Cleverly out of Tory race ‘after tactical voting backfires’
James Cleverly was knocked out of the Tory leadership race on Wednesday after claims that tactical voting by his supporters had backfired…
From leader to loser: Five ways James Cleverly could have lost support
If ever proof was needed that Tory MPs are the most opaque electorate in the world, this was it.
First became last, third became first, and the man who was the overnight favourite to win the leadership contest didn’t even make it to the final.
James Cleverly – who needed just two more votes than he received in the previous round to get into the last two – may well spend the rest of his life wondering how he managed to get two fewer votes on Wednesday than he had the day before.
There were gasps in Committee Room 14 of the House of Commons as the result was announced by Bob Blackman, the 1922 Committee chairman – gasps that were repeated around Westminster as others watched the result on TV screens.
Mr Cleverly, who had posed confidently with Boris Johnson at the latter’s book launch the night before, was expected to be the main beneficiary of the 20 votes up for grabs after fellow moderate Tom Tugendhat was knocked out on Tuesday, thus surging through as the clear winner.
So how on Earth did he go backwards?
As much as some Tory MPs insisted that there was no “vote lending” going on, the facts indisputably seem to prove otherwise.
There are at least five scenarios that would help explain what happened, and the truth could be a combination of all of them.
Cleverly supporters’ tactical voting backfires
The first, and most devastating possible scenario for Mr Cleverly, is that his supporters voted tactically for the candidate they thought he was most likely to beat in the head-to-head contest, but miscalculated spectacularly and overcompensated.
With an electorate of just 120 MPs, any tactical voting was always going to be risky, and it may be that with Mr Cleverly needing just two more votes on top of the 39 he received on Tuesday, his supporters assumed he had it in the bag and used their vote tactically without making sure at least 41 of their number were backing their man.
If this was the case, it would be a terrible failure on the part of Grant Shapps, the former MP and chairman of the Cleverly campaign, supposedly master of the spreadsheet, whose job it was to make sure this sort of thing could not happen.
It seems inconceivable that none of Mr Tugendhat’s supporters switched their allegiance to Mr Cleverly, who is politically closest to the shadow security minister, and it also seems impossible to imagine that any diehard Cleverly fans suddenly woke up on Wednesday and decided they would switch to one of the Right-wing candidates.
One Cleverly-supporting MP said: “Clearly a lot of people took it upon themselves to play these kinds of tactics, which in a small electorate can go very badly wrong. Quite a few colleagues who voted for other candidates will now be wondering what on Earth they have done.
“It was an inherent danger of coming first by such a wide margin in the third ballot – some people, off their own bat, decided to influence who came second, with disastrous results. What I do know is that no games were played by the core Cleverly team. We were very clear – no games. If you want Cleverly, vote Cleverly.”
James Heappey, the former Armed Forces minister, agreed, saying: “Some people have tried to be too clever today.”
Badenoch supporters lent fake support to Cleverly in third round
The second possible scenario is that Mr Cleverly’s support was over-represented in Tuesday’s ballot because of tactical voting by supporters of Mr Jenrick and Mrs Badenoch.
Polling by the Conservative Home website suggests that Mrs Badenoch would have beaten Mr Cleverly in a head-to-head vote, where party members make up the electorate rather than MPs, and so her supporters may well have voted for Mr Cleverly on Tuesday in the hope that he would build up enough momentum to get to the final two.
Careerist MPs, the theory goes, would have backed Mr Cleverly in the belief that he was going to win and so they had better hitch their cart to his horse to ensure a plum shadow Cabinet job.
When it got to Wednesday’s vote, however, Badenoch supporters needed to ensure that their woman got through, and switched to the person they actually backed, explaining why Mr Cleverly’s vote went down.
Jenrick backers try to scupper Cleverly’s campaign
Scenario number three – by far the most complex – involves Mr Jenrick’s backers boosting Mr Cleverly’s vote in the previous round for their own reasons.
One reason for doing this would be that, as in scenario two, they wanted to get him into the final two.
But it is also possible that they wanted to lull Cleverly backers into a false sense of security – thus encouraging scenario one – and/or spook Right-wingers into backing Mr Jenrick because of the very real possibility that Mr Cleverly might win if he got to the final two, rather than playing the role of the fall guy as they had previously expected.
The fact that Mr Jenrick had two fewer supporters on Tuesday than he had in the previous round, before bouncing back on Wednesday, would certainly seem to suggest that some Jenrick votes were “lent” to Mr Cleverly.
The Right unites
Scenario four involves Mr Jenrick’s backers – and possibly some of Mrs Badenoch’s – being so worried by Mr Cleverly’s recent surge in the polls that one or other of their supporters voted tactically to make sure the other had enough votes to get the final two, believing that Mr Cleverly now represented the biggest threat and had to be eliminated.
If this scenario were true, it would suggest that either Mr Jenrick or Mrs Badenoch had so many supporters that they could afford to lend their Right-wing rival enough votes to shut out Mr Cleverly.
Some MPs believe that the Right of the party united and shared their votes between Mr Jenrick and Mrs Badenoch in a coordinated “stop Cleverly” campaign to make sure that the next leader is from the Right, even if it is not their first choice of leader.
One veteran Tory MP said: “MPs were surprised and shocked by the third ballot result and realised that the idea we should go back to continuity Rishi was not the answer. It was a question of the party uniting to find a solution to Reform.”
Tugendhat vote splits
The fifth and final scenario involves Mr Tugendhat’s supporters. What happened to those 20 votes that were back in play after he was knocked out on Tuesday?
Some of Mr Tugendhat’s supporters undoubtedly switched directly to one of the two Right-wing candidates. They included Nick Timothy, who publicly declared he was moving his vote to Mr Jenrick, as he had privately said he would do all along, simply because Mr Jenrick was his second choice after Mr Tugendhat.
That would explain some, but not all, of the extra votes for Mr Jenrick and Mrs Badenoch, who between them gained 22 votes – two more than the 20 that had gone to Mr Tugendhat in the previous round.
Ultimately, none of the candidates has emerged the clear winner, with just five votes separating first and last place – meaning the race is wide open as it heads into the final straight.
Starmer fails to rule out increases to employer National Insurance contributions
Sir Keir Starmer repeatedly failed to rule out increases to employer National Insurance contributions as Rishi Sunak grilled the Prime Minister over his tax plans.
During the election campaign, Labour promised that taxes would not be increased for “working people”, citing VAT, National Insurance and income tax.
But speculation has grown about possible tax rises being announced in the Budget later this month after Sir Keir warned that it would be “painful”.
At Prime Minister’s Questions, Mr Sunak asked: “Can he confirm that when he promised not to raise income tax, National Insurance or VAT that commitment applies to both employer and employee National Insurance contributions?”
Sir Keir replied: “As he well knows, I am not going to get drawn on decisions that will be set out [at the Budget]. We made an absolute commitment in relation to not raising tax on working people. He, of course, was the experts’ expert on raising taxes.”
Asked the question again, Sir Keir said he would stick to the promises made in Labour’s manifesto.
The manifesto stated that “Labour will not increase taxes on working people, which is why we will not increase National Insurance, the basic, higher or additional rates of income tax, or VAT”, but it did not provide any additional detail on National Insurance.
Responding to Sir Keir, Mr Sunak said: “I don’t think even Lord Alli is buying any of that nonsense. I’m not asking about the Budget – I’m asking specifically about the promise he made the British people.
“When it comes to his answer on tax, businesses across the country will have found his answer just as reassuring as Sue Gray did when he promised to protect her job.”
The Tory leader also pushed Sir Keir to clarify his stance on changing the debt rules after reports emerged that Rachel Reeves, the Chancellor, was considering the move.
He asked the Prime Minister: “Before the election, his Chancellor said changing the debt target in the fiscal rules would be tantamount to fiddling the figures. Does he still agree with the Chancellor?”
Sir Keir said: “This is literally the man who was in charge of the economy – 14 years, they’ve crashed the economy. What did they leave? A £22 billion black hole in the economy.
“Unlike them, we won’t walk past it. We will fix it. And it’s only because we are stabilising the economy that we are getting the investment into this country.”
Jeremy Hunt, the shadow chancellor, said Labour had opened the door to decisions that would leave “future generations to pick up the bill”.
“Keir Starmer and Rachel Reeves should have had the courage and conviction to be honest about the tax and borrowing plans they always planned,” he added.
John O’Connell, the chief executive of the TaxPayers’ Alliance, said: “Taxpayers will be nervous at the Prime Minister’s refusal to rule out raising employer National Insurance.
“Hiking this tax would lead to businesses hiring less and paying less, damaging the very working people Starmer claims to be on the side of. The Prime Minister should stop searching for a cheap way out of his manifesto promise and rule out this rise for good.”
Watch: Martin Lewis apologises for ‘slightly bad language’ on live TV
Martin Lewis has apologised for using “slightly bad language” as he interviewed the Culture Secretary about winter fuel payments.
