No probe into reports Andrew asked bodyguard to investigate Giuffre

Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor will not face a criminal investigation over claims he asked his taxpayer-funded bodyguard to investigate his accuser Virginia Giuffre, police have revealed.

Reports claimed the disgraced royal passed Ms Giuffre’s date of birth and social security number to his Metropolitan Police protection officer and asked them to dig up dirt on her in 2011.

The Met said it was looking into the reports, which emerged in a series of leaked emails allegedly seen by the Mail on Sunday.

Andrew reportedly wrote in an email to Ed Perkins, Queen Elizabeth’s deputy press secretary: “It would also seem she has a criminal record in the [United] States. I have given her DoB [date of birth] and social security number for investigation with [name redacted], the on duty ppo [personal protection officer].”

Ms Giuffre, who does not have a criminal record and took her own life in April this year, claimed that she was forced to have sex with Andrew three times, including once in London, after being trafficked by Jeffrey Epstein. The prince has always vehemently denied the claims.

Following a review, Ella Marriott, the Met’s Central Specialist Crime commander, has today announced that the royal will face no further action.

In a statement, she confirmed the Met first received allegations of trafficking for sexual exploitation involving Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell in 2015.

She said officers interviewed Ms Giuffre and contacted several other potential victims, and “this did not result in any allegation of criminal conduct against any UK-based nationals”.

“A decision was made in November 2016 not to proceed to a full criminal investigation,” she added.

“That decision was reviewed in August 2019 and again in 2021 and 2022; in each instance, the position remained unchanged, and Ms Giuffre and her legal representative were informed.”

A further review following the latest claims involving the bodyguard did not reveal any evidence of criminal acts, and the Met will be taking no further action.

Cdr Marriott said: “Following recent reporting suggesting that Mr Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor asked his Met Police close protection officer to carry out checks on Ms Giuffre in 2011, the MPS has carried out a further assessment. This assessment has not revealed any additional evidence of criminal acts or misconduct.

“The Met remains committed to thoroughly assessing any new information that could assist in this matter. To date, we have not received any additional evidence that would support reopening the investigation.

“In the absence of any further information, we will be taking no further action. As with any other matter, should new and relevant information be brought to our attention, including in any information resulting from the release of material in the US, we will assess it.”

This week, Andrew was one of a number of high-profile figures featured in photographs released by the Democrats, revealing Epstein’s links to the rich and powerful.

In October, Andrew, 65, was stripped of all his titles as the palace attempted to draw a line under a string of scandals over his friendship with the disgraced financier. He has always denied any wrongdoing.

The King also served formal notice on his younger brother to vacate the sprawling 30-bedroom Royal Lodge in the grounds of Windsor Great Park.

Salah cheered onto pitch in possible final Premier League match

Mohamed Salah is in action at Anfield in what could be his final appearance for Liverpool as the Reds host Brighton in the Premier League and the fallout from his explosive interview continues.

Head coach Arne Slot decided to recall the star forward after holding further discussions at Liverpool’s training centre on Friday and he was named on the bench. But Slot had to turn to Salah early in the first half after an injury to Joe Gomez.

Salah will depart for the Africa Cup of Nations after Liverpool play Brighton and he will be away with Egypt for several weeks. He said during his interview at Leeds that he had told his family to come to the Brighton match in case it is his last for the club, with the transfer window opening in January and the 33-year-old facing an uncertain future.

On the pitch, Liverpool are unbeaten in four but dropped points late on against Leeds last weekend, while Brighton scored a late equaliser to rescue a point against West Ham and come into this fixture above the reigning champions.

The match is not on TV but you can follow all the latest updates from Anfield below

Small boat crossings resume after longest pause for seven years

The UK has recorded the longest period without migrants arriving on small boats crossing the Channel for seven years, official figures show.

Before this weekend, no one had completed the perilous crossing for 28 days, since 14 November, according to the latest Home Office data.

No migrants were recorded arriving in the country up to and including 12 December – marking the longest uninterrupted run since autumn 2018.

