Keir Starmer demands apology from Sir Jim Ratcliffe over ‘offensive and wrong’ immigration comments

Sir Keir Starmer has demanded an apology from billionaire Manchester Utd co-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe after he suggested that Britain is being “colonised by immigrants”.

The businessman, who has been living in tax-free Monaco since 2020, is founder and chair of one of the world’s largest chemical companies, Ineos, which was granted £120m in UK state aid to protect jobs last year.

Mr Ratcliffe said that immigration is “costing too much money” due to the number of people “on benefits”, in an interview with Sky News on Wednesday evening.

“You can’t have an economy with 9 million people on benefits and huge levels of immigrants coming in,” he said. “I mean, the UK is being colonised. It’s costing too much money. The UK has been colonised by immigrants.”

The prime minister hit back in a statement on X, saying: “Offensive and wrong. Britain is a proud, tolerant and diverse country. Jim Ratcliffe should apologise.”

Mr Ratcliffe also went on to share dubious information on population statistics in the UK.

“I mean, the population of the UK was 58 million in 2020, now it’s 70 million,” he said. “That’s 12 million people.”

The Office for National Statistics estimates that the population of the UK was in fact 67 million in 2020 and was last close to 58 million over a quarter of a century ago in 2000.

Mr Ratcliffe said that addressing the “major issues of immigration” and people choosing benefits over work would require “unpopular” actions and “courage”, despite Ineos employing more than 26,000 people across 194 sites in 29 countries across the world.

Mr Ratcliffe was one of the most vocal proponents of Brexit before moving to Monaco in its aftermath.

Muslim Manchester United Supporters group said it was “deeply concerned” by the comments from the Man Utd co-owner, adding that “such rhetoric has real-world consequences”.

Leading anti-racism charity Kick it Out described the comments as “disgraceful” and “deeply divisive”.

In a statement, the group added: “In addition to the inaccurate figures mentioned, it’s worth reminding him that Manchester United has a diverse fan base and plays in a city whose cultural history has been enriched by immigrants.

“This type of language and leadership has no place in English football, and we believe most fans will feel the same.”

Later in the interview, Sir Jim claimed the beleaguered Sir Keir was “too nice” for the “tough job” of prime minister.

“I don’t know whether it’s just the apparatus that hasn’t allowed Keir to do it or, or he’s maybe too nice – I mean, Keir is a nice man,” he said. “I like him, but it’s a tough job and I think you have to do some difficult things with the UK to get it back on track, because at the moment I don’t think the economy is in a good state.”

Describing Reform UK leader Nigel Farage as an “intelligent man” with “good intentions”, he acknowledged that similar thoughts had been expressed about Sir Keir as he entered government.

“I think it needs somebody who’s prepared to be unpopular for a period of time to get the big issues sorted out,” he concluded.

He compared his experience of managing Manchester United to turning the country around, explaining he had also been “unpopular” at the start of his tenure.

Sir Jim acquired a minority stake in Manchester United in late 2023, with his Ineos group subsequently assuming control of the club’s football operations.

His tenure has already seen a number of contentious changes, particularly concerning ticket pricing and availability, which have drawn significant ire from United fans.

A protest against the club’s owners – including for the first time towards Sir Jim as well as the Glazers – took place before Manchester United’s recent home game against Fulham.

The Independent has contacted Man United and Sir Jim for comment.

Dawson’s Creek star James Van Der Beek dies aged 48 after cancer battle

James Van Der Beek, star of beloved teen drama Dawson’s Creek, has died aged 48, his family has announced.

His wife, Kimberly, said in an Instagram post: “Our beloved James David Van Der Beek passed peacefully this morning. He met his final days with courage, faith, and grace.”

“There is much to share regarding his wishes, love for humanity and the sacredness of time. Those days will come. For now we ask for peaceful privacy as we grieve our loving husband, father, son, brother, and friend,” she continued.

In November 2024, the actor revealed that he had privately been receiving treatment for stage 3 colorectal cancer. Initially brushing off symptoms including irregular bowel movements, Van Der Beek assumed the change was down to his caffeine intake before he was diagnosed in the summer of 2023.

