Former US Vice-President Dick Cheney, a key architect of George W Bush's "war on terror" and an early advocate of the invasion of Iraq in 2003, has died at the age of 84.

He died from complications of pneumonia and cardiac and vascular disease on Monday night, his family said.

Cheney served as Gerald Ford's White House chief of staff in the 1970s, before later becoming one of the most powerful US vice presidents in history under Bush.

In his later years, he became a bitter critic of the Republican party under the leadership of Donald Trump.

"Dick Cheney was a great and good man who taught his children and grandchildren to love our country, and to live lives of courage, honour, love, kindness, and fly fishing," his family said in a statement.

• Follow our live updates on Cheney's life and legacy

Cheney was born in Lincoln, Nebraska in 1941 and later attended the prestigious Yale University on a scholarship but failed to graduate.

He went on to gain a Master's degree in political science from the University of Wyoming.

His first taste of Washington came in 1968, when he worked for William Steiger, a young Republican representative from Wisconsin.

Cheney became chief of staff under Ford when he was just 34, before spending a decade in the House of Representatives.

As secretary of defence under George Bush Snr, he presided over the Pentagon during the 1990-91 Gulf War, in which a US-led coalition evicted Iraqi troops from Kuwait.

He then became VP to George W Bush in 2001 and played a greater role in making major policy decisions than most of his predecessors.

It is for this role that he will be remembered best and most controversially.

During the younger Bush's administration, he singlehandedly turned his role as vice-president from what was traditionally an empty role, with little formal power, into a de-facto deputy presidency, overseeing American foreign policy and national security in the wake of the 11 September attacks on the World Trade Center and Pentagon in 2001.

He was a leading advocate of US military action in both Afghanistan and Iraq.

In the lead-up to the invasion of Iraq, Cheney said that Saddam Hussein's regime possessed so-called weapons of mass destruction. Such weapons were never found during the military campaign.

He also repeatedly claimed there were links between Iraq and al-Qaeda, the terror group led by Osama bin Laden that claimed responsibility for the 9/11 attacks. He said the attackers would incur the "full wrath" of American military might.

"The fact is we know that Saddam Hussein and Iraq were heavily involved with terror," Cheney said in 2006.

In 2005, Cheney warned of "decades of patient effort" in the war on terror, warning "it will be resisted by those whose only hope for power is through the spread of violence".

His key role in the campaign heavily affected his political legacy, after the US took years to extricate itself from its costly war in Iraq, which resulted in the deaths of hundreds of thousands of people.

Despite decades working for Republican presidents, he later became a bitter opponent of President Donald Trump.

Having initially endorsed him in 2016, Cheney was appalled by allegations of Russian interference in the presidential election and Trump's seemingly casual attitude towards Nato.

He supported his older daughter, Liz, as she became a leading Republican "never Trump" in the House of Representatives - and condemned the refusal to accept the result of the 2020 election.

Two months before last year's US presidential election, Cheney staged a major intervention: announcing that he would vote for the Democrats' Kamala Harris.

He said there had "never been an individual who is a greater threat to our republic than Donald Trump".

In return, Trump called Cheney "irrelevant RINO" - an acronym which stands for "Republican in name only".

In his final years, Cheney would become a persona non grata in his own party, which had been reshaped in Trump's image.

His daughter, who had followed him into Congress, was ousted from office for her criticism of Trump.

In an odd final twist, his own Trump criticism - and endorsement of Harris - would win him praise from some on the left who had once denounced him decades earlier.

At least 40 people in Sudan have been killed in a drone strike that targeted a funeral that was taking place outside the army-held city of el-Obeid in North Kordofan state, officials and activists say.

They blamed the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) for Monday's attack on al-Luweib village as mourners had gathered in a tent. The RSF has not yet commented.

Many reportedly died before getting to hospital in el-Obeid, a strategic city that connects the capital, Khartoum, to the western region of Darfur.

Fighting has intensified in this oil-rich Kordofan area and around 20,000 people fled to el-Obeid last week after the RSF captured Bara town, 30km (18 miles) north of the city.

The town fell at the same time as the city of el-Fasher, which had been the army's last stronghold in Darfur.

There have since been reports of mass killings, sexual violence, abductions and widespread looting in el-Fasher by RSF fighters.

The UN said summary executions of civilians by RSF fighters had also also been reported in Bara.

Such atrocities could amount to war crimes and crimes against humanity, the International Criminal Court (ICC) has warned.

The RSF leader has promised to investigate "violations" but his paramilitary group has denied widespread allegations that the killings in el-Fasher are ethnically motivated and follow a pattern of the Arab paramilitaries targeting non-Arab populations.

The ICC's statement came as a global group of food security experts confirmed on Monday that el-Fasher residents were suffering from famine following the RSF's 18-month siege of the city.

The UN-accredited Integrated Food Security Phase network (IPC) also said the city of Kadugli in South Kordofan state was in the most catastrophic stage of hunger.

The city, nearly 300km south of el-Obeid, has been also surrounded and starved of supplies by the RSF.

