Sometimes it's not what's said that makes the biggest impression.

It's the reaction.

In the Russian Far East, Vladimir Putin delivered a warning to the West: don't even think about sending soldiers - and that includes peacekeepers - to Ukraine.

"If some troops appear there," the Russian president said, "especially now while the fighting's going on, we proceed from the premise that these will be legitimate targets for destruction."

Then the reaction.

The audience at the economic forum in Vladivostok burst into applause, with Russian officials and business leaders apparently welcoming the threat to "destroy" Western troops.

Observing the scene in the hall, I found the applause quite chilling.

And this came just a day after Kyiv's allies, the so-called Coalition of the Willing, had pledged a post-war "reassurance force" for Ukraine.

• Putin rejects Western security in Ukraine, warning troops would be target

The audience applauded again when the Kremlin leader suggested that he would be prepared to meet Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky - but only on home soil.

"The best place for this is the Russian capital, in Hero City Moscow," said Putin.

Outside Russia, Putin's proposal has been dismissed as unserious, a complete non-starter. A case of political trolling.

But in many ways it encapsulates the Kremlin's current position on the war in Ukraine: "Yes, we want peace, but only on our terms. You reject our terms? No peace then."

• Putin says Russia will achieve all aims militarily if Ukraine does not agree deal

This uncompromising stance is being fuelled by a combination of factors.

First, by the Kremlin's belief that, in Ukraine, Russian forces have the initiative on the battlefield.

Second, by diplomatic success. In China this week, Putin shook hands and shared smiles with a string of world leaders. The optics were all about demonstrating that Russia has powerful friends, such as China, India and North Korea.

And then there's America. Last month US President Donald Trump invited Putin to Alaska for a summit meeting. Back home pro-Kremlin commentators hailed the event as evidence that Western efforts to isolate Russia over the war in Ukraine had failed.

To convince the Kremlin to end the fighting Trump has previously set ultimatums and deadlines; he's threatened further sanctions if Russia won't make peace.

But Trump hasn't followed through on his threats - and that's another reason for Russia's confidence.

Putin publicly praises Trump's peace efforts. And yet he has rejected Trump's ceasefire proposals and shown no desire to make concessions over the war in Ukraine.

So where does that leave prospects for peace?

Putin said recently that he could see "light at the end of the tunnel".

It seems to me that right now Russia on the one hand, and Ukraine and Europe (and to some extent America) on the other are in different tunnels, on different roads, with different destinations.

Ukraine and Europe are focused on ending the fighting, shaping security guarantees for Kyiv and making sure that the Ukrainian army is strong enough post-war to prevent another invasion.

When Putin talks about "light at the end of the tunnel", I believe he imagines a path that leads to a Russian victory in Ukraine, and more widely, to the construction of a new global order that benefits Russia.

In terms of peace, it's hard to see where and when these two very different highways will converge.

The resignation of Angela Rayner, and the resulting reshuffle, is the main story on all the front pages. The Daily Mail calls it a "Nightmare on Downing Street", saying Labour is in "meltdown". It calls the reshuffle "chaotic" and "desperate". The Guardian says Sir Keir Starmer is "battling to get a grip" on a crisis, and that the sweeping changes are an attempt to restore order and "get back on the front foot".

The Times calls it "The Great Rayner Reshuffle" and thinks its scale, just over a year after winning a landslide election, reflects deep concern about the government's collapse in the polls and the rise of Reform UK. The Financial Times calls the reshuffle a "big gamble" - because many ministers have simply been moved to new jobs rather than been sacked, raising questions about whether their performance will actually improve.

The Daily Mirror describes the loss of Rayner as a "serious blow" for Sir Keir Starmer. It says the row will have caused damage to the government, stoking anger about politicians breaking the rules - but that her absence will be felt.

The paper says: "Angela Rayner is someone who could reach places that the PM can't, which is part of why their opposites-attract partnership made sense." The Sun says she was "cut adrift" but thinks the trouble she has caused the prime minister could get a lot worse. "To her legions of militant supporters," it says, "she is far from a busted flush - she is a martyr, and soon quite possibly their Red Queen over the water".

The Daily Telegraph says Downing Street hopes the reshaped top team can counter the threat from Reform UK, and even "take the fight" to Nigel Farage.

Farage is the focus for the Daily Express. It leads with his warning that Labour are "not fit to govern" - saying he "twisted the knife" in a stricken government with his claim that his party could win a general election in two years' time.

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A man has died on a Sydney beach after being bitten by a suspected "large shark", Australia's New South Wales police have said.

In a statement, the police said emergency services pulled the man out of the morning surf onto the shore at Long Reef Beach - but he "died at the scene".

"Two sections of a surfboard have been recovered and taken for expert examination," the statement read.

Saturday's incident has resulted in a string of closures in the popular area known as the Northern Beaches.

The state police said the emergency services acted after receiving reports shortly after 10:00am local time on Saturday (00:00 GMT) that "a man had suffered critical injuries".

The victim's identity was yet to be confirmed.

Local police officers and experts would work together to "determine the species of shark involved".

The last deadly shark attack in the Sydney area in 2022, when Simon Nellist - a British diving instructor - was mauled by a great white shark.

Prior to that, there had not been a fatal attack since 1963.

Australia typically records about 20 shark attacks each year, with most in New South Wales and Western Australia.

Historically, dying from a shark bite is uncommon. In over a century of records, Australia's shark attack mortality rate is 0.9 - less than one person per year.

The car workers arrested in one of the largest ever US workplace immigration raids had violated their visitor visas, officials say.

Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) said 475 people, mostly South Korean citizens - were found to be illegally working at a Hyundai battery plant in the US state of Georgia on Thursday.

"People on short-term or recreational visas are not authorized to work in the US," ICE said, adding that the raid was necessary to protect American jobs.

South Korea, whose companies have promised to invest billions of dollars in key US industries in the coming years, partly to avoid tariffs, has sent diplomats to Georgia, and called for its citizens' rights to be respected.

The arrested workers were being held at an ICE facility in Folkston, Georgia, until the agency decides where to move them next.

Of those detained, 300 are reported to be Korean nationals. Hyundai said in a statement that none of them were directly employed by the company.

LG Energy Solution, which operates the plant with Hyundai, told the BBC its top priority was to ensure the safety and wellbeing of its employees and partners and that it "will fully cooperate with the relevant authorities".

In a statement on Friday, the ICE office in the city of Savannah said the raid was "part of an active, ongoing criminal investigation".

"The individuals arrested during the operation were found to be working illegally, in violation of the terms of their visas and/or statuses," the statement added.

But Charles Kuck, an immigration lawyer in Atlanta, told the New York Times that two of his clients were wrongly caught up in the raid.

He told the newspaper the pair were in the US under a visa waiver programme that allows them to travel for tourism or business for up to 90 days.

"My clients were doing exactly what they were allowed to do under the visa waiver - attend business meetings," he said on Friday.

He said one of them only arrived on Tuesday and was due to leave next week.

ICE said one of those detained was a Mexican citizen and green card holder with a lengthy rap sheet.

The individual had previously been convicted of possession of narcotics, attempting to sell a stolen firearm and theft, according to ICE.

Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Special Agent Steven Schrank said: "We welcome all companies who want to invest in the US.

"And if they need to bring workers in for building or other projects, that's fine - but they need to do it the legal way.

"This operation sends a clear message that those who exploit the system and undermine our workforce will be held accountable."

South Korea's foreign ministry responded to the raid with a statement saying: "The economic activities of Korean investment companies and the rights and interests of Korean citizens must not be unfairly infringed upon during US law enforcement operations."

The raid raises a possible tension between two of President Donald Trump's top priorities - building up manufacturing within the US and cracking down on illegal immigration. It could also put stress on the country's relationship with a key ally.

President Trump said in the Oval Office on Friday: "They were illegal aliens and ICE was just doing its job."

Asked by a reporter about the reaction from Seoul, he said: "Well, we want to get along with other countries, and we want to have a great, stable workforce.

"And we have, as I understand it, a lot of illegal aliens, some not the best of people, but we had a lot of illegal aliens working there."

Trump has worked to bring in major investments from other countries while also levying tariffs he says will give manufacturers incentives to make goods in the US.

The president also campaigned on cracking down on illegal immigration, telling supporters he believed migrants were stealing jobs from Americans.

The factory, which makes new electric vehicles, had been touted by Georgia's Republican governor as the biggest economic development project in the state's history, employing 1,200 people.

Shabana Mahmood has been promoted to home secretary by Sir Keir Starmer in a major ministerial reshuffle following the resignation of Angela Rayner.

Mahmood replaces Yvette Cooper, who is being moved from the Home Office to become foreign secretary, and David Lammy moves from foreign secretary to become justice secretary and deputy prime minister.

Mahmood's appointment is a signal that the government sees dealing with illegal immigration and asylum as one of its biggest priorities.

With Rachel Reeves remaining as Chancellor, this is the first time the UK has had three women in the so-called "great offices of state" alongside the prime minister.

In another major change, Pat McFadden moves from his role in the Cabinet Office to a new job as Work and Pensions Secretary, which will incorporate a skills brief that has, until now, sat within the Education Department.

Rayner resigned on Friday as deputy prime minister and housing secretary, after failing to pay enough tax on her £800,000 flat in Hove.

Roles have also been shuffled elsewhere in the cabinet, with Ian Murray expressing his disappointment at losing his job as secretary of state for Scotland.

Lucy Powell, who was leader of the House of Commons, has also left the government.

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A Tannoy announcement was one of the first signs Reform UK's conference agenda had been upended by events in Westminster.

The resignation of Angela Rayner had already threatened to distract from Nigel Farage's keynote speech in Birmingham.

But when the Reform leader's aides realised Keir Starmer was using that departure to start a full-blown cabinet reshuffle, they decided Farage should head to the stage almost immediately.

