The Independent - 08.10.2026 — 2026-10-07

BANNED BOOKS: THE AUTHORS BEING PULLED FROM BRITAIN'S SHELVES

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SAS: The Shadow War 'I led Death on the Rock operation – this is what happened'

Kemi Badenoch with husband Hamish after her annual speech to delegates in Birmingham yesterday

TORY CONFERENCE PLEDGE

Badenoch bets the family home to win back voters

Conservative leader pitches for middle-class vote with promise to scrap inheritance tax on houses in huge boost for southeast England – and closes door on any deal with Farage and Reform

Kemi Badenoch has shown that she is not afraid of a fight for the right

n what was a powerful and, at times, moving speech to her party conference – her best so far – Kemi Badenoch declared that the Conservatives are engaged in a “battle for the soul of the nation”.

If so, her party has chosen a generalissimo who is more than happy to march her troops towards the sound of gunfire. It is less than two years since she was elected leader of the demoralised rump bequeathed to her by Rishi Sunak. She was faced with the forbidding task of rebuilding the Conservatives after the debacle of the 2024 general election – and all that so woefully went before it under the Johnson and Truss administrations.

In truth, the Tories remain less popular than they were when Sir Keir Starmer trounced them so comprehensively – but Ms Badenoch has grown in confidence, stature and maturity since then.

Unlikely as it seemed at the time of her early encounters with him at Prime Minister's Questions, she has in fact seen Sir Keir off, albeit with some help from the ever-fractious Labour Party. This wasn't something she made a meal of during her address to the activists in Birmingham, but she may receive some credit for that achievement, and it has boosted her prestige.

She looks like a leader, and her personal poll ratings have improved markedly. Sadly, the same cannot be said for her party, and she knows it. It will take more time yet, and much effort to rehabilitate the Conservative brand. She hinted as much in her references to the way Marks & Spencer, apparently now by appointment her preferred couturier, has been reborn and come back into fashion. The message is this: such things can be done, but not without some considerable heft.

Ms Badenoch's principal service to her party and the country in the course of her keynote speech was to make it abundantly clear that she wants nothing to do with Reform UK and its brand of deeply corrosive, racialised “identity” politics. She rightly received two standing ovations when she passionately rejected the politics of ethnicity now being pursued by Reform UK and other elements on the emboldened far right of British politics. Citing her own mixed-heritage children, she was visibly angry, though controlled, at any suggestion that they should be any less British for that.

In doing so, she did two things. First, she set a clear dividing line between Reform and the Conservatives as the principal mainstream national party on the right. Second, she scotched as far as she could any notion that she would work with Nigel Farage or any other extremists either before or after the next general election. One of the greatest perils facing the Conservatives is the claim levelled at them by Labour and the Liberal Democrats that a vote for the Tories is a vote to put Mr Farage and his gang into power at Westminster.

In interviews, she has indicated she'd prefer to run a minority government than make Mr Farage deputy prime minister – a horrendous prospect, but also electoral poison to centrist swing voters. Britain needed to hear the words she spoke about Reform with such apparent conviction: “They are not like us. We are not like them. We are different. We are the Conservative Party.”

For that alone Ms Badenoch deserves praise, even as her own party has itself tipped too far to the illiberal right in recent times.

As for policy, that remains a work in progress. She said she had “something for everyone”, and she did, at least for her own followers. Cutting and eventually abolishing inheritance tax; making it easier for employers to take on young people; encouraging academic excellence in state schools; reducing the government’s deficit; and the “Britannia Shield” missile defence project.

The problem is that whatever the merits of the individual policies in principle, they need to be much more specific and their costings more transparent. How will they promote investment and economic growth? How will the still-vague recourse to cutting “welfare” work in practice – who will be affected? What is the future of the triple lock on the old age pension? Social care? Will locking up more criminals really reduce crime? How will relaxing net zero targets combat climate change? And, most pressing of all, what should Britain’s future relationship with the European Union be? Ms Badenoch argues that no one wants to re-run the Brexit arguments, but she will have no choice if the prime minister puts them on the agenda, as he intends to.

By this time next year, if she is fortunate, Ms Badenoch's party may well have overtaken Reform in the polls, looking to recover ground from the Lib Dems, and be challenging Labour for power. If they are to take the next steps forward, they will need to build on the leader's speech and her Right Way document, and produce a far more detailed programme for government. Seeing is believing.

Badenoch vows to scrap inheritance tax on family homes

Tory leader bets the house on middle class vote – while closing door on any deal with Reform

David Maddox at the Conservative party conference in Birmingham & Millie Cooke

The Tory leader also said she would allow a couple to leave £1m to their children tax-free (Images PA)

Kemi Badenoch has vowed to abolish inheritance tax on family homes, using her speech at the Conservatives' annual conference in Birmingham to position them as the party of aspiration once more.

Vowing to let voters “keep more of what they earn” if she returns to power, the Tory leader also said she would allow a couple to leave £1m to their children tax-free, on top of the value of their house.

The move would mean the number of families paying inheritance tax will fall by more than half, Ms Badenoch said as she accused Labour of being “addicted to welfare” and treating income and savings as “theirs to take and hand out.”

"The Labour Party think it is selfish to pass on what you have earned to your children. We don't," she said.

Senior figures in the party confirmed to The Independent that the plan was to “ensure the middle classes do not need to pay inheritance tax”, claiming that, under Labour plans, the number of families hit by the levy would leap from about 5 per cent to 16 per cent over the next 25 years as property prices rise.

Badenoch speaking during the Conservative Party conference

Inheritance tax is charged at 40 per cent on estates valued above £500,000, while couples can combine their allowances, raising the threshold to £1 million.

The tactic had echoes of George Osborne's calculated move on inheritance tax in 2007, when his pledge to raise the threshold dissuaded then prime minister Gordon Brown from calling an early election, and ultimately paved the way for the Tories to win in 2010.

It was the main measure in a raft of new policy pledges unveiled at the Tory conference, including:

\- Halving the rate of employer national insurance on earnings for people aged between 21 and 24.

\- Blocking school leavers from moving straight onto out-of-work benefits in what they describe as a “tough love” approach to boost youth employment.

\- Scrapping the so-called “mansion tax” on properties in England with a value above £2m, due to come into effect in 2028.

\- Cutting red tape and abolishing arms-length bodies such as Natural England in a bid to speed up development and reduce the cost of new homes for buyers.

\- Investing £10bn over 10 years in a new “Britannia Shield”, a defence system to protect Britain from drone and missile attacks.

In a passionate speech to the party faithful, Ms Badenoch also made it clear that there would be no deal with Nigel Farage and Reform UK to build a coalition to stop Labour, which has seen a resurgence in the polls since Andy Burnham became prime minister.

“We are going to win, not for ourselves, but for our country. For every hard-working person out there, for everyone who wants to see common sense restored, for everyone who wants to see Britain working again,” she said.

“We are going to win for everyone who wants to see our great country united.”

Members of the shadow cabinet ahead of Badenoch's speech

She mocked Reform for last year “measuring the curtains for Downing Street” to this year “measuring the curtains for their prison cells”, and claimed the Conservatives were united after an “export boom of drama queens” following the defections of a handful of senior figures, including Robert Jenrick and Suella Braverman, to Nigel Farage’s party.

Highlighting the recent controversy in Reform UK over “dodgy donations”, she said: “To those who say unite the right, we are not uniting with that. People deserve better than that and we are going to give them better than that. Character, conduct, and standards matter.”

Ms Badenoch needed a tub-thumping speech after recent polling suggested her party was stagnating, with a survey from More in Common showing the Conservatives down one point at 21 per cent, with Reform up three to 24 per cent and Labour on its highest level for almost two years, up two to 29 per cent.

She received a standing ovation and plaudits from outside the conference hall for directly taking on the rise of racism and so-called ethnonationalism in the UK inspired by Reform and Rupert Lowe's Restore Britain.

The speech contrasted strongly with her make-or-break address at the conference last year, where her leadership was still uncertain. Instead, in Birmingham this year, Ms Badenoch was clear that the party was hers and she hailed the “unity” of her shadow cabinet after years of plotting and civil war.

The Tories have put the economy at the top of their agenda at their conference this autumn, focusing less on the so-called “culture wars” that dominated previous years.

Ms Badenoch said the party would adopt a “tough love” approach to slash the benefits bill and get more young people into work.

Badenoch with her husband Hamish

“We need to put the fair back in welfare,” she said. “It is morally wrong to tell people suffering bouts of mild anxiety that they are disabled and cannot work.”

Attacking the Labour government, she said: “It’s the same old high tax, high spend Labour. No common sense. Addicted to welfare. Drowning our country in debt. Choking our economy with taxes.”

Reviving the economy would be the “central organising principle” of a future Conservative administration, she said, but political opponents accused the Conservatives of playing “fantasy economics” by understating the cost of the plans, which the Tories insist are fully funded.

Labour chair Bridget Phillipson said: “The Tories haven't changed. Kemi Badenoch has shown that the Tories' choice is to do nothing to help ordinary families struggling with the cost of social care, prioritising the wealthiest instead.”

Liberal Democrat Leader Sir Ed Davey claimed to have found a £33bn black hole in Ms Badenoch's The Right Way document published ahead of the conference.

Sir Ed said: “This £33bn black hole proves that ‘Kemistry’ is just Trussonomics 2.0. Kemi Badenoch is lecturing the country on fiscal responsibility while making tens of billions in unfunded promises.”

Questions also linger over the Tories' long-term commitment to the triple lock, which Mr Burnham has pledged to adjust in order to help fund a new national care service.

Ms Badenoch says current Conservative policy is to keep the state pension guarantee but has also said it would be “difficult” to commit to reinstating the policy if Labour changed it.

News/Politics Explained

What happens in a hung parliament if Lab-Green coalition is off the table?

A party with no commanding majority is an increasingly likely outcome in our fragmented politics, as Sean O'Grady explains

Badenoch yesterday ruled out any deals with Reform (Getty)

s the prime minister declares the next election won't be until 2029, there has been a strange upsurge in speculation about an earlier “snap” election – and what would happen in the likely

outcome of a hung parliament. It’s perplexing, but will probably be a constant theme until whenever the next general election actually happens (and quite possibly long after...)

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Will there be an early election?

Andy Burnham is no fool and before the Labour conference he all but ruled out a snap poll, thus mostly ending speculation that might otherwise have detracted from coverage of his first appearance as leader before the annual gathering.

His exact words, asked by ITV Calendar if the next election would be in 2029, were: “Well, yes, that’s when the next election will be. All of this speculation on an early election – I can knock that dead. You know, people want me, new in office, to be getting on with the job of delivering on the things that we’ve discussed, rather than putting self-serving politics before that, which is what I would be doing if I call an election. I’m not going to do that.”

Even so, many believe that Labour's lead in the polls may be transient and Burnham's best chance of hanging on to power is to gamble the huge majority won by Keir Starmer and win his own mandate, however feeble it looks in a hung parliament. The theory is Burnham won't be able to resist an election come next spring.

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What are the options for Labour?

Trickier than they were. Tony Blair, a divisive figure himself, has warned that the easy assumption of some kind of a Green-Labour pact after the election is now certainly unacceptable since the Greens passed a motion at their conference declaring that “Zionism is racism”.

He says: “There are those in my party, Labour, who might be tempted by the so-called progressive Red-Green coalition – an alliance between Labour and the Greens to unite the British left. But this vote should serve as a warning of the dangers such an alliance would bring.”

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What about the Liberal Democrats?

They are likely to be a much bigger force in the Commons than the Greens and, since Burnham took over, Labour has moved much closer to them on important policies such as closer links with the EU, proportional representation and public control of the water industry. So some sort of pact there is more realistic, and hasn't been ruled out by either side. The problem for Sir Ed Davey and his party is that the Tories will claim that a vote for the Libs is a vote for keeping a high-tax Labour government in power – potentially putting off swing Tory/Lib Dem voters, especially in southeast England.

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A traffic-light coalition?

That has been tried in Germany, with limited success. It means red (Labour), yellow (Lib Dems) and green (Greens) working together as “progressives”. It might be a rather unstable affair; and under present polling and projections even a three-party grouping might not comprise a Commons majority.

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What would Kemi Badenoch do?

Not work with Reform, either before the election to “unite the right” in an election pact, not as coalition partners nor, she implies, any other sort of deal to support a minority Tory government. She’d prefer to govern as leader of a minority administration and wait for an opportunity to call another general election. This quarantining of her party against the Farageists is essential to keep moderate centrist Tories on side; she cannot have her opponents saying a vote for her is a vote for Farage as prime minister or anywhere in government.

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What are the chances of a hung parliament?

The decisive general elections of 2019 and 2024 were unusual in their circumstances, and provide arguably a misleading guide. There were hung parliaments in 2010 and 2017, and only a slim Tory majority in 2015. Historically, coalitions or minority governments are far from unusual in British politics even in peacetime.

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Where does that leave us?

With another general election, or a series of them. The problem is that a prime minister in a hung parliament launching another

Five arrested for inciting racial hatred at pro-Palestine protest

A number of demonstrations took place, despite calls for them to be moved to a different date

Mike Taylor

Police look at a document as people take part in an anti-Israel, pro-Palestine march in central London (AFP/Getty)

Five people were arrested yesterday outside the Board of Deputies of British Jews in London during a protest on the anniversary of the October 7 attacks.

The Metropolitan Police said five people were arrested for inciting racial hatred, involving allegedly shouting or chanting slogans calling for intifada in what police described as a “spontaneous protest” outside the venue in Camden.

There were 11 arrests made in total. Four people were arrested at a student march and one at a counter protest in Holborn for breaching conditions imposed under the Public Order Act. One of these individuals, who was part of the student march, was also arrested for failing to remove a face covering. Another individual was arrested for common assault.

Yesterday marked the third anniversary of the attacks on October 7, which saw Hamas-led militants invade Israel, killing some 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and taking more than 250 others hostage.

A number of student pro-Palestine demonstrations were also taking place, despite calls for a ban or for the protests to be moved to a different date.

Police with counter-protesters in Russell Square, as a group of students calling themselves the University of London Coalition take part in a pro-Palestine march (PA)

Scotland Yard said: “Earlier this morning, officers made arrests at a spontaneous protest outside the British Board of Deputies in Camden.

“Five people were arrested for inciting racial hatred, involving allegedly shouting or chanting slogans calling for intifada.

“They remain in police custody. The protest in Camden has now ended.”

Around 100 pro-Palestine protesters marched and chanted “free free Palestine” and “free the people, free the land” in London, with a group at the back of the march holding a banner reading: “Holocaust survivor descendants against Gaza genocide”.

Counter-protesters holding Israeli flags and placards reading: "Stop the Gaza genocide" gathered by Russell Square.

Shouts of “scumbags”, directed at the pro-Palestine protesters, could be heard, while they chanted: “Terrorist supporters off our streets.”

A number of student pro-Palestine demonstrations taking place despite calls for a ban or for the protests to be moved to a different date (AFP/Getty)

Students linked to Queen Mary University of London were also due to take part in a rally near the campus in east London, while pro-Palestine rallies led by student societies are due to take place at Edinburgh and Glasgow universities on yesterday afternoon.

The decision to march in support of Palestine on Wednesday has faced backlash, with Jewish student leaders calling the plans “outrageous”.

Separately, the Metropolitan Police said: “Earlier this morning, officers made arrests at a spontaneous protest outside the Board of Deputies in Camden.

“Five people were arrested for inciting racial hatred, involving allegedly shouting or chanting slogans calling for intifada. They remain in police custody. The protest in Camden has now ended.”

The Board of Deputies of British Jews is expected to hold a vigil in Richmond Terrace, just off Whitehall, later on Wednesday.

Board of Deputies president Phil Rosenberg said they would “not be threatened or intimidated by this small and extremist minority of British society”, adding that they would “continue undeterred to advocate for the Jewish people, here and around the world, and to stand up for peace and security for Israelis, Palestinians and the wider Middle East”.

