Agency says missile struck citizens in Khan Younis, as Israel reports targeting ‘Hamas terrorist’ after clash with militants An Israeli strike on Palestinian territory has killed five people including two children, Gaza’s civil defence agency told AFP on Wednesday. “Five citizens, including two children, killed and others injured, some seriously, as a result of an Israeli missile strike” in al-Mawasi, west of Khan Younis, civil defence spokesperson Mahmud Bassal told AFP. Continue reading...

Democratic socialist, 34, becomes city’s first Muslim mayor as Democrats triumph in several other key races

Reform UK leader expected to promise deregulation and spending cuts as Labour and Conservatives attack policies The prospect of looming tax rises and a fall in business investment will restrict the UK’s economic growth rate next year to less than 1%, according to a health check of the economy by a leading consultancy. Phillip Inman has the story. Good morning. Even though Reform UK has had a clear lead over all other parties in opinion polls for much of the year, it has multiple vulnerabilities. One of them is that immigration is the only potential winning issue it has got, because on all almost other subjects its policy offer is flimsy and its credibility is minimal. And nowhere is this more obvious than on the economy, where the party has already had to admit that the £90bn tax cuts it was proposing in its manifesto last year are now being ditched because they are unacheiveable. Continue reading...

Hundreds of billions of pounds worth of projects were left for which "successful delivery... appears to be unachievable"

Roles outside Parliament make Reform leader the highest-earning MP, but register of interests has not been updated since end of May

Andrew Marr reacts to Reform’s plan to abolish indefinite leave to remain.

Nigel Farage says he welcomes freedom of speech, even if people find it offensive. Surely that should apply to freedom of the press too? So why have Reform's Nottinghamshire councillors - who control ...

Here's our selection of top new titles coming out in Autumn 2025. These include picture books, poetry, middle-grade, YA & non-fiction.

Israeli prime minister to hold cabinet talks on occupation despite pleas from aid agencies and by families of hostages * Middle East crisis – live updates The Israeli prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, has convened a security cabinet expected to be held on Thursday evening to discuss the full occupation of the Gaza Strip, which aid agencies have warned would lead to countless more Palestinian deaths and further mass displacement. The families of the roughly 20 remaining living hostages have called for Israelis to protest against the government and a decision they fear would endanger the lives of their loved ones. Continue reading...

In the government’s reorganisation of local government, will we be better served by two Unitary authorities in Norfolk and Suffolk, or six?