As the news blared out across the cafes and bars of the National Exhibition Centre, party members rushed to take their seats.

Reform conferences have become slick, big-budget affairs so few seemed surprised when pyrotechnics marked the leader's arrival on stage.

"This government is deep in crisis," Farage said, attempting to take advantage of Labour's woes.

He argued that the cabinet were "wholly unqualified people to run our country."

"They're not fit to govern", he said. "We are the party that stands up for decent working people, and we are the party on the rise."

In an off-the-cuff speech, Farage claimed that instability on the left of politics meant that a general election could take place as early as 2027 - although Starmer is more likely to call one in 2029.

This seemed part of a wider argument that Reform should ramp up its campaigning activities and be prepared for all eventualities.

After the party's success at May's local and mayoral elections, he argued the 2026 races for the Scottish Parliament and Welsh Senedd would be "an essential building block" ahead of a UK general election.

A fellow I'm A Celebrity alumnus Nadine Dorries made a brief cameo - the ex-Conservative cabinet minister repeated her claim that her former political party was "dead".

Another Tory defector, Mayor of Greater Lincolnshire Andrea Jenkyns, told me she believed three more former Conservative MPs were in talks to join Reform.

The party's annual conference is an increasingly professional affair and Reform's sustained lead in the opinion polls has clearly been noted by public affairs professionals.

The most obvious addition to attendees this year was a coterie of lobbyists touring the venue trying to understand how they might work with a Reform-led government.

Yet the influx of corporate interests does not seem to have overshadowed the colourful - and occasionally camp - feel of the party. Where else would you spot former Tory MP and Strictly star Ann Widdecombe accompanied by a stern bodyguard, or former daytime TV star Jeremy Kyle wandering around the exhibition hall?

After dominating the domestic news agenda for much of the summer with pronouncements on illegal immigration, Reform's 2025 conference has undoubtedly been overshadowed by the Rayner reshuffle drama.

The party and its members remain bullish about their chances in the years ahead.

Yet time can be a dangerous commodity in politics. Whether the next general election is in two years as Farage predicts or in four years' time as is more likely, a lot can shift fast – including opinion polls.

Maintaining that lead is Farage's biggest challenge.

"We will take that seriously", he said, before adding that Reform would need 5,000 vetted candidates by next year.

Farage announced a new department to help Reform get ready for the possibility of government, and said the party's former chairman Zia Yusuf had been appointed its head of policy.

He pledged "serious" cuts to the benefits bill and made the bold claim that he could "stop the boats within two weeks". Farage gave no details as to how either might be achieved.

This reshuffle amounts to the action of a prime minister confronted by an almighty mess - and hurriedly seeking to seize that moment for his own and his government's ends.

This is about as big a reshuffle as you could imagine, short of replacing the chancellor of the exchequer.

Earlier, Downing Street made clear Rachel Reeves wasn't going - a move to calm the markets - but it hinted at the breadth and depth of the reshuffle to come.

"Wide ranging" was how it was described to me by a government insider at lunchtime.

Drip by drip, appointments were fed out through the afternoon.

By teatime, it had met the definition of that word.

Two new occupiers of two of the big offices of state: a new home secretary and a new foreign secretary.

And, for the first time, the three big offices of state below prime minister - home secretary, foreign secretary and chancellor - all occupied by women.

• Starmer carries out reshuffle after Rayner resignation
• Working-class warrior who fell from power
• In full: Rayner, PM and ethics adviser's letters
• Watch: Key moments from Rayner's political career
• Timeline of the Angela Rayner flat row

Of course, all of this was prompted by the personal foul-up and foibles of the former deputy prime minister, a nightmarish start to a week Sir Keir Starmer had billed as marking the start of "phase two" of his government, focused on delivery.

Angela Rayner is a big political character, a huge personality in Westminster.

The prime minister could have simply found a replacement for her as deputy prime minister and housing secretary, but instead, he has recast his government in a far bigger way.

Recasting a government is an exercise in authority and jeopardy – and that's just for the prime minister.

For the individuals involved - with ambitions met or punctured - the overlooked, demoted or sacked almost always outnumber the elevated, smiling and promoted.

Hence that jeopardy for Number 10.

Get them right and a reshuffle on this scale can be noticed – and re-energise a government.

Get them wrong or do them too often and a government's progress can become jolty and piecemeal, and the backbench battalion of the disgruntled grows larger.

From the prime minister's perspective, a political battle looms.

After a shaky first year in office, buffeted by shrivelling approval ratings, he confronts a buoyant Reform UK.

Sir Keir has concluded going big was the best option.

He knows he needs to be seen to be delivering and quickly - and he has to hope this new team can do it.

A lightsaber used by Darth Vader in the original Star Wars films has sold for $3.6m (£2.7m) at auction.

The prop featured in films including The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi was said to be the "standout" moment of the first day of sales at the auction held in Los Angeles on Thursday.

According to Propstore, the Buckinghamshire-based auctioneers, the piece of memorabilia was the highest-priced Star Wars item ever sold at auction.

Brandon Alinger, Propstore chief operating officer, said: "To see a Star Wars lightsaber - the symbol of one of cinema's greatest sagas - become the highest-valued piece of the franchise ever sold at auction is incredibly special."

The prop was used during extensive filming at Elstree Studios in Hertfordshire and was described by Mr Alinger as one of the most recognised props in the history of the film.

While the auction took place in California, many of the lots are from UK productions including a bullwhip, belt and holster made for Harrison Ford in the 1989 Indian Jones and the Last Crusade film which sold for $485,100 (£360,000).

Other memorabilia included a Platform 9 3/4 sign used in several of the original Harry Potter films which was estimated to sell for between $20,000 (£14,925) and $40,000 (£29,850), however, went for $138,600 (£102,573).

Mr Alinger, said: "The result marks a landmark moment, not just for Propstore, but for the entire world of film collecting.

"It speaks to the enduring cultural power of Star Wars and the passion of fans and collectors who see these artefacts as touchstones of modern mythology."

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Until this week, Angela Rayner was considered to be one of the most powerful women in Britain, a deputy prime minister who was widely tipped to be a future candidate for the top job in politics.

A self-described "proper working-class" woman, Rayner grew up in poverty and left school without any qualifications at 16. She entered high office in the wake of a landslide election victory.

It was a remarkable journey.

But Rayner's extraordinary rise to the apex of British politics with the Labour Party has culminated in an equally spectacular fall.

She resigned as deputy prime minister and housing secretary after admitting she did not pay enough tax on the purchase of a new home.

She has also resigned as deputy leader of the Labour party.

It means a return to the backbenches for a high-profile MP who was considered to be a big political asset to her party and who remains a popular figure within many Labour circles and beyond.

Her against-the-odds story, personality, and ability to connect with parts of the electorate that might be less accessible to others, gave her a special status in Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer's cabinet and underscores why she will be so hard to replace.

Tough upbringing

Born Angela Bowen in Stockport, Greater Manchester, in 1980, Rayner grew up on one of the area's poorest council estates and from an early age, was caring for her mother, who was bipolar and suffered from depression.

Both Rayner's parents were unemployed and speaking in 2017, she remembered having to grow up very quickly.

"My mum was a really vulnerable person. I remember, at 10, my mum being suicidal and me sleeping like a dog on the end of her bed, just to try and stay next to her so she didn't do any harm to herself," Rayner said.

She has also recalled going to her grandmother's flat on Sundays, so the family could take it in turns to have a bath there. Hot water was too expensive for them to use at home.

Rayner has often spoken about being told she would "never amount to anything", after she left school without any qualifications.

But after having her first child at 16, Rayner studied part-time at college, learning British sign language and gaining a vocational qualification in social care.

She spent a number of years as a care worker in Stockport, mainly looking after elderly people in their own homes, while also rising quickly through the ranks of the union, Unison.

She has described herself as "mouthy", someone who would "take no messing from management".

In her 20s, she became a full-time union official and eventually, after battles over working conditions and zero-hour contracts, rose to the most senior elected role in Unison in north-west England.

It was at Unison she met Mark Rayner, a fellow union official whom she married in 2010 and divorced in 2023. The couple went on to have two sons, one of whom was born so prematurely he is registered blind and has special educational needs.

She credits the trade union movement with encouraging her to enter politics and taking her from - in her own words - "the girl on a council estate" to "a woman who feels like she can conquer the world".

Those ambitions started to be realised in 2015, when she was elected as the MP for Ashton-under-Lyne in Greater Manchester. She later said she had only stood to make the point that "people like me can't get elected" and had "accidentally" won the seat.

The Prescott role

Rayner rose quickly in Westminster, taking up the women and equalities, and education briefs in the shadow cabinet of former Labour leader, Jeremy Corbyn.

When Corbyn stood down in 2020, following Labour's worst general election result since 1935, Rayner did not run for the leadership, and backed her ally Rebecca Long-Bailey, who came second to Sir Keir.

Instead, Rayner stood for the deputy leadership and won election to that post comfortably.

But relations between Sir Keir and Rayner have sometimes been tense. After Labour lost control of eight English councils and lost the seat of Hartlepool in a parliamentary by-election in May 2021, the deputy leader was removed from her post as party chairwoman.

She pushed back and was appointed shadow first secretary of state among other titles.

By that point, Rayner had a strong support base and a powerful role likened to that of John Prescott, who was seen as a political bridge between the working class and the New Labour project during Tony Blair's premiership.

Rayner heavily leaned into that role and tried to use it to her party's advantage in the years before Labour's general election win in 2024.

Outspoken and combative at times, Rayner repeatedly accused the Conservatives of being "out of touch", and hammered the party with lines such as "one rule for them and another rule for us" during the scandal over pandemic parties in Downing Street.

Sometimes Rayner admitted she had gone too far, once apologising for describing senior Conservatives as "a bunch of scum".