Students hold placards during a protest marking three years since the 7 October attacks on Israel in London (AP)

Andy Burnham has not commented on the demonstrations but, marking the October 7 anniversary, assured the British Jewish community “we stand with you” against antisemitism.

The Prime Minister described a rise in antisemitic behaviour in the UK since 2023 as “disturbing”, but pledged his Government is “committed to protecting our citizens from vile hatred”.

Tributes to ‘kind’ royal family GP after husband charged with murder

‘We are devastated by the loss of our beautiful Hannah,’ say family

Jane Dalton & Tom Barnes

Cain's family described her as 'kind, generous and loving' (Norfolk Constabulary)

The family of Hannah Cain, a GP to the royal family, who was allegedly murdered by her husband at home next to the Sandringham estate, have paid tribute to her as a “kind, generous and loving” mother, who took “great care” of her patients.

Mark Cain, 45, of Fern Hill, Dersingham, was arrested after Dr Cain's body was found at her home in the early hours of Sunday.

When Cain appeared before Norwich Magistrates' Court yesterday morning, he was remanded in custody to appear at King's Lynn Crown Court today.

In a statement issued through Norfolk Police, Dr Cain's family said: "We are devastated by the loss of our beautiful Hannah.

“She was kind, generous and loving; a beloved mother, daughter, sister, auntie, daughter-in-law and friend.

“We are incredibly proud of the woman she was and of the great care she took of all her patients who knew her as Dr Terry.

“We would ask people to respect our privacy at this difficult time.”

Cain described herself as a ‘caring and professional doctor’ (Facebook)

Dr Cain, 45, who was known professionally as Dr Hannah Terry, was listed as a member of the practice team at Grimston Medical Centre in King's Lynn, which has served the royals for years.

The doctor was on call for the royal family and had treated several senior figures, including Queen Camilla, when she stayed at Sandringham Estate, The Sun reported.

Sources told the newspaper that King Charles and Queen Camilla had been informed of her death.

The practice was closed on Monday and Tuesday due to “extremely difficult circumstances affecting our practice team”.

Widdecombe murder suspect accused of trying to break into Farage's home

Joshua Kerry is accused of killing Widdecombe with a hammer

Amy-Clare Martin Crime Correspondent

The 28-year-old allegedly researched ‘prominent people’ (Supplied)

A man charged with the murder of Ann Widdecombe is also accused of trying to break into Reform UK leader Nigel Farage's home in an alleged terror plot, a court heard.

Joshua Kerry, 28, has been charged with preparing acts of terrorism, including against Mr Farage, between 31 May 2024 and 8 July 2026.

Westminster Magistrates' Court heard Mr Kerry allegedly carried out online reconnaissance on prominent people and institutions, including identifying the home address of Mr Farage.

He is accused of travelling to the address and trying to gain entry on 19 April last year.

Prosecutor Kashif Malik told the court that the politician's partner returned home the following day to find part of the wooden door frame hanging off and a bottle of lighter fluid on the porch.

Forensic examination discovered a tool mark, “the inference being that an attempt was made to gain entry to the house”, Mr Malik said.

Mr Kerry is also accused of targeting the Reform UK spokesperson at her home in Haytor, Devon. The 78-year-old former prisons minister was killed on 8 July after she was struck over the head 21 times with a hammer.

Kerry spoke only to confirm his identity during the brief hearing (PA)

Appearing wearing a grey prison issue tracksuit, he spoke only to confirm his identity during the brief hearing.

Chief magistrate Paul Goldspring remanded him in custody to appear at the Old Bailey on Friday, telling the defendant: “Mr Kerry, the terrorism charge which you face is indictable only, which means I must send it to the crown court.”

Households left thousands of pounds worse off due to cost-of-living crisis

Study finds UK has suffered equivalent of 13 years of ‘normal’ inflation in just five due to pandemic and wars

Christopher McKeon

Had inflation been at normal levels over this period the average household would be £2,900 better off than they currently are, a think tank has said (Getty/iStock)

British households are nearly £3,000 worse off following five years of relentless pressure on living standards, according to research from a leading think tank.

A study by the Resolution Foundation reveals the UK endured the equivalent of 13 years of typical price rises in just five, driven by the pandemic and conflicts in Ukraine and the Middle East.

Had inflation remained at standard levels, the average home would be £2,900 better off today.

With surging energy bills underpinning the crisis, households cut back on heating, with around 1.7 million families unable to keep warm enough in 2022/23 compared to the previous year.

Meanwhile, the proportion of low-income households falling behind on priority commitments – such as rent, water, council tax and energy – has almost doubled since 2020, with 18 per cent reporting arrears by March this year.

James Smith, chief economist at the Resolution Foundation, said: "While the hit to incomes from rising prices has been felt right across the board, the hardship has not been equally shared.

“It is poorer families who have cut back hardest on heating and are falling behind fastest on essential bills, and the conflict in the Middle East is set to keep energy prices high.”

The Resolution Foundation study comes as Chancellor John Healey prepares his first Budget, in which he will face pressure to provide additional support with the cost of living following Andy Burnham's pledge to provide “breathing space” for families.

Surging energy bills are underpinning the crisis (PA)

But he also faces a squeeze on the public finances, with the Iran war and a global bond sell-off driving up borrowing costs.

Mr Smith said cost-of-living help was needed “just when the public finances leave less room than ever to provide it”.

But he cautioned against a Liz Truss-style universal package of support, adding: “The government can’t borrow its way out of this, and repeating the expensive blanket support of 2022 isn’t an option.

“Any new help must be squarely targeted at the poorer families facing the greatest hardship – starting with their energy bills.”

Green MP Hannah Spencer said bills were still going up despite Mr Burnham's promise of “breathing space”, with predicted increases in January set to be “the final straw for too many people”.

She said: “The Budget will fail families unless we start to see a proper plan to address the cost-of-living crisis.

“This means moving more costs off energy bills, properly funding a national home insulation scheme, clamping down on huge profiteering by energy companies and rapidly scaling up cheaper, cleaner energy.”

Enforce online shopping tax to support high streets, Healey told

Some £1.5bn could be raised, think tank says, shifting ‘burden from bricks to clicks’

Rhiannon James

John Healey is preparing to deliver the government's financial statement on October 28 (AFP/Getty)

Chancellor John Healey should impose a two per cent tax on internet purchases to support physical high street businesses across the UK, an influential think tank has urged.

The Institute for Public Policy Research (IPPR) also recommended a 1 per cent tax on click and collect services.

It comes as Mr Healey prepares to present the government's upcoming financial statement on 28 October.

Aditi Sriram, an economist at the IPPR, pressed the government to "shift some of the tax burden from bricks to clicks", arguing

that online retailers do not face the same hurdles as traditional high street shops.

An estimated £1.5 billion could be raised by the measures, the think tank said, with funds allocated towards a reduction in business rates for leisure, hospitality and retail outlets.

The body, which has previously been linked to the Labour Party, said a business's initial £500,000 in annual remote sales would be tax-exempt to safeguard smaller retailers.

The IPPR argued online retailers do no face the same barriers as traditional high street businesses (Getty)

Small businesses could be £1,400 better off annually and larger firms roughly £2,500, the IPPR calculated, with local authorities "fully compensated" for lost business rates revenue.

Mr Sriram, author of the IPPR report, said: “Britain’s tax system was built for an era when the location where you did business was closely linked to how much business you did. That is no longer the case.

"As people have moved their shopping online, high street shops and restaurants continue to face large, fixed tax bills simply because they need physical premises.

"The government should shift some of the tax burden from bricks to clicks and use the money to cut bills for the businesses that bring people onto our high streets.

“Online shopping is here to stay. The question is whether the tax system catches up with the economy we now have.”

The IPPR has also proposed a decrease in the retail, hospitality and leisure business rates multipliers in England, which are currently 38.2p for small properties and 43p for standard ones.

As a result of the proposed online sales tax, these would be reduced to 28.2p and 41p respectively, the IPPR said.

Andy Burnham unveiled a £210 million package aimed at regenerating communities last month.

The prime minister pledged to “restore pride and bring hope back” to high streets by revamping vacant shopping centres, disused cinemas and abandoned local eyesores across England.

Royal Mail announces plans to axe up to 2,500 jobs in major review

Postal service says it's undergoing ‘significant transformation’ to better serve customers

Mike Taylor

The cuts, which will affect head office and support function roles, will take place by the end of 2027 (Photos PA)

Royal Mail has announced that up to 2,500 roles will be cut as part of an organisational review.

The job cuts, which will affect head office and support function roles, will take place by the end of 2027. Around 130,000 people are employed by the postal service.

The company said it was undergoing a “significant transformation” as the business implements universal service reform and adapts to a rapidly-changing market.

Letter volumes have declined by more than 70 per cent since their peak while customer demand for faster and more convenient parcel delivery services continues to grow, it said.

Alistair Cochrane, chief executive of Royal Mail, said: “We have been working hard to reduce costs and simplify processes across all areas of the business as we transform to win in a very competitive market.

“These proposed changes remove duplication and allow us to invest further in the service we deliver for our customers.

“We are committed to treating everyone fairly and respectfully throughout this process, working closely with our trade unions.

"The proposed changes will not be easy, but they are an important part of building a stronger, simpler and future-ready Royal Mail for our customers and colleagues."

Some 2,500 jobs are to be cut as part of a Royal Mail organisational review

Martin Walsh, deputy general secretary of the Communication Workers Union, said: “Despite the union being reassured that this announcement will not impact any frontline workers, and will involve no compulsory redundancies, these proposals will impact approximately 200 CWU-represented jobs in administration and revenue protection.

“We will be meeting management to discuss this announcement, which is further evidence of a company that is demoralising staff and failing to deliver for customers and the wider community.

“We urge the Government to confront the reality of a collapsing Royal Mail and intervene to save this national institution.”

The news comes as postal regulator Ofcom continues to investigate Royal Mail over its persistent failure to meet crucial delivery targets over the past year.

Under targets set by Ofcom, 90 per cent of first-class mail should be delivered the next day, and 95 per cent of second-class mail should be delivered within three days.

The group – whose owner International Distribution Services was bought last year by Czech billionaire Daniel Kretinsky – recently pledged to meet the Ofcom delivery targets by May 2027 as part of a plan to invest £500m in the service over the next five years.

Last July, Ofcom gave postal reforms the green light to reflect steep declines in the number of letters being sent, allowing second-class letters to be delivered on alternate weekdays only.

Royal Mail expects to complete the rollout of the new model across all its 1,200 delivery offices by Christmas, after initially being delayed until it had reached agreement with trade unions.

News / SAS: The Shadow War

‘I led the SAS Death on the Rock operation – this is what happened’

The SAS commander describes the moments leading up to the Gibraltar operation in March 1988 – and tells Sam Kiley how the fallout has lasted for decades

Men believed to be SAS operatives leave the scene where three IRA members were shot dead in Gibraltar in 1988 during Operation Flavius (Supplied)

ne decision was based on an assessment of intelligence; the others were taken in a split second on the front line of an undeclared war. All led to the deaths of three unarmed members of the Irish Army in Gibraltar.

Republican Army in Gibraltar.

Now, for the first time, the SAS commander who directed one of the most controversial operations of the Northern Ireland conflict reveals the crucial intelligence assessment – and how it proved to be wrong.

Daniel McCann, Mairéad Farrell and Seán Savage were shot dead by four undercover SAS soldiers on 6 March 1988 after British intelligence discovered that their team was preparing a car-bomb attack on British troops on the Rock.

The killings became one of the defining controversies of the so-called “Troubles” – when, in the later stages of the conflict, British special forces were accused by some of a “shoot-to-kill” policy.

British intelligence had discovered plans for an IRA attack on the changing of the guard outside the Gibraltar governor's residence. A school and an old people's home were nearby, and spectators regularly watched the ceremony.

“Whatever way you cut it,” Ed\* says, there would have been the potential for civilian casualties.

But in his first detailed public account of Operation Flavius, Ed – the SAS tactical commander responsible for the soldiers on the ground – insists that the primary mission was to arrest all three.

"The orders to us were absolutely as a priority to work in support of the police and arrest them if at all possible," he says in an interview for SAS: The Shadow War, an eight-part audio podcast from Aurra and Independent Studios.

Lethal force was authorised only if there was an immediate threat to life and no other means of stopping it, he adds.

SAS operatives leave the scene where three IRA members were shot dead in Gibraltar, 1988, in Operation Flavius (Supplied)

These are the same rules of engagement – known as the “Yellow Card” – for all soldiers operating on British territory, whether in Northern Ireland or Gibraltar.

But the decision to open fire, in self defence or the defence of others, depends not only on the perceived threat in the moment, but on a wider setting; the intelligence context.

British intelligence was confident about the identities of the IRA team and its intended military target in Gibraltar, and had tracked them to the Rock through Spain.

But they did not know how the bomb would be detonated, whether the three would be armed or whether the car Savage parked in Gibraltar actually contained explosives.

The assumption made about how the bomb would be triggered was based on a previous attack by the IRA at Enniskillen when, four months earlier, on Remembrance Sunday, an IRA bomb was detonated by a timer beside a memorial service, killing 11 people — ten civilians and an off-duty police officer.

Scores of civilians were also injured in the bomb, which caused revulsion and the IRA issued a swift, and very rare, apology for the atrocity it said had been intended to target soldiers.

The Enniskillen bomb blast in Co Fermanagh in 1987 claimed the lives of 11 people (PA)

In Gibraltar, British intelligence guessed that any new IRA bomb was unlikely to be controlled by a timer. Instead, they expected a radio-controlled device, enabling the IRA to choose the precise moment that soldiers of the Royal Anglian Regiment were passing and therefore concentrate the attack on its military target.

Ed says the assumption that the bomb would be radio-controlled “seemed to us… based on such sound logic that we would not question it”.

The soldiers were told one or more of the IRA members might be carrying the remote-control switch. They also believed Savage had parked the bomb itself close to the assembly area for the military parade.

“We had no reason to question what we'd been told about the basis for the operation,” Ed continues.

At a briefing shortly before midnight on 5 March, military intelligence, surveillance personnel, bomb-disposal experts,

Gibraltar police and the SAS gathered to assess the available picture.

Ed identified three opportunities to arrest the IRA members: at the border; around the expected bombing site; or subsequently, while surveillance teams followed them.

“It was not an operation concocted and carried out purely by the military authority,” he says. The Gibraltar police ran the operation, handing over to the SAS only when they believed their officers did not have the training to grab the three known IRA militants.

At about 3pm on March 6, the suspects – closely tailed by intelligence agents – separated and set off on different routes through Gibraltar.

Two SAS soldiers approached McCann and Farrell near a Shell petrol station.

One soldier later testified that he was preparing to challenge them when McCann suddenly moved his hand across his body. Farrell appeared to reach towards her handbag.

Believing they might be reaching for weapons or the remote detonator, the soldiers fired.

Nearby, Savage heard the shots. He turned as another pair of SAS soldiers closed in on him. According to their evidence, he too made a movement they believed was him reaching for a gun, or a detonator. All three were dead within seconds.

The three IRA members shot dead in Gibraltar: (L-R) Sean Savage, Mairead Farrell and Danny McCann (PA)

The assumptions made by the SAS team on the ground, that the IRA team were likely to have been armed – and at least one of them would be carrying the detonation button for the bomb – proved to be wrong. They were unarmed. They had no detonating device. And when bomb-disposal officers examined Savage's car, they found no bomb.

But the IRA operation itself was real.

Spanish police subsequently found a car parked in Marbella, in neighbouring Spain. Inside was a bomb containing 64kg of Semtex, four detonators and approximately 200 rounds of ammunition packed around it as sshrapnel. It was equipped with two timers, not a remote-control switch.

Investigations into the deaths in Gibraltar dragged on for years.

A 19-day inquest returned verdicts of lawful killing by nine votes to two. But seven years later, the European Court of Human Rights reached a more complicated judgment.

It rejected the allegation that the British state had deliberately sent the SAS to execute the three. It also accepted that the four soldiers themselves genuinely believed, on the information they had been given, that the suspects could detonate a bomb.

