Stokes inspires stunning England fightback in chaotic start to Ashes

Captain Ben Stokes inspired a ferocious England fightback as 19 wickets tumbled on a chaotic opening day of the Ashes in Perth.

Stokes took 5-23 as Australia closed day one of the first Test on 123/9, 49 behind England’s first-innings total of 172, as England’s pace-packed seam attack dismantled the hosts’ batting line-up to seize the initiative. Jofra Archer and Brydon Carse had earlier set the tone for England with two wickets apiece, with Archer removing debutant Jake Weatherald with just his second ball and Carse picking up the key wicket of Steve Smith as he extracted significant bounce and zip from a lively Perth surface. Stokes soon took over to wipe out the middle order and tail and leave Australia precariously poised and facing a first-innings deficit.

Such a situation looked unlikely when England collapsed to what seemed a modest total earlier in the day having opted to bat after winning the toss. Mitchell Starc took his best Test figures of 7-58 having extracted Zak Crawley in the opening over, with England all out in just 32.5 overs having struggled to sustain partnership despite some resistance from Ollie Pope (46), Harry Brook (52) and Jamie Smith (33).

Follow the latest score and updates live with The Independent’s live Ashes blog:

Fears of political violence as Trump accuses Democrats of ‘seditious behavior’

Democrats have voiced their concerns about growing political violence after president Donald Trump accused Congress members of “seditious behavior, punishable by death”.

The president was responding to several senators and representatives who put out a video calling for the military to disobey illegal orders.

Representatives Jason Crow of Colorado, Chrissy Houlahan of Pennsylvania, Chris DeLuzio of Pennsylvania and Maggie Goodlander of New Hampshire, as well as Senators Mark Kelly of Arizona and Elissa Slotkin of Michigan, were featured in the video.

“Like us, you all swore an oath to protect and defend this Constitution. Right now, the threats to our Constitution aren’t just coming from abroad, but from right here at home,” the lawmakers said in the video released Tuesday.

In a Truth Social post Thursday morning, Trump railed against the lawmakers: “This is really bad, and Dangerous to our Country. Their words cannot be allowed to stand. SEDITIOUS BEHAVIOR FROM TRAITORS!!! LOCK THEM UP???”

He added: “SEDITIOUS BEHAVIOR, punishable by DEATH!” He also reshared a post that read: “HANG THEM GEORGE WASHINGTON WOULD !!”

Meanwhile, Trump is expected to meet New York City Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani in the Oval Office Friday after months of trading attacks.

Mexico’s Fatima Bosch wins scandal-hit Miss Universe pageant

Mexico’s Fatima Bosch was crowned winner at the grand finale of the 74th Miss Universe pageant on Friday in Bangkok, Thailand, after weeks of controversy plaguing the annual event.

The 25-year-old from Tabasco was crowned by last year’s winner Victoria Kjær Theilvig from Denmark.

In second place was Thailand’s Praveenar Singh, followed by Venezuela’s Stephany Abasali, Philippines’ Ahtisa Manalo, and Ivory Coast’s Olivia Yacé rounding out the top five.

Representatives from 120 countries competed, including Nadeen Ayoub, who became the first woman to represent the Palestinian people at the pageant and reached the top 30 before being eliminated.

The ceremony, hosted by American comedian Steve Byrne, opened with a performance by Thai singer Jeff Satur.

Bosch was asked how she would use the title of Miss Universe to make a safer place for women.

“As a woman and as Miss Universe, I will put my voice and the power in the service of others because nowadays we are here to speak up, to make change and have everything in view because we are women and the brave ones that stand up are the ones that will make history,” she said.

This year’s competition kicked off earlier this month, with the sashing ceremony on 5 November.

Her victory comes against the backdrop of the contest’s recent controversies.

Earlier this month, the pageant saw a walkout by multiple contestants after a widely publicised confrontation in which Thai pageant executive Nawat Itsaragrisil berated Bosch at a pre-pageant event for failing to post promotional content.