A number of small boats were seen in the Channel on Saturday, breaking the long pause. Official figures for those arrivals will be released later.

December is traditionally one of the quietest months for Channel crossings, with a combination of low temperatures, poor visibility, less daylight and stormy weather making the journey particularly difficult.

The most arrivals ever recorded in December were 3,254 in 2024.

This year looks likely to see the second-highest annual number of migrants arriving in small boats since data was first reported in 2018. The all-time high is 45,774 arrivals in 2022.

The total for 2025 currently stands at 39,292, which is already more than in any other year except 2022, but would require 6,483 arrivals between now and the end of December to set a new record.

The latest pause is the longest spell without arrivals since the 48-day gap from 2 September to 19 October 2018.

The government has stepped up efforts in recent months to deter migrants from making the dangerous journey across the Channel, but the measures are not expected to have an impact until next year.

David Lammy, the deputy prime minister, met on Wednesday with ministers from member states signed up to the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR), who all agreed to consider reforming the treaty and tackling illegal migration within the existing legal framework.

The move to work with European counterparts over Article 3 of the ECHR – the protection against torture and inhuman treatment – follows asylum reforms announced by Shabana Mahmood, the home secretary, last month, in a bid to also make it easier to deport people from the country.

Ms Mahmood also confirmed changes will be brought forward seeking to make refugee status in the UK temporary, subject to reviews every 30 months, and to send refugees home if their country is deemed safe.

Meanwhile, the government’s Border Security, Asylum and Immigration Act became law earlier this month, which allows law enforcement agencies to use counterterror-style powers to crack down on people-smuggling gangs.

How Trump’s claim to have ended eight wars fell apart

Donald Trump’s claim to have ended eight wars appears to be unravelling as a result of peace deals that “press pause” on the fighting and fail to deal with the root causes of each conflict, experts have said.

The US president, who was awarded the widely-criticised Fifa Peace Prize last week, has persistently boasted about ending the conflicts during his two terms as president.

He listed peace agreements between Israel and Hamas, Israel and Iran, Pakistan and India, Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo, Thailand and Cambodia, Armenia and Azerbaijan, Egypt and Ethiopia, and Serbia and Kosovo.

But a deeper analysis of these disputes, as well as others that Trump has sought to halt, casts doubt over his claim to be the President of Peace.

Cambodia and Thailand have resumed clashes at the border, Kosovo and Serbia are struggling to implement peace deals and Israeli attacks continue in Lebanon and Gaza. Trump has also failed to stop the war in Ukraine – a conflict he once promised to end “in 24 hours”.

Dr Melanie Garson, an associate professor of political science at University College London (UCL), says that while Trump should be credited for pushing for these agreements, the deals mediated by his administrations are “prone to failure”.

“Without the clear pathways, guarantees and oversight of the next steps, it leaves huge gaps in the system. Basically, what you’ve done is press the pause button, and not the stop button.”

The “low quality” of these deals owes to Trump’s reluctance to surround himself with “real experts” who would challenge his authority as the “master deal maker”, says Dr Jonathan Monten, a US foreign policy expert at UCL.

“He wants to be perceived as at the centre. He is this master deal maker, not some you know, career expert in the State Department,” he told The Independent.

“So the quality of the preparation, the quality of expertise, the quality of diplomatic negotiation are all extremely low.”

Border clashes in Thailand resumed earlier this week, with hundreds of thousands of people displaced and at least 10 killed.

It comes just weeks after the Kuala Lumpur peace accord was signed in October, with the prime ministers of both countries vowing their “unwavering commitment” to peace after the centuries-old border dispute was reignited in July. Trump attended the signing ceremony in Malaysia.

Thailand’s defence ministry said the recent attacks were “a last option”, while Cambodia accused Thailand of “aggressive military attacks”.

Thai prime minister Anutin Charnvirakul confirmed on Friday that there was no ceasefire yet with Cambodia, and said he had spoken by telephone with Trump. Anutin said Trump told him he wanted the two countries to return to the July ceasefire.

