The search for the crew of a missing fishing boat off a Scottish island has been stood down pending new information. The Kilda and its crew of Douglas Craigie, 49, Norman Murray, 40, and Murdo Morrison, 23, was first reported missing to authorities around 9.20pm on October 13 after it vanished somewhere near the Port of Ness off the north coast of the Isle of Lewis in the Outer Hebrides. ### Mr Craigie's body was found at 2.45am on Wednesday, but the bodies of his crewmates remain missing, as does the fishing vessel they were on. Police Scotland said the three men are local to the island. ### TRENDING Stories Videos Your Say ### The RNLI said it sent its all-weather Lochinver lifeboat out at 9.42pm on Tuesday after the boat failed to return, and Police Scotland were later notified of its disappearance at 11.35pm the same night. HM Coastguard has previously said an aircraft, two helicopters, six rescue teams and a local vessel were involved in the search. Police understand the Kilda left the Brevaig area in the west of the island at about 7.30am on Tuesday, before travelling to the Port of Ness area to work. After an extensive search, HM Coastguard said on Thursday evening that the response has been stood down, pending any new information. ### ### ### Chief Inspector Ross McCartney, local area commander for Police Scotland in the Western Isles, previously said: "Our thoughts are with everyone affected by this tragic incident. "The families of all three men involved are being provided with specialist support as our searches continue. "We would ask that the privacy of the families of all three men are respected at this difficult time. "We are working closely with the HM Coastguard and RNLI to search for the vessel and the two missing men." ### LATEST IN SCOTLAND: * Dog named 'animal of the year' for becoming first in the world to hunt invasive 'sea vomit' creature * Top British university tells students to snub tradition to accommodate foreign pupils * Rare whisky worth OVER £2million becomes second most valuable ever sold at auction ### ### He added: "We know that the local community will be keen to help in any way they can. "However, conditions are very challenging, and I would urge people not to put themselves at any risk. "Please do not attempt to carry out searches in areas which put you at risk of harm." Mr Craigie was remembered as "one of the most respected and experienced men in the job" by those in the community. ### ### ### Councillor Kenneth Macleod, convenor of Comhairle nan Eilean Siar, said it was a "very dark day" for the Isle of Lewis. He added that it was "not easy for the teams out searching" amid strong gusts of wind and heavy rain covering much of western Scotland. Those with information are urged to call 101, quoting reference 3575 of October 13, police have said. Police Scotland said a police presence remains in the Port of Ness area. ### ### **Our Standards: The GB News Editorial Charter**

A person with a gun opened fire at an elementary school in Oregon, wounding multiple victims, including children, before the assailant was killed. Local media reported that one adult and three children were killed in the violence at Silver Rail Elementary School in Bend, but it was not immediately clear whether the shooter was included in that death toll. ### Sheila Miller, communications manager for the Bend Police Department, told reporters she had no information about the shooter. Authorities have requested residents stay away from the elementary school as police continue their work at the scene. ### TRENDING Stories Videos Your Say ### Police were on campus within minutes, at which time the shooter went down almost immediately, Ms Miller said. Law enforcement sources told local media the shooter was a 16-year-old male. Bend is a city of some 100,000 people in central Oregon, about 175 miles (280 km) southeast of Portland. Silver Rail Elementary School serves kindergarten through to the fifth grade, roughly ages five to 11. It has about 450 students and 40 staff members, Ms Miller said. ### ### Bend-La Pine Schools Superintendent Steven Cook said in a statement, "We are stunned and heartbroken by this senseless tragedy. "We extend our deepest sympathy to the families and to everyone affected by this violence. No words can adequately express the grief our community is experiencing." FBI Director Kash Patel said Portland agents were on the scene and assisting local partners in the investigation. He said: "We will make every resource they need available." ### ### Senator Ron Wyden of Oregon said: "My heart is with the victims of today’s shooting at Silver Rail Elementary School and their loved ones now facing the consequences of another school shooting in America. "Once again we must ask how many schools must be shot up before Republicans agree to act to curb gun violence." School buses carrying students and staff members later arrived at the reunification centre set up at the nearby Journey Church. US Representative Maxine Dexter, a physician who represents a portion of Portland east of the Willamette River, called the shooting a "devastating day for Oregon." She said: "Schools should be places of learning, friendship and joy. It is incumbent on me, and every lawmaker, to do everything we can to ensure our kids are safe." ### **Our Standards: The GB News Editorial Charter**

Two midwives have been struck off after they delayed the assessment of a pregnant woman, leading to the death of her infant. The pregnant woman, suffering from vaginal bleeding at the time, was made to wait almost 40 minutes to be assessed when she arrived at King's Mill Hospital in Sutton-in-Ashfield. ### The hospital also failed to respond to requests for help from the patient's family, a Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) panel found. The woman, who has remained anonymous, was 41 weeks pregnant when she arrived at the maternity unit with vaginal bleeding in the early hours of September 13, 2023. ### TRENDING Stories Videos Your Say ### She had been at the hospital earlier suspecting she was in labour, but was sent home. Shortly after midnight, she called with concerns around bleeding and was told to return the facility. The telephone triage midwife did not update the system, but had verbally told Glenys Wood and Kathryn Duignan that the patient was bleeding and would be arriving at the unit. There were no other patients in triage and none were expected. Despite this, the woman was left waiting to be assessed for 37 minutes. ### ### ### On the night in question, Ms Duignan was in charge of the triage team as the only Band 7 maternity ward co-ordinator on duty, though the NMC report highlights that the maternity department "was understaffed generally" and that there should have been two. Despite Ms Duignan being near the front desk when the patient - who was "plainly in pain" - arrived in a wheelchair, the midwife did not triage her because she expected another colleague to, the panel found. The NMC did not accept this, as this colleague was a birthing midwife in an understaffed unit, not a triage midwife. When the colleague in question later came to the ward and asked if the patient had been assessed, she triaged her herself at 1.42am. The NMC report said "it was immediately apparent to her that there was a medical emergency", but in the meantime Mrs Wood had gone on a break. ### LATEST HEALTH NEWS: * Village GP surgeries could be shut under Labour's NHS reforms as cities prioritised * Somali migrant rapist wins court battle against NHS after painkillers prescribed during Ramadan * Andy Burnham rejects Yvette Cooper's plea for more NHS cash in pre-Budget Cabinet row ### ### The panel heard that Ms Duignan wrote a sign saying "gone for a break, back in 30" and placed it on Mrs Wood, who was sitting at the triage desk in public view. The baby died of a brain injury because of a lack of oxygen and blood flow to the brain, which was caused by placental abruption, with an inquest in July 2024 finding neglect had contributed to his death. The coroner ruled that if the mother had been seen on arrival, she would have had a Caesarean by at least 1.25am, rather than at 2.02am. If this had happened, the baby "would on balance have survived", according to the coroner. ### ### The panel also found that both Mrs Wood and Ms Duignan failed to respond to requests for help from the family, and determined that both would have heard the patient and her family shouting based on the proximity of the room they were in to the midwives' station. The NMC said the actions of the midwives "were a breach of the fundamental tenet of the profession", and neither member of staff engaged with the proceedings. The NMC warned there was a "high risk" of this conduct being repeated in light of this. Both were struck off the register, meaning they can no longer work as midwives. ### ### Philip Bolton, Executive Chief Nurse at Sherwood Forest Hospitals, said: "We are deeply sorry for the care the baby and their family received. We recognise the profound and lasting impact this has had on them and know this remains an incredibly difficult time. "The care provided that night fell far short of the standards the baby and their family had every right to expect from us. "Following the baby’s death, we carried out a comprehensive HR process and the individuals no longer work at the Trust. "We acknowledge the outcome of the NMC hearing and are continuing to work with the baby's family to do all we can to prevent this from happening again." ### **Our Standards: The GB News Editorial Charter**

Riot police have deployed tear gas and water cannons against crowds of anti-Trump demonstrators in the Albanian capital of Tirana. The disturbances represent the most serious challenge yet to long-serving Prime Minister Edi Rama, as what began as environmental activism has evolved into a broad uprising against Ivanka Trump and her husband, Jared Kushner. ### Tens of thousands of students have swelled the ranks of protesters this week, transforming months of largely peaceful demonstrations into fierce street confrontations. Officers clad in riot gear faced off against youths who erected barricades from blazing rubbish bins across the city's streets. ### TRENDING Stories Videos Your Say ### Demonstrators hurled stones at police lines, smashed traffic signals and lobbed petrol bombs whilst demanding Mr Rama's resignation. The turmoil has now spread beyond Tirana, with university students nationwide boycotting lectures in solidarity. The crisis has its roots in a proposed multi-billion-dollar luxury marina and tourism scheme linked to the US President's daughter and her husband Jared Kushner. The development would transform an uninhabited island and a pristine stretch of southern Albanian coastline — an area of lagoons, beaches, bays and headlands that serves as a haven for wildlife, including thousands of flamingos. ### ### ### Opposition to the project sparked demonstrations that began in May, with the movement adopting the name "Flamingo Revolution" in tribute to the threatened birdlife. Protesters have accused Mr Rama's administration of a lack of transparency surrounding the deal, holding it up as emblematic of wider governmental corruption. What started as an environmentally focused campaign steadily gathered momentum over the summer months, laying the groundwork for this week's dramatic escalation into nationwide disorder. On Wednesday evening, the unrest took a destructive turn when demonstrators set the education ministry ablaze and launched assaults on several other state buildings, among them the prime minister's office and the interior ministry. ### LATEST DEVELOPMENTS * Donald Trump says he hopes Pope Leo will 'get better fast' after lung cancer diagnosis * Donald Trump slammed by family of man mauled to death by tiger as they admit 'severe distress' * Donald Trump posts bizarre AI video showing him tackle and hug tiger following Yorkshire zoo death ### ### ### Youths constructed makeshift barricades from burning waste bins across Tirana's streets, clashing with officers in full riot gear. Bus stops were wrecked and petrol bombs were flung at government premises as the protests escalated well beyond anything witnessed during the preceding months of peaceful campaigning. Economy minister Delina Ibrahimaj hit back at the destruction, declaring: "Setting fire to an institution is not a peaceful protest. It is an act that endangers people's lives." The disorder has rippled outward from the capital to towns and cities across Albania. In Korçë, a southern town, teenagers reportedly shattered the windows of a secondary school, whilst university students elsewhere refused to attend classes in a coordinated boycott. ### ### Mr Rama toured the wreckage on Thursday, posting footage to Facebook showing him picking his way through shattered glass and charred furniture at a college campus in Tirana. "Until yesterday, this was the office of the College of Europe, the school of a united Europe," he said. The prime minister laid blame for the violence at the feet of opposition figures, describing the perpetrators as "the hands that seek to pull Albania down whenever it tries to rise". He flatly rejected demands that he step down, having secured a fourth term in office last year. "We had elections last year, not a revolution," he told Reuters, adding that his duty was to "listen, address legitimate concerns and keep Albania moving forward". ### **Our Standards: The GB News Editorial Charter**

GB News presenter Nigel Farage has branded Ed Miliband and John Healey "cringe-making" after sharing a video of them trying Thai snacks while riding on a tuk tuk in Bangkok. Reacting to the video, shared on the Chancellor's Instagram page, Nigel said: "Political figures pretending to be cool kids in Bangkok? It is absolutely... well, I think it's cringe making. "The way Miliband comes across, he just I mean, that's not how people behave and talk, is it? Shouldn't politicians and public figures just be as they are?" **WATCH ABOVE.** ### **Our Standards: The GB News Editorial Charter**

French officials have launched an investigation into the Channel Tunnel crash, in which a bus collided with a train, injuring 19 people. Authorities said two people were airlifted to Lille University Hospital with serious injuries, but the other 17 sustained less serious injuries. ### Others were taken to nearby hospitals in Helfaut, Calais, Boulogne, Montreuil-sur-Mer and Dunkirk. The terrifying collision happened at the Pas-de-Calais entrance to the tunnel at around 7:27pm local time this evening. ### TRENDING Stories Videos Your Say ### The emergency response involved 55 firefighters, 25 emergency medical teams, around 20 border police officers and approximately 100 Eurotunnel staff. A minibus is said to have collided with the freight train in Coquelles, near the entrance of the freight tunnel ⁠linking France to Britain. The minibus was reportedly full of passengers at the time of the crash. The driver of the vehicle is said to be one of the 19 injured as a result. The vehicle was allegedly transporting a group of lorry drivers to the Channel Tunnel to board a LeShuttle service. ### ### ### The driver was also said to be transporting the passengers onto the platform when the collision took place. Photographs from the scene shared online show damage to the front of the vehicle, including the windscreen. Pictures also show emergency services at the scene, assisting the injured passengers. Several of those in the crash reportedly suffered injuries to their heads and legs. ### LATEST DEVELOPMENTS * Ryanair flight descends into chaos as police called after fight kicks off between passengers * Man and woman arrested after two children among four dead in Ireland house fire * New York City to ban horse-drawn carriage after Zohran Mamdani backs plans ### ### ### Emergency services are still tending to the injured but are likely to need to transfer the most seriously injured passengers to hospital. In a statement, the prefecture for the Pas de Calais region said: "The initial report indicates 19 people involved, including the driver. "No deaths are to be reported at this stage and no lives are in danger." In a media briefing from the sub-prefect of Calais, Agathe Cury, it was confirmed that a "judicial investigation has been opened". ### ### She told reporters: "This is the first time an accident of this kind has occurred." Passenger services were temporarily suspended after emergency crews responded to the incident. Ms Cury confirmed that "everything is back to normal now". Freight and Eurostar services continued to operate as normal. The minibus driver was a Eurotunnel employee and the injured people were all men and of "different nationalities", she added. ### **Our Standards: The GB News Editorial Charter**

A Ryanair flight bound for Ibiza has descended into chaos after a mid-air brawl broke out between passengers. Cabin crew were forced to intervene and shout at a passenger to "sit down" after allegedly "attacking" fellow travellers and ignoring the seatbelt signs. ### Shocking viral footage from inside the cabin shows several passengers in disarray as one man is confronted by one of the air hostesses. Over the rumble of commotion along the cabin, a man was seen being warned by the cabin stewardess to "sit down, now!" ### TRENDING Stories Videos Your Say ### The staff member shouts at the passenger standing in front of her as she tells him a second time to return to his seat. The brawl unfurled during a Ryanair flight from London Stansted to Ibiza Airport on Monday, October 5. According to a fellow passenger, fury began as the plane attempted to land in Ibiza and the man stood up to use the toilet, ignoring the seatbelt signs lit ahead of landing. As a result of his antics, the plane was unable to land and was forced to re-enter the Balearic airspace. ### ### ### Passengers allegedly began shouting at the man due to the disrupted descent, which sparked the mid-flight row. Passenger Harry Watson from Northampton recounted the shocking brawl, telling NeedToKnow that one passenger in particular was "very verbal" towards the disruptive individual. He said: "Everyone started shouting at him. As he went back to his seat and people were shouting at him – one guy was being very verbal. "The lad didn’t like it, so he got angry and violent towards the guy, which caused a fight to break out." ### LATEST DEVELOPMENTS * Man and woman arrested after two children among four dead in Ireland house fire * New York City to ban horse-drawn carriage after Zohran Mamdani backs plans * Man dies as flash floods batter popular tourist island and force state of emergency ### ### ### Mr Watson claimed the passenger then began "attacking other passengers" and had to be restrained multiple times. He recalled: "This happened multiple times. The lad started attacking the other passengers and had to be restrained a lot. "There was then another guy that got up and hit the lad. "Everyone got very annoyed after a while, especially because the plane couldn’t land and had to go back in the air again." ### ### When the plane eventually landed, police arrested and handcuffed the man before escorting him off the plane. A spokesman for Ryanair said: "Crew on this flight from London Stansted to Ibiza (5 Oct) called ahead for police assistance after a passenger became disruptive onboard. "Police met the aircraft upon landing at Ibiza Airport, and the disruptive passenger was removed. "Ryanair has a strict zero tolerance policy towards passenger misconduct and will continue to take decisive action to combat unruly passenger behaviour, ensuring that all passengers and crew travel in a respectful and stress-free environment, without unnecessary disruption." ### **Our Standards: The GB News Editorial Charter**

Antarctica's Thwaites Glacier, widely known as the "Doomsday Glacier", is deteriorating far more rapidly than scientists had previously calculated, according to new research. A team of glaciologists from the University of California, Irvine and Nasa's Jet Propulsion Laboratory constructed a new ice sheet model that projects the vast West Antarctic glacier could add up to 1.2 inches (30mm) to global sea levels by the end of the century, effectively doubling earlier forecasts. ### Crucially, this accelerated ice loss could occur even without any additional global warming. The glacier, roughly the size of Great Britain, currently accounts for approximately four per cent of worldwide sea level rise. ### TRENDING Stories Videos Your Say ### A complete collapse would push oceans more than two feet higher, but because Thwaites effectively acts as a plug restraining the broader Antarctic ice sheet, the ultimate consequence could be around 10 feet of rise, threatening coastal populations globally. The breakthrough behind these revised projections lies in how scientists model the boundary where ice meets ocean. For decades, glaciologists treated the "grounding line", where ice lifts off the seabed and begins floating, as a narrow, largely static feature. However, satellite observations revealed that what was assumed to be a thin line is, in fact, a broad "grounding zone" that stretches several miles wide. ### ### ### "We have come to acknowledge a different arrangement beneath Earth's major ocean-terminating glaciers," said lead author Mattia Poinelli, a project scientist at UCLA who conducted the research while at UC Irvine. Within this zone, tidal cycles drive pressurised seawater deep beneath the grounded ice in a process called "tidal pumping," repeatedly lifting and lowering the thick ice mass. This mechanism channels relatively warm ocean water far inland, triggering intense melting at the glacier's base that older models entirely failed to capture. The study identified a particularly alarming risk involving the Mouginot Ridge, one of two critical underwater formations that anchor Thwaites and slow its march towards the sea. ### LATEST DEVELOPMENTS * Astronomers at UK university discover first ever green star in history * Science breakthrough as biotech company announces progress toward resurrecting the extinct dodo * Scientists uncover remarkable detail into 146,000-year-old ‘Dragon Man’ skulls ### ### ### Melting processes within the grounding zone are hastening the glacier's separation from this stabilising ridge, with the model placing the probability of full detachment at 60 per cent before 2100. Should that disconnection occur, the consequences would be severe. "Once that ridge is unpinned, the glacier will continually retreat across a predominantly retrograde seafloor toward its next topographic high, the South Ridge," Mr Poinelli explained. The underlying terrain compounds the danger considerably. The bedrock beneath Thwaites slopes downward as it extends inland, meaning that each phase of retreat exposes ever greater volumes of ice to erosive warm water, a self-reinforcing cycle that could dramatically accelerate the glacier's disintegration once the ridge connection is lost. Eric Rignot, professor of Earth system science at UC Irvine and co-author of the paper, said the revised model represents a step change in accuracy. ### ### "Most projections to date have struggled to match the rapidity of the mass loss because of missing physics; our new model with more complete physics can match the record and then produces projections that are twice as large as before," he said. Mr Rignot added that the findings "predict greater risk of and exposure to coastal flooding than anticipated in the coming decades". He and his colleagues plan to travel to Thwaites in 2028 to install instruments that can directly monitor seawater movement beneath the ice. Even with immediate emissions reductions, Mr Rignot warned: "We can expect higher sea levels in the future resulting from the damage that has already been done." ### **Our Standards: The GB News Editorial Charter**