But by ten votes to nine, the court ruled that Britain had violated Article 2, the right to life, because the operation had not been planned and controlled with sufficient care to minimise the need for lethal force.

It questioned, among other things, why the suspects had not been arrested at the frontier and why assumptions about the bomb had been transmitted to soldiers facing split-second decisions.

SAS soldiers at the scene of the shooting of suspected IRA members Daniel Mccann, Sean Savage and Mairead Farrell (Daily Mail/Shutterstock)

The argument was intensified by Thames Television's Death on the Rock, which challenged the official version of the shootings.

One witness, the TV show alleged, suggested Savage had been finished off while on the ground. They later withdrew that account, but other witnesses continued to dispute aspects of the military version.

What SAS Shadow War interview reveals is how worried the SAS itself became about the legal aftermath.

Ed says the regiment obtained its own lawyer because its interests and those of the British government might not necessarily remain the same if an inquest returned unlawful-killing verdicts.

“There was a concern that the intelligence picture… would not be set out,” he says. A senior intelligence officer eventually gave evidence explaining the information and assumptions behind the operation. Without that, Ed argues, the soldiers would have been required to justify what they did without explaining what they had been told before doing it.

He recalls feeling that the men might be “thrown under the bus” if the legal process went badly. Decades later, he argues that legal scrutiny should be timely and based on new evidence.

The operation in Gibraltar itself unleashed a lethal chain reaction.

Ten days afterwards, loyalist gunman Michael Stone attacked the funerals of McCann, Farrell and Savage at Milltown Cemetery in Belfast, killing three people.

Three days later, two plain-clothes British Army corporals, Derek Wood and David Howes, inadvertently drove into the funeral procession of one of Stone's victims. They were dragged from their car, beaten and shot dead by the IRA.

In just 13 days Gibraltar, Milltown and the corporals' killings had left eight people dead and dozens wounded, creating some of the most enduring television images of the Troubles.

During the funeral of the three IRA's members killed in Gibraltar by British secret agents, the crowd of mourners dives for cover as loyalist gunmen open fire (AFP/Getty)

Nor did Gibraltar end there.

In September 1990, the IRA shot Sir Peter Terry, the former governor of Gibraltar, at his home in Staffordshire. He survived, but both he and his wife was injured. The IRA said the attack was retaliation for his role in Operation Flavius.

This helps explain why Ed is still speaking under a false name, with his voice disguised, almost four decades later. He says he remains concerned not only for himself but for his family.

Yet Ed, like many other SAS and operators from the even more secretive “Det”, then 14 Intelligence Company, has sympathy for the Republicans he spent much of his covert career fighting.

"The job of the military is not to use force to resolve a situation such as the Troubles," he said. Its task, he argues, was "to hold the ring until a political solution can be found".

In March 1988, that political settlement remained more than a decade away.

The killings on Gibraltar lasted only seconds. The arguments over the intelligence that led to them, the decisions made by the

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Pictures of the Day

Take aim

A soldier takes part in a simulation at a military training area while taking part in Exercise Haraka Storm in Kenya. PA

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Lost souls

A commemorative installation set up on the beach in Tel Aviv to mark the third anniversary of the October 7 attack. AFP/Getty

Date to remember

A farmer carries dates in a container during the harvest season in Badrshein village, south of Giza, Egypt. Reuters

Set apart

Home news in brief

Marie Curie says nearly one in three people in England die without adequate care and support (PA)

Palin among celebs urging PM to fix palliative care

A group of high-profile figures have shared personal accounts of losing loved ones while calling on Andy Burnham to overhaul end-of-life care across the country. Monty Python actor Sir Michael Palin explained that the “calm and dignified end” provided to his late wife by Marie Curie ought to be accessible to all, whereas Gavin and Stacey actress Alison Steadman recalled her mother’s passing, insisting that “everyone deserves a good death”. The appeal is also endorsed by notable figures including former EastEnders actor Larry Lamb, screenwriter Russell T Davies and football pundit Chris Kamara.

Research conducted by end-of-life charity Marie Curie indicates that nearly one in three people in England pass away without adequate care and support, representing approximately 170,000 individuals every year. Earlier this year, a joint letter sent to the government by a number of organisations warned that overall demand for palliative services will increase by around 25% by 2048 “driven by an ageing population and rising levels of complex illness”. PA

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Vegetables half as nutritious as 60 years ago

Wheat, apples and carrots are half as nutritious as they were in the 1960s, a new study has suggested. Due to declining soil quality, the nutrients in fruit and vegetables have also drastically declined. The study, by researchers at Deep Science Ventures (DSV), found that twice as many fruits and vegetables need to be eaten today to get the same level of minerals such as potassium, magnesium or copper as 60 years ago.

Researchers found food such as cereals and bread, as well as carrots, apples and peas had lost 20 to 50 per cent of several key nutrients. The study argues that decades of breeding and farming to increase yield have reduced many nutrients in crops. “For 60 years we’ve measured food security in calories and tonnes per hectare, and on those measures we’ve done remarkably well. But we’ve been quietly hollowing out what’s inside our food,” said Will Summers, senior associate, climate at DSV. PA

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Viscount banned after multiple speeding fines

A viscount was handed a six-month driving ban after he dropped an attempt to argue that a speed camera was not “properly calibrated”. David Pollock, the 3rd Viscount Hanworth, appeared at Westminster Magistrates’ Court yesterday where he told chief magistrate Paul Goldspring that he is “a cautious driver” who uses his car only to give his wife and daughter lifts. The 80-year-old, who had been clocked speeding on three previous occasions, had already admitted doing 27mph in a 20mph zone via the single justice procedure.

He had applied to argue that the ban resulting from getting 12 points on his licence would cause him exceptional hardship, but, representing himself, dropped the attempt yesterday. Mr Pollock, from Islington, north London, told the court that he uses his car only to give lifts to his wife, who has dementia, and his daughter, who has a spinal injury. He was issued a fine of £250 reduced by one third, costs of £130 and a victim surcharge of £100; he had previously been caught speeding on three occasions in May and August 2024, and June 2026, meaning he already had nine points on his licence; the latest offence took him to a total of 12 points and therefore led to a driving ban of six months. PA

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Lundy Island has wild time over water shortages

Residents of the self-sufficient Lundy Island in the Bristol Channel have had to take drastic measures to preserve supply, including the removal of plugs to stop tourists from taking baths. The island is home to 28 people, but has around 18,000 visitors each year, with strict restrictions now in place for both residents and tourists. Emergency shipments of water from the mainland began in August and pond water is being pumped to treatment plants as a last resort. But pond levels are dropping quickly, and the seasonal passenger ferry bringing water is set to stop operating later this month, meaning the island may soon be forced to close.

Lundy managing director Derek Green, who has worked on the island for more than two decades, said they had barely seen 20 per cent of the average 1.5m of rain it expects at this time of year. He said pumping water from ponds used by wildlife wasn’t something they had done before, telling BBC: “It’s really our last chance saloon here. If we didn’t do this, we would be facing the reality of closing Lundy... it would be devastating for us.”

Harriette Boucher

Russian strikes on Ukraine kill at least 15 as Putin celebrates 74th birthday

Samya Kullab & Hanna Arhirova

Fire and smoke rise in the city during a Russian missile and drone strike (Reuters)

At least 15 civilians, including three children, have been killed and more than 40 injured after a barrage of Russian missiles and drones struck Kyiv and 12 other regions yesterday.

The widespread strike had been anticipated, following a warning from president Volodymyr Zelensky that intelligence services believed Moscow was preparing a "massive" bombardment.

Despite foreknowledge of the attack, which coincided with Russian president Vladimir Putin's 74th birthday, Ukrainian forces were unable to completely defend against the assault.

The casualties and damage highlight the growing challenge Ukraine faces in countering Russia's ballistic weapons alongside its newer jet-powered drones. Without adequate ammunition for its US-made Patriot air defence systems, Kyiv cannot stop incoming ballistic missiles.

Consequently, the country is scrambling to manufacture a new class of high-speed interceptors to target Moscow's fast, high-flying jet drones.

Both nations remain locked in a long-distance aerial struggle while ground forces remain largely stalled on the battlefield, more than four and a half years after Moscow's full-scale invasion. Though the relentless air war causes strain to Russia, it threatens devastating consequences for its smaller neighbour.

EOD specialists remove the debris of a Russian missile that fell in a residential neighborhood during a night of Russian missile attacks (Reuters)

US-led peace efforts appear unlikely to bring any short-term relief, with the possibility of holding low-level technical talks still under discussion. Putin, meanwhile, is pressing ahead with the invasion in the belief that Ukrainians will buckle under the pressure and Kyiv's Western supporters won't stay the course, Western analysts say.

A Russian strike destroyed an apartment block in Pryluky, in Ukraine's northern Chernihiv region, killing nine people,

including three children, and wounding 34, Interior Minister Ihor Vyhivskyi said.

Deaths were also reported in three other Ukrainian cities, including the capital Kyiv, according to Zelensky.

"The Russians wanted to strike painfully and demonstratively," the Ukrainian leader said on social media.

Ukraine is looking worldwide for available Patriot missiles, which are in short supply due to the Iran war.

“Russian ballistic missiles remain the greatest challenge. And air defence packages for us right now are a vital necessity,” Zelensky said.

In Kremenchuk, in the Poltava region, two people were killed and seven injured, said Vitalii Diakivnych, head of the regional military administration, and a rescue operation was continuing.

A police bomb squad member inspects an unexploded Russian missile (National Police of Ukraine)

“That is exactly what the enemy is counting on. For us to be afraid to fall asleep. To let our children out of our sight. To plan

AP

anything. So that everyone thinks: next time it could be my address," he said.

Russia's defence ministry said the military carried out a massive strike overnight targeting industrial facilities involved in the production and storage of missiles and drones across Ukraine. The ministry said that port and ship repair facilities in the southern Odesa region and ships carrying cargo for the Ukrainian military were also hit.

Ukraine has hit back at Russia by launching long-range drones and missiles on oil refineries and storage depots.

Zelensky said Ukraine targeted two oil facilities and a training ground in the Perm, Samara, and Astrakhan regions of Russia.

Zelensky also indicated that Ukraine had struck in the Black Sea. He posted images of a fire said to show an oil tanker burning in the water near the Russian city of Sochi.

It was not possible to independently verify the images.

October 7 led to an apocalyptic reality in Gaza – the violence must stop

We need a real end to the unprecedented slaughter, suffering and injustice, writes chief international correspondent Bel Trew

Family members pay tribute to a victim beside a memorial display at the Nova music festival site (Getty)

n the aftermath of Hamas's bloody attacks on southern Israel three years ago today, the resounding emotion was horror, grief and, in some quarters, revenge.

And so I expected rage and despair when I interviewed relatives, including Yonatan Zeigen, just days after his mother, peace

activist Vivian Silver, had been killed in Kibbutz Be'eri, one of over 1,200 people killed by militants that day.

But what he said at the time silenced me. “Vengeance is not a strategy,” the father-of-three warned. Still drowning in personal grief, he urged the world to instead “invest in peace”.

With a prescience not all had, he predicted a bloody future for 40km-long Gaza. Still comparatively early on into Israel's unprecedented war on and siege of Gaza, Yonatan warned again of the “very real danger” that this would descend into an “apocalyptic reality”.

An Israeli soldier observes a photo of a woman killed in the October 7 attack (Getty)

This was well before a UN Commission of Inquiry would rule that Israel has committed genocide in Gaza (which it denies).

His words were echoed by a handful of relatives of those killed or taken hostage by Hamas, including Maoz Inon – whose parents, Bilha and Yaakov, had also been killed that day.

Maoz has since spent the last three years teaming up with Palestinian peace activist Aziz Abu Sarah, whose brother was tortured to death in an Israeli prison, to promote not only an immediate end to this senseless slaughter and oppression – which predated 2023 – but a future of real peace.

Writing for The Independent on this anniversary two years ago, the pair opened their opinion piece with another prescient statement – penned well before the US and Israel’s connected war with Iran, which has metastasised across half a dozen countries.

Bilha and Yaakov Inon were killed on 7 October – their son Moaz is now fighting for peace, not revenge (Supplied)

“Right now we could be on the precipice of a regional conflict, or even a world war,” they wrote.

“Humanity has achieved peace many times before – and we must achieve peace now, between the river and the sea.”

October 7 2023 was a devastatingly bloody day. The horrors were real. Many of the 250 people, including children, taken hostage by the militants were killed – and survivors related harrowing accounts of abuse.

It did not happen in a vacuum. Before October 2023, Gaza was a territory already occupied and blockaded by Israel, described as an open-air prison by United Nations experts and humanitarians alike.

In fact, the International Court of Justice found in a July 2024 advisory opinion, which takes into account the past, that Israel was responsible for apartheid against Palestinians – which the Israeli government vehemently denies – along with all the alleged crimes since.

The complete destruction of Gaza (Vantor)

Since October 2023, Israel's bombardment has killed over 74,000 people in Gaza, including more than 1,400 since a so-called US-brokered ceasefire came into effect almost a year ago, according to the Palestinian health ministry.

Up-to-date Google Maps imagery of the 40km besieged territory released recently reveals what can only be described as ongoing erasure.

Vast expanses of obliteration, ash, nothingness.

Millions are displaced. And over 80 per cent of all structures have been damaged, two-thirds destroyed, according to the UN agency for Palestinian refugees, UNRWA.

The UK has recently imposed additional sanctions against Israeli settlements amid unprecedented violence, ethnic cleansing, land grabs and settler violence in the occupied West Bank. Officials

from neighbouring Jordan told me this week that they feared de facto annexation by the Israeli government.

Palestinians walk along a street lined with tents sheltering displaced people (AP)

The UN says more than 1,100 Palestinians, at least 250 of them children, have been killed in the occupied West Bank and East Jerusalem since 2023.

And so today – on the third anniversary – we should return to Yonatan’s and Maoz’s calls.

We need a real end to the unprecedented slaughter, suffering and injustice – a future of true accountability and self-determination.

Not a fake ceasefire. Not obliteration. Not erasure. Not co-opting murder to murder. If they can call for true peace in their grief, so should we.

World/In Focus

How the emboldened Pacific Islands are battling fiercely for climate justice

After an internationally-binding court ruling in 2025, small island nations are demanding legal accountability for the climate crisis as Alex Croft reports from Fiji

Climate advocates and Greenpeace campaigners sail towards the venue of the Pacific Pre-Cop31 Summit in Nadi on October 7 (AFP/Getty)

time to be heard.

s climate change ravages their threatened homes, “emboldened and empowered” Pacific Islanders have issued a clear message ahead of a crucial Cop31 summit in Turkey next month: this is our heard.

The pre-Cop climate summit is taking place on the low-lying island nations of Fiji and Tuvalu, both of which are facing rising sea levels, increasing sea temperatures, devastating storms and dangerous flooding.

Surrounding the summit are villages that have been partially displaced as a result of flooding, and communities witnessing the sea creep up towards their homes.

But after a landmark International Court of Justice (ICJ) Advisory Opinion in July 2025 declared that countries have a legal obligation to protect the climate system - following a years long campaign led by a group of Pacific Island students - Pacific Islanders are now demanding action and accountability.

“They're coming emboldened and empowered, standing on the rights they have in the international community for these issues to be addressed,” Julia Gillard, former Australian prime minister and chair of the Wellcome Trust, told The Independent.

Coral reefs off Naidiri Beach, around 52 kilometres from Nadi (AFP/Getty)

“You can already feel [it] across the Pacific Islands. People definitely want to see change. They are not going to stop. They're going to make sure that their case is heard and responded to.”

Lynda Tabuya, Fiji's minister for climate change, said: “We are the least emitters, and yet we are the most disproportionately affected. It’s not just about climate resilience, it’s about climate justice.

“It’s about the need for the world to know, and witness firsthand, what we are dealing with here in the Pacific.”

She added: “I believe with this kind of political will and unity that we have experienced at pre-Cop, we will see not only the Pacific going to Cop31 with our priorities, but the world behind us as well.”

