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New Conservative leader makes key appointments and says she wants to unite party, with Stride a senior figure on the left and Patel prominent rightwingerStarmer went on to say the government was going to treat people smugglers like terrorists". And he explained what that meant.So we're taking our approach to counter terrorism, which we know works, and apply it to the gangs with our new Border Security Command.We're ending the fragmentation between policing, Border Force and our intelligence agencies, recruiting hundreds of specialist investigators, the best of the best, from our National Crime Agency, Border Force, immigration enforcement and the CPS [Crown Prosecution Service] and our intelligence agencies, all working together.We have the powers to trace suspects' movements using information from the intelligence services.We can shut down their bank accounts, cut off their internet access, and arrest them for making preparations to act before an attack has taken place.I will work with anyone serious who could offer solutions of this, anyone, because without coordinated global action, it will not go away.And unless we bring all the powers we have to bear on this in much the same way as we do for terrorism, then we will struggle to bring these criminals to justice. Continue reading...

Security and defence will be difficult areas if the Republicans triumph but neither candidate seems keen on a trade deal with BritainEarly on Wednesday morning the results will start to trickle in from the most consequential US presidential election in a generation.The result will set the path for the US's relationship with a UK led by its first Labour government in 14 years. Keir Starmer and his team have sought to prepare themselves for either eventuality: a Kamala Harris victory, with its easier, more predictable consequences, or a second Donald Trump administration and the volatility that would bring. Continue reading...

Residents warned of potentially life-threatening conditions' including tornadoes and severe thunderstormsA day after tornadoes injured at least 11 people while downing trees, power lines and gas lines, communities in Oklahoma on Monday were navigating fresh warnings of destructive weather.Six or more tornadoes hit the state overnight into Sunday - and more tornadoes (some strong), large hail, and severe thunderstorm gusts, are expected today into tonight from the Southern Plains into the Ozarks and mid Mississippi Valley", the US's National Weather Service (NWS) said on Monday. Continue reading...

Being married or in marriage-like' situation may bring health benefits - but quality of relationship is key, say expertsThey were portrayed as self-satisfied and insufferable by Bridget Jones's Diary, but research suggests cohabiting couples may have something to be smug about: they have a lower risk of depression than singletons.A large-scale analysis involving more than 100,000 individuals across seven countries has added weight to previous research suggesting that being married or being in a marriage-like" relationship could bring health benefits. Continue reading...

Strike called after negotiations between the guild and Times management failed to yield a contract agreementThe New York Times Tech Guild, which represents hundreds of the outlet's tech staff workers, went on strike Monday morning - one day before the US presidential election.The threat of a strike has existed within the company for months, raising questions over a potential disruption of election coverage. The newspaper giant confirmed in a statement that members would begin protesting outside the Times headquarters daily, beginning at 9am Monday. Continue reading...

Government drops opposition to case of 64 people, including 16 children, who fled persecution in Sri LankaDozens of Tamils stranded on the remote Indian Ocean island of Diego Garcia for more than three years are to be airlifted to the UK after the government dropped its opposition to their case, the high court has heard.The 64 people, including 16 children, have been stranded on the island since October 2021, when a fishing boat they were using to flee persecution in Sri Lanka got into difficulties. Continue reading...

RFK Jr, an anti-vaccine conspiracy theorist, says Trump promised him control over public health policy if he winsDonald Trump suggested vaccines could be banned if he becomes president, in the clearest sign yet of a radical shake-up in public health policy should he put his ally Robert F Kennedy Jr in charge of it.Trump on Sunday told NBC that Kennedy, the anti-vaccine conspiracy theorist and former independent candidate who dropped out and endorsed Trump, would have a big role in the administration" if wins Tuesday's presidential election. Trump said he would talk to Kennedy about vaccinations. Continue reading...

Populist groups capitalising on costly environmental policies that affect farmers by offering them support

Sibling of murder victim says it is difficult to understand' purpose of eight-part series co-produced by KnoxMeredith Kercher will always be remembered for her own fight for life", the sister of the murdered British student has said as filming began in Italy on a controversial TV series co-produced by Amanda Knox about the case.Filming of the eight-episode series, Blue Moon, has coincided with the 17th anniversary of the murder, for which Knox was twice convicted before being definitively acquitted in 2015. Continue reading...

Victims remains in hospital in a critical but stable condition with injuries to her neck, abdomen, chest and backA teenager has been remanded into custody after he appeared in court charged with attempting to murder a 13-year-old girl and possessing a samurai sword.The 14-year-old was arrested after a girl was found with life-threatening injuries near Hull on Friday morning.