UN chief António Guterres has called for an immediate halt to the violence in Sudan, warning that the humanitarian crisis is rapidly worsening.

"The horrifying crisis in Sudan... is spiralling out of control," he said on the side-lines of a summit in Doha.

"El-Fasher and the surrounding areas... have been an epicentre of suffering, hunger, violence and displacement - and since the Rapid Support Forces entered el-Fasher last weekend, the situation is growing worse by the day," AFP news agency quotes him as saying.

Guterres urged the army and the RSF to come to the negotiating table and "bring an end to this nightmare of violence".

A Sudanese government source has told AFP that the authorities are considering a US proposal for a truce.

Washington - along with other states - has been pushing for a ceasefire and a roadmap to end the conflict.

There have been several rounds of peace talks in Saudi Arabia and Bahrain - but they have failed - and both sides have shown an unwillingness to agree to a ceasefire.

The North Kordofan Resistance Committee, a volunteer aid group, said the attack on the village, which is 15km east of el-Obeidz, happened on Monday.

Mohamed Ismail, North Kordofan's humanitarian aid commissioner, told the Sudan Tribune new website: "Drones belonging to the Rapid Support Forces militia attacked citizens who were at a funeral, resulting in the death of 40 people and the injury of dozens."

Last week, the UN said el-Obeid was already struggling to cope with the influx of those fleeing from Bara.

Since the civil war erupted between the army and RSF in April 2023, more than 150,000 people have died about 12 million have fled their homes in what the UN has called the world's largest humanitarian crisis.

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At least three people have been killed and hundreds of thousands have been forced to flee their homes as a typhoon ripped through the central Philippines, the country's disaster agency said.

Typhoon Kalmaegi has flooded large areas, including entire towns on the island of Cebu.

Videos show people sheltering on rooftops, while cars and shipping containers have been swept through the streets.

A military helicopter deployed to assist relief efforts crashed in northern Mindanao island, the Philippine Air Force (PAF) said. It is not yet clear if there were any survivors of the crash.

The typhoon, locally named Tino, has weakened since making landfall early on Tuesday, but has continued to bring winds of more than 80mph (130km/h).

It is forecast to move across the Visayas islands region and out over the South China Sea by Wednesday.

"The situation in Cebu is really unprecedented," provincial governor Pamela Baricuatro said in a Facebook post.

"We were expecting the winds to be the dangerous part, but... the water is what's truly putting our people at risk," she said.

"The floodwaters are just devastating."

Don del Rosario, 28, was among those in Cebu City who sought refuge on an upper floor as the storm raged.

"I've been here for 28 years, and this is by far the worst we've experienced," he told the AFP news agency.

In a statement, the PAF said a rescue helicopter went down near Agusan del Sur on Mindanao island.

"Communication with the helicopter was lost, which immediately prompted the launch of a search and rescue operation," it said, adding that further details will be released "as they become verified".

In total, almost 400,000 people were moved from the typhoon's path, Rafaelito Alejandro, deputy administrator at the Office of Civil Defence, told a news conference.

The Philippines is hit by an average of 20 storms and typhoons each year.

The latest comes barely a month after back-to-back typhoons killed over a dozen people and wrought damage to infrastructure and crops.

Super Typhoon Ragasa, known locally as Nando, struck in late September, followed swiftly by Typhoon Bualoi, known locally as Opong.

In the months before, an extraordinarily wet monsoon season caused widespread flooding, sparking anger and protests over unfinished and sub-standard flood control systems that have been blamed on corruption.

On 30 September, dozens were killed and injured after a powerful 6.9 magnitude earthquake struck the central Philippines, with Cebu bearing the brunt of the damage.

Tanzanian police have lifted a night-time curfew imposed since last Wednesday in the main city Dar es Salaam following deadly election protests, as life slowly returns to normal across the country.

Following the unrest, the internet was cut nationwide and most shops in Dar es Salaam closed amid acute shortages of basic essentials and soaring prices. Schools shut and public transport came to a halt.

On Tuesday, some shops reopened and traffic resumed but with queues persisting at some petrol stations in Dar es Salaam.

Families continue to search for or bury relatives killed in the clashes between the security forces and opposition supporters who denounced the poll as a sham.

President Samia Suluhu Hassan was sworn in on Monday after being declared the winner of last Wednesday's election with 98% of the vote.

Observers from the Southern African Development Community (Sadc) - a regional bloc which includes Tanzania - said in a preliminary report that the election fell short of democratic standards.

The two main opposition leaders were unable to contest the poll - Tundu Lissu is in detention on treason charges, which he denies, while Luhaga Mpina's candidacy was rejected on technical grounds.

Lissu's Chadema party told the AFP news agency that it had recorded "no less than 800" deaths by Saturday, while a diplomatic source in Tanzania told the BBC there was credible evidence that at least 500 people had died.

The UN human rights office earlier said there were credible reports of at least 10 deaths in three cities.

The government has not given casualty figures.

On Tuesday, a doctor at Muhimbili Hospital in Dar es Salaam told the BBC that vehicles marked "Municipal Burial Services" had been collecting bodies.