Fijian climate minister Lynda Tabuya said the ongoing summit is about ‘climate justice’ (The Independent)

Vishal Prasad, a 29-year-old Fijian who is director of the Pacific Island Students Fighting Climate Change and led students to the ICJ, said the legal ruling is “extremely critical to centre Pacific voices”.

"The ICJ gave us the legal backing for all the demands we've been making. We want countries to now not just hear Pacific's moral call, but now listen to what the law is telling them to do and meet their obligations," he added, pointing in particular to the 1.5C global warming limit which the UN's Environment Programme predicts will be surpassed in around 2030.

"The ICJ gives us this comfort to be able to say to the global community: we are not beggars in this space," he added.

Speaking at the launch of the ‘All Rise!’ documentary about the legal fight, produced by Open Planet Studios and funded by the Wellcome Trust, Fred Siho Patison, a top climate advisor for the Solomon Islands, said the opinion “gives us this comfort to be able to say to the global community: we are not beggars in this space. This is a right”.

In light of the advisory opinion, Pacific Islanders are demanding an end to the era of promises and the beginning of an era of delivery and accountability.

Vishal Prasad speaks to media following the ICJ advisory opinion (AFP/Getty)

At the upcoming Cop31 in Antalya, Australia has vowed to use its role as president of negotiations to elevate the case of the Pacific Islands, not least their demand for more climate finance for ‘Small Island Developing States’.

Chris Bowen, Australian climate minister and Cop31 president of negotiations, said at the pre-conference opening plenary that “no one is more important in that process than the Pacific, the Pacific which has done so little to cause climate change, and has so much at stake in combatting climate change”.

There had been uncertainty about how well-attended the pre-Cop summit would be, with Australia playing down claims that the attendance would be worse than expected.

But the absence of dozens of world leaders has only strengthened the ability of Pacific voices to put themselves front-and-centre of climate diplomacy, sharing devastating first-hand accounts of the impacts of climate change on their communities.

The pre-Cop summit is a “tremendous opportunity to not only highlight the reality of life on the climate frontline, but also to support and amplify Pacific voices when it comes to solutions”, Dr Simon Bradshaw, Cop31 Lead and climate expert at Greenpeace Australia Pacific, told The Independent.

“[There are] so many people who live in the Pacific coming and telling their story from their village, their family, their nation about the visible effects of climate change, and it's reinforcing that climate change isn't some threat that we need to worry about in five or 10 years' time, it is happening now,” Ms Gillard added.

"The people who have gathered here can point to that in incredibly real-world ways."

Saia Piukala, the WHO's regional director from the Western Pacific region and the first to hail from the Pacific Islands, said that “courage and extraordinary leadership” from young Pacific islanders has driven change around the world.

“Young people are not the leaders of tomorrow,” he added. “They are leading today.”

The reporting trip for this article was funded by Wellcome as part of its work to promote its 'All Rise!' and 'Birthright!' campaigns ahead of Cop31. Wellcome had no influence over the editorial content or decisions made in producing this article

World news in brief

Darya Shipilova died following an incident at the Irkutsk Anti-Plague Research Institute in Siberia (Social media)

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Plague lab worker's mother speaks out

The mother of a Russian laboratory technician who died after suspected exposure to pneumonic plague has accused doctors of “letting my daughter die”. Darya Shipilova, 28, passed away on 2 October following an incident at the Irkutsk Anti-Plague Research Institute in Siberia, a high-security facility specialising in high-consequence biological hazards. Early reports suggested she contracted the deadly infection after accidentally shattering a sample tube containing live biological material – but her mother, 64-year-old healthcare worker Svetlana Shipilova has fiercely contested the explanation.

As the lab worker's family remains in isolation, no funeral arrangements have been made. At present, an estimated 100 people who came into contact with her before her death are being monitored in hospital. "I've saved more than one patient like [Darya], but they didn't save my daughter," Shipilova said. "They just let my daughter die. [She] hasn't been buried yet. Who is going to bury her if we are sitting here imprisoned?"

She added: "I know the truth. Even some medical professionals don't understand that it's impossible to break that test tube. Even if you fling it against a wall. Only someone who doesn't know what they're talking about could say that." Suha Kidwai

Sri Lanka man sentenced to death for online post

Sri Lanka is calling for the international community to help save a young man from execution in Saudi Arabia, where he faces the death penalty for insulting the Prophet Muhammad on social media. Anojan Sivarasa, 24, a migrant worker from Kalmunai, was sentenced to death last month for posting a blasphemous comment on Facebook. Anojan had been in Saudi Arabia for less than a year when he was arrested on 2 July.

Anojan deleted his Facebook post and posted an apology video, but screenshots were sent to his employer and passed on to Saudi authorities. The Al-Ahsa Criminal Court initially sentenced him to five years in prison and fined him 3m Saudi riyals, about £600,000, under the country's cybercrime law. But prosecutors filed their own appeal for Anojan to be tried under Sharia law. The court granted their request, leading to Anojan being handed the death penalty for blasphemy. Colombo has sent a four-member legal team to Riyadh to finalise an appeal.

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Prize for scientists solving ‘mirror image’ mystery

Henri B. Kagan and Kenso Soai were awarded the Nobel Prize in Chemistry yesterday for their efforts to resolve mysterious mirror images in chemical molecules. The duo's discoveries “have been decisive for chemists who design reactions for the manufacture of pharmaceuticals,” said a news release. Kagan, 95 years old and born in France, is affiliated with Université Paris-Sud in Orsay, France, and Soai, born in Japan, with the Tokyo University of Science.

Many molecules of life come in versions that look alike but aren't exactly identical, like right and left hands. When designing drugs to treat diseases, scientists want to be choosy about which mirror-image they're getting. They want the version of a molecule that'll treat a cold, not the kind that'll make the sniffles worse. Kagan and Soai found ways to make chemistry pick a side, designing and manipulating reactions to produce the desired mirror-image. "I'm very excited to receive the very nice news," Soai said. "Of course this is one of the most exciting days in my life." AP

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Historic ruling against Australia coal mine plans

Australia's top court ruled in favour of a community group in the first climate case to come before it, upholding a decision to block the extension of a coal mine in New South Wales. The High Court of Australia dismissed an appeal by MACH Energy, which wanted to keep its Mount Pleasant mine running until 2048 and double its coal output, adding about 400 million tonnes of the fossil fuel over its lifetime. It found the state had failed to properly consider imposing conditions to limit the project's climate impact.

The 2022 extension was set to make Mount Pleasant the largest open-cut coal mine in New South Wales but it was challenged by the Denman Aberdeen Muswellbrook Scone Healthy Environment Group, made up of local residents in the Hunter Valley, northwest of Sydney. “The High Court has said what we have always known: we cannot dig up coal, ship it overseas, watch it drive climate change, and then pretend the consequences have nothing to do with us and won't be felt by us,” Wendy Wales, a retired science teacher and the group's president, said. Anita O'Hart, the lawyer who represented the group, said the ruling would be binding across the state and described it as one of the “most significant domestic climate law decisions in the world,” adding that “planning authorities cannot ignore the chain of causation from a project's emissions through to real, local climate harm.” Stuti Mishra

Jaguar has ditched its Barbie-pink branding – now comes the hard part

With the launch of its £130,000 Type 01 saloon, the classic British marque has abandoned its radical but roundly mocked prototype – and embraced its all-electric era, says Sean O'Grady

Florence Pugh unveils Jaguar's new electric saloon, the Type 01 (Reuters)

The new, dramatic, all-electric and

uncompromising Jaguar Type 01 saloon puts me in mind of what the French philosopher Roland Barthes once wrote about the motor car: “I think

that cars today are almost the exact equivalent of the great Gothic cathedrals: I mean the supreme creation of an era, conceived with passion by unknown artists, and consumed in image, if not in usage, by a whole population which appropriates them as a purely magical object.”

Pretentious, moi? Maybe – but this car certainly isn't.

This imposing new Jag certainly has a sort of architectural gravitas about it and, around the heavy-set rear wings, what look to be vestigial flying buttresses. It’s a serious product from what one hopes is still a serious company, Jaguar Land Rover.

The long, long bonnet is said to be reminiscent of the celebrated E-Type sports car of 1961, an all-time great, but to me the lines are much more reminiscent of the grand touring machines of the 1930s, built to traverse continents in comfort.

It deserves to succeed for a number of reasons. First, there is that distinctive look. Styled by Gerry McGovern, who was responsible for the charming MG F sports car and the first Land Rover Freelander, it will be like nothing else on the road. The high “waist” and shallow windows give the impression of a secluded cocoon of old-style luxury within a modern, albeit slightly retro shell. That’s the kind of aspirational proposition that tends to attract the rich.

Second, it's a saloon. That is to say, not yet another SUV, and JLR, makers of the successful Range Rovers and Defender, have no need for another. Sooner or later, tastes will change and the public will tire of the ubiquitous SUV style and want something different.

Jaguar has suffered many false dawns. But this time, one hopes, will be different – and, with a little more luck, will help reindustrialise Britain

Third, there's the technology. Whereas in the past Jaguar struggled to compete in making reliable – and quality – petrol and diesel-powered cars against the German and Japanese brands, in electric cars, there is the precious chance for a technological fresh start. Plus, Jaguar has, through its parent Tata (of India), a long-standing partnership with the Chinese giant Chery group, which, among other things, makes those Jaecoo cars you'll have noticed on the roads.

They are among the leaders in EV know-how. Thus, for a change, Jaguar will have enormous multinational resources behind it, and the 01 should be the first in a sustained renaissance.

At £130,000, the new model will be up against luxury electric saloons such as the superb BMW i7, Mercedes-Benz EQS and newcomers such as Denza and Polestar, as well as a new electric Range-Rover, and much else.

And Jaguar certainly needs a reboot. So unprofitable had the old range become that JLR simply decided to stop making them, which led to a much-publicised “slump in sales”. Contrary to certain myths, that collapse was not due to the viral pre-launch marketing campaign for the new model, featuring its Barbie-pink prototype, androgynous models and a revulsion (in some quarters) against “woke nonsense”.

What the “Copy Nothing” initiative was actually designed to do was keep the Jaguar name in the public consciousness until the new metal arrived. The controversy, real or contrived, worked – even if the inclusive themes have now been abandoned and the show car is now a sober silver.

Jaguar has suffered many false dawns. But this time, one hopes, will be different – and, with a little more luck, will help

France's school system is broken – we have no choice but to join protests

French schoolchildren aren’t just ‘skipping class’ – they are overwhelmed by burnout, underfunding, and anxiety over their futures, say Sophie Martin and Julia Manzano

Protesters shield themselves from tear gas fired by riot police in Toulouse (AFP/Getty)

These past weeks, traditional learning across French cities has been replaced by student protests. Beyond barricades of overflowing bins, sharp-stinging tear gas, and fires drifting past schools, the

daily routine for millions of lycéens has collapsed. What started as local outcry over missing staff and poor facilities in mid-September is now a nationwide youth protest.

Students across France aren't taking to the streets to “skip class” – they are protesting (the so-called “gilets jeunes” protests) because there is hardly any class to attend. Outrage over a failing system closed around 500 schools on 5 October – and led to more than 5,000 detentions nationwide.

As blockades and police clashes escalate, students counter popular stereotypes. They aren't just skipping class, but are overwhelmed by burnout, underfunding, and anxiety over their futures.

We’re final-year students at a school in Toulouse, getting ready to head to university. This is the sort of thing our classmates and peers at other schools say: “During the summer it’s 36 to 40 degrees inside the classroom and we have no fans or air conditioning,” explains Aniket Sudambi, a 17-year-old student at a public lycée in Toulouse. “Our classes are filled with around 40 students… It gets really hot and hard for us to concentrate for the classes that last 2 to 3 hours.”

As summer heatwaves have become increasingly severe across France this year, outdated school infrastructure simply cannot manage these temperatures, causing physical discomfort due to lack of school funding. The buildings are simply too old. A few weeks ago, there was a fire in a school in Toulouse due to a short circuit. Adding to this, teacher shortages leave classrooms unsupervised for months at a time. Those who are there are underpaid and under-resourced. For students sitting at these desks, the daily schedule leaves them completely drained due to long hours.

“We work around 38-40 hours a week due to our heavy school schedule of 8am to 6pm every day,” Sudambi says. “This prevents us from taking care of ourselves in a mental and social way. Especially for students who live an hour away or rely on public transport – they leave their house at 7am and don’t reach home sometimes until 8pm. It makes their week really hectic.” These hours include campus time, but not homework, additional studies or university preparation, which contributes to reducing the sleep crucial to the students' need to function still further.

Adding to this physical and mental exhaustion is the ordeal of Parcoursup, France’s higher education admissions platform – which is a little like the UK’s Ucas, but with a waiting list where applicants see their exact daily rank and position shift live as higher-ranked students decline offers. It was introduced in France in January 2018 under Emmanuel Macron.

The tension between a generation striving to acquire a basic right to education and a nation that responds with heavy security measures has transformed schools into chaos

Therefore, going into your final exams, you can know, for instance, that you're 6000th in line for a single space on a university course. The process has turned university entry into an extremely stressful process, placing high pressure on teenagers who already struggle under broken learning conditions.

“Parcoursup has made the process of getting into universities unrealistically competitive and selective,” Sudambi points out. “Engineering courses that aren’t even in top-rated universities in France still require minimums of 15 or 16 out of 20 in speciality subjects. That is a lot and very rare to achieve in the French Baccalaureate, especially with these school conditions.”

Uniting over these shared struggles, students in Toulouse and across France are challenging the system even as social media highlights escalating violence at protests. However, Sudambi clarifies, “the violent parts of the protests aren’t necessarily all students of the lycée, but often the students who either were expelled or come from poorer neighbourhoods who feel particularly oppressed by the state; they express their anger towards the police through violence, burning schools, dustbins and throwing firecrackers”.

Severe pressure building inside the classrooms is why this anger boils over into main city streets. The students are furious because they feel completely trapped in a system that demands absolute perfection while offering them failing systems.

On top of physical and mental stress, when voicing concerns, students feel brushed aside by government officials and dismissed by the public as lazy teenagers who “just want to skip class”. When overwhelming academic pressure and institutional neglect are met with heavy police responses rather than solutions, students’ frustration turns into rage, a collective anger from feeling ignored, pushed to their limit, and out of control.

Ultimately, the mass student blockades and street protests sweeping across France are not just teenage rebellion, but a direct response to deep-rooted structural issues. Years of decaying infrastructure, shortage of qualified teachers, and demanding schedules have pushed students to their breaking point. The rising tension between a generation striving to acquire a basic right to education and a nation that responds with heavy security measures has transformed secondary schools into chaos.

French lycéens are engaging in mass protests to reclaim their right to education, protect their well-being, and secure a respectable future. Trapped in 40-hour weeks, crumbling spaces, and the pressure of Parcoursup, students aren't rejecting education – they're demanding conditions that make learning possible. The mass protests are a demonstration of a youth generation that recognises their future is on the line, choosing to fight for a better today rather than letting tomorrow be compromised.

I'm in a custody battle with my ex - over our dog

The Independent's agony aunt Victoria Richards is here to help

In ‘Who Gets the Dog’, Alicia Silverstone and Ryan Kwanten play a warring couple embroiled in a fight over the custody of their dog, Wesley (Samuel Goldwyn Films/YouTube)

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Dear Vix,

I was in a relationship with my ex for nine years. About a year into the relationship, he began suggesting that we get a dog. Unfortunately, once the

puppy novelty wore off, he lost interest and the responsibility became entirely mine.

Over time, the relationship became abusive and I left in December 2023 and took the dog with me. My ex wanted to continue seeing her and suggested we “share” her. Initially, I agreed. In February 2024, just two months after we split up, I dropped her off at his house so he could have her for a few days. When I went to collect her, I discovered that he had a new girlfriend and she’d already moved in. In the heat of the moment, I told him he would never see the dog again. His response was, “Well… your dog, your rules.” That comment has stayed with me ever since.

He didn't contact me again until 15 months later. At that point, he asked if he could see her. I declined because she had been living solely with me for more than a year. I had been entirely responsible for her, and she was settled and happy in her new home. His response was, "If I can't have her, then that's fine," and that was the end of the conversation.