Her prominence and the venom of her political attacks had put a target on her back and attracted unwanted headlines.

In 2021, Rayner lashed out at "sexism and misogyny" in politics, after a newspaper reported that she crossed and uncrossed her legs during prime minister's questions to distract Boris Johnson.

And in 2024, she was investigated by the police over the tax paid on the sale of her council house, again following a slew of reports by unfriendly newspapers, cheered on by the Conservatives. She was not found to have committed a criminal offence.

Her tendency to brush through political controversies gave her an air of untouchability, with some dubbing her "Teflon Ang".

Her stock had risen further still as deputy prime minister, leading on one of Labour's key pledges to build 1.5 million homes by 2030, and helping Sir Keir quell a rebellion by Labour MPs over welfare cuts.

Days before her resignation, the prime minister mounted a full-throated defence of Rayner, hailing her a "great story of British success" who gave working-class children "a real sense of aspiration".

And yet the political optics of a housing secretary admitting she had not paid enough tax on her home were not easy on the eye.

Rayner faced charges of hypocrisy and calls for her to stand down.

She resigned from government after the prime minister's ethics adviser Sir Laurie Magnus declared that she had breached the ministerial code.

While he said that she had "acted with integrity", he told the prime minister that "she cannot be considered to have met the 'highest possible standards of proper conduct' as envisaged by the [ministerial] code."

Having overcome a difficult upbringing and personal adversity to climb the heights of the Labour Party and become only its second ever deputy prime minister, Angela Rayner's political career has come to a premature end within just 14 months of a Labour government.

Who are the pundits backing?

Emma Sanders' predictions

1. Chelsea

2. Arsenal

3. Manchester City

4. Manchester United

5. London City Lionesses

6. Everton

7. Brighton

8. Liverpool

9. Aston Villa

10. West Ham

11. Tottenham

12. Leicester City

Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer has named David Lammy as his new deputy prime minister and moved several other cabinet ministers to new roles after Angela Rayner's resignation.

Rayner quit the cabinet after admitting she had underpaid stamp duty when buying a flat earlier this year. She also resigned as deputy leader of the Labour Party.

You can learn more about the Labour MPs who are in key positions in the government in the short biographies below of each member of the cabinet and the ministers who attend its meetings.

As Sonia Silva prepared to leave work on Wednesday evening, she was asked by a colleague to help with a quick task.

It meant she missed her regular funicular ride down the hill with a work friend on their commute home from the office in the centre of Lisbon.

When she arrived at the stop a short while later, the funicular had crashed and her friend was dead.

"When I got there, it was a tragedy," she said.

Sixteen people were killed on Wednesday evening in Lisbon when its iconic 140-year-old Glória funicular derailed and crashed into a building. The Portuguese prime minister has described it as "one of the biggest human tragedies of our recent history".

Many of those killed were foreign nationals, including three British people whose identities have not yet been announced. Police say five killed were Portuguese - and four of them worked at the Santa Casa da Misericórdia charity, located at the top of the hill.

A service was held on Friday in a church next to the charity's headquarters, honouring the workers killed in the crash. The service was crowded, with people filling the aisles and any other available space.

As they left, colleagues wept and supported each other as they tried to make sense of what had happened. Several told the BBC that they regularly used the funicular as part of their commute.

Sitting on a bench outside, Sonia said she had worked at the charity for eight years and used the funicular each day.

"I can't express [how I feel] - it's very difficult. I am grateful but at the same time I'm very, very angry because my colleagues and lots of people died," she said.

She said she would travel to and from work each day with her colleague Sandra Coelho.

"I was very fond of her because I always took the funicular with her - going home and in the morning. It's very difficult because I'm not going to see her anymore," she said through tears, as colleagues comforted her.

On their commute, she said the two women would gossip and talk about their days.

"We'd talk about colleagues, work, everything. We'd meet in the morning and when we finished," she said.

Others around the church also mourned the loss of friends and tried to process what had happened.

"It's awful, we are devastated. It's difficult to work at the moment," said Lurdes Henriques.

"We're always thinking about our colleagues and wondering 'did they suffer?' They could be here with us now. We are deeply, deeply sad."

"It could have been any one of us - all of us used this kind of transport and we felt very confident in it," said Tania, another worker at the charity.

Rui Franco, a city councillor whose close friend and former colleague Alda Matias was killed in Wednesday's crash, said he was in shock.

"She was about my age. She had a family, children and I can't imagine if it was me what would be happening to my family. She was a great person… with a very solid way of acting in the world," he said.

Mr Franco said he was "already angry" when he first learned of the fatal crash, "then when I understood I knew the people involved, the rage [became] overwhelming".

While an investigation into the cause of the crash is under way, there was much speculation among mourners.

"It was always overcrowded," one said, while another blamed poor maintenance.

The leader of the rail workers union Fectrans claimed that some workers had complained that problems with the tension of the cable that hauls the carriages had made braking difficult.

"Even planes fall out of the sky sometimes. Accidents happen," said another woman.

Several told the BBC that whatever the cause, they could not imagine using the funicular again.

"I've told everyone I'm not going to use it anymore," said Sonia before heading back into the office, flanked by work friends.

As conference season begins for the UK's political parties, Reform UK will be seeking to use its gathering in Birmingham to maintain the momentum it has gathered since the general election.

But with Nigel Farage claiming that he is ready to be the country's next prime minister, Reform's economic plans are coming under greater scrutiny.

BBC Verify has examined what we know - and don't know - about the party's aspirations when it comes to taxation, spending and borrowing.

Net zero

The party has long claimed it will be able to make considerable government savings from entirely scrapping attempts by the government to reach net zero carbon emissions by 2050.

The party's 2024 manifesto - which it called a "contract" - suggested it could save £30bn every year for the next 25 years by ending subsidies related to renewable power generation and emission reductions.

Richard Tice, the party's deputy leader, told the BBC on Friday that the Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR), the Government's independent spending forecaster, now "agrees" with those figures.

In its most recent Fiscal Risks and Stability Report from July 202 the OBR said the peak annual public sector investment cost of the Government's decarbonisation policy was £16.1bn in 2035, declining to £2.8bn in 2050.

It added that the average annual cost over the 25 years would be £9.9bn, or 0.3% per cent of GDP.

In that report, the OBR did put the overall "fiscal cost" of the net zero transition at an average of £30bn a year - though it attributed around two third of this figure to lost fuel duty receipts, as people choose to switch to electric vehicles, not additional public spending.

If people continued to switch to electric vehicles - and the government did not replace fuel duty with a new levy on road users - those fiscal costs would still face a future Reform government, even if they scrapped all net zero public investments.

It's also important to bear in mind that the OBR stresses the economic and fiscal costs to the UK from the UK and the world not reaching net zero.

Its latest report estimates the fiscal costs from climate-related damage - where global temperatures rise to just below 3°C above pre-industrial levels - could add 2% of GDP to UK primary borrowing (before interest costs] by the early 2070s.

Tax plans

Richard Tice told the BBC on Friday that: "The manifesto in July 2024 is not appropriate for a manifesto, or a contract, whenever the next general election is."

Nevertheless, that document is the most comprehensive and recent guide to the economic aspirations of the party - and the leadership have indicated that parts of it still stand.

The manifesto pledged considerable tax cuts to individuals and businesses.

The party said it would, among other things, lift the income tax starting threshold to £20,000 (from its current level of £12,570) and take 7 million people out of paying income tax.

It said its personal tax pledges would add up to an estimated cost of £70bn a year.

Reform also said it would abolish business rates, which are charged on most non-residential premises by councils.

It put an estimated cost of £18bn a year on its various proposed tax cuts on businesses.

That total £88bn a year of tax cuts would have been almost double the £45bn a year of tax cuts in Liz Truss's 2022 mini budget.

As well as cutting taxes, Reform's manifesto also said it would considerably increase spending, including on the NHS, defence, policing and prisons.

It said its health pledges would cost £17bn a year and its defence pledges £14bn a year and total spending pledges would add up to £53bn a year.

Since the election, Reform has pledged to deport some 600,000 unauthorised migrants over the next Parliament, which it has claimed would cost £10bn but save £17bn - so delivering a net saving of £7bn over the Parliament.

We don't have a detailed document from Reform, breaking down these costs and where these savings would be made, so it's not possible to verify this.

But these costings would, in any case, be subject to very high uncertainty. Any savings would depend on how much of a deterrent it would be in discouraging asylum seekers from coming to the UK.

In his conference speech on Friday, Nigel Farage also pledged to cut welfare spending, but did not lay out any specifics about which benefits would be targeted and by how much,

Also, in May 2025, he backed lifting the two-child benefit cap, which carries an estimated cost of £2.5bn a year.

Cutting waste

Reform has insisted that it would balance its tax cuts and additional spending plans by cutting waste in government spending.

The 2024 manifesto pledged £50bn a year of savings from government departments and quangos.

It didn't specify what these savings would be and at the time the Institute for Fiscal Studies cast doubt that on this figure.

"Saving this sum would require much more than a crackdown on waste; it would almost certainly require substantial cuts to the quantity or quality of public services," said the IFS's Carl Emmerson.

• We must be ready for early election, Nigel Farage tells party
• Reform may need to rethink £90bn tax cuts pledge, deputy suggests
• Ex-Tory minister Nadine Dorries defects to Reform UK

Analysts think there are potential savings from such a move - which would be functionally equivalent to a new tax on banks - though they argue that £35bn a year figure is a considerable overstatement.

The IFS said any savings would likely be below £20bn a year.

If a future Reform government were to stick to its tax cutting and spending pledges set out in its last manifesto, while failing to achieve its pledged savings, government borrowing would have to rise.

What do you want BBC Verify to investigate?

Hamas has released a video showing two Israeli hostages seized from a music festival during its cross-border attack in October 2023.

