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The United Nations’ secretary general has called for an immediate ceasefire to end “epic suffering” in the Gaza Strip after Israeli airstrikes reportedly killed more than 700 people in a single day and hospitals began to shut down for lack of fuel. António Guterres said the bombardment and blockade of Gaza amounted to the “collective punishment of the Palestinian people” and violated international law, comments that sparked a fierce row with Israel. “To ease epic suffering, make the delivery of aid easier and safer and facilitate the release of hostages. I reiterate my appeal for an immediate humanitarian ceasefire,” he said. Guterres said the 7 October attacks by Hamas were “appalling” but did not happen in a vacuum. “The Palestinian people have been subjected to 56 years of suffocating occupation,” he said. “They have seen their land steadily devoured by settlements and plagued by violence; their economy stifled; their people displaced and their homes demolished. Their hopes for a political solution to their plight have been vanishing.” Israel’s envoy to the UN, Gilad Erdan, called on Guterres to resign immediately, accusing him of being detached from reality. “His comments … constitute a justification for terrorism and murder. It’s sad that a person with such views is the head of an organisation that arose after the Holocaust.” Israel’s foreign minister, Eli Cohen, cancelled a planned meeting with Gutteres. Airstrikes killed at least 704 people in the past day, the Hamas-run health ministry said, bringing Gaza’s total death toll after 18 days of bombing to 5,791 including 2,360 children. Twenty trucks of aid that had been expected to enter the besieged territory on Tuesday were unable to cross into Gaza from Egypt amid wrangling between Israel, Egypt, the US and the UN over procedures for inspecting the shipments. The Palestinian Red Crescent later confirmed that eight trucks had arrived in Gaza carrying water, food and medicine. Asked by reporters in Washington whether aid was getting into Gaza, the US president, Joe Biden, replied: “Not fast enough.” Three hospitals could no longer function because they had run out of fuel to generate electricity, the Palestinian health minister, Mai al-Kaila, told a press conference. She called for a safe corridor to ferry injured and critically ill people to Egyptian hospitals. Late on Tuesday an Israeli military spokesperson said fuel supplies would not be included in any aid shipments to the territory. “Fuel will not enter Gaza as Hamas uses it for its operational needs,” said R Adm Daniel Hagari. “If necessary, Hamas can return the fuel it stole from UNRWA [the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestinian refugees] and give it to the hospitals.” According to the UN, some Palestinians who had fled their homes in northern Gaza have returned because of a lack of food and shelter in the south. FULL REPORT

The pope has accepted the resignation of a Polish bishop whose diocese has been rocked by reports of a gay orgy involving a male sex worker in a priest’s apartment, as well as previous violent incidents involving his clergy. The Vatican did not give a reason why Grzegorz Kaszak was resigning as head of the diocese of Sosnowiec, in south-western Poland. At 59, he is several years shy of the normal retirement age of 75. But his diocese has been in the spotlight after one of his priests was placed under criminal investigation for having allegedly organised an orgy at his apartment in Dąbrowa Górnicza involving a male sex worker. Polish media reported that one of the participants of the sex party collapsed after overdosing on erectile dysfunction pills. A prosecutor said the priest was suspected of “failing to provide assistance to a person whose life is at risk” for having allegedly tried to bar paramedics from entering the apartment. It was not the first incident involving clergy from the diocese to make headlines. In 2010, the then acting rector of the Sosnowiec seminary allegedly got into a scuffle at a gay club, but was allowed to remain in his job for more than a year even after the case was publicised by Polish media. The Holy See finally intervened and dissolved the seminary altogether, according to the PAP news agency. In March 2023, the corpse of a 26-year-old deacon was found with injuries suggesting homicide. Local prosecutors said he had been killed by a 40-year-old priest who then killed himself. FULL STORY