Following the news of his death, tributes from fans and peers have begun pouring in. “I’m so sad for your beautiful family,” Sarah Michelle Gellar commented on the Instagram post. “While James’ legacy will always live on, this is a huge loss to not just your family but the world. F*** Cancer.”

“Sending love and light to your beautiful family,” Chad Michael Murray added. “James was a giant. We’re so so so sorry for what you’re going through. His words, art and humanity inspired all of us – he inspired us to be better in all ways. God bless you guys.”

Born in Cheshire, Connecticut, on 8 March 1977, Van Der Beek (whose name means “from the Creek” in Dutch) “never wanted to be an actor” and instead thought he’d be an athlete. But after getting a concussion aged 13, he was forced to cut his training short and took up drama instead.

He started acting aged 13 and played Reuben in his school’s production of Joseph and the Amazing Technicolour Dreamcoat and then Danny Zuko in Grease. Precocious in his determination, he insisted that his mother, Belinda, take him to New York to secure an agent aged 15.

He auditioned for Dawson’s Creek in 1997 and dropped out of Drew University once he secured the lead as Dawson Leery. The show was picked up by the WB Network and launched the careers of Van Der Beek and his co-stars Katie Holmes, Joshua Jackson, and Michelle Williams.

Dawson’s Creek became an instant success, portraying the angst and innocence of adolescence in a fictional Massachusetts town, and gripping young viewers with storylines including Dawson’s longstanding crush on Joey (Holmes).

The show aired for six seasons, 128 episodes, from 1998 to 2003. But Van Der Beek’s experience as a teen actor was a mixed bag, as he admitted in 2017 that hearing the show’s theme tune “I Don’t Want to Wait” by Paula Cole provoked an instant “weird panic”.

“I have a complicated relationship with that song,” he told The Guardian in 2017. “If I was at karaoke and it started playing there’s a part of me – and I’m a f***ing grown-ass man with four kids – that still wants to go hide under the table.”

Van Der Beek married his first wife, Heather McComb, in 2003, before filing for divorce in 2009. On Live with Kelly and Mark in 2017, he said: “I got married very young”, and explained how his co-star Busy Philipps helped him through divorce.

During a spiritual trip to Israel, Van Der Beek says he had a “realisation” that he needed to find his “soulmate” to start a family. When he shared the revelation with a friend, his soon-to-be wife, Kimberley Brook, interrupted the discussion to ask the friend a question.

“I was annoyed. Who the hell was stepping all over my moment?” he recalled later. The pair began dating within weeks, and married a year later in a ceremony in Tel Aviv in 2010.

The couple had four daughters and two sons together, and Van Der Beek was open about the couple’s difficulties with miscarriages. In 2020, they announced they would be leaving Los Angeles to move to Texas.

He regularly praised the virtues and joys of fatherhood, describing it as “the craziest thing I’ve ever done” and “the thing that’s made me happiest”.

He went on to continue a successful career in television, including roles in the main cast of Mercy, Law & Order, CSI: Cyber, Friends with Better Lives, the British sitcom Carters Get Rich, and Vamperina. Of his work in Carters Get Rich in 2017, he said: “When you think ‘British sitcom’, you don’t think ‘James Van Der Beek’, huh? Well, I aim to change all that!”

He also played a fictionalised version of himself in Don’t Trust the B*** in Apartment 23. Van Der Beek was also noted for his roles in films, including Varsity Blues and The Rules of Attraction. The latter, a dark comedy involving sex and drugs and adapted from the novel by the “literary brat pack” writer Bret Easton Ellis, was seen as a departure in tone for the usually clean-cut actor.

He later admitted that after Dawson’s Creek, he had been too cautious, turning down roles in The Amityville Horror and Wedding Crashers, roles which eventually went on to help make the names of stars Ryan Reynolds and Bradley Cooper respectively.

“That’s actually one that I kick myself over as well,” he told Vanity Fair about Cooper’s role. “I mean, everything works out, and I’m happy with where I’m at…”

He also had several guest appearances on TV shows like Ugly Betty, The Big Bang Theory, How I Met Your Mother, and One Tree Hill, a cameo in Scary Movie and an appearance in Ke$ha’s “Blow” music video.

In 2017, Van Der Beek wrote, produced, and starred in What Would Diplo Do?, a movie about the DJ, which debuted on Viceland to positive reviews and a 90 percent rating on Rotten Tomatoes.