The financial guru behind the Money Saving Expert website was grilling Lisa Nandy on Good Morning Britain on Wednesday when he accidentally said “bloody”, prompting him to excuse himself on and off-air.
Following the broadcast, he shared a clip of the discussion to social media, writing: “Sorry if my frustration about the risk to the 780,000 poorest pensioners missing [out] spilt over with slightly bad language.”
During the interview, he said: “The poorest pensioners, the poorest, under £11,400, you believe should get pension credit and winter fuel, but they’re not going to claim, they’re the hardest to reach.
“You’re not writing individual letters to them. You’re not linking it to attendance allowance and housing benefit. There’s lots you could do.
“So to try and talk about, ‘We’re targeting the poorest.’ The truth is, you’re not targeting them. Why aren’t you writing them bloody letters?”
Susanna Reid, his co-presenter, apologised for his language on air after he made the comment, with Lewis quickly following suit.
Ms Nandy excused the comment, saying: “No it’s fine, I know how strongly you feel about it, Martin.”
The discussion comes during a backlash after the Government announced it would scrap the universal winter fuel payment for pensioners, limiting the benefit to only the poorest.
Falklands are British and will remain British, says Starmer
Sir Keir Starmer has finally pledged that the Falklands “will remain British” under his premiership.
The Prime Minister told the Commons that the sovereignty of the islands was “personal” to him and would never be up for negotiation.
His remarks came after he appeared to cast doubt on the archipelago’s future by refusing to rule out handing it over to Argentina.
Sir Keir’s decision to sign away the Chagos Islands to Mauritius ignited questions over his approach to both the Falklands and Gibraltar. It prompted immediate demands from Argentina for him to hand over “full sovereignty” of the Falklands, which Buenos Aires calls Las Malvinas.
But at Prime Minister’s Questions on Wednesday, Sir Keir said: “My uncle nearly lost his life when his ship was torpedoed defending the Falklands.
“They are British and they will remain British, and sovereignty in Gibraltar is equally not to be negotiated. I’ve been very clear about the Falklands – it’s personal to me.”
He was responding to a question from Sir Ed Davey, the Liberal Democrat leader, who warned that Falklands fishermen were suffering because of Brexit.
Sir Keir has previously spoken about his uncle Roger, who served in the Falklands on HMS Antelope, a frigate that was sunk by Argentine aircraft.
Delivering a speech in June, the Prime Minister said: “I remember the terrible wait when his ship was bombed, my mum’s fear as she sat by the radio every day, listening for news – and then the relief, a long week later, when we found out he had survived.”
It comes after David Lammy was heckled in the Commons on Tuesday as he gave a statement on the handover of the Chagos Islands.
Last week, the Government announced that it had struck a deal to give away the islands, which have been British for more than 200 years, to Mauritius.
Under the agreement, the UK will retain a 100-year lease for Diego Garcia, which is home to an airbase used by the US military. The deal has been heavily criticised over concerns that Mauritius’ close economic ties to China represent a security threat to the base.
It prompted immediate demands from Argentina for the handover of the Falklands. Diana Mondino, the country’s foreign minister, said: “Following the path we have already taken, with concrete actions and not empty rhetoric, we will recover full sovereignty over our Malvinas Islands.”
Five shot dead in car by Israeli special forces in West Bank
Five Palestinian terrorists were killed by special forces during a raid in a camp in the West Bank on Wednesday, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said.
Footage showed undercover Israeli forces opening fire at a car in the Balata camp near Nablus, killing a top commander of the Al Aqsa Marty’s Brigade in the camp.
The joint operation was carried out by the IDF, the National Counter-Terrorism Unit and Israel’s Border Police.
All five were wanted by Israel for terror activities, according to Israeli media.
Israel has operated extensively against terror groups in the West Bank in the past year.
More than 630 Palestinians have been killed in the West Bank and East Jerusalem since October 7, most of whom Israel says were terrorists.
15 Israelis have been killed in terror attacks in the West Bank and East Jerusalem in the same period.
Killer who stabbed schoolgirl to death unmasked as her jealous ex-boyfriend
A teenager who stabbed a schoolgirl to death as she shopped with friends in a market town last year was her obsessive ex-boyfriend, it can be revealed.
Logan MacPhail, 17, was unable to accept the end of his relationship with Holly Newton, 15, which began when they were in the Army Cadets together.
He contacted her relentlessly, demanding a reconciliation, and was found outside her mother’s home the night before he stabbed her to death.
That evening, police returned MacPhail to his home and made arrangements with Holly and her mother Micala Trussler to speak to them about how to deal with his behaviour.
He murdered her the next day, before the meeting with Northumbria Police officers could take place.
MacPhail was convicted of murder in August after a month-long trial and is due to be sentenced at the end of this month.
However, in a ruling, Mr Justice Hilliard, the trial judge, agreed to lift the anonymity usually afforded to minors in court.
Giving his decision, he cited the public interest in knowing who was responsible for a knife crime that shocked the town of Hexham, Northumberland, last January.
CCTV footage showing the moment MacPhail approached Holly before launching his attack can now be published with his face visible for the first time.
MacPhail was also captured on camera stalking Holly through the streets of Hexham in the hour leading up to the murder.
New footage, released for the first time, also shows him dressed all in black with a black rucksack, boarding a bus on his way into town on the afternoon of the murder.
MacPhail had feigned illness to leave school early and then travelled from his home in Birtley, Gateshead, Tyne and Wear, to Hexham, a journey that meant taking two buses.
For 45 minutes he followed Holly, her friend and another boy, a teenager who cannot be named, through the streets of Hexham. He then ambushed her and pulled her into an alleyway beside a pizza shop where he launched the fatal assault.
He inflicted 36 wounds on Holly – stabbing her 12 times, slashing her 19 times and causing five “defensive” injuries. The teenage boy she was with was also stabbed as he tried to defend her by grabbing MacPhail in a headlock.
Hours before the ambush, Holly had sent a message to her friend about MacPhail. She texted: “Apparently Logan is gonna meet me outside of school. So he’s basically stalking me at this point. He’s gonna follow me until I talk to him.”
David Brooke KC told jurors of MacPhail’s obsession with Holly, an account that was unable to be reported until now. He said: “The evidence is that Logan MacPhail was deeply unhappy that Holly Newton had split up with him. We say that Logan MacPhail deliberately went to Hexham to find her.
“We say that he followed Holly and [her friend] around the town, looking for an opportunity to speak to her alone because he was jealous of the new boy that Holly was with.
“It may well be that Holly was ‘horrible’ to Logan MacPhail outside the pizza shop, but that was because she did not want to see him. He would not accept that the relationship with Holly Newton was over.”
MacPhail attended Cedar College, Gateshead, a school described as catering for those with autism and special educational needs.
He met Holly through the Army Cadets, and the two are believed to have been in a relationship for about 18 months. A friend of Holly’s told police that her relationship with MacPhail was “toxic”.
‘She said they would frequently argue’
Mr Brooke told jurors: “She said that they would frequently argue. However, Holly liked Logan MacPhail spending his money on her. The two had split up on the previous Saturday, and Logan MacPhail had been contacting her friend ever since. It appears that he was struggling to come to terms with the break-up.”
MacPhail began trying to find out where Holly was and who she was with from her friends.
On the night before the murder, he travelled 40 miles to Haltwhistle, Northumberland, where he was found lurking outside the home she shared with her mother.
Mr Brooke said: “At about 10.40pm that night, PC Deacon was allocated an incident in relation to a missing male from his home address, reported by his mother.
“Logan MacPhail had apparently gone out at 6pm having said that he was going to a shop. The officer was informed that the male was a 16-year-old with autism and was described as ‘feeling down’ due to a recent break-up with his girlfriend.”
He was tracked down by police close to Holly’s family home at 1am. He told the officers that Ms Trussler would not let him in and he had gone there only to ask for his PlayStation back.
He was returned home and murdered Holly the next day, Jan 27 last year, after she had finished school in Hexham and gone to the shops. Police had arranged to speak with Holly and her mother at 4pm that day about her stalker.
However, Holly pleaded to go out after school and the meeting was rescheduled until 8pm, a decision Ms Trussler said would haunt her forever. She said Holly “begged” her to go into town that day instead of meeting with the police, adding: “In the end, [it was] the biggest mistake of my life.”
‘Great public concern’
In his judgment, Mr Justice Hilliard revealed why he had decided to allow MacPhail to be named. He said: “The defendant has been convicted of grave crimes, which are of local and national concern.
“The defendant went to the victim’s home address against her wishes and later followed her after she had left her school at the end of the day.
“However, at present the public are not aware of a key factor in the case, which is the nature of the relationship between the defendant and his victim.
“They had been in a relationship, but she did not wish it to continue. This has rightly not been reported lest it might identify him, but it is impossible to have a full and proper understanding of the case and of why the defendant behaved as he did without knowing this factor.