Nearly 70 people committed to Project Veritas founder's election scheme, whistleblower says

Foreign minister says bomb threats against polling stations in German cities show Putin will stop at nothing'Germany has condemned what it called a massive, coordinated attempt" to prevent Moldovans abroad from voting in the second round of the country's presidential election.Germany's foreign minister, Annalena Baerbock, said vote-buying, manipulation and bomb threats against Moldovan polling stations - even in Germany" - were aimed at the heart of European democracy", and showed that the Russian president, Vladimir Putin, will stop at nothing". Continue reading...

Children for Change contains stories, poems, and illustrations from more than 80 collaborators including Jamie Oliver, Mary Portas, David Baddiel and Adam KayKonnie Huq, Jamie Oliver, David Baddiel, Adam Kay, Mary Portas and Joseph Coelho are among those collaborating on an ebook about the climate crisis which will be free to access for every UK primary school.The ebook, Children for Change, is edited by Huq and features contributions from more than 80 writers, illustrators, environmentalists and young people including Tom Gates author Liz Pichon, The Gruffalo illustrator Axel Scheffler and TV presenter Chris Packham. Continue reading...

Arizona official notes that hardened tactics, including active shooter drills, offer sad commentary' on countryElections offices in the US have hardened their security measures this year, anticipating potential violence based on experience since 2020 and during an ongoing rise in threats and harassment focused on election workers.Many offices have now trained their workers on de-escalation tactics. They've run drills for active shooters or other disturbances. They have a process for flagging the threats that could be criminal and seeking law enforcement help when needed.Don't miss important US election coverage. Get our free app and sign up for election alerts Continue reading...

History teacher stabbed and decapitated near his school in a Paris suburb in 2020 in case that shocked FranceEight people have gone on trial in Paris for their alleged role in events leading to the beheading of the history teacher Samuel Paty in 2020, in a case that horrified France and heightened fears of terrorist attacks on schools.Paty, a 47-year-old history teacher, was stabbed and then decapitated near his secondary school in the Paris suburb of Conflans-Sainte-Honorine, by Abdoullakh Anzorov, a radicalised 18-year-old who arrived in France aged six with his Chechen parents and had been granted asylum. Continue reading...

Claire Hanna lambasts arrogance of former PM and stinking status quo' in Stormont that has stifled ambitionBoris Johnson left a wholly negative legacy" for the island of Ireland but difficulties in Northern Ireland also stem from a stinking status quo" that has stifled ambition and drive for change, the new leader of the Social Democratic and Labour party has said.Weeks after taking over from Colum Eastwood, Claire Hanna, spoke about her plans to revive the SDLP, pull Northern Ireland out of past mindsets and fight for new partnerships with Dublin on health and other public services. Continue reading...

Head of LVMH, an investor in Italy's Moncler, reportedly keen to get deal done with British luxury brand

Problems with delivery of 737 aircraft left airline over-crewed and over-costed', says CEO Michael O'Leary

Day after king and PM pelted by angry residents, search focuses on areas where people could have been trappedHundreds of civil and military emergency workers are searching shopping centres, garages and underground car parks for more victims of floods in the Valencia region that have killed at least 214 people, as public anger mounts over Spanish authorities' handling of the disaster.Yellow and amber weather warnings were in place for parts of Valencia and neighbouring Catalonia on Monday, with people in the affected areas advised to stay off the roads and keep away from the coast and rivers. Continue reading...

The outcome could have profound implications for the wars in Gaza and Ukraine as well as the climate crisisAmerica's moment of reckoning has arrived. On Tuesday, the nation will hold a presidential election like none before, poised between the historic candidacy of a Black woman and a former president branded a fascist by his own former officials.Democrat Kamala Harris and Republican Donald Trump spent the weekend barnstorming swing states, aware that opinion polls show them running neck-and-neck in the race for the White House. Analysts are predicting the closest election since 2000, when George W Bush prevailed by 537 votes, and warning of the threat of civil unrest and political violence. Continue reading...

The double silver medallist and his brother given 13- and 15-year sentences but could be freed because of time served for 2018 cocaine operation

Source says one person's hand was severed in altercation involving several people at Ozoir-la-Ferriere stationFour people have been wounded, two of them seriously, after an axe was used during a fight on a suburban train outside Paris, a police source said.One of the victims had their hand severed and another had their skull split open, the source added, asking not to be named. Two others were less seriously injured. Continue reading...

Outgoing artistic director of Young Vic calls for urgent government action to redress arts funding in schoolsKwame Kwei-Armah, the outgoing artistic director of the Young Vic, has warned that diversity in the theatre industry will regress if the government does not make urgent interventions to improve the provision of drama and art classes in schools.The director and dramatist has scripted a new Hercules musical that opens at Theatre Royal Drury Lane in London in June 2025, taking over the musical mantle at the theatre from Frozen. It will be his first major project since stepping down from the Young Vic earlier this year. Continue reading...