In footage of the moment, Bosch speaks up to say that Itsaragrisil is not “respecting me as a woman”, prompting him to call for security to remove her. Other contestants, including reigning title holder Victoria Kjaer Theilvig of Denmark, walked out in solidarity.

Miss Universe organisation’s president Raul Rocha Cantu released a statement at the time, saying he would not allow “the values of respect and dignity of women to be violated”.

Nawat apologised in a social media statement to “anyone [who] feels bad, uncomfortable, or affected” by his actions.

Separately, two judges resigned mere hours before the event.

On Wednesday, Miss Jamaica Gabrielle Henry had to be taken away in a stretcher after suffering a fall during the preliminary evening gown round of the pageant. In footage circulated online by Meekii Modez, Miss Jamaica, Gabrielle Henry, is seen posing at the front of the stage in an orange gown and high heels when she falls off the stage.

Audibly shocked at the moment, the audience can be heard asking Henry whether she is OK. Other videos online show a group of people coming to help her, eventually carrying her off on a stretcher.

A statement from the Miss Universe Jamaica Organisation clarified that “she is not suffering from any life-threatening injuries”. Rocha also wrote on Instagram to say that he had been to the hospital where Henry is being treated, and that “thankfully there are no broken bones and she is under good care”.

Is your child really too upset to go to school?

I remember the moment I realised that my son’s repeated requests not to go to school were linked to something more serious than mere malingering in a bid for a duvet day. He had been out of school for what was, for him, a blissful week of Covid. The morning he was well enough to return, he had breakfast and got into his uniform. As he got ready to leave, he stood by the front door, and I could see that he was bracing himself before opening it. Then he just buckled, visibly crumpling and bursting into heartfelt tears. He literally begged me to let him stay home and not go to school.

I knew he was struggling with the transition from primary school. I also knew that he was having some difficulties within his friendship group. But I didn’t know how bad things were until that day. His evident pain felt crushing and, having spent his school career thus far, was ushering him in come hell or high water – unless he was delirious with a fever or had a limb hanging off (“just rise about it! you’ll be fine!”) I shut the door without hesitation and told him to stay at home.

That was in 2022, so newly post-pandemic, with all that that entailed. But it turns out that 90 per cent of parents still think that their child’s mental health is more important than going to school. A new poll shows that half of parents regularly allow their child a day off school if they feel “too upset” to go in, with 49 per cent of 2,000 families surveyed saying they regularly allow an “emotional absence”.

While I fully appreciate the importance of mental health, the problem with sanctioning an emotional absence, as I learned the day after my son’s meltdown, is that if there is an issue at school, then one day off won’t solve it. Not only that, but it is a slippery slope: one day off leads so easily to another. And another.

The new research by Bett, which organises education technology shows, showed that the families that believe in taking days off for mental health reasons average six of those days off a year. They view it as an effective intervention rather than an indulgence and see an improvement in their child’s happiness and behaviour.

However, according to Gov.uk is that children with 95-100 per cent attendance in Year 6 are 30 per cent more likely to reach the expected standard in reading, writing and maths compared to similar pupils who attend 90-95 per cent of the time. And what many of parents were unaware of when asked is the research published by the Department for Education that shows that children who regularly miss school are more likely to become adults who are on benefits, who commit crimes and who use drugs.

Of course these difficulties in later life may end up happening for a host of reasons, however by secondary school, the link between attendance and attainment becomes even clearer. Year 11 pupils with near-perfect attendance are almost twice as likely to achieve grade five in English and Maths GCSE, compared to similar pupils attending 90-95 per cent of the time. In other words, missing just 10 extra days a year reduces the likelihood of achieving those grades by around 50 per cent.

To put it in real life terms: a DfE report, titled “The Impact of School Absence on Lifetime Earnings”, earlier this year found that every day that a child misses school costs them £750 in future wages, although it’s important to caveat that with the fact that this can vary by individuals Parental factors like education, occupation and income can also influence both attainment and earnings.

However, the same research showed that 150,000 pupils are absent more than half of the time, which seems to imply that, despite all of the evidence of the profound impact that just a few days of missed school can have on a child’s education and future prospects, many parents and children now see school attendance as a choice.