I didn't hear from him again until August 2026, when he asked to see her once more. This time, he suggested meeting up with me present rather than taking her overnight. I declined again, explaining that he had once again gone around a year without contacting me and that she was settled. I didn't want to cause her unnecessary confusion by repeatedly bringing him in and out of her life.

He never replied – and this is where I'm struggling. How long is this going to continue? Is he simply going to contact me once a year asking to see her, only to disappear again when I say no? I've worked hard to rebuild my life after the relationship, and every time he contacts me about the dog, I feel as though I'm being pulled back into something I desperately want to leave behind. But another part of me feels guilty that he hasn't seen her in more than two years. She's almost 11 and I know she won't be around forever.

At the same time, I can't help feeling that if seeing her really mattered to him, he would have made more of an effort. Am I being unreasonable by keeping the boundary that I have, or am I letting my guilt make this more complicated than it needs to be? And, ultimately, what do I owe him when it comes to the dog?

Dog Lover

Dear Dog Lover,

I'm going to be really blunt and give you my honest, first reaction: I don't think this is about your (lovely-sounding) dog at all – for either of you.

You mentioned a history of emotional abuse in your email (which I sadly had to trim down for brevity); this sounds like it went on for an awfully long time – eight out of the nine years you were in your previous relationship.

And I am concerned that even though you have left the situation you were in – and bravo, because that is exceedingly difficult in situations of coercive control, which do often spread to affect children, pets and other family members – it’s still continuing today; just in a different form from before.

For more from Vix, sign up to her Independent Women newsletter – a weekly dose of smart, sharp and unflinching stories on the issues that matter most.

Namely: your ex appears to still be attempting to exert control over you, by claiming he wants to see the dog – and by keeping his contact with you intermittent, sporadic and unpredictable. What that form of contact tells me is that he wants you constantly on the back foot, wondering if – and when – he might “pop up” again.

And, just as it's been long enough that you are over it – “settled and happy”, as you put it yourself – he returns without warning. I feel for you, because your stress levels when his name appears suddenly in your inbox must be sky-high.

His latest message, in which he has pooh-poohed the idea of having the dog overnight – and wants you to be “present” during a meeting with him – betrays that what he’s really after is power over you and access to you again. And I don’t want you to put yourself (or your dog) at risk – or to give him the satisfaction.

You've said it yourself: if seeing the dog really mattered to him, he would have made more effort; not just when he lived with you both (you have already mentioned that he eschewed all responsibility and you had to pay for everything, including food and vet appointments) but also in the last two years of separation.

His sporadic, annual contact – not to mention the fact that he’s moved on with a new relationship and had a baby – doesn’t show a man who’s pining badly for the dog he loved. To me, it seems much more likely that he wants to keep you on a hook to prevent you from moving on fully with your life. He still wants control over you – and he’s using the dog as a foil.

I appreciate your worries over your dog's age, but you do not need to feel any unnecessary guilt here, I promise you. You owe him nothing. You have been the only “parent” your dog needs. Now you need to “parent” yourself, too – and stay away from your ex (I’d also block him so he can’t message again next year – because he will, as long as you let him get away with it).

Do you have a problem you would like to raise anonymously with Dear Vix? Issues with love, relationships, family and work? Email dearvix@independent.co.uk

The truth about book bans in the UK

From school libraries removing LGBTQ+ titles to Reform-led councils restricting displays, Katie Dancey-Downs investigates the growing pressure to censor books in Britain – and asks what happens when one complaint is enough to make a book disappear

Becoming by Michelle Obama is one of hundreds of books that have been pulled from shelves (AFP/Getty)

n the last year alone, hundreds of books in the UK have been pulled off shelves in censorship attempts. These include Becoming by Michelle Obama, Twilight by Stephenie Meyer and Soul cry Pratchett.

Music by Terry Pratchett.

This week is Banned Books Week, an event that celebrates the right to read freely. In recent years, the spotlight has largely been on censorship in the USA, where book banning has ramped up so significantly that a record 7,370 unique titles were challenged in the 2025-26 school year, according to PEN America, and where librarians even face threats of violence.

But what is talked about less is book censorship in the UK. At Lowry Academy in Salford, Greater Manchester, more than 130 books were targeted and nearly 200 counted when graphic-novel issues were included. Meanwhile, libraries in some Reform-led councils were instructed to remove Pride displays. And authors have spoken of having their school visits cancelled.

Banned Books Week was re-launched in the UK in 2025 after a hiatus, and has been led by freedom of expression organisation Index on Censorship, along with a coalition of organisations which champion the right to read freely. Its return comes after increasing concerns about book censorship in this country, and the reports have trickled in steadily ever since.

Back in 2024, I led an investigation with Index on Censorship into the state of censorship in UK school libraries, which The Independent co-published. Before the investigation, many people told me I wouldn't find much – there were one or two cases which had been in the media, but otherwise there was nothing to see. And yet the results revealed something very different.

Of the school librarians I surveyed, more than half said they had been asked to remove books from their collections. And of those, 56 per cent had been forced to actually remove the books in question. A large proportion of the targeted books had LGBTQ+ themes. Beyond specific removal requests, many librarians told me they had self-censored, meaning that they had been too scared to buy certain books in case it put their job on the line.

That was two years ago, and the situation has ramped up since. Earlier in 2026, a school librarian (who I named Emily to protect her identity) told me how 200 books had been pulled from the shelves of her library after a headteacher took umbrage at Men Who Hate Women by Laura Bates being stocked for older

Discworld: A Death Novel

SOUL MUSIC readers. Emily had ordered the nonfiction book after training, which warned of the rise of misogyny in schools.

The school leaders instigated an audit of the library, targeting any books not written for children, with themes that they deemed could be upsetting to children or that they believed could be inappropriate or constitute a safeguarding risk. They also launched an investigation into Emily. The result was the removal of some books written specifically for young people, as well as titles including a graphic novel of

A Terry Pratchett novel was pulled from one library shelf (Corgi)

George Orwell's Nineteen Eighty-Four and Michelle Obama's Becoming.

Soon afterwards, Emily\* lost her job and was herself labelled as a safeguarding risk by the local authority – for doing her job. I saw reams of evidence, including an admission from the school that they had used AI to justify the removal of books on their list. Neither the school nor the United Learning Trust would engage with me, and they later said they had reinstated some books, but would not tell me which ones.

While this case was extreme, queer authors are reporting that their events in schools are being cancelled, that children are being pulled out of their talks, or that they're being asked not to mention anything related to LGBTQ+ issues.

Then this spring, public libraries got a taste of censorship too. After a false start in 2025, when Reform councillors in Kent claimed they had removed all books with transgender themes from children's sections (which was not true), a number of

Reform-led councils in England put their book-banning hats on again this summer.

June was Pride Month, a time for celebrating the LGBTQ+ community. Yet Essex County Council's Reform UK leaders said libraries should be “neutral spaces” and instructed staff to pause the promotion of events that were not specific to library activities. Later, council leader Peter Harris said some of the books and materials he had seen on Pride displays were “inappropriate”.

One person objects to a book, and it is swiftly removed – sometimes an entire section is boxed up and put out of sight

Staffordshire County Council, which is Reform-led, said in June that its libraries would not feature LGBTQ+ Pride displays and described this as a “consistent approach” across its libraries. The council said displays would focus on the “core library offer, local services, reading and learning”.

In Warwickshire, Reform UK council leader George Finch went further, saying he would develop a policy to “strengthen neutrality” in libraries. He said council libraries should be “politically neutral” and “family-friendly”, and should not “embolden political ideologies”.

In response, Warwickshire Pride wrote: “Libraries exist to provide access to knowledge, information, literature, and diverse perspectives. The suggestion that books or resources acknowledging LGBTQ+ people somehow undermine neutrality is both misleading and dangerous. Representation is not indoctrination. Inclusion is not political campaigning.”

No books were actually removed from UK public libraries during Pride month, but the restriction on displays and promotion sends an alarming message – that these books should only exist in secret. And by extension, so should the very people

represented within the pages. Some of these councils are now undertaking reviews about library display spaces.

We are now entering October, which is Black History Month. According to these councils' own rules, displays themed around this event could be at risk too. Councillor George Finch told LBC in an interview that he doesn't believe Black History Month should be celebrated, suggesting “history is history” and that “bad things happen”, adding that he doesn't just watch Nelson Mandela films in Black History Month. It will be interesting to see whether his position on themed book displays changes when it comes to Remembrance Sunday and celebrations on the Christian calendar.

Over seven thousands book titles have been banned in the US (Getty)

Unlike in the USA, where pressure groups like Moms for Liberty and government officials spearhead campaigns to ban particular titles, there is no evidence to suggest that organised groups are pushing book censorship in the UK. Instead, most of the pressure is coming from individuals such as parents and headteachers, or in the case of public libraries from Reform councillors with particular beliefs about what should be promoted and what shouldn't.

Bans often stem from one complaint. Last year in Dorset for example, a complaint from one parent led to the award-winning book The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas (a book written for young adults) being removed from the Year 10 reading list, with the parent arguing that the story contained sexualised content and expletives, and showed white people as “the baddies.” Following backlash from the parent community and a petition, the school said it would reinstate the book.

This story is very typical of the experiences I've heard from school librarians across the country. One person objects to a book, and it is swiftly removed – sometimes an entire section is boxed up and put out of sight. What happens is completely dependent on how supportive the school leadership team is, as there is no statutory policy for school libraries.

Celebrating the freedom to read is part of the fight back against book bans. This week, libraries, schools and bookshops across the country are putting in Banned Books Week displays, organising events and championing censored titles.

They are celebrating the idea that a diverse collection of books promotes inclusion and understanding, and encourages critical thinking. But there is a slow creep of book censorship in this country that we should all pay attention to.

Book bans have a long and uncomfortable history, from the Inquisition to authoritarian regimes. The most notorious example is Nazi Germany, where books deemed “un-German” were publicly burned in 1933. We’re a long way from that. But the drumbeat of history echoes, and to stop it getting louder, we can all be alert to the risk of censorship taking hold in our schools and libraries

For more information visit Banned Books Week UK, the UK campaign led by Index on Censorship.

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On this day

(Getty)

1754: Henry Fielding died, aged 47. Famous for his novel Tom Jones, it is not widely known that, as a Justice of the Peace, he organised the detective force that became Scotland Yard.

1871: The Great Fire of Chicago started. According to popular belief, it started in Irish immigrant Catherine O'Leary's barn in DeKoven Street, when a cow kicked over a lantern. Some historians believe it was actually set off by Daniel "Pegleg" Sullivan, who first reported the fire. The fire burned until 11 October, killing an estimated 300 people and making 100,000 homeless.

1891: Pioneering British socialist politician, suffragette and trade unionist Ellen “Red Ellen” Wilkinson was born.

1905: Charles Nessler first used a permanent waving machine on a woman's hair. The cost for the seven-hour treatment was 10 guineas.

1908: The Wind In The Willows, Kenneth Grahame's children's book, was published. It has never been out of print.

1952: A rail crash in Harrow left 112 dead and nearly 340 injured.

1953: One of Britain's best-loved singers, the contralto Kathleen Ferrier, died of cancer at 41.

1965: The Post Office Tower in London became operational. It was opened by Prime Minister Harold Wilson.

1967: The first breathalyser test in Britain was administered to a motorist in Shropshire.

1973: The first commercial radio station in Britain opened when LBC (London Broadcasting Company) went on the air.

On this day last year: Sir Keir Starmer sought to blame the previous Tory administration for the collapse of the trial of alleged Chinese spies. The prime minister said “all the focus” should be on the Conservatives who were in power at the time of the alleged offences.

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Birthdays

Chevy Chase, actor, 83; Sigourney Weaver, actor, 77; Ardal O'Hanlon, actor and comedian, 61; Matt Damon, actor, 56; Bruno Mars, singer, 41; Bella Thorne, actor, 29.

'Speaking with teenagers today, I was horrified and impressed'

In his new adaptation of ‘Carrie’, horror fanatic Mike Flanagan zeroes in on the very human cruelty at the heart of Stephen King’s paranormal classic. He speaks to Annabel Nugent about high school, casting controversies, and the brutality of being a teen today

King's debut about a telekinetic teen tormented by her peers has spawned an Oscar-nominated film, a Broadway flop, a network TV movie, a big-screen remake, and countless spin-offs and spoofs (Photos Prime Video)

hen television's go-to man for horror Mike Flanagan was approached about adapting Stephen King's 1974 novel Carrie, his first reaction was no.

To him, it wasn't a question of whether he could adapt Stephen King's classic tale of high-school hell – over the years, Flanagan has adapted no fewer than three of King's titles, and developed a close relationship with the writer – it was a question of whether he should, or rather why he should.

Since its publication 52 years ago, King's debut about a telekinetic teen tormented by her peers and under the thumb of her religious fanatic of a mother has spawned an Oscar-nominated film, a Broadway flop, a network TV movie, a big-screen remake, and countless spin-offs and spoofs. "What more is there to say?" Flanagan thought. To be fair, it was the same question that was on the minds of thousands of horror fans who met the announcement of Flanagan's new adaptation (he eventually said yes) with a cocked eyebrow – and more than a few hostile tweets.

For Flanagan, the answer to “why” came into focus as his son was getting ready to enter high school. “I had so much anxiety about the world that he was stepping into,” he says now. “It’s a completely different planet to when I was at school in the Nineties and the more I looked into the reality of what he was stepping into, the more I had to admit that I didn’t have a real basis for understanding his experience.”

What he came to realise was that the themes of Carrie had not dissipated over the years, but grown more relevant than ever – that the abuse and violence that’s always existed in schools had so clearly metastasised on the internet and on mobile phones. “There is something new and vital to say about being a teenager today and about the nature of cruelty and kindness,” he says.

Gang mentality: Flanagan's take on Stephen King's classic focuses on the brutality of high school

Social media is at the forefront of his adaptation, which spirals out from King's original story in several other significant ways – all approved by the author himself, who worked closely with Flanagan. New student and instant outcast Carrie (a beatific Summer H Howell) is the primary target of an anonymous and merciless Instagram account, but she's not the only one. The account, run by the diabolical Chris Hargensen (Alison Thornton), fires in all directions at every student until the school is overrun with paranoia, fear and rage.

To gain some insight into your average American classroom in 2026, Flanagan invited a group of high-schoolers into the writer's room. “We talked a lot about their day-to-day experiences and a lot of them got very personal about what tormenting and bullying looks like,” he says, “and the specific anxieties they have about the greater world they’re inheriting and how savvy they are as to what that world looks like, and what their limitations are. Also, how young they’ve had to accept the political and environmental mess that’s in front of them. I learnt so much from these young people, but I came away horrified… and impressed.”

“Kids are cruel” is a thought that crops up often while watching Carrie. “I think it’s simply because they haven’t lived long enough to see the consequences of that cruelty,” Flanagan offers up as an explanation. “High school is also where you make

mistakes, and you're trying to figure out who you are. I'm just so relieved that all of mine were private and confined to the school – and that was humiliating enough. The fact that these kids stare down a day where anything that happens to them can be broadcast for the world and maybe enshrined digitally forever. That's horrifying."

I connected with it because I was a kid who was bullied. I was a strange kid. I was a bit of a misfit and so I felt a lot of kinship for Carrie

When the show announced that Howell, a slight and pretty 22-year-old, would be playing Carrie, alarms were sounded in corners of the internet where people argued that not only was this yet another unfaithful interpretation of King's book, whose protagonist is described as pimply and “chunky” – but an example of the industry’s deep-seated fatphobia.

“We were looking for the right actor for the role, and Summer Howell was cast solely for her performance,” says Flanagan now. “Also, our Carrie is very different from the one in the book in every way. We’re also dealing with a character in our story who wasn’t tormented because of how she looked, and I think that’s why she’s described the way she is in the book. For us, we wanted something far more insidious and far more about who she was than what she looked like.”

It’s been the height of irony, he notes, “to see people make a judgment about Summer based on how she looks – and that to me is like, ‘Oh, they may need this show more than they think.’”