He also appeared on Dancing with the Stars in 2019, eventually finishing in fifth place with professional dancer Emma Slater. He competed on season 13 of the US edition of The Masked Singer.

In his final months, he leaned into his Christian faith, as he remarked that cancer treatment had stripped him of his identity and brought him face to face with his own mortality.

“I had to come nose to nose with death,” he said in a video posted on Instagram for his birthday in March 2025. “And all those definitions that I cared so deeply about were stripped from me.”

He sold signed Varsity Blues merchandise to raise funds for his own cancer treatment and the treatment of others.

He described the period as “the hardest year of my life,” feeling like “just a too skinny, weak guy, alone in an apartment with cancer … what am I?”

However, he concluded: “I am worthy of God’s love simply because I exist. And if I’m worthy of God’s love, shouldn’t I also be worthy of my own?”

In September 2025, Michelle Williams organised a reunion of the Dawson’s Creek cast for a live charity reading of the first episode. The event raised money for the charity F Cancer. Van Der Beek had been due to take part, but was forced to withdraw due to “two stomach viruses”.

In the end, he appeared at the event via a video message, introducing his replacement Hamilton star and creator Lin-Manuel Miranda, and thanked fans for their support.

Despite Van Der Beek’s absence, his wife Kimberly and their six children flew out to New York City to attend, explaining on Instagram that it “was important to him we come!!”

“This night was so special to the whole family, and more importantly, like just feeling my husband fill the entire theater, and the love for him,” Kimberly said afterwards. “We’ll be unwinding this one for a while, but thank you for the love and support and for the prayers.”

Van Der Beek is survived by his wife and their six children, Olivia, Annabel, Emilia, Gwendolyn, Joshua and Jeremiah.

Pam Bondi told to ‘resign now’ by US lawmaker in explosive Epstein files hearing

The fallout from the three million documents released from the Justice Department as part of the Epstein files continues to embroil high-profile politicians and businessmen as more revelations are uncovered.

Justice Department officials unredacted the names of six men, including Les Wexner, the former CEO of Victoria’s Secret, at the request of lawmakers leading the campaign for more transparency. The members of Congress accused officials of redacting the names of potential co-conspirators as well.

Tuesday, Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick admitted to visiting Epstein’s Caribbean island in 2012 after claiming, four months ago, he had been so disgusted by the disgraced financier he had cut ties with him in 2005. That was after documents indicated Lutnick had a further-reaching relationship than he had previously suggested.

Kimbal Musk, the brother of Elon Musk, also denied any wrongdoing associated with Epstein, claiming his name was mentioned in the files because of a newsletter he sent out.

Here are the latest developments with the Epstein files.

A series of documents and emails shows that Epstein used his wealth and connections to powerful people to get his girlfriend, Karyna Shuliak, into Columbia University’s dental school after she was initially rejected.

Email exchanges show Epstein reached out to a friend who worked as a professor at the school, met with administrators for drinks, managed to have the school’s alumni prep Shuliak for entrance exams, had her unfinished credits from a Belarusian dental school transferred over and made a $100,000 donation to a project run by the dean of the school.

Ultimately, Shuliak was accepted.The Independent has asked Columbia College of Dental Medicine for comment.

Kimbal Musk, the brother of Elon Musk, denied meeting with Epstein multiple times and explained that his name appears in the Epstein files because of a newsletter he sent out.

“My only meeting with that demon was in his New York office during the day. I never met with him again and I never went to his island,” Kimbal Musk said on X. Email exchanges show that Kimbal Musk turned down an invitation to Epstein’s island in January 2013 and, at one point, personally emailed Epstein to tell him he got divorced.

Elon Musk also exchanged emails with Epstein, including some that appeared to show the two planning a trip to Epstein’s island. Elon Musk denies ever going to the island or any wrongdoing.

The Justice Department unredacted the names of at least six men named in the Epstein files alongside Maxwell and Epstein under pressure from Republican Rep. Thomas Massie and Democratic Rep. Ro Khanna.

After reviewing the unredacted versions at the Justice Department, Khanna and Massie questioned why the men, who did not appear to be survivors of Epstein’s abuse, had their names censored.