The initial ceasefire deal between Israel and Lebanon was signed under the Biden administration – but Trump has since failed to prevent Benjamin Netanyahu’s government from regular strikes on its neighbour.

Israel launched a new wave of attacks on Lebanon last week, stating that it was targeting Hezbollah sites in the south, including several buildings and a rocket-launching site.

The Trump administration had been urging Israel and Lebanon to broaden their talks on establishing longer-term peace. Just days before the Israeli strikes, both sides had dispatched civilian envoys to a military committee tasked with overseeing the ceasefire, but the ceasefire now appears to be over.

Trump was, however, involved in brokering the deal between Israel and Hamas, which promised to end Israel’s military campaign in Gaza and the return of all the hostages.

All living hostages and all but one of the dead hostages have been returned. But authorities in Gaza say nearly 400 people, including children, have been killed by Israeli gunfire since the ceasefire was put in place.

Trump has repeatedly hailed an economic normalisation agreement reached between Serbia and Kosovo during his first term. Earlier this year, he also claimed to have prevented a war from breaking out between the pair.

The 2020 agreement planned to expand economic cooperation and integration, in an attempt to de-escalate political tensions by focusing on economic ties. But the agreements failed to address a critical and central element of the dispute: Serbia’s refusal to formally recognise Kosovo.

Implementation has been limited, with many of the specific economic provisions failing to materialise in practice in the years since.

Progress on agreed projects, such as the envisaged “Peace Highway”, linking Belgrade and Pristina to facilitate trade and travel between the countries, has been very slow, with financing coming not from provisions of the agreements but from European investment.

Political tensions between Kosovo and Serbia remain unresolved, and the Trump administration is yet to make a significant push to get them round the table again.

Attempts to bring an end to the war in Ukraine have been one of Trump’s primary frustrations during his second term, thus far failing in an objective which he said before the US election could be wrapped up in 24 hours.

In recent weeks, the US has ramped up efforts to push Moscow and Kyiv towards reaching an agreement, but the main sticking point, territory, remains a crucial problem.

Vladimir Putin appears to have little interest in signing a peace agreement unless Kyiv hands over the entirety of the Donbas.

Trump has directed most of his impatience at Volodymyr Zelensky, saying that he “isn’t ready” for peace and, according to reports, telling the Ukrainian president he wants Kyiv to accept a peace deal by Christmas.

Education for all: How your skills could make you a great teacher

From construction and engineering to hospitality and beauty, Further Education teaching opens up doors to a wide range of careers. Encompassing a range of technical and vocational courses and qualifications for those over 16 who aren’t studying for a degree, it offers a more hands on, industry-led approach to learning.

Further Education offers a more focused, vocational approach and a fast-track into the workplace. It allows you to build on your existing skills and experience while shaping the next generation of professionals in your field. To find out more, we spoke to Further Education students and teachers about how it works and what they get out of it.

Further Education qualifications can be started from the age of 16. “It’s a step up from school but it doesn’t involve so much independent learning and research as many Higher Education degrees,” explains Susan Simmonds, 52, a Further Education lecturer in Land and Wildlife Management at Sparsholt College Hampshire. “During this time, learners gain so much maturity and a qualification that can take them out into industry,”

Sometimes this study might be full-time in college, while other Further Education opportunities offer apprenticeships, with students gaining qualifications while working on the job. Overall, the courses are generally more practical and directly linked to industry and preparing learners for their future careers. “These courses give students a wide range of relevant experience, knowledge and skills during a time when they’re maturing, and becoming ready to transition into the world of work,” Susan says.

There are often myths and misconceptions about the world of Further Education. From the learner side, many people don’t necessarily realise the opportunities available to them through Further Education, as Meri, 17, who is studying an Extended Technical Diploma in Land and Wildlife Management Level 3 at Sparsholt College, explains. “Many people I have spoken to don’t realise there are multiple ways to prepare for a career in industry, and that courses like mine can open those doors.”