Summer H Howell in 'Carrie'

Carrie arrives at an interesting point in Flanagan's life. He recalls watching the movie, the 1974 Brian de Palma version with Sissy Spacek, when he was just about to start high school himself. “I connected with it because I was a kid who was bullied. I was a strange kid. I was a bit of a misfit and so I felt a lot of kinship for Carrie.” Now, decades later, with his own son about to enter the jaws of high school, his kinship lies with Carrie’s mother, the formidable and frightening Margaret White, who is given more of a heart in this adaptation than in previous ones. “I too have this intense desire to keep my son safe and I don’t understand the world he’s going into,” says Flanagan, “and I can see how easily that very strong desire to protect can become oppressive or applied incorrectly.”

You might call Flanagan a master of adaptation; 10 out of his 15 film and television projects, including The Haunting of Hill House, have been based on existing material. How does he sit with the criticism around his industry's over-reliance on existing IP? “Like anything else it can be done with love, or it can be done cynically – and I completely agree there are times when people are trying to wring every last penny from something and that makes us demand, rightfully so, where are the original stories?” he says. “But it’s so complicated – I’ve also seen the original stories be put up there and no one shows up to support them, whereas people come in droves to the familiar.”

Section 2/Review

A heartbreaking, five-star insight into hopeful, nineties Britain

Edward Enninful has captured a spark of that incredible decade when anything seemed possible and usually was, writes Stephen Armstrong

Stephen Armstrong

'Young Pink Kate' by Juergen Teller (Juergen Teller)

It is too much to expect that one man and seven rooms at Tate Britain could sum up the Nineties. Especially given the ostensible restrictions imposed by the title – “art and fashion”. But Edward Enninful has pulled off something remarkable. He has captured a spark of that incredible decade between the fall of the Berlin Wall and the fall of the Twin Towers when anything seemed possible and usually was.

The Gen Z Nineties obsession is built around a craving for simplicity, pleasure and community. The kids who ‘go Nineties’ by leaving their phones plugged in to ape a landline, the sons and daughters who flocked to see Oasis, the Nineties indie clubs opening across the UK – all are searching for this spark.

As the first exhibition to explore the art, photography and fashion of the decade, it would be so easy to mess it up. But Enninful holds to his brief while curating stories about so much more. He opens with Corrine Day – the fashion photographer and star of this whole adventure, whose work appears in almost every room, including with Wolfgang Tillmans and Juergen Teller, whose Young Pink Kate photo of Kate Moss has become the exhibition’s advertising logo. This is a room filled with photographs and paintings of women, nodding to the gradual change in both art and fashion that began then.

The bedroom follows with Sarah Lucas's headless, stocking-clad Pauline Bunny; Chris Ofili's vast No Woman No Cry and Tracey Emin's neon take on the legality of anal sex. The metaphorical snare drum roll is building around these works, luring you into the third room, the clubbing room, in search of that whom! of bass and thud of kick drum.

Mark Leckey's film Fiorucci Made Me Hardcore is the pivot here, around which the whole exhibition spins, showing the raves, the gurning, the time when it was acceptable, nay encouraged, to take yoyos, hats, vuvuzela horns and Vicks VapoRub to clubs. The dancing was of its time. But then no one had taken that much MDMA before. And no one had had their fun outlawed by an out-of-touch government in quite the same way as the anti “repetitive beats” insanity of the 1994 criminal justice and public order act.

Jenny Saville and Glen Lutchford, 'Closed Contact #4' (Jenny Saville and Glen Luchford)

And here's the delicate balancing act Enninful makes. Moving from a room adorned with squat life and a map of the clubs across Britain into Alexander McQueen's S&M inspired work and the spiky art of the HIV era, he makes a crucial subversive connection between the sense of loss that the outsiders felt at the end of the Eighties and the sense of joy those same outsiders found in the Nineties as street, club, band, model, shop, designer, artist and the loose, defiant politics of the time took the mainstream so successfully.

From there, he plays with the YBAs – two pickled sharks from Damien Hirst, then Black Masculinity. Cool Britannia. The artistry of Vivienne Westwood and John Galliano – who is footnoted, with a strong condemnation of his antisemitic

outburst in 2011. Anna Wintour could have taken a few tips from her former protégé.

It's very Nineties to argue that messy rave nights, weird magazine shoots, odd installations and spectacular clothing all rightly earn their place in Tate Britain, our former National Gallery home to collections of work by Turner, Constable, Hogarth, Nash and Stubbs. Because the Nineties was the first decade when everyone could take part and promptly did.

Sir Steve McQueen, 'Bear' (Tate/Tate Images)

It was when David Harewood – insanely – became the first Black actor to play Othello at the National Theatre. It was the decade that Punjabi devotional music met rave and Cornershop topped the charts.

Enninful says he tried to capture cross pollination, collaboration and chaos. The result is a portrait of a young, democratic and hopeful time. He notes that he has always struggled to be in the room as a Black man, but that things that started around identity in the Nineties are ongoing now.

Which is the one step forward that compensates for two steps back. The hope on the walls of this exhibition is heartbreaking

Section 2 / Film review

Legal thriller with all the imagination of a PowerPoint presentation

★★☆☆☆

Quasi-sequel The Social Reckoning is reluctant to explore darkness of Facebook and its creator

Clarisse Loughrey

Jeremy Strong replaces Jesse Eisenberg as Mark Zuckerberg (Photos Sony Pictures)

If you ask me, there is no more damning artistic statement on Mark Zuckerberg than in the final scene of David Fincher's The Social Network. The Facebook CEO, having acquired all the power and status he could hope for, sits alone hitting refresh on a friend request to the girl who dumped him. It's a moment of poetic licence (Zuckerberg was already dating his now-wife, Priscilla Chan, at the time) that provides the punchline to today's tech autocracy at large. Charmless in life, these men have found a way to game the world and hoard social capital for themselves. They were after the cheat code for the popularity contest.

The Social Reckoning, Aaron Sorkin's quasi-sequel to Fincher's original, never attempts an equivalent scene with Zuckerberg, now played by Jeremy Strong. (Jesse Eisenberg, who declined to reprise his Oscar-nominated role, couldn't stomach how fans would come up and ask him to sign something with, as Zuckerberg writes on his business card, “I’m CEO, bitch”.) Now in total control as director, too – having only written The Social Network – Sorkin has made a quintessential “Aaron Sorkin journalism film”, a sibling to his didactic series The Newsroom. It strips out the basics of the Wall Street Journal’s “The Facebook Files” series by Jeff Horwitz, alongside Zuckerberg’s subsequent testimony to Congress, and repeats them to the audience without any real additional insight.

The film is enraging because the information it contains is enraging. Facebook rigged its algorithm to reward post reshares, knowing that the more outrageous the content, the more likely it is to be disseminated. The platform's boost in engagement came at the cost of actively promoting extremist content. Horwitz (played here by The Bear's Jeremy Allen White) was able to acquire proof the company knew it was radicalising its own users via data-engineer-turned-whistleblower Frances Haugen (Anora Oscar-winner Mikey Madison).

Strong perfectly replicates the CEO as an evil turtle who weaponises his perceived emotionlessness to conceal the cruelty he inflicts on others

Sorkin explains this with the pace and imagination of a PowerPoint presentation. While The Social Network and The Social Reckoning share a cinematographer in Jeff Cronenweth, they certainly don’t share a look; the latter has a tendency to sweep the camera back and forth like it’s worried the illusion of movement is the only thing preventing its audience from falling asleep.

Fincher's steady, unflinching gaze was preoccupied with Netflix's forthcoming The Further Mis-Adventures of Cliff Booth. Yet I'm not sure he alone is the missing piece. Sorkin's characters here feel half-formed. Horwitz and Haugen receive a quirk each: she wears fingerless gloves because her coeliac disease gives her cold hands, and to suggest she's self-protective; he loves old movies because he's an analogue guy against tech automation. Neither is written or performed to be particularly charismatic. Sorkin's comfort zone is the world of political blowhards; he lacks Fincher's skill or experience in how to make awkward people compelling to watch.

Strong perfectly replicates the CEO as an evil turtle who weaponises his perceived emotionlessness to conceal the cruelty he inflicts on others. But all he does in the film is repeat the man's own talking points – his constant string of denials – in a way that flattens his performance into a Saturday Night Live impersonation.

Jeremy Allen White and Mikey Madison in ‘The Social Reckoning’

We flip back and forth between Horwitz and Haugen's investigation and Zuckerberg's rehearsal for his testimony (Bill Burr and Wunmi Mosaku play his advisors). It's all oddly insular. The world of Facebook itself feels out of reach. In his recreation of the January 6 attack on the United States Capitol, Sorkin pairs the mournful warbling of Alexandre Desplat's score with a fragmented, contextless montage of flags and stomped boots. Would it not have been more effective to have used any of the (endless) real-life footage shot that day and posted on, well, Facebook?

Sorkin seems reluctant to integrate much of the world outside his trio of players, but neither is he all that invested in what makes any of them tick. Surely the purpose of fiction over documentary is that it grants the artist the right to fill in the psychological blank spaces. The Facebook Files show Zuckerberg is driven by profit, but what else is in that head of his? We never see him alone. What happens when the “yes” men go home and he’s left with his conscience? The Social Reckoning won’t even hazard a guess.

Dir: Aaron Sorkin. Starring: Mikey Madison, Jeremy Allen White, Jeremy Strong, Bill Burr, Wunmi Mosaku, Betty Gilpin, Billy Magnussen. 15, 112 mins.

'The Social Reckoning' is in cinemas from 9 October

‘Trusted’ Boots bought by Canada’s Weston family in £6.7bn deal

Return to British retail for family that sold Selfridges for £4bn in 2022

Henry Saker-Clark & Holly Williams

Boots was first established in Nottingham in 1849 (PA Archive)

High street retailer Boots is set to be acquired by the Canadian branch of the billionaire Weston family for £6.7bn.

Their holding company, Wittington Investments, will acquire the business from majority owner Sycamore Partners, a private equity firm, and the Pessina family.

The deal comes just twelve months after Sycamore gained control of Boots by purchasing parent group Walgreens Boots Alliance and subsequently dividing the business into separate arms.

First established in Nottingham in 1849, Boots currently trades from more than 1,800 stores across the UK.

Galen (right) and Hilary Weston (left) (Getty)

Under the acquisition, Wittington takes ownership of Boots' retail and pharmacy operations in the UK and Ireland, Boots Opticians, No7 Beauty Company, plus its Thailand and franchise businesses.

Holding Canadian supermarket chain Loblaws and pharmacy retailer Shoppers Drug Mart through Wittington, the Canadian branch of the Weston family first opened talks to purchase Boots earlier this year after it went up for sale.

The purchase signals a return to British retail for the family, who previously disposed of high-end department store chain Selfridges for £4 billion in 2022.

Meanwhile, the British arm of the Weston family holds controlling ownership of Primark through its parent company Associated British Foods, which also owns grocery labels including Twinings and Ryvita.

In total, the wider Weston dynasty was placed fifth in this year's Sunday Times Rich List, holding a overall fortune approaching

Wittington stated it is partnering with Toronto-headquartered Fairfax Financial Holdings on the takeover, with Wittington maintaining operational control.

Boots is to be bought by the Westons' Wittington Investments for £6.7bn (PA)

Among Fairfax's portfolio is Sleep Country – Canada's primary mattress retailer – and the owner of Simba Sleep in the UK.

Galen Weston, chairman of Wittington – who will become chairman of Boots – said: “Boots is one of Britain’s most enduring businesses, with a rich heritage, a trusted name and a vital role in everyday life across the UK and Ireland.

“We see a meaningful opportunity to make a great business even better through stable long-term ownership, further capital investment, and the renewed operating focus required to serve customers with excellence for generations to come.”

Alex Baldock, the recently-appointed chief executive of Boots, said: “Every day, our colleagues give millions of people longer, healthier and happier lives.

“Those customers and patients trust in Boots’ unmatched authority, capability and leadership across health, wellness and

Business/Money

Workers fear retirement gap has widened to five years

Two in three workers are concerned they are not saving enough to stop

Karl Matchett Business and Money Editor

(Getty/iStock)

The ages at which people want – and expect – to finish working and retire continues to grow, according to a new survey.

That retirement gap is now above five years for the first time, the results of Standard Life's retirement voice report show, with the average age people want to retire now standing at 62.

But the average age for when they actually expect they can stop working is almost 68.

The state pension retirement age is due to increase to 67 by April 2028, with a further hike to age 68 intended during the 2040s, though being subject to review.

A 5.3 year retirement gap on average in those new estimations is even more pronounced when broken down by different demographics, with those who rent versus those who are outright homeowners showing a huge variance in particular – a 6.8-year gap for renters, against just a 2.1 year gap for owners.

The results show a widening gap which is caused not by people wanting to retire notably earlier on average, but by them estimating the age at which they'll be able to do so has shifted later.

In addition, more than half (51 per cent) of the 6,000 respondents to the survey, carried out by Ipsos, were worried that their retirement finances wouldn't actually last.

Research from the Retirement Living Standards organisation suggests a single-person household presently requires an annual income of £13,900 a year to fund a minimum lifestyle in retirement.

However, Standard Life's report concludes that over a quarter (26 per cent) of UK adults – which included a nationally representative number of both retired and still-working individuals – are struggling to get by on their current income.

Close to two in three, meanwhile (63 per cent), worry they are not saving enough for retirement.

Catherine Foot, director of the Standard Life Centre for the Future of Retirement, said: “This year’s Retirement Voice findings point to a noticeable shift in how people are feeling about retirement. The age people would ideally like to retire hasn’t changed, but the point at which they think they will actually be able to stop work is drifting further away.

“That is happening as the state pension age itself begins its phased rise from 66 to 67, and against a backdrop of renewed pressure on household finances and a wider sense of economic and global uncertainty. Together, these factors risk making

retirement feel less certain and more distant, rather than a milestone people can plan towards with confidence."

Ms Foot also highlighted that larger “retirement gaps” emerged in the data for each of women, those living in the North East and younger people, as well as aforementioned renters, with Gen Z respondents wanting to retire at 60 but facing an estimated almost six-year gap to do so.

“There is, however, a positive message for individuals,” Ms Foot continued. “The findings show a very clear relationship between planning and people’s retirement expectations, even among those on lower incomes. Starting earlier, understanding what you already have and, where affordable, increasing pension contributions can make a meaningful difference. For many people, relatively modest action now could help bring the retirement they want considerably closer.”

The report “underlines the scale of the opportunity presented by the next stage of the Pensions Commission”, she added, to shape the long-term future of the UK’s pension system.

What the Budget could mean for your taxes

Experts predict income tax and capital gains tax changes in John Healey's first ‘fiscal event’

Alex Sebastian

Chancellor John Healey's first Budget on 28 October is fast approaching and could change the amount of money you have each month.

Tax changes are near certain, the only question is where they will land.

Labour is under pressure to better balance the country's books, as government borrowing continues to rise, which means either cutting spending or raising the amount of tax it brings in.

Mr Healey has been careful not to make any firm commitments before he delivers his speech in the House of Commons, but

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Income tax for NEETs and 100k cliff edge

Labour committed in its manifesto not to raise the income tax rate so increases to the headline rates are unlikely.

Leaving the bands unchanged would however effectively result a tax hike, due to wage rises, pushing more people into a higher band each year.

There may be some tweaks around the costs of hiring young people, or the so-called £100,000 cliff edge that sees couples lose the personal allowance and right to free childcare.

Elsa Littlewood, private client services tax partner at accountancy firm BDO, said: “Although the prime minister has previously floated the idea of increasing the income tax personal allowance, the costs of doing so are likely to mean the chancellor looks to other measures to ease the cost of living.

“We would expect to see specific measures targeting young taxpayers, like cutting income tax or employee NIC for three years for those entering work for the first time.

“This would give a clear incentive to NEETS [people aged 16-24 who are not in education, employment or training] to enter the workforce and could incentivise employers to increase employment.”

