Starmer U-turn on jury trials expected as MP warns he faces defeat

Labour MPs believe that Keir Starmer’s next U-turn will be on the plan to scrap jury trials as one rebel has warned he is “absolutely confident” it will be defeated.

Kingston upon Hull MP Karl Turner said MPs would be “going stark raving mad” if the Tories had proposed the much-criticised plans and called for a meeting with the prime minister.

“We are absolutely seething with the government, with the prime minister and with David Lammy and I’ve said to the prime minister I want to see him face to face on this single issue and I expect him to instruct Lammy to stop and think again,” told Times Radio.

“People are cheesed off. It’s not in the manifesto. If this was the Tory government doing this, Labour MPs would be going absolutely stark raving mad including Keir Starmer and including David Lammy.”

“I am absolutely confident that if they’re daft enough to put this legislation forward in the shape of the courts bill, which will probably be the second half of this year, I’m confident we’ll defeat it.”

A number of Labour MPs have privately told The Independent that they believe the plan to restrict jury trials to the most serious crimes is going to be “quietly dropped”.

It follows revelations earlier this week, first carried by The Independent, that Rachel Reeves plans to ditch plans to end business rates relief on pubs.

The plans announced last year by deputy prime minister David Lammy were meant to be designed to help end the backlog in the courts which has been in place since the covid pandemic lockdown.

It was based on recommendations by retired judge Sir Brian Leveson and would include interim “swift courts” with judge made decisions and greater use of magistrates courts.

Only the most severe offences, like murder and rape, would retain mandatory jury trials.

Cases with likely jail terms under three years would move to judge-only trials, estimated to be faster. Long fraud and financial cases would also move to judge-only, freeing jurors.

But the plans have caused a backlash including among Labour MPs.

Now the government has postponed any vote on the plans until October at the earliest after the next King’s speech in May.

One MP said: “It looks like the whole thing will be quietly ditched.”

Another senior MP said: “I would be amazed if they actually follow through with the attacks on jury trial. My understanding is any legislation on this is earmarked for October and that’s a long way away in political terms. I presume they’ll dump it – quietly or otherwise.”

The issue has echoes of the welfare rebellion last summer when plans to slash the bill by £5bn were ditched to prevent defeat in the Commons by angry Labour backbenchers.

Ministers were defending the proposals in an opposition day debate last week called by the Tories but opposition was again voiced by Labour MPs including Mr Turner who pointed out he has never rebelled before.

Justice minister Sarah Sackman told The Commons: “Victims are waiting years for justice—over 20,000 open cases in the Crown court backlog have been waiting for a year or more. Justice delayed is justice denied.

“No one is defending the status quo, yet no government to date have been bold enough to take the necessary action towards finding a solution. I am a firm believer that politics is an agent of change—that is why I left my career in law to enter politics. When we are presented with a crisis, we see the opportunity, we find the plan, and we fix it—we make it better.”

However, she conceded that there will be an impact assessment before legislation is brought forward and “MPs will have the opportunity to scrutinise” the plans.

Russia’s shadow war with us is just starting – be ready for trouble

Shortly before Christmas, the new chief of MI6, Blaise Metreweli, made her first public speech since taking charge. She chose as her subject the multifaceted threat posed by Russia, warning of the growing danger from Vladimir Putin’s regime. “We are operating in a space between peace and war,” she said.

The recently appointed “C” said “the front line is everywhere”, explaining that Putin is provoking a new “age of uncertainty” by busily rewriting the unwritten rules of conflict. “The export of chaos is a feature, not a bug, in the Russian approach to international engagement,” said Metreweli.

This week has seen the cementing of the axis between the UK, France and Germany with the promise of troops on the ground to monitor peace in Ukraine, a move that is bound to antagonise Putin. Concerns about Russian retaliation are growing still further following the boarding of a tanker in Russia’s “shadow fleet” by US forces off the British coast. The involvement of the Royal Navy will have been noticed and noted in Moscow. The hostility continues to ramp up in intensity.