Donald Trump’s ex-fixer inflated the valuation of the former president’s assets to “whatever number Mr Trump told us to”, he has testified. Michael Cohen made the allegation as he took the stand at Trump’s civil fraud trial in New York. His highly anticipated testimony is at the heart of the prosecutors’ case against his former boss. Cohen – the trial’s star witness – claimed he was “tasked, by Mr Trump, to increase the total assets based upon a number that he arbitrary selected”, in an effort to magnify his net worth and “obtain better insurance premiums”. Trump, who attended the trial on Tuesday, dismissed Cohen as a “proven liar” and told reporters he was “not worried at all” about his former lawyer’s testimony. Judge Arthur Engoron has already ruled Trump and his family business committed fraud. Engoron is using this trial – focused on remaining claims of conspiracy, insurance fraud and falsifying business records – to decide on punishment. “This is not about Donald Trump v Michael Cohen, or Michael Cohen v Donald Trump,” Cohen said as he arrived at court in Manhattan. “This is about accountability, plain and simple.” The two men have not been in the same room since Cohen, Trump’s personal attorney for more than a decade, turned on his boss. The former executive vice-president at the Trump Organization ultimately pleaded guilty in 2018 to felony charges, including tax evasion and lying to Congress during an investigation of Trump’s ties with Russia. Trump continued to attack Cohen before entering the courtroom on Tuesday. “He’s a proven liar, as you know, a felon,” the former president told reporters. “We did nothing wrong and that’s the truth.” Cohen’s congressional testimony in 2019 – during which he alleged that Trump “inflated his assets when it served his purposes” – led the office of the New York attorney general, Letitia James, to pursue its fraud case against the former president. FULL STORY

Sir Bobby Charlton: Man Utd and England legend dies aged 86 Charlton is regarded as one of Manchester United's greatest ever players, scoring 249 goals in 758 appearances. He won the European Cup with United in 1968, as well as three First Division titles; Ashington-born Charlton also won the World Cup with England in 1966 Full Article

Vladimir Putin spotted with ‘scar on his throat’ after reports of being ‘resuscitated’ Vladimir Putin's health is under scrutiny after reports emerged claiming the Russian leader had to undergo intensive care after suffering from a heart attack. A Video of Vladimir Putin has been fuelling speculation about his health after eagle-eyed observers noticed a scar on his neck. The clip began circulating online before reports emerged claiming the Russian leader had suffered a heart attack and had to receive intensive care. The footage shows Putin speaking at an unspecified public event, a scar clearly marking his neck – with some analysts suggesting it might be the result of "resuscitation" procedures. A Telegram channel believed to belong to a former Kremlin official claimed Putin's health had sparked huge "alarm" across Moscow. The insider alleged that the Russian leader was found "lying on the floor, rolling his eyes" after suffering a suspected heart episode. They went on to claim Putin was then transferred to a special medical facility to undergo intensive care. The Telegram channel General SVR wrote: "Putin convulsively arched while lying on the floor, rolling his eyes. The doctors, who were on duty at the residence in one of the adjacent rooms, were immediately called. "Doctors performed resuscitation, having previously determined that the president was in cardiac arrest. Help was provided on time, the heart was started, and Putin regained consciousness." While speculation about Putin's health has been rife in recent months, the Daily Express could not independently verify the claims. The Russian leader is no stranger to interest in his state, and his condition has only attracted more conjecture since the start of the war in Ukraine. Putin was repeatedly spotted seemingly struggling to keep his arms and legs from shaking when delivering speeches. FULL STORY

