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Liz Truss has resigned as prime minister just 44 days after taking over from Boris Johnson.

She will be the shortest-serving PM in British history.

A new Conservative leader, who will get the keys to Number 10, is set to be elected next Friday.

In a statement read outside Downing Street, Ms Truss admitted she could not deliver her mandate.

She said: “I came into office at a time of great economic and international instability.

“Families and businesses were worried about how to pay their bills.”

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Truss has resigned – but what happens now?

Sunak favourite to be new PM as Truss resigns – live politics updates

She said she was elected “with a mandate to change this”, adding: “We delivered on energy bills.”

“I recognise, though, given the situation, I cannot deliver the mandate on which I was elected by the Conservative Party,” she added.

“I have therefore spoken to His Majesty the King to notify him that I am resigning as leader of the Conservative Party.

“This morning, I met the chairman of the 1922 committee, Sir Graham Brady. We’ve agreed that there will be a leadership election to be completed within the next week.”

Ms Truss will remain as prime minister until her successor has been chosen.

British Prime Minister Liz Truss announces her resignation, as her husband Hugh O'Leary stands nearby, outside Number 10 Downing Street, London, Britain October 20, 2022. REUTERS/Henry Nicholls
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Liz Truss’s husband Hugh O’Leary stood nearby as she resigned as PM

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What happens now Truss has resigned and how will the new PM be chosen?

The divided Tories won’t find it easy choosing a new PM

Sir Graham said the committee expects to conclude a leadership election by Friday 28 October with a new PM in place in time for the 31 October fiscal statement.

He said Tory members are expected to be able to vote but the candidates could be whittled down to just one.

A senior Tory source suggested MPs will have to put their nominations in by Monday.

Ms Truss’s resignation came just a little over 24 hours after she told MPs she was a “fighter, not a quitter”.

Who will be the next PM?

There has been much speculation about who could replace Ms Truss, with new chancellor Jeremy Hunt one of the main names being suggested.

However, Sky News’ deputy political editor Sam Coates said he has been told Mr Hunt will not stand.

Other Tory MPs being suggested as running are Penny Mordaunt, Rishi Sunak, Kemi Badenoch, and even ex-PM Boris Johnson.

Former leadership candidate Tom Tugendhat has ruled himself out.

Sky News understands Commons leader Ms Mordaunt and Justice Secretary Brandon Lewis are taking soundings from Tory MPs over whether to put their hats in the ring.

Loyal Johnson supporter Tory MP James Duddridge tweeted his support for the former PM, who is currently on holiday in the Caribbean.

“I hope you enjoyed your holiday boss,” he said.

“Time to come back. Few issues at the office that need addressing. #bringbackboris.”

Graham Brady  makes a statement
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Sir Graham Brady said the leadership campaign will be concluded by next Friday

Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer called for a general election “now” as he said the British public “must have a chance at a fresh start”.

He added: “The Tories cannot respond to their latest shambles by yet again simply clicking their fingers and shuffling the people at the top without the consent of the British people.

“They do not have a mandate to put the country through yet another experiment; Britain is not their personal fiefdom to run how they wish.”

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Labour leader calls for general election now

The start of Truss’s downfall

Ms Truss’ downfall began when her former chancellor Kwasi Kwarteng announced his mini-budget on 23 September, which prompted weeks of economic turmoil and eventually led to him being sacked last Friday.

Mr Hunt, who voted for Rishi Sunak during the leadership campaign, then took over as chancellor and U-turned on the majority of the unfunded mini-budget tax cuts on Monday – further undercutting Ms Truss’s authority.

On Wednesday afternoon, her home secretary, Suella Braverman, then quit after saying she had breached security rules by sending a policy message to a colleague over her personal email by mistake.

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PM: ‘I’m a fighter, not a quitter’

It only got worse on Wednesday evening after confusion over whether Labour’s opposition day vote on fracking was actually a confidence vote in the government or not – which resulted in allegations of physical “manhandling” of Tory MPs by colleagues.