The video claims to show Guy Gilboa-Dalal in Gaza City in late August, where he says he and eight others are being held and will remain despite Israel's planned ground offensive. It also shows captive Alon Ohel.

Earlier videos of hostages released by their captors in Gaza have been condemned by world leaders and families as propaganda.

Israel's far-right national security minister called for the full occupation of Gaza in response, claiming this was the only way to "bring back the hostages in security".

The video shows Mr Gilboa-Dalal, who was seized from the Nova festival in southern Israel, pleading for his release. In footage dated 28 August, he is filmed in a car in what he says is Gaza City.

The footage also shows Mr Ohel for the first time since he was seized in the attack 700 days ago. Mr Gilboa-Dalal was previously seen in a Hamas video in February.

They are two of the 48 hostages still being held by Hamas, 20 of whom are thought to be alive.

Defence minister Israel Katz meanwhile said Israeli military activity would "intensify" until Hamas accepted Israel's conditions to end the war, which include the release of release of all hostages, threatening that the armed group would be "destroyed" otherwise.

Opposition leader Yair Lapid urged Israeli negotiators to resume talks on a ceasefire deal to free the hostages.

On Friday, Gaza's Hamas-run health ministry said 30 Palestinians had been killed in the territory in the past 24 hours, including 20 in Gaza City.

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) confirmed that it had struck a tower block there, which it claimed was being used by Hamas.

It said precautionary measures had been taken to mitigate harm to civilians, "including advance warnings to the population" and the use of "precise munitions".

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced plans a month ago to take control of Gaza City after indirect talks with Hamas on a ceasefire and hostage release deal broke down in July.

Israel has intensified its operations around Gaza City in recent weeks, and says its offensive has established control of some 40% of the city, which it claims is a stronghold of Hamas.

The UN and aid groups have warned that the offensive was already having "horrific humanitarian consequences" for displaced families sheltering in the city, which is home to a million people and where a famine was declared last month.

Satellite imagery shows several neighbourhoods in parts of the city have been levelled by Israeli strikes and demolitions over the past month.

Israel launched a military campaign in Gaza in response to the Hamas-led 7 October attack in 2023, in which 1,200 people were killed and 251 more were taken hostage.

At least 64,231 people have been killed in Israeli attacks in Gaza since then, according to the territory's health ministry.

The Duchess of Kent, who has died at the age of 92, carried out her royal duties with the minimum of fuss.

She was best known to most of the public as the elegant woman who presented the trophies at Wimbledon each year, once famously having to comfort a distraught losing finalist.

She became the first member of the Royal Family to convert to Catholicism since the Act of Settlement in 1701 - but that was not, perhaps, her most surprising decision.

Recognising that her twin passions were music and children, she quietly withdrew from royal life and took a job as a music teacher at a primary school in Kingston upon Hull.

She even stopped using the title Her Royal Highness. In the staff room she was simply "Kath", and to the children "Mrs Kent".

Katharine Lucy Mary Worsley was born in Yorkshire in 1933. Home was Hovingham Hall, a grand manor house that had been in the family for centuries.

She was not royal, but the Worsleys were wealthy. Her grandfather, John Brunner, had founded the paint and chemical company that evolved into ICI.

A lonely childhood

With her brothers sent away to boarding school, Katharine's childhood was a lonely one. During World War Two, her mother and elderly governess were frequently her only companions.

She took refuge in the hills and moorlands of Yorkshire; the photographer Cecil Beaton, a regular visitor, described her as "the perfect outdoor girl".

At the age of 10, she was allowed to go to school - first St Margaret's in York and, later, Runcorn Hill in Norfolk.

Runcorn Hill was a bleak establishment, but Katharine was introduced to music, her lifelong passion. She learned to play the piano and violin, and - gifted with a beautiful voice - took singing lessons.

On leaving, she failed to gain a place at the Royal Academy of Music, and instead went to Miss Hubler's Finishing School in Oxford.

Debutante

Despite her lack of qualifications, her parents found her employment at an exclusive kindergarten - but their real focus remained finding her a husband.

As a beautiful, wealthy debutante, Katharine was introduced to many of the most eligible young men of the 1950s - and she met Prince Edward, Duke of Kent, a grandson of George V.

At the time of his birth, Prince Edward had been sixth in line to the throne - close enough to make it legally necessary for the home secretary to attend the birth, to verify any future claim to the monarchy.

Prince Edward was fresh out of Sandhurst and serving as an army officer at Catterick, not far from her family home - but his mother, Princess Marina, was said to have disapproved of their relationship.

She may have been rich, but Katharine was still a commoner. The duke was sent to Germany to cool his ardour, but the imposed distance failed to quench the flame.

Katharine and a friend went on a greyhound bus trip to Mexico. The journey took several months, but - on reaching their final destination - she found a bunch of flowers waiting for her.

The card that came with it said "E". The couple announced their engagement in March 1961, and married a month later.

Fashion icon

To add insult to family injury, they decided not to use Westminster Abbey or St Paul's Cathedral for the ceremony. Instead, friends and family were invited to York Minster - a venue that had last hosted a royal marriage in 1328.

The newspapers couldn't get enough of the newest member of the Royal Family, and Katharine did not disappoint.

On the eve of the wedding, she was photographed wearing the most fashionable garment of the 1960s: the miniskirt.

And the wedding itself was a glittering affair, with Noel Coward and Douglas Fairbanks Jr adding Hollywood sparkle and Queen Elizabeth II leading a procession of the royal families of Europe.

At the reception, Prince Juan Carlos of Spain and Princess Sophia of Greece found themselves seated next to each other. One slow foxtrot later, they were on course to become King and Queen of Spain.

Motherhood

A year later, Katharine's first child - George, Earl of St Andrews - was born. Almost immediately, the couple travelled to Uganda to represent the British Crown at the country's independence celebrations.

As an army wife, she was expected to follow her husband on assignment to Hong Kong and Germany.

Two more children swiftly followed: Lady Helen and Lord Nicholas Windsor - but, in 1975, Katharine caught German measles during her fourth pregnancy.

Doctors advised her to have an abortion because the disease can often damage the unborn child. After consulting religious authorities, Katharine terminated the pregnancy.

Two years later, a fifth pregnancy went to term, but baby Patrick was stillborn. "It had the most devastating effect on me," she later said.

"I suffered from acute depression for a while. I think it would be a fairly rare individual who didn't cave in under those circumstances."

Nervous exhaustion

In 1976, Prince Edward retired from the Army, took on more royal duties and became vice-chairman of the British Overseas Trade Board.

The couple's new role demanded plenty of travel, and the duchess began to feel the strain. The deaths of her parents made matters worse.

Two years later, she was admitted to hospital suffering from "nervous exhaustion" but gradually returned to public life - where she took a close interest in organisations that helped the young and the elderly.

Her most famous role was to present the trophies at Wimbledon, where - it was reported - she was instrumental in ending the tradition of players bowing and curtsying when passing the royal box.

In 1993, Katharine showed that royalty and compassion could happily co-exist when Jana Novotná lost to Steffi Graff in the women's final.

The 25-year-old Czech player had been four games to one ahead in the final set, and burst into tears. The duchess leaned forward and gave a her a royal shoulder to cry on.

"I just remember from the far side of the net, her face crumpled," the duchess later recalled. "It's the natural thing isn't it? That's what you do when people are crying."

Catholicism

For years, Katharine struggled with her mental and physical health.

It was reported that she suffered from a debilitating infection known as the Epstein Barr virus, and from the chronic fatigue syndrome, ME. It was also thought that she had coeliac disease, which made her feel exhausted.

She sought comfort in religion. In January 1994, Katharine was received into the Roman Catholic Church - the first royal to do so since 1685.

Her decision was supported by her husband's cousin, Queen Elizabeth - who decided that Prince Edward's position in the line of succession would remain unaltered.

Katharine continued to work with the UN children's charity Unicef, and to help victims of landmines in Cambodia - but she drifted further and further away from the Royal Family.

She even announced that she would no longer use the title Her Royal Highness, and she and her husband began to lead separate lives.

Call me 'Katharine Kent'

She took to introducing herself simply as Katharine Kent.

"I don't like being a public figure and I say that very humbly," she admitted. "It's my nature, the way I was born. I like to do things quietly behind the scenes. I'm a very shy person."

She became a music teacher at Wansbeck Primary School in Kingston upon Hull, which has a progressive programme for the inclusion of children with learning difficulties. Only the headteacher knew who she really was.

"Primary school children are like little sponges," Katharine said. "They are very eager to learn, so teaching them is very satisfying."

In 2004, Katharine founded the charity Future Talent to give children from deprived backgrounds the opportunity to take up music.

In partnership with primary schools, children are given instruments and encouraged to develop their musical ability.

And she didn't just teach them classical music.

A passion for rap

In an interview with the Guardian, the duchess revealed a passion for Eminem and Ice Cube - although admitted the same could not be said of Kanye West or Stormzy.

"If you see someone on the M40 looking particularly dotty," she told a surprised reporter, "it's me trying to rap in the car going home."

Katherine, Duchess of Kent, rarely emerged from her self-imposed exile, although she did attend Prince Harry's wedding in 2018.

She was, at Queen Elizabeth's invitation, one of the small group of mourners invited to the funeral of the Duke of Edinburgh - but was too frail to attend the coronation of King Charles III in 2023.

She will be remembered for that hug with Novotná, her dignity and quiet compassion, and as a reluctant royal, who eventually decided that her true path lay in teaching children to love music.

Graham Linehan has told a court his life has been "made hell" by transgender activists, including one who he is accused of harassing.

Giving evidence on the second day of his trial at Westminster Magistrates' Court on Friday, Mr Linehan said: "Trans activists have spent the last 10 years demonising anyone who stands up to them."

The prosecution alleges Mr Linehan "relentlessly" posted abusive comments about Sophia Brooks, 18, on social media last October, before throwing her phone in a road.