Ms Littlewood added that the 100k cliff edge creates a “perverse distortion” whereby people entering or progressing into higher-salaried roles are penalised and can face an effective marginal tax rate of around 60 per cent.

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Stamp duty

The property market is front of mind for any chancellor, given its central role in people's finances and the economy.

Chancellors are always keen to be seen as helping people ‘get on the property ladder’ so it would not be a surprise to see some tweaks to tax here.

Data from tax filing platform Taxd in a report on what British taxpayers would change in the tax system, found that among respondents who chose stamp duty as the tax they would tackle first, 67 per cent said they would scrap it completely, while 20 per cent wanted reform and 13 per cent would cut it.

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Inheritance tax (IHT)

This is always a political football that gets kicked around near the Budget, but there have not been any clear signals of change in the short term.

“With the political pain of the IHT changes for farmers and business owners fresh in the memory and with more controversy surrounding IHT on pensions coming into force from April 2027, you might think that the government would want to steer clear of further reforms,” said Ms Littlewood.

“Yet, the prime minister has said he is prepared to expend political capital to get a national care service up and running.

"As Baroness Casey's independent commission on adult social care is not due to report until 2027, and the prime minister's recent conference speech indicating that funding for a national care service will come in part from changes to the triple lock after the next election, any further tax moves are likely to be delayed until a future Budget."

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Reversing Reeves' pensions cap

The state pension triple lock has been put firmly on the table for a change by Prime Minister Andy Burham, but not right now. 2030 was the date mentioned.

Tweaks to the rules on private sector pensions are possible though, if not likely.

“In the lead-up to the Budget, we are likely to see continued speculation around individuals’ pension tax-free cash entitlements,” Ms Littlewood said.

“However, given the uproar caused by (former chancellor) Rachel Reeves announcing a capping of pension salary sacrifice arrangements from 2029, we believe that any major changes to pensions at Budget 2026 are an outside chance.”

“In our view, a reversal of the announced changes to salary sacrifice arrangement would be very welcome as it would help restore confidence in pensions saving at a time when we know that people aren’t putting enough away for their retirement.”

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Capital gains tax (CGT) and IHT

Ms Reeves raised capital gains tax from 10 per cent to 18 per cent for the basic rate and 20 per cent to 24 per cent at the higher rate.

It is possible Mr Healey will try to squeeze more out of this area, although experts see that as likely to backfire. When capital gains rates reach a certain level that people are not willing to bear, they reduce or eliminate sales of assets and the amount raised falls.

Instead of raising the rate, Chris Etherington, private client tax partner, RSM UK said the chancellor could look at how assets are taxed at death.

“An alternative approach of removing the forgiveness of CGT at death, meaning that capital gains would not be effectively wiped out on death, is more certain to raise funds in the short-term and could generate more in tax receipts in the future,” he said.

Business news in brief

South West Water needs money (Alamy/PA)

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Pennon calls on investors to help fund overhaul

The new boss of South West Water owner Pennon has insisted vital investment plans will be funded in the “right way” as he unveiled a £550m investor cash-call just weeks after being hit with a record £7.9m fine for repeated sewage spills. Keith Haslett, who was appointed chief executive in April, said the rights issue would help support plans for around an extra £1bn of investment as it looks to “deliver better outcomes for our customers and communities”. The London-listed group, which also owns Bristol Water and SES Water, will also slash its shareholder dividend as part of the “operational reset”, cutting the payout by around 30% in total, also including the impact of the equity raise.

“Investment is needed to achieve improvements – we’re funding the plans in the right way,” he said. Customer bills are already increasing as part of existing plans to pump in about £2.6bn of investment as agreed with regulator Ofwat. But Mr Haslett said the extra £1bn of investment announced under his strategy overhaul will not see additional bill increases. It follows last month's record-breaking fine for South West Water handed down at Plymouth Magistrates' Court for 18 charges of environmental offences relating to pollution incidents in Devon and Cornwall over a six-year period. The group confirmed this fine would be paid for by its shareholders, separate to the rights issue, and not through bill increases. PA

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Low-income households to get Budget bills help

Low-income households could have their energy costs cut at this month's Budget as forecasters warn bills will rise to nearly £2,000 in the new year. Chancellor John Healey is reportedly looking to spend over £1bn to see greater discounts applied to households less able to afford rising costs. This will likely come in the form of an expanded Warm Home Discount, which currently grants an annual £150 rebate to households receiving a qualifying means-tested benefit. This could be boosted by another £100, The Guardian reports.

As many as sixm households received the discount last year after the government expanded eligibility for the scheme, with qualifying benefits including universal credit, pension credit and housing benefit. The cost of the scheme is placed on participating energy providers, rather than the government. Energy bills were reduced by £45 on average from October following an early announcement by Andy Burnham to remove VAT costs from electricity bills. This followed an average £150 reduction from April through Rachel Reeves' decision to cut two green levies from bill costs. Albert Toth

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Energy firm could withhold UK investment

Norwegian state energy firm Equinor could withhold future UK funding if the government fails to sanction new oil and gas extraction in the North Sea. Anders Opedal, chief executive of the company, indicated that alternative markets would be

considered if green lights are denied for the Jackdaw and Rosebank projects. The stance comes despite Labour promising a complete ban on new North Sea drilling within its election manifesto.

However, last month prime minister Andy Burnham noted that he would adopt a "pragmatic" approach towards North Sea oil and gas ahead of pending rulings on Jackdaw and Rosebank "as we build a bridge to a clean energy future as we confront the climate crisis". Mr Opedal told the BBC the decision on whether to greenlight the two sites was "a political choice", adding: "The question will be: is the UK investable in the future? I hope it will not come to that. The North Sea oil and gas industry started on the UK side. We learned from the UK and it's actually the same geology on both sides of the border – several fields actually cross it." PA

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HSBC ‘plans brutal wealth management job cuts’

HSBC is preparing to cut jobs in its UK wealth management business as part of efforts to ramp up the use of artificial intelligence (AI) to serve wealthy customers more efficiently, reports have said. The bank is in the middle of a consultation period over the proposed changes. Around half of the wealth division's management and specialist roles are expected to be cut, while its financial advisers will be reduced by up to around 70%, the Financial Times reported, citing an anonymous source familiar with the plans. It cited one source describing the cuts as “deep, wide and brutal” and that almost entire teams would be made redundant.

The bank has been investing in technology and group chief executive Georges Elhedery has been an advocate of the use of AI tools to help simplify processes and make things more efficient. In a blog post in July, the boss said the bank had been equipping relationship managers with AI to serve customers faster, including a tool that delivers market insights and personalised investment strategies. PA

Kane might be England's greatest player but he still needs one thing

The numbers, longevity and sheer force of Kane's self-made brilliance make a compelling case that England has never produced a better player, writes Lawrence Ostlere

Harry Kane celebrates after scoring England's third goal against Czech Republic on Wednesday (Photos Getty)

efore we begin to discuss Harry Kane's place in English football history, first we need to locate the right word. The genius of Harry Kane? That feels wrong, like something that should be reserved for

Paul Gascoigne and Wayne Rooney, players with a dangerous gift. The greatness of Harry Kane? That feels like it belongs to those who have reached the highest pinnacles, like Bobby Charlton and Bobby Moore, players who have touched gold.

It speaks to one of the curiosities of Kane that he is different from elite players in English history and even in the current football ecosystem. In a world of fast-twitch dribblers and mischievous creators, of technical wizards and physical beasts, Kane has developed into a strangely deft, powerful, meticulous and uniquely brilliant footballer. Ah, perhaps that will do: the brilliance of Harry Kane.

Thomas Tuchel congratulates Kane on winning player of the match against Czech Republic

At the core of his brilliance is that Kane created himself through sheer will with the sort of recursive self-improvement AI could learn from. Cristiano Ronaldo is often held up as the poster boy for hard work, someone who took the seeds of his own talent and grew them into a forest with his bare hands. But the 18-year-old Ronaldo was already so impressive for Sporting Lisbon that

Manchester United's players demanded Sir Alex Ferguson sign him. Whereas the 18-year-old Kane was on loan at Millwall.

“I didn’t think he would go to this level,” Bournemouth captain Adam Smith, who came through the Tottenham academy with Kane, recently told Ben Foster’s Fozcast. “I don’t think anyone thought he would. Physically he wasn’t amazing. He was a big guy but he wasn’t ultra strong. The one thing I noticed, his finishing was always top drawer.

“He always had a top mentality, though … As a 14-year-old, he was always a little bit different. You know a lot of youngsters would just follow each other, but he’d always do his own thing. He had the mental edge on a lot of players.”

Coaches and teammates didn't expect the teenaged Kane to become one of the best players in the world

It was that drive that took Kane to the very outer limits of his potential, a fire lit by Arsenal's rejection at eight years old, a relentless mindset inspired by the Tom Brady documentary he watched while on loan at Leicester. His eye for finishing was instinctive but Kane taught himself to hit with his left foot, to time his leap and head with precision. He very deliberately trained himself to shoot in the chaos of a match situation.

“Someone said to me recently, another player, that my biggest strength is being able to finish from uncomfortable positions,” Kane recently told The Athletic, when asked about his memorable blast into the top corner to beat DR Congo at the World Cup. “So, when I’m off-balance, I’m still able to get my shots off. A lot of players wouldn’t be able to generate the same power from that position.”

Less heralded is how he uses his body as both shield and battering ram, skills honed to a level of mastery. So many of Kane's greatest goals, just like that one against DR Congo, revolve around his ability to position himself so that a defender cannot touch the ball without conceding a foul. He uses defenders as foils and screens, and trains with mannequins to replicate them in his periphery.

Harry kane sweeps home England's second goal against Czech Republic

Is Kane the best Englishman to ever play the game? The numbers are compelling: 91 goals in 125 England games, an absurd 152 goals in 154 games for Bayern Munich, a ludicrous 73 for club and country last season, something only bettered once

He will overtake Peter Shilton when he tips over to 126 caps against Croatia next month, and you just know he will be fit to do so, which speaks to the work he has put into his body. He is still only 33 and the examples of Ronaldo, Messi and Robert Lewandowski in recent years show that Kane might feasibly still be scoring goals at 40. He will be a little slower then, but then he has always thrived despite a lack of explosive pace.

There are, still, two persistent criticisms of Kane. One is that he doesn’t deliver in the most important games, which just isn’t true: in both the Champions League and major international tournaments, Kane has scored 26 goals in 38 knockout games. Ronaldo has 71 in 102; Messi has 61 in 103. Kane has been in that situation far less often, but his record of 0.68 goals per knockout game stands alongside the best two players of the 21st century. As if to underline the point, Kane scored a hat-trick in last season’s German cup final.

Kane celebrates after scoring a hat-trick in the German cup final

Of course Kane didn't perform to his very best in defeats like that by Argentina this summer, or else England would have won.

In the same way, Messi did very little in the most recent World Cup final and Argentina lost. It is both fair to say Kane could have done more in knockout defeats and that the team simply didn’t do enough to win those games. It is also true that England wouldn’t have reached those latter stages without Kane.

The other argument is that he has not won enough trophies, and while he has attended to that anomaly with Bayern, he still hasn't delivered for England. The counterpoint is that Kane has captained the team through its most successful period since 1966 – two finals, two semi-finals and one quarter-final in eight years. The defeats show the fine margins: four 2-1 losses, including one in extra time and one after Kane himself had missed a penalty, and one shootout.

There will be one or two more opportunities, including a home Euros in the UK and Ireland in 2028. It is not a stretch to imagine Jude Bellingham, Declan Rice and Elliot Anderson grow into the best midfield trio in international football by then. Thomas Tuchel still needs to settle on his No 1 goalkeeper and build a cohesive defensive unit, but England will go into the tournament as one of the favourites to win.

Lionel Messi and Harry Kane embrace at the end of the World Cup semi-final

Does Kane need the trophy to cement his legacy as England's best player? If he finishes his career with 160 caps and 120 goals, would that be enough? Or would the very fact that Bobby Moore and Bobby Charlton won the World Cup always leave Kane's career incomplete, an elite player in the shadow of England's winning generation?

Perhaps there is only so much one man can do. Like Kane in the Euro 2020 final, Messi scored his penalty in the shootout of the 2022 World Cup final, and then watched as his legacy as the greatest player of all time was sealed by [checks notes] Gonzalo Montiel's side-kick past Hugo Lloris.

Kane may yet get there, such is his unending perseverance. The art of goalscoring is his obsession and that, really, is his genius. That is his greatness. And if Kane's story is never told in quite those terms, without the natural talent or silverware of the other great players, then perhaps it is all the more remarkable that he has climbed to the football's summit.

Sport/Football

England look like a team reborn in the Nations League. Does it matter?

A dominant win over Czech Republic rounded off a positive international break – but Will Castle ponders whether anything has actually changed

England rounded off the international break with victory over Czech Republic (AP)

ngland came into the first international break of the season carrying a “scar” of their World Cup failure. That scar is still very much there after a drawn-out three-week camp, but renewed promise has helped process.

the healing process.

If there were fears that the woes of Thomas Tuchel's men would snowball into a full-blown crisis, that has not happened. Another dominant display against Czech Republic rounded off their quartet of Nations League outings and Tuchel will part ways with his squad feeling happy with what he has seen.

England have enjoyed an excellent international break (Reuters)

“It’s always important to take the next step,” Tuchel said. “The commitment of the players and the attitude of the players from first day in camp was on a very high level, and I’m happy that we could prove it in all four matches.”

After a tournament where England's intensity and cutting edge went missing when it mattered most, the Three Lions have seemed to find their roar back on European soil. There has been a real intensity to Tuchel's side that we hadn't seen before; a relentless press that exposed its opponents. Croatia, a husk of the team that broke English hearts eight years before Argentina did the same, shipped seven as England refused to stop.

Thomas Tuchel is delighted with what he's seen from his England side in the first international break post-World Cup (PA)

Against the Czechs, the end result wasn't as brutal with England tiring in the latter stages; perhaps the strain of such a long camp began to finally take its toll. But the outcome was rarely ever in doubt, even before Harry Kane notched his brace on a record-equalling 125th cap, drawing level with Peter Shilton. Jude Bellingham hailed his captain as the “best England player to have worn the shirt” after the final whistle.

England aren’t just running hard, though; the freedom they have been playing with over the past weeks speaks to the loosening of shackles under Tuchel. Kane’s first was a simple-enough finish, but it was the culmination of probably the most beautiful move of the German’s reign. Elliot Anderson with a sublime lofted first-time pass with his back to goal, finding the run of Morgan Rogers on the right who guided his own one-touch cross low into the path of Kane to score. Tick, tick, boom.

It’s these moments of beauty and brilliance that reiterate this team’s potential. But as we enter a new international cycle, the question lingers over whether England can come up with this sort of magic when the world is watching.

Harry Kane finished off probably the best goal of the Tuchel era so far (Reuters)

England's relationship with pressure is well documented; it's been the basis of 60 years of hurt. At the World Cup, Tuchel's ill-fated decision to go defensive against Argentina felt like it was born from a fear of failure on the biggest stage. You don't get that in the Nations League.

Uefa will insist to the contrary, and players will call it a piece of silverware they want to win. But the Nations League is a B-list competition at best, and a complicated mish-mash of glorified friendlies to its most apathetic. There is not the weight of pressure and expectation, nor the everlasting pain of failure (Spain seemed to get over their 2025 final loss rather easily), which in turn lets England to spread their wings.

Tuchel was allowed to move on from his side's knife-edge defeat to Spain at the beginning of the international break rather than be hounded on his shortcomings, with England scoring 12 to no reply since. There was no such luxury in the United States. He was evidently still tetchy about firestorm he faced immediately after the Argentina loss, which completely drowned out the fact his team still had a third-place play-off to play. He thinks the level of scrutiny was too high - asked why, he snapped back: "Were you in the press conference before the France game? You would know why."

Tuchel is still tetchy about the firestorm he faced following England's semi-final loss to Argentina (Getty)

Fortunately, that will be less of a factor in his Nations League title tilt, with England's progression to the quarter-finals now all but sealed. His team will not be weighed down by a burning desire for glory, because frankly the Nations League isn't the type of glory fans are yearning for.