Vladimir Putin is alleged to have suffered a "cardiac arrest" in his private Moscow apartment on Sunday evening. A Telegram Channel believed to be run by a former Kremlin insider reported that incident saying the Russian leader was found by guards on the floor of the bedroom "lying on the floor, rolling his eyes." Doctors were reportedly called immediately and they later diagnosed the 71-year-old as having suffered a "cardiac arrest." Putin was then moved to a special medical facility built in the apartment where he underwent intensive care, the source claims. The unverified report comes following persistent speculation surrounding Putin's health amid rumours of a long-hidden medical condition. The Telegram channel General SVR, reportedly run by a former Russian lieutenant-general, declared in a post:"Security officers of Russian President Vladimir Putin, who were on duty at the residence, heard noise and sounds of falling coming from the president's bedroom. "Two security officers immediately followed into the president's bedroom and saw Putin lying on the floor next to the bed and an overturned table with food and drinks." General SVR continued: "Putin convulsively arched while lying on the floor, rolling his eyes." Doctors later reportedly arrived a "resuscitated" Putin having "previously determined that the president was in cardiac arrest." FULL STORY

Many voters think of President Biden as a green energy champion who wants to put fossil fuels out of business. But if you look at the financial performance of oil and natural gas companies under Biden’s presidency, you might think he’s their biggest booster. Energy has been the best-performing sector during much of Biden’s presidency, which is now fueling a mega-merger consolidation sweep among some of the world’s biggest energy companies. ExxonMobil announced plans to buy driller Pioneer Natural Resources for $64 billion on Oct. 11, prompting Chevron to bid $53 billion for Hess on Oct. 23. More deals are possible as huge energy firms hustle to lock in premier drilling sites as the point of “peak oil”—maximum global demand for the commodity, followed by a gradual decline — comes into view, perhaps within the next decade. The Exxon and Chevron deals are both all-stock transactions. That’s possible because shares of America’s two largest energy firms have soared during the past two years, giving the acquirers plenty of headroom for big purchases without having to tap cash or borrow. Big Oil has been thriving, of course, at the same time Biden is overseeing the biggest green energy push in American history. The 2022 Inflation Reduction Act Biden signed includes green energy incentives that could total more than $1 trillion. Private sector firms are applying for those incentives at three times the rate budgeters expected last year. One consequence is a boom in the construction of factories for electric vehicle components and other green energy gear. This might sound like a set of schizophrenic developments in the US energy sector, with a jacked-up fossil fuel industry threatening Biden’s green energy push (or vice versa). But it’s not. Big Oil is enjoying a heyday now in part because it’s rebounding from lean times. And while Biden clearly favors renewables over carbon, he has also learned that ample stocks of fossil fuels will be needed for years to keep consumer energy costs down and prevent voters from revolting. FULL STORY

This calm, vivid documentary looks at the thousands of youngsters missing amidst the invasion – and their families’ search. Be warned: the Russian response may cause outrage These are terrible times, bleak times, and Ukraine’s Stolen Children is one of many films continuing to shed light on the growing list of horrors blighting the world. Veteran journalist and film-maker Shahida Tulaganova tells the horrifying story of the thousands of children reported missing from Ukraine in 2022, who were taken away in the months after Russia invaded the country. In March, the international criminal court (ICC) issued arrest warrants for Vladimir Putin and Maria Lvova-Belova, the Russian commissioner for children’s rights, for the alleged war crimes of unlawfully deporting and transporting Ukrainian children. In this film, Tulaganova gets to the heart of it, speaking to some of the young people who were taken by the Russians, sometimes to what were supposed to be holiday camps. She also meets their family members and carers, and those working for the charity that has been trying to bring them home. Denis was 16 and living in an orphanage in the Kherson region when Russian troops invaded. Volodymyr Sahaidak, who ran the orphanage, describes a bright and helpful boy who tried to take care of the younger children while the area was under blockade. As with many contemporary films about conflict, the presence of phones adds an element of intimacy, as we see clips of Denis, talking about the psychological difficulties of living under fear of attack. Shortly after Denis was taken away, he was seen on Russian state television, draped in a Russian flag. FULL ARTICLE

