge will hit rural residents and make it more expensive for disabled people to attend medical appointments.

Campaigners have warned the chancellor that taxing cab journeys will push up the cost of trips outside of London, hitting those living in the countryside hardest.

And they have highlighted figures showing that the NHS spends £460m a year on private hire vehicles and taxi journeys to non-urgent medical appointments, arguing that VAT on cab fares would pile pressure on the already strained health service’s budget.

Taxi companies outside London do not currently have to charge VAT on journeys, with drivers considered self-employed contractors. And individual cabbies do not meet the threshold of £90,000 a year in earnings at which they would be liable to pay VAT.

But the government has launched a consultation on whether to standardise the system by charging the full rate of VAT on all taxi journeys.

Ahead of the autumn Budget, in which Ms Reeves needs to find tens of billions of pounds in tax hikes to balance the books, the taxi industry fears it will be hit by the VAT charge.

Treasury minister Dan Tomlinson said this month that the government “takes this complex issue very seriously and recognises businesses’ need for certainty”.

“The government is carefully considering the wide range of views shared through last year’s consultation on the VAT treatment of private hire vehicles and will publish a detailed response soon,” he said.

A decision is expected when Ms Reeves sets out her tax plans on 26 November.

Speaking to The Telegraph, Michael Solomon Williams, from the Campaign for Better Transport, said: “Taxis and private hire vehicles are an important part of an integrated transport mix, especially for people who live in rural areas, can’t drive or need accessible door-to-door travel.

“The focus should be on making public transport more affordable and accessible – not taxing the services that fill its gaps, hiking prices and undermining connectivity.”

Meanwhile, the Stop the Taxi Tax campaign warned the move would be a breach of Labour’s manifesto promise not to increase VAT.

“Not only that, it will hit those living in rural communities especially hard, who lack reliable and accessible public transport,” a spokesperson said.

A Treasury spokesperson added: “We take this issue very seriously and recognise its complexity. We are reviewing feedback from our recent consultation and will publish our detailed response shortly.”

Veteran broadcaster John Stapleton dies aged 79

Tributes have been paid to veteran broadcaster John Stapleton, who has died in hospital at the age of 79.

Confirming his death on Sunday morning, his agent Jackie Gill said Mr Stapleton had Parkinson’s disease, which was complicated by pneumonia.

“His son Nick and daughter-in-law Lise have been constantly at his side, and John died peacefully in hospital this morning,” she said in a statement.

Mr Stapleton was best known for his work as a presenter and reporter on ITV breakfast television, as well as hosting Watchdog and Nationwide on the BBC.

The broadcaster, who is also known for presenting programmes including Newsnight, Panorama and GMTV’s News Hour, revealed he had been diagnosed with Parkinson’s in October 2024.

Parkinson’s is a brain disorder that causes unintended or uncontrollable movements, such as shaking, stiffness, and difficulty with balance and coordination. Often, the disease can become more severe over time.

Speaking to The Mirror, about his diagnosis, Mr Stapleton said: “You can’t escape these things as you grow older, these kinds of developments are sort of inevitable.

“You learn to live with it, get on with it and try to be as positive as you can.”

Tributes have poured in for the veteran journalist, including from GB News’ head of programming Ben Briscoe, who described him as “one of the kindest people in TV News” and said his reuniting with his former co-host Penny Smith on the GB News sofa recently was a “magical moment”.

Erron Gordon, the head of the BBC’s Media Operations department, who used to direct Mr Stapleton on ITV’s breakfast TV shows, said he was “one of the very best presenters” he had ever worked with and “truly one of the good guys”.

“His versatility was unmatched, and he had an innate ability to navigate any challenge from breaking news to technical hiccups. Whether in the studio or on location, he was brilliant.

“Each Christmas, he and [co-host] Penny Smith would bring the crew presents, showing just how much he cared about the team,” he added.

Manchester City Football Club, which Mr Stapleton ardently followed until his death, also paid tribute to the “passionate City supporter and a regular at the Etihad Stadium”, offering their thoughts to his friends and family in a post on X.

Veteran Sky News presenter Mark Austin said of his death: “Incredibly sad. A good man and top presenter who could turn his hand to anything.”

And broadcaster and political commentator David Wooding described him as a “superb professional and a great guy”, adding that it was “always a joy to see him”.

Mr Stapleton was born on 24 February 1946 in Oldham, Lancashire, the son of a primary school teacher and the secretary of a local co-operative.

After leaving school in Manchester, he started working as a trainee reporter at the defunct Eccles and Patricroft Journal when just 17 years old.

After working for a series of local newspapers, Mr Stapleton became a staff reporter on the Daily Sketch on Fleet Street, before taking on his first job as a researcher and script writer on This Is Your Life.