"[They] are getting into the mortuary at night to pick bodies of those believed to have died during protests, they leave and take them to unknown destination," said the doctor, who asked not to be identified for safety reasons.

"Relatives are not being given the bodies and survivors are being taken from emergency department to unknown destination by the police… some even before they recover," he added.

Earlier, a Tanzanian woman who asked to be identified as Mama Kassim told the BBC that she had not seen her two sons since polling day - and was unable to reach one of them.

"I don't know where he is, I don't know whether he has been arrested, I don't know if he is injured, I don't know if he is hospitalised, I don't know if he is dead. Oh God, protect my son. He's only 21 years old," she said.

A Kenyan family said it had asked the government to help repatriate the body of a relative, 33-year-old teacher John Okoth Ogutu, who lived in Dar es Salaam. He was allegedly shot by police while on his way to buy food at Gaba Centre in Dar es Salaam.

Campaign group Human Rights Watch (HRW) said the authorities had responded to the widespread protests following the elections "with lethal force and other abuses".

It urged the government "to respect rights and ensure that all those responsible for violence are investigated and appropriately prosecuted".

Amnesty International said it was alarmed by the use of excessive force to suppress protests that had resulted in the deaths and injuries of protesters.

The government has sought to downplay the scale of the violence and has blamed foreign nationals for stoking it.

During her inauguration ceremony, President Samia acknowledged the "loss of lives and destruction of public property", but added that it was "not surprising" that some of those arrested were foreign nationals.

Samia first came into office in 2021 as Tanzania's first female president following the death of President John Magufuli.

She was initially praised for easing political repression under her predecessor, but the political space has since narrowed.

You may also be interested in:

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The suspected attempted murder of 10 people on a train in Cambridgeshire is being linked with three more knife incidents, police have confirmed.

Anthony Williams, 32, of no fixed abode, has been charged over the mass stabbing which took place on the Doncaster to London King's Cross service on Saturday.

British Transport Police (BTP), which has taken the lead on the inquiry, said it was being linked with the stabbing of a 14-year-old boy in Peterborough on Friday evening.

Two incidents in which a man entered a barber shop in the city - on at least one occasion holding a knife - were also being linked.

BTP said it was also linking the stabbings on the rail service, which made an emergency stop in Huntingdon, with a fourth incident on a DLR train at Pontoon Dock in the early hours of Saturday.

Mr Williams has already been charged with an 11th count of attempted murder, after a 17-year-old person was stabbed on the train in east London.

Dep Ch Con Stuart Cundy said BTP was increasing visibility of police officers across the railway network to "reassure" both staff and the "travelling public".

Sir David Beckham has been knighted by King Charles during a ceremony at Windsor Castle, honoured for his services to sport and charity.

The former Manchester United and England star was accompanied by his wife - now known as Lady Victoria - and his parents, Ted and Sandra.

Sir David, 50, was dressed in a grey three-piece suit made by his fashion designer wife, which was inspired by a suit King Charles wore when he was younger.

The footballer said: "[King Charles] was quite impressed with my suit. He's the most elegantly dressed man that I know, so he inspired quite a few of my looks over the years and he definitely inspired this look."

He added: "It was something that my wife made me.

"I looked at old pictures of [King Charles] when he was quite young in morning suits and I was like 'OK, that's what I want to wear' - so I gave it to my wife and she did it."

Speaking of his honour, Sir David said: "I couldn't be prouder. People know how patriotic I am - I love my country.

"I've always said how important the monarchy is to my family.

"I'm lucky enough to have travelled around the world and all people want to talk to me about is our monarchy. It makes me proud."

Lady Victoria received an OBE in 2017 for services to the fashion industry, while Sir David was appointed an officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in 2003.

Sir David played 115 times for his country as well as for Manchester United, Real Madrid, LA Galaxy, Paris St-Germain and AC Milan, retiring in 2013.

He also played a key role in securing the London 2012 Olympics, and has been an ambassador for Unicef since 2005.

Sir David became an ambassador for The King's Foundation in 2024, supporting King Charles' education programme and efforts to ensure young people have a greater understanding of nature.

Others honoured on Tuesday included Nobel Prize-winning novelist Sir Kazuo Ishiguro and West End star Dame Elaine Paige.

Sir Kazuo, whose books include 1989's The Remains of the Day and 2005's Never Let Me Go, for which he won the Man Booker Prize, was made a Companion of Honour.

Evita star Dame Elaine received her honour for services to music and charity.

The 77-year-old wore a blue feathered hat made by a milliner to the late Queen and carried a bag designed by Lady Victoria.

She said she made the King laugh during their conversation, telling the PA news agency: "The King has a very quiet voice and he said to me, I think he said to me, 'Are you keeping your hand in?' after having said to me, 'I haven't seen you in quite a while', which was true.

"And so I said I was keeping my hand in and that I was in fact about to embark on a new album and that I would send him a signed copy if he would like it once it's done.