Widely and wildly talented musician and industry mogul worked with Michael Jackson, Frank Sinatra, Will Smith and others

LNP energy minister rules out considering a smaller version of the Pioneer Burdekin scheme

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Rachel Reeves announced in her budget that after April 2026 heirs will pay tax when farms are passed onFor more than 100 years, the family of 56-year-old Andrew Smith has had a cattle farm on Bodmin Moor in Cornwall. Smith, who now runs the farm, sees chancellor Rachel Reeves's changes to inheritance tax rules as a grave betrayal of British farmers.Working with his three sons, the farm produces about 2,000 sheep and 30 to 40 cows each year, yet makes no profit", he says. We just pay the bills." Continue reading...

National Audit Office report says taxpayer-funded scheme made payment to suspected scammer last autumnFraudsters may have stolen 500,000 from a taxpayer-funded scheme aimed at accelerating the removal of dangerous cladding from buildings, the public spending watchdog has revealed.The National Audit Office said the government decision to prioritise speed in handing out money to building owners had increased its risk of losses from fraud. Continue reading...

In today's newsletter: The new Conservative party leader was announced on Saturday - and must build a credible opposition from a small pool of colleagues in the House of Commons Sign up here for our daily newsletter, First EditionGood morning. Kemi Badenoch was elected as Conservative leader over the weekend, and now has a window of about two minutes of mainstream attention before the US election devours the entire news agenda. That is not time to plot the next five years in any detail. But it doesn't take long to observe just how stiff the challenge she faces will be.The contest was billed as a postmortem of the election defeat - but as it played out, we don't even know in any detail why Badenoch thinks the Tories lost. She said yesterday that the threat of Reform UK was a symptom of her party not being consistent enough about values" - without being specific about what that would mean in practice. Meanwhile she starts with a reputation as an abrasive media performer who is firmly on the right of her party, and will soon have to decide whether to oppose public spending increases just four months after a landslide defeat.US election | In the final stretch of the presidential race, Donald Trump has said he should never have left the White House after his defeat in 2020 and joked darkly he would be fine with reporters getting shot. Meanwhile, Kamala Harris promised to work to end the war in Gaza as she attempted to appeal to Arab American and Muslim American voters in Michigan.Europe | The pro-western incumbent Maia Sandu has won a second term in office in the Moldovan presidential election, preliminary results have shown, marking a significant boost for the country's EU aspirations and a clear rebuke to Moscow.Labour | Rachel Reeves has admitted she was wrong to say before the election that no major tax rises would be needed, but promised there was no need to increase taxes further" after last week's budget raised 40bn.Spain | Hundreds of people have heckled Spain's King Felipe and prime minister Pedro Sanchez - throwing mud and shouting murderers" - as they visited an area in Valencia devastated by last week's floods. The scenes laid bare the degree of anger among residents who feel abandoned by the authorities.Work | One thousand workers in the UK will get extra time off with no loss of pay in the first official pilot by the four-day week campaign under the Labour government. Amid growing momentum for a shorter working week, the campaign will present its findings in the summer. Continue reading...

Some of the east coast and the north will bake in a furnace of potentially life-threatening heat, the Bureau of Meteorology forecasts

Wild dogs may have taken any remains of three-year-old if he was buried in nearby bushland, deputy NSW coroner Harriet Grahame hears

Government plan to reduce smoking rates in danger of falling a decade behind scheduleEngland will not be smoke-free" until 2039, missing a key public health target by almost a decade, an analysis has found.While smoking rates are in decline they are not falling fast enough to realise the government's ambition of England being smoke-free" by 2030, according to Cancer Research UK (CRUK). Continue reading...

Chief executive says company is cooperating with the investigation, which is related to individuals who have left the firm

Victim's brother Nyot Bidong attacks stereotyping of Africans after attack outside North Melbourne nightclub

Billionaire mining CEO fined $8.8m amid investigation, which follows accusations he failed to disclose revenue generated by overseas entities to tax authorities

PM to address border crisis amid concern that small boats crossing Channel will remain key issue this parliamentPlans to tackle the national security threat" of people smugglers will receive an extra 75m and a new team of detectives, Keir Starmer will announce on Monday, in the latest move to curb small boats in the Channel.The prime minister is expected to address irregular migration at two events this week amid concern within No 10 that the government must offer a viable alternative to the Conservatives' defunct Rwanda scheme. Continue reading...