The picture Metreweli paints is frightening: a scenario not of overt military strikes, but of covert “grey zone” assaults from every angle. The spy chief did not go into detail. We are all aware of the existence of planned sabotage, assassinations, hacking, cyber crime and drone attacks. Such concepts are well aired and are firmly embedded in the public consciousness. Less familiar, however, according to security experts, is the notion of economic warfare. Key to this, to use their parlance, are non-state actors – not Russian diplomats or entities formally associated with the Russian state, but private individuals, organisations, movements and companies who secretly act in Russia’s interest.

Some are ideologically motivated, while others do it for money, frequently being paid in untraceable cryptocurrency, like Jan Marsalek. Austrian-born Marsalek was COO of Wirecard, the German payment processing firm that collapsed in 2020 after announcing that €1.9bn (£1.65bn) it supposedly held in cash did not in fact exist.

For almost a decade prior to its insolvency, Marsalek had been working for the Russian security agency, the GRU. His position at Wirecard gave him access to data and resources that were useful to the Russians. He used his seniority to develop pro-Russian links in Libya, and to encourage a flood of migration to Europe that was calculated to cause social and financial damage – all playing into Moscow’s hands.

After his exposure, following Wirecard’s collapse, Marsalek fled to Russia. In late 2023, Marsalek was named again as the coordinator of a Bulgarian spy ring operating in the UK.

Another example is petty criminal Dylan Earl, the ringleader in an arson attack on a warehouse in east London stocked with aid for Ukraine in March 2024. He was also recruited online by the Russian paramilitary organisation known as the Wagner Group.

More sophisticated still, and harder to crack, are the Russians or non-Russians working in the commercial field, in strategic industries critical to Europe’s defence and infrastructure, such as defence and energy, and acting in Russia’s interests, often under orders from the GRU or other Kremlin agencies. Security sources maintain that Moscow considers these actors useful as there is a degree of separation: deniability is fundamental to the strategy.

The difficulty of tracking such activity can be seen in the case of Alexander Kirzhnev. The Russian is wanted by the Supreme Anti-Corruption Court in Ukraine, having been accused in absentia of organising a fraud against Ukraine by using a bogus US company to fulfil an order for ammunition.

The Ukraine state-owned firm Artem placed a multimillion-dollar order for 152mm and 155mm shells with a supplier based in Florida. Advance payment was made. All seemed well: a US firm was helping Ukraine’s war effort, no problem there. The trouble was, the Florida company had no ability to fulfil the order.

By diverting precious Ukrainian cash, taking up their time and effort, and making them think much-needed military supplies were coming when they were not, Kirzhnev’s alleged actions – whether under instruction or not – epitomise Russia’s goals in the “grey zone”: deniable private-sector activity that moves the Kremlin closer to its strategic objectives, sowing uncertainty along the way.

But the efforts to maintain deniability are not always successful, and can unravel under scrutiny. In October 2022, Yuri Orekhov was one of five Russian nationals charged in New York over a global procurement scam. Orekhov and his companies were subsequently placed on the US Treasury Department’s sanctions list.

The allegations stated that the five were trying unlawfully to obtain US military technology and embargoed oil using a myriad of transactions involving shell companies and cryptocurrency. Key to this was the alleged use of a German-registered company to “smuggle hundreds of millions of barrels of oil from Venezuela to Russian and Chinese purchasers”, according to the US Department of Justice.

Following the discovery of the scheme by KleptoCapture, a task force of the US Department of State that was set up by Joe Biden to enforce sanctions, United States attorney Breon Peace explicitly tied Orekhov and the others to Russia’s interests in Ukraine, stating: “We will continue to investigate, disrupt and prosecute those who fuel Russia’s brutal war in Ukraine, evade sanctions and perpetuate the shadowy economy of transnational money laundering.”

When we think of Russian aggression and attempts to sow discord among Western allies, we must expand our view of just how far the Kremlin will go, in all walks of life, to cause destruction and spread disquiet.

These cases clearly demonstrate something that the new MI6 head is evidently alert to: the extent of Russia’s murky “grey zone” network, and the damage Moscow can inflict on vulnerable targets using deniable actors. As the war in Ukraine approaches its fifth year and efforts to reach a peace deal continue, we can expect a ramping up of activity in this space. Britain and Europe need to be prepared. “C” has delivered her warning.