A former National Security Agency (NSA) employee from Colorado pleaded guilty Monday to trying to sell classified national security information to Russia. Federal prosecutors agreed to not ask for more than about 22 years in prison for Jareh Sebastian Dalke when he is sentenced in April if he adheres to the terms of a plea deal, but the judge will ultimately decide his punishment. Dalke, a 31-year-old army veteran from Colorado Springs, technically faces up to a possible life sentence for giving the information to an undercover FBI agent who prosecutors say Dalke believed was a Russian agent. However, accepting responsibility for a crime usually leads to a lighter sentence. Dalke told the agent that he wanted to “cause change” after questioning the United States’ role in causing damage to the world, but he also said he was $237,000 in debt, according to court documents. He also allegedly said he had decided to work with Russia because his heritage “ties back to your country”. Dalke pleaded guilty during a hearing before US district judge Raymond Moore. He only spoke in answer to questions from Moore about whether he understood the terms of the deal. He acknowledged that he has been taking medications for mental illness while being held in custody for about a year. Dalke was paid $16,499 in cryptocurrency last year for excerpts of some documents that he passed on to the agent to show what he had, and then he offered to sell the rest of the information he had for $85,000, according to the plea deal. FULL STORY

Turkey’s president, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, has removed one of the final hurdles blocking Sweden from joining Nato by submitting a bill approving membership to parliament for ratification. The move on Monday was in line with a commitment Erdoğan made to Nato at its summit in July when he said he would send the bill to parliament for ratification when parliament restarted in October. The bill’s passage through parliament should be a formality, but Erdoğan has a track record of holding out on Sweden’s application to extract concessions from the US, including the sale of F-16s to Ankara – a deal that has been held up in the US Senate. The Turkish leader has also been demanding that Sweden tighten up on the extradition of Kurdish asylum seekers living in Sweden. Turkish officials have insisted the steps Sweden had taken to clamp down on the outlawed Kurdistan Workers party militia were insufficient. In a sign of real movement, the Turkish parliament on Monday moved the accession bill forward. “The Protocol on Sweden’s NATO Accession was signed by President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on October 23, 2023 and referred to the Grand National Assembly of Turkey,” the presidency wrote on the social media platform X, formerly known as Twitter, without elaborating. Turkey and Hungary are the only two EU members whose legislatures have yet to sign off on Sweden’s accession. FULL STORY

An Alaska Airlines flight bound for San Francisco was reportedly diverted to Portland, Oregon, after an off-duty pilot inside the cockpit attempted to disable the aircraft engines. Alaska Airlines flight number 2059 operated by Horizon Air from Everett, Washington, was diverted on Sunday after reporting a credible security threat, according to a Federal Aviation Administration statement. The FAA told airlines in a notice seen by Reuters that the individual at the center of the case sought to disable the engines on the Embraer 175 regional jet by deploying the fire suppression system. The statement added the crew was able to subdue the man and remove him from the flight deck. “I’ll just give you a heads-up. We’ve got the guy that tried to shut the engines down out of the cockpit,” the pilot told FAA air traffic control, according to audio posted by LiveATC. “It doesn’t sound like he’s causing any issue at the back. I think he’s subdued. “We want law enforcement as soon as we get on the ground and parked.” The Seattle Times, which covers the area where Horizon is based, was the first to report that the passenger in question was an off-duty Alaska Airlines pilot. A statement from the Multnomah county sheriff’s office said only that a 44-year-old man was booked on 83 counts of attempted murder and endangering an airplane. The number of attempted murder counts relatives to the passengers and crew members on the flight. News reports, including from CNN, later identified the arrested man as Joseph Emerson. FULL STORY

The US has said now is not the time for a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas, as the UN reports that some Palestinians who fled their homes in the north of Gaza have returned due to a lack of food and shelter in the south. On Monday, White House national security spokesperson John Kirby told CNN that Israel still had “work to do to go after Hamas leadership”, echoing comments from the US president, Joe Biden, that any discussions of a ceasefire could only take place if Hamas freed all its hostages in Gaza. The statement from the White House was at odds with comments from UN and EU officials who on Monday called for a humanitarian pause in fighting so that aid could be delivered into Gaza. The director of the UN agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA) in Gaza, Thomas White, told the BBC on Monday that a shortage of shelter, food and drinking water in the south had forced some residents to return to their homes in the north. Israel delivered sweeping evacuation orders for almost half of Gaza’s 2.3 million people on 13 October. The UN estimates that almost two-thirds of Gaza’s population have been displaced over the last two weeks. “People have left everything in the north … they’ve come to the south where they are struggling to find shelter, food is scarce, many people are having to drink unpotable water, so the situation in the south is dire,” White told the BBC. FULL STORY