DOJ officials then unveiled the names: Leslie Wexner, the former CEO of Victoria’s Secret, who was also named as a potential co-conspirator; Sultan Ahmed Bin Sulayem, the CEO of DP World; Salvatore Nuara; Zurab Mikeladze, Leonic Leonov and Nicola Caputo.Wexner has denied allegations of wrongdoing. The other named people have not been formally accused of wrongdoing.

Lutnick admitted to visiting Epstein’s island in the U.S. Virgin Islands with his family in 2012 but emphatically denied any wrongdoing during an unrelated Senate hearing Tuesday morning.

“I did have lunch with him as I was on a boat going across on a family vacation,” Lutnick said after being questioned by Senator Chris Van Hollen.

“My wife was with me, as were my four children and nannies. I had another couple, they were there as well with their children and we had lunch on the island. That is true. For an hour. Then we left.”

The new revelation comes after reports contradicting a claim Lutnick made as recently as October, when he said he met Epstein once in 2005 but was so disgusted that he was “never in the room with him socially, for business or even philanthropy.”

However, documents in the Epstein files suggested Lutnick and Epstein scheduled to have drinks in May 2011, spoke various times over the phone beginning in 2009, and that Epstein donated $50,000 to a philanthropic dinner recognizing Lutnick in 2017.

Lutnick insisted Tuesday that nothing “untoward” occurred while he and his family were on the island and he did not witness anything other than staff tending to Epstein.

However, lawmakers have seized on the revelation to call for Lutnick to resign.

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said Trump still supports Lutnick, referring to the commerce secretary as a “very important member of Trump’s team.”

Lutnick has not been accused of any offenses and has denied any wrongdoing. Being mentioned in the Epstein files does not in itself imply any wrongdoing.

Palm Beach Police Chief Michael Reiter told FBI agents that Trump called the police department in July 2006 to thank them for investigating Epstein, claiming “everyone has known he’s been doing this.”

A transcript of a 2019 FBI interview with the now-former police chief, released in the Epstein files, indicates the president may have known about Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell’s activities with young women and girls prior to Epstein’s 2008 state conviction.

Trump recommended the police focus on “evil” Maxwell, Reiter told the FBI.

Reiter told the Miami Herald that the FBI interviewed him in October 2019 about his department’s investigation into Epstein. He said Trump called him in July 2006.

When asked, in July 2019, if he had any knowledge that Epstein molested underage women, Trump told reporters, “No, I had no idea. I had no idea.”

In July 2025, reporters asked Trump if he knew why Epstein had recruited female staffers from Mar-a-Lago. Trump responded, “No, I don’t know really why.”

An internal Justice Department memo suggests attorneys for Les Wexner, the billionaire former CEO of Victoria’s Secret, told federal prosecutors Epstein repaid him $100 million for stealing or mishandling hundreds of millions of dollars.

The memo states Epstein was the primary financial adviser to Wexner beginning in the 1990s, amassing real estate, a private plane and other luxuries owned by Wexner or his businesses. However, after corporate lawyers took over Wexner’s finances, they reportedly discovered a significant amount of funds had been misappropriated.

To avoid drawing attention as Epstein was facing his first set of legal problems in Florida, Wexner agreed to a private settlement of $100 million. Wexner said he broke off relations with Epstein after that and had no subsequent contact with him. There is no suggestion of any wrongdoing by Wexner.

The Justice Department unredacted the names of people listed alongside Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell, potential co-conspirators Monday evening, under pressure from two lawmakers.

Republican Rep. Thomas Massie and Democratic Rep. Ro Khanna were among lawmakers who reviewed unredacted versions of the Epstein files at the Justice Department, and criticized officials for redacting the names of Wexner; Lesley Groff, Epstein’s executive assistant; and Karyna Shuliak, Epstein’s former girlfriend.

Democratic Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez asked Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche why Wexner’s name was unredacted in the first place.

‘I must have been away’: Paul Dacre is The Man Who Wasn’t There

Cat-like and hiding his claws, the former Daily Mail editor Paul Dacre slunk low in the witness box as he whispered his evidence in the long-running case of Prince Harry vs the publishers of his very own newspaper group.

