Michael Knowles

Home Affairs and Defence Editor - Daily Express. Views my own.

[Michael Knowles @Express_Knowles]

Exclusive: I met with a people smuggler in Istanbul, who claimed European countries are "sending" migrants to the UK. "Ari" said people who "don't like it" in Europe can take "easy" boats from France.

Special report for @ExpressPolitics @Daily_Express:
https://t.co/ZvWXpvBvMA

[Michael Knowles @Express_Knowles]

New: MI5 has issued an unprecedented warning as they expose the methods of Chinese military intelligence officers trying to steal secrets.

https://t.co/Ma1z4i7vQ3

[Calgie @christiancalgie]

NEW: The BBC has apologised to Nigel Farage, and will make an additional apology at the start of tonight's episode of Newsnight.

Last night's broadcast has also been removed from iPlayer and Sounds.

We await Reform's verdict on whether they deem this sufficient...

[Michael Knowles @Express_Knowles]

New: Seven of the 11 police officers injured during the disorder in Southampton last night were hit by bricks thrown towards them.

Spencer Wragg, Chair of Hampshire Police Federation, said: “Mob 'justice' has no place on our streets – the rule of law and due process must be paramount. The perpetrators of such violence against our colleagues should and will face the full force of the law. We expect more arrests to follow.

“Officers were subjected to disgraceful violence – pelted with bottles, bricks and wheelie bins."

[Patrick Maguire @patrickkmaguire]

This decade's Liam Byrne note

[Michael Knowles @Express_Knowles]

This will surely be on every opposition leaflet for years to come.

[Guido Fawkes @GuidoFawkes]

PAT MCFADDEN: EVERY MEETING I HAVE IS "WHO CAN WE TAX IN ORDER TO PAY BENEFITS TO OTHERS"

[Jonathan Walker @jonwalker121]

Highlighting this to be fair

[¹⁰ @SxrgioSZN]

Who made this 😭😭😭😭

[Michael Reid @michael_reid11]

Since 2015-16, Liverpool have competed in 10 European campaigns.

They have either won it or been knocked out by the team that won it in 7 of those 10. #LFC

[Michael Knowles @Express_Knowles]

@Barnes_Joe @Tony_Diver @Telegraph Lovely stuff mate… congratulations

[Michael Knowles @Express_Knowles]

This is a brilliant piece of work.

A smuggler in the notorious Dunkirk camp told an undercover reporter: “No they won’t send you back, God have mercy on your parents.

“The coastguards’ job is to protect you, they’ll go out with you to protect you until you reach the UK.”

"On TikTok, where the gang markets its illegal services, Abu Hussein and his henchmen call themselves the “Kings of the Jungle” and declare themselves willing to die for their mission."

https://t.co/MQ4KzAqDVg

[Michael Knowles @Express_Knowles]

Full story in the @Daily_Express here: https://t.co/uhszzIHQuz

[Michael Knowles @Express_Knowles]

New: Almost half a million Russian soldiers have been killed since Vladimir Putin ordered his troops into Ukraine, a top British spy chief has revealed.

Anne Keast-Butler, Director of GCHQ, revealed the Kremlin’s killers are going “backwards” on the battlefield.

And Ms Keast-Butler offered an interesting insight into the future. One where AI and Quantum computing will be the first lines of defence.

She told delegates in Bletchley Park: "“GCHQ has developed the blueprint for a new national cyber defence capability that hardwires cutting-edge agentic AI into machine speed cyber defence.

“And as we draw on decades of expertise in machine learning to reimagine cyber security. We’re also embedding frontier AI deeper into our operations – responsibly and ethically - to enhance algorithms, translate foreign languages, and find needles in haystacks quicker than ever before.”

Agentic AI are autonomous systems that set goals, plan tasks and execute actions with little human interaction. They will effectively identify threats towards the UK, communicate with other AI “bots”, and develop an action plan.

The UK is believed to be the only country in the World to try such a method.

But the GCHQ boss revealed a new tech threat is emerging.

She said: “Quantum sensing is already here - our new cutting-edge work with academia and industry is identifying the fingerprints of stealth platforms, such as detecting missile launches.

“And once they are operational, quantum computers will be able to complete, in a matter of seconds, tasks that currently take years.

“That includes defeating the codes and encryption that keeps our secrets safe today."

[Michael Simmons @Simmons__]

The best jokes often write themselves

[J.K. Rowling @jk_rowling]

@eNeecie Every other day a new motorhome appears in my mother-in-law's drive and Neil hands me another bucket full of jewellery and cosmetics. I can only assume he's got himself a part time job I'm too busy to ask about.

[Liverpool FC @LFC]

A lovely moment between Salah and Hendo 🥹

[Michael Knowles @Express_Knowles]

Tomorrow’s Daily Express front page.

[Michael Knowles @Express_Knowles]

Apparently the tree was at risk of going on the line

[SWR Help @SW_Help]

We are very sorry for the disruption on the network this evening. A large tree, which was at risk of falling onto the railway at Walton-on-Thames, has now been removed. All lines in the area have now reopened. Please check before you travel, as services are still subject to delays. Thank you for your patience.

[Charlie Peters @CDP1882]

BREAKING @GBNEWS: Seven men, who are all Afghan nationals and refugees, have been charged with 40 offences after an investigation into an alleged grooming gang in Norwich.

Five of the men arrived illegally in Britain by small boat; two by lorry. All of the men have been in the country for several years. One arrived illegally as early as 2020.

The charges relate to two victims, who were in their early-to-mid teens at the time of the alleged offences.

[Michael Knowles @Express_Knowles]

Something good has finally happened this season.

[Alex Crook ⚽️🎙 @alex_crook]

EXC: Harry Maguire not in the England squad. Told he's gutted and shocked @talkSPORT

[Michael Knowles @Express_Knowles]

New: Net migration in the year to December 2025 hit 171,000, new figures from the ONS show.