More than 300 of Hollywood’s most famous names — including Madonna, Chris Rock, Gwyneth Paltrow, Jerry Seinfeld, Bradley Cooper and Tyler Perry — are praising President Biden’s efforts in the Israel-Hamas war as they urge him to “not rest until all hostages are released.” In an open letter to Biden posted Monday, the group of performers, producers and entertainment industry honchos thanked the 46th president for his “unshakable moral conviction, leadership, and support for the Jewish people, who have been terrorized by Hamas since the group’s founding over 35 years ago, and for the Palestinians, who have also been terrorized, oppressed, and victimized by Hamas for the last 17 years that the group has been governing Gaza.” “We all want the same thing: Freedom for Israelis and Palestinians to live side by side in peace,” the letter said. “Freedom from the brutal violence spread by Hamas. And most urgently, in this moment, freedom for the hostages,” it stated. More than 200 people were kidnapped in the wake of Hamas’s terrorist attack against Israel on Oct. 7. Two elderly women who were kidnapped from their homes in Israel were recovered from Hamas captivity in the Gaza Strip on Monday. The group of celebrities signing their name to Monday’s letter said they were “heartened” by the release of the pair of women, as well as the release on Friday of two American hostages. “We urge everyone to not rest until all hostages are released. No hostage can be left behind,” the letter said. “Whether American, Argentinian, Australian, Azerbaijani, Brazilian, British, Canadian, Chilean, Chinese, Danish, Dutch, Eritrean, Filipino, French, German, Indian, Israeli, Italian, Kazakh, Mexican, Panamanian, Paraguayan, Peruvian, Polish, Portuguese, Romanian, Russian, South African, Spanish, Sri Lankan, Thai, Ukrainian, Uzbekistani or otherwise,” it concluded, “we need to bring them home.” FULL STORY

The Israeli government showed foreign journalists a 43-minute compilation of horrific raw footage from Hamas’ massacres in southern Israel, an effort to prevent denials of the atrocities committed on Oct. 7. On Monday, 200 members of the foreign press reporting out of Israel were shown the footage including scenes of murder, decapitation, and torture from the terrorist invasion of southern Israel. Some of the footage was collected from Hamas terrorists’ bodycams. The Israeli government screened this for the press in an effort to quell “Holocaust-denial-like phenomenon happening in real-time,” according to an IDF spokesman. Journalists in attendance were prohibited from recording any of the footage. The 43-minute video included security camera footage, body cameras of Hamas terrorists, dashboard cameras, call recordings, cellphone videos taken by Hamas or first responders, and more. Still images were also included in the raw footage, showing a decapitated soldier, burned human remains, and a pile of dead bodies in a bomb shelter. Political correspondent for the Times of Israel Carrie Keller-Lynn was in attendance and said footage included Hamas terrorists donning IDF uniforms, flagging down civilian cars, and shooting the passengers. Another video Keller-Lynn saw included first responders “pouring bottled water over still-smoldering bodies, hoping to snuff out the remaining embers.” Keller-Lynn added that after the footage was shown, Major Gen. Mickey Edelstein said that the IDF has evidence of rape, but “cannot share it,” without adding further context. FULL DETAILS

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Its a simple reciprocal agreement; Russia gave Thais the 90 days for visiting Russia.