The number of new homes built in England, Scotland and Wales this August fell 11.5 per cent from the same month last year despite Labour’s continued commitment to build 1.5 million homes by the end of parliament. August marks the 11th consecutive month housebuilding has fallen compared with the same month a year earlier. ### It follows ONS figures published in August, which showed housebuilding in the second quarter of this year was 8.2 per cent down on the same period in 2025. Meanwhile, overall UK construction output has fallen for 21 successive months, according to S&P Global’s UK Construction Purchasing Managers' Index (PMI), which tracks changes in total industry activity. ### TRENDING Stories Videos Your Say ### Steve Mulholland, CEO of the Construction Plant-hire Association (CPA), one of the UK's largest construction trade bodies, represents just under 2,000 firms that supply 85 per cent of the machinery used in British construction. He said: "These latest figures lay bare what housebuilders and their supply chain contractors across the country have been telling us for months on end: fuel costs are devastating, it's too expensive and risky to hire staff, especially young people, and spiralling tax liabilities are stymying investment. "We back Andy Burnham’s 1.5 million home target, but housebuilders and supply chain contractors are desperate for support and the cost of living crisis is critically undermining housing market activity. "Without addressing these challenges, the PM's ambitions cannot be turned into homes for people to live in." ### ### ### He called on the Prime Minister to take decisive action to give the sector the confidence to invest in the people and equipment needed to hit the target. "I urge the PM to help Britain's housebuilders deliver the homes we need by reversing the hikes in NICs contributions for those working in construction and reinstating the threshold at which NICs are paid by construction companies. "Further, housebuilders are crying out for Business Property Relief to be reinstated to kickstart investment. "By taking these steps, the sector can begin to reverse Britain's housing crisis.” ### LATEST DEVELOPMENTS * Labour 'to miss crucial manifesto promise due to Net Zero' * Sadiq Khan's London homes target 'impossible to meet' * Labour's plan to seize empty homes branded 'PR stunt' ### ### ### Rachel Reeves' changes to Business Property Relief at the 2024 Budget have made construction plant-hire firms, many of which are family-run and which supply critical equipment for building homes and infrastructure, liable for huge inheritance tax bills. The changes to Business Property Relief, which came into force on April 6 , mean any inheritance above a £2.5million threshold will face an effective tax rate of 20 per cent. The threshold rose to £2.5million from an initial £1million for firms claiming agricultural and business property relief after public outcry. Construction firms, like farmers, claim they are disproportionately affected because their business value usually lies in equipment and machinery rather than cash reserves, so they cannot pay their tax bill without selling machinery or borrowing against the company. ### ### Separately, increases in employer National Insurance contributions have raised the cost of taking on staff. According to CPA's latest member survey, 86 per cent of firms reported a negative impact from the NICs rise, and 72 per cent have reduced hiring or frozen recruitment altogether, with many expecting fewer entry-level roles and apprenticeships as a result. The same survey found that eight in 10 members said recent tax changes had reduced their investment confidence, while three in four did not believe the government's housebuilding target was achievable. A quarter said it was achievable, but only with "significant policy changes". GB News has reached out to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government for comment. ### **Our Standards: The GB News Editorial Charter**

The coastal city of Brighton is well known for many reasons: its famous Pier and historic seafront, home to political party conferences and a vibrant LGBT community. In 2021, the city was named one of the top 10 places to raise a family in Britain - not surprising given the range of beautiful parks and outstanding schools. ### Yet despite its family-friendly status, fewer and fewer people are choosing to start a family in Brighton. The city is suffering a serious decline in the number of children being born each year, with annual births declining by a third over the last two decades, from around 3,100 to 2,100 each year. ### TRENDING Stories Videos Your Say ### Brighton now has one of the lowest birth rates in the whole of the country, with the average woman having just 0.97 children (compared to a UK-wide total fertility rate (TFR) of 1.39). For reference, a TFR of 2.1 is required for a stable population. This week, I visited Brighton with GB News to find out why the seaside town has become one of the capitals of Britain’s baby bust. Throughout the day I spoke to a range of people on the iconic seafront, from local parents and grandparents to charity workers, faith leaders, population experts and politicians. Many told me that Brighton’s eye-watering high house prices were making it impossible for families to afford a home. Local Councillor Carole Theobald explained how the construction of high-rise flats in the town has increased the number of properties, but that these new apartments are totally unsuitable for families. ### ### ### It is frequently said that young people just don’t want to become parents any more, but Claudia Rurlander, Senior Researcher at the CSJ told GB News that this is not the case. Research shows that the majority of young women _do_ want to become mothers, and most want two or three children. But there are many barriers to overcome. Soaring property prices are certainly a problem, but there are others. Local mums Lisa and Emma told me about their struggles with fertility and the importance of affordable and available treatments. Yet the Director of the Centre for Family and Education, Peter Brookes, explained that, although IVF can seem like an important option for some individuals, it shouldn’t be seen as a reliable insurance policy against infertility, since treatments are often unsuccessful, especially for women over the age of 35. ### LATEST DEVELOPMENTS * UK birth rates: The true reason behind Britain's baby bust * Could Britain’s baby bust become the next political battleground? Reform is banking on it - Sophia Wenzler * Net migration accounted for 96 per cent of Britain's population growth last year ### ### ### The best way to maximise the chances of becoming pregnant is for couples to start trying for a family at a younger age, since female fertility declines steadily from the early 20s, rather than ‘falling off a cliff’ in the late 30s as is commonly believed. We heard that worries about climate change and the future of the world are discouraging some young people from having children, as are concerns about finding a partner and the willingness or otherwise of young men to commit to becoming fathers. Other locals commented that Brighton’s large LGBT population was a cause of low birth rates. Although this may be a factor in the city’s falling fertility, there are other places in the UK - Cambridge and Islington, for example - with even lower birth rates, suggesting that other factors are more significant. The future consequences of this nationwide baby bust will be severe. Each generation is going to be significantly smaller than the one before, causing shortages in labour and goods, pushing up prices and preventing economic growth. ### ### With fewer and fewer working-age people to support those who are retired, taxes will have to rise significantly. But falling birth rates are not just a problem for the future. Lloyd Cummins, from the Brighton and Hove City Mission, told GB News that three primary schools in deprived areas of Brighton have already been forced to close due to a shortage of pupils. Falling birth rates can certainly be blamed on economic factors, and the consequences of the baby bust will be economic too. Yet perhaps there are wider, more philosophical influences at play. Tim Jones, of Brighton and Hove Faith in Action, told us that he believes a decline in the value that society places on children has been a major cause of falling family formation, as has the weakening of the social and community bonds that used to play a crucial role in sharing the burden of raising children beyond the nuclear family. Demographic decline is one of the most difficult challenges facing Western nations. Apart from Israel, all developed countries now have below-replacement birth rates, meaning that populations across the world are ageing steadily. In extreme cases, like in South Korea, for example, the population is expected to shrink by an astonishing 75 per cent by the end of the century. Different countries are experimenting with different solutions to the baby bust, including tax incentives, housing subsidies and benefits for young parents. Whatever the answers to the crisis, the first step is to acknowledge its existence, something that we are barely beginning to do here in the UK. But one thing is for sure: if treasured British cities like Brighton are to have any future at all, we must take the baby bust seriously. ### ** ** ** ** ** ** **Our Standards: The GB News Editorial Charter**

Labour has threatened the Green Party with an "urgent" ultimatum after Zack Polanski's "antisemitic" policy. During Prime Minister's Questions yesterday, Andy Burnham accused the Greens of being antisemitic after it passed the "Zionism is racism" policy at its Autumn Conference earlier this month. ### At the same time, the Prime Minister also ruled out power-sharing arrangements with the Greens despite three councils - Sheffield, Lewes and Warwick - being in coalition with Mr Polanski's party. And, in more than 10 other areas, Labour runs the authority alongside the left-wing party as part of a wider coalition. ### TRENDING Stories Videos Your Say ### Now, Mr Burnham's local parties have been instructed to pen a "clear and unambiguous statement" to their Green counterparts to state that they reject the "Zionism is racism" policy. The Greens have been handed a seven-day deadline to condemn the motion and call on their leader to rethink the decision. If the conditions are not met, local power-sharing arrangements will end, Labour said. During Wednesday's Prime Minister's Questions, Conservative MP Dame Harriett Baldwin urged the PM to rule out "co-operating" with the Green Party. ### ### ### Mr Burnham replied: "Can I condemn the motion that was passed unequivocally. "It is wrong, it is antisemitic, and this side of the House will have nothing to do with it. "We will always take the right response when it comes to any partnerships we have with other parties. "We cannot support a partnership with a party that holds the position that has recently been adopted." ### LATEST DEVELOPMENTS * Green Party passes 'Zionism is racism' motion following members vote * Zack Polanski refuses to say Israel has right to exist as close friend calls for his resignation * Zack Polanski's Green Party referred to EHRC over Zionism motion as ex-leader considers quitting ### ### ### Hitting back at the Prime Minister, Mr Polanski said that the "blurring of challenging Israel and antisemitism" was "dangerous and irresponsible". He said: "I'm the only Jewish leader of a political party. I'm a victim of antisemitism every day and I've made it clear Jewish people are welcome in my party. "You're a prime minister who arms a genocide and locks pensioners up for opposing it." Bridget Phillipson, Labour's Chair, said: "Where local Labour Parties currently have an arrangement with the Greens in local government, we expect their Green counterparts to make clear that they reject this position and to call on their national leadership to reconsider the policy. ### ### "This isn’t an issue of party politics; it’s about doing what is right and upholding the values anyone holding public office should share." A Green Party spokesman said: "For the Labour Government to conflate criticism of Israel with antisemitism is disappointing and wrong. "Trying to tell local parties what to do and who they can work with is undemocratic. "Whilst Labour continue to try to meddle in our internal democracy, arm a genocide and lock up protesting pensioners, we will not take lectures from them." ### **Our Standards: The GB News Editorial Charter**

Today offered a striking contrast for the Royal Family, as Prince Harry and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex drew enthusiastic crowds during a visit to Nottingham, while King Charles and Queen Camilla faced anti-monarchy protests and an arrest during an official engagement in Wales. The nature of the two trips highlights an unexpected shift in public reception. In Cardiff, the King and Queen attended the opening of the new term of the Welsh Parliament at the Senedd. ### However, the formal proceedings inside were overshadowed by a vocal demonstration outside. Around 30 anti-monarchy protesters gathered with banners, leading South Wales Police to issue a dispersal order. Tensions rose when one demonstrator refused to leave and was arrested in handcuffs, creating a tense backdrop for the monarch's visit. ### TRENDING Stories Videos Your Say ### In stark contrast, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex experienced an overwhelmingly positive reaction in the East Midlands. Returning to Nottingham, the site of their very first joint walkabout back in 2017, Harry and Meghan visited grassroots community organisations including the Community Recording Studio in St Ann’s and the Himmah Hub in Hyson Green. Given the intense media scrutiny surrounding the couple in recent years, many observers expected a lukewarm or even hostile reaction. Instead, around 150 well-wishers gathered outside, waving flags, presenting flowers, and cheering as the pair stepped out. ### ### ### The warmth of the crowd caught critics by surprise, turning the trip into a genuine public relations success. Interviews with members of the public along the barriers revealed a key reason behind the enthusiastic turnout. A significant portion of the crowd were devoted fans of the TV legal drama Suits, in which Meghan starred before her marriage. One fan told me: "She's a really great actress and I hope she returns to acting." ### LATEST ROYAL DEVELOPMENTS * Meghan and Harry pictured in Nottingham for first joint public engagement since UK return * King Charles and Queen Camilla attend historic Welsh Parliament opening in royal first * King brings Commonwealth stars together at St James's Palace reception ### ### For these supporters, seeing her return to Nottingham was a moment of celebration, driven by pop-culture fandom as much as interest in the Royal Family itself. Their excitement helped transform the walkabout into an upbeat homecoming. Comparing the two visits underlines a remarkable contrast. ### ### ### ### While the head of state faced republican opposition and a police disruption in Wales, the non-working Sussexes managed to pull off a triumphant public outing in Nottingham. The events show that while the official institution faces growing public friction, individual members can still command a passionate and unexpected level of grassroots support. ### **Our Standards: The GB News Editorial Charter**

Plans for a huge new data centre and solar farm have been earmarked for a historic Norfolk market town. Evolution Power has proposed the new project in King's Lynn, with plans for two separate sites spanning nearly 4,700 acres. ### The Longmarsh Green Energy project will consist of a 1.3GW solar and battery project alongside a 1GW data centre. The Western Site will be located northeast of Tilney St Lawrence, and the Eastern Site will be built near Fincham and Barton Bendish. ### TRENDING Stories Videos Your Say ### The proposals could attract around £25billion in investment and generate more power than any other site currently planned for the UK. The site is also estimated to create thousands of construction jobs and more than 500 "operational roles". A spokesman for Evolution Power said the sites were "critical for future UK economic growth". The proposed project, if construction is granted, is set to be completed by 2032. ### ### ### A public consultation on the proposed development opened on October 15 and will run until November 26. Evolution Power expects to file a planning application next April, but the scheme’s size means ministers rather than the borough council will decide whether to green light it. North West Norfolk MP James Wild said the plan "could represent further large scale industrialisation of the landscape". He also expressed concern for other projects including RWE’s High Grove development, a 720MW scheme covering around 4,000 acres between Dereham, Watton and Swaffham. ### LATEST DEVELOPMENTS * Amputee turned down for blue badge after council worker told him he might be able to run marathons * Dog named 'animal of the year' for becoming first in the world to hunt invasive 'sea vomit' creature * Farmer facing £350,000 clean-up bill as crime gang dumps 2000 tonnes of rubbish on his field ### ### ### Another development under German energy company RWE, The Droves, boasts another 2,800 acre, 500MW farm near Swaffham. Evolution Power said the proposed site would boost the region’s offshore wind generation and enable the data centre to access renewable power at a discounted price compared with the UK average. It would support digital services and contributing to the UK’s objective of AI sovereignty. The campus would use a closed-loop cooling system that recirculates liquid rather than continually drawing water from the mains, reducing impacts on local water supplies. ### ### The borough council’s independent leader, Alistair Beales, said it would "do our job locally and reflect residents’ concerns". In a statement, a project spokesman said: "Longmarsh Green Energy would bring significant local and national economic benefits. "Providing secure renewable energy and data centre capacity, both of which are critical for future UK economic growth. "Our design includes measures and commitments to reduce local effects, and we welcome feedback on these, together with suggestions regarding how the project could support local community projects and initiatives." ### **Our Standards: The GB News Editorial Charter**

British taxpayers could face a staggering bill of up to £41billion a year if Prime Minister Andy Burnham rejoins the European Union, new data has found. The report, produced by the conservative Bow Group think tank, estimates that the UK’s annual gross contribution could range between £28billion and £41billion a year if Britain completed a Brexit U-turn and rejoined the bloc. ### Its central estimate puts the figure at around £34billion, based on the European Commission’s proposed long-term budget for 2028-2034. The analysis comes amid renewed debate over Brexit after the PM signalled that Britain should consider a much closer relationship with Brussels, including the possibility of returning to full EU membership. ### TRENDING Stories Videos Your Say ### Mr Burnham has argued that Brexit has "done more harm than good" and promised a "serious dialogue" and "pragmatic approach" to the UK’s long-term relationship with Europe, opening the door to options he had previously ruled out. He said of his stance on the EU: "Our immediate priority is securing a successful outcome at the summit, and I believe we should then set up a serious dialogue about the different options for our relationship in the long term." He has also said the existing relationship with the EU is “not good enough”, arguing that closer cooperation could help improve economic growth and tackle immigration. The Bow Group’s figures estimate that a gross contribution of approximately €40billion, equivalent to £34billion, would represent the UK’s share of the Commission’s proposed 2028 budget under its central scenario. ### ### ### The upper estimate of €48billion, or £41billion, assumes the EU’s proposed financing rate is applied to an enlarged income base that includes the UK. The lower estimate of €33billion, or £28billion, assumes a reduced budget ceiling and a smaller British share of the Union’s income. The report stresses that the figures are "illustrative" rather than a definitive forecast. Mr Burnham has sought to frame the debate around the economic consequences of remaining outside the EU, rather than treating the Brexit settlement as beyond reconsideration. In September, The Prime Minister said: "I think we have seen growth harmed by Brexit and it's hard to see how we can get back to the higher levels of growth we once had by staying too distant from our largest market." ### LATEST DEVELOPMENTS * Andy Burnham pushes for deal to hand EU judges power over Britain as part of new migration pact * Andy Burnham is out of ideas – revisiting Brexit shows the PM doesn’t trust the voters – Katie Lam * Shabana Mahmood's Trump-style visa ban shut down as embassy hits out at 'political gimmick' ### ### ### During this week's Prime Minister's Questions, Mr Burnham was accused of "doing Russia’s dirty work" as Tory leader Kemi Badenoch demanded answers over his claim Moscow attempted to interfere in the 2016 referendum vote. Mrs Badenoch told MPs: "This is the first time I have ever heard the head of MI5 slap down a Prime Minister for doing Russia's dirty work for them. "Either the Prime Minister knew what he was doing on that podcast, trying to undermine the 2016 referendum, or he opened his mouth on a matter of national security and said the first thing that came into his head. "So does the Prime Minister agree with the director general of MI5 that talking up Russian interference was a mistake?" ### ### Mr Burnham responded: "Well, I could ask her, Mr. Speaker whether she's even read the Russia report yet. "I also wonder whether she's read the full comments from the former head of MI6. "Because if she had, she wouldn't have made the statements that she just made in this in this House." With Mr Burnham promising a longer-term discussion about Britain’s place in Europe, the cost of membership is likely to become a central issue in the debate over whether the UK should seek to reverse Brexit or pursue a less ambitious agreement with Brussels. ### **Our Standards: The GB News Editorial Charter**