“The defendant’s identity must also be known already within the different communities where he and the victim lived and were at school. There is great public concern about murders by young people who have carried knives in public places and about violence to women and girls.
“Legitimate debate is assisted by knowing who has committed such offences and their circumstances and the full detail of the offences in question.”
Watch: Hurricane hunters fly plane into heart of Milton
Footage has shown US airmen flying into the heart of Hurricane Milton in a Cold War-era hurricane-hunting propeller plane codenamed Miss Piggy.
Documents and equipment crash onto the floor of the fuselage and the crew struggle to remain seated as the plane is thrashed by intense wind and rain.
“Good god,” one of the men says as he looks out of the window at the raging gales.
The men are officers of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), the smallest of the eight uniformed services of the United States.
Hurricane Milton is currently heading towards central Florida’s western coast, where its outer bands have already begun impacting the state.
Tornado warnings have been issued as the storm is expected to make full landfall later on Wednesday night.
It is forecast to double in size by the time it hits the US, meaning that its disastrous impacts will be felt across a much larger area, although it is expected to downgrade from a category 5 storm to category 4.
Florida officials continue to urge residents to evacuate.
Mandatory evacuation zones are in place in the state’s coastal zones. With more than 5.5 million people were urged to leave, it is one of the largest evacuations in Florida’s history.
“Do not hesitate,” Colin Burns, a deputy incident commander in Pasco County, said. “If you can get out, get out.”
Jane Castor, the Tampa mayor, told CNN: “I can say without any dramatisation whatsoever, if you choose to stay in one of those evacuation areas, you’re gonna die.”
Joe Biden, who has postponed a trip to Germany to monitor the storm response, said Florida’s evacuation orders were a “matter of life or death”.
“I’ve urged everyone, everyone currently located in Hurricane Milton’s path to listen to local officials and follow safety instructions,” the US president said.
He also called on airlines to provide “as much service as possible” and “not engage in price gouging”.
The US’s National Hurricane Centre said that Hurricane Milton, which currently has windspeeds of about 160mph, could be “one of the most destructive hurricanes on record”.
The Foreign Office has updated its travel advice, warning of the risk of “life-threatening storm surge and high winds” in Florida.
It told travellers to monitor the National Hurricane Centre’s website, follow instructions from local officials and check with airlines about possible travel disruptions.
The state of Georgia has also declared a state of emergency in anticipation of the effects of Hurricane Milton.
The NOAA flies a fleet of “Hurricane Hunters” into storms to take readings that help forecasters, scientists and disaster planners make accurate predictions about intense weather systems.
Miss Piggy is one of two of the NOAA’s WP-3D Orion planes, aircraft introduced in the 1970s to hunt Soviet submarines.
The planes are powered by turboprop engines, which are more efficient at the low airspeeds needed to fly through Hurricanes than modern jet engines.
Parents win court battle for dead son’s frozen semen
A grieving Indian couple has won a rare legal battle for their dead son’s frozen sperm, allowing them to pursue surrogacy and bring a grandchild into the world.
After a four-year legal struggle, the Delhi High Court has ordered Ganga Ram Hospital to release the preserved semen, offering Harbir Kaur and Gurvinder Singh the hope of continuing their family lineage.
“This judgment brought us back to life,” said a tearful Mrs Kaur after the judgment. “We lost our only son, but now we have the hope of a grandchild to fill the emptiness his death has left behind. It’s the only thing keeping us going.”
The couple’s 30-year-old son, Preet Inder Singh, was diagnosed with non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, a form of blood cancer, in 2020 and was admitted to Ganga Ram Hospital for treatment.
Before starting chemotherapy, he decided to preserve his semen, hoping to start a family after recovery.
“He was so full of life,” Mrs Kaur recalled. “The doctors said the chemotherapy might affect his fertility, and he wanted to make sure he could still have a family one day.
“We were all hopeful, thinking we’d be planning his wedding once he got better. He had a girlfriend, and they were in love… everything seemed possible back then.”
However, Preet Inder’s health deteriorated and he died three months after his sperm was put in storage.
“When we lost him, our world shattered,” his mother said. “But we remembered his wish, his hope to have a family.
“That thought gave us the strength to approach the hospital for his sperm, thinking we could honour his legacy by having a grandchild.”
‘Our pain pushed us on’
Ganga Ram Hospital refused to release the sperm, forcing the grieving parents to turn to the courts.
“We were heartbroken all over again when the hospital said no,” Mrs Kaur said. “But it was our loneliness, our pain that pushed us to keep fighting.
“We thought if he had gone through the effort to preserve it, why couldn’t we? If his semen hadn’t been preserved, we wouldn’t have had this glimmer of hope.”
Their legal journey culminated last week when Justice Prathiba Singh ruled in their favour, declaring them the rightful heirs to their son’s sperm.
In her order, the judge said: “Under the prevailing Indian law, there is no prohibition against posthumous reproduction if the consent of the sperm owner or egg owner can be demonstrated.”
The court said that the sample must not be used for any commercial purpose, but the parents were entitled to pursue surrogacy.
Reflecting on the ruling, Mrs Kaur said: “He loved his sisters, and they loved him. He was the centre of our family.
“I look at his face every morning. That’s how I start my day. He may be gone, but he’s still with us.”
Relative will carry child
The family is now exploring surrogacy, and a relative has volunteered to carry the child. “We want to keep it in the family,” Mrs Kaur said. “It’s not about replacing our son, but continuing his legacy. It’s about honouring his dreams.”
Surrogacy in India has been restricted since a 2021 Act which banned commercial surrogacy but allows altruistic surrogacy. The family intends to proceed in full compliance with the law.
“This judgment has given us life again,” Mrs Kaur said. “It’s not something everyone can afford, but for those who can, it offers a way forward after such immense loss.”
The family’s lawyer, Suruchi Aggarwal, called the judgment groundbreaking and said it was a complex case.
“This case dealt with whether semen could be classified as property, whether it’s heritable, and if the parents could inherit it,” Ms Aggarwal said.
“In many jurisdictions around the world, such as New South Wales and England, human tissues can be transferred to next of kin. India lacks specific laws on this issue, so we had to rely on precedents from other countries.”
‘We can keep a part of him alive’
Ms Aggarwal cited international cases in which courts allowed parents to use their deceased children’s sperm, including a 2019 New York Supreme Court case in which a military cadet’s parents were permitted to have a grandchild using their son’s preserved sperm.
“Posthumous reproduction is a growing area of legal interest globally,” she added.
“While Indian laws are evolving, this case sets a significant precedent for others in similar circumstances. The court recognised that there is a human element to this – a family’s right to continue to honour a loved one’s memory.”
Mrs Kaur and her husband are now looking to the future. “We’ve lost so much,” she said. “But with this judgment, we’ve gained a second chance at something beautiful – at keeping a part of our son alive.”
Iran has proved it can breach the world’s greatest air defence system. What comes next could be devastating
The world watched helplessly as a missile barrage from Iran came raining down over Israel with less than 15 minutes’ warning.
A week after one of the heaviest single attacks in history – using advanced ballistic rockets – the full impact of the assault is only just becoming apparent.
Experts are frantically working to understand how – and if – Israel can defend itself from more waves of rockets if war continues to escalate in the Middle East.
How the Iran attack unfolded
Video filmed by a passenger on a commercial jet from Dubai captured the start of the attack, which appears to have come from near the Iranian city of Shiraz.
Shortly after, Israelis were instructed to run for shelter. Ballistic missiles are estimated to take about 12 minutes to reach their destinationfirst entering the earth’s atmosphere and later re-entering at speed.
Videos from Jordan show the missiles streaking across the sky towards Israel, while footage from sources on the ground in Israel shows air defence systems activating, and in some cases being overwhelmed.
One video showed at least nine missiles making impact near military facilities in Israel, while detailed accounts later found many more had broken through.
Dr. Yehoshua Kalisky, Senior Researcher at INSS, a think tank in Tel Aviv, said that Iran’s intention was to “saturate the air defence system” by firing an unprecedented 180 missiles at the same time.
How Iran broke through
Israel’s air defence system consists of several layers; the Iron Dome, David’s Sling and the Arrow weapon system, the world’s first anti-tactical ballistic missiles (surface-to-air missiles used to shoot down ballistic missiles).
Each system is designed to shoot missiles out of the sky at different altitudes, with the most recent version of Arrow designed to intercept missiles in space, known as “exo-atmospheric” interceptions. Videos from bystanders caught at least one of these rare sights last Tuesday.
“The idea is to shoot down the missile as far away from Israel as possible, preferably over the enemy’s territory,” Mr Kalisky told The Telegraph. Should that fail, the next layers are ready to shoot down the missile as the altitude lowers.
“David’s Sling and finally the Iron Dome can shoot down the missile when they are close enough to the ground,” Mr Kalisky said.
Experts said the videos suggest Israel may not have enough air defence units or intercepters to catch such a heavy barrage.
Some observers also voiced concern about the speed of the missiles.