New footage from ICE agent’s phone shows what woman said before being fatally shot

Newly published video reportedly filmed by ICE agent Jonathan Ross seemingly shows the confrontation that led to a deadly encounter with Renee Nicole Good in Minneapolis.

The footage from Ross’ phone, obtained by Minnesota’s Alpha News, shows him getting out of his own vehicle and circling Good’s car while being heckled by another protester. He also interacts briefly with Good, who tells him “that’s fine dude, I’m not mad.”

Ross approaches the front of Good’s vehicle before the footage cuts away as he draws his gun and fires three times into the vehicle. An officer is heard on the video exclaiming “f*** b****,” as the car drives away.

She was pronounced dead a short time later and her death has sparked outrage across the nation.

Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey defended his use of expletives in the aftermath of the shooting, telling reporters Friday: “I dropped an F-bomb… They killed somebody. Which one of those is more inflammatory?”

Meanwhile, anti-ICE protests are ongoing in Minneapolis. Several protesters have been spotted wearing costumes, waving signs that read “abolish ICE” and blowing whistles in the city’s downtown area.

The truth about how many drugs in the US come from Venezuela

U.S. president Donald Trump has claimed Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro was responsible for the overdose deaths of “countless Americans,” accusing him of trafficking “colossal amounts of deadly and illicit drugs” into the country.

Those allegations were used in part to justify Maduro’s arrest by U.S. authorities on 3 January, following a series of U.S. military attacks on boats off Venezuela’s coast that have killed more than 115 people since September.

Maduro has since been charged with conspiracy offences and has pleaded not guilty, while his government condemned the operation in Caracas as an “imperialist” act. But do Trump’s claims about the drug trade stack up?

Analysis by The Independent has examined how much cocaine and fentanyl is actually illegally imported into the United States from Venezuela.

Illicit opioids, particularly Fentanyl, remain the primary drivers behind the “epidemic of drug overdose deaths in the U.S.” according to the U.S. governments 2025 National Drug Threat Assessment. However, Venezuela is not mentioned as a fentanyl producer in this assessment.

Instead, Mexico is the dominant source of illicit fentanyl entering the United States, according to the Commission on Combating Synthetic Opioid Trafficking. The government doesn’t list fentanyl by country of manufacture the same way it does for other drugs, but it does identify Mexico as the primary source and also mentions Canada.

“Venezuela is not a place where Fentanyl is produced. Fentanyl is produced in Mexico for the U.S. market,” Vanda Felbab-Brown, a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution who studies drug policy, told The Independent.

“It’s produced in Canada for the Canadian market, and it’s produced in China for shipments elsewhere, such as to Europe”, she added.

“ The Trump administration has obviously tried to make the Fentanyl justification very broad, including to pressure Canada and then to impose tariffs on Canada,” Vanda Felbab-Brown said. The White House has been contacted for comment on this claim.

Government estimates show that in 2024, about 22.7 kilograms of Canada-sourced fentanyl were seized at the U.S.–Canada border, compared to 9,354 kilograms seized at the U.S.–Mexico border. 

Cocaine is derived from coca leaves grown in Colombia, Peru, and Bolivia and the manufacturing process takes place in remote jungle labs, according to the DEA.

Venezuela is not mentioned in the DEA’s 2025 National Drug Threat Assessment as a country where cocaine originates. U.S. government data shows 84 per cent of the cocaine seized by authorities in 2024 originated in Colombia. Peru and Bolivia are also mentioned as sources.

However, experts note that some cocaine production does take place in Venezuela.

“There is some cultivation of coca in Venezuela that has increased in recent years as new cultivars of coca allow its cultivation in much lower altitudes with greater humidity than has traditionally been the case, but that production is still small”, Vanda Felbab-Brown told The Independent. “The vast majority of production takes place in Colombia, Peru, and Bolivia.”

According to U.S. estimates detailed by the United Nations, around 70% of cocaine leaves Colombia via the Pacific route. The DEAalso says most cocaine entering the U.S. is trafficked through Mexico.

“Venezuela is a place where a lot of cocaine is exported to Europe and to the United States. It’s not the sole place through which those exports,” Vanda Felbab-Brown told The Independent.