Kiran Kaur, whose son murdered 18-year-old Southampton University student Henry Nowak, is reportedly set to walk free from prison having served less than half of her three years behind bars. Kaur received the sentence for disposing of the weapon used to kill Mr Nowak in the aftermath of the crime. ### She will be released under the government's early release programme, according to ITV, with her freedom expected to coincide roughly with the first anniversary of Mr Nowak's death on December 3 last year. The Indian national was also handed a Deportation Liability Notice at Bronzefield Prison, where she is serving three years for assisting an offender, according to the Sun. ### TRENDING Stories Videos Your Say ### The mother of five could be removed to India by the end of the year, when she is said to serve a third of her jail term. Both Kaur and her son had entered not guilty pleas at trial. Mr Nowak was walking home following a night out when he was killed on December 3. His murderer, 23-year-old Vickrum Digwa, was found guilty and handed a life sentence carrying a minimum term of 21 years. ### ### ### During the trial, Digwa had falsely alleged that Mr Nowak had subjected him to a racially motivated assault. The jury rejected this claim. The conviction and sentencing came despite both Digwa and Kaur maintaining their innocence throughout the proceedings, with each pleading not guilty to the charges they faced. Despite being due for early release, Kaur is also challenging her sentence in court. She is scheduled to appear before the Court of Appeal on November 5, less than a month before her anticipated release date, according to ITV. On that same day, Digwa will contest his sentence, arguing it is too harsh. ### ### The Attorney General, however, is also seeking to increase the sentence on the grounds that it is unduly lenient. Digwa is additionally pursuing a separate legal challenge, seeking permission to appeal against his murder conviction. As an Indian national, Kaur may also face deportation, though no decision on removing her from the UK has yet been made. The early release scheme, which took effect on October 1 after a September delay to allow for a review, was designed to ease overcrowding in prisons across England and Wales. It has drawn significant criticism from the families of victims and those affected by crime. Ministers reduced the number of prisoners eligible from an initial 6,000 to approximately 5,000 by excluding rapists and the most serious child sex offenders from the programme. ### ### ### ### Releases are being staggered over the coming year. This week, the scheme freed up to 650 inmates in its second wave, with some having completed only a third of their sentences. Around 700 had already been released less than a fortnight earlier. A Home Office spokesman said: "Our thoughts remain with the family and friends of Henry Nowak, whose life was cruelly cut short in a horrific act of violence. "We will always seek to deport foreign criminals at the first opportunity." GB News has approached the MoJ for comment. ### **Our Standards: The GB News Editorial Charter**

US President Donald Trump has reversed his support for livestreaming the execution of former US Army psychiatrist Nidal Hasan, who killed 13 soldiers in a shooting at Fort Hood, Texas, in 2009. Mr Trump said this afternoon that Hasan would still be executed by firing squad as scheduled on December 3, but the execution would not be broadcast online, following mounting criticism of plans to show the death publicly. ### The President had previously backed the proposal, arguing that broadcasting the execution could deter terrorism. However, he said today: "Many very good and well-meaning people would rather not watch him die." ### TRENDING Stories Videos Your Say ### Mr Trump added: "I think streaming the execution for all to see might have been a strong deterrent for the World to witness how America deals with terrorists and scum like Hasan. "He will die, as scheduled, by firing squad, but this event will not be streamed." Mr Trump said the families of Hasan’s victims would still be allowed to attend the execution in person. "They deserve to witness justice", he said. ### ### ### The Pentagon announced last week that Hasan’s execution would take place on December 3, with Secretary of War Pete Hegseth claiming the event would be livestreamed for the public to "understand the consequences" of such attacks. Mr Trump had expressed support for the proposal last Friday, describing Hasan as "totally nuts". "I really don't care how he goes, as long as he goes, and I think that the death penalty is a very worthy way of going for him", he had said. The President also had said he "absolutely" approved of livestreaming the execution, although he indicated that the Pentagon was still "making a determination" on whether the broadcast would proceed. ### LATEST US NEWS * New York City to ban horse-drawn carriage after Zohran Mamdani backs plans * Donald Trump says he hopes Pope Leo will 'get better fast' after lung cancer diagnosis * Donald Trump slammed by family of man mauled to death by tiger as they admit 'severe distress' ### Hasan, a former Army psychiatrist, opened fire on November 5 2009 inside a crowded medical building at Fort Hood, where soldiers preparing for deployment were waiting for medical check-ups and vaccinations. A total of 13 unarmed US soldiers were killed, and another 32 people were injured in the attack, which became the deadliest non-combat shooting at an American military installation. Hasan later admitted in court that he was responsible for the shooting, and apologised for "any mistakes". He said he believed he was protecting Muslims and the Taliban in Afghanistan from the US military. ### ### ### ### His planned execution is set to be the first US military execution in more than 60 years. Under US military law, an execution must be approved by the president. The process also requires appellate review, in which a higher court examines the case and issues a final judgment on whether the execution can legally proceed. Public executions are also uncommon internationally. According to Amnesty International, more than 2,700 executions were carried out across 17 countries in 2025, but only two countries were known to have conducted executions publicly. The organisation recorded 11 public executions in Iran that year, and another six in Afghanistan. ### **Our Standards: The GB News Editorial Charter**

Apple just unveiled its **all-new HomeView** alongside **a refreshed Apple TV 4K** and **HomePod mini 2 speaker** during an event in New York City. The showcase was designed to demonstrate how Siri AI, **rebuilt from the ground up earlier this summer** , can become an essential companion in the home. The smarter, more personal assistant has **already changed the way we use our iPhone** , thanks to its ability to answer complex open-ended questions and draw from the information stored in your text messages and emails to find specific details that would otherwise take hours of scrolling. With a HomeView on your worktop, bookshelf, bedside table, or mounted on the wall, Siri AI can leverage _all_ of those capabilities to manage your schedule, control smart home gadgets, fire up a playlist or podcast, and be a crib sheet for everything stored on your iPhone. GB News was in Manhattan to be one of the first to see how this works in practice. ### Apple hasn't strayed from its typical formula with the HomeView. That's to say, this is not the first product of its kind, arriving almost a decade after Amazon announced its first-generation Echo Show smart display, but the Apple-built equivalent arrives with an extraordinary level of finish and best serves those who already heavily invested in its ecosystem of products and services. It's also more expensive than the competition, but more on that later. Since HomeView is designed to take a spot inside your home — ideally somewhere that you're able to easily check and swipe its gorgeous seven-inch Liquid Retina display — design is particularly important. The most striking thing about HomeView is how _adorable_ it is. That might sound like an odd thing to say about a gadget, but its small stature and cherubic rounded display ensure there's something incredibly endearing about the HomeView. That touchscreen is connected to the half-dome speaker with a sturdy stainless steel hinge that tilts so you can avoid any troublesome glare. The wall-mounted version drops the speaker in the base and relies only on those around the display to play music. ### > See on Instagram HomeView is surprisingly small, and wouldn't look out of place on a bedside or coffee table. Those who want to gather around as a family to use the Centre Stage camera, which ensures everyone remains in-frame even as they move around, for a FaceTime call might find themselves longing for more screen real estate, as Amazon offers with its Echo Show 11. When it's not in use, HomeView has a series of beautifully designed clock faces. Many of these will be immediately familiar to Apple Watch owners. There are endless customisation options, including the font, colours, and complications to offer weather conditions, world clock, and upcoming calendar appointments at a glance. ### Between the 1:1 aspect ratio, rounded corners, and shared clock faces with its bestselling smartwatch, HomeView can resemble a supersized Apple Watch. One of the available options will spotlight photos from your library. You can even set a Shared iCloud Album as the source of these photos, so family members or friends can upload recent additions, refreshing multiple HomeViews — even those in different households — with new pictures. Like the Lock Screen on your iPhone, subjects are automatically separated from the background, ensuring the date and time never obscure someone's face. Given most of us have thousands of photos on our smartphones that we never really look at, HomeView could be a nice hassle-free way to be reminded of some choice memories. Like the Apple Watch and Apple TV, Snoopy makes a _very_ welcome appearance on HomeView. There's a series of custom animations that play, with the weather on-screen reflecting the conditions outside. Likewise, Snoopy will celebrate certain holidays — Christmas, for example — on the HomeView at the same time as you. It's a fun addition, and will please younger members of the household and big kids alike. ### For our money, we would've loved to see the _Toy Story_ cast as well as Micky and Minnie Mouse enjoy their own clock face too, since these Disney staples have all made appearances on the Apple Watch in the past. Likewise, some of the breathtaking aerial footage that serves as a screensaver on Apple TV would look stunning on this photo frame-like display, serving as a digital version of the _1,000 Places To See Before You Die_ daily tear-off desk calendar. Fingers crossed the teams at Apple regularly refresh the selection of clock faces available on HomeView. Software updates — bringing new features and security fixes — will be delivered via the Home app preinstalled on your iPhone or iPad, like the HomePod smart speakers already available from the brand. HomeView walks a tricky tightrope — it needs to be personal enough to be useful for everyone living under the same roof, but secure and private enough that you're confident allowing it to display your texts or manage your reminders. ### To solve this, HomeView has several safeguards. First, it boasts facial recognition for up to six people. But that's not enough, so Apple also checks that your iPhone is connected to the same Wi-Fi network (or, failing that, in roughly the same location as the HomeView) and has been recently unlocked. HomeView doesn't come equipped with Face ID — the facial recognition system used to unlock most iPhones and authenticate contactless payments — so the extra precautions ensure someone can't use a photograph to trick the camera and unlock access to your personal data when you're not home. However, its absence is not a case of Apple skimping on components. Face ID works by projecting some 30,000 invisible infrared dots onto your face and checking the unique curves, angles, and distances between your facial features. This isn't a three-dimensional scan, but instead takes the form of mathematical data for all of this geometry. Given that HomeView is designed to be used from across the room, rather than at arm's length — like an iPhone or iPad, this projection system isn't suitable. ### During our demo, profiles switched over instantaneously whenever someone new walked up to the HomeView. A notification flags when a new profile has been signed in. * **With so much concern about AI, should you trust Siri to access everything on your iPhone?** HomeView has an elegant solution to nosiness from other members of your household. If someone peers at the screen while you're composing a text, for example, the display will automatically lock, GB News was told. This system also serves as a way to make sure everyone enjoys a personalised experience. Like an iPhone, you can customise the appearance and layout of apps and add widgets, so each member of your household can add their own flourish to the device. This all appears the moment that HomeView recognises you. ### Likewise, playlists in Apple Music, photo libraries, podcasts, and other in-app data will appear when you swipe the touchscreen or use Siri AI on the HomeView. Some experiences — like the ability to customise the colour or brightness of smart lightbulbs, or check a doorbell camera feed — are always accessible to everyone. This isn't entirely new. Both Google Nest and Amazon Echo devices offer personalised experiences, so you can send text messages to your contacts and add items to your calendar, without allowing anyone at home to access. But these services rely on voice recognition to sort you from the rest of your household. Alexa Voice ID data — the acoustic model of your voice characteristics — is stored on Amazon's servers, something that might put you off using this feature. And unlike the HomeView, there's nothing to stop prying eyes. ### HomeView has a couple of unique tricks up its sleeve too. Handoff lets you beam a song, podcast, or audiobook from your iPhone to the HomeView. Just hold your phone in front of the display, and you'll see a __splash animation as if you've physically thrown something _into_ the screen. HomeView will pick-up at the _exact_ spot where you left off. The inverse too, letting you take a song or episode with you when you leave the house. Like **the jaw-dropping animation when you open the iPhone Duo** , GB News was left seriously impressed with this beautiful flourish. It is impeccably executed and adds to a seamless cohesion between these devices, helpful when you've invested in multiple gadgets from the same brand. ### Another example of these nice touches is the cooking experience with HomeView. If you find a recipe in its Safari web browser, onboard Artificial Intelligence (AI) will detect that it's a recipe and distil all of the information into an easily digestible, step-by-step format that you can follow in the kitchen when your hands are busy. If the recipe mentions timings, Apple will add shortcuts to kickstart a timer for that designated time. You'll be able to see a countdown in real-time of exactly how long is left at the top of the screen, similar to the Dynamic Island on iPhone. * **iPhone 18 Pro review** HomeView will pull out the list of ingredients too, and using the power of Siri AI, you can ask the chatty assistant to add these to your shopping list, remind you to buy a particular item when you're near the local supermarket. HomeView is available in four colours: Silver, Starlight, Rose Pink, Space Grey. However, that drops to just two — Silver and Space Grey — if you choose the wall-mounted version. While both versions of the HomeView cost the same at checkout, the wall-mounted one requires extra hardware to attach to the wall. Apple has created three purpose-built mounts, ranging from £54.95 to £119.95. That makes this a much more expensive proposition, and while the company reassured GB News it has tuned the audio to bounce soundwaves off the wall to preserve audio quality ...the fact that it's missing the drivers in the base _must_ result in a weaker output. ### ## Early Verdict There’s no shortage of ways to manage smart lightbulbs, thermostats, or security cameras. And if you’ve ever browsed Amazon during the Black Friday sales, you’ll know the US retailer is prepared to offer some aggressive discounts to tempt you into its own ecosystem, which includes a paid subscription to its smarter Alexa+ assistant, Ring doorbells, and Blink security cameras. Likewise, Google has its own Nest Hub smart display and security cameras. There _are_ standards that mean you can use these devices interchangeably. HomeView supports the two biggest ones: Matter and Thread. Provided your devices support one of these, you can easily switch a household that’s wholly dependent on Alexa over to the latest Apple device without too much fuss. Not every device supports this standard. Ring is probably the biggest holdout, meaning you won’t be able to check who’s at the door with your HomeView. ### ### That won’t be an issue if the HomeView is the first smart home product you’ve invested in, or if you’re more focused on its other features. As you might expect, HomeView is best suited for those deeply invested in Apple’s own services. The £3.7 trillion company told us that it’s built on the same system as CarPlay, which brings your iPhone apps to the infotainment system in your car, so third-party apps will be coming to HomeView soon. But in our brief time with HomeView, there was no Spotify for music streaming, no Audible to finish the chapter of your latest page-turner, and no WhatsApp to join an ongoing video call. History tells us that developers will race to add support to these apps and many more, but as it stands, you’ll need to settle for the Apple-built equivalents. If you want a charming countertop computer that can talk you through each step of a new recipe, dial into FaceTime calls (and keep you in-frame, even as you move around the room), plays music and podcasts from a surprisingly capable set of speakers, keeps tabs on the location of your loved ones (and their devices) via Find My, and offers hands-free access to Siri AI to quickly answer any burning general knowledge questions to settle a debate… HomeView could be the perfect addition to your home. ### At £299, it’s pretty competitively priced too. Not compared to the ludicrously low price tag you’ll find on Amazon’s Echo Show lineup this Black Friday, of course. But outside of these sales, Echo Show 8 — which has an 8.7-inch screen, the closest to the 7-inch Liquid Retina display on the HomeView — has an RRP of £199.99. Google Nest Hub is much more affordable, costing just £89.99. However, it's worth noting that Google hasn't refreshed that hardware for the last five years, so performance isn't comparable to the brand-new HomeView (let's hope the renewed competition spurs on its teams to _finally_ refresh its ageing hardware...) Compared to other devices lining the shelves of your nearest Apple Store, HomeView seems very reasonable. The new Apple TV 4K box costs £299, and you'll need to spend at least £599 for an iPad mini with a similar-sized screen. HomeView has been a long time coming. Amazon introduced Echo Show back in 2017; that was around the time that Apple was still struggling to keep up with demand for its first-ever AirPods... yes, it's been _that long_. Now we've seen the HomeView in action, we're confident that families are going to love this clever smart home nerve centre. If you've already invested a lot of money into Ring and other smart home brands that don't play nice with HomeView, you might want to look elsewhere. But those who appreciate the premium fit-and-finish of Apple's products, or who want to access the likes of My Find, Apple Music, and FaceTime from one of these countertop computers won't be disappointed with this new entry. ### **Our Standards: The GB News Editorial Charter**