Fabian Hoffman, a missile expert and doctoral research fellow at the Oslo Nuclear Project, said the footage clearly shows the “extraordinary speed in real time, some 600/700m per second, they are incredibly fast”.
All of the missiles Iran fired were “hypersonic in essence until they re-enter the atmosphere and are slowed down,” he added.
While Hezbollah sometimes fires hundreds of rockets at Israel in a short span of time, most of them are less advanced and are intercepted more easily.
What Iran hit
Israel initially downplayed the damage caused by the attack, but later admitted that several military bases were hit – although no aircraft or critical infrastructure were damaged.
A satellite image the company Planet Labs later revealed that the Nevatim Air Base had been impacted in 30 different places, damaging hangars and buildings.
A large crater from a missile was also found near the Israeli intelligence headquarters of Mossad in Glilot, north of Tel Aviv.
In total it is estimated that more than two dozen missiles broke through air defences. Some 20 missiles struck the Nevatim air base, while three missiles hit the Tel Nof base in central Israel.
Dr Kalinsky said it appeared that the Arrow system hit the engines on some of the missiles but that they continued to fly and eventually fell on the ground.
Debris from missiles was indeed found both in the West Bank and inside Israel following the attack.
The other flaws
While most of the attention has been drawn to Iran’s direct attack, Israel has been fending off smaller scale attacks since last October.
Some experts fear that the rise in drone attacks in particular have exposed a possible flaw or achilles heel in the Iron Dome.
Hundreds of drones have been launched from Iran, Iraq, Yemen, Lebanon and Syria in the past year, killing several people and causing severe damage to buildings, roads, and homes.
They fly at a low altitude, often under the Iron Dome’s radar, forcing the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) to manually detect and shoot them down. In July, an Iranian-made drone flew 2,000 km from Yemen before striking an apartment in Tel-Aviv, killing a civilian.
What next?
Security experts have warned for years that a major coordinated missile attack by Iran and its proxies could overwhelm the air defence system and cause huge destruction to civilian areas.
After last Tuesday’s attack, the evidence suggests a full-scale Iranian ballistic missile barrage hitting a densely populated area could kill hundreds of people.
Dr Kalinsky said “a direct hit will destroy some of the buildings” if an attack was launched at Tel-Aviv, for instance. But he said civilians would likely have time to get to bunkers owing to early warning systems. However, he warned that even an indirect hit would cause significant damage to infrastructure through powerful shockwaves.
While attacking civilian areas would be a major escalation, the prospect of an all-out war between Israel and Iran has heightened concerns.
However, experts like Dr Kalinsky caution that a larger missile barrage takes time and preparation, and would likely be detected in advance.
Israel is considered to have one of the best air defence systems in the world, and certainly one of the most densely deployed.
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Naples mayor urged to tear down ‘phallic’ sculpture in city centre
The mayor of Naples has been urged to get rid of a 40ft-tall sculpture that was meant to evoke an iconic cultural figure but instead has been mocked as resembling a giant penis.
The sculpture, which was put up this week, is supposed to evoke Pulcinella, a crooked-nosed character from Neapolitan commedia dell’arte theatre of the 17th century, which inspired Mr Punch from Punch and Judy puppet show in Britain.
The artwork is based on a design created by Gaetano Pesce, an Italian sculptor and designer who died in New York in April at the age of 84. But to the tittering amusement of many Neapolitans, it appeared to more closely resemble a towering phallus.
Amplifying the sniggers was the fact that the sculpture is called “Tu si ’na cosa grande”, which in Neapolitan dialect means “You are a big thing”.
The ambiguous-looking artwork was placed in Piazza Municipio in the city’s historic centre and was due to be officially unveiled on Wednesday evening by Gaetano Manfredi, the centre-Left mayor.
Many locals said it was ridiculous and should be removed.
‘It has the city talking’
One woman directed a message on X, formerly Twitter, to the mayor, saying: “What do you reckon, should we take down the giant penis in Piazza Municipio? It is really an abomination.”
Another Neapolitan said the sculpture was “embarrassing” and looked like a tribute to Rocco Siffredi, Italy’s most famous male porn star.
Marco Nonno, a member of the conservative Brothers of Italy party, which is led by Giorgia Meloni, Italy’s prime minister, said the mayor should “apologise” to the city for allowing the sculpture to be installed.
He said he was “incredulous” that the city council had permitted the artwork to be placed in “one of the most famous piazzas in the world”.
But the mayor defended the artwork. “I think that contemporary art and contemporary installations should spur debate,” Mr Manfredi said.
“So the fact that it is being discussed means that the work has achieved its goal.”
He said that Mr Pesce, the late sculptor who created the work, “was one of the great world artists and of Neapolitan origin”, adding: “This is the last work he designed, a work that has left a mark, that has the city talking and for us this is a positive thing.”
Rare sighting of fugitive father who dropped off grid with three children
A fugitive father who disappeared into the New Zealand wilderness with his three young children three years ago has been spotted trekking with them through remote farmland in a chance encounter with pig hunters.
Tom Phillips and his three children, Jayda, 11, Maverick, 9, and Ember, 8, were identified in grainy footage wearing camouflage gear and backpacks while tramping single file in the mountainous ranges of Te Anga on New Zealand’s North Island.
The last sighting of the family was in December 2021, before they suddenly dropped off the grid in what has been dubbed the “Marokopa mystery”.
In an emotional interview with The New Zealand Herald, the children’s mother, Cat, said she had instantly recognised them on a photo and was relieved to know they were alive and seemingly in good health.
“I’m so happy that they’re all there. I’m so relieved to see all three of my babies. They’re all alive,” she said.
‘Innocent children’
In a video message earlier this year, Cat begged for help to bring her children home.
“They are just innocent children, they do not deserve to be treated this way. They do not deserve the life that is being provided to them right now,” she said.
In June, Cat shared photos of a handwritten letter from Mr Phillips in which he begged for forgiveness and asked Cat to take him back.
It is not known when the letter was sent, but Cat said she shared the letter to show that “not all is as it seems”.
Before disappearing, Mr Phillips grew up in the Waikato district, about 112 miles south of Auckland, and spent much of his time on a family farm in Marokopa, a sprawling and hilly area of paddocks and bushland near the Waitomo caves.
When he split from his wife after eight years of marriage, he gained custody of the children and became a full-time father, educating them at home.
All four first vanished in September 2021, sparking alarm when Mr Phillips’ Toyota Hilux was found below the tide line at the nearby Kiritehere beach.
The child seats in the vehicle were empty and the keys were found under the driver’s mat.
A massive, expensive search-and-rescue mission brought together police and local volunteers to scour the desolate coastline with heat-detecting drones, a helicopter, plane and a jet ski, but it was called off after 12 days with no sign of the missing family.
Five days later, they re-emerged saying that they had been camping.
Mr Phillips was charged with wasting police resources and was summoned to appear in court in early 2022, but in early December, the family went missing again and were not sighted until last week when a teenage member of a pig-hunting team captured their image.
The teenager’s grandfather, John McOviney, said the children had asked if “anyone knew they were there” before carrying on along their route.
He told Newstalk ZB that when his grandson saw Mr Phillips was carrying a gun, he did not continue the conversation but instead called the police.
Det Insp Andrew Saunders of the New Zealand Police confirmed the sighting was being treated as “credible”.
‘Positive information’
“This is the first time all three of the children have been sighted, which is positive information, and we know it will be reassuring for the children’s wider family,” he said, adding that investigators were now determining the next steps.
However, a three-day search, including the use of a military helicopter, yielded “nothing further of significance”, police said. They have asked the local community to report any suspicious activity.
A £37,000 reward was offered for two weeks in June for information leading to the children’s safe return.
Mr Phillips is also now wanted for questioning over an alleged armed robbery of a bank in Te Kuiti near Marokopa in September 2023, prompting the police to warn the public not to approach him.
Praying at home may be illegal under Scots abortion law, campaigners fear
Praying at home may be a criminal offence under new Scottish abortion laws, the SNP Government has warned.
New legislation took effect across Scotland last month, establishing 200-metre “safe access zones” around all abortion clinics.
Residents in these zones have been warned they could be in breach of the Abortion Services Act (Scotland) 2024 if they do “anything” that “would cause harassment, alarm, or distress” to staff and patients, even if this activity is carried out in the privacy of their own home.
Pro-life campaigners fear that praying in these zones will be considered an offence following the arrests of several activists for harassment and public order-related offences in England and Northern Ireland.
Guidance published by the Scottish Government to accompany the law change lists “religious preaching” and “silent vigils” as examples of activities that could be prohibited if conducted with “intent or recklessness”.
A letter sent to residents in an Edinburgh “safe access zone,” seen by The Telegraph, warned they could face criminal prosecution for actions carried out at home.
It said: “In general, the offences apply in public places within the safe access zones.
“However, activities in a private place (such as a house) within the area between the protected premises and the boundary of a zone could be an offence if they can be seen or heard within the zone and are done intentionally or recklessly.”
