Ukrainian Roman Lavrynovych, 22, and Romanian Stanislav Carpiuc, 27, acted on the orders of a Russian-speaking Telegram contact called "El Money", the Old Bailey heard.

A Toyota RAV4, which once belonged to the prime minister, was set alight in Kentish Town, north London, in the early hours of 8 May last year.

On 11 May, a fire was started at the door of an Islington flat, where Sir Keir had previously lived, while his constituency home was attacked on 12 May 2025.

The prime minister's sister-in-law, Judith Alexander, who moved in after Sir Keir entered Downing Street, told how she heard bangs and saw smoke as her partner and daughter slept.

Prosecutors said the arson attacks were "planned and directed" by their contact known only as "El Money", who promised to pay Lavrynovych £3,000 in cryptocurrency.

The Russian-speaking mastermind behind the attacks aimed to strike "fear" into the prime minister and cause "unrest" across the country, said commander Helen Flanagan, head of Counter Terrorism Policing (CTP) London.

Construction worker Lavrynovych claimed he had been threatened by the shadowy figure, who demanded that the fires were filmed and on the news.

Carpiuc, who had a short-lived modelling career, said he had been drinking in a pub in Notting Hill at the time of the attacks.

Carpiuc, from Romford, east London, and Lavrynovych, from Sydenham, southeast London, had denied conspiracy to damage property.

Lavrynovych also denied damaging two properties by fire with intent to endanger life or being reckless as to whether life was endangered.

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Lavrynovych and Carpiuc were found guilty of plotting to damage property after a jury deliberated for seven-and-a-half hours.

Co-defendant Petro Pochynok, 35, was cleared of the same charge.

Lavrynovych was also convicted of damaging two properties by fire being reckless as to whether life was endangered on 11 May and 12 May last year.

Mr Justice Garnham remanded the defendants into custody to be sentenced on Friday.

Ms Flanagan of CTP London, following the convictions, said there was nothing to indicate the shadowy Telegram contact was a "state threat".

But she added: "I think the intention of the defendants was clearly to take payment, and to carry out a crime for money.

"There was no ideological motivation around that, and there's no evidence to suggest that they knew who they were targeting, and that that was the prime minister or properties linked to the prime minister.

"However, clearly the intention from the online tasker was to create fear, both for the victim and the prime minister, and cause uncertainty, unrest, for the UK."

In the wake of the attacks, "El Money" encouraged Lavrynovych to flee.

He said: "Look, you attacked the home of a very high-ranking person in Britain. I'll send you money, you need to leave the city.

"If the police detain you, secretly write the word, 'geranium' and I'll send a lawyer to you, I'll give you money for a week and a new phone. We won't be in touch for a week."

Lavrynovych was charged on 15 May last year, just days after the attacks.

Carpiuc was stopped two days later at Luton Airport as he waited for a flight to Romania.

Following the verdicts, Frank Ferguson, from the Crown Prosecution Service, said: "These were deliberate and dangerous acts of arson carried out against properties and a vehicle linked to the prime minister, and they posed a serious risk to life.

"Such offences go beyond damage to property - they are intended to intimidate and undermine public confidence, and that will not be tolerated."

A government spokesman said: "This was an abhorrent attack and those responsible have now been brought to justice for their acts.

"We thank our partners in law enforcement and the Crown Prosecution Service for bringing these criminals to justice."

Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch said: "Keir Starmer and I disagree on many things, but good people across the political spectrum will welcome today's verdicts, condemn these appalling attacks which seem to have been sponsored by Russia and wish the PM and his family well.

"Whatever our political differences, no-one should face intimidation, threats or attacks because they hold public office."

The defendant, 16, who can't be named, is accused of killing 9-year-old Aria Thorpe in Weston Super-Mare on 15 December 2025.

Aria suffered a single stab wound to the chest.

Opening the trial at Bristol Crown Court, Prosecutor Ray Tully KC told the jury about the moment Aria was found on the floor.

A family friend of Aria's had returned from work to discover her body in the living room, surrounded by a large blood stain.

While the friend called 999 and performed CPR on Aria, the court heard that the defendant, who was 15 at the time, had fled at about 5.55pm to Worle railway station.

The jury was told he spoke to a group of young people on the station platform that he knew from school, asking one to borrow their phone.

Police analysis found he had searched on the phone what would happen if he killed someone.

He was heard by the witnesses saying he had to "get away" and that the victim had run into the 22cm knife he was holding.

One member of the group asked people to distract the boy while she called the police, an action the prosecution described as "smart, thoughtful and brave".

The boy was arrested on board the train minutes later.

In a police interview, the defendant described how Aria had said his name after the stabbing before taking two steps and falling to the floor while holding her chest.

He said he left because he felt scared, and when asked if he regretted it, he nodded.