In the bland, strip-lit courtroom, the editor-in-chief of DMG Media was a far cry from his own mythology. In legend, he has long been a frightening, Nosferatu-type figure, stalking around his Kensington lair and striking fear into the hearts of those who work for him. Today, he sat shadowed but shrunken, black-clad and a frail 77, his hoarse voice barely audible as he said, simply and repeatedly, “I don’t know”, and, “I can’t remember”, and, “I may have been off that day”.

Dacre is Macavity the Mystery Cat, the Hidden Paw – and in the box he duly defied the law, or at least bamboozled it. Incongruously, for the man who must have presided over more rigorous inquiries and more blockbuster investigations than any other outlet in Fleet Street over the past 30 years, on being questioned himself, he suddenly had nothing to say.

Worse: he claimed not even to understand the lingo. On the basic journalistic practice of a “door-knock”, Dacre shrugged and said smoothly, hoarsely, that he “does not know what that is”. On the spurious practice of “blagging” – which makes up a bulk of the accusations as to how, exactly, his journalists got hold of private information on celebrities including Hugh Grant, Jemima Khan and Sadie Frost… well, Dacre “couldn’t define it”. Until… he could. And he already had – at the Leveson Inquiry in 2011.

Dacre/Macavity “categorically” denied claims that his journalists paid police officers bribes, he denied all knowledge of where a story in the Daily Mail about Prince Harry taking a specific flight to Johannesburg with his ex-girlfriend, Chelsy Davy, in 2007, had come from – or that it may have involved a private investigator.

When the court was shown an email exchange between the Mail’s royal correspondent and a private investigator – along the lines of “Can we plant someone next to them on the plane?”, which might only have been less shocking if it had carried a “LOL” at the end – Dacre, who hadn’t been party to the emails, said he didn’t know how the reporter got hold of any flight information. But he did say that “airlines were very relaxed” about giving out such details in his day. On being told that – perhaps? – maybe? – the way the seat numbers were obtained was “unlawful”, Dacre returned to smooth form with: “I don’t know about that.”

Did Dacre, who famously used to brag he “smelled danger”, smell any danger with the sources who gave up such sensational stories and double-page spreads to his newspapers? Any of them? How about, for example, apparent payments for accessing people’s criminal records? We don’t know, you see. Paul Dacre “can’t remember”. He doesn’t bother himself with such “granular details”.

He reminded us, multiple times, that he’s far too busy and important; that he had risen “so high in the ranks” at the Mail over the years, working 15-hour days, that he couldn’t possibly have been expected to keep an eye on trivial matters such as who told who to do what.

He made sure that we all heard – though we had to press our ears to the mic to hear it – that he trusted his managing editors and his journalists, for all were of “impressive” calibre and training. That he – and he said it imperiously – had personally shut down any use of PIs by way of a ban in the early 2000s. That the Mail on Sunday “wasn’t his paper”, that both papers are run “entirely autonomously”. It all felt like the court equivalent of a Dick Van Dyke skit, holding both hands up to a local bobby, declaring that it “wasn’t me, Guv!”, punctuated repeatedly by the – boom! – punctilious and precise – boom! – Dickensian roll call of barrister David Sherborne’s nod-of-his-hat address: “Mister Dacre… ”. Never has politeness sounded more like an insult.

Only Mr Justice Nicklin will know whether The Man Who Wasn’t There has dodged a bullet, in the end. He certainly dodged taking personal responsibility for any payments. For every piece of evidence that turned up and was presented to the court – each handwritten, scrawled receipt made out to “a source” or “the intelligence service” or a “detective agency”, each invoice marked with numbers like K2751 and L159, stamped and recorded and signed off by his own company, Associated Newspapers – was vigorously, vehemently, personally shrugged off.

Dacre/Macavity “had no recollection of it”. He simply “didn’t see it”. In one case, he “read it late at night”; in another, he skimmed it and realised it related to the Mail on Sunday – then dismissed it immediately as “not for him” (because the two papers are separate and anonymous, do you see? Didn’t he tell you?!). The exchange was like watching a ping-pong match in slow motion.

The coiffed barrister tried, repeatedly, to get him to reveal whether he’d told the truth – both now and at the Leveson Inquiry – but Macavity repeatedly slipped out of sight. Still, despite those pesky “granular details” that Dacre/Macavity detests so much, it will all come down to this: how each story came to light. Whose privacy was interrupted (at best) or stolen (at worst) to get to it. And who “smelled danger” – or should have.