He joined BBC’s Nationwide in 1975 as a reporter, before making his name as one of its main presenters from 1977 until 1980.

Mr Stapleton worked as a correspondent for BBC’s Panorama and Newsnight programmes, reporting from areas such as the Middle East and El Salvador, before working as Newsnight’s Argentina correspondent during the Falklands War.

Various stints at different shows with ITV and BBC followed for the veteran broadcaster. He was known as a versatile journalist who went from interviewing high-profile politicians and global figures to reporting from the ground during global incidents, such as the refugee crisis resulting from the Kosovo war.

As a presenter for the ITV breakfast programme GMTV, Mr Stapleton anchored four US elections, the 2004 Boxing Day tsunami, Pope John Paul II’s funeral, and Hurricane Katrina in New Orleans.

He was awarded the Royal Television Society’s News Presenter of the Year owing to his work covering the 2003 war in Iraq and interviews with then-prime minister Tony Blair.

Haaland finishes stunning counterattack to give City lead over Arsenal

Arsenal are hosting Manchester City in a clash that could have hefty ramifications on the Premier League title race come the end of the season.

Mikel Arteta’s side sit second after four games and are fresh from a 2-0 win over Athletic Club to kick off their Champions League campaign earlier in the week, having bounced back from a gutting defeat to Liverpool prior to the international break.

The Gunners will be dreaming of replicating their 5-1 thrashing in this fixture last term as they take on a Man City side who have endured a more patchy start to the season.

After two losses in their first three games, Pep Guardiola will hope his side have finally found their footing off the back of a 3-0 derby win last weekend, following by a spoiled Kevin De Bruyne homecoming as City dispatched Napoli 2-0 in European competition.

Follow all the latest updates from Arsenal v Man City below.

Jay Slater’s mother slams ‘armchair detectives’ who taint son’s memory

Jay Slater’s mother has called for new regulations to be introduced to curb the spread of misinformation about missing people online as she speaks out in a bid to set the record straight on his final hours.

Debbie Duncan, 57, said “armchair detectives” had been allowed to concoct “shocking” theories and “completely dehumanise” her son after the 19-year-old’s disappearance in Tenerife last year.

A coroner later ruled Jay’s death was caused by a traumatic brain injury caused by a fall sustained when he became lost in the treacherous mountains of Park Rural de Teno.

But, speaking to The Times, she said content creators were still unpicking Jay’s death online, claiming he is still alive and hiding out, ready to reclaim money raised by an emergency GoFundMe appeal for his grieving family.

“How can you say the F-word on Facebook and have your account removed, but people can say what they like about my son and that’s fine?” she asked.

In a separate interview with The Mirror, she said she wanted to “fight for Jay’s name” after the media frenzy that surrounded his death.

“To continue making videos (and posting them online) more than 12 months on, going through every bit of detail over and over again is shocking. When will it stop?

“Social media is good for spreading awareness, but can also be the work of the devil.

“If I can save another family from going through the trauma we have had to endure, it will be worth it.”

Her comments come ahead of a Channel 4 documentary,The Disappearance of Jay Slater, which airs on Sunday, 28 September at 9pm.

The programme will give unprecedented access into the 19-year-old’s final hours, which became the subject of countless conspiracy theories and media reports in June 2024.

An apprentice bricklayer from Lancashire, Jay had gone on holiday to the New Rave Generation (NRG) festival in Tenerife with his friends, Lucy Law and Bradley Geoghegan.

On the night of his disappearance, he had been out at the Papagayo nightclub in Playa de Las Americas when he decided to return to the Airbnb of Ayub Qassim and Steven “Rocky” Roccas, two men he had met during the holiday. The villa was 23 miles northwest of Playa de las Americas, surrounded by the rocky national park Rural de Teno.

He later phoned Ms Law to say he was lost in the mountains and had cut his leg on a cactus. His phone then died, and a huge manhunt was launched.

Rescue teams scoured the treacherous terrain for weeks in the burning sun in a bid to find the teenager – all the while, conspiracy theorists online sent Debbie and her family on “wild goose chases”.

After 29 days, his body was uncovered in what a coroner later called a “particularly dangerous” area of the vast park. He died instantly from a traumatic brain injury as a result of a fall. The 19-year-old had traces of cocaine, ecstasy and ketamine in his body, according to toxicologists.

But even the coroner’s ruling didn’t stop misinformation swirling online. Theories that he had been kidnapped by drug dealers whom he owed money, or had staged his own death, can still be found, 15 months on from his death.

Debbie told The Mirror: “What we have had to endure has really opened my eyes.

“It is not just us who are horrified by what has gone on – professional people are horrified too. I wanted this documentary to be made because I want to show Jay is a real person and not just the face of a story.