The Father Ted co-creator has pleaded not guilty to charges of harassment and criminal damage.

Mr Linehan told the court his "life was made hell by activists, by journalists" because of his views about gender identity, and the trial is "just the latest attempt to punish me by process".

He said: "Anyone can select themselves into that [transgender] group... predatory men are doing that, and police are doing their bidding... the police believe them at their every word."

The Irish comedy writer added: "I heard about how certain people who were being targeted by him [the complainant]. I'm in a group of eight people now who have suffered various forms of harassment."

He told the court: "I felt he was able to get away with a lot of his activities because he was almost like a Twitter avatar floating around with no real connection to the earth."

District Judge Briony Clarke said the prosecution addressed the complainant according to their "affirmed gender name", while the defendant's position was that the "complainant is male".

On Thursday, the trial heard that Mr Linehan posted messages on social media calling the complainant - whom he referred to as Tarquin - a "deeply disturbed sociopath" and a "domestic terrorist".

Asked on Friday why he used "sociopath", Mr Linehan replied: "Because the things he was involved in caused great misery to people."

Asked why he used other insults including "scumbag, grooming, homophobic, sadist", Mr Linehan replied: "I don't think there's anything lower than a man who bullies a woman.

Mr Linehan also said he had moved to Arizona, USA, from the UK six months ago after being "isolated" because of his views.

"And whilst I was isolated, the press... were able to beat me up in the dark. That's been happening for about the last eight years. And I chose to leave the UK."

Prosecutors have said Mr Linehan harassed Ms Brooks on social media, accusing her of a "homophobic attack" by being involved in the disruption of an LGB Alliance conference on 11 October 2024 when thousands of live crickets were released.

His messages were "not merely irritating or annoying, but rather oppressive and unacceptable, thereby crossing the threshold into harassment", Julia Faure Walker, for the prosecution, said on Thursday.

Mr Linehan is also accused of damaging Ms Brooks's phone when she tried to confront him outside the Battle of Ideas conference in London on 19 October last year.

The prosecution alleged that Mr Linehan "deliberately whacked" Ms Brooks's phone out of her hand after she challenged him while filming.

A video played to the court appeared to show Mr Linehan grabbing the complainant's phone.

In his evidence, Mr Linehan said the complainant's behaviour at the event was "incredibly annoying and persistent".

"My adrenaline was up... I felt angry," he said. "Then... I took his phone put it behind my back... I could see he was furious... then I threw the phone."

It was an "instinctive" action, he said. "As soon as I did it I thought... that was a mistake."

The trial continues.

This trial is not connected to the allegations that led to Mr Linehan's much-publicised arrest at Heathrow Airport on Monday.

He said he was met by five armed officers over messages he had previously posted about trans people on X, sparking a backlash from some public figures and politicians, and inflaming a fierce debate about policing and free speech.

In that case, he was arrested on suspicion of inciting violence, and has been bailed "pending further investigation".

Angela Rayner has resigned as housing secretary and deputy prime minister two days after admitting she underpaid the stamp duty due on her £800,000 flat in Hove.

She has also stepped down as deputy leader of the Labour Party, a position to which she was elected by party members.

Her departure comes ahead of the publication of a report from the prime minister's ethics adviser into Rayner's tax situation.

Rayner had been on the Labour frontbenches since 2015 and took on her government jobs in July 2024, when Labour won the general election.

Her resignation leaves a big hole at the top of government, both as deputy PM and in her role at the housing department where she was responsible for delivering one of Labour's key pledges – to build 1.5 million homes by the end of the Parliament.

On Wednesday, Rayner acknowledged that she had not paid enough tax when buying her East Sussex flat but said this was a "mistake" resulting from legal advice that had failed to "properly take account" of her circumstances.

She said she had contacted HMRC to work out the additional tax she needed to pay and referred herself for investigation by Sir Laure Magnus, the PM's standards adviser.

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Nigel Farage has told Reform UK members they must be ready for an early general election, following the resignation of deputy prime minister Angela Rayner.

The Reform leader took to the stage for his keynote conference speech three hours earlier than planned after Rayner announced her resignation.

"We're about to witness a big rift in the Labour Party," he told cheering supporters, "I think there's every chance now of a general election happening in 2027 and we must be ready for that moment."

He announced the setting up of a new department to prepare for government, with former Reform chairman Zia Yusuf as head of policy.

He said Reform would "set out some serious cuts to the welfare budget" shortly and that if elected his party would "stop the boats within two weeks", scrap "harmful, wasteful" net zero polices and make Britain safer with "zero tolerance policing".

He revealed he was planning to have lunch with the Albanian prime minister to discuss possible migrant returns agreements.

But the speech was more about firing up the Reform troops than setting out policies, as he sought to capitalise on the party's recent local election victories and consistent lead in the national opinion polls.

"We are seeing the rise of the turquoise tide," he told supporters, who had been summoned to the hall three hours earlier than expected over the Birmingham venue's public address system.

In another surprise move, he broke off from his speech to introduce Nadine Dorris, who defected to Reform on Thursday, to make a brief speech.

After a break, Farage returned to claim that Reform was the "last chance we have to get this country back on track".

"All I can do is to promise you that I will give this everything," he added, claiming "no one cares more about the state of this country than I do" and "I'm determined to do something about it."

Earlier in the speech he hit back at claims that Reform was a "one man band" but said it had to more to prepare for power.

"In order to get all these policies brought together under one roof - and it's a massive workload - I'm going to ask Zia Yusuf, from this day, to be our head of policy to bring all of this together.

"I will, in the next few weeks, open up a new department within the party, leaning on the experience that Nadine (Dorries) and others have - and others will come.

"Others with experience will come. Don't worry about that, and we will open a department for preparing for government so that when we win, we can hit the ground running."

Israeli strikes and demolitions have destroyed dozens of buildings in areas of Gaza City, satellite images show, as the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said its offensive has established control over 40% of the city.

The new images reviewed by BBC Verify show that intensive bombardments and controlled explosions have levelled several neighbourhoods over the past four weeks.

Rows of tents - which have sprung up over the city to shelter Palestinians displaced by the Israeli military campaign - have also disappeared over the past month, the images show.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced Israel's intention to seize all of the strip and launch an incursion into Gaza City after indirect talks with Hamas on a ceasefire and hostage release deal broke down in July.

UN humanitarian officials have warned that the impact of a full-blown offensive would be "beyond catastrophic". Strikes have intensified in areas of Gaza City in recent weeks and dozens of Palestinians have been killed in attacks this week alone according to the Hamas-run health ministry and civil defence agency.

Satellite images show that significant damage has already occurred in Gaza City's Sheikh Radwan, Zeitoun and Tuffah neighbourhoods in recent weeks. The photos show that dozens of buildings in the city were levelled between August and September.

In a statement to BBC Verify, the IDF said it was "locating and destroying terror infrastructures embedded, among other things, inside buildings".

In Sheikh Radwan - a neighbourhood located about three kilometres from Gaza City centre - a number of buildings have been wiped away. BBC Verify previously geolocated footage of strikes carried out by the IDF to the area on 29 August.

The images clearly show track marks left by Israeli armoured vehicles, many of which pass through sections of the neighbourhood where buildings and trees once stood.

BBC Verify also geolocated footage of an explosion which levelled dozens of high-rise buildings as part of a demolition in the adjacent Jabalia area.

The footage, which first appeared online on 31 August, mirrors similar demolitions carried out by Israeli forces in southern Gaza. Thousands of buildings in areas including Rafah and Khan Younis have been demolished by controlled explosions and demolition contractors in the area, a BBC Verify investigation revealed last month.

In Gaza City's Zeitoun neighbourhood images show what appear to be four clusters of IDF armoured vehicles. In a 24-hour period between 1 and 2 September, dozens of buildings which had stood in an area between the vehicles have been demolished.

By 4 September the armoured vehicles had moved on, images reviewed by BBC Verify showed, with further damage inflicted on buildings in the area.

Elsewhere in Zeitoun, rows of tents set up by displaced Palestinians have disappeared in little over a month. According to the UN, more than 1.9 million Gazans - about 90% of the population - have been displaced by the Israeli military campaign.

According to the UN, hundreds of thousands of people displaced by fighting had returned to northern Gaza earlier this year after the Israeli military opened a corridor from the south of the strip during the short-lived ceasefire agreement.

High-rise buildings which had surrounded the tents have also been destroyed, while signs of activity on the streets have also disappeared. Fresh track marks left by IDF vehicles passing through areas where buildings once stood are also visible.

Similarly, in the Tuffah neighbourhood - where Israeli strikes killed at least eight people on Thursday, according to the Hamas-run Civil Defence agency - more buildings have been levelled.

On 1 August IDF armoured vehicles were visible in the area. By 1 September buildings near where the vehicles were active had been destroyed, including a school.

The images also appear to show fresh tracks left by armoured vehicles crossing through a cemetery, where over 3,000 troops killed fighting for the British Empire in World War 1 are buried. The cemetery has already been heavily damaged by bombardments earlier in the conflict, with a crater left by a previous strike also visible.

An IDF spokesperson told BBC Verify, without providing evidence, that: "In certain cases, entire neighbourhoods in the Gaza Strip are converted into combat complexes which are utilized for ambushes, housing command and control centres and weapon warehouses, combat tunnels, observation posts, firing positions, booby-trapped houses, and for setting explosives in the streets."

Last month, Hamas said it had accepted a plan from regional mediators Qatar and Egypt that would see 10 living hostages and the bodies of 18 dead hostages released during a 60-day truce in exchange for hundreds of Palestinian prisoners and detainees in Israeli jails.

Israel has not responded to the plan but insists all the hostages must be released in one go.

Israel launched a military campaign in Gaza in response to the Hamas-led 7 October attack, in which 1,200 people were killed and 251 more were taken hostage.

