Police probe claims Labour bribed voters with food to support Gorton and Denton by-election candidate

Police are investigating claims Labour tried to bribe voters with food in an upcoming Westminster by-election.

The probe comes after a video emerged of an event where attendees were told to hold up posters “if you want to get fed”.

The dinner is thought to have been organised as part of Labour’s campaign to win next week’s Gorton and Denton by-election.

A spokesman for Greater Manchester Police told The Independent: “We are aware and investigations are ongoing.”

The dinner, in Manchester, is reported to have been attended by around 600 people, including Labour’s deputy leader Lucy Powell.

Labour sources claimed the event was not in breach of electoral law, because the rules against so-called ‘treating’ still allow for what is known as “ordinary hospitality”.

An offence is deemed ‘treating’ if parties provide food, drink or entertainment “to corruptly influence any voter”.

A video released online on Monday appeared to show attendees being asked to support the Labour candidate if they wanted to be given food.

A man could be heard telling all those in the room: “There needs to be a sea of red Angeliki posters in this hall…. If you want to get fed, I’ve been told you have to hold one of these up.”

Angeliki Stogia is the Labour candidate in the by-election, called after Labour MP Andrew Gwynne stood down last month.

Labour is battling to hold on to the Gorton and Denton seat it won with more than 50 per cent of the vote in 2024. The by-election is seen as a three-way race between Labour, the Green Party’s Hannah Spencer and Nigel Farage’s Reform UK, which is standing former academic Matt Goodwin.

It is widely seen as a looming crisis for Sir Keir Starmer who risks being ousted by his own MPs if his party loses badly.

A Green Party spokesman said: “Labour know they have blown this by-election and are desperately trying to save face by buying votes. It won’t work. The people of Gorton and Denton, including the Muslim communities invited to this event, don’t have a short-term memory over issues like Gaza and Labour’s long-held belief of taking voters for granted.”

A Reform spokesman said: “In a race to the bottom with the Greens, it now appears Labour have risked breaking the law.”

A Labour spokesman said: “This is a desperate, politically motivated move. The momentum on the doorstep is with Labour and it will further highlight to residents in Manchester just what is at stake.”

Earlier this month a letter from “a local pensioner” distributed for Reform UK in the by-election, and appearing to break election law, was referred to the Electoral Commission and police.

In the letter a “concerned neighbour” Patricia Clegg explained why she is no longer voting for Labour and has switched her vote to Mr Farage’s party.

But opponents said the leaflet potentially breaks electoral law because it does not have an imprint of the party to show they are distributing it.

Iran’s supreme leader threatens to sink US aircraft carriers – as nuclear talks continue

Iran’s supreme leader has threatened to sink any American aircraft carriers sent to the Middle East, as talks on the country’s nuclear build-up were held in Geneva.

Ayatollah Ali Khamenei ramped up tensions between the two countries as he told followers: “The US president keeps saying ‘our military is the strongest military in the world’; the world’s most powerful military can sometimes receive such a slap that it can no longer stay on its feet.

“They constantly say, ‘we have sent an aircraft carrier towards Iran’.

“OK, of course an aircraft carrier is a dangerous device, but more dangerous than the carrier is the weapon that can send it to the bottom of the sea.”

The world’s largest aircraft carrier, the USS Gerald R Ford, has entered the Mediterranean en route to the Middle East, where it will join the USS Abraham Lincoln and guided-missile destroyers, which have been there for more than two weeks.

The ayatollah issued his put-down as Iran’s foreign minister, Abbas Araghchi, was negotiating with US envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner over his country’s nuclear programme.

The supreme leader also warned the US that “forcing the result of talks in advance is a wrong and foolish job”.

At the same time, Iran carried out live-fire drills in the Strait of Hormuz, in a show of strength.

The naval exercises, which included test missiles, warships and helicopters, were displaying the “operational readiness” of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps’ (IRGC) and plans for reciprocal action in case of “potential security and military threats”.

It was the first time since the 1980s that Iran had announced the closure of the key international waterway, through which a fifth of the world’s oil passes.

Mr Araghchi later expressed optimism about the talks, saying a new window had opened for reaching an agreement. But he said Iran remained fully prepared to defend itself against any threat or act of aggression, and that the consequences of any attack on Iran would not be confined to its borders.

However, the country’s president, Masoud Pezeshkian, said Tehran would never abandon its nuclear programme.