"He thought that was rather amusing and laughed. I'm sure it's not something that he would be particularly interested in but I will send it anyway."

The album will contain songs the singer grew up listening to, including tunes from The Beatles and Joni Mitchell.

A 14-year-old British boy who took his parents to court after they sent him to boarding school in Africa must remain there until at least the end of his GCSEs, a High Court judge has ruled.

The boy, who cannot be named for legal reasons, was taken to Ghana in March 2024 after being told he was visiting a sick relative.

In fact, his parents wanted him to move there after concerns about his behaviour in London, including absences from school, having unexplained money and carrying a knife, court papers said. The boy denies being part of a gang or carrying a weapon.

A judge ruled on Monday the boy should remain in Ghana and prepare to return after completing the equivalent of GCSEs.

After saying he was unhappy and homesick in Ghana, the boy found publicly funded lawyers and brought a case against his parents to the High Court in London, in February.

He lost his first bid to return when a High Court judge ruled he was at risk of suffering greater harm in returning to the UK.

Then, in June he won a Court of Appeal bid to have the case reheard after the most senior judge in the Family Division, Sir Andrew McFarlane, said there had been confusion in the previous decision.

On Tuesday, the High Court handed down its judgement, which ruled against the boy's wishes, citing ongoing disruption, including to his schoolwork and to his family life.

Judge Mrs Justice Theis said: "I am acutely aware that the conclusion I have reached does not accord with [his] wishes and how that will feel for him...

"[He] has the talent, ability and intelligence to make this work together with his family. It will be difficult but they all have the common aim for [him] to return to live with his family."

The boy, who is nearly 15 and has British and Ghanian citizenship, remains in school in Ghana and is studying for his GCSEs.

He previously told the court that he was "living in hell" and was "desperate" to return to the UK.

He described feeling "like an alien" in Ghana and being "abandoned" by his family. He does not speak Twi and said he has struggled to make friends and feels socially anxious.

The boy "welcomes" the judge's decision to set out a clear roadmap for his return to the UK, said his solicitor, James Netto, of the International Family Law Group.

Mr Netto described the case as "extremely difficult... on every level".

He said the boy never wanted to be in a position where he was "obliged" to bring court proceedings against his own parents, but their actions "left him with no meaningful alternative".

"His position remains unchanged: he wants to return home," Mr Netto added.

The boy's mother said she would not be able to care for him if he returned to the UK before his GCSEs were over.

She said: "It is really hard to be away from him... I feared and continue to fear if he were to come back now, that he could end up dead. I know he does not see it like that…"

Handing down her judgement, Mrs Justice Theis explained that the boy should "remain living in Ghana with the aim of setting out a road map and taking the necessary steps for [him] to return here after completing his GCSEs".

She added: "Whether that would take place will need to be reviewed nearer the time."

The "road map" includes taking part in family therapy funded by their local authority.

Manchester Pride owes a total of £1.3m to performers, suppliers and venues, according to a report outlining its finances.

The charity behind the event announced it had gone bust last month as a growing number of people complained they had not been paid for their work.

A financial report shared with BBC Newsbeat shows that 182 companies and individuals are owed amounts ranging from £30 to £330,329.

It also details the organiser's last-ditch attempts to secure Pride's future once it became clear the 2025 event had lost money.

According to a report prepared by business restructuring specialists KR8 Advisory, headline act Nelly Furtado's production company is owed £145,775.75.

A company linked to headliner and ex-Eurovision contestant Olly Alexander is listed as being owed £48,000.

The list also includes an entry for first aid charity St John Ambulance - owed £47,330.40 - while the company in charge of event venue Mayfield Depot is said to be owed £330,329.

It also says security firm Practical Event Solutions has not been paid £167,892.

The new information also reveals some of the background to Manchester Pride's decision to enter liquidation last month.

It says directors sought legal advice in early September after ticket sales for its August Bank Holiday weekend event were lower than expected.

The charity unsuccessfully explored "rescue proposals" before announcing it would go into liquidation on 16 October, according to the report.

The report said Manchester Pride began 2025 in "challenging circumstances", and also had to contend with the cost-of-living crisis and issues affecting the wider events industry.

Organisers had hoped the launch of the Mardi Gras event at Mayfield Depot would help to shore up the charity's finances and create a template for future years, it adds.

"But as delivery of the festival drew closer, the pace of ticket sales did not accelerate as expected," the report says.

Ultimately, the Mardi Gras event was not successful, the report says, and the losses it generated cancelled out profits from the annual Gay Village Party in the city.

Once it became apparent it had lost money for a third year in a row, the report says bosses sought financial advice and were told they should not make payments to suppliers until their financial position became clear.

It also said the charity prepared a "compelling" bid to Manchester City Council seeking support, but the authority was unable to help after weeks of deliberation.

During this time, it was also waiting to learn whether it had been selected to host EuroPride 2028.

Winning the bid would likely have meant "significant grant funding and sponsorship support would be available", the report says.

After learning they had been unsuccessful on 11 October, the report says Manchester Pride's bosses called an emergency meeting where they explored remaining options to keep the charity going.

