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Kwasi Kwarteng has promised his upcoming economic plan will be “relentlessly upbeat” as some of his own MPs seemed doubtful of his direction.

Speaking in the Commons for the first time since unveiling his mini-budget, the chancellor would not reveal more detail of his next financial announcement, set for Halloween.

But he promised it would include “an absolute iron commitment to fiscal responsibility”, with accompanying forecasts from the Office of Budget Responsibility (OBR).

Politics latest: ‘Ominous warning’ for chancellor as Kwasi Kwarteng faces MPs’ questions

While Mr Kwarteng had some support from his backbenchers, he was issued warnings too – including from former Northern Ireland secretary Julian Smith, asking him to ensure he will “not balance the forthcoming tax cuts on the back of the poorest people in the country”.

And chair of the Treasury Select Committee, Mel Stride, told the chancellor to make sure he “reaches out as much as he can” to all sides of the Commons to get his measures through, adding: “Any failure to do so will unsettle the markets.”

Last month’s mini-budget from the new government – released without OBR forecasts alongside it – sent the markets into turmoil, with the pound dropping, mortgage products being withdrawn and the Bank of England having to step in to save some pension funds.

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Prime Minister Liz Truss and Mr Kwarteng were forced into a U-turn over their plan to scrap the 45p tax rate for the highest earners, and to bring forward the medium-term announcement that had been set for the end of November.

But the economic warnings keep coming, with the Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS) saying the chancellor would have to cut spending or raise taxes by £62bn if he is to stabilise or reduce the national debt, and the International Monetary Fund (IMF) saying the government needed to work with the Bank of England to prevent any further troubles.

Speaking during Treasury questions after shouts from some MPs to “resign”, the chancellor insisted he would “canvass opinion widely ahead of the publication of the plan” and that the OBR’s independence was “absolutely sacrosanct”.

But Labour’s shadow chancellor Rachel Reeves called on Mr Kwarteng to “put aside his pride, do the right thing for our country, end this trickle-down nonsense and reverse the budget”.

She added: “The chancellor is in a dangerous state of denial but the cost of these mistakes are all too real for everyone else – borrowing costs up, growth down, mortgage payments set to increase by £500 a month.

“Now they scrabble around looking for cuts, hitting the most vulnerable and hitting our public services. It does not need to be this way.”

Mr Kwarteng was also pushed by a number of MPs to reveal whether the government would be raising benefits in line with inflation as Boris Johnson’s government promised to do, which has led to rows within the Tory Party.

Liberal Democrat Jamie Stone told the chancellor it was the “only fair way forward” and it would be “immoral to do otherwise”.

But the chancellor would not reveal the decision, saying he will not “prejudge any measures” to be announced on Halloween.

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Prince Harry makes surprise visit to Ukraine

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Prince Harry makes surprise visit to Ukraine

Prince Harry has made a surprise visit to the Ukrainian capital of Kyiv, a spokesperson for the royal has said.

Harry, who served 10 years in the British Army, visited the city at the invitation of the Ukrainian government.

The Duke of Sussex travelled to the capital to help with the recovery of military personnel seriously injured in the three-year war with Russia.

Pic: Railway of Ukraine Ukrzaliznytsia/AP
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Pic: Railway of Ukraine Ukrzaliznytsia/AP

Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper will also be travelling to Kyiv on Friday in what will be her first foreign trip since being appointed to the job last week.

Her visit coincides with the UK launching a new package of Russia-related sanctions targeting ships carrying Russian oil as well as companies and individuals supplying electronics, chemicals and explosives used to make Russian weapons.

It comes as Russia and Belarus began a major joint military exercise on on NATO’s doorstep on Friday, just two days after Poland, with support from its NATO allies, shot down suspected Russian drones over its airspace.

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Drones shot down in Poland

The Zapad-2025 exercise – a show of force by Russia and its close ally – will involve drills in both countries and in the Baltic and Barents seas, the Russian defence ministry said.

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Meanwhile on the frontline, Russian defence systems intercepted and destroyed 221 Ukrainian drones overnight,
including nine over the Moscow region, the ministry said on Friday.

The duke told the Guardian while on an overnight train to Kyiv: “We cannot stop the war but what we can do is do everything we can to help the recovery process.

“We can continue to humanise the people involved in this war and what they are going through.

“We have to keep it in the forefront of people’s minds. I hope this trip will help to bring it home to people because it’s easy to become desensitised to what has been going on.”

Read more from Sky News:
Brazil’s ex-president jailed for 27 years
Migrant hotel critics meet asylum seekers

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Harry, who served two tours in Afghanistan, previously travelled to Ukraine in April, when he visited war victims as part of his work with wounded veterans.

The prince visited the Superhumans Center, an orthopaedic clinic in Lviv that treats and rehabilitates wounded military personnel and civilians.

Earlier this week, Harry said the King is “great” after he reunited with him at Clarence House for a private tea.

It was their first meeting in 19 months and lasted just 54 minutes.

The last time the father and son saw each other was in February 2024 when the prince flew to the UK after the monarch announced his cancer diagnosis.

Harry and his wife Meghan Markle have lived in California since they quit roles as senior working royals in March 2020.

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Jair Bolsonaro: Brazil’s former president sentenced to 27 years in jail for attempted coup

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Jair Bolsonaro: Brazil's former president sentenced to 27 years in jail for attempted coup

Brazil’s former president Jair Bolsonaro has been sentenced to 27 years and three months in prison for attempting a coup to stay in power after his 2022 election defeat.

The far-right politician, who ruled Brazil between 2019 and 2022, is currently under house arrest in the capital, Brasilia.