At least 64,231 people have been killed in Israeli attacks in Gaza since then, according to the territory's Hamas-run health ministry.

Additional reporting by Paul Brown and Merlyn Thomas.

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Struggling health and beauty chain Bodycare says it will immediately shut 32 of its stores across the UK and make 450 staff redundant, after going into administration.

Known for being a bargain stop for cosmetics and beauty products, including big tubs of popular moisturisers and conditioners displayed on floor-to-ceiling shelves, the firm has about 1,500 employees.

It has 147 bricks-and-mortar shops which have become too expensive to maintain amidst rising rents, the firm said.

The retail chain is the latest casualty as stores grapple with higher staffing costs and fewer sales.

The firm said the majority of its stores will continue to trade as normal while it explores "options" including looking for a buyer.

It will shut stores in places including Croydon, Edinburgh, Hemel Hempstead, Scunthorpe and Wrexham.

The news comes after the US owner of accessories and jewellery store Claire's, which also has a prominent High Street presence, said it secured a buyer after filing for bankruptcy, suffering from higher costs in its supply chain.

Poundland recently avoided collapsing into administration after its turnaround plan was approved days before the chain was due to run out of money.

Nick Holloway, managing director at Interpath and joint administrator, said: "These remain challenging times for high street retailers as rising costs and reduced consumer spending continue to weigh heavily on trading.

"Unfortunately for Bodycare, which was also contending with a significant funding gap and increasing creditor pressure, these challenges proved too difficult to overcome."

The stores which are to close with immediate effect are:

• Beverley
• Cameron Toll
• Cannock
• Clydebank
• Cramlington
• Croydon
• Darwen
• Dumfries
• Edinburgh
• Erdington
• Falkirk
• Hemel Hempstead
• Kirkcaldy
• Loughborough
• Lytham St Annes
• Macclesfield
• Maidstone
• Morecambe
• Newport
• Northfield
• Paisley
• Parkhead
• Perth
• Port Talbot
• Rhyl
• Royton
• Scunthorpe
• Stourbridge,
• Tamworth
• West Bromwich
• Wood Green
• Wrexham

Actor John Alford has been found guilty of sexually assaulting two teenage girls.

The London's Burning star had denied sexual activity with a 14-year-old girl and sexually assaulting a 15-year-old girl at a friend's house in Hoddesdon, Hertfordshire, in April 2022.

The 53-year-old, of Holloway, north London, had been standing trial under his real name of John Shannon.

Appearing at St Albans Crown Court, Alford put his head in hands and shouted "wrong, I didn't do this" from the dock as the verdict was read out.

Alford played Billy Ray in the ITV fire brigade drama and Robbie Wright in the BBC's children's series Grange Hill.

Prosecuting barrister Julie Whitby said both girls were drunk when the incidents happened.

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US rapper and singer Post Malone has been forced to reschedule his two stadium shows in London because of planned Tube strikes.

The 30-year-old star was due to perform on Sunday 7 September and Monday 8 September at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, but promoters Live Nation said no event licence could be provided without adequate public transport.

Instead, shows will take place on the 20 and 21 September, with refunds available for those who cannot attend the rescheduled dates.

Members of the National Union of Rail, Maritime and Transport Workers (RMT) working on the London Underground are walking out on Sunday evening until Friday morning over pay and working conditions.

News of Post Malone's rescheduled shows comes after Coldplay also moved the final two dates of their record-breaking 10-show run at Wembley Stadium.

The band said: "We're very sorry for the inevitable disappointment, frustration and inconvenience that this situation causes."

Post Malone is yet to make a statement on the rearranged dates, but his promoters said it would be "impossible to get people to the concert and home again safely" without London Underground services.

Some fans have complained about the timing of the postponement announcements for both Coldplay and Post Malone's shows, considering the strikes were announced more than two weeks ago.

Coldplay rearranged their shows on 30 August.

On 26 August, Post Malone was announced as a performer at the 2025 MTV VMAs (Video Music Awards), which will take place in New York on Sunday 7 September.

This would have clashed with his Tottenham shows, which were postponed on Friday morning.

The BBC has contacted representatives for Post Malone for comment.

This is devastating for Angela Rayner.

Having overcome a difficult upbringing and personal adversity to climb the heights of the Labour Party and become only its second ever deputy prime minister, it has all come to a premature end within just 14 months of government.

It has pretty devastating implications for Sir Keir Starmer too. Right now there is a long list of unanswered questions.

When will a deputy leadership election take place? Who will stand? Will a candidate who wants to force the government into a more left-wing position make it onto the ballot paper?

Or, as some believe the Labour rulebook permits, could the cabinet designate an interim deputy leader from among their number who would, in time, be anointed permanently?

• Reaction and analysis after Rayner quits - follow live

Would Sir Keir commit to appointing a new deputy leader to the position of deputy prime minister as well? Would any new deputy leader want that, or would they rather establish a new powerbase on the backbenches?

Could Sir Keir even revisit Jeremy Corbyn's attempt to abolish the deputy leadership? That was mooted to me by one insider this morning, acknowledging that it would be a terrible look but musing on whether it might be a less terrible option than the others.

Who will be the new housing secretary, responsible for delivering one of the government's most ambitious and important policy commitments, on housebuilding?

Will the prime minister use this as an opportunity to carry out a much wider shakeup of his cabinet and ministerial team, or will he want to minimise the political drama?

We'll begin to find out the answers to some of these questions over the coming hours and days.

Other questions - such as the impact on the government's popularity of its housing secretary being forced to resign for having underpaid tax on a home - will take longer to answer.

Safe to say this isn't how "phase two" of Starmer's government was meant to begin.

Until this week, Angela Rayner was considered to be one of the most powerful women in Britain, a deputy prime minister who was widely tipped to be a future candidate for the top job in politics.

A self-described "proper working-class" woman, Rayner grew up in poverty and left school without any qualifications at 16. She entered high office in the wake of a landslide election victory.

It was a remarkable journey.

But Rayner's extraordinary rise to the apex of British politics with the Labour Party has culminated in an equally spectacular fall.

She resigned as deputy prime minister and housing secretary after admitting she did not pay enough tax on the purchase of a new home.

She has also resigned as deputy leader of the Labour party.

It means a return to the backbenches for a high-profile MP who was considered to be a big political asset to her party and who remains a popular figure within many Labour circles and beyond.

Her against-the-odds story, personality, and ability to connect with parts of the electorate that might be less accessible to others, gave her a special status in Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer's cabinet and underscores why she will be so hard to replace.

Tough upbringing

Born Angela Bowen in Stockport, Greater Manchester, in 1980, Rayner grew up on one of the area's poorest council estates and from an early age, was caring for her mother, who was bipolar and suffered from depression.

Both Rayner's parents were unemployed and speaking in 2017, she remembered having to grow up very quickly.

"My mum was a really vulnerable person. I remember, at 10, my mum being suicidal and me sleeping like a dog on the end of her bed, just to try and stay next to her so she didn't do any harm to herself," Rayner said.

She has also recalled going to her grandmother's flat on Sundays, so the family could take it in turns to have a bath there. Hot water was too expensive for them to use at home.

Rayner has often spoken about being told she would "never amount to anything", after she left school without any qualifications.

But after having her first child at 16, Rayner studied part-time at college, learning British sign language and gaining a vocational qualification in social care.

She spent a number of years as a care worker in Stockport, mainly looking after elderly people in their own homes, while also rising quickly through the ranks of the union, Unison.

She has described herself as "mouthy", someone who would "take no messing from management".

In her 20s, she became a full-time union official and eventually, after battles over working conditions and zero-hour contracts, rose to the most senior elected role in Unison in north-west England.

It was at Unison she met Mark Rayner, a fellow union official whom she married in 2010 and divorced in 2023. The couple went on to have two sons, one of whom was born so prematurely he is registered blind and has special educational needs.

She credits the trade union movement with encouraging her to enter politics and taking her from - in her own words - "the girl on a council estate" to "a woman who feels like she can conquer the world".

Those ambitions started to be realised in 2015, when she was elected as the MP for Ashton-under-Lyne in Greater Manchester. She later said she had only stood to make the point that "people like me can't get elected" and had "accidentally" won the seat.

The Prescott role

Rayner rose quickly in Westminster, taking up the women and equalities, and education briefs in the shadow cabinet of former Labour leader, Jeremy Corbyn.

When Corbyn stood down in 2020, following Labour's worst general election result since 1935, Rayner did not run for the leadership, and backed her ally Rebecca Long-Bailey, who came second to Sir Keir.

Instead, Rayner stood for the deputy leadership and won election to that post comfortably.

But relations between Sir Keir and Rayner have sometimes been tense. After Labour lost control of eight English councils and lost the seat of Hartlepool in a parliamentary by-election in May 2021, the deputy leader was removed from her post as party chairwoman.

She pushed back and was appointed shadow first secretary of state among other titles.

By that point, Rayner had a strong support base and a powerful role likened to that of John Prescott, who was seen as a political bridge between the working class and the New Labour project during Tony Blair's premiership.

Rayner heavily leaned into that role and tried to use it to her party's advantage in the years before Labour's general election win in 2024.

Outspoken and combative at times, Rayner repeatedly accused the Conservatives of being "out of touch", and hammered the party with lines such as "one rule for them and another rule for us" during the scandal over pandemic parties in Downing Street.

Sometimes Rayner admitted she had gone too far, once apologising for describing senior Conservatives as "a bunch of scum".

Her prominence and the venom of her political attacks had put a target on her back and attracted unwanted headlines.

In 2021, Rayner lashed out at "sexism and misogyny" in politics, after a newspaper reported that she crossed and uncrossed her legs during prime minister's questions to distract Boris Johnson.

And in 2024, she was investigated by the police over the tax paid on the sale of her council house, again following a slew of reports by unfriendly newspapers, cheered on by the Conservatives. She was not found to have committed a criminal offence.