It said that less serious offences violating the buffer zone law could result in fines of up to £10,000, with the most serious offences incurring an unlimited fine.
Campaigners have told The Telegraph they fear Holyrood’s implementation of the buffer zone law could restrict religious expression within private residences.
One Edinburgh resident said she was “surprised” to receive such a letter. “As a Christian, I pray all the time,” the young woman said, adding: “To think that this could now be a criminal offence, even within the vicinity of my own home, is truly unbelievable.”
‘Excessive and wrong’
Michael Robinson, executive director of the Society for the Protection of Unborn Children, told The Telegraph: “This sinister and deeply Orwellian guidance suggests that the buffer zone legislation could be used to control and regulate religious activity on private property, including displaying a Bible verse saying all life is sacred in their window, or someone silently praying in their front garden – or even their front room if they are seen or heard from the street.”
He added: “Most ordinary people, regardless of their views on abortion, would find it excessive and wrong to threaten individuals with hefty fines for praying in their own homes.”
England and Wales will enact similar legislation at the end of October.
The English legislation criminalises activities “in any location” within a 150-metre radius of abortion providers which could deter or distress staff and patients, if those activities are “visible from a public highway, public right of way, open space to which the public have access, or the curtilage of an abortion clinic”.
Andrea Williams, chief executive of Christian Concern, said her organisation would “vigilantly” monitor how buffer zone legislation was applied across Britain, adding that these laws are “regressive” and a form of “state overreach”.
In August, West Midlands Police apologised and paid £13,000 to a Christian charity volunteer who said her arrest for silently praying outside an abortion clinic violated her human rights.
Isabel Vaughan-Spruce was arrested in November 2022, and again in March last year, outside a clinic which had been covered by a local Public Spaces Protection Order (PSPO).
After the case against her collapsed, Ms Vaughan-Spruce issued a claim against the force for two wrongful arrests and false imprisonments, assault and battery, and for a breach of her human rights.
A Scottish Government spokesman said: “Safe access zones are designed to safeguard a woman’s right to access healthcare. The legislation that creates them intentionally does not criminalise any particular behaviour, including prayer.”
New 999 system a decade late and £3.1bn over budget
A new 999 emergency services communication network is a decade late and has gone a further £3.1 billion over budget, the Home Office has admitted.
The proposed emergency services network (ESN), first announced in 2015, was supposed to have replaced the existing “walkie-talkie” style Airwave system for police, fire and ambulance services in England, Scotland and Wales by 2020.
However, in a statement to Parliament, Sir Matthew Rycroft, the permanent secretary at the Home Office, has now admitted it will not now be delivered until December 2029. The extra delays will add £3.1 billion to the cost, with the total already at more than £11 billion.
The “evaluation period” for the new ESN system has also been extended by seven years to 2044, which would add £2 billion to the costs. Sir Matthew also admitted that it would cost £1.1 billion to run the current system for another three years.
The delay has left the emergency services reliant on an ageing Airwave system introduced in 2000. Critics say that its continuing use is lengthening response times to accidents and emergencies.
The new system will be based on a 4G network, enabling officers to use smartphone equipment to access data such as videos and images quickly.
The Home Office has said that the ESN is the “way forward for Britain’s emergency services” and will transform the way they work.
In opposition, Labour accused the former government of mishandling the project and said the “wasted” cash could pay for more than 90,000 police officers for a year or an additional 20,000 police officers for the next five years.
The Home Office insisted it was working to deliver a service that provided better value for money as quickly as possible.
The Competition and Markets Authority has imposed a price cap on how much Motorola, the phone company that delivers the current Airwave system, can charge the Government for it.
As its original contract had expired, Motorola could effectively charge what it wanted, similar to a household customer paying for their phone bill after their contract has expired.
Post Office boss claims staff think some postmasters were guilty
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Joe Biden pushed UK to surrender Chagos Islands
Joe Biden pushed the UK into giving up the Chagos Islands over concerns the US would lose control of an important air base, The Telegraph understands.
Days after the general election in July, senior officials from the White House’s National Security Council and State Department told the incoming Labour government that refusing to sign away the islands would jeopardise the “special relationship” with Washington.
Sir Keir Starmer was criticised last week for his decision to give up the archipelago of more than 1,000 tiny islands, a UK overseas territory since 1965 known officially as the British Indian Ocean Territory.
It was suggested the deal could give China access to the Diego Garcia air base, which is on the largest island in the chain.
Under the deal, Mauritius will take control of the islands, but Britain and the US will rent the base for 99 years.
Strategically important air base
The Telegraph understands that American officials pushed the UK toward the deal, fearing that if it was not signed, Mauritius would successfully apply for a binding ruling at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) to take control of the islands, effectively shuttering the air base.
The base is considered strategically important because it puts some bomber aircraft within range of the Middle East. Diego Garcia was previously used by the US to conduct bombing runs in Iraq and Afghanistan.
US officials told the Foreign Office that a quick deal should be signed before the American and Mauritian elections next month, agreeing to give up UK territory in exchange for the base.
The officials argued that handing over the islands would safeguard Britain’s special relationship with the US, and that a binding court ruling would make it more difficult to fly aircraft to the base, conduct repairs, and cooperate with UN agencies.
‘Deal makes UK look pathetic’
Since announcing the deal on Thursday, the Government has faced criticism from MPs, who argue that Britain should not have agreed to give up territory and to rent a military base it already controls.
Boris Johnson said the “terrible” deal made the UK look “pathetic”.
Some also argued that the base would come under threat from Chinese spyware, because Mauritius and China are economically aligned.
The Telegraph understands that the full terms of the deal, which has not been made public, contain protections against Chinese influence in the islands without the agreement of Britain and the US.
On Monday, Robert Jenrick said David Lammy had signed the deal so that he could “feel good about himself at his next north London dinner party”.
In a debate discussing the decision in Parliament, the Tory leadership contender said: “We’ve just handed sovereign British territory to a small island nation which is an ally of China – and we’re paying for the privilege.
“All so that the foreign secretary can feel good about himself at his next North London dinner party.”
‘Unsustainable’ legal position
However, the Foreign Secretary told MPs on Monday that the dispute between Britain and Mauritius was “clearly not sustainable” and that Labour faced a choice between “abandoning the base altogether or breaking international law”.
Friends of the British Overseas Territories, a charity dedicated to British-owned islands abroad, called Mr Lammy’s statement “shameful”.
“Proceeding with the transfer of [the island] goes against our national interests and must be stopped at once,” it said.
The ICJ had already issued a non-binding ruling that the islands belong to Mauritius, and a further ruling that forced the handover of the base was likely, he said, because of the “regrettable” removal of indigenous islanders by the UK in the 1960s.
Downing Street insisted the deal to give up sovereignty over the British Indian Ocean Territory (BIOT) was due to the “unsustainable” legal position and had no impact on other disputed territories including the Falkland Islands and Gibraltar.
The Prime Minister’s official spokesman would not be drawn on the cost to the UK taxpayer of the deal which will see Mauritius being given sovereignty over the islands, with a 99-year agreement to secure the strategically important UK-US military base on Diego Garcia.
The spokesman said: “The Government inherited a situation where the long-term secure operation of the military base at Diego Garcia was under threat with contested sovereignty and legal challenges, including through various international courts and tribunals.
“You will be aware that the previous government initiated sovereignty negotiations in 2022 and conducted a number of rounds of negotiations. This Government picked up those negotiations and has reached an agreement, which means that for the first time in over 50 years, the base will be undisputed, legally secure, with full Mauritian backing.”
Asked why the Islands should not be seen as a precedent for other sovereignty disputes such as the Falklands and Gibraltar, the spokesman said: “It’s a unique situation based on its unique history and circumstances, and has no bearing on other overseas territories.”
The spokesman added: “British sovereignty of the Falkland Islands or Gibraltar is not up for negotiation.”
Passenger fined £462 for wrong use of railcard discount
A train passenger has been fined £462 for mistakenly using his railcard for a cheap journey, as experts say “byzantine” rules are leading to criminal convictions.
The traveller was hauled to court by Northern Rail after incorrectly using the discount card on a 20-minute journey between Prescot and Liverpool Lime Street in January.
It comes after the chief magistrate ordered that 75,000 secretive rail ticket prosecutions should be nullified because train companies had been misusing the law.
The unnamed traveller, whose case was highlighted on Twitter by Bolton News reporter Jack Fifield, was fined £220, alongside a victim surcharge of £88 and costs of £150. The traveller’s train ticket was worth £4.30, court records shared by Mr Fifield said.
It comes after another traveller separately told The Telegraph how Northern had threatened him with court over an alleged £1.90 underpayment.
Sam Williamson, 22, from Glossop in Derbyshire, received a threatening letter from Northern Rail after he took a train from Broadbottom to Manchester on September 5. He was heading to London to sit a driving theory test and had bought an Anytime Day Single.