The stalemate in the House is forcing the Senate to pick up the legislative slack and take the lead on spending. That includes keeping the government funded, as well as an emerging aid package that includes money to help Israel and Ukraine and to ease concerns at the U.S.-Mexico border, a top issue for House Republicans they may have precious little say over. “It’s just so difficult to read how the gears start turning again in the House,” Sen. Thom Tillis (R-N.C.), an ally of Senate GOP leadership, told The Hill. “We just can’t sit and wait.” House Republicans are entering their third week without a Speaker at a crucial point in the year. There is less than a month before the next government shutdown deadline, with the House having effectively zapped three weeks of the stopgap bill that ultimately led to Rep. Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) losing the Speakership earlier this month. The Senate is also set to work up the White House’s $105 billion supplemental package that includes aid for Israel and Ukraine in their battles against Hamas and Russia, respectively. This leaves lawmakers with a time crunch, as they hope to get the work done before Thanksgiving without much help from across the Capitol complex, where funding legislation normally originates. President Biden’s request to Congress included $61 billion for Ukraine, $14 billion for Israel, $14 billion to beef up border operations, $10 billion in humanitarian aid and $2 billion for Indo-Pacific security assistance. The push for Ukraine aid comes after Congress was unable to include it in the 45-day continuing resolution lawmakers passed at the end of last month. FULL STORY

Israel’s missile defense system is highly sophisticated, demonstrating state-of-the-art rocket science and breathtaking ingenuity. But one can argue that the missile defense system has become so effective that it rendered the Hamas rocket threat a mere nuisance. That may have led to a certain nonchalance. The well-known Iron Dome is the world’s best system for intercepting short-range rockets, artillery shells and mortars. In 2006, Hezbollah fired 4,500 rockets into Israel during a six-week war, killing 55 people and wounding hundreds. Since becoming operational in 2011, Iron Dome has intercepted more than 6,000 rockets with a success rate approaching 95 percent. Iron Dome is but one part of a Multi-Layer Missile Defense System that protects Israel. It is the lowest layer in the system, intercepting threats with ranges of up to some 50 miles. We learned about this tiered system firsthand in February 2023 during a congressional tour to Israel led by USIEA. In fact, it was USIEA’s very first congressional tour to Israel back in 2011 that resulted directly in the declassification of the Iron Dome and, consequently, U.S. support for installations across Israel. The second layer, David’s Sling, intercepts rockets with a greater range. The third layer is covered by Arrow-2, which intercepts targets at the edge of the atmosphere, and Arrow-3, which intercepts rockets in outer space. David’s Sling (DS) first became operational in 2016. However, it didn’t see its first operational intercepts until May of this year, when it intercepted rockets launched from Gaza toward Tel Aviv and Jerusalem. Iron Dome’s Tamir interceptor has a range of less than 10 miles, meaning that its batteries must be located very near the population centers it is tasked to protect. On the other hand, the DS interceptor (Stunner) has a significantly greater range. In Israel, there is only one DS battery, but owing to the superior range of the system, this battery can provide defense to more than two-thirds of the country. FULL STORY

Israel has said it is intensifying attacks on northern Gaza and warned that anyone who stayed risked being considered as “an accomplice in a terrorist organisation”, as airstrikes continued on Sunday in the south, where civilians had fled hoping to survive the war. A second trickle of aid was allowed into Gaza from Egypt on Sunday, but the head of the World Food Programme (WFP) warned that the humanitarian situation was now catastrophic for the 2.3 million people trapped inside the territory. Speaking on ABC’s This Week programme, the WFP chief, Cindy McCain, described the amount of aid delivered into Gaza so far as a “drop”. “We need – we need secure and sustainable access in there ... This is a catastrophe happening and we just simply have to get these trucks in.” Up to 19 aid trucks crossed into Gaza on Sunday but there was a brief panic at the crossing when witnesses said a blast was heard and that ambulances could be heard deploying from the Egyptian side. Later, the Israeli military said one of its tanks accidentally hit an Egyptian post near the border. The military expressed sorrow for the incident but gave no further details. Several Egyptian border guards sustained minor injuries, the Egyptian army spokesperson said in a statement. Israel is preparing for a ground invasion that is likely to deepen civilian suffering. People are going hungry and drinking dirty water, and some doctors have been reduced to using vinegar as anaesthetic and operating with sewing needles, the Associated Press reported. The Israeli prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, convened his cabinet late on Saturday, reportedly to discuss sending troops over the frontier. There has been pressure for a delay in military action from some Israeli allies with citizens held in Gaza and from the relatives of some hostages. They fear that once Hamas and Israeli troops start fighting face to face, negotiations for the release of hostages will collapse. The release of two Americans on Friday raised hopes that others might be able to return home. The Israeli military has raised its estimate of the number of people held by Hamas to 212. FULL STORY