Ultimately, the report says, they opted to place the charity into liquidation.

Manchester Pride was one of the UK's biggest LGBT events, with only London and Brighton drawing bigger crowds.

Its organisers have apologised for delays in communication with unpaid acts and contractors.

They had already announced plans to hold next year's event over the August Bank Holiday, as per tradition.

Manchester City Council has said it will "support a new chapter" for the event and is hopeful it will return in 2026.

Entertainment union Equity said it was taking legal advice to determine "the best way forward", and the government's Charity Commission was also looking into concerns around Manchester Pride.

Equity, which represents entertainers and performers, told Newsbeat more people contacted it about money owed after Manchester Pride posted on social media saying it was taking legal and financial advice to determine "the best way forward".

Listen to Newsbeat live at 12:45 and 17:45 weekdays - or listen back here.

King Charles has knighted former England football captain Sir David Beckham at Windsor Castle.

Beckham was awarded a knighthood in the King's Birthday Honours in June, alongside actor Gary Oldman and musician Roger Daltrey.

UK Honours typically celebrate the contribution of well-known personalities, government employees and ordinary people who have served their community.

When are UK honours awarded?

Most UK honours are awarded on the monarch's official birthday in June and at the new year.

The 2025 Birthday Honours also made Dames of author Pat Barker and singer Elaine Page, while Strictly Come Dancing presenters Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman were awarded OBEs.

The reality TV personality Georgia Harrison was made an MBE for her work on online privacy after her former partner was jailed for sharing a video of them having sex.

In the most recent New Year Honours, actor Stephen Fry, former England football manager Gareth Southgate and London Mayor Sadiq Khan were among those knighted.

The list also included an MBE for Olympic 800m champion Keely Hodgkinson, and CBEs for services to drama for actresses Sarah Lancashire and Carey Mulligan.

Dissolution honours are typically given to politicians when Parliament ends before a general election.

Outgoing prime ministers can also award resignation honours.

Former Prime Minister Rishi Sunak named 36 people in his resignation honours list - most of whom were high-profile former Conservative ministers, and advisors.

Boris Johnson and Liz Truss both issued resignation honours when they left office in 2022.

Johnson's controversial list initially contained eight names rejected by the body which approves appointments to the House of Lords.

Truss was widely criticised for submitting an honours list after only 49 days in the job.

How are people chosen for honours?

The New Year and King's Birthday honours are awarded by the King following recommendations by the prime minister or senior government ministers.

Members of the public can also recommend people for an award. These nominations typically make up about a quarter of all recommendations.

Honours' lists include awards for people who:

• have made significant achievements in public life
• committed themselves to serving and helping Britain

Resignation and dissolution honours are decided by the relevant prime minister and do not go through the same process.

The Foreign Office has responsibility for the Diplomatic Service and Overseas List. Honorary awards for foreign nationals are recommended by the foreign secretary.

Honours are traditionally kept confidential until the official announcement.

How and when do people get their honours?

Honours are typically awarded by the King, Prince of Wales or Princess Royal, at Buckingham Palace, Windsor Castle or the Palace of Holyroodhouse.

Recipients can select their investiture's date and location but not which member of the Royal Family will preside over the ceremony.

British Empire Medals are presented locally by lord-lieutenants, who represent the King.

How are nominees vetted?

People in line for an honour are checked by the Honours and Appointments Secretariat, which is part of the Cabinet Office government department.

The Cabinet Office has agreements with other government departments to let it access confidential information about nominees.

For example, HMRC provides a low, medium or high-risk rating on a nominee's tax affairs.

Peerages are vetted by the House of Lords Appointments Commission.

A Parliamentary and Political Services Committee considers honours for politicians and for political service.

Can you turn down an honour?

When somebody is approved for an honour, they are sent a letter asking if they will accept it.

A list of 277 people who turned down honours between 1951 and 1999 - and subsequently died - was made public following a BBC Freedom of Information request.

It included authors Roald Dahl, JG Ballard and Aldous Huxley, and painters Francis Bacon, Lucien Freud and LS Lowry.

The late poet Benjamin Zephaniah rejected an OBE in 2003 because of the association with the British Empire and its history of slavery.

• Eight musicians who declined a British honour

Can an honour be removed?

Some people have had their honours withdrawn by the Honours Forfeiture Committee.

They include disgraced former entertainer Rolf Harris, who went to prison for 12 indecent assaults on four girls, and Anthony Blunt, the former art adviser to the Queen who was revealed to be a Soviet spy.

In January 2024, former Post Office boss Paula Vennells said she would hand back her CBE after facing mounting pressure over the Horizon IT scandal.

Twelve months earlier, actor and TV presenter Alan Cumming returned his OBE over what he called the "toxicity" of the British Empire.

What are the different types of honours?

Knights and Dames

The honour of knighthood comes from the days of medieval chivalry, as does the method used to confer the knighthood - the accolade, or the touch of a sword, by the sovereign.

A knight is styled "Sir" and their wife "Lady".