The Oxford engineering graduate said that he was challenged by a ticket inspector because he was on a train for which a railcard could not be used.
“I tried to offer to pay for a new one,” Mr Williamson said, recalling that the inspector told him: “No, we have to do a travel incident report.”
Mr Williamson was sent a letter from Northern Rail demanding written evidence within a fortnight of October 2. The letter, seen by The Telegraph, said: “Failure to respond to this reasonable request within 14 days of the date of this letter will result in legal action being taken.”
It also states that if it invokes legal proceedings, Northern will ask the court to award it an extra £150 from the traveller “as a contribution to our costs”.
If Mr Williamson is prosecuted, he will have a criminal record. Based on similar previous cases heard by magistrates’ courts, he may have to pay more than £400 in total.
The graduate said: “The fee feels completely and wildly disproportionate in my books, particularly when I don’t think railcards do a good job of clarifying this.”
He said another passenger on his train who was also challenged about not being able to use their railcard had simply walked away from the inspector and got off the train at the next stop.
Mr Williamson said: “If Northern decides to take this to a prosecution, then ultimately what I’ve done by staying on the train and giving all my details and such is the wrong call.”
Rail company prosecutions of passengers have come under intense scrutiny in recent months after the chief magistrate of England and Wales ruled that 75,000 train ticket convictions had been wrongly obtained.
Lawyers for both Northern Rail and Greater Anglia admitted in court that they wrongly prosecuted alleged fare evaders under the controversial Single Justice Procedure (SJP), which sees cases decided in private without the defendant appearing in court.
But train passengers are still being caught out by complicated rules about when railcards can and cannot be used. Customers said train operators’ platforms are allowing the discounts to be applied even to ineligible tickets.
A railcard can be used to get up to half off the price of rail travel but most offer a discount of a third, and cost an average £30 to buy.
The discount cards cannot be used on journeys that cost less than £12 between 4.30am and 10am on weekdays, except in July and August, and on public holidays.
The National Rail Conditions of Travel (NRCoT) state that when a passenger is incorrectly using a time-restricted ticket for that day, they will be charged the difference between what was paid and the cost of the right fare.
The terms and conditions for the 16-25 Railcard, as used by Mr Williamson, say that the discount “has a minimum fare that applies from 04.30 and 10.00 Monday to Friday”, but that this does not apply to “journeys during July and August”.
Gary Rycroft, a consumer lawyer, said that any restrictions on when railcards can be used should be made explicit when consumers buy the discount cards, and then again when they use them to purchase cheaper tickets.
The lawyer said that prosecuting those who don’t understand the “byzantine” rules could be unlawful.
He said: “This saga makes me think more than ever we need real people in ticket offices who will explain this minutia to rail users, and the resources rail companies have should be to enforce those who do not pay at all, rather than those who make a genuine error because the rules are byzantine.”
Jane Hawkes, a consumer champion, added: “Tickets should be greyed out for sale if the railcard is invalid on selected routes or times.”
Under the Consumer Rights Act 2015, terms and conditions are not enforceable if not explained at the time of purchase.
A Northern spokesman said: “As with all train operators across the UK, everyone has a duty to buy a valid ticket or obtain a promise-to-pay voucher before they board the train and be able to present it to the conductor or revenue protection officer during a ticket inspection.”
“The overwhelming majority of our customers – upwards of 96pc – do just that.”
The Department for Transport failed to respond when asked if ministers were monitoring train companies’ prosecutions in light of the SJP scandal.
‘Curious oddities’ sale pulls horned human skull after Indian outcry
A British auction house has cancelled the sale of a tribal skull after Indian politicians demanded it be returned.
The Swan in Tetsworth, Oxfordshire, had planned a sale of shrunken heads and skulls from tribal societies around the world, including a specimen valued at £5,000 which was taken from the formerly headhunting Naga people of north-east India in the 19th century.
However, Neiphiu Rio, the chief minister of Nagaland state, branded the sale an act of “dehumanisation” and called on the Indian government to intervene to “ensure the auction of the human remains of our people is halted”.
He had asked the government to instruct the Indian high commission in London to take steps to ensure the auction did not go ahead.
The auction house withdrew the skull from auction as the row deepened.
It has also withdrawn other pieces from its planned “curious collector” sale, including shrunken heads from the Jivaro people of South America.
Skulls from the Congo, Papua New Guinea, Nigeria, Indonesia and the Solomon Islands have been pulled from the sale, and there is now pressure for the UK Government to ban all similar sales of human remains.
Lord Boateng, the Labour peer, told The Telegraph: “The sale in public auctions of human body parts as objects of curiosity would be offensive in any context and is made the more so by their acquisition through colonial conquest.
“I have tabled questions in the Lords seeking to persuade the Government to end this abominable practice through legislation if necessary and to repatriate such remains to their nations of origin when requested for decent burial.
“Britain’s reputation overseas will be further damaged if this matter is not resolved with respect for the affected peoples and tribes.”
The future of the skulls is uncertain, as the items are likely held by private owners and a purchase may be necessary in order for another party to gain ownership of the contested skulls and then organise their repatriation.
Ethiopian authorities have recently pushed to halt sales which included important cultural artefacts looted from the country by British forces in the 19th century.
‘These remains were stolen’
Naga academic Dolly Kikon, a professor of anthropology at the University of Santa Cruz, told The Telegraph that she hopes progress will be made towards securing the repatriation of the horned skull.
She said: “They have done the right thing by closing it down. We (the Naga people) appreciate they understood the gravity of the situation.
“The ancestral human remains should be returned so that no community should suffer such dehumanisation in the 21st century.
“These remains were stolen in wars colonial expeditions and are symbols of a violent colonial past. To focus on healing and reconciliation, we must work together and put a stop to such auctions once and for all.”
The British Empire took control of Assam, home to Naga tribes, in the 19th century.
Colonial powers began the work of subduing the tribes and attempting to bring an end to the practice of headhunting.
Heads had been taken as trophies by Naga warriors, and reports in India suggest that the practice continued on a small scale into the 1960s.
The Swan has been contacted for comment.
LIVE Hurricane Milton latest updates: Storm makes landfall in Florida
Hurricane Milton has made landfall on the west coast of Florida, lashing the state with winds measuring up to 120 mph.
The eye of the storm came ashore as a category three hurricane near Siesta Key, Florida, according to the National Hurricane Center.
It will continue to unleash a life-threatening storm surge, flooding rainfall and destructive winds across the state as it makes its way across central Florida through Thursday morning.
Tampa, which is north of where the hurricane made landfall, is already seeing severe flooding that has the potential to become “catastrophic”, authorities said.
Several fatalities have occurred in St Lucie county after a tornado outbreak, according to local law enforcement.
NHS hospital tells staff not to describe babies as ‘born’ male or female
An NHS hospital has urged staff not to describe babies as being “born male or female”.
Guidance developed by the James Paget University Hospitals Trust in Great Yarmouth said its staff should use the phrase “assigned female/male at birth” instead.
It claims this “accurately depicts the situation of what happens at birth” and also describes other “inclusive language dos and don’ts” for its staff.
The document, called Celebrating Pride, includes an “LGBTQ+ glossary” with definitions for the range of terminology that should be used. It also has a list of words and phrases to avoid in order not upset patients.
For example, the term “ladies and gentlemen” should not be used to address a group of people but instead staff are encouraged to say everyone, folks or honoured guests.
It says people should be described as “gay” instead of “homosexual” because this “often connotes a medical diagnosis or a discomfort with gay/lesbian people”.
It also tells staff to avoid terms like “both genders” and “opposite sexes” because it implies there are only two – as well as titles such as mailman, fireman, and policeman.
Biologically accurate language
Helen Joyce, the director of advocacy at Sex Matters, a human rights charity, said it was “hard to fathom that any hospital is still promoting trans activist language more than two years after the then Health Secretary instructed the NHS to return to biologically accurate language”.
Ms Joyce said: “It is also frankly embarrassing to see a hospital – a place where medical knowledge matters – making the ridiculous argument that people are “assigned” female or male at birth rather than simply being female or male, as a matter of material reality.
“The leadership at James Paget Hospital needs to get a grip, say no to its trans-activist staff and return to recognising that accurate language about the two sexes matters in healthcare.”
Kate Barker, the chief executive of LGB Alliance, the charity and advocacy group, said lesbian, gay and bisexual people “are not offended by the term man or woman”.
“In fact, as same-sex attracted people, the sex binary is pretty central to who we are. This tired old nonsense benefits no one, other than to justify the pay of ‘diversity’ consultants,” she said.
Rupert Lowe, the Reform UK MP for Great Yarmouth, criticised the hospital and said his “constituents would prefer this inaccurate and confusing woke nonsense was left out of the hospital”.
“It’s astonishing that guidance from a hospital, which is full of doctors and nurses who have spent years studying, does not seem to know what happens when a baby is born,” he said.