Despite repeated claims by Trump that Venezuela is a major source of drugs harming the U.S., data and expert assessments tell a different story: Venezuela is not a principal producer or trafficking country for cocaine or fentanyl destined for the United States.

“Certainly Trump believed that the counter-narcotics narrative would appeal to his base and would create both domestically and internationally a justification for removing Maduro from power”, Vanda Felbab-Brown told The Independent.

The Trump administration maintains that its actions are legally justified.

“The Maduro regime is not the legitimate government of Venezuela, it is a narco-terror cartel, and Maduro, it is the view of this administration, is not a legitimate president. He is a fugitive head of this cartel who has been indicted in the United States,” White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said.

Iran, Russia and China join for naval drills in South Africa

Chinese, Russian, and Iranian warships have launched a week of naval drills off South Africa’s Cape Town coast, amid high geopolitical tensions over the United States’ intervention in Venezuela and its move to seize tankers carrying Venezuelan oil.

These Chinese-led exercises, organised last year under the Brics bloc, aim to practice maritime safety and anti-piracy operations, and to “deepen cooperation”, South Africa’s armed forces have stated.

China, Russia, and South Africa are long-standing Brics members; Iran joined the group in 2024. The Iranian navy’s participation occurs as domestic protests against the Islamic Republic’s leadership continue.

It was not immediately clear if other countries from the Brics group – which also includes Brazil, India and the United Arab Emirates among others – would take part in the drills. A spokesperson for the South African armed forces said they weren’t yet able to confirm all the countries participating in the drills, which are due to run until next Friday.

Chinese, Russian and Iranian ships were seen moving in and out of the harbour that serves South Africa’s top naval base in Simon’s Town, south of Cape Town, where the Indian Ocean meets the Atlantic Ocean. China’s ships include the Tangshan, a 161-meter (528-foot) long destroyer-class vessel. Russia’s Baltic Fleet said it sent a smaller warship, the Stoikiy, and a replenishment tanker to South Africa.

South Africa also hosted Chinese and Russian ships for navy drills in 2023.

The latest drills were meant to happen in late November but were delayed for diplomatic reasons because South Africa hosted Western and other world leaders for the Group of 20 summit around the same time.

The drills are bound to further strain ties between the US, and South Africa, which is the most advanced economy in Africa and a leading voice for the continent but has been especially targeted for criticism by the Trump administration.

US president Donald Trump said in an executive order in February that South Africa supports “bad actors on the world stage” and singled out its ties with Iran as one of the reasons for the US cutting funding to the country. China and Russia have often used Brics forums to launch criticism of the US and the West.

South Africa has long claimed it follows a nonaligned foreign policy and remains neutral, but Russian presence on the southern tip of Africa has strained its relationship with the US before. The Biden administration accused South Africa in 2023 of allowing a sanctioned Russian ship to dock at the Simon’s Town naval base and load weapons to be taken to Russia for the war in Ukraine. South Africa denied the allegation.

South Africa’s willingness to host Russian and Iranian warships has also been criticised inside the country. The Democratic Alliance, the second biggest political party in the coalition government, said it was opposed to hosting drills that included “heavily sanctioned” Russia and Iran.

“Calling these drills ‘Brics cooperation’ is a political trick to soften what is really happening: government is choosing closer military ties with rogue and sanctioned states such as Russia and Iran,” the Democratic Alliance said.

Your dream cruise formula: From Caribbean islands to European cities

If your ideal holiday is one that blends fuss-free adventure with great culinary choices and sumptuous relaxation, then book yourself onto a cruise immediately. From experiencing rich cultures, visiting breathtaking beauty spots, and dining on delicious delicacies – cruising has become one of the most luxurious ways to travel.

This dream-holiday formula is something that Virgin Voyages has perfected with its multi-award-winning, adult-only cruises, which sail across Europe, North America and the Caribbean. From entertaining onboard experiences and modern facilities to exciting escapades on land, these are the types of trips that are worth writing home about, and why Virgin Voyages has been named Travel + Leisure ® World’s Best #1 Mega Ship for an impressive three years in a row.