Women receiving the honour are styled "Dame" but do not receive the accolade.

The honour is given for a pre-eminent contribution in any field of activity.

The rank of Knight Commander (KBE) or Dame Commander (DBE), Order of the British Empire, appears on the Diplomatic Service and Overseas list.

The Order of the Bath

The Order of the Bath is an order of chivalry and was founded in 1725 for service of the highest calibre.

It has a civil and military division and is awarded in the following ranks: Knight Grand Cross (GCB), Knight Commander (KCB) and Companion (CB).

The Order takes its name from the symbolic bathing which, in former times, was often part of the preparation of a candidate for knighthood.

Order of St Michael and St George

This Order was founded by King George III in 1818 and is awarded to British subjects who have rendered extraordinary and important services abroad or in the Commonwealth.

Ranks in the Order are Knight or Dame Grand Cross (GCMG), Knight or Dame Commander (KCMG or DCMG) and Companion (CMG).

Order of the Companions of Honour

This is awarded for service of conspicuous national importance and is limited to 65 people. Recipients are entitled to put the initials CH after their name.

Orders of the British Empire

King George V created these honours during World War One to reward services to the war effort by civilians at home and service personnel in support positions.

The ranks are Commander (CBE), Officer (OBE), and Member (MBE).

They are now awarded for prominent national or regional roles, and to those making distinguished or notable contributions in their own specific areas of activity.

British Empire Medal (BEM)

The medal was founded in 1917 and was awarded for "meritorious" actions by civilians or military personnel, although the recipients did not attend a royal investiture.

Scrapped in 1993 by Conservative Prime Minister John Major, the BEM was revived in 2012.

Royal Victorian Order

By 1896, prime ministers and governments had increased their influence over the distribution of awards and had gained almost total control of the system.

In response, Queen Victoria instituted The Royal Victorian Order as a personal award for services performed on behalf of the Royal Family.

The ranks are Knight or Dame Grand Cross (GCVO), Knight or Dame Commander (KCVO or DCVO), Commander (CVO), Lieutenant (LVO) and Member (MVO).

Royal Victorian Medal

Associated with the Royal Victorian Order is the Royal Victorian Medal which has three grades: gold, silver and bronze. The circular medal is attached to the ribbon of the Order.

Royal Red Cross

Founded in 1883 by Queen Victoria, the award is confined to the nursing services. Those awarded the First Class are designated "Members" (RRC): those awarded the Second Class are designated "Associates" (ARRC).

King's Police Medal

Awarded for distinguished service in the police force.

King's Fire Service Medal

Given to firefighters who have displayed conspicuous devotion to duty.

King's Ambulance Service Medal

Awarded for distinguished service in the ambulance service.

King's Gallantry Medal

Awarded to civilians, for acts of exemplary bravery.

King's Commendation for Bravery

Awarded to civilians and all ranks of the British armed forces, for actions not in the presence of an enemy.

King's Commendation for Bravery in the Air

Awarded to civilians and all ranks of the British armed forces, for acts of bravery in the air not in the presence of an enemy.

It's Election Day in the US.

This so-called "off year" election doesn't feature presidential or congressional races, but there are still several critical votes to watch tonight.

New York City will choose its next mayor, in a battle that has pitted a younger, progressive Democrat against a member of the party's old guard. The states of Virginia and New Jersey will elect new governors, and the outcome of these contests could be bellwethers for next year's congressional midterm elections.

Californians also will decide whether to redraw their US House district maps in a rare mid-decade redistricting, as Democrats try to counter Republicans' efforts to give their party an advantage in next year's midterm elections.

Here's what you need to know.

New York City mayoral race

All eyes will be on the Big Apple as Zohran Mamdani, a 34-year-old state assemblyman, attempts a political upset in his bid to become New York City's youngest mayor in over a century.

Mamdani, a democratic socialist, shocked the political establishment when he bested former governor Andrew Cuomo in the Democratic primary this summer. Cuomo, undeterred, has continued to campaign as an independent. Meanwhile, Republican Curtis Sliwa has resisted pressure to drop out of the race to clear a path for Cuomo.

• New Yorkers could pick a political newcomer to run their city - and take on Trump
• Trump backs Cuomo for New York City mayor and threatens to cut funding if Mamdani wins
• Who is Zohran Mamdani?

If Mamdani wins, he will become the city's first Muslim mayor. Democrats around the country will be watching to see if his laser-focus on cost-of-living issues like rent, groceries and wages could serve as effective messaging in future races.

Though Mamdani heads into election night with a suggested polling lead, the gap between him and Cuomo has narrowed. In the final stretch of the campaign, Cuomo has hammered Mamdani on crime and public safety, and said the young politician lacks the experience to lead America's biggest city.

California redistricting

California's Democratic leadership is asking voters for permission to redraw the state's congressional districts in the middle of the decade. That's unusual in California, which by law relies on a nonpartisan committee to draw its congressional maps once every decade, based on census data.