Some Tory MPs had publicly called for Ms Truss’s resignation before that but in the hours before she quit, a flurry of Tory MPs revealed they wanted her to go.

Conservative Party rules prevent a leader from facing a confidence vote in the first 12 months of their tenure.

But it is understood that after a significant number of MPs wrote to Sir Graham Brady, chair of the 1922 Committee of backbench Tory MPs, calling for her to go, a decision was made that she could not stay.

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Israeli forces kill two Palestinian men in West Bank after they appear to surrender

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Israeli forces kill two Palestinian men in West Bank after they appear to surrender

Israeli forces killed two Palestinian men in the West Bank after they appeared to be surrendering.

Palestinians said the killings, which were captured on video and shown on two Arab TV channels, were carried out “in cold blood”.

In the video, the men were seen exiting a building and lying on the ground in front of Israeli forces in the northern West Bank city of Jenin.

Both men lifted their T-shirts and held their hands in the air, apparently to show they were not carrying weapons or explosives.

The soldiers then appeared to order the men back inside the building before they were shot.

A Reuters journalist in the area saw the men leave the building, appearing to surrender, and later, after hearing shots fired, saw Israeli forces standing near what appeared to be a lifeless body.

The men were identified as al Muntasir Abdullah, 26, and Yousef Asasa, 37, by Palestinian authorities.

Footage of the incident has been broadcast on Arab TV channels
Image:
Footage of the incident has been broadcast on Arab TV channels

What has Israel said about the incident?

A joint statement between the Israeli Defence Forces and Israeli police said: “Earlier this evening (Thursday), during an Israel Border Police and IDF operation in the area of Jenin, the forces operated to apprehend wanted individuals who had carried out terror activities, including hurling explosives and firing at security forces.

“The wanted individuals were affiliated with a terror network in the area of Jenin.

“The forces entered the area, enclosed the structure in which the suspects were located, and initiated a surrender procedure that lasted several hours. Following the use of engineering tools on the structure, the two suspects exited.

“Following their exit, fire was directed toward the suspects.

“The incident is under review by the commanders on the ground, and will be transferred to the relevant professional bodies.”

Israel’s far-right national security minister Itamar Ben-Gvir said the military and police unit involved in the shooting had his “full backing”.

“The fighters acted exactly as expected of them – terrorists should die!” he wrote on X.

A Reuters journalist captured images from near the scene. Pic: Reuters
Image:
A Reuters journalist captured images from near the scene. Pic: Reuters

‘An outright extrajudicial killing’

But Palestinians and human rights groups say Israeli investigations in such incidents yield few results, with Israeli troops rarely prosecuted.

The Palestinian prime minister’s office in Ramallah also accused Israel of executing the men “in cold blood”, calling the shooting “an outright extrajudicial killing in blatant violation of international humanitarian law”.

Yuli Novak, the executive director of B’Tselem, an Israeli human rights organisation, said: “The execution documented today is the result of an accelerated process of dehumanisation of Palestinians and the complete abandonment of their lives by the Israeli regime.

“In Israel, there is no mechanism that acts to stop the killing of Palestinians or is capable of prosecuting those responsible.”

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Israel’s military has scaled up its military operations in the West Bank since the October 7 Hamas attack, which triggered the war in Gaza.

Since October 2023, Israeli forces and settlers have killed more than 1,000 Palestinians in the West Bank, according to B’Tselem, which said the perpetrators were “granted full impunity by Israel”.

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Trump says land operations against Venezuela drugs gangs to start ‘very soon’

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Trump says land operations against Venezuela drugs gangs to start 'very soon'

Donald Trump has warned US action against suspected Venezuelan drug traffickers will move to the land “very soon”.

American forces have carried out at least 21 strikes on boats it claims were carrying narcotics to its shores over the last few months.