US forces shot down an Iranian drone that approached the Lincoln on the same day last week that Iran tried to stop a US-flagged ship in the Strait of Hormuz.

Gulf Arab nations fear any attack could spiral into another regional conflict.

The Trump administration is seeking a deal to limit Iran’s nuclear programme and ensure it does not develop nuclear weapons.

Iran says it is not pursuing weapons and has so far resisted demands that it halt uranium enrichment on its soil or hand over its stockpile of highly-enriched uranium. Israel’s 12-day war against Iran last June halted talks between the US and Iran.

The US bombed Iranian nuclear sites during that war, probably destroying centrifuges that spun uranium to near weapons-grade purity.

Before the war, Iran had been enriching uranium up to 60 per cent purity, a short step away from weapons-grade levels.

Iran is marking 40 days, the traditional Muslim mourning period, since one of the deadliest days in the crackdown on protests that swept the country last month. Activists say at least 7,015 people have been killed.

Snow, sleet and heavy rain set to cause flooding and disrupt travel

Snow, sleet and heavy rain are forecast to hit parts of the UK this week, potentially disrupting travel.

Yellow weather warnings covering much of Wales, as well as central and southern England, are in place from Wednesday afternoon to early on Thursday.

Spells of heavy rain and a period of snow could lead to some flooding and disruption to travel, Met Office experts say.

Some 10-20mm of rain is expected to fall widely, though areas near the south coast could see up to 30mm of rain, while Dartmoor, Devon, could be battered with as much as 50mm.

Numerous places across Britain have been hit by flooding this year thanks to repeated heavy downpours.

Last month, Storm Chandra forced schools to close and disrupted everyday life.

Further cold weather warnings have been issued by the UK Health Security Agency across parts of England from 6pm on Tuesday evening until 6pm on Friday.

The agency said the weather was likely to lead to higher demand on healthcare services by vulnerable people, as well as a greater risk to life of vulnerable people.

The Met Office yellow weather warning for snow covers parts of Wales and the west of England, including Birmingham and Worcester, from 4pm on Wednesday until 6am on Thursday.

The yellow weather warning for rain covers southern parts of England, stretching from Kent to Cornwall, between 6am on Wednesday and 8am on Thursday.

Strong winds will accompany the wet weather, which could exacerbate the effects in places, the Met Office said.

Deputy chief forecaster Steven Keates said: “Initially, we may see some snow over the highest parts of southern England, such as Dartmoor, but the main chance of snow will be across higher parts of the Midlands and mid- and southeast Wales.”

He said a sharp frost was likely across parts of Scotland on Wednesday morning, with some further frost and ice in places overnight into Thursday.

The UK Health Security Agency yellow cold health alert, issued for the East Midlands, West Midlands, North East, North West, South West, east of England and Yorkshire and the Humber, is place from 6pm on Tuesday until 6pm on Friday.

Senior Met Office meteorologist Craig Snell said many will be see “a very wet and windy morning” on Wednesday, but added those in northern England will be “wondering what’s going on” – with a dry day expected for many.

Mr Snell said: “By the time we get into the late part of the day on Thursday, by that stage, the winds should be clearing away and Thursday will just be a slow improvement day.

“It’s all change after that, by the weekend it will be feeling much, much milder with temperatures reaching the low-to-mid teens, if we see some sunshine.

“There will be further spells of wind and rain but most of us will certainly see an uplift of temperatures as we go into the weekend.”

Video shows Texas cops arrive after British dad shot his daughter dead

Dramatic body camera footage captured the moment Texas police arrived at the home of a British man who fatally shot his daughter after they got into an argument about President Donald Trump.

Lucy Harrison, a 23-year-old fashion buyer who lived in Warrington, Cheshire, was visiting her father, Kris Harrison, and his family in Prosper, a suburb of Dallas, when she was shot in the chest on January 10, 2025.

Footage released by the Cheshire Coroner’s Court shows Kris Harrison telling a police officer that he and his daughter were “talking about guns” as they were getting ready to head to the airport.

“She said, ‘You got a gun?’ I said, ‘yes,’ I got it out, and it just went off — and she stood there like, as I pulled it out, it went off,” Harrison told police last year in the footage, which was just released by the Cheshire Coroner’s Court.

“I put it on the bed straight away,” he added. “It was in the bedside cabinet. In a locked box. And we took it out to look and just as I picked it up, it went off.”