Here’s what would-be Sailors can expect from a Virgin Voyages cruise…

Whichever of the 150-plus destinations you choose to sail to, one thing remains guaranteed, you’ll get an unforgettable journey, and leave with happy stories to share with loved ones back home. Why not make those memories on Virgin Voyages’ impressive Lady Ships, with Scarlet Lady, Valiant Lady, Resilient Lady and Brilliant Lady each offering a distinct personality which is encapsulated in everything from decor to destinations. Expect enough amenities and activities to entertain a small city: from tequila tasting to spa days and over 20 premium eateries serving menus curated by Michelin starred chefs. There’s a whole holiday’s worth of experiences before you’ve even docked at your first port.

Be gone any thoughts of pokey, old-fashioned interiors and get ready to embrace charming cabins with a super-yacht aesthetic. No matter which of the Virgin Voyages sleeping quarters you choose from, you’ll be met with super comfortable beds, a roomy rainshower, mood lighting, free Wi-Fi and a large flat-screen HDTV. Want to really push the boat out? Opt for luxury suites that promise five-star comfort and opulence, with champagne tables, sun loungers, handwoven terrace hammocks and in-room bars. Virgin Voyages ‘RockStar’ Sailors can also enjoy everything from VIP entrances to private access to rooftop terraces.

Whether your spirit is one of a dancing queen or a sophisticated theatre-goer, Virgin Voyages has nightlife and entertainment options to suit every taste – developed with the help of the world’s most-talked-about directors, choreographers, and artists. Choose from 80s parties, festival acts or classic stories like Romeo and Juliet – reinvented with a circus twist. Each ship offers something different, so if you’re a Virgin Voyages regular, you’ll never see the same thing twice. Save your vocal chords for the private karaoke rooms, while the casinos and gaming arcades could elevate an already winning mood even further.

Don’t want to leave your full-on fitness regime behind when you go on holiday? Or are you just curious to try a new healthy group class? Whatever your wellness wishes, there’s plenty to keep you busy onboard with workouts for every level. There’s yoga, HIIT, weight training, boxing, meditation and more, plus running or walking the signature 255-metre-ish Virgin red running track, which curves around the top of the ship in a halo shape. If relaxation is your main goal, head to the spa for everything from steam room and sauna to hot stone massage and seaweed wrap. The beauty salon offers a range of professional treatments, from manicures, pedicures and nail art to IV therapy, Botox and fillers.

While you’re free to enjoy port cities at your own leisure, Virgin Voyages also curates an array of land excursions or ‘Shore Things’ for those who want to immerse themselves in local culture. Why not enjoy a barefoot fish cookout on the Mexican island of Cozumel, a late night party on the Greek Island of Mykonos or visit the historic halls of Harvard University when sailing through Boston, Massachusetts. If you’re cruising the Caribbean, choose from a beach day in St Vincent and The Grenadines; explore the private island of Mustique or visit the colourful buildings of the capital Kingstown. Do as much or as little as you like – you’re always in charge!

Proving that there really is a cruise for everyone, Virgin Voyages’ child-free cruises visit almost endless destinations that span Europe, North America and the Caribbean. Choose a five-night cruise from New York to Bermuda, taking in the paradise pink-sand beaches, maritime history and cafe culture of the island, or maybe a seven-night voyage starting in Los Angeles and sailing to Cabo San Lucas and Mazatlan in Mexico. For a trip closer to home, soak in the Mediterranean sunshine while visiting Europe’s most famous cities and islands starting in the homeports of Greece and Spain. Tick off an array of bucket list destinations with the Idyllic Ibiza cruise aboard the Valiant Lady; set sail from Rome to Barcelona with stop offs at the superluxe Amalfi Coast, Cannes and Ibiza – now, that’s what you call an A-list adventure.

With so many incredible destinations to visit and on-board luxury to explore, a cruise with Virgin Voyages is a holiday you’ll never stop talking about.

Discover Virgin Voyages luxury range of cruises and plan your next adventure today

Sky TV down as thousands of viewers report outages across the UK

Sky TV is down across the UK, with thousands of viewers reporting outages.

Customers have accused Sky of “unacceptable service” after complaining of receiving no update from the network hours after the issue first arose.

More than 8,000 people were reporting issues with the network just before 7am on Saturday, when the problems peaked, according to Downdetector.