“We aren’t ‘assigned’ male or female at birth. We are male or female at birth. There are sexes. We must not be afraid to say that,” he added. “There is no confusion around the science of childbirth. This ludicrous language suggests there is. We must be respectful to all, but we must also not deny medical reality.”
He said it was “plain bonkers” that the NHS hospital was suggesting using “ladies and gentleman is offensive”.
It comes after Victoria Atkins, the former Tory health secretary, pledged to strengthen the NHS Constitution to ban hospitals and other health service providers from replacing the word women with people, or using chestfeeding instead of breastfeeding, in health literature.
She said at the launch of a consultation before the general election that “we have always been clear that sex matters and our services should respect that”.
“By putting this in the NHS Constitution we’re highlighting the importance of balancing the rights and needs of all patients to make a healthcare system that is faster, simpler and fairer for all,” she said.
These proposals also intended to strengthen patients’ entitlement to be treated on same-sex wards, but they are yet to be finalised.
The James Paget document, which appears on the hospital’s website, was first published in 2021 but was reviewed in June. James Paget University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust has been asked for comment.
Dr Hilary Cass has criticised the British Medical Association (BMA) for its “puzzling” decision to oppose the findings of her review into NHS services for transgender children.
The paediatrician said that the doctors’ union had no evidence to back up its critique of the Cass Review.
Dr Cass told BBC Radio 4’s Women’s Hour programme: “I found the BMA position puzzling because they haven’t actually said what it is they object to about my recommendations … Do they object to better training? Do they object to better research?”
She added: “When thinking about evidence-based care, they haven’t produced any evidence that the review should be stopped.”
She went on to say: “I think the difference between the BMA’s position and mine is that I’ve spoken to hundreds of doctors as well as other clinical staff, both during the course of the review and since the review.
“And the vast majority of those people in national meetings and in one-to-ones and in work groups are really supportive of the approach.
“So I feel that those who take issue with it are in a relatively small minority within the medical profession.”
The BMA’s critique of the Cass Review is due to be published in January.
The BMA’s governing council voted to reject the Cass review in a private meeting in July but the union’s membership base of 195,000 doctors was not consulted.
Israel’s response to Iran missile attack will be ‘lethal and surprising’
Israel’s defence minister warned that his country’s response to Iran’s ballistic missile attack last week will be “lethal” and “surprising”.
Yoav Gallant’s comments came as Joe Biden and Kamala Harris held crunch talks with Benjamin Netanyahu over plans to retaliate.
A White House readout of the call did not mention the US’s involvement in Israel’s retaliation, but said Mr Biden had “condemned unequivocally” Iran’s attack on Oct 1.
Mr Gallant said Iran’s attack was “aggressive but imprecise, on the other hand – our attack will be deadly, precise and above all surprising”. Tehran will not understand “what happened and how it happened, they will see the results”, he added.
Blind-sided
Mr Biden and Mr Netanyahu’s call was their first in six weeks, amid reports that the White House has become increasingly frustrated at being blind-sided by Israel’s military operations against the Iran-backed Hezbollah.
The White House said Mr Biden had “affirmed Israel’s right to protect its citizens from Hezbollah” but stressed “the need to minimise harm to civilians, in particular in the densely populated areas of Beirut”.
He also pressed the need for a “diplomatic arrangement to safely return both Lebanese and Israeli civilians to their homes”.
Washington has been continuing to push Mr Netanyahu to limit his reprisals to avoid a further slide towards war in the Middle East.
Mr Biden said last week that he expected to speak to Mr Netanyahu once he had decided on his response.
Hours before the call, Mr Netanyahu put a trip by Mr Gallant to the Pentagon on hold, saying it would have to wait until he had spoken to the US president.
The two men had not spoken since August, and there have been reports of strains over Israel’s rejection of US calls for a ceasefire in Gaza and Lebanon.
Following their discussion, the White House said they would “remain in close contact over the coming days both directly and through their national security teams”.
The US, European and Arab states are all trying to dissuade Mr Netanyahu from striking Iranian nuclear or oil facilities, which they fear could spark a Middle East-wide war and push up energy prices.
Sources told ABC News that Mr Biden believes Israel is listening to the US in conversations over which targets in Iran to select. The US president is reportedly satisfied with the plans drawn up by Israel regarding Iran, despite Washington’s objections to the scale of the military operation in Lebanon.
The US has reportedly started ceasefire talks with Iran and Arab states without the involvement of Israel. According to Israeli Channel 12 news, the talks are aimed at ensuring a comprehensive ceasefire on all fronts.
Iran’s foreign minister was heading to Saudi Arabia on Wednesday to discuss efforts to end Israeli strikes on Gaza and Lebanon.
Abbas Araghchi’s visit was “in furtherance of our diplomatic efforts, in co-ordination with countries of the region”, Esmail Baghaei, a ministry spokesman, said on social media.
With the world waiting for an Israeli attack on Iran, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) continued its ground invasion of southern Lebanon, announcing that it had dismantled more than 500 Hezbollah infrastructure and combat compounds since last week.
Another round of Israeli air strikes targeted Hezbollah’s weapons production facility and its intelligence headquarters in Beirut’s Dahiya neighbourhood.
The IDF released footage showing guided drones targeting Hezbollah members, including the killing of a company commander in the terror group.
Herzl Halevi, the IDF’s chief of general staff, said Hezbollah was experiencing “control and command difficulties, leading to confusion at the decision-making level and challenges in its ability to function”.
Israel will not allow Hezbollah “any respite or recovery”, he added.
Hezbollah fired at least 200 rockets at northern Israel, killing two civilians in the border city of Kiryath Shmona as they were walking their dog.
Israeli special forces continued their operations against terror groups in the West Bank, killing five Palestinian terrorists in the Balata camp near Nablus.
Footage showed undercover Israeli forces opening fire at a car, killing Issam al-Salaj, the Balata Battalion commander of the al-Aqsa Martyrs’ Brigade.
The joint operation was carried out by the IDF, the National Counter-Terrorism Unit and Israel’s Border Police.
All five were wanted by Israel for terror activities, according to Israeli media. Israel has operated extensively against terror groups in the West Bank in the past year.
More than 630 Palestinians have been killed in the West Bank and East Jerusalem since Oct 7, most of whom Israel says were terrorists.
Fifteen Israelis have been killed in terror attacks in the West Bank and East Jerusalem in the same period.
Prince of Wales: We need people from all backgrounds on our screens
The Prince of Wales has pleaded with director Paul Greengrass to make a new Jason Bourne film as he celebrated young creatives in the film, television and gaming industries.
Prince William clasped his hands together and asked the film-maker for “another Bourne, another Bourne, please?” as the pair met at BAFTA’s headquarters in central London.
However, Mr Greengrass, who directed three of the Bourne franchise films, laughed and shook his head.
He said later: “Not for me, they need somebody younger, I’ve done my bit. But I hope they get somebody great and young to do it, I think they’re in the process.”
The Prince, who is president of BAFTA, told guests at the event, co-hosted by the Royal African Society, that is was important to see people from all backgrounds on screens to ensure different perspectives are heard. to highlight the importance of supporting young people in the film, games and television industries.
He said it was “crucial” that aspiring creatives from across society were offered the chance to pursue such careers, enabling them to bring their ideas and stories to life.
“The screen arts are such an important part of the fabric of our lives, allowing different voices and perspectives to be accessed and enjoyed in the comfort of our own homes,” he said.
“Opening the door to the creative industries to as many young and talented individuals as possible, also includes working to ensure that young people are exposed to as wide a variety of voices and narratives as possible, as early as possible.
“And ensuring that young people from all backgrounds can see themselves reflected on screen.”
The Prince launched the Prince William Bafta Bursary fund in 2021 to help young people from under-represented groups keen to pursue careers in the screen arts industry.
Among the guests at the Bafta headquarters in London’s Piccadilly were high-profile supporters of the fund, including actors Celia Imrie, Andy Serkis and Stephen Merchant and Mr Greengrass.
Chatting with students from the National Film and TV School, he joked that there was now so much screen content to choose from that his children – Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis – were “always wrestling over the remote” at home.
Thanking Serkis, Imrie and Merchant for their financial support of the bursary fund in his name, the Prince told Merchant he “loved”comedy thriller series The Outlaws, which he revealed he had recently finished watching.
Merchant, who is 6ft 7in, then joked with the Prince about his height.
“I didn’t realise how tall you were,” he said, to which the Prince replied: “And you seem to have grown.”
In response, Merchant quipped: “I’m wearing my built-up shoes today, I didn’t want to be outdone.”
The Bafta fund offers grants of up to £2,000 towards specific costs – such as a training course, the costs of equipment or software or relocation expenses – and has so far supported more than 160 people.
The Prince spoke to a selection of recipients working across the industry, from production assistants, costumer designers, writers and game designers to sound trainees.
In his speech, he said he looked forward to following their careers and seeing them become nominees and winners of Bafta Awards in years to come.
The Prince, who is a patron of the Royal African Society, hailed efforts to ensure that the next generation of film programmers gain an appreciation and knowledge of African cinema.