Lucy’s boyfriend, Sam Littler, can be seen in the clip holding his hands on his head as Harrison speaks with the officer.

An inquest at Cheshire Coroner’s Court concluded last Wednesday with a senior coroner ruling Lucy had been unlawfully killed.

“To shoot her through the chest whilst she was standing would have required him to have been pointing the gun at his daughter, without checking for bullets, and pulling the trigger,” senior coroner Jacqueline Devonish said. “I find these actions to be reckless.”

Family members were in tears as the coroner said she found Lucy had died due to unlawful killing on the grounds of gross negligence manslaughter.

Speaking outside the coroner’s court, Lucy’s mother, Jane Coates, said: “Today’s outcome has finally given Luce her voice back, after what has been an unrelenting year of deep shock, grief and fight.”

She said her daughter was “failed” by Texan gun laws and decisions made by the police department in Prosper.

Lucy’s boyfriend, who was with her on the trip, told the inquest earlier Wednesday that she had gotten into an argument with her father about Trump, who was soon to be inaugurated, the same day she was killed.

He said that about half an hour before they were planning to leave for the airport, Harrison took his daughter to the bedroom where he kept a Glock semi-automatic handgun secured in his bedside cabinet.

Littler said he heard a loud bang about 15 seconds after they went into the room, and then heard Harrison screaming for his wife.

“I remember running into the room and Lucy was lying on the floor near the entrance to the bathroom and Kris was just screaming, just sort of nonsense,” Littler said.

Harrison did not attend the two-day hearing in Cheshire Coroner’s Court but said in a statement that he bought the weapon to give his family a “sense of security.” Texas laws allow him to own the gun without a license.

The father claimed his daughter asked to see the gun, having never discussed his gun ownership with him before.

However, the inquest heard evidence from others that Lucy knew her father had a weapon in the home and disagreed with it.

In the statement, Mr Harrison, who admitted drinking wine earlier in the day, said: “As I lifted the gun to show her I suddenly heard a loud bang. I did not understand what had happened. Lucy immediately fell.”

He told police at the scene: “We got it out to have a look and just as I picked it up it just went off.”

Devonish, the coroner, found that Harrison also did not immediately tell others that he had been the one to shoot Lucy.

“He knew full well he had shot his own daughter, pointing a gun at chest height and pulling the trigger,” Devonish said. “He did not ensure that this information was passed to 911. With a bullet through her heart, her prognosis was poor in any event.”

Devonish described Harrison as a “secret drinker” and said she had “no doubt whatsoever” that he had been drinking throughout the day his daughter was killed.

The coroner accepted that Harrison did not know the gun was loaded, but did not accept that Lucy would have asked to see the gun, since she was against weapons.

“His actions have killed his own daughter and in the cold light of day it is hoped that he now recognises the risk he posed to her life in circumstances in which he had no experience of guns, had undertaken no training and had never fired a gun,” Devonish said.

The inquest also heard that police in Texas failed to test Harrison for alcohol, even though they had suspected he had been drinking after smelling alcohol on his breath.

Meanwhile, a grand jury in the U.S. determined there was insufficient evidence to charge anyone, including Harrison, in connection with Lucy’s death.

“She was young, vibrant and beautiful, with her whole life ahead of her, and this was a most tragic death,” the coroner concluded.

Shia LaBeouf arrested after ‘aggressive’ behaviour during Mardi Gras

Shia LaBeouf has been arrested while celebrating Mardi Gras in New Orleans.

The Transformers actor was detained shortly after midnight Tuesday after an alleged brawl outside a bar in the French Quarter, the New Orleans Police Department said in a statement shared with The Independent.

According to police, the 39-year-old was charged with two counts of simple battery and remains in a Louisiana jail after receiving medical attention from paramedics.

Police said LaBeouf was acting “aggressive” at a bar on Royal Street, leading a staff member to kick him out of the building. Once outside, LaBeouf allegedly punched a man with closed fists several times. LaBeouf then left the area but came back, “acting even more aggressive,” police said.

“Multiple people attempted to hold [LaBeouf] down — he was eventually let up in the hopes that he would leave — but he reportedly again struck the same victim with closed fists to the victim’s upper body,” police said. He then allegedly assaulted another person by punching him in the nose and was held down until police arrived.

LaBeouf, who has previously said he was sober after multiple rehab treatments, had reportedly been partying in the city for days leading up to his arrest. A bartender who served the controversial former child star on Thursday told The Hollywood Reporter: “He is terrorizing the city!”