A panel of five Supreme Court justices handed down the sentence several hours after they found the 70-year-old guilty on five counts.

The counts were trying to stage a coup, being part of an armed criminal organisation, attempting violent abolition of the democratic rule of law, being implicated in violence, and posing a serious threat to the state’s assets and listed heritage.

Bolsonaro‘s lawyers have said they will appeal the verdict.

Pic: AP
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Pic: AP

The ruling will deepen political divisions in Brazil and is also likely to prompt a backlash from the United States government – with Donald Trump already sharing his thoughts on the vote.

President Trump, an ally of Bolsonaro, has said he was surprised and “very unhappy” with the decision.

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Speaking to reporters outside the White House, he said he always found Bolsonaro “outstanding” and said the conviction is “very bad for Brazil”.

Mr Trump previously called the case a “witch hunt”, slapped Brazil with tariff hikes, and revoked US visas for most members of Brazil’s high court.

Bolsonaro is the first former Brazilian president to be convicted of attempting a coup.

He has not attended the court proceedings, and on Thursday, he was seen at the garage of his property, but did not talk to the media.

Read more from Sky News:
What we know about how Charlie Kirk was killed
Read Mandelson’s letter to US embassy staff after being sacked

Justice Carmen Lucia. Pic: AP
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Justice Carmen Lucia. Pic: AP

Justice Alexandre de Moraes, who has been overseeing the case, said on Tuesday that Bolsonaro was the leader of a coup plot and of a criminal organisation, and voted in favour of convicting him. Justices Flavio Dino, Carmen Lucia, and Cristiano Zanin sided with Justice Moraes in the trial.

On Wednesday, another justice, Luiz Fux, disagreed and voted to acquit the ex-president of all charges.

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Justice Lucia said she was convinced by the evidence the attorney general’s office put forward against Bolsonaro, saying: “He is the instigator, the leader of an organisation that orchestrated every possible move to maintain or seize power.”

Bolsonaro had been previously banned from running for office until 2030 in a different case.

He is expected to choose an heir who is likely to challenge President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva next year.

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FBI releases video of Charlie Kirk shooting suspect on roof of building before he vanished

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FBI releases video of Charlie Kirk shooting suspect on roof of building before he vanished

The FBI and officials have released new video and images of a “person of interest” in connection with the shooting of conservative activist Charlie Kirk, as the manhunt continues.

At a news conference on Friday, Utah Governor Spencer Cox showed video footage showing the suspect walking on the roof of the building from where the fatal shot was fired. He is then seen climbing down and heading toward a wooded area, where police say he abandoned his rifle.

Additional images released by police show the suspect wearing a hat, sunglasses, and a backpack.

Investigators have conducted nearly 200 interviews related to the case as 20 law enforcement partners are working on the investigation, Governor Cox said.

Prosecutors will seek the death penalty against the attacker, he said.

Follow the latest updates on Charlie Kirk’s killing

Authorities have released additional images of the attacker. Pic: Utah Public Safety
Image:
Authorities have released additional images of the attacker. Pic: Utah Public Safety

Earlier, authorities said the shooter was thought to have jumped off a roof and fled into a neighbourhood after firing one shot.

They also said the suspect was a male who “appears to be of college age” and blended in on the Utah Valley University campus in Orem, where Mr Kirk was killed.

Mr Kirk, a 31-year-old right-wing influencer, was fatally shot in the neck on Wednesday afternoon while speaking to university students at an event. He died in hospital after being shot.

Charlie Kirk hands out hats before speaking at Utah Valley University where he was later fatally shot. Pic: AP
Image:
Charlie Kirk hands out hats before speaking at Utah Valley University where he was later fatally shot. Pic: AP

The rifle suspected of being used in the shooting has been found.

In a briefing on Thursday, FBI agent Robert Bohls said: “I can tell you that we have recovered what we believe is the weapon that was used in yesterday’s shooting… is a high-powered bolt action rifle.

“That rifle was recovered in a wooded area where the shooter had fled. The FBI laboratory will be analysing this weapon.”

Investigators have collected a footwear impression, a palm print, and forearm imprints for analysis.

Authorities have released additional images of the attacker. Pic: Utah Public Safety
Image:
Authorities have released additional images of the attacker. Pic: Utah Public Safety

Read more:
Who was Charlie Kirk?
Moment gunshot heard at university event – Watch

The father-of-two was the chief executive and co-founder of Turning Point USA, a prominent organisation that engages conservative youth on school campuses.

He had millions of followers across social media.

Mr Kirk and Turning Point USA played a key role in driving youth support for Mr Trump in last November’s presidential election. His events at college campuses nationwide typically drew large crowds.

Many people listened both in person and online to Mr Kirk, as he advocated for conservatism among younger generations and became a leading voice in the Make America Great Again (MAGA) movement.

President Donald Trump paid tribute to Mr Kirk while on stage at a 9/11 memorial event in Virginia, saying he would be awarding him the Presidential Medal of Freedom.

Authorities have released additional images of the attacker. Pic: Utah Public Safety
Image:
Authorities have released additional images of the attacker. Pic: Utah Public Safety

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“Before we begin, let me express the horror and grief so many Americans at the heinous assassination of Charlie Kirk have felt,” Mr Trump said.

“Charlie was a giant of his generation, a champion of liberty and an inspiration to millions and millions of people. Our prayers are with his wonderful wife, Erika, and his beautiful children.”

He later added the FBI was making “big progress” in finding the shooter and he has “an indication” of the motive, but declined to expand.

“He’s an animal, total animal, hopefully they’ll have him and they’ll get him.”

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