Throughout the day-long, testy gladiatorial battle between gruffness and smoothness, one image remains: Dacre leaving the box in his dark overcoat, with a sharp and stealthy swoosh of his tail. And ay, there’s the wonder of the thing, you see! You may meet him in a by-street, you may see him in the square – but Macavity’s not there!

Liverpool end Premier League’s only unbeaten home record at Sunderland

Virgil van Dijk’s second-half header saw Liverpool FC end Sunderland’s unbeaten Premier League run at home with a 1-0 win at the Stadium of Light.

Florian Wirtz came closest to opening the scoring in the first half but his effort hit the post.

Liverpool did break the deadlock in the 61st minute when Van Dijk flicked home a header from Mohamed Salah’s corner.

The Reds then safely saw out the game to move three points away from the top four and end the Black Cats’ unbeaten run of 12 league games at the Stadium of Light.

Sunderland made one change as deadline-day signing Nilson Angulo lined up for his full club debut and Liverpool made two changes, with Wataru Endo and Andy Robertson starting in place of Milos Kerkez and the suspended Dominik Szoboszlai.

The hosts enjoyed an energetic start as Alisson Becker made saves from Trai Hume’s cross and a deep free-kick into the area by Robin Roefs, but Liverpool began to grow into the game as the Black Cats cleared good deliveries into the area.

Following an even-paced opening, Sunderland broke when new signing Angulo played a pass into Nordi Mukiele on the right and the full-back whipped the ball into the box, but some good defending from Ibrahima Konate prevented Brian Brobbey from connecting.

A corner into the six-yard area was punched away by Roefs and Liverpool continued to send crosses into the box which were comfortably headed away by the hosts.

The Reds began to test Sunderland further as Wirtz’s shot from outside of the area was pushed clear by Roefs and Van Dijk headed over from the subsequent corner.

Wirtz hit the post with a low strike and a dangerous cross into the box on the break was nodded up in the air by Dan Ballard, but Wirtz’s resulting effort was pounced on by Roefs.

Angulo had a low shot comfortably saved by Alisson before the break and grew in influence in the early stages of the second half, playing Hume in for the Sunderland skipper to blast a shot over the bar.

Salah’s corner was tipped away by Roefs and the Reds looked to threaten again when a neat exchange between Wirtz and Ryan Gravenberch saw the German’s resulting strike blocked by Ballard.

Mukiele latched onto a loose ball, charging down the right before firing wide of the upright and Liverpool broke at the opposite end when Salah’s shot was turned behind by Reinildo Mandava.

The visitors broke the deadlock when Salah’s corner was headed on by Van Dijk and the ball bounced off Habib Diarra’s head at the back post.

However, a concerning moment then saw Endo carried off on a stretcher after landing awkwardly and Joe Gomez came on to replace him in the 69th minute.

Salah’s cross was lifted over goal by Hugo Ekitike and at the opposite end Hume nodded over.

Ekitike was involved again after nodding just past the post from Robertson’s ball and Curtis Jones fired over the bar before Liverpool saw out seven minutes of additional time to seal three points.

Why Gran Hotel Taoro is Tenerife’s must-book luxury stay for 2026

Tenerife’s iconic Gran Hotel Taoro holds a special place in Spanish history. As the first luxury hotel in Spain, opening its doors in 1890, it was a glamorous haven for high society, welcoming everyone from King Alfonso XIII and the Duke of Kent to author Agatha Christie.

Now, after a complete renovation, the landmark hotel has been reborn as an elegant 21st-century destination that’s ready to welcome you for the ultimate five-star break.

The hotel’s carefully preserved neo-classical architecture exudes old-world elegance, while colonial-inspired interiors in earthy tones and modern five-star comforts promise a stay that feels both timeless and contemporary.

Set on a lush hilltop in northern Tenerife and overlooking the historic town of Puerto de la Cruz, the hotel’s 199 rooms and suites make the most of its enviable location, featuring breathtaking panoramic views of Mount Teide – the highest point in Spain – the Atlantic Ocean, and the palm-dotted greenery of its terraces and surrounding botanical parks.

Prepare to embark on an unforgettable culinary journey throughout your stay, with exceptional restaurants celebrating local and international flavours.