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The prosecution also told the jury that the defendant had been messaging on his mobile phone throughout the night before the attack, from midnight to around 3am.

One group chat was named "Cut my life into pieces" before the defendant changed it to "I am going to kms" - the prosecution saying it presumably stands for 'kill myself'.

The defendant had his phone confiscated the next day, hours before the attack - and in police interviews, he said his phone represented "freedom" to him.

The jury heard Aria was 4ft 4 inches tall and weighed just over four stone.

She suffered a stab wound around 8cm to her heart, which also punctured her left lung.

The teenager denies murder and an alternative charge of manslaughter.

The trial, which is due to last two weeks, continues.

Digwa was handed a life sentence with a minimum of 21 years in prison for stabbing Mr Nowak with a ceremonial knife with a 21cm blade that he claimed he carried as part of his Sikh religion.

He had previously been investigated by police in 2023 on suspicion of stealing ceremonial blades from a Sikh temple in Southampton, but no further action was taken.

Digwa falsely accused Mr Nowak of launching a racist attack, which led to the 18-year-old student being handcuffed as he lay dying from stab wounds.

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The case sparked outrage and violent protests amid claims the police had disbelieved Mr Nowak when he told them he had been stabbed, because he was white.

Solicitor General Ellie Reeves KC applied for the prison term given to 23-year-old Digwa to be reconsidered under the Unduly Lenient Sentence scheme.

She said: "This case horrified me, and I know that feeling is shared by the British public. It is right that difficult questions need to be answered about the way the police handled Henry's Nowak's murder, while my role is to review Digwa's sentence for his crimes.

"After careful consideration, I have taken the decision to refer this case to the Court of Appeal.

"No sentence can ever undo the devastation that Henry's family have suffered, or fill the void left by his loss. But I hope this referral goes some way towards bringing them the justice they deserve."

A June 2 protest involving 1,000 people started outside Southampton Central Police Station before hundreds moved on to the Portswood area where Mr Nowak had been killed and where the violence began.

So far, 23 people have been charged over the protest, with 13 people having been jailed so far.

Sir Keir Starmer said he "felt sick" when he watched the bodycam footage of the moments before Mr Nowak's death.

The prime minister said: "I found it really hard. It was harrowing."

Police launched an appeal in 2017 after a woman was pushed into the bus lane on Putney Bridge.

CCTV footage was released by the Metropolitan Police shortly after the incident, but no one had been arrested until Monday.

Scotland Yard confirmed a 44-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of attempted grievous bodily harm over the alleged attack in May 2017.

A Metropolitan Police spokesperson said: "On Monday, 15 June, a 44-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of attempted grievous bodily harm.

"He was taken to police custody, where he remains.

"The arrest relates to an incident on 5 May 2017, where a woman was pushed into the path of a bus on Putney Bridge in Putney. Enquiries continue."

The 33-year-old victim suffered only minor injuries after she was shoved into oncoming traffic as she walked along the bridge towards south London.

The driver of an approaching bus managed to swerve to avoid hitting her by only inches, resulting in him being hailed as a hero for his quick reaction.

The dramatic CCTV footage of the incident was viewed millions of times online.

The footage shows the male jogger running past another man on the bridge, before knocking the woman to the ground.

Nearly four months after the incident, the Metropolitan Police released CCTV images of a man taken from inside the bus in a bid to identify the suspect.

Police closed the investigation in June 2018 after admitting officers had exhausted all lines of enquiry.

In the course of their investigation, officers arrested and released three men without pursuing charges.

Monday's arrest came nine years after police first made public appeals for information concerning the incident.

The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) said the yellow heat health alerts would apply to the East of England, East Midlands, London and the South East from 3pm on Wednesday until 8pm on Monday.

The conditions are likely to cause a greater risk to life for vulnerable people along with an increased use of healthcare services, officials said.

The UKHSA also said water-related risks may rise, including those associated with drowning and cold-water shock.

Forecasters said southern parts could see temperatures reach 30C on Friday - but it could also turn "rather lively" with thunderstorms, while heavy rain may sweep into other areas.

Find out the forecast for your area

Sky meteorologist Steff Gaulter said: "The UK is sandwiched between an area of low pressure in the Atlantic and an area of high pressure that's in charge across Europe.

"For northern and western parts of the UK, it'll be the low pressure that dominates this week and we can expect things to be rather unsettled with some heavy rain at times.

"But in the South East, the high pressure will extend over us, and warm weather will seep in from the continent.

"This is where the temperatures will build and where we could see temperatures touching 30C later on Friday.

"There's the chance that the hot weather could spark off the odd thunderstorm, so it might turn rather lively."

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The Met Office said high pressure was starting to build and there is a "warm plume moving up through continental Europe" - with southeastern parts of the UK expected to turn "very warm and humid" from Wednesday.

In contrast, some northern parts can expect "further rain at times" on Thursday and Friday, the agency said.