‘Russian national’ charged with making weapons of mass destruction at his Philadelphia home
A man reported to be a Russian national has been charged with manufacturing weapons of mass destruction at his home in Philadelphia.
More than 50lbs worth of explosives were seized from a property belonging to Evgenii Sadrislamov, which authorities said could have “levelled a whole block” and ended in a “major tragedy”.
Firefighters were called to a property on Friday evening after receiving reports of smoke coming from inside a garage of Mr Sadrislamov’s house, Fox 29 News reported.
A man and a woman were rescued from the home and treated by the emergency services at the scene. No injuries were reported.
James Kelly III, the deputy commissioner of Philadelphia police, said that an “explosive manufacturing lab”, including materials to make incendiary devices, was found in the basement and the garage.
“We really escaped a major tragedy on this one,” he said.
Mr Sadrislamov, 27, was charged with possessing weapons of mass destruction, arson, reckless endangerment and related offences.
He is in custody on $950,000 bail and has a preliminary hearing scheduled for Oct 22, officials said.
The Philadelphia resident was already on probation after an incident in 2020 after commercial grade fireworks were found inside his home.
Prosecutors said the incident was a “clear escalation” of his previous conviction.
“Today we are fortunate to be talking about a defendant charged with only endangering himself, his family, and his neighborhood with his illegal explosives lab,” said Eric DeGree, a special agent with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
He added that Mr Sadrislamov could have killed himself and his family while causing “injury, death and destruction” to his neighbors.
“This was a huge danger to the community, a rowhome possessed explosives that could have levelled a whole block,” said Angela Brennan, the assistant district attorney.
Watch: Woman calls 911 as yard swarmed by 100 ‘aggressive’ raccoons
A panicked woman called police after as many as 100 raccoons swarmed her front yard.
The woman said she had to flee her home after the raccoons descended and began acting aggressively, police said.
Kevin McCarty, a spokesman for the sheriff’s office in Kitsap County, Poulsbo, Washington state, said the woman had started feeding a family of raccoons decades ago.
The woman told police her relationship with the raccoons had been fine until about six weeks earlier, when the number showing up went from a handful to around 100.
“She said those raccoons were becoming increasingly more aggressive, demanding food, that they would hound her day and night — scratching at the outside of her home, at the door,” said Mr McCarty.
“If she pulled up her car, they would surround the car, scratch at the car, surround her if she went from her front door to her car or went outside at all.
“They saw this as a food source now, so they kept coming back to it and they kept expecting food.”
Both the sheriff’s office and the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife determined no laws were broken, Mr McCarty said.
“This is a nuisance problem kind of of her own making that she has to deal with,” he added.
Video from the sheriff’s office shows raccoons milling around trees.
Bridget Mire, a spokeswoman with the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife, said that under state law it was illegal to feed large carnivores, such as bears or cougars, but it was not currently against state law to feed raccoons.
However, the agency discourages people from feeding wildlife.
The department referred the woman to wildlife control operators who are certified and able to capture and remove animals like raccoons, said Ms Mire.
Poulsbo is about a 90-minute car and ferry ride northwest of Seattle.
Princess Margaret was much better talking to men than women, says lady-in-waiting
Princess Margaret preferred talking to men more than women, her lady-in-waiting of three decades has said.
Lady Anne Glenconner, 92, shared anecdotes about the princess, for whom she was lady-in-waiting until her death in 2002 aged 71, and with whom she toured the world for 30 years as a close friend and confidante.
Speaking at Cheltenham Literature Festival on Wednesday, about royal protocol, etiquette and her new book, The Picnic Papers, Lady Glenconner said that “some people were easier to talk to than others” while on royal engagements.
Asked how difficult it was to make polite small talk with strangers at official events, she said: “They generally always wanted to know what a lady-in-waiting was, so I was lucky like that.
“And, well, Princess Margaret was very good with men, she was much better talking to men than to ladies. But it depends on the person really.”
She also shared an anecdote about curtseying for Wallis Simpson, the Duchess of Windsor, during the talk with William Hanson, the viral etiquette expert and author of Just Good Manners.
Lady Glenconner said she was told to curtsy to the duchess by Margaret, to please the Duke, even though it was against royal protocol because she was not given an “HRH” title.
She said: “I was asked by Princess Margaret to go to Paris and meet the Windsors, he [Edward VIII] was actually very ill and he died shortly after we went.
“And in the car going along, I said to her…‘Ma’am should I curtsy?’ And Princess Margaret looked at me and said, ‘why not, it will please Uncle David so much,’ so I did curtsy.
“I think that was polite, that was good manners, although strictly speaking one shouldn’t curtsy to her, but I did.”
Lady Glenconner added that the princess considered using the French replacements for English words “snobby,” including “toilet”, “serviette” and “pardon”.
She said: “Princess Margaret had a very good thing about some of the words that sounded a bit awkward.
”She said it was much better to use an English word rather than a French word.”
Asked whether it was correct to call the loo a “toilet”, Lady Glenconner exp
Mr Hanson and Lady Glenconner advised on some examples of good etiquette and manners, including the correct way to pour gravy – to be dispensed by a ladle and not poured, and when to use a tablecloth – for lunch but not dinner.
“The core pillars of good manners remain the same and are timeless, ageless, classless and they are always there,” Mr Hanson said.
The etiquette expert also joked about almost once dropping a knife on the late Duke of Edinburgh’s head during a formal lunch.
“I looked to the other side of the table to see if the butler had seen this [episode], but he was long gone and looking at me with a twinkle in her eye was the [late] Queen,” he said.
Lady Glenconner quipped: “Hoping you might succeed.”
She also told an anecdote about the princess complaining of awarding a medal to the former king of Swaziland who was “half dressed”.
Margaret turned to Lady Glenconner after the event and said: “I’m going to tell my sister that I’m never going to give her medals to anybody who’s not properly dressed.”
Cooper attended Swift concert for free after ‘pressuring Scotland Yard to give singer VIP escort’
Yvette Cooper attended one of Taylor Swift’s London concerts for free after allegedly pressuring Scotland Yard to give the pop star a VIP police escort, it has emerged.
The revelation comes as the Home Secretary faces pressure to come clean over whether she pushed police to give the singer royal-style protection for a series of gigs in the capital in August.
On Wednesday, The Sun reported that both Ms Cooper and Sadiq Khan, the London Mayor, had “pressed” the Metropolitan Police to provide the service after Swift’s mother, who is also her agent, demanded it, following the terror threats in Vienna on Aug 7, which caused the pop start to cancel concerts.
It has now emerged that later that month, Ms Cooper attended one of the singer’s gigs as a guest of her husband Ed Balls, the former shadow chancellor, who received complimentary tickets from Swift’s label, Universal.
The couple went to the concert at Wembley Stadium on Aug 16 using the previously undeclared free tickets, which he received on Aug 4.
Before she attended the gig, the Home Secretary is said to have asked the Met to give Swift blue-light police escorts through the capital.
Swift was accompanied by motorcycle outriders from the force’s Special Escort Group (SEG), despite Scotland Yard reportedly objecting.
A source close to the Home Secretary said “security arrangements for events like these are taken extremely seriously” and that “all operational decisions” were made by the Met.
“The London Taylor Swift concerts in August came immediately after the cancellation of her Vienna concerts, following the discovery of a terror plot, which the CIA’s deputy director said was designed to kill ‘tens of thousands’ of attendees, and which led to widespread questions about whether the London concerts would go ahead,” the source said.
It is understood Ms Cooper contacted the Parliamentary Registrar about the free tickets on Sept 10. But she was told they were not eligible for declaration because Mr Balls had received them and their £170 value was less than the £300 minimum threshold for disclosure.
It is also understood the Home Office and Cabinet Office have been informed of the tickets.
James Cleverly, the former Tory leadership contender, earlier wrote to the Home Secretary, demanding that she set out her involvement in the controversial decision.
Mr Cleverly wrote: “The role of the SEG is to serve the state and provide professional mobile protection for royalty, senior government ministers, and at time guests of government and state. It is not for use by private individuals or as traffic assistants for pop stars.”
He asked Ms Cooper to disclose whether she or any of her ministers discussed Ms Swift’s protection with Sir Mark Rowley, the Met Commissioner.
“What advice did you or your ministers receive from Sir Mark or other senior Met Police officers?” he wrote.
Mr Cleverly also urged Ms Cooper to say whether the decision was made before or after Cabinet ministers were offered free tickets to one of Swift’s Wembley shows.
Wes Streeting, the Health Secretary, and Bridget Phillipson, the Education Secretary, attended the Aug 15 concert with Mr Khan.
Lady Starmer, the Prime Minister’s wife, was also there, as was Lisa Nandy, the Culture Secretary.
Darren Jones, the Chief Secretary to the Treasury, attended a separate show five days later, official records show.
The Telegraph understands that Mr Khan was offered his free tickets before the security arrangements for the show had been put in place.