For Meri, it’s been a really positive experience, and one that has helped prepare her for the workplace. “The college has a lot of contacts with industry and the assignments we do are similar to professional reports.” Meanwhile, Zach, 17, who is on the same course, has also thrived at the Further Education college: “I have been able to meet far more friends and great people and I feel as though it has helped me grow. It’s also provided many opportunities to experience real-world practical work.”

For those training or working as Further Education teachers, often after years spent in a specific industry sector, it’s the students that make their new career so rewarding. David Hobson, 54, who teaches the Motor Vehicle course at Stockton Riverside College, found that the job satisfaction he gets from sharing his personal know-how with the next generation of workers has kept him in Further Education teaching for 16 years. “The benefits of passing on my skills to young people keep me going. It’s an opportunity for me to equip learners with the industry skills and knowledge they need to succeed in their careers”

Susan, who teaches Further Education part-time alongside her work as a Community Ecologist, has had a similar experience: “I find the work really energising. Young people are so full of life and enthusiasm that I come home feeling uplifted.”

Whether it’s part-time alongside your current job or a switch to full-time teaching, Further Education teaching can be a really rewarding and valuable career move.

Teaching in a mixture of colleges (often General Further Education Colleges or Sixth Form Colleges) and Adult and Community Learning Centres, as well as workplace and apprenticeship settings, it can fit around your life and other commitments. While typical full-time contracts are around 35 hours a week, there are also some part-time or flexible options available.

Real world industry experience across a wide range of jobs can set you on a path to becoming a Further Education teacher, with opportunities in everything from construction and healthcare, to engineering, digital, hospitality, tourism and beauty. You don’t always need teaching qualifications to start teaching in further education, you can undertake training on the job which is often funded by your employer.

If, like Susan and David, you see the appeal of sharing the industry knowledge and skills you’ve developed with the next generation, exploring the option of becoming a Further Education teacher can be a great next step. As David points out, “You won’t know how enjoyable it is until you try it.”

Looking for a new role that’s rewarding, flexible and draws on your current career? Why not consider sharing your experience where it matters most – helping inspire the next generation of workers in the field you love? Visit the Further Education website to find out more

Small boats migrants should be allowed to work in UK, says Polanski

Zack Polanski has seized on Labour’s shift to the right on immigration and human rights by announcing that the Green Party would allow migrants who arrive on small boats to live and work in the UK.

The Green Party leader has accused Sir Keir Starmer and Labour of matching “the racist rhetoric of the far right, from Nigel Farage to Tommy Robinson” and insisted that a new approach is needed for the migrant crisis.

On a trip to France, Mr Polanski was seen assisting people getting on to small boats and filling their water tanks.

His intervention comes amid concerns that Labour is losing more support to the Greens than it is to Reform.

“We need to make racism unacceptable again,” he told The Times in France. “We’ve seen situations where people from Ukraine have rightly been welcomed into the country with open arms, and so they should be, they’re facing an illegal invasion. But where is that same hospitality to the Sudanese people, Eritrean people, people from Yemen?

“I don’t think that British people are inherently racist at all. But it’s the scarcity mindset that is true because we have a government committing austerity and underfunding of communities matched with the racist rhetoric of the far right, from Nigel Farage to Tommy Robinson. That’s what is fuelling all of this.”

He said: “I think Nigel Farage is setting the direction and Keir Starmer is catching up as quickly as he can. This is why we see a Labour Party that is tanking in the polls because they refuse to stand for anything and I think the British public are smarter than that. I think they’re kinder than that.

“Of course people will be concerned about heinous crimes, whether that’s from a migrant or whether that’s from someone who is born in Britain. But that’s a deliberate muddying of the conversation about lots and lots of people who are fleeing war and persecution who are stuck in Calais.”

On his own plans, Mr Polanski, who describes himself as a green populist, said: “I think from the moment they arrive in the UK, people should be able to work or should be given the ability to work, because that means they’re then paying into the tax system.”

He said that sticking the migrants into hotels and temporary accommodation with no means of earning money is “cruel.”

But it comes after Labour’s home secretary Shabana Mahmood recently announced new measures to tackle the migrant crisis and end abuse of the visa system as well as water down human rights such as the right to a family life.