Other bartenders and patrons told the outlet that LaBeouf was “inebriated” and “belligerent” throughout the weekend, as he was spotted at several bars across the city throughout Mardi Gras weekend.

His representatives did not immediately return The Independent’s request for comment.

LaBeouf is known for his publicly erratic behavior and has a history of legal issues, including a 2020 lawsuit filed by his ex-girlfriend FKA Twigs that alleged sexual battery, assault and emotional abuse. The lawsuit was settled in July 2025.

The Holes star was first arrested in 2014 on charges of disorderly conduct, harassment and criminal trespass during a Broadway performance of Cabaret, leading to him seeking treatment for alcoholism. He pleaded guilty to disorderly conduct at the time and the other charges were dropped.

Three years later, LaBeouf was arrested in Savannah, Georgia, for public intoxication, disorderly conduct and obstruction. Bodycam footage from the incident showed LaBeouf making racial outbursts during his arrest, which he later attributed to his alcoholism. After pleading no contest to disorderly conduct, LaBeouf was sentenced to one year probation and ordered to seek anger management and substance use treatment.

LaBeouf’s most recent arrest was in 2020, when he was charged with misdemeanor battery and petty theft and pleaded not guilty. The charges were dropped after he completed a court-ordered diversion program.

Traditions and tastes to savour: Hong Kong at Chinese new year

The air crackles and sparkles with pink, red, green and gold as fireworks stream through the inky skies. Crowds gather either side of Victoria Harbour, awestruck by a spectacle that outshines even Hong Kong’s iconic skyscrapers.

Held annually on the second day of Chinese New Year, this incredible display is just one highlight in a calendar of must-experience events that will herald the Year of the Horse this February. Daytimes are equally vivid; streets bloom with flower stalls and colourful paper lanterns, while the air is perfumed with incense, citrus fruits and crisp yau gok: fried dumplings believed to bring good fortune for the year ahead.

Hong Kong is at its brightest and boldest during Chinese New Year celebrations, with all its rich customs, cultural traditions and culinary delights on dazzling display. Here we explore the events and spectacles that usher in the Year of the Horse, offering a glimpse of what this diverse, compelling destination offers throughout the seasons.

There’s no danger of missing the celebrations. Stretching over 15 days, this is a party that barely pauses to take a breath (or snack on a rice ball). Festivities traditionally start with the Night Parade on the 17th of February in Tsim Sha Tsui, on the southern tip of the Kowloon peninsula. The area is famed for its skyline views across the harbour and this event, held on the first night of the new year, brings spectacle after breathtaking spectacle, with dancers and musicians starting the party in style before the floats parade past, each one more colourful and ornately decorated than the last.

Another highlight in this stellar line-up of events is the annual Raceday. Locals and visitors gather at Sha Tin Racecourse to try their luck and usher in good fortune with lion dances, where lavishly costumed performers shake and shimmy away evil spirits. It’s one of the biggest days in the racing calendar and new year celebrations, so the atmosphere – whether watching a nail-biting finish to races like the Chinese New Year Cup or seeing top musicians perform – is guaranteed to be electric.

Throughout the new year period – and beyond – moments of celebration and quiet reflection can be found all around the city. Flower markets fill the streets with vivid hues with the heady scents of chrysanthemums, orchids and peach blossom among the blooms believed to bring good luck. Victoria Park, a verdant bubble of calm in the midst of the urban bustle, hosts one of the biggest and most impressive markets, while petals and floral charms add pops of colour to every stretch and corner of Hong Kong.

The region is rich in cultural sites and monuments that can be enjoyed any time of year, but are enhanced during this time of vibrant celebration. The Lam Tsuen Wishing Trees in the Tai Po District, for example, draw visitors with the promise of making dreams come true via wishes, written on a piece of joss paper and hung on nearby wooden racks – while Chinese New Year festivities throw live music, food stalls and traditional dancing into the mix.

It’s a wonderful window onto the rich heritage of Lam Tsuen, an area made up of 26 traditional villages where ancient practices and customs are very much, and vividly so, alive. Nearby Tin Hau Temple, dedicated to the Goddess of the Sea, was built in 1865 by local fishermen. Today, worshippers and tourists alike visit the site in the busy Yau Ma Tei area, burning coils of incense or simply soaking up the bustling, scent-filled atmosphere.