Gianni Infantino has apologised to the FIFA Council for his failed World Cup sell-off plan. The FIFA President met with the FIFA Council in Zurich for the first time since his secret FIFA Forward Enterprise (FFE) proposal. ### The FFE would have seen a portion of FIFA's competition commercial rights sold to a private investment firm, which was scrapped after major backlash from the footballing world. Football Association chair Debbie Hewitt, who is also a FIFA vice-president, said that despite Infantino's apology, the FIFA Council are still none the wiser, with many questions they have. ### TRENDING Stories Videos Your Say ### She told the BBC: "One of the disappointing things is that we didn't get answers to anything that we had specifically requested - for example getting the papers from FFE. "I asked the question 'why not?' - and we were asked to submit those questions in writing. "I think the man has to answer those questions, and if he doesn't answer those questions now, he's not fit to be FIFA president - and that was what was shared in the meeting. "Infantino said in his apology - what he really apologised for was not bringing it to the council. If you regret it that deeply, share it with us." ### ### ### LATEST SPORTS NEWS * Ex-Liverpool star issues reality check for Reds following 'average' start to season * Luis Enrique has built a PSG superteam comparable to the greatest sides of all time * Enzo Maresca shares message from Luis Enrique after Man City fall short in thrilling PSG defeat ### UEFA has been outspoken in its criticism of the FIFA President, and Hewitt was asked whether European football's governing body has changed its stance on not backing Infantino for re-election. She said: "I speak for myself... From my position, nothing has shifted. "I've no new information that makes me feel any differently, other than we do have a president who is apologetic." Infantino was also asked about the FIFA Peace Prize, funding for national associations, and the controversy surrounding Folarin Balogun's suspended red-card ban. ### ### ### It is understood FIFA are set to rewrite the World Cup disciplinary rules following Balogun's red card. The governing body plans to make the change to avoid another scandal, despite Infantino insisting he did nothing wrong. The FIFA President came under fire in the summer for intervening in Balogun's automatic ban after being sent off against Bosnia-Herzegovina. US President Donald Trump phoned the Swiss, asking him to review the red card, which led to the forward's ban being suspended. ### ### ### Infantino insists he had no involvement in the decision, and Balogun was allowed to play in the last 16 against Belgium. The Belgians threatened to take the US team to the Court of Arbitration for Sport if they lost against, but ended up comfortably winning 4-1. FIFA bosses said: "There was never a doubt nor lack of clarity on how the automatic suspension following a red card is to be served. "This is a way for FIFA to cure the handling of the Balogun case during the World Cup." ### **Our Standards: The GB News Editorial Charter**

The NHS has issued updated guidance instructing hospitals to provide single-sex accommodation and facilities on the basis of biological sex, bringing its policies into line with the Supreme Court’s ruling on the Equality Act. The guidance, published 18 months after the landmark judgment in April 2025, applies to patients and staff and covers hospital wards, toilets, bathrooms, changing rooms and other facilities. ### It replaces previous NHS advice that allowed transgender people to use facilities corresponding to their gender identity. NHS England said: “Single-sex services, such as hospital accommodation, should be provided on the basis of biological sex.” ### TRENDING Stories Videos Your Say ### It adds that “trans people should be accommodated in line with their sex as registered at birth" or offered alternative arrangements, including single rooms where appropriate. Two separate documents are being issued to NHS organisations. One addresses patients’ privacy, dignity and safety in hospital accommodation, while the other covers staff facilities, including changing, washing and showering areas and toilets. The patient guidance applies to sleeping accommodation and bathroom facilities in acute and community hospitals, as well as mental health units. It said: "Trans people and other people with the protected characteristic of gender reassignment should be accommodated in line with their sex as registered at birth, while also ensuring that clinical needs are met, and privacy, dignity and safety are maintained for all, including other patients. ### ### ### "In instances where it would not be clinically appropriate to deliver care to a trans patient on a ward or bay that aligns with the sex they were registered at birth, providers should identify alternative arrangements." Single rooms are among the options available when a patient cannot appropriately be accommodated on a ward designated for their biological sex. The guidance acknowledges that clinical requirements may occasionally conflict with the provision of same-sex accommodation. In such cases, clinical needs should take priority, although these situations are expected to be rare. ### LATEST DEVELOPMENTS * 'Unqualified' civil servants fighting asylum appeals as Home Office faces boat surge * Reform UK says there is 'no room for racism' in party after undercover investigation * More seven-year-olds in Britain are on disability benefits compared to 50-year-olds ### It cites the Equality and Human Rights Commission’s (EHRC) code of conduct, which states that for services "necessary for everybody, it is very unlikely to be proportionate to put a trans person in a position where there is no service that they are allowed to use". The document continues: "In these rare circumstances, staff should take extra care to protect the privacy, dignity and safety of all patients. The reasons for the placement decision should be clearly recorded and reported nationally as breaches of this guidance." The staff guidance instructs NHS organisations to review their existing policies and ensure compliance with the EHRC code of practice, which provides for single-sex toilets and changing rooms. It said: "To ensure compliance with their legal duties, NHS organisations should review and update existing policies relating to the use of staff facilities (for example, changing, washing and showering areas, toilets and staff accommodation) or develop guidance if it does not exist." ### ### Hospitals and GP surgeries must also ensure that every member of staff has access to suitable facilities. The guidance suggests "single occupancy or mixed-sex facilities with individual lockable rooms" as possible arrangements for transgender staff. NHS trusts are required to audit their facilities to establish whether they meet the new requirements. The changes follow a high-profile employment tribunal involving nurses at County Durham and Darlington NHS Foundation Trust. ### ### The tribunal found that the trust had harassed and discriminated against nurses by allowing a transgender female colleague, who was biologically male, to use their changing room. Following the Supreme Court ruling, then health secretary Wes Streeting pledged to issue updated guidance “in the coming weeks”, which has only now arrived. The publication comes amid wider delays in implementing the judgment across public bodies, with certain councils, police forces and government departments still yet to implement changes. The Government is also expected to issue guidance for other departments, including education, justice and defence. ### **Our Standards: The GB News Editorial Charter**

In a new documentary, GB News Home and Security Editor Mark White visits the Falkland Islands after facing "four decades of bullying" from Argentina over its sovereignty. Mark investigates the history of the British territory and the impact of Argentina's latest bid to take control away from the United Kingdom. **WATCH ABOVE.** ### **Our Standards: The GB News Editorial Charter**

A former Greater Manchester supply teacher has been sentenced to six years' imprisonment for taking more than 100 upskirt photos of female pupils. Abusali Rahman, 36, who worked at schools across the North West, pleaded guilty to 21 offences at Bolton Crown Court in May. ### He pleaded guilty to: 12 counts of taking indecent photographs of children by upskirting, four counts of publishing an obscene article, three counts of making indecent photographs of children, one count of voyeurism and one count of distributing an indecent photograph of a child. Rahman, a British national of Bangladeshi descent from Salford, exploited 14 girls aged between 13 and 16 from seven different high schools in Greater Manchester. ### TRENDING Stories Videos Your Say ### The pictures were upskirting and voyeurism he covertly took himself in a school setting, or images he lifted from pupils’ social media accounts, using AI to nudify them before posting them online with sexualised comments. Sentencing the 36-year-old, His Honour Judge Horne, said: "You were a trusted supply teacher and your position of trust gave you access to classrooms. You abused that trust and took photographs of the girls. You used equipment and methods you had searched. It was your ability to teach to a good standard that helped you maintain the trust they [the schools] had put in you.” Judge Horne added: "You’ve not given up on yourself and I’m not going to give up on you either. I don’t want to pass a sentence that extinguishes all hope for you." Rahman was arrested in June 2025 after a parent alerted police to concerning material online. A child from one of the schools he’d worked at found a social media account where he’d been posting pictures of pupils. The account with the explicit photos had over a thousand followers and Greater Manchester Police say they are looking into those accounts, but no further arrests have been made at this time. ### ### ### Police found the 36-year-old had hundreds of pictures on his devices, with 226 classed as Category C, 25 Category B, and 12 Category A, the most severe tier of indecent images of children. In a victim impact statement read out during the sentencing hearing, one girl said: "I feel really disgusted and it upset me." She added she tries to keep the ordeal private, but she’s reminded by other school children. Another girl said she felt “embarrassed” and “vulnerable”. Police say their investigation found no concerns from students when Rahman had his phone out and there were no issues with DBS checks before he was allowed to begin teaching. Emma Kehoe, defending Rahman, said: "His arrest almost came as a relief. There is nothing in his background to suggest he has been nothing but a good member of society. He found himself out of control and unable to stop." ### LATEST DEVELOPMENTS * Police Scotland officer found guilty of raping teenage girl and woman * Drink-driver who killed 'much-loved' grandfather in 84mph crash jailed * Teenage girl raped in popular park after being approached by three men as police issue statement ### ### ### She also told the sentencing hearing: "He’d spoken to his Imam about the ideas in his head and the advice that was given was to go and get married. He had an arranged marriage, but it didn’t stop the thoughts in his head or his offending." Detective Sergeant Simon France said the guilty pleas were the result of a “painstaking, thorough investigation”. He said: "The officers and staff working on this investigation, including our victim identification team, put everything into building a case against Rahman and bringing the charges against him. This included our digital investigation unit which has analysed around 1,000 images over the past year.” Police have been in contact with all the schools Rahman had worked at since he became a qualified teacher in 2023. Detective Constable, Lisa McGaffin, added: "These are children who are in schools and meant to be in safe environments where they can go in, and they can learn, and they can sit and talk to their friends, and you just don't expect something like this to happen. "This individual was put into a position of trust and to look after the welfare of these pupils, and he's taken the opportunity to exploit them in the worst way." ### ### Commenting on the way artificial intelligence was used to create explicit images of young girls, DC McGaffin said: "AI has become part of our lives and very fast, and with that comes its own challenges.It’s the same with any social media platforms we have, the ones that are regulated properly wouldn't allow things like this to happen. "You wouldn't be allowed to upload images and then download the output. With that comes the unregulated version and the ones which we are unable at the minute to be able to regulate properly, to see what is happening on them. "I think better regulations around AI technology and AI platforms would at least help somewhat towards being able to ensure that people can't freely do this." Alexandra Mann, a Senior Crown Prosecutor for the Crown Prosecution Service, said: "Abusali Rahman abused his position as a teacher to capture images of children without their knowledge in a school environment where they were entitled to feel safe.Rahman also created and shared sexualised deepfake images of pupils on social media which is a gross breach of trust. "Misuse of emerging technology is a serious crime, and it has had a profound impact on both the victims and wider community. We worked with police to piece together strong evidence from his devices and locations at the time the photos were taken to build a comprehensive picture exposing the extent of his offending. "I hope this case send a clear message that we will robustly prosecute those who use technology to exploit children." ### **Our Standards: The GB News Editorial Charter**

Two new Chinese car brands are set to launch in the UK in the near future as they look to replicate the success of recently launched manufacturers. Chery International, which is behind the successful Chery, Jaecoo and Omoda, has confirmed that iCAUR will make its UK debut early next year. ### The V27, a square-shouldered, five-seat SUV, will act as its flagship and first model for the UK market. Chery International said the brand would combine "spacious, award-winning interior, off-road capability and an advanced electrified powertrain". ### TRENDING Stories Videos Your Say ### The iCAUR V27 will likely draw comparisons to the Land Rover and the Jaecoo 7, which has been dubbed by some as the "Temu Range Rover". iCAUR will make use of Chery Automobile's new Research and Development Centre of Excellence at UTAX Millbrook. Work will take place here to further refine the V27 to be suited for UK roads as Chery International looks to replicate success seen by its sister brands. Chery, Jaecoo and Omoda have quickly taken the UK by storm, having registered more than 123,000 vehicles so far this year, capturing more than seven per cent of the total market. ### ### ### The Jaecoo 7 was the UK's best-selling model in September, with more than 11,000 registrations, ranking it third overall this year. Chery International's fourth brand, Lepas, made its UK debut in recent months, having sold almost 1,000 vehicles already. The launch of the iCAUR will coincide with Chery Automobile's 30th anniversary and the completion of Chery International UK's third year in Britain. It will also come to the UK with expert recognition, having won the Best Interior Design Award in the Premium Car Category at the 2026 Torino Automotive Design Awards. ### LATEST DEVELOPMENTS * Labour to review airport drop-off costs as parking charges soar to record highs * UK councils admit condition of major roads has dropped - Is your area getting worse? * Driving law changes could see defibrillators installed in all new cars as support grows ### ### ### iCAUR will operate as a standalone brand in the UK, with a dedicated team to ensure it has a long-term presence in the market. A full launch programme will be unveiled in the coming months, while it plans to unveil a new model, the V25, at the iCAUR International User Summit next week. Another Chinese car brand, Avatr, will make its debut in the European market next year in the latest step of its global expansion. The Avatr 06T and 07L will make their European debut next month, with an initial launch in Norway and Spain, before reaching other markets. ### ### ### ### Avatr is already active in 70 countries and regions, with almost 300,000 sales. It has a stretch goal of being in 110 regions by 2030, with overseas registrations accounting for more than 50 per cent of total sales. Justin Li, head of Avatr overseas business, stated: "Avatr has been a global brand from the very beginning. "Over the next three years, six models will be launched in Europe spanning mid‑size SUVs, large SUVs and shooting‑brake body styles." Avatr is owned by Changan and CATL. Changan is already present in the UK as a standalone brand, while CATL is one of the largest producers of electric vehicle batteries in the world. ### **Our Standards: The GB News Editorial Charter**

Two people have been arrested by police following the death of two adults and two children in a house fire in Ireland. A man and a woman have been arrested after a blaze broke out in a two-story property on Birch Avenue, Waterford City on Tuesday morning. ### They are currently being held by police in a station in the east of the Republic of Ireland. Philip and Kim English and their two children, Callum, 12, and Jayden, nine, died in the fire. ### TRENDING Stories Videos Your Say ### Two more children with critical injuries were taken to hospital in Dublin. Following the incident on Tuesday, they now remain in a critical condition in hospital in Crumlin. Police confirmed a man in his 20s and a woman in his 30s were arrested today as part of a murder investigation into the blaze. The force believes the fire was started deliberately. ### ### ### Waterford Fire Service received an alert about the fire at 5.13am on Tuesday, where crews from several nearby stations were dispatched to the scene. Firefighters immediately began to tackle the blaze and extract the family from the house. Once the fire had been extinguished, the scene was handed over to An Garda Síochána, which is continuing to deal with the incident. A gardaí spokesman said at the time: "An Garda Síochána are investigating all the circumstances of a fatal house fire that occurred in the Birchwood area of Waterford City shortly after 5am this morning. ### LATEST DEVELOPMENTS * Two children among four dead after fire rips through home in Ireland as murder probe launched * Harvester pub goes up in flames as firefighters work through the night to tackle raging inferno * Child among six dead after horror plane crash as police launch investigation ### ### "Gardaí and emergency services remain at the scene. "An Garda Síochána can confirm two adults, one man and one woman, and two children are deceased. "Two other children have been removed from the scene and are receiving hospital treatment for critical injuries. Family liaison officers have also been appointed." Postmortems on the four family members who died in the fire have been carried out. ### ### However, the results for Mr and Mrs English and their sons are not being released due to "operational reasons". Taoiseach Micheál Martin described the incident as deeply disturbing. Speaking ahead of a cabinet meeting in Dublin, he said: "Our thoughts and prayers are with anybody who has lost their lives and all who are affected." Gardaí are appealing for information from anyone who may have been in the vicinity to contact Waterford Garda Station on 051 305300, the Garda Confidential Line on 1800 666 111, or any garda station. ### **Our Standards: The GB News Editorial Charter**

Tackling the big stories from all angles and perspectives. Weekdays from midday.

A serving Scotland Police officer has been convicted of raping a teenage girl and a woman in separate incidents, after denying three rape charges and a further charge of having sex with a child under 16. Carmichael John Williamson, 32, from Burra, was found guilty of the crimes in the Shetland area, following a trial at the High Court in Edinburgh. ### He was placed on the sex offenders’ register and remanded in custody ahead of sentencing on December 8. The court heard Williamson, who had served as a police constable for more than a decade, had sex with a 15-year-old girl on multiple occasions between April and September 2014. ### TRENDING Stories Videos Your Say ### He was also convicted of raping her on one occasion between April 2014 and October 2015. Williamson was further found guilty of raping a woman in 2020, and again in 2022 while she was intoxicated and incapable of consenting. Judge John Morris KC described the case as "very distressing", and told jurors counselling was available should they need support. Williamson appeared visibly upset as he was led from the dock in handcuffs this afternoon. ### ### ### Giving evidence about the 2022 incident, the woman told the court that sexual activity took place after she and Williamson went behind a community hall during a wedding celebration. She said she had consumed a significant amount of alcohol, explaining: "I can't say I felt truly in control of my actions." The woman said further sexual activity took place at a house when she was "too intoxicated to give consent". She also told the court she had been slapped during the incident. Describing her recollection of the events, she testified: "A lot of it is very hazy from the amount of alcohol I drank." ### LATEST DEVELOPMENTS * Ex DUP leader Jeffrey Donaldson jailed for 15 years for child sex offences * Woman pleaded with Russell Brand to 'stop' during alleged rape, court hears * Teenage girl raped in popular park after being approached by three men as police issue statement ### ### ### Williamson denied that any sexual contact had taken place with the woman on the night of the wedding celebration, and told the court: "We were outside. At the time I was still vaping and she was still smoking." He also denied having sex with the teenage girl before she turned 16, when he was 19, and rejected allegations that he had used a tablet computer to record her performing a sex act on him. Williamson said: "I have no recollection of ever recording any of our sexual encounters." Police Scotland confirmed Williamson was arrested, charged and suspended from duty on January 10 2024. ### ### The force said he had been a special constable at the time of the offences involving the teenage girl in 2014 and 2015, and a serving officer during the attacks in 2020 and 2022. Detective Superintendent Stevie Bertram, of Police Scotland’s public protection unit, said: "Reports of violence against women and girls are rising and it is of the utmost importance for Police Scotland to play its part in tackling this national emergency. "Our thoughts are very much with the victims in this case, and I wholeheartedly commend their strength in reporting these crimes. This was the crucial first step in bringing Williamson to justice. "Williamson will now face the consequences of his actions and today's outcome should highlight our determination to relentlessly pursue the perpetrators in these investigations. ### "I hope that this outcome may bring some closure to those affected by this case. We understand how difficult it can be to report these kinds of offences, particularly when the perpetrator is a police officer. "I want to reassure the public we will identify and investigate these officers whether they are serving or retired, or whether their crimes are committed on-duty or, as in this instance, off-duty. "We are absolutely committed to rooting individuals who are involved in criminality out of this organisation." ### **Our Standards: The GB News Editorial Charter**