Unsurprisingly, given the number of months that schools were closed, this is something that is more pronounced since Covid: 32 per cent of parents from the new poll said they were more relaxed about their children missing school than they were pre-pandemic.

However, in my son’s case, I quickly realised that another day off was not the answer. I tried to address the issue through several meetings with his school. Unfortunately, that didn’t help and his requests to skip school because he was – and he really was – “too upset” to go in became so frequent and heartfelt that I could see we were on the path to school refusal, something that has reached epidemic proportions in the UK, with 1.28 million children and teens (roughly 17.9 per cent of the attending school population) persistently absent.

I have friends with children who are school refusers, and I know that it is often rooted in severe anxiety and entirely real mental health issues. I also know that the solution is not as simple as just “making” school refusers go to school – and that it can lead to a lifetime of poor mental health. With that as a spectre I wanted firmly to avoid, I took drastic action and decided to take him out of that school – a sprawling Academy in east London – and move him to… another sprawling Academy in east London.

It was by no means an ideal thing to do in the middle of year eight. But by and large, it has worked out well. And it was so much better than the alternative, which no number of “emotional absence” days would have solved.

Starmer brands Farage ‘spineless’ amid claims about his schooldays

Sir Keir Starmer has found himself in a heated row with Nigel Farage, after branding the Reform leader “spineless” and calling on him to explain himself over claims of racist behaviour during his days at a top public school.

The prime minister said Mr Farage did not have a “good track record” because he failed to take action against Reform MP Sarah Pochin’s “racist” remarks about the number of ethnic minorities appearing in television adverts.

Hitting back at Sir Keir, the Reform leader – who denies the claims about his behaviour while at Dulwich College as a teenager – said it is “utterly ludicrous” for the “weakest prime minister in living memory to call me spineless”.

The prime minister’s comments came as he was asked about a Guardian report based on allegations from more than a dozen school contemporaries of Mr Farage, 61, who recounted incidents of deeply offensive behaviour throughout his teenage years.

The Labour leader told reporters travelling with him to the G20 summit in South Africa: “He needs to explain the comments, or alleged comments that were made, and he needs to do that as soon as possible.

“He hasn’t got a good track record in relation to this because Sarah Pochin, his MP, made some clearly racist comments and Nigel Farage has done absolutely nothing about it.

“The man is spineless. If that had been someone in my party, I’d have dealt with it straight away. He needs to explain the latest allegations and whilst he’s at it he needs to explain why he’s too spineless to take action in relation to what is obvious racism in the comments of his fellow MP.

“So far he’s said absolutely nothing about it. He’s got plenty to say about plenty of things, apart from showing some leadership when it comes to racism.”

Mr Farage, who has threatened legal action over the claims, responded: “For the weakest prime minister in living memory to call me spineless is utterly ludicrous.

“The voters will have their say on both of us at the ballot box next May.”

A Reform source said the Sir Keir was “desperate, sinking in the polls and lashing out”.

Meanwhile, a spokesman for the party also said the allegations reported in the Guardian “are entirely without foundation” and said the newspaper “has produced no contemporaneous record or corroborating evidence to support these disputed recollections from nearly 50 years ago”.

Sir Keir’s comments about Ms Pochin came after the Reform MP last month said she was driven “mad” by seeing “adverts full of black and Asian people”, comments that sparked widespread criticism.

She later said her remarks were “phrased poorly” and apologised “for any offence caused”. She said she was trying to say many adverts were “unrepresentative of British society”.

Mr Farage resisted calls to suspend her from the party, saying he did not believe the “intention” behind her comments was “racist” and suggested they should be read in the context of “DEI (diversity, equity and inclusion) madness”.

But writing in The Independent, deputy prime minister David Lammy said the comments “normalised” and marked a return to “flagrant racism”.

He said many people were “disgusted” by the remarks, criticising those “who would have us believe that we are more divided than we really are”.