Samir Shah's speech to say public service broadcasting is a British success story that must not be allowed to die outThe fight is on" for the future of British programming at the BBC, the corporation's new chair is expected to say in his first big speech.Samir Shah will characterise public service broadcasting as a very British success story" and will say that ITV, Channel 4 and Channel 5 face similar challenges. Continue reading...

Update of Act FAST made as data for England shows average time between first symptom and call is 88 minutesDialling 999 as soon as stroke symptoms occur is crucial to saving lives and preventing lasting damage, a new NHS England campaign is to stress as data reveals people wait almost an hour and a half on average before making an emergency call.About 100,000 people in the UK have a stroke each year. The potentially life-threatening condition occurs when the blood supply to part of the brain is cut off . Recent data suggests that the number could increase to 151,000 a year by 2035. Continue reading...

Three men have over 100 points and one woman 96, analysis shows, leading to calls for review of system

Unicef director says three children injured after polio clinic came under fire despite promised humanitarian pauseA polio vaccination centre and the car of a UN aid official involved in this weekend's vaccination campaign came under fire despite a promised humanitarian pause" in Israeli bombardment, the UN has said.Catherine Russell, the executive director of the UN child support and protection agency, Unicef, said: At least three children were reportedly injured by another attack in the proximity of a vaccination clinic in Sheikh Radwan while a polio vaccination campaign was under way." Continue reading...

Off-duty officer arrested on suspicion of causing serious injury by dangerous driving in RochdaleA police officer has been arrested on suspicion of dangerous driving after a man was hospitalised and left in a life-threatening condition after being hit by a car.The crash occurred in Rochdale, Greater Manchester, at about 11pm on Friday, with the victim - a 42-year-old man - being hit while crossing the road. Continue reading...

True pioneer' rallied thousands of people in 1960s over company's refusal to hire black or Asian driversPaul Stephenson, the civil rights campaigner known for his role in the Bristol bus boycott, has died aged 87.Stephenson, who had been diagnosed with Parkinson's disease and dementia, was described as a true pioneer in the civil rights movement" in a statement issued by his family after his death on Saturday night. Continue reading...

New Tory leader calls Boris Johnson a great prime minister' who fell into a trap' over Covid rulesThe new Conservative leader, Kemi Badenoch, has said the Partygate scandal was overblown" as she rejected the need to churn over" everything that went wrong with previous Tory prime ministers.Badenoch won the party leadership on Saturday and said she was going to be honest" about what went wrong in the party under her predecessors. Continue reading...

Media reported stories of survivors including the woman trapped in her car in a flooded underpass for 72 hoursHer car was among the scores that were swept up in Spain's deadly floods, tossed about by the mud-coloured waters that surged on to streets. But after 72 hours spent trapped in an underpass, the woman was hailed as one of the lucky ones.After three days, we found someone alive in their car," Martin Perez, the head of Valencia's civil protection service, told volunteers on Saturday. The announcement prompted hearty applause. Continue reading...

Exclusive: one frontbencher said the absence was a serious embarrassment and a blind spot' as Tories elect first Black leaderSenior Labour MPs have expressed their frustration at the lack of Black representation in No 10 as the Conservatives elected Kemi Badenoch as their new leader.Labour sources said the WhatsApp group for Labour MPs of colour contained some furious messages from those who believe the party is not doing enough to represent Black, Asian and other minority ethnic groups at the top of government. Continue reading...

TV chef, who has signed up for bakery chain's first ever festive advert, says she is a fan of its sausage rollsNigella Lawson has issued an impassioned paean to the Greggs sausage roll, amid reports of a banger-based dust-up that threatened to cast a shadow over her appearance in the bakery chain's first ever Christmas advert.Greggs confirmed on Sunday that the celebrity chef and cookbook author had agreed to star in its inaugural Christmas promotion, in which Lawson will purr over such delicacies as vegan festive bakes. Continue reading...

Labour's links to gambling industry questioned again after decision not to raise tax rate for online gamingRachel Reeves has been criticised over a missed opportunity" to raise 900m from online casinos in her first budget as chancellor, amid concerns about the Labour party's ties to the 11bn-a-year gambling sector.Both the Liberal Democrats and Derek Webb - one of Labour's largest donors - questioned the chancellor's rejection of proposals to double remote gaming duty (RGD), levied on online games of chance, from 21% to 42%. Continue reading...

Families group calls Tory leader deeply misguided' after telling BBC that Boris Johnson-era scandal was overblown'Families bereaved by the Covid pandemic say they feel insulted by Kemi Badenoch's claim that the Partygate scandal was overblown".The new Conservative party leader also told the BBC that Boris Johnson had fallen into a trap" of breaking lockdown rules that should never have been introduced. Continue reading...

Court says arrests followed investigation into suspected breach of national security that had harmed Israeli war aims'