“I want to show everyone we are a normal family. Jay was a popular guy with a lot of friends and it’s been hard to watch it. I cried all the way through, but I hope it will finally shut down the armchair detectives. It’s been very well put together.”

What to expect from Heathrow’s ‘Redefine Your Beauty’ experiences

As someone who’s regularly jetting off to different corners of the globe for work, to me the airport has come to represent just a means to an end: Pret, security queue, working charging socket. After years of this, I’ve pretty much got my routine on lockdown, which usually involves some purely functional eating, a quick pint in Spoons, and a last-minute visit to Duty Free to buy a moisturiser because I forgot mine, again.

So, when I heard Heathrow was rolling out a new experiential beauty and wellness campaign across all four terminals, with pop-up beauty bars, luxury treatments and skincare tech that tells you things about your face you didn’t even know were possible, I was curious. Airports are not where I usually go to feel (or look) my best. But a quick massage and some free beauty advice before a flight? Oh, go on then.

I’m due to fly out of Terminal 5 soon, which means I’ll get to check out the Personal Shopper Lounge and see what the hype is about. There’s a full-on treatment menu, the kind you’d expect at a boutique spa, except here, it’s been designed for travellers on the move, like me, with treatments lasting between 10 and 20 minutes. How often can you say an airport is offering La Mer facials, Elemis LED masks, Molton Brown hand massages and Estée Lauder’s ‘Age Reversal Sculpt Ritual’ facial? From neck and shoulder massages to cryotherapy and ultrasonic peels, it’s the kind of thing you’d usually have to schedule weeks in advance, and here it is, just a stone’s throw from your departure gate. I might even consider swapping my pre-flight pint for something a little more restorative.

Outside the lounge, the terminals are set to be abuzz with pop-up beauty bars from brands like Charlotte Tilbury, MAC, Molton Brown and Penhaligon’s – offering live demos, free mini-treatments and genuinely helpful skincare advice. There’s even a skin analysis station (powered by tech that looks like it comes from the year 3000), and perfume engraving on the spot. Fancy.

I wasn’t planning to splurge £200 on more beauty products,​​ but it’s hard to resist when there’s a free luxury beauty bag up for grabs when you do, packed with products from Elizabeth Arden, Versace, Benefit, Amouage and Elemis, to name a few. The offer’s available in all the main World Duty Free stores, and if you’re a Heathrow Rewards member, you can earn double points on qualifying beauty buys (up to 1,000 points), which definitely makes me feel a little better about splashing the cash.

Even the food spots are jumping on board with the wellness vibes. I usually go for a failsafe Joe & The Juice Tunacado, but I’ve spotted a Clean Green smoothie at Jones the Grocer and a Firecracker Chicken Salad from Leon. I might even grab a poké bowl from YO! Sushi for the flight, although word on the street is the plane meal is steamed seabream with romesco.

I never thought I’d describe an airport experience as relaxing and rejuvenating, but this campaign is definitely out to challenge me. Between the luxurious treatments and nutritious food choices, Heathrow has created the first airport rendezvous that won’t leave you feeling like you need a holiday from your holiday.

If you find yourself passing through Heathrow between now and early October, don’t just bolt straight to your gate. Give yourself an extra 30 minutes, book yourself in for a quick massage or facial, and visit World Duty Free to grab that beauty bag full of goodies to make your holiday that little bit more special.

Find out more about Heathrow’s Redefine Your Beauty campaign, including treatment menus, participating brands and exclusive offers here

Norris fails to capitalise on Piastri crash as Verstappen wins in Baku

Oscar Piastri’s F1 title charge survived a first-lap crash at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix without major damage as rival Lando Norris could finish only seventh.

A second crash of the weekend for Piastri ended his 34-race streak of finishing a Grand Prix within five corners and threw the door wide open for McLaren team-mate Norris to make major inroads into his championship lead.

But Norris started sluggishly and overtaking was at a premium during the 51 laps on Baku’s windy streets, meaning he could only take six points out of Piastri’s title lead, which stands at 25 with seven rounds remaining.

Pole-sitter Max Verstappen breezed to a commanding lights-to-flag victory, blasting away from the line and winning by 14 seconds to claim successive victories and close within 69 points of Piastri.

George Russell clinched an impressive second for Mercedes from fifth on the grid and Carlos Sainz delivered Williams’ first podium since 2021.

Piastri started only ninth on the grid after also dumping his McLaren into the barriers in qualifying.

The Australian slipped to the back of the pack after initially moving before the lights went out – for which he was penalised by the stewards – before anti-stall kicked in on his car.

The 24-year-old then locked up badly on the way into turn five, careering nose-first into the wall.