Hong Kong’s temples draw even bigger crowds to partake in and witness rituals that are specific to the new year. At Wong Tai Sin, the first worshippers to burn incense are believed to be the most blessed for the year ahead. Man Mo, in the heart of the city, sees worshippers pray for good fortune and health in the tradition of An Tai Sui – a Taoist ritual practised by those whose birthdays conflict with the ruling zodiac sign of that year. While at Che Kung Temple in Sha Tin, kau chim or fortune sticks are drawn to predict the year ahead.

One core element threaded throughout all the celebrations is food. From tangerines believed to bring luck, to dumplings doled out by street vendors and impeccable chef-led menus served at the most coveted tables in town, Chinese New Year serves up a mouthwatering array of edible delights.

Traditional tastes here go deeper than mere deliciousness; they are firmly rooted in Hong Kong’s culture and history. Fish symbolises prosperity, while poon choi – a many-layered dish originating in the villages of the New Territories, where families would throw whatever food they had into one communal pot – perfectly showcases togetherness in every bite, with ingredients ranging from charred pork to oysters and bamboo shoots.

Tong yuen, squishy little rice flour balls filled with peanut, red bean paste or chocolate, offer a sweeter way to celebrate unity, and can be found everywhere from longstanding dessert shops to Hong Kong’s constellation of Michelin-starred restaurants.Making it even easier to negotiate Hong Kong’s rich and varied culinary scene, this year sees the launch of Taste Hong Kong, a curated guide with 250 restaurant recommendations from over 50 local master chefs and Chinese Culinary Institute graduates, organised by neighbourhood. It’s all about hou mei – the Cantonese expression for ‘delicious flavours’ – and the tastes and traditions worthy of celebration, at Chinese New Year and beyond.

For more travel inspiration and to plan your trip visit Discover Hong Kong

Woman killed in latest Putin strikes after ‘tense’ US-backed talks in Geneva

A drone strike killed a woman and injured six other people in Ukraine’s southern city of Zaporizhzhia a couple of hours after the end of the first day of “peace talks” between Russia and Ukraine.

Local authorities said the woman was killed in one of at least two strikes at around 8pm local time.

The US-mediated talks in Geneva with Russian and Ukrainian negotiators were tense but are to continue on Wednesday, Russian news agencies quoted a source as saying.

Vladimir Putin had blitzed Ukraine with more than 400 drones and missiles before the talks, according to the Ukrainian air force.

Russia’s defence ministry claimed responsibility for a “massive strike” on military-industrial and energy targets, with Ukraine’s battered energy infrastructure increasingly under strain amid the coldest winter in nearly 20 years.

At least one person was killed and 25 were injured, according to local authorities.

Ukraine recaptured 78 square miles of land from Russia between Wednesday and Sunday, according to the US-based Institute for the Study of War.

Starmer buys personalised cufflinks given to him by Trump as gift for his son

Sir Keir Starmer has paid to keep a set of personalised cufflinks gifted to him by Donald Trump during the US president’s state visit last year.

The prime minister purchased the item, which would otherwise have been held by Downing Street.

It is understood Sir Keir bought the cufflinks for his teenage son.

Details released by the Cabinet Office reveal Sir Keir also received a personalised necklace and a golf club from the president, while his wife was given a pair of cowboy boots.

Initially, Sir Keir paid to keep only the necklace, with other presents listed as retained by No 10. However, an updated register of ministers’ interests published on Tuesday confirmed he has now bought both items of jewellery.

Sir Keir and Lady Starmer hosted Mr Trump and his wife, Melania, at Chequers, the prime minister’s country retreat, in September, following the president’s stay with the King and Queen at Windsor Castle.

They presented the president with a ministerial red box and gave the first lady a silk scarf.

Ministers must declare any gift they receive worth more than £140 and either hand it to their department, or pay the difference between the value and the £140 threshold to keep it.

The value and appearance of both the cufflinks and the necklace have not been made public.

Sir Keir, like other prime ministers, has generally declined to purchase gifts from world leaders, including previous items from Mr Trump.

In July, during the president’s visit to Scotland, Sir Keir received a bottle of special edition whisky, while during a trip to Washington in February he was given a framed football shirt by Mr Trump. Both items were retained by Downing Street.

In September, Sir Keir was given a rugby league shirt, leather boots and beer from Australian prime minister Anthony Albanese, clothes from publisher Condé Nast, and a wooden carving from Palestinian president Mahmoud Abbas, none of which he paid to keep.