A Norfolk man with one leg has been denied a blue badge by his local council after being asked to provide "more proof" of his disability. Nigel Ward, 71, was first given his badge three years ago after losing his leg as a result of a medical incident on a cruise. ### However, Norfolk County Council has refused to renew Mr Ward's blue badge twice, on the basis that photos and a letter from his GP was not sufficient evidence. Speaking to a council worker, the 71-year-old was told that some amputees have "one of those spring prosthetics that allows you to run Olympic marathons". ### TRENDING Stories Videos Your Say ### Mr Ward was amputated above the knee and uses a wheelchair, but also owns a standard prosthetic leg. However, he has now been considered "independent", a decision which has left Mr Ward "disheartened" and concerned about the impact on his mobility. He added that the need for his blue badge to assist in his day-to-day life is "critical". The council has insisted that it is following correct procedures. ### ### ### It argues that there is "no renewal process" and applicants have to provide evidence with each application to prove ongoing eligibility. The process of obtaining a blue badge still applies to those who have a permanent disability. The Department for Transport's (DfT) blue badge scheme allows disabled people in Britain living with significant mobility difficulties to park closer to their destination, either as a passenger or driver. The badge costs up to £10 for applicants in England and £20 in Scotland, but is free in Wales. Permits usually last up to three years. ### LATEST DEVELOPMENTS * Christmas Market beloved by locals forced to cancel as organisers issue statement at who is to blame * ADHD coach received £56k taxpayer grant to pay for her personal assistants * Dog named 'animal of the year' for becoming first in the world to hunt invasive 'sea vomit' creature ### ### ### A spokesman for the DfT said: "The blue badge scheme is a vital lifeline for many disabled people, and we are committed to ensuring it reaches those who genuinely need it. "Decisions on individual cases are a matter for local authorities and we expect councils to assess applications fairly." A spokesman for Norfolk County Council assured that they are working "with the guidance from the Department of Transport" to "assess applications with evidence and assessments". They said: "We know how important blue badges are for helping people to remain independent. ### ### "We have to work within the guidance set for us by the Department for Transport, which includes detailed guidance how eligibility should be assessed through evidence and assessments. "As detailed on our website applicants must adequately evidence the difficulties they experience whilst walking, this applies to those reapplying for an expiring blue badge as well as first time applications. "There is no renewal process, and applicants are required to evidence their ongoing eligibility with each application. Evidence could include letters, reports or details of treatment from a medical professional. "Anyone requiring help with a blue badge application or who is unable to use the online application process can call the council’s Customer Service Centre on 0344 800 8020, and we would be happy to provide support and advice." ### **Our Standards: The GB News Editorial Charter**

### **Our Standards: The GB News Editorial Charter**

Labour must intervene to stop Britain’s biggest gas storage facility from closing, Unite the Union has said. It should even consider nationalising the Rough storage site if no deal on funding can be reached, said the union, which has more than one million members. ### Rough, a depleted gas field that has been converted for storage, lies 18 miles off the Yorkshire coast. It accounts for around half of the UK’s gas storage capacity, but operator Centrica have said it will not seek to continue production beyond April 2027. ### TRENDING Stories Videos Your Say ### The threat of closure "was endangering jobs and our ability to keep the lights on", Unite claimed. Centrica has a £2billion redevelopment scheme ready to expand the facility but has demanded guarantees from the Government to ensure the expansion is economically viable. It wants a "cap and floor" pricing mechanism that guarantees minimum earnings but caps the maximum return. Centrica says a revamped facility would bolster UK energy security, lower the country’s exposure to volatile prices and support jobs. Without the work, the "important strategic asset" is at the limit of what it can deliver, said chief executive Chris O’Shea. ### ### ### The Government has previously said it is open to discussions, but that the expansion is a commercial decision for Centrica. Now Unite has joined calls for the Government to act to keep the site open. It said that the Rough storage site was "critical infrastructure . . . vital to energy security supply" that supported hundreds of jobs. Rough is currently empty because of the dispute, said Unite, which claimed the UK currently has only 12 days of gas supply in storage, the lowest level in recent history. General secretary Sharon Graham said: "The Rough storage facility is essential to the energy security of the UK. Threats of closure are endangering jobs and our ability to keep the lights on and heat homes. ### LATEST DEVELOPMENTS * Review into Britain's feared energy blackout means 'lessons will be learned', says national operator * Labour to make North Sea gas field decision 'imminently' as winter energy fears mount * Britain vows to protect firms from Argentine threats as Falklands oil row explodes ### ### "The general public will not forgive the government or Centrica if this facility is allowed to close and our energy supply becomes even more risky in an increasing uncertain world.” Unite said Rough supported 100 jobs directly and 350 more in the supply chain and argued that "all options" should be considered to keep it open. "That should include the possibility of bringing it into public ownership," it said. Unite national officer for energy Simon Coop said: "Rough is a part of the UK’s critical infrastructure and is vital to energy security supply. Therefore, the government needs to work with all parties to secure the future of Rough. "If that is not possible then Unite will push for the government to keep the site open at all costs including the option of public ownership." ### ### ### ### Because the site could be adapted to store hydrogen, a ‘clean’ gas, in the future, it could also play a part in the transition to Net Zero, the union said. Gas storage isn’t just a problem for Britain. Historically, the country has relied less on storage because of the North Sea, which still provides more than a third of domestic demand. European countries stock far more. But storage levels across Europe are also low as winter approaches. This is because of increased competition for gas as a result of the Iran war. Analysts have warned this could mean a year of high prices, even if the Middle East conflict calms. Earlier this week, defence minister Luke Pollard said that Rough “is not something that the Government is choosing to invest in”. He told the BBC’s Radio 4: "This is a very clear commercial decision for the company. "The steps that we’re taking as a Government are to come off the fossil fuel roller-coaster with more investment in renewables.” But Mr O’Shea has insisted: "The future of Rough is too important to the UK to be dismissed as simply a ‘commercial decision’." The Government has been contacted for comment. ### **Our Standards: The GB News Editorial Charter**

Astronomers at a British university have discovered the first ever credible green star on record. Researchers at the University of Warwick have recorded a unique white dwarf star, named WD J1330+6435, which appears green to the human eye. ### A new study into the stars has concluded that if we could view them up close, certain white dwarfs would shine in colours such as pink, cyan, yellow and purple, as well as green. Although no white dwarf star is close enough for its colour to be seen directly, the team calculated it instead from data astronomers already collect routinely. ### TRENDING Stories Videos Your Say ### The team used a star's spectrum, its "fingerprint", which is produced when starlight is split apart by wavelength. Dr Mark Hollands, Warwick Prize Fellow in the Astronomy and Astrophysics Group, University of Warwick, who led the work, said most white dwarf stars "behave like the perfect radiators". He said: "Most stars, including white dwarf stars, their colour is set almost entirely by temperature. But nobody had really looked into what else might be possible for white dwarfs. "It turns out these incredibly dense stars can produce colours nobody expected and some of them genuinely surprised me." ### ### ### Mr Hollands explained that the WD J1330+6435 star has obtained its green glow due to its "enriched atmosphere", something never seen before. The star is around 4,000C and has enriched its atmosphere with calcium, lithium, and sodium, giving it a chartreuse green appearance. As far as the Warwick astronomers are aware, no other star, living or dead, has ever been credibly reported as green, making it the first known star of this colour in the Galaxy. Mr Hollands said of the discovery: "The traces of sodium in the atmosphere of this white dwarf absorb the orange part of the spectrum, leaving behind a ghostly green glow. ### LATEST DEVELOPMENTS * Science breakthrough as biotech company announces progress toward resurrecting the extinct dodo * Scientists uncover remarkable detail into 146,000-year-old ‘Dragon Man’ skulls * World's oldest shipwreck dating back to the Great Pyramid found off coast of Turkey ### ### ### "Imagine standing on a planet and looking up at a green star. It feels like something out of science fiction." Applying their research to other white dwarf stars across the sky, the University of Warwick team found that white dwarf stars can appear in a variety of different colours, linked to their surrounding atmospheres. Carbon-rich stars are typically pink or purple, while those enriched with debris from shattered asteroids and comets or remains of old planetary systems are more yellow. Cooler white dwarfs with mixed hydrogen and helium atmospheres often take on a cyan or pale blue tinge, caused by hydrogen molecules colliding with helium atoms in their ultra-dense atmospheres. ### ### Tracking their data against a representative sample of 151 white dwarfs within around 65 light years of Earth, five showed unusual colouring, two yellow and three pink. They concluded that roughly one in 30 white dwarfs in the Universe will shine with an unusually coloured light. Professor Boris Gänsicke, Department of Physics, University of Warwick, said: "One in 30 might not sound like a huge fraction, but across the entire population of white dwarfs in the Universe, that is still a lot of oddly coloured stars out there. "Yet if we take the median across a representative population of white dwarfs, we found that the average white dwarf really is white." ### **Our Standards: The GB News Editorial Charter**

Civil servants with no previous legal experience are being recruited to fight asylum appeals on behalf of the Home Office, as the department faces a mounting backlog of cases and continued pressure over Channel crossings. The department is hiring "unqualified" presenting officers from across the Civil Service and the public to argue against migrants challenging asylum refusals and deportation decisions. ### As reported by the Telegraph, recruits do not need legal qualifications or previous experience of immigration law, but job adverts say they must be able to develop a “strong working knowledge” of the law and “apply it effectively”. The recruitment drive comes as almost two-thirds of asylum seekers challenging rejected claims either win their appeals, or secure a reversal of the decision before their case is heard. ### TRENDING Stories Videos Your Say ### Of those, 42 per cent won their appeals, while a further 22 per cent saw the Home Office withdraw its initial refusal and grant refugee status before the hearing. As of June, 156,000 immigration appeals were outstanding, including more than 90,000 asylum cases - with the backlog having nearly doubled in two years. Meanwhile, GB News revealed 1,739 people crossed the Channel in small boats between October 1 and 7 - an average of one migrant every six minutes. The arrivals included 609 people who made the crossing in eight boats within a single day, bringing this year’s total to more than 20,000. ### ### ### Chris Philp, Shadow Home Secretary, said it was “no wonder” the Home Office was losing appeals when its officers faced experienced immigration lawyers. “No wonder the Home Office loses so many immigration appeals when they are sending unqualified presenting officers with no legal experience to fight expensive immigration lawyers funded by legal aid at taxpayers’ expense,” he said. Mr Philp said the Conservatives planned to abolish the Immigration Tribunal and immigration legal aid, and leave the European Convention on Human Rights to enable immediate deportations. Spending on legal aid for immigration and asylum cases rose by 50 per cent, from £39million in 2021-22 to £59million in 2024-25. ### LATEST DEVELOPMENTS * Reform UK says there is 'no room for racism' in party after undercover investigation * Teenage girl raped in popular park after being approached by three men as police issue statement * Ex DUP leader Jeffrey Donaldson jailed for 15 years for child sex offences ### Ameer Kotecha, a former senior Foreign Office diplomat and chief executive of the Centre for Government Reform, described the recruitment policy as a “parable of broken Britain”. “Lawyers on one side, unqualified learners on the other, and the taxpayer paying for both,” he said. He argued officials making legal arguments and cross-examining appellants should have the expertise to match experienced solicitors and barristers. The Home Office defended its approach, saying the job specification was "standard across government departments". ### ### ### ### Recruits underwent comprehensive training and “rigorous” assessments to ensure they met the required standards, the Home Office said. According to the department, presenting officers represent the Home Secretary at immigration tribunals, but independent judges make the decisions on appeals. A 2021 report by the chief inspector of borders and immigration called on the department to do more to “professionalise” presenting officers, recommending better training, stronger professional standards and lighter workloads. ### **Our Standards: The GB News Editorial Charter**

Andy Burnham is planning to strike a deal to cede power over the UK to EU judges as part of a new migration pact. The move would be considered a major blow to the 2016 Brexit vote as Boris Johnson made "taking back control" a cornerstone of the Leave campaign. ### The subsequent Brexit deal was proof that sovereignty was being restored to Westminster, dragging power back to British judges. Previously, Mr Burnham blamed leaving the bloc for the rise in small boat crossings. ### TRENDING Stories Videos Your Say ### After weeks of soft-launching his bid to rejoin the EU, Mr Burnham is now eyeing up an agreement with Strasbourg whereby the UK can access databases of asylum seekers and criminals. But, in exchange, EU officials said that the UK must buckle to oversight from the European Court of Justice (ECJ) - as well as cough up an extra fee to do so, The Telegraph revealed. Alex Burghart, the Shadow Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, said: "I warned of exactly this a few weeks ago. "Labour’s EU Reset treats a closer relationship with Brussels as a panacea, while ignoring the very real trade-offs it would bring for farmers, fishermen and taxpayers. ### ### ### "If access to EU databases means handing over taxpayers’ money and accepting ECJ oversight, Labour must explain the price," he told The Telegraph. "You cannot put a price on sovereignty." EU crime and immigration databases have been off-limits to British officials since leaving the EU. Among them is Eurodac, the database that stores migrants' fingerprints and the EU state to which they belong, which the UK lost access to after Brexit. The Schengen Information System is also off-limits, which issues crime alerts, including migrants wanted across the bloc for deportation. Earlier this week, Mr Burnham said Ursula von der Leyen, the European Commission president, was open to a pact ahead of an EU summit next month. ### ANDY BURNHAM'S BREXIT BETRAYAL - READ MORE: * Exposed: Four times Labour sought to undermine Brexit as Rejoiners push to overturn will of Britons * Andy Burnham’s Russian interference claim insults every Brexit voter in Britain * Labour chair of foreign committee tells Andy Burnham to rejoin EU WITHOUT second Brexit referendum ### ### He said: "That is something that Britain has long sought in the decade since Brexit. It is the control that we lost, actually, at the time of the referendum. "It is one issue that does not get enough attention and it should get more. I will work hard to see if we can get a practical arrangement on that very issue at the summit in November." A source explained to The Telegraph that Britain would have to foot the bill of linking the databases, and reiterated that the European Court would become the "final arbiter" of legal cases related to asylum. However, Whitehall insiders refuted claims surrounding ECJ taking back control. A Government spokesman said: "We are building an ambitious, close relationship with the EU that will secure our borders, bolster collective security, and keep our citizens safe." ### ### Last month, Mr Burnham blamed Brexit for damaging the Government's ability to stop illegal migrants crossing the Channel. The Prime Minister lamented the "loss of collaboration with neighbours" ever since the UK left the EU at the start of 2020. Grilled on why Shabana Mahmood's department continues to be embattled with the ongoing crisis, Mr Burnham attempted to excuse his team's record. "I do point to the loss of collaboration with neighbours that came with Brexit," he told BBC South East. "That hasn’t helped. "We had a more cooperative system, if you like, in the past, so we are not able to have the same levels of collaboration that we used to have, but I don’t put that forward as a reason why we won’t keep working until we get the crossings right down." ### ### But Chris Philp, the Shadow Home Secretary, branded Mr Burnham's claim as "total nonsense". "Andy Burnham is gaslighting us all to hide his own failures, with over 1,000 illegal immigrants coming in this week alone," he fumed. The Prime Minister, who promised voters in Brexit-backing Makerfield he would not try to return Britain to the EU in May, told GB News rejoining the bloc is one of the options he is considering for London's long-term relationship with Brussels. Mr Burnham said he could not “leave Britain out” of discussions about Britain's future relationship with the EU and insisted he had to consider all options. Labour's 2024 manifesto also ruled out returning to the EU, single market or customs union and restoring freedom of movement. ### **Our Standards: The GB News Editorial Charter**

Drivers could be in line to save money when dropping someone off at the airport as the Government looks set to review drop-off parking prices. The Department for Transport has confirmed that it is committed to a review to ensure "travel remains accessible" and that passengers are not taken advantage of. ### It added that it hoped airports would "exercise restraint" on price rises, following a number of high-profile hikes in recent years. Data from the RAC suggests that drop-off charges at major UK airports have jumped by one-third over the last year. ### TRENDING Stories Videos Your Say ### The so-called "kiss and fly" costs have risen to new highs recently, especially at Gatwick and Stansted, where charges have risen from £7 to £10, the BBC reported. Other airports have also hiked prices, such as Edinburgh (£6 to £8.50), while Bournemouth, Leeds Bradford and London City have hiked costs from £5 to £8. London City Airport charges £8 for just five minutes, making it the most expensive on a per-mile basis, despite only starting charging this year. Commenting on the promise of a new review into drop-off prices, Rod Dennis, senior policy officer at the RAC, said it would be "music to the ears of drivers". ### ### ### He acknowledged that expensive airport drop-off charges are a "growing source of anger and frustration" for motorists. Mr Dennis added: "We've brought national attention to the issue by calling out these fees over many years, so [we] are pleased they will now be scrutinised. "Four-in-five drivers we've surveyed believe they are a 'rip-off', with just one-in-10 understanding why airports charge what they do." Of the 20 most popular airports across the UK, 16 of them have increased their drop-off fees between last summer and this year. ### LATEST DEVELOPMENTS * UK councils admit condition of major roads has dropped - Is your area getting worse? * Driving law changes could see defibrillators installed in all new cars as support grows * DVSA slashes driving test waiting times in lifeline for millions of learner motorists ### ### ### The RAC has highlighted that none of the top 10 airports in the European Union charge for drivers dropping off passengers. Mr Dennis continued, saying: "But such 'farewell fees' are at direct odds with most other major airports overseas, where drivers can drop passengers off close to terminals free of charge. "If convenient, free drop-off zones work at so many international airports, why not here in the UK?" Karen Dee, chief executive of Airports UK, said airports outside of the UK tend to be publicly owned and in receipt of state subsidies and tax exemptions. ### ### ### In comparison, she noted that UK airports are generally privately owned and subject to commercial rates of taxation. Ms Dee said airports around the UK offered a range of drop-off and parking options to suit the needs of drivers and passengers. ### **Our Standards: The GB News Editorial Charter**