However, as Republican-led states like Texas and Missouri seek to hastily redraw their congressional maps to give their party an advantage in the 2026 midterm elections, California Governor Gavin Newsom wants to counter the losses with redistricting in his own state.

California's Proposition 50 would allow the temporary use of new congressional district maps through 2030. The campaign has drawn $158 million in donations, according to the Los Angeles Times, with Democratic proponents vastly outraising the Republican opposition effort.

Republicans in California, who hold only nine of the state's 52 US House seats, staunchly oppose the plan.

A University of California Berkeley/IGS Poll suggests 60% of likely California voters support Proposition 50, while 38% oppose it. The breakdown was highly partisan, with 93% of Democrats saying they would choose "yes" and 91% of Republicans choosing "no."

New Jersey governor's race

New Jersey is considered a blue state, but polls indicate a close race between Democrat Mikie Sherrill and Republican Jack Ciattarelli. It's one of the two governor's races this year that could indicate how Americans feel about the current political climate.

Sherrill currently represents New Jersey's 11th District in Congress, and Ciattarelli is a former state assemblyman.

New Jersey is considered a Democratic-leaning state, but has had Republican governors. The last one, Chris Christie, served two terms between 2010 and 2018.

Rhetoric in the race has been heated. Ciattarelli and his supporters have run political advertisements featuring clips of Sherrill giving halting answers in interviews about her policies.

It also has drawn the attention of nationally known names from both parties. Democratic stars like former president Barack Obama and former transportation secretary Pete Buttigieg have campaigned with Sherrill. President Donald Trump attended a virtual rally for Ciattarelli, and conservative activist Jack Posobiec has backed him.

Virginia governor's race

Virginia's leadership usually swings between Democrats and Republicans, meaning the outcome of this year's gubernatorial election might serve as a bellwether for the electorate's mood.

No matter which candidate succeeds, the state will elect its first female governor this year. Voters will choose between Democrat Abigail Spanberger, a US congresswoman, and Republican Winsome Earle-Sears, the state's current lieutenant governor.

If Earle-Sears wins, she will become the first black woman elected to lead a US state in the nation's history.

Virginia is bordered by the liberal-leaning Washington, DC to the north where many residents work in the nation's capitol or for the federal government. But the state also has deep pockets of conservative voters throughout its rural districts, and swing voters.

Spanberger has highlighted the economic impact of Trump's cuts to the federal government, which have impacted Virginia's employment. Earle-Sears has touted Virginia's economy under Republican leadership. But she also has leaned into cultural topics like transgender issues, which Republicans used successfully as a wedge issue in last year's presidential election.

The Donald Trump factor

Though he's not on the ballot, Trump's name looms over this election.

The New York City mayor's race is how the next leader of the city will deal with the Trump administration, which has meddled in the city's politics. Cuomo is pitching his experience as governor dealing with the first administration as a reason for voters to choose him.

The president has implied that he will penalize the city if voters choose Mamdani.

"It's gonna be hard for me as the president to give a lot of money to New York, because if you have a communist running New York, all you're doing is wasting the money you're sending there," Trump said in a 60 Minutes interview that aired Sunday. (Mamdani is not a communist.)

Trump kicked off the redistricting battle that led California to put Proposition 50 on the ballot, and has endorsed Ciattarelli in the New Jersey governor's race.

Chancellor Rachel Reeves says she will take "fair choices" in the Budget as economists continue to predict tax rises to try to balance the books.

Reeves is expected to give a speech to Downing Street later ahead of the 26 November Budget. Labour explicitly ruled out a rise in VAT, National Insurance or income tax in its general election manifesto.

Shadow chancellor Sir Mel Stride said with an "emergency press conference" Reeves was "all but confirming what many feared - higher taxes are on the way". He called for the chancellor to be sacked if she "breaks her promises yet again".

Meanwhile influential think tank the Resolution Foundation has said tax rises are now "inevitable".

Avoiding cuts to VAT, NI or income tax "would do more harm than good", warned the foundation which has close links to Labour - Treasury Minister Torsten Bell was previously its chief executive.

Hiking income tax would be the "best option" for raising cash, it said, but suggested it should be offset by a 2p cut to employee national insurance, which would "raise £6 billion overall while protecting most workers from this tax rise".

Extending the freeze in personal tax thresholds for two more years beyond April 2028 would also raise £7.5 billion, its Autumn Budget 2025 preview suggested.

The chancellor is expected to say in a speech on Tuesday morning that the Budget will focus on "fairness and opportunity" to bring down NHS waiting lists, the national debt and the cost of living.

"You will all have heard a lot of speculation about the choices I will make," she is expected to say.

"I understand that - these are important choices that will shape our economy for years to come.

"But it is important that people understand the circumstances we are facing, the principles guiding my choices – and why I believe they will be the right choices for the country."

The message from Reeves is expected to echo comments made by Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer to a group of Labour MPs on Monday night.

He told those gathered that the Budget would be "a Labour Budget built on Labour values" and that the government would "make the tough but fair decisions to renew our country and build it for the long term".

