LATEST NEWS

The M25 anticlockwise carriageway at junction 15 closes from 8 PM on October 17 to 10 AM on October 18 — and again the following weekend — for preparatory work on two major bridge expansion joints. Alex and Jordan cover the M4 diversion, the expected Sunday morning congestion, what it means for Heathrow passengers, and why the rail alternatives may be the smart play.

OPEC projects global oil demand will rise by 2.4 million barrels per day in 2027 to 108.2 million barrels per day, led by India and non-OECD Asia, in a forecast delivered at the IMF-World Bank meetings in Bangkok. Alex and Jordan examine the 2027 recovery story versus 2026's flat outlook, what 108.2 mb/d means for the energy transition debate, and how the bullish call lands amid $110 Brent and near-record diesel.

Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi sent a ritual masakaki offering to the Yasukuni Shrine on October 17 for its autumn festival, prompting South Korea's expression of deep disappointment and regret over a shrine that enshrines 14 Class-A war criminals. Alex and Jordan cover minister Kiuchi's in-person visit, the strain on Japan-China ties after Takaichi's Taiwan remarks, and why the shrine remains Asia's most durable diplomatic tripwire.

SNP delegates at the Aberdeen annual conference voted by a large majority for a UK-wide ban on the social media platform X, calling on the Scottish Government and the party to delete their accounts over child safety and disinformation concerns. Alex and Jordan examine Erin Lux's case against X and Grok, the warning that leaving surrenders 320,000 followers, and whether a nationwide platform ban is even imaginable.

Liverpool came from behind to beat nine-man Brentford 2-1 on October 17 after a Yarmoliuk red card for headbutting, with Isak scoring the winner, while Erling Haaland's double kept Manchester City perfect with a 3-2 win over Ipswich. Alex and Jordan cover Chelsea's rise to fourth under Xabi Alonso with Neto's brace, Arbeloa's first Fulham win, and what the results mean for the title race.

Britain's Sonay Kartal beat Jelena Ostapenko 7-6, 7-6 on October 17 to reach her first WTA 1000 final in Wuhan, becoming the lowest-ranked player ever to reach that stage and the second British woman after Johanna Konta. Alex and Jordan break down the tiebreak heroics against 50 Ostapenko winners, the comeback from a back injury in her third tournament back, and the new British No. 1 ranking awaiting her.

Kenya confirmed four new Ebola cases on October 17, bringing the total to seven, including three health workers who treated the country's first patient — the first known transmission inside Kenya — in an outbreak of the rare Bundibugyo strain with no approved vaccines. Alex and Jordan track the 128 of 130 contacts traced, the fact that all new cases were already in quarantine, and the border-screening lapses that let the index case through.

Stormont MLAs voted 70 to 22 on October 17 to let the UK government roll out its welfare reforms in Northern Ireland, following Tuesday's political agreement between the DUP, Sinn Fein and the British and Irish governments. Alex and Jordan cover the deal that settled the budget crisis threatening devolution, the critics who call it a surrender of Stormont's powers, and what Westminster-run welfare means for claimants.

EU leaders closed their two-day Brussels summit on October 16 without agreement on the bloc's 2028-2034 long-term budget, deferring talks to November 26, and stopped short of approving President Zelenskyy's request for an additional €70 billion for next year. Alex and Jordan examine the energy and migration clashes, the new trade-defence tools aimed at China, and Zelenskyy's fury at Trump's Russia diesel deal amid fears of a US pullback.

Iran's Revolutionary Guards said on October 17 that two oil tankers, each carrying about 2 million barrels of crude, caught fire after hitting naval mines while crossing the Strait of Hormuz, though there is no independent confirmation of the reports. Alex and Jordan unpack the disputed claims, the sunken container ship and bulk carrier earlier this week, CENTCOM's rejection of Iranian control assertions, and what the surge in waterway attacks means for energy prices.