Might help if you said what country this concerns ?

MOVED to Insurance forum

When they go low, we go high. That is Michelle Obama’s catchphrase, and one that Labour took to heart in both byelection races, in Tamworth and Mid-Bedfordshire. Largely resisting the temptation to get drawn into a slanging match with rivals, the party won handsomely in both contests, overturning large majorities. Its approach appears to have worked wonders. Opponents claimed the Tamworth candidate, Sarah Edwards, was not local enough, and slammed the Mid Beds candidate, Alistair Strathern, as an “eco-zealot”. But Labour activists involved in both campaigns say they stayed relentlessly focused on their own positive pitches. Both listened intently to local concerns and tailored pledges accordingly. It helped that voters spontaneously raised problems Labour wanted to highlight anyway, making life easier for the party’s activists. The cost of living, crime, the NHS and other public services buckling under pressure came up repeatedly. Both candidates had readymade Labour solutions to provide voters. Activists report widespread disillusion over not just the state of the country but the two unpopular Tory MPs who previously held the seats. There was always a risk voters wouldn’t trust Labour either, or think Britain is “too broken to fix”, as one LabourList columnist put it recently. Labour addressed this partly by putting notably few, yet eminently deliverable, pledges front and centre – much as New Labour did in 1997. Edwards promised a public-facing police desk after the local police station closed. Strathern tied himself to delivering several pledges within six months, including regular meetings for residents unhappy with housing developments, education and crime. As Labour’s national campaign coordinator, Pat McFadden, said this morning: “this is not a Labour party that is overpromising.” The two candidates sought to be as visible and accessible as possible, too. Edwards spent significant time on high streets and fielded unfiltered residents’ questions on Facebook Live. Strathern did the same at village halls and on village greens, reportedly doing three events a week in a gruellingly long campaign .FULL STORY

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Rugby World Cup semi-final: Argentina v New Zealand Argentina: (6) 6 Pen: Boffelli 2 New Zealand: (20) 44 Tries: Jordan 3, J Barrett, Frizell 2, Smith Con: Mo'unga 3 Pen: Mo'unga Will Jordan scored an impressive hat-trick as seven-try New Zealand crushed Argentina at Stade de France to reach a record fifth Rugby World Cup final. The three-time winners were disciplined in defence and ruthless in attack as Jordan, Jordie Barrett and Shannon Frizell scored first-half tries. Aaron Smith added a fourth after the break before Frizell crossed again and Jordan became the leading try scorer. The All Blacks will face either South Africa or England in next week's final. Argentina, playing in their third World Cup semi-final, saw lots of the ball in the opening stages without penetrating the New Zealand defence. Michael Cheika's side were limited to two Emiliano Boffelli penalties as the All Blacks soaked up the early pressure before cutting loose on the counter-attack. New Zealand reach World Cup final - reaction How England can upset odds and beat South Africa All Blacks tell Test rugby's oldest tale to make final Listen to the latest Rugby Union Daily podcast The All Blacks could have surpassed their own record for the biggest winning margin in a World Cup semi-final late on, but Richie Mo'unga spurned the opportunity. FULL REPORT