Her tendency to brush through political controversies gave her an air of untouchability, with some dubbing her "Teflon Ang".

Her stock had risen further still as deputy prime minister, leading on one of Labour's key pledges to build 1.5 million homes by 2030, and helping Sir Keir quell a rebellion by Labour MPs over welfare cuts.

Days before her resignation, the prime minister mounted a full-throated defence of Rayner, hailing her a "great story of British success" who gave working-class children "a real sense of aspiration".

And yet the political optics of a housing secretary admitting she had not paid enough tax on her home were not easy on the eye.

Rayner faced charges of hypocrisy and calls for her to stand down.

She resigned from government after the prime minister's ethics adviser Sir Laurie Magnus declared that she had breached the ministerial code.

While he said that she had "acted with integrity", he told the prime minister that "she cannot be considered to have met the 'highest possible standards of proper conduct' as envisaged by the [ministerial] code."

Having overcome a difficult upbringing and personal adversity to climb the heights of the Labour Party and become only its second ever deputy prime minister, Angela Rayner's political career has come to a premature end within just 14 months of a Labour government.

Angela Rayner has resigned as deputy prime minister, housing secretary and the deputy leader of the Labour Party, after admitting she underpaid tax after buying a flat in Hove.

Below is her resignation letter in full, along with Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer's response and a letter from Sir Laurie Magnus, the independent adviser on ministerial ethics, in which he sets out that Rayner breached the ministerial code.

Rayner's resignation letter

Dear Keir,

Thank you for the personal and public support you have shown me in recent days. As you know, on Wednesday I referred myself to your Independent Adviser on Ministerial Standards, Sir Laurie Magnus, to conduct a thorough investigation into my personal financial circumstances after I became aware that it is likely I inadvertently paid the incorrect rate for Stamp Duty Land Tax (SDLT).

I have always taken my responsibilities as Deputy Prime Minister, Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, as well as a Member of Parliament with the utmost seriousness. I have long believed that people who serve the British public in government must always observe the highest standards, and while the Independent Adviser has concluded that I acted in good faith and with honesty and integrity throughout, I accept that I did not meet the highest standards in relation to my recent property purchase.

I deeply regret my decision to not seek additional specialist tax advice given both my position as Housing Secretary and my complex family arrangements. I take full responsibility for this error. I would like to take this opportunity to repeat that it was never my intention to do anything other than pay the right amount.

I must also consider the significant toll that the ongoing pressure of the media is taking on my family. While I rightly expect proper scrutiny on me and my life, my family did not choose to have their private lives interrogated and exposed so publicly. I have been clear throughout this process that my priority has, and always will be, protecting my children and the strain I am putting them under through staying in post has become unbearable.

Given the findings, and the impact on my family, I have therefore decided to resign as Deputy Prime Minister and Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, as well as Deputy Leader of the Labour Party.

For a teenage mum from a council estate in Stockport to serve as the highest level of government has been the honour of my life. The challenges of government are nothing compared to the challenge of putting food on the table and getting a roof over our head when I brought up kids working as a home help. Too many people face the same across our country.

I've always known that politics changes lives because it changed mine. The last Labour government gave me the tools I needed to build a better life for me and my young son, and that's why I've been working relentlessly from day one in government to do the same for the next generation. Every day I had in office, I worked to serve working class communities like the one that I grew up in, which are too often overlooked by those in power. I am proud that in every decision I made, I did it for them. I would never have become Deputy Prime Minister if not for the decisions taken by the last Labour Government, giving me a council house to support me, Sure Start to help raise my kids, and the security of a minimum wage - and I can only hope that the changes I made in government will have the same impact for young girls growing up on council estates like I did.

Through my Employment Rights Bill people across the country will receive the biggest uplift in workers' rights in a generation. This landmark legislation will be game changing for millions of people stuck in insecure and low-paid work, giving them the dignity and security they don't just need but also deserve. I am and will remain deeply proud of that legacy. I am so proud to have worked alongside the trade union movement, who have given me everything, to deliver that.

Our Renters' Rights Bill will finally ban the oppressive rule of no-fault evictions and will reset the balance between renters and landlords through ground breaking protection for renters. Everyone deserves to live in a safe and decent home, and I know this legislation will deliver that for millions of people across the country.

The Planning and Infrastructure Bill will also be instrumental in getting the homes so many people across this country need built, and I am so proud that at the Spending Review we announced the biggest investment in social and affordable housing in a generation with the overwhelming amount of this going to genuinely social rent homes.

And last week, I introduced the English Devolution Bill to Parliament. The largest single package of devolution from any Westminster government to local people across England. This landmark legislation will permanently change the balance of power, giving true control to those with skin in game. We delivered an Elections Strategy which will mean 16 and 17 year olds getting the vote for the first time, as well as ambitious plans to ensure the most marginalised communities are registered to vote. We took steps to stabilise the broken foundations of local government and deliver the first genuinely fair funding review and the first multi-year settlement for a decade.

My department, through my excellent team of Ministers, has also provided the largest ever investment in homelessness prevention services to local authorities, to get Britain back on track to ending homelessness for good. We've worked relentlessly to bring an end to the building safety crisis and developed new measures to get peoples' homes fixed quicker and hold rogue freeholders to account. We've also worked to boost community cohesion, tackle hate crime and reset the relationship with faith communities.

I have been lucky to work alongside the most talented group of Ministers who worked with dedication to deliver for working people. I thank Matthew Pennycook, Jim McMahon, Alex Norris, Wajid Khan and Sharon Taylor. I too am grateful to my brilliant parliamentary team, Harpreet Uppal, Mark Ferguson, and Gen Kitchen.

For me, being in office is the chance to change the lives of the people I grew up alongside. I will do whatever I can to continue doing so.

Thank you for your leadership and for your friendship. I will continue to serve you, our country and the party and movement I love in the weeks, months and years ahead.

Yours sincerely,

The Rt. Hon. Angela Rayner MP Representing Ashton-under-Lyne, Audenshaw, Droylsden and Dukinfield Deputy Prime Minister, Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government

Sir Keir's reply to Rayner

Dear Angela

Thank you for informing me of your decision to resign from the Government. I am very sad that your time as Deputy prime Minister, Secretary of State and Deputy Leader of the Labour Party has ended in this way.

As you know we acted in accordance with the strengthened system relating to ministerial conduct that we put in place on coming into Government. You were right to refer yourself to the Independent Adviser on Ministerial Standards and right to act on his conclusions.

Although I believe you have reached the right decision, it is a decision which I know is very painful for you. You have given your all to making the Labour Government a success and you have been a central art of our plan to make Britain fairer for working families. Your work at MHCLG to help build the homes that Britain needs has been hugely important and your work to create more fairness in the workplace through the Employment Rights Bill represents a very significant achievement that will change the lives of millions of people.

On a personal note, I am very sad to be losing you from the Government. You have been a trusted colleague and a true friend for many years. I have nothing but admiration for you and huge respect for your achievement in politics. I know that many people of all political persuasions admire that someone as talented as you is the living embodiment of social mobility.

Given though you won't be part of the Government, you will remain a major figure in our party. I know that you will continue to fight for the causes you care so passionately about.

My very best wishes, and with real sadness,

Keir

Ethics adviser's letter to PM on Rayner's conduct

Dear Prime Minister,

Following a self-referral by The Rt Hon Angela Rayner MP, Deputy Prime Minister and Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government on 3 September 2025, I have undertaken an examination of the circumstances and facts connected to recent allegations about Ms Rayner's property ownership and tax affairs.

I should acknowledge that Ms Rayner has provided her full and open cooperation in assisting me with my inquiries. Her decision to provide greater public transparency by applying to remove the confidentiality undertaking in a court order protecting her family's domestic financial circumstances was, in particular, clearly very difficult to reconcile with her understandable wish to shield members of her family from the glare of media attention.

It is a sad reflection of the almost intolerable pressures that can face prominent politicians in protecting the privacy of their families, not least, as Ms Rayner highlighted in her statement on 3 September, "the reality that family life is rarely straightforward, particularly when dealing with disability, divorce and the complexities of ensuring your children's long term security".

Ms Rayner has explained publicly that, following recent allegations and speculation, and in order to assure herself of compliance with her obligations, she sought legal advice from leading tax Counsel. This covered her personal position in relation to council tax, stamp duty land tax, capital gains tax and inheritance tax. I have had access to this written opinion and, as a result of its conclusions, have focused my inquiries - and this advice - on the issues relating to Ms Rayner's acknowledged failure to pay the correct amount of stamp duty land tax (SDLT) on the purchase of a property in Hove, Sussex, in May 2025.

It is the realisation of this error that prompted Ms Rayner, shortly after having received the final tax law advice, to refer the matter to me on Wednesday 3 September. Ms Rayner has set out in detail, publicly, the details of her family's domestic arrangements and her decision to sell her 25% interest in the freehold of the family home in Ashton-under-Lyne and to purchase a property in Hove. I do not need to repeat these details here, other than to note that they inevitably entailed a considerable degree of complexity.

Having sold her 25% share in the family home in Ashton-under-Lyne, Ms Rayner ceased to own any part of that property. However, under the relevant legislation, a person who does not own a property can nonetheless be deemed to hold an interest in it if certain circumstances apply; these include where that property is held by a trust, and the beneficiary of the trust is a child of that person under the age of 18. I understand there are additional complexities, for example concerning the particular type of trust in question and the reason for which the trust was established.

Taken together, it appears that - particularly in the context of the specialist type of trust in question - the interpretation of these rules is complex. With Ms Rayner's full cooperation and assistance, I have reviewed relevant documentation from the property transaction. This has included the advice she received at the time from the legal firms involved and the associated documentation that was prepared for her to effect the purchase. This advice gave rise to Ms Rayner's understanding - which I consider to have been held in good faith - that the lower rate of SDLT was applicable when purchasing the property in Hove.

