ITV News at Ten

An ITV undercover investigation into Reform UK reported that approved candidates and elected councillors had expressed racist, Islamophobic, misogynistic and extremist views. The broadcast said the footage showed some calling for deportations, describing non-white people in derogatory terms and discussing concealing their opinions while campaigning. After being approached for comment, Alan Feeney and Chris Whelan resigned from Reform UK and became independent councillors, while Dean Miller also resigned; Miller told ITV he had been heavily medicated for chronic pain. Martin Roberts said he had tried to be humorous, accepted and regretted using inappropriate language, and denied being a bigot or extremist. Reform UK said investigations had begun, some suspensions had been made and due process must be followed, adding that its vetting had improved but a handful of people might initially get through. Labour called the behaviour despicable racist behaviour and the Liberal Democrats called it utterly shocking.

The programme also reported on the trial of Russell Brand at Southwark Crown Court. Brand arrived saying he felt blessed, concerned and hopeful for good outcomes. The prosecution outlined graphic allegations from six women over a ten-year period, including rape after a fringe event at the Labour Party conference in 1999, an attempt to pull a woman towards a male toilet in 2001, grabbing a woman's breasts and raping her in a toilet in 2004, aggressively kissing a radio station employee and painfully grabbing her breast, rape after a comedy gig in 2009, and pressing his face into a woman's groin while she was at work the same year. The prosecutor described him as a ruthless sexual predator and said women were a means to an end. Brand sat upright and looked ahead; he has pleaded not guilty to all charges and the trial continues.

The broadcast also covered Ukraine after the United States placed limits on Ukraine's access to an American satellite communications system, affecting its ability to shoot down Russian missiles and the effectiveness of its drones. It said Ukraine had no prior warning of ballistic weapons launches for two nights as American intelligence was not being shared as before. Russian strikes on an apartment block in Kyiv killed at least five people. President Zelensky received a ceremonial welcome and cheers in Downing Street, where the UK promised additional support including air defence systems. He did not comment on claims that the US had stopped sharing crucial intelligence or restricted Starlink, saying such decisions were made far beyond Ukraine's borders while the consequences were borne within them.