The issues appeared to begin just before 3am, before peaking a few hours later, with hundreds still reporting issues throughout the morning on Saturday.

The online platform shows 8 per cent of viewers have faced a total blackout.

The listed affected areas include Manchester, Glasgow, Birmingham, Liverpool, Bristol, Leeds, London, Southampton and Derby.

The majority of the problems are seen to be with Sky TV, however streaming is also affected.

Customers have taken to social media to express their upset at the issue.

One said: “Seems to be a problem nationally with Sky TV, no satellite signal for many. But zero update, unacceptable service.”

Another added: “@skytv. Not-so-Good Morning, Sky! Any chance you could do us the courtesy of letting us know what’s going on? No one can access live TV. It’s clearly been going on for hours already, yet no a) fix, b) update or c) apology.”

The Independent has approached Sky for comment.

The latest outage comes after tens of thousands of Sky TV customers reported being unable to watch TV last May.

Most of those affected then said their TV kept crashing, leaving them unable to watch live shows.

Some users said a message stating that they had no signal popped up, while others said they could not view online content even if their internet connection was fine.

Sky Q box users said trying to load shows was not working, and that even after unplugging their TV’s, their box would crash when booted up.

It was understood that there was a technical issue causing some Sky Q boxes to go into a standby state.

A Sky spokesperson said at the time: “We’re sorry some customers had trouble accessing Sky Q last night. The issue was quickly resolved, and service has been restored.”

When will it snow next in the UK after Storm Goretti?

Heavy snow fell across the UK this week, burying areas under up to 30cm amid warnings of the “worst snowfall in a decade”, with more expected soon.

Storm Goretti swept across the Channel to the UK on Thursday evening and into Friday, battering the Isles of Scilly and Cornwall with hurricane-force winds and covering much of the UK with snow.

The Met Office issued a number of weather warnings for snow, ice and rain across much of the country on Friday, as people faced travel disruption and schools closed.

But while Storm Goretti slowly edged away towards the end of Friday, it won’t be long until the UK can expect to see its next spell of snow.

Three yellow snow and ice warnings have been extended into Saturday by the Met Office. The warnings cover Scotland and large swathes of Northern England, the Midlands, and parts of the South West, as well as Wales and Northern Ireland.

A yellow warning for snow and ice came into force from midday on Friday and was extended until 3pm on Saturday, with further snowfall possible across parts of northern England and much of Scotland, while a widespread risk of ice is expected to cause disruption.

A separate yellow warning for ice is covering large parts of England and Wales from midday on Friday until midday on Saturday as partially thawed snow refreezes, accompanied by wintry showers and freezing fog.

In Northern Ireland, a yellow warning for snow and ice came into force from 5pm on Friday and runs until 11am on Saturday, with the Met Office warning of icy patches and some hill snow.

A yellow weather warning for snow and ice has also been issued across Scotland, the north of England, and parts of the Midlands for Sunday. The Met Office said parts of the affected area could see as much as 30cm of snow, with 5cm likely more widely, with the alert running from 2am until 3pm.

Forecasters say the band of snow will move across the warning area on Sunday morning, with high ground once again most likely to see the most intense snowfall.

Temperatures are expected to hover largely above freezing, at around 2C in most of the affected areas.

People are being urged to plan travel routes ahead of time as snow is set to bring “possible delays” that could leave people and cars stranded. The Met Office has also told residents in the affected areas to prepare for potential power cuts, which it said could also impact mobile phone coverage.

Saturday

Wintry showers will continue to affect some coastal countries, these will become increasingly confined to the north and east later. Elsewhere, dry with variable amounts of cloud and remaining frosty all day in places. Much lighter winds than of late.

Saturday evening

Mostly dry overnight with a widespread frost, particularly in the east. Skies clouding over across western areas with outbreaks of rain, preceded by some sleet and snow in the north.

Sunday

Further wet and windy weather moving east, with some snow across the north. As temperatures recover, the snow will become confined to high ground later. Strengthening winds with coastal gales.

Outlook for Monday to Wednesday

Turning milder into next week, with periods of heavy showers or longer spells of rain. Winds will strengthen at times, though there will also be some occasional brighter interludes.