It is not necessary for me to detail the specific contents of this advice or the associated documentation but, having reviewed it, I would draw four conclusions:

a) Ms Rayner was open about the existence of the Trust and considered that, between them, the firms advising her had appropriate knowledge and awareness of the details and circumstances of the Trust;

b) on the basis of the advice she received, Ms Rayner believed that the lower rate of SDLT would be applicable; indeed she was twice informed in writing that this was the case; but

c) in those two instances, that advice was qualified by the acknowledgement that it did not constitute expert tax advice and was accompanied by a suggestion, or in one case a recommendation, that specific tax advice be obtained; and

d) if such expert tax advice had been received, as it later was, it would likely have advised her that a higher rate of SDLT was payable.

The Ministerial Code sets out the high standards that, as Prime Minister, you expect all ministers to follow. It enshrines the commitment to uphold the Seven Principles of Public Life, and details "the overarching duty on Ministers to comply with the law and to protect the integrity of public life". The Code begins at 1.2 by stating that "Ministers are expected to embody the principles of public service and to set a positive example as they govern in the national interest. Ministers should recognise that, as office-holders, they are held to the highest possible standards of proper conduct, and ensure that they are living up to those standards in their words and actions".

Ms Rayner deeply regrets the mistake she has made in relation to the underpayment of SDLT for the purchase of her property in Hove. On realisation of this error, she has sought quickly to correct the mistake and to refer herself to HMRC in order to ensure that she pays the correct amount. I have no doubt that she has been motivated in the management of her property and financial arrangements by a desire to act in the best interests of her children, and with the intention to pay all appropriate taxes and fulfil all her legal obligations.

It is highly unfortunate, however, that Ms Rayner failed to pay the correct rate of SDLT on this purchase, particularly given her status and responsibilities as the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government and as Deputy Prime Minister. She believed that she relied on the legal advice she had received, but unfortunately did not heed the caution contained within it, which acknowledged that it did not constitute expert tax advice and which suggested that expert advice be sought. I am conscious of the acute challenges Ministers face - perhaps uniquely - in managing the demands of their personal lives and their public responsibilities.

However, the responsibility of any taxpayer for reporting their tax returns and settling their liabilities rests ultimately on themselves alone. Given the conjunction of the acknowledged complexity of her family circumstances, her position in Government (most importantly as Deputy Prime Minister) and the consequences of getting such a calculation wrong, it is deeply regrettable that the specific tax advice was not sought.

I believe Ms Rayner has acted with integrity and with a dedicated and exemplary commitment to public service. I consider, however, that her unfortunate failure to settle her SDLT liability at the correct level, coupled with the fact that this was established only following intensive public scrutiny, leads me to advise you that, in relation to this matter, she cannot be considered to have met the "highest possible standards of proper conduct" as envisaged by the Code. Accordingly, it is with deep regret that I must advise you that in these circumstances, I consider the Code to have been breached.

Yours sincerely,

Sir Laurie Magnus CBE. Independent Adviser on Ministerial Standards

Angela Rayner is fighting for her political future after admitting she should have paid more stamp duty when she bought a flat in Hove earlier this year.

The deputy prime minister has denied trying to dodge the extra tax, but faces a probe into whether she broke ministerial rules.

Here is a breakdown of how the story unfolded.

Rayner buys a house in Ashton-under-Lyne, Greater Manchester, with her then-husband Mark, which becomes their family home.

A court orders that a trust be set up to manage a financial award made to her severely disabled son, reportedly from the NHS, linked to his premature birth.

During their divorce, the couple each decide to transfer some of their share in the family home to the trust set up for their son.

Rayner sells her remaining stake in the house to the trust, receiving a lump sum thought to be £162,500.

The deputy prime minister uses the sum, along with a mortgage, to buy a three-bedroom flat in Hove, East Sussex, for £800,000.

According to Rayner, she was advised she would only need to pay the standard rate of stamp duty on the purchase.

The Mail on Sunday and Sun on Sunday report her purchase of the Hove flat, with the Tories calling on her to clarify where she pays council tax.

The Daily Telegraph reports Rayner saved £40,000 in stamp duty by not paying the higher rate reserved for additional home purchases.

In the story, published on its website late in the evening, the newspaper quotes a spokesperson for Rayner saying she paid the "correct duty" on the purchase.

The Tories announce they have written to Sir Laurie Magnus, the prime minister's ethics adviser, asking him to investigate Rayner's tax affairs.

Rayner instructs a senior lawyer to review her tax position that evening.

Downing Street tells reporters Rayner cannot give further details of her situation due to a court order, which she is "urgently" trying to lift.

Shortly afterwards, Sir Keir Starmer rallies round Rayner during a BBC interview, saying he is "proud" of his deputy.

The senior lawyer commissioned by Rayner gives a draft opinion on her situation in the evening, whilst seeking further information.

The court order is lifted late in the evening.

The senior lawyer's final legal opinion is received in the morning, with Rayner contacting HMRC and referring herself for investigation by Sir Laurie.

Shortly before Sir Keir is due to appear at Prime Minister's Questions, Rayner releases a statement admitting she should have paid the higher rate of stamp duty when purchasing the Hove flat.

She denies she tried to dodge the extra tax, saying the initial legal advice she received failed to "properly take account" of her tax liability resulting from the nature of her son's trust.

Sir Keir again backs his deputy, but the Conservatives and Reform UK call for her to resign.

Sir Keir repeatedly refuses to say if he will sack Rayner if the standards adviser concludes she broke the ministerial code.

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Three British nationals were killed in the Lisbon funicular crash, Portuguese police have said.

The Glória funicular, a popular tourist attraction, derailed and crashed into a building on Wednesday, killing 16.

More than 20 people were also injured, with five in a critical condition.

Nationals of Portugal, South Korea, Switzerland, Canada, Ukraine, France, and the US are also among the dead, police said.

It is not known what caused the crash. The capital's public transport operator, Carris, said all funiculars would be inspected and that it had launched an independent investigation.

The 140-year-old carriage derailed at around 18:15 local time (17:15 GMT) near the city's Avenida da Liberdade boulevard.

More than 60 rescue personnel raced to the scene to pull people from the wreckage.

Videos and images of the site showed an overturned, crumpled yellow carriage lying on the cobblestone street.

Portugal's Prime Minister Luís Montenegro called the crash "one of the biggest human tragedies of our recent history" and a national day of mourning was declared.

This breaking news story is being updated and more details will be published shortly. Please refresh the page for the fullest version.

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The Duchess of Kent has died at the age of 92, Buckingham Palace has announced.

She "passed away peacefully last night at Kensington Palace, surrounded by her family", a statement said on Friday, with the flag on Buckingham Palace now lowered to half mast.

The duchess, Katharine, was the oldest member of the Royal Family, married to Prince Edward, the Duke of Kent, a first cousin of the late Queen Elizabeth II.

She will be remembered as a familiar figure at the Wimbledon tennis championships, where she handed over trophies - and consoled those who had lost, famously including a tearful Jana Novotna in 1993.

The duchess was also a great music lover - supporting music charities and teaching music in a Hull primary school, where pupils knew nothing of her royal identity, and where she was known as "Mrs Kent".

Perhaps the most familiar images of the duchess are from her appearances at Wimbledon, where she was regularly seen watching the tennis and stepping on to the court to give out prizes.

She gave a shoulder to cry on to the defeated Novotna - but five years later was there to hand over the trophy to the Czech tennis star.

The duchess also spoke of her deep sadness at the 49-year-old Novotna's death from cancer in 2017.

It was claimed that the duchess later fell out with Wimbledon authorities over her attempt to bring the 12-year-old son of a bereaved friend into the Royal Box.

Born as Katharine Worsley, from an aristocratic land-owning family in Yorkshire, the duchess became part of the Royal Family in 1961 when she married the Duke of Kent, a grandson of King George V.

Princess Anne was among the bridesmaids at their wedding in York Minster, with the late Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Charles in the congregation.

The duchess took on a regular round of royal duties, but throughout her life she also carved out an individual path.

She became a Catholic in 1994, the first royal to convert to Catholicism for more than 300 years, describing it as "a long-pondered personal decision".

The duchess was received into the Catholic church by the then Archbishop of Westminster, Cardinal Basil Hume.

She became a volunteer in the Passage homelessness charity, which Cardinal Hume had helped to set up - and which is now given high-profile support by the Prince of Wales.

The Duchess and Duke of Kent had three children, but another son was stillborn.

That loss in 1977 saw a period of intense emotional turmoil. The duchess emerged after a seven-week stay in hospital for what palace officials described at the time as "nervous exhaustion".

It was an era with much less openness about mental health and wellbeing - but she later revealed how much she had suffered from "acute depression".

Music was a big part of the life of the duchess, having spoken of how emotional it made her feel, as a listener and as a musician, including singing in the Bach Choir.

Her tastes were eclectic - picking Mozart's Ave Verum Corpus as her favourite piece on BBC Radio 4's Desert Island Discs - but also later speaking of her liking for gangsta rap.

In later years, she stepped back from using her royal HRH title and spent more time working to improve music education for young people.

As Katharine Kent, or Mrs Kent, she lived something of a double life, working from the mid-1990s as a part-time music teacher at Wansbeck Primary School in Kingston upon Hull, without parents or pupils knowing about her royal background.

She spoke of talented children trapped by deprivation - describing "estates with Berlin Walls around them" - and subsequently set up a charity to help young people get access to learning instruments.

The duchess espoused the "power of music to give confidence and self-belief" and said of her time as a teacher: "My connection will always be there. I love those children, I love East Hull, I wouldn't have stayed there for 13 years if I hadn't."

She is survived by her husband, the Duke of Kent, aged 89, and their two sons and a daughter.