The struggle in maintaining this fire and freedom will instead stem from the schedule, with the Nations League finale coming at the end of a typically jam-packed season for his mostly Premier League-playing squad.

“We will always have this disadvantage that most of our players play in the most demanding league with the most matches, in teams that play 60-plus matches, and every single match in the Premier League is a tough one,” Tuchel laments. “We will always arrive in any tournament in summer with this disadvantage, but we have a competitive edge and the players will be ready. We were ready at the World Cup physically, and we will be ready at hopefully the Nations League finals, and we will be ready in the Euros.”

With encouraging signs aplenty, the vibe inside Wembley was perhaps not what you'd have expected three months ago.

Captivated by the football being played, the fans were singing Tuchel's name. "It means a lot. It's the biggest honour," the manager says.

Tuchel feels the intensity of the Premier League puts his team at a disadvantage when summer tournaments roll around (Getty)

The hope is that these signs will turn into silverware; triumph in the Nations League will provide, if nothing else, the long-awaited optic of England lifting a trophy. But the reality is England can’t provide answers to this summer’s shortfalls in this particular competition, just like they can’t exactly prove title credentials in qualifying. England need to get out of their own heads and when it truly counts. They’ll get an opportunity to do so in no less than 20 months, when the Euros lands at their doorstep.

The hurdles in Man City's appeal – and the ‘magic bullet’ they need

Man City will fight the guilty verdict in their Premier League breaches case but Miguel Delaney explains why they face an uphill struggle and provides a timeline of what comes next

Manchester City will appeal against the guilty verdict but face an uphill struggle (Reuters)

o think that the dominant topics when the Premier League broke for the international window were over Michael Carrick's future and whether Alexander Isak can rediscover his form.

Within a mere three weeks we're now in another era, having passed a genuine historic landmark. It is an era shaking with uncertainty, despite finally having that concrete development of the Manchester City decision.

That is because much of that uncertainty is over what next; how long the league is going to live with this; when the next development will even be; whether sanctions will come before the outcome of the appeal...

And the answer is: the process is still so private that it's difficult to say. From speaking to various legal figures and those who work in football regulation, though, one aggregation of expectations is the following:

The sanctions with full decision – including the revelatory appendices – could actually come next, possibly by the end of November and even within four weeks.

The current appeal decision is expected at some point between January and March, but it could then go to arbitration.

The sanctions themselves can be appealed, and potentially decided by mid-May.

The consensus is nevertheless that it is imperative this is concluded before the end of the season to finally bring clarity to English football. Much of that, however, is dependent on the appeal itself.

While the prospect has weighed over the process almost as much as the initial investigation itself, it is nowhere near the same.

An appeal isn't, as one source says, “a silver bullet”. It almost has to be a magic bullet, working around the potential gaps.

An appeal can only assess whether the initial panel made any procedural or legal errors. Legal experts already see this as difficult given that the decision was built on the strength of the evidence rather than points of law, and is already viewed as being “bullet-proof” on all sides.

This isn't a new hearing, either, and new evidence cannot be presented outside exceptional circumstances.

It's known that City intend to pursue a number of avenues, including matters of fact, law and procedure, that they believe make the decision “unsafe”.

There have already been heavy implications that they will challenge the independence of the panel, most notably in CEO Ferran Soriano's comment that they are looking for “a proper adjudication in an independent and impartial body”.

This would be in-keeping with a pattern.

\- In 2020, City accused the initial Uefa case of a “prejudicial” process

\- In 2021, it was revealed City had argued of the Premier League case that there was “a real possibility that the arbitrators were biased”

\- In 2023, the Times reported that City are understood to have challenged the involvement of Murray Rosen KC as head of the independent judicial panel. Rosen's chambers' profile listed him as “a member of the MCC and Arsenal FC”

\- In 2024, City claimed “discrimination against Gulf ownership” in the APT case

These were all dismissed.

Man City CEO Ferran Soriano has maintained the club's innocence (Reuters)

Soriano's internal video, however, further emphasised that one of City's most significant issues is the Independent Commission refuting what they describe as “irrefutable evidence”.

Through various reports and portrayals of the form the appeal will take, it appears likely the evidence will be intended to show that, although City's Abu Dhabi sponsors did require that funding to meet commitments, they argue this came from central government – known as the Crown Prince Court (CPC) – and not from City's legal owner, which was then under a company called Abu Dhabi United Group (ADUG).

This defence was labelled the “CPC Explanation” by the Commission, who determined it to be false and concocted after the fact.

The aim for City, then, would be to convince the appeal board to believe what the Commission would not; that the latter acted unfairly or unreasonably when arriving at this decision.

A number of Man City's titles are coming under scrutiny (PA)

From the publicly available details, though, there are considerable challenges. Or, as one legal figure puts, it, “they will have to convince the appeal board to ignore significant volumes of conflicting evidence”.

One challenge is from the hundreds of emails exchanged between City's CFO, Head of Finance, CEO, COO, board directors – some of whom were also senior leaders in the UAE government – and UAE government employees of the Executive Affairs Authority at the time, clearly asserting the funds were being transferred from ADUG to sponsors. These emails spanned the eight years in question, even forming the subject of presentations named “Summary of Owner Investment”.

The appeal board would also need to believe that none of these individuals were ever corrected of this “false assumption” over eight years, and even that key City and UAE individuals like Simon Pearce were somehow mistaken about the source of the funding when they confirmed they had actually transferred them personally.

A second challenge comes from the fact City did not present this defence to Uefa or the Court of Arbitration for Sport back in

Key City witnesses at the CAS hearing, such as Pearce and former Etihad CEO David Hogan, similarly failed to raise it at any point in their witness testimony when explaining where the funds were sourced from.

Sheikh Mansour is Man City's owner (PA)

Third is that City themselves previously confirmed that their owner, ADUG, had provided liquidity to the sponsors.

This matter was “time-barred” at CAS, meaning the panel did not decide whether it breached the rules and it could not affect their decision-making.

It pertained to two payments of £15m each, recorded as Etisalat sponsor income by City in 2011-12 and 2012-13, and – crucially – it was said that ADUG “caused” the sponsorship fees of £30m to be paid by an individual called Jaber Mohamed. Etisalat was purported to have had liquidity issues at the time, and could not afford to pay its sponsorship commitments. They confirmed the lender in question was fully repaid in 2015 by Etisalat. That lender was ADUG. It begs the question of why not Jaber Mohamed?

City could well say Jaber Mohamed was acting in a CPC capacity, not as an individual, but this would be inconsistent with evidence given to Uefa and does not get around their evidence that “ADUG caused to be paid” or Etisalat paid ADUG. They cannot say ADUG were not involved, unless Uefa were misled or a mistake was made.

ADUG was paying the Etisalat sponsorships for two years running (PA)

A question the panel may consequently have to consider is that if Abu Dhabi sponsors could obtain liquidity from the CPC to fund the City sponsor contracts, why was ADUG paying City's Etisalat sponsorships for two years running?

Even if City are able to convince the appeal board to ignore all of that evidence and determine the Commission acted unreasonably in reaching their conclusion, that would not be sufficient. The Commission also found that City and its Abu Dhabi-owned sponsors constituted “related parties”. So, even if they received the additional funds from the CPC, that would still be a rule breach.

City would have to convince the appeal board that this finding of fact was unreasonable, too, although the details of that are dependent on the as-yet unseen appendices.

However, the CPC explanation necessitates all City's executives and board directors who requested funds to be paid by ADUG to the sponsors (or stated they had made payments from ADUG themselves) to have actually made “false assumption” and would mean that “instead, they were requesting of instructing that the money be paid from the CPC without knowing it”.

There is plenty for Man City to ponder as they launch their appeal (PA)

If so, then these individuals had sufficient authority or influence to ensure the CPC made payments of tens of millions of pounds at their request to settle the financial affairs of the sponsors. In which case, that level of influence might automatically make the parties “related”.

The higher stakes are illustrated by how the appeal board will likely have forthright jurists rather than KCs, as the Commission did.

It is, in many ways, a new world.

Farcical China Open finale highlights problem of pushing stars to the limit

Injuries and a default meant both the semi-finals and the final in Beijing ended in walkovers, a state of affairs summing up how tennis faces a reckoning with its bloated and brutal calendar

Flo Clifford

Alex de Minaur retired in the China Open final (Reuters)

An unusual detail about Novak Djokovic's seventh China Open title was that the last three matches of the tournament all ended without a match point being played. Daniil Medvedev was defaulted for hitting a spectator with a ball, and both semi-finalists in the other half of the draw, Hubert Hurkacz and Alex de Minaur, ultimately retired with injury, the latter in the final itself.

That takes nothing away from Djokovic, who has endured a generally rather torrid year but played some vintage tennis in Beijing. But it once again shines an uncomfortable spotlight on two issues tennis refuses to reckon with: player behaviour, and the much-maligned calendar and its impact on the injuries which have ripped through the Tour of late.

Medvedev's act of recklessness means he leaves Beijing with no ATP points and no prize money to show for a fine run to the semi-finals. But he at least leaves with his body intact. Hurkacz and De Minaur, the latter pictured fighting back tears after a groin injury, now face indefinite lay-offs and their knock-on effects. The Australian is currently 10th in the live ATP rankings and in with a shout of reaching the season-ending Finals. Djokovic may now sneak in instead.

This unexpectedly attritional edition of the China Open was followed by the news that world No 1 Jannik Sinner has opted to end his season prematurely to undergo treatment on a knee injury. The issue has kept him out of action since he won Wimbledon in early July; he will now not be seen until January at the earliest.

It was telling that the 25-year-old – he is still only 25 – said he “needed to think about my long-term career” when announcing the decision. The Italian won five Masters 1000 tournaments in a row from March to May, four of them widely-reviled two-week events, with little time to recover in between. Sinner made history as the youngest man to complete the career set of Masters. But at what cost?

Sinner has not competed since lifting the Wimbledon trophy (PA)

His rival Carlos Alcaraz is only just back from the wrist injury which sidelined him for nearly five months. After 2025 was the year of “Sincaraz”, where the pair split the four slams and contested a series of finals, including the electrifying French Open showpiece, 2026 has been an absolute dud. The sport’s two biggest stars only met once, in the Monte Carlo final, and have barely been fit at the same time. Tennis’ injury crisis is bigger than two men – but it is damning for a sport competing for airtime and storylines, that its greatest attraction has been a complete footnote to the season.

It wouldn't be so bad if there was a supporting cast able to take up their mantle, but many of their generation have been sidelined too: Holger Rune has only just returned from an achilles tear sustained this time last year; Jack Draper is a permanent fixture of the physio room having once been world No 4; Arthur Fils missed his home slam with a hip injury before underlining his potential – if he can stay injury-free – by winning his maiden Masters 1000 title in Cincinnati.

In the absence of young starlets Alexander Zverev, surely the most over-promoted man in tennis, has won two grand slam titles, dispensing with just two top-10 opponents in the process.

And while Djokovic has failed to take his chances on the biggest stage, and has struggled with the slow, inevitable deterioration of his body, the 39-year-old is still one of the best active players – memorably beating Zverev on his way to the Beijing title. He has made an art form out of playing a heavily reduced calendar to protect his body; Alcaraz and Aryna Sabalenka have both said they too will now start skipping mandatory tournaments for the sake of their own longevity.

Djokovic rolled back the years in Beijing (Getty)

This part of the season often feels like both Tours fall off a cliff, the momentum which sustains players and viewers all the way through the grand slams suddenly vanishing. Emma Navarro, a former US Open semi-finalist, is another to miss out on this Asian swing entirely to prepare for 2027, after opening up about a series of debilitating health conditions which left her exhausted, starving and mentally drained throughout 2023 and 2024.

When the sport pushes players to such extremes, it’s probably time for it to reconsider some things. Maybe an off-season which at least extends into the following calendar year would help, rather than the Australian Open build-up beginning even before New Year’s Eve.

Sports news in brief

Lionel Messi signed off from international football with a goal against Benin (Reuters)

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Messi bids tearful farewell to Argentina

Lionel Messi described playing for Argentina as “the most wonderful thing” after ending his international career with a goal in a 3-0 win over Benin in Buenos Aires. The 39-year-old ends his international career with 208 senior caps, the most of any player in the team’s history, with his 126 goals for Argentina also a record. Messi won the 2022 World Cup and two Copa Americas during his 21-year spell on the international stage.

On an emotional night, Messi also created the first two goals, assisting first another departing Argentina player in 38-year-old centre-back Nicolas Otamendi and then Nico Paz. “I feel so many emotions,” said Messi, who announced his international retirement following this summer’s World Cup and the death of his father. “The first thing I think about is my old man. I can only express my gratitude; it was a tremendous honour to wear this jersey for over 20 years. I never stopped fighting, never stopped giving my all." Argentina boss Lionel Scaloni said: "It's been a dream come true. I never thought I'd be the coach of the best footballer in history." PA

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Chisora retirement U-turn

Derek Chisora says he has not retired – and will fight for a world title in December. The 42-year-old lost to Deontay Wilder in a slugfest back in April, a bout that was billed as Chisora’s 50th and final fight after a 19-year career. However, ‘Delboy’ has now dismissed any suggestion that he had hung up the gloves by revealing in a news conference held by the IBA that he will be returning to the ring to fight Murat Gassiev before the end of the year.

“December will be me versus Gassiev,” said Chisora. “We're going to decide where, either in London or Manchester. We're going to put two belts on the line, I believe, the IBA and the one Gassiev holds.” Much of the back-end of Chisora's career has seen the Brit go back on retirement, with a handful of his more recent outings being sold as farewell fights. Chisora, however, has defended his intention to fight on as he looks to add to his 36 career wins, 23 of which have come by knockout. Will Castle

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Rwanda on course to host F1 race

Rwanda looks set to pip South Africa to the post as Formula 1 nears a permanent return to Africa. F1 has not raced in Africa – the only habitable continent not currently on the calendar – since the 1993 South African Grand Prix, at the Kyalami Circuit outside Johannesburg. Kyalami and Cape Town have expressed an interest in returning to the schedule, but Rwanda looks to have beaten them to the punch, with plans in motion to build a permanent facility 40km outside Kigali.

The Independent understands that conversations between Rwanda and F1 stakeholders are ongoing and an announcement is expected soon. Various reports suggest a race in Rwanda would not come before 2030. Lewis Hamilton, whose father

Anthony is of Afro-Grenadian descent, has previously voiced his backing for an F1 race in Africa. Hamilton has spent past summer breaks travelling in Africa, and previously described Rwanda as “particularly stunning” and a “place I felt like I could live.” Kieran Jackson

Rugby tackles lower limb injuries with new penalty

World Rugby has announced that it will crack down on the so-called “hip-drop” tackle from November as it looks to protect player welfare. The technique that sees a tackler from behind drop their body weight on the lower limbs of a ball carrier was outlawed by the National Football League (NFL) two years ago, and rugby union’s lawmakers have now followed suit.

Tackles of that type will now be punishable by at least a penalty after research showed that they can cause serious leg injuries. In rugby league, hip drop tackles have been illegal since 2020, with Newcastle Knights hooker Phoenix Crossland recently sent off after an incident that left Nathan Cleary of the Penrith Panthers needing emergency surgery. Harry Latham-Coyle

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Joe El-Abd to leave England after World Cup

England assistant coach Joe El-Abd will leave the set-up after next year's Rugby World Cup to take up a role in France's Top 14. El-Abd, a former housemate and close friend of Steve Borthwick, joined the staff in 2024 as a defence coach, before taking up a post overseeing England's forwards last year. He will depart, though, after the 2027 tournament and is bound for Clermont Auvergne as the successor to Christophe Urios.

“Joe is an outstanding coach and continues to make a significant contribution to both the team and the environment,” Borthwick said. “His knowledge of the game and the quality of his coaching have made him a hugely valuable member of our coaching team.” Borthwick and the rest of his staff are expected to have their contracts extended through to the summer of 2028, though their longer-term futures will ultimately be judged on performance up