ITV Lunchtime News

The head of MI5, Sir Ken McCallum, said in his annual address that multiple threats should be treated as a shared challenge, warning about AI in the wrong hands and the combination of AI and bioweapons. He said terrorists had been caught seeking to exploit AI, named Russia as the number one aggressor and also cited Iran and North Korea, said resources for countering threats from other countries were higher than during the Cold War, and announced a new MI5-based body drawing on intelligence experts. He stressed public resilience, including awareness of approaches from China via sites such as LinkedIn. An ITV News investigation then reported that thousands of children in England were being seen in corridors and waiting rooms rather than clinical areas. It told the story of two-year-old Finlay Roberts, who spent nine hours in A&E, mostly on a corridor chair, was discharged and later died from a twisted bowel; his mother described administering a suppository in public. Data from 165 A&E departments found 7% of children in paediatric A&E and 15% of admitted children in all emergency departments seeing children were treated in spaces such as waiting rooms, ambulances or corridors, despite NHS guidance that corridor care is never acceptable for children. The hospital said staff worked tirelessly and were taking all possible steps to improve; the government said it was determined to end corridor care; the NHS said the data was a year old and it was making significant strides.

The latest forecast said the UK economy was expected to grow more than previously expected, but the International Monetary Fund warned that higher energy prices and interest rates could hit the country's finances next year and that the global economy was uncertain because of rising debt and financial uncertainty around AI. Reporting from the IMF's annual meeting in Bangkok, Joel Hills said the IMF thought the UK would be the second fastest growing economy in the G7 this year alongside Germany but also have one of the highest inflation rates, with higher interest rates and energy bills likely to leave the average household not feeling well off. He noted risks that the AI boom could turn to bust and the Gulf conflict could drag on, and said the Chancellor would arrive with a message of discipline in two weeks' budget while promising extra support; the IMF said any new spending or tax cuts had to be paid for. The broadcast next reported that Ukraine had faced a barrage of missiles from Russia over two nights, with President Zelenskyy saying jet drones and ballistic missiles were used. In Kharkiv, over 40 people were injured and many were missing, and an apartment block was struck by one of nine missiles; there were further ballistic missile attacks in Kyiv, and Emma Murphy reported that a lack of air defence meant missiles were reaching civilian areas, with no sign of an energy ceasefire and continual attacks on power infrastructure, the rail network and civilians. It also reported that TFG, which owns Hobbs, Whistles and Phase Eight, had apologised after a cyber security incident on Sunday; it was investigating whether customer information was accessed and said web services might be down. H&M confirmed it was investigating reports of a potential hack but said there was no evidence its data was breached, while ASOS had given more details of a hacker impersonating a trusted contact and accessing an employee account. Companies were urged to train staff on phishing and keep software up to date, and customers were advised not to click suspicious links and to change passwords after a hack.

The broadcast reported the death of Breaking Bad actor RJ Mitte at the age of 34. Bryan Cranston, who played his father on the show, said he was in deep despair, calling him his sweet son who never allowed his disability to be an excuse; Aaron Paul said in tribute that Mitte was loved and not alone. Mitte played Walter White Jr, brought his own experience of cerebral palsy to the role and won a Screen Actors Guild Award in 2014, and was described as an outspoken advocate for disabled people in entertainment; his latest film, Talking to Strangers, came out earlier this year and he appeared on a US podcast days ago. His representatives confirmed his death in Texas, describing him as a beloved actor, philanthropist and disability rights advocate and his passing as tragic; the cause of death was not yet known. Finally, the pensioner Anne Harper was preparing to make pageant history at 71 by becoming the oldest Miss Great Britain finalist. She said getting older did not mean disappearing, and after a period of severe depression she turned to TikTok to share her story, then entered and won Miss Ayrshire in June. She said anybody could apply, it gave purpose and she urged people not to be afraid, with the report noting that reaching the national stage was a reminder it was never too late to try something new.