At fusion restaurant OKA, helmed by Michelin-starred chef Ricardo Sanz, Japanese fine dining is given a mouthwatering Mediterranean twist.

Two-Michelin-starred chef Erlantz Gorostiza is the mastermind behind two more restaurants: Spanish gourmet bistro Amalur, with a menu inspired by the four elements; and fine dining restaurant Lava, whose exclusive setting includes a Chef’s Counter for six guests.

Breakfast at Atlantico Buffet is the perfect way to start the day as you savour delicious dishes alongside terrace views. For leisurely poolside lunches, La Carola is the place to be, serving Mediterranean flavours and crisp Canarian wines with a generous side of Tenerife sunshine.

Secure your holiday to Gran Hotel Taoro with British Airways Holidays and enjoy a great-value holiday with quality and peace of mind. You’ll benefit from ATOL protection from the moment you book, a 24-hour helpline and a generous checked baggage allowance. Book your holiday with a low deposit and spread the cost with flexible payments* – so all that’s left to focus on is enjoying your holiday in style.

If you upgrade to Club Europe, you’ll enjoy a host of additional benefits including lounge access,** increased checked baggage allowance, and priority check-in and boarding. Members of The British Airways Club benefit from collecting Avios, earning tier points and using Avios towards the cost of holiday packages.

Spend your days at the Gran Hotel Taoro relaxing by three heated pools, set amidst beautifully landscaped gardens and providing a postcard-perfect setting for some downtime.

If you want to up the relaxation factor further, head to the serene sanctuary of the Sandara Wellness Center, which offers a range of exclusive treatments in partnership with luxury French brand Anne Semonin.

Guests who want to explore the history, culture and natural wonders of the local area – including Puerto de la Cruz, the oldest tourist destination in the Canaries – can take advantage of the hotel’s new X-Plora programme, offering a range of tailor-made experiences both within and beyond the hotel grounds through the dedicated concierge team.

More than a luxury retreat, Gran Hotel Taoro is a grand hotel reborn: a destination where heritage, culture and five-star service come together in one of Tenerife’s most treasured and authentic settings. Book with British Airways Holidays to experience this Spanish icon’s remarkable return in 2026.

British Airways Holidays packages include a generous checked baggage allowance for each customer and come with full ATOL protection for complete peace of mind. Secure your Tenerife holiday to Gran Hotel Taoro with a low deposit and enjoy flexible payments until you fly*.

*Based on two sharing. Full balance due four weeks before departure. Subject to availability. T&Cs apply. **Subject to availability

• Secure your holiday with a low deposit and spread the cost with flexible payments.*

• All holiday packages include a generous checked baggage allowance.

• ATOL protection from the moment you book your holiday package giving you financial reassurance.

• Quality car hire with no hidden fees, 24-hour support and roadside assistance.

• Upgrade to Club Europe (Business Class) for a host of additional benefits including lounge access,** increased checked baggage allowance, delicious food and drink options and dedicated check-in and priority boarding.

• Members of The British Airways Club benefit from collecting Avios, earning tier points and using Avios towards the cost of holiday packages.

Boy suspected of double stabbing at Brent school arrested after appearing ‘distressed’ at mosque

A 13-year-old suspected of stabbing two children at a school in London was arrested after being seen acting “distressed” at a mosque, police have said.

The Metropolitan Police’s Counter Terrorism unit is leading the investigation after the two boys, aged 12 and 13, were injured at Kingsbury High School in Brent on Tuesday.

Speaking at a media briefing on Wednesday afternoon, Detective Chief Superintendent Helen Flanagan said she believed the suspect, who was a former pupil, arrived at the school at around 12.30pm, before entering a first-floor classroom where he allegedly sprayed a pupil with a non-noxious substance.

She added: “The suspect has then attacked another pupil, a 13-year-old, in that classroom, stabbing him, and then the suspect left, running down the hallway of the school and the stairs.

“As he was leaving, he then attacks another victim, a 12-year-old, stabbing him before running off and away from the school.”

After a manhunt was launched, she said, the force received a call from a member of the public concerned over a child appearing “distressed” at a mosque in northwest London.