Among those making allegations in the Guardian was the Bafta and Emmy-award winning director Peter Ettedgui, 61, who claimed to have been verbally abused by Mr Farage repeatedly as a 13 and 14-year-old.

“He would sidle up to me and growl ‘Hitler was right’ or ‘Gas them’, sometimes adding a long hiss to simulate the sound of the gas showers,” Mr Ettedgui claimed of his experience of being in a class with Mr Farage.

From cuisine and culture to history and nature, find the ideal cruise

If you want to see the world from a fresh perspective, then taking to the water is a great way to do it. Not only can travelling by ship  take you to far flung corners of the globe, it can also show you a different side of your favourite destinations and provide some unique experiences, from spotting rare wildlife and glancing remote landscapes to seeing iconic sights from a whole new viewpoint. From epic adventures exploring Antarctica or uninhabited archipelagos in the South Pacific, to itineraries taking the cultural capitals of Europe or sampling the cuisine of South East Asia, there’s a trip for everyone, whatever your passion or wherever you’d like to go.

Combining a cruise with carefully curated time on land gives you the best of both worlds. Audley cruise offerings are tailor made, with the land and water elements of your trip meticulously planned to create a bespoke itinerary that’s as relaxing or as adventure packed as you wish. Audley’s cruise experts will listen to what your dream trip looks like and help you pick the best route, ship and experiences to bring it to life. They work with a range of cruise partners, hand picking vessels for their facilities, service, onboard activities and the experiences they offer in port, so you’ll enjoy the journey just as much as the destination.

Each Audley trip is tailor-made to the traveller – but if you need some inspiration, here’s a taste of the adventures you can experience.

A cruise can offer immersive cultural experiences, from learning about a country’s centuries old traditions to touring cities with world-class galleries and museums. One of the benefits of a cruise is that you can explore multiple stops, giving you plenty of time to take in each destination and tailor the trip to your specific interests.

“For example, a 24 day cruise around Japan visits 10 different ports,” says Audley cruise specialist Caroline. “In the city of Sakaiminato, you can explore the artistry of Japan with a guided visit that takes in both the Adachi Museum of Art and the Yushien Garden. The museum provides a deep dive into Japan’s contemporary art before you head to a nearby island to explore the exuberant peony beds at Yushien. The garden is most spectacular in the spring, but carefully timed plantings mean you’ll always see many of the 250 types of peonies in gloriously full bloom.”

Or how about exploring the art cities of Italy in the largest five-masted, full-rigged sailing ship in the world – a romantic call-back to the golden age of sailing? You’ll enjoy personal tours of the Colosseum and Sistine Chapel in Rome, explore Florence’s Renaissance heritage and discover hidden haunts in Venice.

Audley can make sure your time at sea is just as enriching, with ships that include a variety of experiences and activities to choose from – from expert talks and lectures on subjects like art history, archaeology and local wildlife to art classes like watercolour painting to glassblowing.

With cruises covering all seven continents, and many featuring unique culinary experiences, there’s plenty of trips to tickle the tastebuds of foodies. Wine lovers will enjoy a river cruise of Portugal’s Douro region that takes in port houses in the vibrant city of Porto and stops at vineyards along the picturesque Douro Valley. You’ll enjoy a traditional home cooked meal at a quinta (country house), visit Mateus Palace and Gardens — home of the famous rosé wine – and finish the trip in Madrid, sampling the local tapas.

On a Bali to Bangkok trip you can check out the Indonesian street-food scene, trying delicacies such as Java’s rawon (a black beef soup) and Bangkok’s drunken noodles. In Singapore, watch locals haggle for seafood and spices in the markets and try a Singapore Sling in the very place they were invented: Raffles’ Long Bar.

Wherever you’re heading, the options are just as tasty on board the ship. “The larger and medium-sized cruises we’ve chosen to work with always offer a variety of dining options,” explains  Audley cruise specialist Franki. “With usually at least one buffet-style restaurant, and also usually at least a couple of specialty restaurants, such as trattorias or steakhouses. Audley hand-picks the best vessels with some also offering cooking demonstrations and wine tasting.