The US has accused the South American country’s president, Nicolas Maduro, of being involved in the drugs trade – a claim he denies.

Venezuela has said the attacks, which have killed more than 80 people, amount to murder.

Mr Trump made the comments while in Florida for Thanksgiving. Pic: Reuters
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Mr Trump made the comments while in Florida for Thanksgiving. Pic: Reuters

‘We warned them,’ says Trump

America’s most advanced aircraft carrier is among the ships that have been deployed to the Caribbean Sea and eastern Pacific as part of Operation Southern Spear.

Mr Trump said on Thursday he was preparing to significantly ramp up the response.

“You probably noticed that people aren’t wanting to be delivering by sea, and we’ll be starting to stop them by land also,” he told military service members in a call.

“The land is easier, but that’s going to start very soon.”

“We warned them to stop sending poison to our country,” Mr Trump added.

The US has released videos of boats being targeted, but hasn’t provided evidence – such as photos of their cargo – to support the smuggling claims.

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Three killed as US strikes another alleged drug boat

Even if the boats are cartel vessels, Sky’s chief correspondent Stuart Ramsay says the final destination for the drugs is likely to be Europe and West Africa.

The Pentagon has sought to justify the strikes by labelling the drug gangs as foreign terrorist organisations – putting them on par with the likes of al Qaeda and Hamas.

This week it formally designated Cartel de los Soles (Cartel of the Suns) as such, and said the group was headed by Mr Maduro and “other high-ranking individuals” from his regime.

Another Venezuelan drugs group, Tren de Aragua, was designated a terror organisation by the US in January.

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Mr Maduro – seen by most countries as a dictator who’s cheated elections – has accused the US of “fabricating” a war to overthrow him and install a more favourable government.

Venezuelan officials have also claimed Mr Trump’s true motivation is access to the country’s plentiful oil reserves and other natural resources such as gold and diamonds.

Experts say Mr Maduro, 63, could use oil as a bargaining chip in any future negotiations.

Mr Trump has said previously he would be open to talks – but that prospect seems unlikely, with the Venezuelan leader wielding a sword this week as he vowed to “defend every inch of this blessed land from imperialist threat”.

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Swiss tourist killed in Australia shark attack – as partner in critical condition after fighting to save her

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Swiss tourist killed in Australia shark attack - as partner in critical condition after fighting to save her

A Swiss woman has died in a shark attack in Australia – with her partner in a critical condition after trying to save her.

It happened on Thursday at Kylies Beach in Crowdy Bay, near Port Macquarie, about 218 miles (350km) north of Sydney.

Police said a passer-by who made a tourniquet to stem the man’s bleeding had probably saved his life.

Switzerland’s foreign affairs office didn’t name the victims – who are both believed to be in their 20s – but confirmed they were Swiss citizens.

The pair are said to have arrived the night before, camping nearby before going for a swim with dolphins at dawn – a time when sharks are more active.

The man suffered major wounds to his thigh after trying to fight off the shark and dragging his partner more than 50m back to shore, reported Sky News Australia.

The woman died on the sand but call handlers instructed the passer-by how to fashion a tourniquet from a swimsuit in order to treat the man.

Early assessments indicate a bull shark may be responsible. File pic: iStock
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Early assessments indicate a bull shark may be responsible. File pic: iStock

New South Wales Ambulance superintendent Josh Smyth said the backpacker’s quick thinking was “heroic” and created valuable time for them to reach the remote, unpatrolled beach.

Sky News Australia said initial indications are a large, mature bull shark may be responsible.

The beach has been closed while drones scour the area and drumlines have been laid in the hope of capturing the shark.

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Authorities are also reportedly reviewing “harrowing footage” captured by the couple before the attack that could reveal more about what happened.

The man remains in a critical condition after being airlifted to hospital.

The attack comes two months after a man was killed by a shark, believed to be a great white, while surfing at a popular Sydney beach.

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