The Prime Minister has delayed the conclusion of Alan Milburn’s review into the nearly one million young people not in work or training until after the Budget. Another can kicked down the road, but perhaps an accidentally wise move given the revelations made by the Centre for Social Justice’s Welfare 2030 inquiry this week. What began as an investigation into the benefits system has become a damning diagnosis of Britain’s economic model. The CSJ has identified 3,369 neighbourhoods across England and Wales where more than half of working-age adults claim out-of-work benefits. In too many communities, economic inactivity has become entrenched across generations. ### At the same time, increasingly prevalent benefits combinations are incentivising people to stay out of a tightening, low-paid jobs market. Employers have turned overseas to fill vacancies. As British payroll employment has fallen in nine of the UK's twelve regions since 2020, non-EU payroll employment increased in every one. ### TRENDING Stories Videos Your Say ### Just one in five additional payroll jobs created in Britain since 2014 went to British nationals. Astonishing. It all points to a truth politicians have neglected for too long: they have found it easier to import labour than to invest in getting their own people into work. The British public understood this long before alarm bells started ringing in SW1. Unfettered immigration drove the vote for Brexit. Yet, the public were betrayed when the post-Brexit Boriswave opened the floodgates to mass, low-skilled foreign labour. This influx served as a plaster for labour shortages, and the fit-note system became a default pathway to move British people onto sickness benefits instead of recovery and purposeful work. ### ### ### As a Tory MP, I saw firsthand how comfortable my colleagues became with the status quo. MPs were quick to celebrate small pots of funding to tidy high streets, while whole neighbourhoods in their constituencies were quietly being parked on the sidelines. Labour’s Jobs Tax has made things considerably worse, increasing the cost of hiring precisely when young Brits need an escape from inactivity. In 2025, 1.85 million foreign nationals received benefits or the state pension, 1.4 million of those were receiving working-age benefits. These figures account for people who work and pensioners who have paid their taxes. But it also includes those that haven’t made a sustained contribution, who taxpayers will be surprised to learn that their hard-earned money is subsidising. Reform's Shadow Chancellor, Robert Jenrick, is promising bold action to remove benefit entitlements for foreign nationals, get able-bodied long-term claimants to undertake community work, and place greater responsibility on employers to help sick workers return to employment. ### ### A functioning welfare state must always protect those who unable to work, but it cannot be used as a permanent pacifier for those who can, neglecting the human and capital investment needed in their communities and importing entry-level workers in their place. Britain has spent decades using welfare as an economic opiate and immigration as a substitute for investing in its own workforce. It is time to end both dependencies. ### **Our Standards: The GB News Editorial Charter**

Everything about the Prime Minister’s conduct over the past few days has been utterly embarrassing. Having promised voters in Makerfield that he wouldn’t look to reopen Brexit as an issue, on Sunday, he blundered onto the Rest Is Politics to spread conspiracy theories about Russian interference in the 2016 referendum. ### On Monday morning, he was rebuffed by his own Foreign Office Minister - and by Monday evening, he’d backtracked entirely. At best, the Prime Minister’s statement was hugely irresponsible, and risks sowing doubt about the result of an independently-monitored democratic vote. ### TRENDING Stories Videos Your Say ### These baseless claims have been debunked time and time again - in 2018, the serving head of MI5 said that outside influence had not determined the outcome of the vote. Peddling disproven claims about foreign influence risks undermining public trust in our democracy. But at worst, the Prime Minister could be accused of deliberately sowing doubt about the result of the 2016 vote, in an attempt to justify revisiting our relationship with the EU, with absolutely no democratic mandate for doing so. As Kemi Badenoch so rightly said in Parliament, this is lazy thinking. ### ### ### Burnham knows that he has no solutions to the actual problems that we face as a country, so instead, he’s banging on about the EU. Our national debt is now so huge that it runs to more than £100,000 for every single household in the country. The number of working-age people on welfare is ballooning, while energy bills push higher and higher. It now takes the average first-time buyer about a decade to save up for a deposit. ### LATEST DEVELOPMENTS * Labour threatens Greens with 'urgent' ultimatum after Zack Polanski commits to 'antisemitic' policy * Andy Burnham sparks Brexit fury as he tells MPs Britain needs a ‘serious dialogue’ on long-term relationship with EU * Exposed: Four times Labour sought to undermine Brexit as Rejoiners push to overturn the will of the people ### Not a single one of these problems will be solved, or even made better, by aligning ourselves more closely with Europe. Do we really need to open another decade of back-and-forth over the EU – all for the grand prize of being forced into the Euro, and losing control of our borders? Yet this is exactly what Burnham and Labour seem focused on. Emily Thornberry, another senior Labour MP, even told Sky News that Britain could be dragged back into the EU without a referendum - and that people who don’t like that should "get over it". ### ### ### It’s remarkable that, just a few months into the job, Burnham already seems to be out of ideas. All he knows how to do is raise taxes, while giving people less control over their own lives and less power over how our country is governed. Burnham’s EU obsession is driven by the same instinct that’s provoked his newfound fixation on changing our electoral system - moving us away from a system where the person who gets the most votes wins, and towards a system where political fixers in Westminster get to stitch up election results behind closed doors. It all points to a Prime Minister who doesn’t know how to tackle the big problems that we face, and who doesn’t trust the British people. ### **Our Standards: The GB News Editorial Charter**

A woman who says she pleaded with Russell Brand to stop “raping” her in a hotel room broke down in tears while reporting the alleged attack to police in 2023. Jurors heard the woman told Mr Brand that he was “hurting” her and that she “couldn’t breathe” while he allegedly raped her, after performing at a fringe event at the Labour Party conference in 1999. ### The woman claims Mr Brand is said to have asked her if she was “enjoying it” while “making a lot of noises of enjoyment… saying how pretty I was,” she said. The woman told police during an interview in 2023 that she was “really scared” when Mr Brand allegedly forced himself upon her. ### TRENDING Stories Videos Your Say ### “It was hurting, it was painful,” she said. The interview, which was filmed by police and lasted for over an hour, was shown to jurors at Southwark Crown Court. While the interview was playing, Mr Brand, in the dock, sat back in his chair and tilted his head to watch the interview on his own screen. The woman alleged Mr Brand “pranced around” a hotel room wearing white “budgie smugglers” and asked her to take photos of him. ### ### ### “I was frightened… I froze,” she said. “I remember feeling, ‘What on earth have I got myself into.’” She told police that Mr Brand pushed her onto the bed in the hotel room and took her trousers off, court heard. “I just remember him on me. I was trying not to let him kiss me… He was really heavy,” she told police. “He tried to put his fingers in my mouth; I couldn't breathe,” the woman told the officer. ### LATEST DEVELOPMENTS * Netflix sparks fury with 'blasphemous' Narnia trailer as CS Lewis fans fume 'he'd turn in his grave' * Eamonn Holmes's beloved pet dog Maggie dies aged 16 as support floods in for GB News star * Hilary Swank, 52, announces pregnancy with third child in heartwarming social media video ### ### She tearfully said: “It made me feel so dirty, and I thought it was my fault…but in those days it was your fault; it was always your fault.” “I was banging my head on the wall,” she told the officer, and said she felt like she “let everyone down.” The woman alleged, “He just wanted to have sex that night, and I was there,” jurors heard. After the alleged attack, the woman told police that Mr Brand “didn’t think he did anything wrong.” ### ### She said: “I just remember crying, feeling stupid, thinking, ' What do I do? Do I tell anyone?'" Jurors heard that the woman began “having nightmares” about the possibility of being pregnant. When the pair first met, the woman alleges Mr Brand “grabbed” her in a “childish” way and that he was “very complimentary”, but said she didn't find him attractive. “I thought he was gay, I did, I actually thought he was a gay man, because he was very complimentary, saying how nice I looked, how clever I was, how brave I was. He was very polite, intelligent,” she said. ### ### Mr Brand faces three counts of rape, three counts of sexual assault, and one count of indecent assault. He has pleaded not guilty on all counts and strongly denies the allegations against him. The trial continues. ### **Our Standards: The GB News Editorial Charter**

Jet2 has put more than 32,000 extra seats on sale today as it extends its Tunisia programme into the winter season. The UK's largest tour operator is now offering flights to Tunisia through Winter 2027/28 from five airports — Birmingham, East Midlands, Leeds Bradford, Manchester and London Stansted — giving holidaymakers nine extra weeks of getaway options beyond the Summer 2027 season. ### Extra routes come amid strong demand from customers and independent travel agents who have been taking bookings since Tunisia was first announced back in June. So how does the extended schedule work? Flights will run for four weeks past the summer season, right through to November 30, 2027, before picking up again from February 11, 2028, ahead of Summer 2028. ### TRENDING Stories Videos Your Say ### ### ### The longer season covers both the October and February half-term breaks, to give families more chance to enjoy North African sunshine without being limited to peak summer dates. Tunisia has been popular since Jet2 first revealed it as a new destination in June, appealing to holidaymakers thanks to a promise of golden beaches, year-round warmth, ancient Roman ruins, vibrant medinas and stunning desert landscapes. There is plenty of choice when it comes to resorts too, with Hammamet, Yasmine Hammamet, Port el Kantaoui, Sousse, Skanes and Mahdia all available to book. This comes just a week after Jet2 announced a brand-new Summer 2028 route from Bristol Airport, opening up Tunisia to travellers in the South West as well. ### TRAVEL INSPIRATION * Quiet British market town named among the top destinations in the world for 2027 * Europe's top spots for autumn holiday, with fewer crowds and 29°C highs * The 10 UK staycations where you'll get the most for your money this autumn ### CEO of Jet2, Steve Heapy, said: "The response to the launch of Tunisia for Summer 2027 has been fantastic. With plenty of demand from customers and independent travel agents looking to book early and looking to book Tunisia for some winter sunshine, we are delighted to be extending our programme into the Winter 2027/28 season, giving them exactly what they want. "This expansion gives customers even more opportunities to enjoy everything that Tunisia has to offer, whilst enjoying our industry-leading customer service. "We know there is enormous appetite for this destination, and we are pleased to be responding by offering customers greater choice and flexibility when planning their holidays." ### ### ### ### **Jet2's Tunisia extension by airport base** * **Birmingham Airport** - Twice-weekly services on Wednesdays and Saturdays to Enfidha, now operating right through to November 27 before recommencing on February 12, 2028. * **East Midlands Airport** - Weekly Saturday services to Enfidha, now operating right through to November 27 before recommencing on February 12, 2028. * **Leeds Bradford Airport** - Weekly Saturday services to Enfidha, now operating right through to November 27 before recommencing on February 12, 2028, exclusive to Jet2. * **Manchester Airport** - Twice-weekly services on Tuesdays and Fridays to Enfidha, now operating right through to November 30 before recommencing on February 11, 2028. * **London Stansted Airport** - Twice-weekly services on Wednesdays and Sundays to Enfidha, now operating right through to November 28 before recommencing on February 13, 2028. **Our Standards: The GB News Editorial Charter**

Severe drought has been declared in parts of Cornwall, Devon, Dorset, Somerset, East Sussex and West Sussex, the Government has confirmed. It comes after a record-breaking summer of consistent extreme temperatures, which buckled reservoirs and water infrastructure as demand outmatched supply. ### Rainfall was scarce over the summer, with light spells of rain over October failing to recoup the losses built up over five respective heatwave periods between May and September. Last week, drought conditions were declared in Yorkshire due to low water levels in reservoirs and rivers. ### TRENDING Stories Videos Your Say ### The Environment Agency’s decision follows a meeting of the National Drought Group, which assessed water availability and the severity of drought conditions across England. The latest data shows that Wimbleball Reservoir in Exmoor is just 14.9 per cent full. Several other major reservoirs across the South West are also running low, with Roadford in Devon at 36.8 per cent capacity, Burrator at 33.6 per cent, Colliford in Cornwall at 35 per cent and Stithians at 21.9 per cent. The Environment Agency has identified Colliford and Wimbleball reservoirs as having exceptionally low water levels. ### ### ### The Government has reassured the public that household water supplies will not be interrupted. It said declaring a severe drought would allow preventative action to be taken early, helping to protect available water resources, and reduce the risk of future disruption. Measures outlined by the government include requiring ministers to ensure water companies monitor reservoir and river levels daily, alongside strengthened water quality monitoring. Another measure is increasing Environment Agency compliance checks on businesses abstracting water from rivers and other natural sources, to ensure they remain within their authorised limits. ### LATEST DEVELOPMENTS * Fisherman who died after boat vanished off Scottish coast named as search continues for crewmates * Harvester pub goes up in flames as firefighters work through the night to tackle raging inferno * Ex DUP leader Jeffrey Donaldson jailed for 15 years for child sex offences ### Severe drought typically means a lack of water affects daily life and the environment in major ways, and can have extensive, lasting effects on farming, people, communities, the economy and nature. ### ### ### _**MORE TO FOLLOW...**_ ### **Our Standards: The GB News Editorial Charter**

Adam Ramsay-Peaty has revealed why he struggled at the Commonwealth Games following a disappointing performance. The three-time Olympic champion won only one silver and a couple of bronzes at a Games that fell short of expectations. ### The swimmer has worked with experts since the event in Glasgow, where they came to the conclusion that his body was not in the right shape. "What I have learned from Europeans and Commonwealths this summer, without going too deep, I had too much muscle," he told The Sun. ### TRENDING Stories Videos Your Say ### "So that's another thing as well that I've been assigned to do - to try and reduce the muscle mass a little bit. "Because every stroke you potentially carry another four kilograms, which isn't ideal over 42 or 43 (strokes) over 100 metres. "You look at the power-to-weight ratio. That's kind of another conversation that we'll get into later." After winning bronze in the men's 100 metres breaststroke, Ramsay-Peaty broke down in tears, referencing the personal upheaval he faced. ### ### ### LATEST SPORTS NEWS * Pep Guardiola's reaction caught on camera as PSG crush Man City in front of former boss * Gareth Southgate gives update on potential Premier League return two years on from England exit * Enzo Maresca shares message from Luis Enrique after Man City fall short in thrilling PSG defeat ### He said: "It's hard because I know how hard I've worked. "I know the s*** I've been through, which is no fault of my own to be honest but it does take a toll. "I'm not crying because it's bronze instead of gold. I'm crying because I know I am better than that. "I feel like I couldn't have put any more in, and that's where it hurts, because I'm like, what's the point of all the metres every day, what's the point of being exhausted all the time? ### ### ### "What's the point of having to say no to family events because you can't go to training? "It has to mean something, and for me it has to be human excellence, and that is not excellence for me. So that's the emotion that is unfortunately coming out." Ramsay-Peaty stepped away from swimming in 2023 to focus on his mental health, while he married Holly Ramsay, daughter of celebrity chef Gordon Ramsay. ### ### ### He fell out with several family members ahead of the wedding, except for his sister, Bethany, who was one of Holly's bridesmaids. This week, Ramsay-Peaty noted his team "pushed a little bit too far on the load in the pool, especially in the gym, which has really affected the drag profile but also the shapes I can hold under the water". His aim now is qualifying for Team GB in 2028, which will be his final Olympics if he makes the squad. ### **Our Standards: The GB News Editorial Charter**

The former DUP leader Jeffrey Donaldson has been sentenced to 15 years in prison this afternoon for a series of child sex offences, including rape. Donaldson was convicted in June of 18 counts of sex abuse, which he committed against two women when they were children, between 1985 and 2008. ### Reading statements from the victims before passing sentence, the judge says one woman grew up feeling ashamed, while the other says: "Every day I pray God will let me die" The judge said Donaldson's offences have led to a "catastrophic descent into disgrace". ### TRENDING Stories Videos Your Say ### Stripped of his knighthood in July, Donaldson was convicted of rape, four counts of gross indecency and 13 counts of indecent assault against his victims, who retain anonymity. The 63-year-old former Democratic Unionist Party leader had pleaded not guilty to all 18 charges, and displayed no visible reaction when the jury delivered its verdicts at Newry Crown Court. During trial, the jury of seven men and five women spent near 10 hours deliberating over three days before reaching its decision. Donaldson, who spent decades as a prominent political figure at Stormont and Westminster, has since been held at Maghaberry Prison, located within the Lagan Valley constituency he represented during his political career. ### ### ### Following his sentencing, the DUP issued a statement declaring that “justice has been done” in response to what it described as Donaldson's “vile and disgusting crimes against his victims”. The statement said: "Our first thoughts are again with the innocent victims, who having suffered such evil, were re-traumatised through giving evidence at the trial. "They deserve our compassion, support and respect. We hope they can find some measure of comfort and can look ahead to a new chapter in their lives. "Regardless of status or position every individual must be held accountable for their actions. He deserves every day of the lengthy prison sentence he has to serve following the guilty verdict for preying on innocent child victims." ### LATEST DEVELOPMENTS * Harvester pub goes up in flames as firefighters work through the night to tackle raging inferno * Fisherman who died after boat vanished off Scottish coast named as search continues for crewmates * Teenage girl raped in popular park after being approached by three men as police issue statement ### ### During sentencing, Judge Paul Ramsey criticised Donaldson for continuing to deny the allegations following his conviction, saying he had “doubled down on his denials”. The judge added that Donaldson had shown no sign of remorse, expressing the view that his victims would receive neither an apology nor an expression of shame from him that might offer them even a small measure of comfort. He described Donaldson's downfall as a “catastrophic descent into disgrace”. Meanwhile, Donaldson's wife, Eleanor, underwent a trial of the facts due to mental health grounds, on whether she had aided her husband in his offending. ### ### Rather than determining criminal guilt in the usual way, the jury was required to establish whether she had carried out the alleged acts. It concluded that she had done so in respect of all five charges against her, four of which involved allegations of aiding and abetting her husband's offences. She cannot be given a prison sentence but could be given a treatment order or an absolute discharge. The judge is due to decide on this at a later date. ### ### ### Speaking outside Newry Crown Court after the sentencing hearing, Detective Chief Inspector Leah Crothers from the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) told reporters that Jeffrey Donaldson "manipulated" both of his young victims and "exploited the trust" they had placed in him. She said both of Donaldson's victims have "suffered immeasurably as they come to terms with what has happened to them as children". "He robbed them both of their childhood and innocence", the DCI added. Police "worked tirelessly" to build a "robust case against this man and his wife" whose offending "has shocked our local communities", DCI Crothers said. "The police service and our criminal justice system has sent a clear message: No-one is above the law." ### **Our Standards: The GB News Editorial Charter**