From experiencing the world’s wildest and most remote landscapes to spotting rare species, travelling by water offers one-of-a-kind adventures for nature lovers. “No other type of voyage gets you as close to unpeopled landscapes or feeds your curiosity about the world’s wildlife and habitats as expedition cruises,” says Audley cruise specialist Caroline, “Wherever you are, expedition leaders will help root you in your destination, pointing out intriguing features and what to look for.”

There’s also plenty of expert knowledge you can tap into onboard, as Audley cruise specialist Jon explains. “Many of our polar expedition cruises are accompanied by leading researchers who can enlighten you on the icy formations and distinctive wildlife you sail past. Some ships also feature onboard helicopters, offering you the chance to follow the flight paths of Arctic birds and get a rare glimpse of this pristine landscape from the air.”

In the Galapagos Islands, for example, Audley’s Luxury Ecuador and Galapagos tour includes a seven night expedition around the islands where you’ll come face to face with countless incredible species from iguanas, penguins and albatross to sea lions, sea turtles and sharks. The trip also includes a stay in a luxury lodge in the Ecuadorian cloudforest, surrounded by 400 types of wildlife.

A cruise is also the ideal way to discover the landscapes of Alaska. You’ll sail down through fjords, past glaciers and waterfalls – with the option to kayak to the places your cruise ship can’t reach. You might spot otters, seals, sea lions, porpoises, and even orca whales in the water or, on shore, moose, mountain goats and wolves. At the end of the cruise, there’s a stay in Great Bear Rainforest on Berry Island, a haven for bears, whales, marine mammals and birds.

With knowledgeable local experts on hand across the globe, Audley cruises allow you to delve into the history of a destination. A cruise of Croatia’s cities and coasts offers all the spectacular scenery you’d expect – but also give you the chance to walk Dubrovnik’s UNESCO-protected walled city with an expert guide, explore the medieval streets of Šibenik and visit a working 13th century monastery on the island of Visovak.

If you like your history to be ancient, try a luxury river cruise along the Nile, with an exclusive private tour of the pyramids of Giza, Saqqara and Dahshur, and visits to other significant sites including ancient tombs in the Luxor Valley of the Kings and the Temple of Horus, all with an expert local guide ensuring you get the most out of the experience.

With Audley, experiences on land are carefully planned to fit seamlessly with your cruise. “As your trip takes shape, I’ll take care of every aspect of your voyage.” says Audley cruise specialist Steph. “If I need to, I’ll call on the expertise of our most experienced destination-specific specialists to help you make the most of your time – wherever you’d like to go.”

Fellow Audley cruise specialist Jon adds: “Some trips span vast geographical routes, jumping between a myriad of countries that are often challenging to link in one trip. That involves a lot of moving parts, but your specialist will take care of all the logistics so you can focus on getting the most out of your time on land and water.”

With all the organising in hand, you’ll have plenty of time to soak everything in before you set sail again to continue your dream journey.

Audley offer bespoke land-and-sea cruises that you can tailor to your personal travel passions. To find out more and start planning your trip, visit Audley

Anonymous Epstein Survivor claims Trump must have known about victims

An anonymous Epstein survivor spoke publicly for the first time last night, claiming that Donald Trump “must have known” about the victims.

The anonymous survivor has broken almost two decades of silence, having never even spoken to her friends or family about the abuse she endured when she was just 16 years old.

She spoke exclusively to Channel 5 News, based in the UK, on a program which aired on Wednesday evening, along with an interview of Marina Lacerda – a key witness in the prosecution of Jeffrey Epstein.

The news comes in the wake of Andrew Mountbatten Windsor’s, formerly known as Prince Andrew, summons deadline today, and pressure is mounting on him to respond.

The survivor accused Trump: “He had to have known something. He had to have had an idea.

“You know, he always boasted about their friendship, but I never knew how close or how involved they were.”

She said, “he had pictures of them at his house together,” which she says she has seen.

“They were friends… I don’t know how he couldn’t have [not known].”

