CATEGORIES

'Autocrat-proofing' Democratic leaders work to protect cities if Trump is elected"

Senior Democrats in US cities are preparing to defend their communities in the event of Donald Trump's return to the White House after the former president has repeated threats that he would use presidential powers to seize control of major urban centres.

'I won't pay it' Flood-hit Italians' fury at obligatory insurance plans

It was 2am when the parish priest, Giovanni Samorì, was woken by a phone call from the mayor of Traversara ordering him to ring the church bells. The traditional call now forms part of the civil protection procedure deployed by many Italian towns. Its aim: to warn residents of impending calamity. As torrential rain pounded the village, Samorì sprang into action, a task he compares to “sounding the death knell”. It worked: the evacuation of Traversara's 480 residents was swift and - despite the priest's feeling of foreboding - there were no deaths.

Watchdog investigates Facebook posts against immigrants

Mark Zuckerberg's Meta must answer \"serious questions\" about its handling of anti-immigration material, according to the company's content watchdog, as it opened an investigation into two Facebook posts.

Leaders clash at EU summit as offshore migration 'return hubs' top policy agenda

European leaders yesterday sparred over the controversial idea of processing asylum seekers offshore at a summit dominated by plans to toughen up EU migration policy.

Bloc's borders Why they are back in the news

Why has immigration become such a big issue again? Only this April, the EU finalised its new “asylum and migration pact” after almost a decade of often fraught negotiations.

Post Office 'used racist term for black workers until 2016'

Language in an infamous Post Office document that categorised branch operators as \"negroid types\" was common in the public sector from the 1980s but continued to be used in the scandal-hit organisation until 2016, an inquiry has heard.

Police ignored warnings over novichok at second incident, inquiry hears

Police officers urged paramedics and firefighters to treat the second novichok incident in 2018 as a drug overdose despite warnings from the ambulance and fire services that it had similarities to the first poisoning four months earlier in Salisbury, a public inquiry heard yesterday.

Body of man found in debris of Newcastle flats destroyed by explosion

A body of a man believed to be in his 30s has been found in the debris of flats destroyed in an explosion.

"'Race science' group obtained vast cache of UK health data, footage suggests

Fringe researchers advocating \"nefarious” theories that intelligence is based on race have obtained data from a trove of sensitive health information donated by half a million British volunteers, according to undercover footage.

'A very hard man' Life of leader who plotted surprise attacks

Within days of the 7 October attacks last year, Israeli investigators identified Yahya Sinwar, then the military leader of Hamas and in Gaza, as the mastermind of the surprise attacks on Israel.

Vaping Tax could rise to deter use by children

Rachel Reeves is considering raising the tax on vaping products in her budget this month, as figures show that a quarter of 11 to 15-year-olds in England have used e-cigarettes.

archbishop to MP to meet discuss assisted dying bill

The archbishop of Canterbury is to meet the architect of a parliamentary bill to legalise assisted dying after he described a change in the law as dangerous.

Philanthropist confirms he paid to bring Salmond's body home

Sir Tom Hunter, one of Scotland's wealthiest men, has confirmed he has paid for Alex Salmond's body to be flown home from the Balkans.

Disease control rules criticised after bird flu outbreak in pheasants

The most serious outbreak of bird flu this year has been found in a group of pheasants in England, sparking criticism of the loose restrictions around their rearing.

Director of IFS thinktank to stand down after 14 years

The longstanding head of Britain's most influential economics think-tank and one of the most influential figures in Westminster politics, Paul Johnson, is to stand down next year.

DHL fires could be sign Russia aims to 'create havoc', expert warns

Russia is aiming to disrupt western confidence if it is proved to be behind an incendiary device plot in which two parcels caught fire at DHL sites in Birmingham and Leipzig in July, an expert has said.

After One Direction, Payne was just getting started. His death is a heartbreaking end

If a quarter of a century of reality TV talent shows has taught us anything, it's that success in them is seldom a guarantee of lasting fame: more often than not, the celebrity is fleeting, and confined to the country of the show's origin.

Liam Payne died from injuries caused by fall from balcony, tests show

Liam Payne died of multiple traumas and internal and external bleeding caused by a fall from a third-floor hotel balcony in Buenos Aires, the Argentinian prosecutor's office has said.

"'In shock' Tributes in Argentina and star's home town

The street of the CasaSur hotel in Buenos Aires, where former One Direction singer Liam Payne fell to his death, was quiet yesterday morning.

AI mediator tool could help reduce 'culture war' divisions, say developers

Artificial intelligence could help reduce some of the most contentious \"culture war\" divisions through a mediation process, researchers claim.

Farage given free advice by former Bannon aide's firm

Nigel Farage has used a team of three US advisers to help him with “perception management” and public relations in America, as well as in settling a $3,500 (£2,700) hotel bill this summer, new documents show.

Childminder jailed for 31 months over posts inciting racial hatred

A childminder married to a Conservative councillor was jailed yesterday after calling for hotels housing asylum seekers to be set on fire on the day of the Southport knife attacks.

Final two Tory leadership contenders clash over future of party in TV debate

Kemi Badenoch and Robert Jenrick have attacked each other's visions for the future of the Conservative party, in a sometimes low-key debate which could nonetheless prove vital in who becomes the next opposition leader.

Tory leadership Badenoch too busy with children, says MP

A veteran Conservative MP has sparked outrage after saying he would not support Kemi Badenoch to be the party leader because she is “preoccupied with her own children”.

Swift row Phillipson says she won't take more freebies

Bridget Phillipson has said she does not know of any cabinet minister who turned down free Taylor Swift tickets amid a row about freebies and the pop star's security arrangements.

NHS Crumbling buildings will cost £14bn to repair

The cost of repairing crumbling NHS buildings has soared to almost £14bn, prompting warnings that patients and staff are at risk from falling roofs and faulty equipment.

New taskforce Reeves acts to avoid a Truss 'meltdown'

Rachel Reeves is trying to ensure her budget plan for a multibillion-pound increase in government borrowing to fund infrastructure projects avoids a Liz Truss-style meltdown in the financial markets.

North Wales hydroelectric project would harm waterfall, say opponents

It is considered one of the most majestic waterfalls in Wales, a mist-shrouded torrent that has inspired storytellers and artists for centuries. But a fierce row has broken out over a scheme to harness the force of Rhaeadr y Cwm to generate electricity, with one of Wales's foremost naturalists, Iolo Williams, the latest to oppose the project.

Drama about hunt for Raoul Moat part of Royal Court's new season

A Robert Icke drama about the hunt for Raoul Moat, a revival of Sarah Kane's final play and a saga about a Chinese request for the return of a stolen artefact from the British Museum are among the standout pieces in the latest Royal Court season.

Attacks by oil protesters prompt liquids ban at National Gallery

The National Gallery in London has announced increased security measures after protesters attacked paintings such as Van Gogh's Sunflowers, Constable's The Hay Wain and Velázquez's Rokeby Venus.