Almost half of councils have reported a drop in the condition of roads in the area in recent years, according to new data from the Government. Around 45 per cent of councils reported an increase in the number of "red" roads between 2024 and 2026, figures from the Department for Transport show. ### A "red" road is considered to be poor and should be considered for maintenance, while other roads can be ranked as "amber" or "green". In total, 147 local authorities reported data on the condition of A roads in the years ending March 2024 and March 2026. ### TRENDING Stories Videos Your Say ### Some of these roads (45 per cent) saw a rise in the proportion of A roads deemed to be "red", while 53 (36 per cent) saw no change and 28 (19 per cent) fell. Brighton and Hove recorded the highest figure in the year to March 2026, with 17 per cent of A roads classed as "red". This was followed by Nottingham (15 per cent), Brent in London (14 per cent), Salford (13 per cent) and North Tyneside (13 per cent). RAC head of policy Simon Williams said: "This data confirms what so many road users will have observed on a daily basis for years - that far too many roads are in a poor condition, leading to uncomfortable journeys and costly repair bills." ### ### ### ### Major roads classed as red in the year to March 2026 (compared to the year to March 2024) **Regions marked with an * used an alternative measuring method** Brighton & Hove* 17% (18%) Nottingham* 15% (19%) Brent 14% (11%) North Tyneside* 13% (14%) Salford* 13% (6%) Ealing 12% (8%) Newham 12% (10%) Barking & Dagenham 11% (6%) Hackney 11% (13%) Barnet 10% (6%) Bristol* 10% (9%) Islington 10% (9%) Shropshire* 10% (9%) Calderdale* 9% (4%) Camden 9% (9%) Croydon 9% (7%) Redbridge 9% (7%) Richmond upon Thames 9% (7%) Southwark 9% (7%) Wandsworth 9% (6%) Derby* 8% (9%) Greenwich 8% (6%) Hammersmith & Fulham 8% (5%) Lambeth 8% (6%) Southend-on-Sea* 8% (9%) Tower Hamlets 8% (7%) City of London 7% (7%) Enfield 7% (4%) Harrow 7% (4%) Kent 7% (6%) Lewisham 7% (6%) Manchester* 7% (6%) Norfolk 7% (4%) Sutton 7% (3%) Waltham Forest 7% (5%) Bradford* 6% (6%) Derbyshire* 6% (28%) Haringey 6% (4%) Havering 6% (4%) Kingston upon Thames 6% (3%) Merton 6% (4%) Newcastle upon Tyne* 6% (6%) Oxfordshire 6% (5%) St Helens* 6% (6%) Suffolk 6% (3%) Telford & Wrekin* 6% (7%) Westminster 6% (5%) ### LATEST DEVELOPMENTS * Driving law changes could see defibrillators installed in all new cars as support grows * DVSA slashes driving test waiting times in lifeline for millions of learner motorists * Labour urged to scrap 'poverty premiums' in Budget as drivers risk paying £370 extra ### ### ### Windsor & Maidenhead 6% (3%) Bath & North East Somerset* 5% (5%) Bexley 5% (4%) Bracknell Forest 5% (7%) Bromley 5% (2%) Bury 5% (6%) Darlington* 5% (7%) East Sussex 5% (4%) Hampshire 5% (4%) Herefordshire 5% (5%) Kirklees 5% (5%) Liverpool* 5% (10%) Luton* 5% (5%) Medway 5% (2%) Reading 5% (7%) Southampton* 5% (5%) Stockport* 5% (4%) Surrey 5% (4%) Trafford 5% (5%) West Sussex 5% (6%) Wigan* 5% (2%) Wirral* 5% (4%) Blackburn with Darwen* 4% (5%) Bournemouth, Christchurch & Poole 4% (3%) Buckinghamshire 4% (4%) Cheshire East 4% (3%) Essex 4% (3%) Hillingdon 4% (2%) Kensington & Chelsea 4% (4%) Knowsley* 4% (4%) Lancashire 4% (2%) Leicester 4% (4%) Nottinghamshire* 4% (3%) Oldham* 4% (4%) Rochdale 4% (4%) Somerset 4% (2%) Warwickshire 4% (4%) West Berkshire 4% (3%) Westmorland & Furness 4% (4%) Wiltshire 4% (4%) Blackpool* 3% (4%) Cambridgeshire 3% (6%) County Durham 3% (3%) Devon 3% (2%) Doncaster 3% (3%) Dorset* 3% (2%) Hartlepool 3% (3%) Hertfordshire 3% (3%) Hounslow 3% (2%) Leicestershire 3% (3%) ### ### ### Lincolnshire 3% (2%) North Lincolnshire 3% (3%) North Northamptonshire* 3% (3%) Northumberland 3% (2%) Plymouth 3% (2%) Rutland 3% (3%) Sefton 3% (3%) Solihull 3% (3%) South Gloucestershire 3% (3%) South Tyneside 3% (2%) Staffordshire* 3% (3%) Thurrock 3% (7%) Torbay 3% (3%) West Northamptonshire* 3% (4%) Wokingham 3% (3%) Wolverhampton 3% (2%) Barnsley 2% (3%) Bedford 2% (1%) Birmingham* 2% (6%) Bolton 2% (2%) Central Bedfordshire 2% (2%) Cornwall 2% (1%) Coventry 2% (2%) Cumberland 2% (2%) Gateshead 2% (1%) Isle of Wight 2% (2%) Kingston upon Hull 2% (2%) North East Lincolnshire 2% (2%) North Somerset 2% (1%) North Yorkshire* 2% (3%) Portsmouth 2% (2%) Redcar & Cleveland* 2% (1%) Rotherham 2% (3%) Sandwell 2% (2%) Swindon 2% (3%) Wakefield 2% (3%) Warrington 2% (1%) York 2% (2%) Cheshire West & Chester* 1% (1%) Dudley 1% (2%) East Riding of Yorkshire 1% (2%) Gloucestershire 1% (1%) Halton 1% (1%) Milton Keynes 1% (1%) Peterborough 1% (1%) Sheffield 1% (1%) Stockton-on-Tees 1% (1%) Sunderland 1% (1%) Walsall 1% (1%) Middlesbrough 0% (1%) ### **Our Standards: The GB News Editorial Charter**

Netflix's first trailer for Greta Gerwig's adaptation of CS Lewis's The Magician's Nephew has been met with fury from the British author's fans following its release this week. The promo clip, set to Led Zeppelin's Stairway to Heaven, appears to have adapted the beloved tale and ditched the novel's Edwardian setting of the 1950s for a more glam rock interpretation. ### Barbie filmmaker Ms Gerwig has previously described her vision for the project as a "rock opera," with Aslan's creation of Narnia designed to evoke a cosmic musical spectacle. The film boasts a cast with some of the biggest names in Hollywood. Daniel Craig plays the titular magician, the eccentric Uncle Andrew Ketterley, whilst Emma Mackey takes on the role of Jadis, the future White Witch. ### TRENDING Stories Videos Your Say ### Carey Mulligan portrays Digory's mother, Mabel Kirke, while Ciarán Hinds provides a commanding voiceover throughout the preview. Youngsters David McKenna and Beatrice Campbell take on the roles of the young protagonists Digory Kirke and Polly Plummer and both feature prominently in the trailer. The pair stumble upon a realm known as the Wood Between the Worlds, a place containing portals to countless dimensions, and ultimately witness Narnia's creation. Arguably the most contentious piece of casting comes from the aforementioned Aslan. The lion, who is widely understood as a literary representation of Christ, is voiced by Oscar-winning actress Meryl Streep. ### > A Universe Begins. See how Narnia was created in Narnia: The Magician's Nephew, a film by Greta Gerwig - only in theaters February 12. https://t.co/jwxksCL0N7 > > — Netflix (@netflix) October 13, 2026 ### ### The casting decision prompted fury from Christian groups, in particular, months before the trailer's release, with some critics branding it "profanity" and a "deliberate mocking" of Christianity. And after the trailer offered a first glimpse at Aslan, the backlash remained as hostile as ever. In response to pop culture X account The Hollywood Handle, which had clipped up Aslan's debut in the trailers, CS Lewis fans made their feelings known. "C. S. Lewis is probably rolling in his grave hard enough to power a small nuclear plant," one X user argued. ### LATEST DEVELOPMENTS * Hilary Swank, 52, announces pregnancy with third child in heartwarming social media video * Eamonn Holmes's beloved pet dog Maggie dies aged 16 as support floods in for GB News star * BBC Traitors star brands Myha'la 'bad loser' over 'unconscious bias' row: 'NOTHING to do with race!' - **EXCLUSIVE** ### ### A second echoed: "Last time I checked Christ was a man; hence Aslan is a male lion." "Blasphemy," a third simply typed, while a fourth hit out: "What happens when you let a woke feminist DEI producer make a Christian based movie." Another complaint read: "Aslan is a woman? WTF??? When will the woke left stop trying to erase men from society?" And a sixth pointed out another rather glaring issue with the casting of Ms Streep: "I haven't read the books but I love the previous movies of Narnia. I don't really mind Aslan being a lioness if it makes sense. But why does a lady lion have a neckmane, logically speaking?"(sic) ### ### However, others were willing to give the film a chance, with several saying they were "seated" in preparation. "I don't understand half the controversy around this film but this is pretty cool," another fan weighed in. While Ms Gerwig's adaptation may have gotten off to the rockiest of starts, the director has previously insisted she possesses a close bond with CS Lewis's works. "I don't remember a time I didn't know the books," she told a New York audience when previewing the film, The Hollywood Reporter reports. "I wouldn't be who I am without these books." She also recalled pitching her vision directly to Netflix chief Ted Sarandos at a drinks reception, insisting the series should begin with The Magician's Nephew. ### ### It's believed that after roughly 20 minutes of conversation, Mr Sarandos offered Ms Gerwig the writing job. The film will open in cinemas on February 12 before arriving on Netflix on April 2, marking the streamer's first global theatrical release. Should it prove successful, Ms Gerwig intends to adapt further novels from the seven-book series. "I hope they laugh. I hope they cry. I hope they feel like they've been on an adventure," she said. ### **Our Standards: The GB News Editorial Charter**

Britain is forecast to enjoy temperatures of up to 23C today, before colder air sweeps south, bringing overnight frost, fog and a distinctly autumnal feel to the weekend. Parts of eastern England could see temperatures rise as much as 8C above the mid-October average, with sunshine and warm southerly winds bringing an unexpected spell of warmth to central, eastern and southern areas. ### The contrast will be stark across the country, as Scotland and Northern Ireland experience cooler conditions, with rain moving southwards through northern England, Wales and parts of the south-west. The unsettled weather is being driven by a deep area of low pressure passing close to Iceland, generating brisk southerly winds that are drawing warmer air into much of England. ### TRENDING Stories Videos Your Say ### Temperatures in the south-east of the country are expected to reach between 19C and 23C later on today. Further north, highs are forecast to remain between 12C and 15C, with blustery winds and scattered heavy showers following the passage of a weather front which has already brought rain to Scotland and Northern Ireland. But the brief burst of warmth is expected to give way to more typical autumn conditions as the week progresses. By tomorrow, colder air will begin moving across the country, with the change expected to continue into the weekend. ### ### ### High pressure building from the west should bring sunny spells to many areas, although showers remain possible, particularly in northern and western parts of the UK tomorrow and south-east England over the weekend. Northerly winds will reinforce the colder feel, with daytime temperatures expected to settle between 10C and 16C across the UK. Conditions could feel particularly chilly along the east coasts of Scotland and England, where winds are likely to be stronger. While afternoon sunshine should provide some pleasant periods, the weekend is likely to feel much more like autumn. ### LATEST DEVELOPMENTS * More seven-year-olds in Britain are on disability benefits compared to 50-year-olds * Reform UK says there is 'no room for racism' in party after undercover investigation * Exposed: Four times Labour sought to undermine Brexit as Rejoiners push to overturn will of Britons ### Overnight temperatures will also fall sharply, with lows in single figures expected in almost every region. Some areas could experience a touch of frost, alongside patches of mist and fog. Temperatures may dip below freezing in parts of Scotland, Northern Ireland and northern England, potentially bringing the coldest conditions of the autumn so far in some locations. Despite the change, the forecast temperatures are not considered unusual for the middle of October. ### ### ### The outlook for next week remains less certain, with forecast models offering differing predictions. High pressure is expected to remain close to the UK initially, potentially maintaining relatively settled conditions. However, Atlantic weather systems could eventually push through, driven by the jet stream. If they do, the UK could see a return to wetter and windier weather, accompanied by a modest rise in temperatures. For now, the immediate forecast points to a brief taste of late-season warmth, before colder nights, possible frost and more seasonable daytime temperatures take hold. ### **Our Standards: The GB News Editorial Charter**

Former Liverpool star Didi Hamann has issued a reality check to the Reds, describing their start to the season as "average". Despite losing only one game so far, the German highlighted the number of draws Andoni Iraola's side has recorded, which leaves them ninth in the Premier League table. ### Ahead of their defeat to Manchester City over the weekend, Hamaan admitted he "wasn't expecting much" from the Reds, despite the fixture's context amid the scandal surrounding the Citizens. Hamaan exclusively told GB News: "The season for Liverpool and Iraola so far has been average at best. ### TRENDING Stories Videos Your Say ### "They've drawn three times prior to Sunday's game against Manchester City, the Newcastle game being one of them. They have been pretty fortunate, very fortunate, to have nine points. I wasn't expecting much from them. "I thought Liverpool played well up to the sending-off, but it was very disappointing over the 90 minutes. "City were by far the better side overall, and they capitalised on [Ryan] Gravenberch's red card; they deserved the win. So, nine points after six games is pretty average for Liverpool so far." The Anfield crowd and Liverpool supporters were among the most talked-about factors heading into the match, with how City would cope with them a key question. ### ### ### LATEST SPORTS NEWS * Pep Guardiola's reaction caught on camera as PSG crush Man City in front of former boss * Gareth Southgate gives update on potential Premier League return two years on from England exit * FIFA set to rewrite World Cup disciplinary rules following Folarin Balogun red card controversy ### Hamaan felt the Citizens comfortably handled the home support and need to prepare for further backlash at each away game this season. He told the People's Channel through Betpack: "In terms of the crowd, it's difficult to say if it was more hostile, but wherever City go now, they will be called cheats. "All they can do is their job, which they have done very professionally and thoroughly since being found guilty. "The charges may impact some of the City players mentally, knowing they could get 60-70 points deducted, putting them into the championship, but it does not seem to have affected them, it might have even galvanised them. ### ### ### "[Enzo] Maresca had big boots to fill replacing [Pep] Guardiola, but I've got to say he's done a very good job so far." Liverpool are short of forwards for the time being, with Cody Gakpo, Hugo Ekiteke and Alexander Isak all out. Haaman hopes players continue to step up, like Bradley Barcola, in the Reds' upcoming games. ### ### ### He said: "Liverpool struggle with physicality. When there's a team as talented as City's and capable of outmuscling the opposition, there's only one winner, which is what we saw on Sunday. "For Liverpool, you would hope someone steps up to be counted on." The Reds return to action on Saturday at 3pm with a tough trip to face Brentford. ### **Our Standards: The GB News Editorial Charter**

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, two private citizens, are going to Nottingham today on a visit that reeks of a quasi-royal appearance. In the process, they are projecting a status they no longer occupy. ### Hardly surprising for a couple who crave relevance, whose currency is image. They will smile, they will pose — and the photographs will convey a message no honest headline could print: that the Duke and Duchess of Sussex are royal again. ### TRENDING Stories Videos Your Say ### They are nothing of the sort. They hold no office. They perform no public duties. They represent no one but themselves. The Palace has said so in writing, on the King's instruction: last month Buckingham Palace spelt it out, as widely reported — private citizens, their work not undertaken on behalf of the Royal Family. That is the official position, on the record. And because he knows full well the patterns of his son and daughter-in-law, the King felt the need to reiterate it. Like everything the Sussexes do, this is choreographed stagecraft. Of all the cities in Britain, they chose Nottingham — the city of their first joint appearance in 2017, when the crowds swooned and the flags waved. Their supporters call the parallel a “synergy,” and one should take that word at face value: synergy as strategy. ### ### ### In 2017 the visit was official, backed by the whole apparatus of the Crown. In 2026, the apparatus is gone and only the scenery remains — same city, same photo opportunities, none of the authority. Allow me to remind you what they surrendered, because the entire performance depends on you forgetting it. In January 2020 Queen Elizabeth refused the half-in, half-out arrangement — the status without the duty. In March 2020 the curtain fell on their official engagements. They set aside the HRH styles. Six years later, the King confirmed it in writing: private citizens, full stop. Every one of those choices was theirs to make, and they made them — loudly, profitably, on television. ### LATEST DEVELOPMENTS * Joint Harry and Meghan engagements set to occur 'a handful of times a year' as Duchess's priorities laid bare * 'Take things slowly!' King's former butler sends message to Meghan and Harry as they navigate reconciliation * Meghan's £75 charity jumper sells out in hours ahead of major UK appearance with Prince Harry ### ### What they want now is to keep the airs without the consequences and obligations. Here are the facts. The police operation that attends a genuine royal visit is no longer theirs to command. Joint appearances will be rare, by their own account — because, again by their own account, Ms Markle’s priorities run to family, then business, then the acting career, with charity fitted in around the edges. Read that list again. Then read some headlines calling Thursday a “return to public duties,” and ask yourself who is being served: the charity, or the brand. Ah, the brand. The lifestyle label bound for Britain, the scripts being read, the slow, expensive laundering of a reputation. None of it is illegal. All of it is commerce. But commerce dressed in the borrowed robes of duty cheats the public, which the headlines invite to take a photocall for an official visit and a marketing schedule for public service. ### ### Since I am American, allow me to suggest a parallel. Picture a former congressman — six years out of office, no committees, no office in the Capitol — renting a hotel ballroom, mounting a dais, banging a gavel, and issuing “findings” while the press takes notes with straight faces. America would laugh him out of the building. We even have a name for the lesser offence: stolen valour, medals worn but never earned. Britain needs no new statute for Thursday. It needs only the decree the palace has already published: private citizens. And if that proves insufficient, then removal of titles and place in the succession and erasure from the Royal Website would be prudent. “But it is charity,” comes the objection. Very well: let the charity be judged as charity. A private donation needs no crown. What the charities do not need is to be cast as extras in someone else's rehabilitation drama, their good work converted into backdrop for the brand. ### ### And what the public does not need is to be told that showing up with a camera crew is the same as serving the Crown. It is the half-in, half-out model with the serial numbers filed off — the arrangement the late Queen forbade and the King has re-forbidden. Let's not mistake this event for a restoration. It is a theatrical revival of the status the couple resigned, played before an audience they hope has forgotten it. But the public have not, and the Crown has not. But if these charades continue, for its own sake, the Palace should take more robust action. Harry and Meghan quit the Crown. Now they want to rent it by the day. The Crown they quit is not theirs to borrow back. ### **Our Standards: The GB News Editorial Charter**