Norris started only seventh after a scruffy final run in qualifying meant he failed to make the most of Piastri’s early exit.

The British driver lost a place to Isack Hadjar in the opening stages and was undone again as action resumed following the safety car triggered by Piastri’s crash.

Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc surged up the inside of Norris into turn one, and that proved costly for the title hopeful as he was unable to threaten the Monegasque.

TV cameras cut to Piastri watching from the side of the track, while also keeping an eye on the action on his phone.

He would have swiftly seen Norris released into clean air when Leclerc pitted on lap 19 and McLaren told him they were extending his first stint.

Norris did not come in until lap 38, but a slow stop for the second race running did not help as he rejoined in eighth – still behind Leclerc.

On much fresher tyres, Norris began to make his move. He blasted past Leclerc to move seventh with 10 laps to go and set his sights on Yuki Tsunoda.

But Norris could not find his way past the Japanese, who himself was stuck behind Liam Lawson ahead and had to settle for seventh.

Ferrari swapped Lewis Hamilton ahead of Leclerc to attack Norris, but he too could not make a move and came home eighth.

Russell, who has battled illness throughout the weekend, delivered a mighty first stint and came out ahead of Sainz – who started second – following the pit stops.

Kimi Antonelli took fourth for Mercedes.

It turned into a desperate weekend for McLaren, who could have clinched the constructors’ championship with a record seven races to spare.

Ed Davey ‘not afraid of Farage’ and claims he can stop Reform’s march to power

Ed Davey has said he is the political leader who can halt Nigel Farage’s path to power, as he accused the Reform UK leader of being a “plastic patriot”.

The Lib Dem leader insisted he was not afraid of the Reform UK frontman, whose party is ahead of both Labour and the Tories in the polls.

His bold claim came as Techne UK’s latest poll revealed that one in eight of those who voted Lib Dem at last year’s election have already switched to Reform.

But although Mr Farage’s party has rocked Sir Keir Starmer and Kemi Badenoch and left the Conservatives and Labour on the ropes, the Lib Dems are slowly gaining in the polls.

As the Lib Dems handed out toys at their annual conference in Bournemouth, casting Mr Farage as a “plastic patriot” in Lego form, Mr Davey said that his party appealed to many people dissatisfied with how the country is being run but did not want to support the ex-Ukip boss.

The Lib Dems offered them an alternative to backing Reform UK in a bid to send a message to Downing Street, he said.

In an interview with the Independent, Sir Ed said: “So I think our style of community politics, our message on health and care, cost of living, and pride in your local community, actually appeals to some people who would otherwise vote Reform. And the more we get that out… I think it will peel (voters) off and stop Reform.

“I think we are part of the answer to stopping Reform and, unlike the other two parties who seem to want to mimic them, we’re going to stop Reform, but stay true to our values.”

He insisted he was not afraid of the threat from Mr Farage. “No, not for the Liberal Democrats… I think we can hoover up some of his vote… People are fed up. Because their real incomes haven’t been going up, because public services aren’t any good. Yes, they thought the Tories let them down and got rid of the Tories . Now Labour is not doing a very good job and they’re fed up.”

He said Reform was offering a change, but not one that was “true to British values”.

“I think people want a decent, caring country that provides good public services, but they want to know if there is another party they can believe in that can deliver that change –and that’s us.”

But he conceded that “some of the people who follow Farage and Tommy Robinson, I don’t think we’ll be able to get to that sort of vote”.

He also suggested that the home secretary should look at whether to ban Elon Musk from the UK in the wake of last week’s row over his comments at a rally in London led by far-right activist Mr Robinson, which attracted tens of thousands of people, where he issued a chilling “fight back or you die” message.

He said there was “a very, very strong case” for Shabana Mahmood to look at the issue.

The home secretary can exclude those expressing views on a number of grounds, including those which foster hatred which might lead to inter-community violence in the UK.

The power can be used whether or not the person’s nationality would normally allow them to travel to the UK visa-free, and 369 people were excluded in the 12 years to 2022.

Sir Ed also said that as a patriot himself, he would have attended the state banquet with US President Donald Trump that he boycotted last week, if he were prime minister.

He said: “The truth is, if you’re the PM, of course, you’ve got to meet other heads of state”.

He said it was important to “engage with people you don’t agree with. That’s how life works, and America has been a long-standing ally”.

He said he had intended to go to the banquet, mostly out of respect for the King, and “I really wrestled with the decision not to go”.

But, he said, “It was Gaza that did it for me, and Trump’s ability to call Netanyahu to get him to stop the fighting and get the aid in.

“If you were the prime minister, of course, you have to engage with them. I’m not the prime minister, I was a leader of an opposition party, and I had the freedom, if you like, to do what I did, and I’m pleased I did what I did.”