At a Tony Blair Institute event earlier this week, Ms Mahmood said of the immigration crisis that the British people are “decent, honest and tolerant” towards immigrants – but only if they come here legally. And she claimed that there is support for strong controls on illegal and legal migration from both “white and non-white working-class communities”.

King Charles: I was overwhelmed by my cancer diagnosis

King Charles has called for people across the UK to attend cancer screenings, warning of millions of missed opportunities for early diagnoses as he opened up about his “overwhelming” personal journey.

In a recorded message in support of Stand Up To Cancer, he announced his own treatment would be rolled back in the new year in what he called a “personal blessing”.

But the King, who used the broadcast to reflect on his own experiences, said he had been “deeply troubled” to learn that at least 9 million people in the UK are not up to date with the cancer screenings available to them.

Charles revealed he had been diagnosed with a form of cancer in February 2024. While Buckingham Palace hasn’t specified what type of cancer he has, officials said it was discovered after treatment for an enlarged prostate revealed “a separate issue of concern”.

In the address, which was recorded at Clarence House two weeks ago, he urged Britons to overcome “embarrassment” and make use of screening programmes. He also unveiled a new national Screening Checker that allows people to check their eligibility online.

Prime minister Sir Keir Starmer has said he is “glad” the King’s cancer treatment is set to be reduced.

In a post on X, Sir Keir said: “A powerful message from His Majesty The King. I know I speak for the entire country when I say how glad I am that his cancer treatment will be reduced in the new year.

“Early cancer screening saves lives.”

Paying tribute to the specialists, nurses, researchers and volunteers who treat and support cancer patients, Charles said he had been “profoundly moved” by their work.

During the festive season, he asked people to join him in finding a “special place in your hearts” for the hundreds of thousands of people across the country who receive a cancer diagnosis each year, as well as those who care for them.

“I know from my own experience that a cancer diagnosis can feel overwhelming,” he said. “Yet I also know that early detection is the key that can transform treatment journeys, giving invaluable time to medical teams – and, to their patients, the precious gift of hope.”

He spoke passionately about the importance of getting checked, saying his own early diagnosis had allowed him to lead a “full and active life” even while undergoing treatment.

“Early diagnosis quite simply saves lives,” he added.

He then shared his own personal good news, saying: “Today I am able to share with you the good news that thanks to early diagnosis, effective intervention and adherence to ‘doctors’ orders’, my own schedule of cancer treatment can be reduced in the new year.

“This milestone is both a personal blessing and a testimony to the remarkable advances that have been made in cancer care in recent years; testimony that I hope may give encouragement to the 50 per cent of us who will be diagnosed with the illness at some point in our lives.”

In the address, the King said people too often avoided screening for fear of “discomfort” or “embarrassment”. “If and when they do finally take up their invitation, they are glad they took part,” he said.

“A few moments of minor inconvenience are a small price to pay for the reassurance that comes for most people when they are either told they don’t need further tests, or, for some, are given the chance to enable early detection, with the life-saving intervention that can follow.”

He ended his address with a prayer that each person could play their part in helping to catch cancer early.

“Your life – or the life of someone you love – may depend upon it,” he added.

A Buckingham Palace spokesperson confirmed the King would continue to receive treatment for his cancer but said he had responded “exceptionally well” and measures would now move into a “precautionary phase”.

His message comes amid warnings from NHS leaders that the health service is facing a “worst case scenario” this December as flu rates soar.

Health chiefs have warned that the “unprecedented wave” is pushing staff to the limit, and said the surge in admissions shows “just how dangerous the situation is getting across our NHS hospitals”.

The NHS national medical director, Professor Meghana Pandit, said: “With record demand for A&E and ambulances and an impending resident doctors’ strike, this unprecedented wave of superflu is leaving the NHS facing a worst-case scenario for this time of year – with staff being pushed to the limit to keep providing the best possible care for patients.

“The number of patients in the hospital with flu is extremely high for this time of year. Even worse, it continues to rise, and the peak is not in sight yet, so the NHS faces an extremely challenging few weeks ahead.”