Cristiano Ronaldo's sister has cast doubt over whether he will play for Portugal again after his dispute with manager Jorge Jesus led to a suspension. The 41-year-old left the national team's camp during the international break, accusing Jesus of breaking promises. ### Their disagreement followed Portugal's 2-1 Nations League victory over Norway, when Ronaldo remained on the bench. The Portuguese Football Federation opened disciplinary proceedings, leaving his availability uncertain while his conduct is investigated. ### TRENDING Stories Videos Your Say Although Ronaldo has expressed a desire to return, his sister Elma Aveiro suggested a reconciliation remains some distance away. Speaking at a book launch in Lisbon on Wednesday evening, which Jesus also attended, she delivered a pessimistic assessment of her brother's international future. "It's more likely a no than a yes," she said. "I think both [Cristiano and Jorge Jesus] are hurt; it was a situation they experienced, not me, I'm speaking for my brother. ### "I think it's a situation that's stalled, we'll see what happens." Asked whether the two men could repair their relationship, Aveiro added: "I don't know, it's very complicated. "When we're betrayed, it's very difficult to go back to normal. "My feeling is one of sadness because the Portuguese people unfortunately forget what has already been done and think that things should be done differently now. ### LATEST SPORTS NEWS: * Manchester United make decision on sacking Jason Wilcox after astonishing Lisandro Martinez rant * Gareth Southgate gives update on potential Premier League return two years on from England exit * Enzo Maresca shares message from Luis Enrique after Man City fall short in thrilling PSG defeat ### "I'm speechless, it's very difficult to see my brother go through this. "He is one of the people who least deserve this." Ronaldo's mother, Dolores Aveiro, has also criticised the situation, saying: "He could have left through the front door and instead he left through the back door." The disagreement centred on Ronaldo's understanding that he would play the final 30 minutes against Norway. ### Instead, Jesus asked him to warm up but did not introduce him, saying he "didn't need Cristiano". Before Portugal's next match against Denmark, Ronaldo is believed to have agreed an eight-point statement for Jesus to deliver during his press conference. That was intended to counter suggestions the forward was demanding playing time. However, Jesus reportedly departed from the agreed wording, prompting Ronaldo to leave camp. ### The former Manchester United and Real Madrid star subsequently issued a 1,996-word statement accusing his manager of twice going back on his word. Ronaldo apologised to his team-mates, but the disciplinary process could now rule him out of November's international break. The federation confirmed that proceedings were initiated on October 9 to examine events reported two days earlier. It also announced a preventive suspension and designated the case urgent, with investigators receiving it on October 10. ### The proceedings remain confidential until the investigation concludes. Despite his sister's doubts, Ronaldo has not announced an international retirement. He previously rejected claims from another sibling during the summer that he would step away after the World Cup. For now, his stated wish to return stands against a damaged relationship with Jesus and an unresolved investigation into his departure from camp. ### **Our Standards: The GB News Editorial Charter**

When Luis Enrique first took charge of Paris Saint-Germain, back in the summer of 2023, the Spaniard inherited a side in transition. Lionel Messi had decided that, two years after joining from Barcelona in one of football's most seismic moves, he'd had enough of life at the Parc des Princes. Rather than reunite with a manager who had helped him on his road to greatness at the Nou Camp, he opted for Miami to enjoy the twilight years of his career in a far sunnier environment. ### Neymar had previously been PSG's talisman, along with Kylian Mbappe. The Brazilian's inconsistency had gone on for too long, however, with Enrique more than happy to jettison the veteran to Saudi Arabia. Enrique's first year in France was a mixed one. Having managed to keep Mbappe out of Real Madrid's clutches, the club secured a brilliant domestic treble. The Ligue 1 title, which many see as virtually guaranteed, was wrapped up comfortably. Lyon and Toulouse were then overcome in Coupe de France and Trophee des Championships finals respectively. ### TRENDING Stories Videos Your Say In Europe, however, PSG fell short. Borussia Dortmund reigned supreme in the semi-finals before proceeding to face Madrid, who suffocated their opponents at Wembley to lift Europe's biggest prize once again. For a long time, it looked as though Champions League glory would never come. Mbappe certainly felt that way, with the forward finally sealing his move to Madrid in 2024. Everything changed last year, however, when PSG produced a mesmeric performance to batter Inter Milan 5-0 and end their agonising wait for the biggest prize of them all. The way they tore through their Italian rivals, time and time again, was astonishing. Desire Doue was the star that night, scoring twice. Achraf Hakimi, Khvicha Kvaratskhelia and Senny Mayulu also struck, while Ousmane Dembele completed his redemption arc after his issues at Barcelona earlier in his career. ### Back in May, PSG claimed the trophy again. Arsenal, for all their grit and determination, ended up defeated via a dramatic penalty shootout. It was a heartbreaking night for the Gunners, who had led through Kai Havertz before Dembele levelled from 12 yards. Ultimately, it was centre-back Gabriel Magalhaes who cost the Gunners a maiden Champions League crown, with the Brazilian blazing his decisive effort over the bar. This season, PSG have experienced some early problems in Ligue 1. Surprisingly, they sit sixth in the standings, having won just three of their opening six games. There have been some suggestions that perhaps, after three years of Enrique intensity, they are starting to wane. ### LATEST SPORTS NEWS: * Manchester United make decision on sacking Jason Wilcox after astonishing Lisandro Martinez rant * Gareth Southgate gives update on potential Premier League return two years on from England exit * Enzo Maresca shares message from Luis Enrique after Man City fall short in thrilling PSG defeat ### But on Wednesday night, at an Etihad Stadium full of emotion and in front of the returning Pep Guardiola, PSG produced an attacking display so enchanting that it's hard to see anyone getting near them. They remain Europe's standout side, for all their domestic shortcomings so far. The way they raced into a 3-0 lead was utterly phenomenal. Doue, who continues to establish himself as one of the best wingers in world football, caused City issues with his searing speed. His goal ended up coming from distance, with Gianluigi Donnarumma powerless to prevent the strike from creeping past him at his near post. The home crowd, so raucous in volume in front of Guardiola, were stunned into silence. Just two minutes later and they'd done it again. Doue's lofted ball into the box was headed home by Dembele, who celebrated enthusiastically with his team-mate. Enzo Maresca could only look on, helpless, as the holders ran riot. ### The first half was all PSG. Hakimi hit the post with a header before Vitinha rifled home. Steven Gerrard, commentating for TNT Sports, described it as a 'first half exhibition'. It was hard to disagree. City rallied to their credit and were the better team after the interval, with Erling Haaland scoring twice. The damage had already been done, however, with PSG showing the composure of champions to close out the game and take all three points. Make no mistake about it. This PSG team is up there with the greatest sides the game has ever produced. ### Many see Guardiola's Barcelona, between the years of 2008 and 2012, as the gold standard. They had Messi, Thierry Henry, Samuel Eto'o, David Villa, Xavi, Andres Iniesta, Gerard Pique and Carlos Puyol. A-listers in every department, with Guardiola coaching them to two Champions League trophies during his four years in the dugout. Real Madrid, between 2014 and 2018, were spectacular as well. With Cristiano Ronaldo spearheading their charge to glory, and Zinedine Zidane in the dugout, the La Liga titans won the Champions League four times. Gareth Bale, Sergio Ramos, Toni Kroos, Luka Modric, Casemiro, Raphael Varane and Karim Benzema were all instrumental during the years where the trophy would end up wreathed in white. ### PSG are now right up there with the both of them. If they make it a three-peat, something that's certainly possible on last night's evidence, they could even stake a claim to be the greatest team the game has ever seen. In Doue and Dembele, they have two attacking superstars who score, create and work hard for the team. In Vitinha and Fabian Ruiz, as well as Warren Zaire-Emery and Joao Neves, they possess a midfield the envy of Europe. Marquinhos, at the age of 32, remains a rock at the back. Hakimi and Nuno Mendes are the best full-backs in Europe. This PSG team are special. How special they become remains to be seen. ### **Our Standards: The GB News Editorial Charter**

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This Labour Government has a Falklands problem. And, rather awkwardly, it’s landed directly on Ed Miliband’s desk. The President of Argentina has been sabre-rattling over sovereignty of the Falklands and a new oil field development in the Islands’ waters. ### For decades Britain has rightly defended the Falkland Islanders’ right to self-determination. Their future is for them to decide, not Argentina, not the United Nations, and not ministers sitting thousands of miles away in London. This has not changed. There is cross-Party agreement here. Yet this is where it gets awkward for Labour. ### TRENDING Stories Videos Your Say ### The UK Government is not simply a distant spectator when it comes to Falklands oil and gas licences, but an active decision-maker. Further still, a key decision-maker. The Falklands is a self-governing British Overseas Territory. Its own government runs petroleum policy through its Department of Mineral Resources. Applications are assessed locally and the Falkland Islands government is at the heart of the decision-making process. But the law is crystal clear about what happens next. Under section 6 of the Falklands’ Offshore Minerals Ordinance 1994, the Governor can grant an exploration or production licence only “with the consent of the Secretary of State”. ### ### And which Secretary of State does that refer to? The Foreign Secretary, Ed Miliband. Until July, Miliband was Energy Secretary. He was responsible for the Labour Government’s North Sea policy and fronted its decision that Britain would no longer issue new licences to explore new oil and gas fields. The Government said this was necessary to demonstrate climate leadership and because new fossil fuel exploration was incompatible with limiting warming to 1.5 degrees. Now, the same Ed Miliband sits in the department whose consent is critical to the Falklands’ ability to grant a new petroleum licence. You could hardly invent a better test of the Government’s logic. ### ### If Miliband were to refuse consent because of his opposition to new oil and gas exploration, what happens to the Government’s passionate commitment to Falklands self-determination? Are the Islanders free to determine their own economic future only for as long as they make choices Ed Miliband agrees with? But if he grants consent, an equally obvious question follows. Why is new oil and gas exploration acceptable in the South Atlantic, but unacceptable in the North Sea? ### ### Why can oil and gas support prosperity, jobs and economic self-determination in Stanley, but not in Aberdeen? And if the Government’s argument against new British exploration really is about the global climate, then geography does not solve its problem. Carbon emitted from Falklands oil does not somehow behave differently because it was extracted 8,000 miles away. Now that Ed Miliband has given the Falklands the green light, Labour must stop dodging decisions on the North Sea. If exploration is acceptable in the Falklands islands, why hold up new licences in the North Sea? ### ### If oil and gas workers can drill in Port Stanley, why is the Government standing in the way of workers in Aberdeen? If climate change is a global issue which we must all play our part in, why can the Falklands drill but not the UK? If the Falklands can expand their tax receipts by producing up to 1.7 billion barrels of oil, why can’t we, the UK, exploit our reserves in the North Sea? Before the Holborn & St Pancras by-election became a dead heat between Labour and the Green Party, Andy Burnham was expected to approve Jackdaw. He delayed it, putting politics ahead of the national interest. But now the votes in Holborn & St Pancras have been cast, and the Falklands have their approval. The Prime Minister must end the uncertainty for Aberdeen’s workers, stop dithering and delaying, and approve Jackdaw and Rosebank. ### **Our Standards: The GB News Editorial Charter**

FIFA are set to rewrite the World Cup disciplinary rules following Folarin Balogun's red card controversy. The governing body plans to make the change to avoid another scandal, despite FIFA President Gianni Infantino insisting he did nothing wrong. ### Football bosses are meeting in Zurich, where they will alter the rules, and Infantino will also propose doubling the money he gives to every national association to support his re-election bid. The Fifa President came under fire in the summer for intervening in Balogun's automatic ban after being sent off against Bosnia-Herzegovina. ### TRENDING Stories Videos Your Say ### US President Donald Trump phoned the Swiss, asking him to review the red card, which led to the forward's ban being suspended. Infantino insists he had no involvement in the decision, and Balogun was allowed to play in the last 16 against Belgium. The Belgians threatened to take the US team to the Court of Arbitration for Sport if they lost against, but ended up comfortably winning 4-1. The new regulations will explicitly require an automatic ban for every red card, unless the wrong player was dismissed. ### ### ### LATEST SPORTS NEWS * Pep Guardiola's reaction caught on camera as PSG crush Man City in front of former boss * Gareth Southgate gives update on potential Premier League return two years on from England exit * Enzo Maresca shares message from Luis Enrique after Man City fall short in thrilling PSG defeat ### Fifa bosses said: "There was never a doubt nor lack of clarity on how the automatic suspension following a red card is to be served. "This is a way for Fifa to cure the handling of the Balogun case during the World Cup." In the summer, Balogun recognised the unprecedented situation had affected preparations for both the US and Belgium. He told CBS in July: "My initial reaction was that I was happy to be back in the team. ### ### ### "But when I started to reflect, I knew it was going to cause a lot of controversy. "And I could almost see within my teammates a bit of nerves because it's something that is so unique. "It was confusing because the team was practising without me in the team. I'm almost just playing a supporting role to keep morale high." Infantino meets with footballing leaders in Zurich today who previously called on him to resign, with the failed FIFA Forward Enterprise (FFE) scheme on the agenda. ### ### ### The Fifa President proposed selling a minority stake in a Fifa commercial subsidiary to private investors, which was met with substantial backlash from the footballing world. Despite his position coming under fire, Infantino confirmed he will stand for re-election in March 2027. Uefa (Europe), the AFC (Asia), and CONCACAF (North and Central America and the Caribbean) all called for Infantino's resignation. The Swiss has been slowly garnering support from elsewhere, receiving a standing ovation when he met African football leaders last week and is expected to be back by South America. ### **Our Standards: The GB News Editorial Charter**

More seven-year-olds in Britain are on disability benefits compared to 50-year-olds, it has emerged. Official figures exposed that a staggering total of 69,799 seven-year-olds are receiving welfare support. ### Meanwhile, just 66,670 50-year-olds are receiving the same sort of welfare backing from the Government. The ballooning benefits bill is already bludgeoning the British taxpayer, costing the national economy an eye-watering £333billion a year. ### TRENDING Stories Videos Your Say ### While the figure is expected to rise even higher, Andy Burnham has refused to buckle to calls to cut welfare to funnel more funds into Britain's Armed Forces. Parents of disabled youngsters can claim disability living allowance (DLA), many of whom tend to go on to receive Universal Credit after being diagnosed with mental health conditions. As a result, Helen Whately, the Shadow Works and Pensions Secretary, cautioned Labour of a "pipeline to a lifetime on benefits". She said: "Thousands of children are being told they have something wrong with them and that they deserve benefits as compensation. ### ### ### "It’s damaging for them and unaffordable for the taxpayer." Since the Covid pandemic, the number of those in receipt of DLA has more than doubled amid a rise in claims for learning difficulties and ADHD. Current forecasts see DLA spending soaring past £8billion over the course of the next five years - all at the cost of the public purse. As it stands, 915,000 children in England and Wales receive DLA. ### BRITAIN'S BALLOONING BENEFITS BILL - READ MORE: * Britain's colossal benefits bill for foreign households could fund pensions for ONE MILLION Britons * Our broken NHS is dooming a generation of young Britons to a life on benefits - Nigel Nelson * Benefits perks help fuel surge in ADHD and autism diagnoses, new report warns ### ### A Government spokesman said: "The rising proportion of young people on Child DLA is not a new trend. "Child DLA exists to help with the extra costs of caring for a seriously ill or disabled child. "But we know there is a rising demand, which is why we have trained additional case managers to deal with these claims to a high standard. "We have also outlined reforms to special educational needs to ensure every child gets the right support early on, without a fight, and are investing a record £16.1billion in NHS mental health services this year." ### ### With just a fortnight to go before John Healey's maiden Budget, the Tories have repeatedly piled pressure onto Mr Burnham for failing to commit to cutting welfare. The Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS) warned the Chancellor earlier this week that his plan must plug a £35billion hole left in the public finances. And, earlier this month, Labour constituencies were revealed to have been handed three quarters of a £12billion rise in benefits spending since the General Election. The same research revealed how Mr Burnham's party has been hoovering up an outsized share of the country's ballooning benefits bill. ### ### The Taxpayers' Alliance found that 72 per cent of the £12.1billion increase in total benefits since the election - or £8.8billion - went to seats represented by Labour MPs. But Labour MPs only represent 65 per cent of English and Welsh Commons seats. The organisation's research also revealed the top 10 constituencies with the highest splurge are all Labour-held. Diane Abbott's Hackney North and Stoke Newington seat saw the largest increase in benefits spending at £76.6million, more than three times the constituency average. ### **Our Standards: The GB News Editorial Charter**