Officers then arrested a 13-year-old, a British national, on suspicion of attempted murder in the vicinity of the mosque at 4.50pm. He remains in custody as officers try to establish the motive for the attack, which is not being treated as a terrorist incident at this stage.

The boy had no link with the mosque and police believe it is a coincidence that he was there, Det Chf Supt Flanagan said.

In the update, she also said the two boys stabbed did not “thankfully” suffer life-threatening injuries, and remain in hospital in a stable condition. The boy sprayed with a substance did not suffer any injury, she said, but is being treated as a victim in the case.

Police have searched three premises and are interviewing 30 to 40 witnesses to the stabbing as part of the investigation, she added.

She said: “At this point, we do not believe the suspect to have any particular connection to that mosque, and at this stage, we think that it may have been coincidental that he ended up in that area, and all of those at the mosque have been incredibly supportive of this investigation.”

Earlier on Wednesday, Sir Keir Starmer called the stabbing “an appalling attack” during Prime Minister’s Questions.

Schools minister Georgia Gould also told Sky News that the government could look at bolstering security in schools in the wake of the stabbing, but ruled out installing metal detectors.

The headteacher of the school said the incident was “a deeply traumatic event for the whole school community” in a letter to parents and carers.

Alex Thomas said: “I fully appreciate that this will be very upsetting news to hear and, as you can imagine, this has been a deeply traumatic event for the whole school community.

“The situation is under control, but a live investigation is taking place. We are working closely with the authorities and I will provide further updates as soon as I am able to share confirmed information.”

Simon Theodorou, a parent of a child at the school, told The Telegraph that the attacker “managed to get his way in by climbing over a wall”. He also claimed one of the victims “pulled the fire alarm to get help”, praising the boy as a “hero”.

Pupils were spoken to by police officers in one of the school’s halls for more than three hours after the usual school day finished on Tuesday – and some were seen leaving in tears.

The father of one pupil said children were obviously “traumatised by what happened in front of them”.

At Wednesday afternoon’s police briefing, Detective Chief Superintendent Luke Williams said he understood that the incident had been “hugely distressing” for the local community.

He said: “It’s hard to imagine the impact on the loved ones of the victims and the officers are providing them with special support. I hope the knowledge this was an extraordinary one-off event, which led to the swift arrest of the suspect, provides some reassurance.”

Home secretary Shabana Mahmood said her thoughts and prayers were with the two children stabbed in the “shocking attack”.

Mayor of London Sir Sadiq Khan urged anyone with information to contact the police, adding: “There is no honour in staying silent. This awful violence has absolutely no place in our city.”

Police order evacuations in UK town centre after potentially hazardous substance found

Police have ordered evacuations in a UK town centre after the discovery of a substance that could be hazardous.

Reports were made at around 1pm that a potentially hazardous substance had been found inside business premises.

A cordon is currently in place at Baxter Gate in Loughborough after the incident.

The premises in question, along with others nearby, have been evacuated as a precaution, according to Leicestershire Police.

Emergency services are responding to the incident, including police, Leicestershire Fire and Rescue Service and the East Midlands Ambulance Service.

The cordon and road closures have been put in place to keep the public safe while emergency services respond to the incident, police said.

No serious injuries have been reported at this time.

“We will provide further updates when we are able to,” Leicestershire Police said in a statement on Wednesday. “Please avoid the area, until further notice.”

Bus routes have been diverted in response to the incident according to the social media accounts of Loughborough’s Kinch Bus and Nottingham City Transport.

Images circulating from the scene show several emergency vehicles including police, fire engines and ambulances, as well as a police cordon, in place. The area appears to be very central and surrounded by shops and other businesses. The area has been locked down while police and emergency vehicles deal with the incident.

“Police officers came in here at about 2pm and they said close your doors and no one’s allowed to come in or out,” an eyewitness told Leicestershire Live.

“I haven’t heard anything more. I tried to ask what was happening but they couldn’t tell me.

“Outside there are many police officers, ambulances, firefighters – I’m not sure what they’re all doing though. And I haven’t seen the ambulances dealing with anyone. So for now I just have to stay inside and no customers can come in. I can’t leave.”

Leicestershire Fire and Rescue Service advised members of the public to avoid the area, saying: “We are currently attending an ongoing incident on Baxter Gate in Loughborough. Members of the public should avoid the area, and motorists should expect delays.”