[ad_1] Henry Zeffman,Chief Political CorrespondentandJennifer McKiernan,Political reporterPA MediaThe government is to announce new powers making it easier to mobilise tens of thousands of former armed forces personnel to prepare for war.New rules will mean reservists remain on call for an extra decade, and lower the threshold for them being called into service.Russia's invasion of Ukraine and the election of US President Donald Trump have put pressure on the government to
[ad_1] A man has admitted stabbing his wife to death and dumping her body in his garden.Paria Veisi disappeared from Cathays, Cardiff, on 12 April 2025 and her body was found a week later in the garden in Penylan.On Thursday, her estranged husband, Alireza Askari, 42, pleaded guilty at Cardiff Crown Court to the 37-year-old's murder.He had previously admitted preventing a lawful and decent burial.Askari will be sentenced on 13
[ad_1] Angus CochraneSenior political journalist, BBC ScotlandGetty ImagesLord Offord defected from the Conservatives last month Former Conservative minister Lord Malcolm Offord has been named as Reform UK's first Scottish leader.The ex-Scottish Tory treasurer was unveiled by party leader Nigel Farage at an event in Fife.He will lead the party into May's Scottish Parliament election, with Reform aiming to make a major electoral breakthrough north of the border. Lord Offord said
[ad_1] BBCJane Wallbank says signing up for wall insulation was the "worst decision" she's ever madeA mum whose home flooded during insulation works carried out by a now-folded green energy company says she has been left trying to "rebuild" her life.Jane Wallbank is one of a number of customers of Consumer Energy Solutions (CES), which went into administration last Friday, who have told the BBC how "botched" and incomplete work
[ad_1] In two years at Seattle, Durde and head coach Mike Macdonald have transformed the Seahawks' defence.It is the first time Durde has worked with Macdonald - also a defensive coach - so his first season was "a year of real growth, understanding and adapting" in which the new coaching regime "built a foundation, we got on the right path".Seattle finished the 2024 season with a 10-7 record and missed
[ad_1] A British diplomat has been ordered to leave Russia, with officials accusing the man of being an intelligence agent working undercover at the embassy in Moscow.The man, who has not been identified, has been stripped of his accreditation and must leave the country within two weeks, Russia's foreign ministry said on Thursday.In a statement, the ministry added that it had summoned British charge d'affaires Danae Dholakia over the matter.The
[ad_1] Jennifer McKiernanPolitical reporterGetty ImagesTransport Minister Lilian Greenwood has told MPs she is open to including mandatory CCTV in new national guidelines for taxis.The government's review of taxi licensing in England follows Baroness Casey's report on grooming gangs, which identified taxis being used by offenders across the country and recommended tougher rules.At the moment, taxi drivers can buy a private hire vehicle licence from one council but work as far
[ad_1] The UK economy grew by a faster-than-expected 0.3% in November after car production rebounded and the services sector got a boost.Growth was driven by an increase in industrial output, helped by the return to production at Jaguar Land Rover's facilities following the cyber-attack at the carmaker.November's growth figure was stronger than analysts' expectations of a 0.1% increase.The Office for National Statistics also said the economy "grew slightly" over the
[ad_1] Harry FarleyPolitical correspondentGetty ImagesWest Sussex is among the councils requesting an elections delay About a third of eligible councils in England have asked to postpone their elections due in May, according to BBC research.Last month ministers told 63 local authorities they would authorise delays to the polls if there were "genuine concerns" about delivering them alongside the government's overhaul of local government.Twenty-one councils have asked to postpone their ballots
[ad_1] The global tensions from Greenland to Iran feature prominently on Thursday's front pages. "World on the brink" is the Daily Mirror's headline as it reports that UK and US personnel were evacuated from their bases in the Middle East in anticipation of American strikes on Iran.Leading the Times' picture slot is a striking photo of a woman with a mock gunshot wound painted on her forehead during a rally