Trump has vehemently denied knowing the Epstein victims and has previously dismissed survivors’ stories as a “democratic hoax.”

The anonymous survivor has since responded to Trump’s dismissal by stating, “I’m not a hoax. I wish it was, but it’s not. And it did. It absolutely did happen. As much as I want to pretend it didn’t happen, it did, and I have to live with it for the rest of my life.”

She explains that she struggled to tell even her friends and family the true extent of what happened to her: “The only person that I’ve told is my boyfriend now, and that took 13 years. I felt like I’ve lived two different lives and pretend it never happened and then have normal conversations. Meanwhile, you’re dying on the inside.”

For her accountability lies in the Epstein files, she says: “I don’t know what justice looks like for me because the only person that’s, you know, traumatised me and is dead. I want, you know, the people held accountable for, for the other girls. Their people are still out there, and I feel like they need… They need justice.”

Survivor, Lacerda was just 14 years old when she met Epstein. Until two months ago, her identity was concealed, and she was only known as “Minor Victim One”. Since then, she has played a pivotal role in exposing Epstein’s crimes.

She is now calling on Andrew Mountbatten Windsor, formerly Prince Andrew, and his close family members to give evidence in relation to crimes he has always denied.

Lacerda said, “I hope he has the balls to face up to what he did and answer the questions. Why shouldn’t he?

“If I myself got accused of something this outrageous, I would want to go and at least clear my name. Clear up your name. And if you did do any wrongdoing, own up to it.

“You have a family. You have daughters. You have daughters that have daughters. Okay. If you know this is something that you’ve done in the past and you regret it, just say it to the world. What’s the worst thing that could possibly happen now?”

Lacerda added that she believes the former prince’s former wife, Sarah Ferguson, and Andrew’s daughters should be subpoenaed to give evidence.

She said, “It would be the right thing to do for them to get subpoenaed. He said that he was having pizza with his daughters, right, if I’m not mistaken. So, it would be nice to get some transparency there, and I would hope that his daughters would speak. They would be truthful about it.

“We need to stop protecting people because they are our family. We need to start protecting people that are getting hurt by your family.”

Lacerda went into detail about the imbalanced power dynamic Epstein held over her and his victims. She said, “As a young girl coming from a third-world country, you just want to make it in the United States of America, and I was like, this is something that he could do for me.”

“He said he owned the government, he owned the banks, he owned everybody. He knew that I needed money and he knew that I needed to be legal in that country. And I think he always warned me too, like, well, you know, you’re an immigrant. Just kind of like, don’t mess with me because I know you’re an immigrant and I’m very powerful.”

“Within that year, I think after four or five months seeing him, he raped me and then I was locked in. It was like almost a mafia.”

Lacerda was also particularly vulnerable as she had a history of trauma after being previously abused by a family member from the age of just 8 years old.

“I said, this is not that bad. This man just wants my shirt off, you know. He had pictures on his vanity. He had Bill Clinton, he had Prince Andrew. I was like, wow, this guy is somebody.”

Strictly Come Dancing star ‘arrested on suspicion of rape’

A Strictly Come Dancing star has reportedly been arrested on suspicion of rape.

The Sun reported that a man, who cannot be named for legal reasons, was arrested in October over an alleged incident last year.

The alleged victim was not a contestant or professional dancer, the paper said.

Hertfordshire Police confirmed the arrest and said inquiries are continuing.

The force told the Sun: “A man was released on police bail under investigation having been arrested in London on Monday 13 October on suspicion of rape.

“The allegations relate to an incident which happened in Hertfordshire during 2024.

“Meanwhile, inquiries by officers from Hertfordshire Constabulary’s Public Protection team will continue.

“Given the nature of the allegations, it would be inappropriate to make any further comment at this time.”

A BBC spokesperson said: “It would not be appropriate to comment on an ongoing police investigation.”

It comes after another male star of the BBC show was arrested in August on suspicion of rape.

The man in his 30s, who has not been named, was also detained over a separate alleged offence of “non-consensual intimate image abuse”.