The government's official forecaster, the Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) is widely expected to downgrade its productivity forecasts for the UK at the end of the month. This could add as much as £20 billion to the Chancellor's costs if she is to meet her self-imposed "non-negotiable" rules for government finances.

The two main rules are:

• Not to borrow to fund day-to-day public spending by the end of this parliament

• To get government debt falling as a share of national income by the end of this parliament

The Treasury declined to comment on "speculation" ahead of the OBR's final forecast, which will be published on 26 November alongside the Budget.

However last week, the chancellor confirmed both tax rises and spending cuts are options as she aims to give herself "sufficient headroom" against future economic shocks.

The Resolution Foundation said changes in the economic outlook and policy U-turns are likely to reduce the current £9.9 billion of headroom against the chancellor's borrowing rule into a fiscal black hole of around £4 billion.

It urged Reeves to double the level of headroom she has against her fiscal rules to £20 billion. This would "send a clear message to markets that she is serious about fixing the public finances, which in turn should reduce medium-term borrowing costs and make future fiscal events less fraught," its Budget preview said.

It comes after the Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS) said last month there was a "strong case" to increase the headroom. It said the lack of a bigger buffer brought with it instability, and could leave the chancellor "limping from one forecast to the next".

Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch has said "heads should roll" at the BBC, following reports that a Panorama documentary misled viewers by editing a speech by US President Donald Trump.

The Telegraph said it had seen an internal memo suggesting the programme edited two parts of Trump's speech together so he appeared to explicitly encourage the Capitol Hill riots of January 2021.

Badenoch told GB News the edits were "absolutely shocking", adding that director general Tim Davie should be "identifying who put out misinformation, and sacking them".

A BBC spokesperson said: "While we don't comment on leaked documents, when the BBC receives feedback it takes it seriously and considers it carefully."

The one-hour programme, Trump: A Second Chance?, was broadcast last year and was made for the BBC by independent production company October Films Ltd, which has also been approached for comment.

In his speech in Washington DC on 6 January 2021, Trump said: "We're going to walk down to the Capitol, and we're going to cheer on our brave senators and congressmen and women."

However, in Panorama's edit, he was shown saying: "We're going to walk down to the Capitol... and I'll be there with you. And we fight. We fight like hell."

The two sections of the speech that were edited together were more than 50 minutes apart.

The "fight like hell" comment was taken from a section where President Trump discussed how "corrupt" US elections were. In total, he used the words "fight" or "fighting" 20 times in the speech.

After showing the president speaking, the programme played footage of flag-waving men marching on the Capitol, the Telegraph said.

According to the leaked memo, this "created the impression President Trump's supporters had taken up his 'call to arms'". But that footage was in fact shot before the president had started speaking.

On 6 January 2021, hundreds of Trump supporters stormed the US Capitol, protesting about Joe Biden's election victory. Five people died in relation to the riot.

The House of Representatives accused Trump of encouraging violence with false claims of election fraud, but he was acquitted of an impeachment charge that he incited a mob to storm the Capitol.

According to the Telegraph, the document said Panorama's "distortion of the day's events" would leave viewers asking: "Why should the BBC be trusted, and where will this all end?"

When the issue was raised with managers, the memo continued, they "refused to accept there had been a breach of standards".

Speaking to GB News on Tuesday, Badenoch said: "That is fake news, actually putting different things together to make something look different from what it actually was.

"And I do think heads should roll. Whoever it was who did that should be sacked, that's what Tim Davie should be doing, identifying who put out misinformation, and sacking them."

She continued: "The public need to be able to trust our public broadcaster... They should not be telling us things that are not true.

"This is a corporation that needs to hold itself to the highest standards, and that means that when we see people doing the wrong thing, they should be punished, they should be sacked."

Former prime minister Boris Johnson also said the corporation needed to respond, asking on X: "Is anyone at the BBC going to take responsibility - and resign?"

The Telegraph said the report it had obtained about BBC bias was written by Michael Prescott, formerly an independent external adviser to the broadcaster's editorial guidelines and standards committee. He left the role in June.

The newspaper said a whistleblower sent a copy of the 19-page dossier to every member of the BBC board last month. BBC News has not seen a copy of the memo.

In its statement, the BBC said: "Michael Prescott is a former adviser to a board committee where differing views and opinions of our coverage are routinely discussed and debated."

BBC News has approached Mr Prescott for comment.

Conservative MP Caroline Dinenage, chairwoman of the House of Commons culture, media and sport select committee, said: "At a time when trust in both politics and mainstream media is so low, our state broadcaster has an additional responsibility to ensure that it reports contentious and potentially inflammatory issues with a straight bat.

"These allegations are extremely worrying and come at a critical time for the BBC. The DCMS committee will meet tomorrow and will no doubt discuss the implications of this."

Downing Street said Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy and senior officials in the Department for Culture, Media and Sport have received a copy of the internal memo, and have been assured by the BBC that the corporation is examining the issues it raises.

The prime minister's spokesman said: "We take any criticisms of the BBC's editorial standards very seriously and we expect the BBC to consider any feedback that they receive seriously and carefully."