Sign up for the View from Westminster email for expert analysis straight to your inbox Get our free View from Westminster email Get our free View from Westminster email Email * SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. The UK’s top military chief, Air Chief Marshal Sir Richard Knighton, is said to have told the Prime Minister that an MoD assessment showed a £28 billion shortfall between now and 2030, The Times reports. Sir Richard showed the PM the assessment at a meeting before Christmas also attended by Chancellor Rachel Reeves and Defence Secretary John Heeley, according to the newspaper. An MOD spokesperson told The Independent: "The UK defence budget is rising to record levels as this government delivers the biggest boost to defence spending since the Cold War, totalling £270bn this parliament alone. “We are working flat out on the Defence Investment Plan, which will fix the outdated, overcommitted, and underfunded defence programme we inherited.”

The tales of Winnie-the-Pooh written by A.A. Milne were inspired by Ashdown Forest in East Sussex. New York Times named ‘Winnie-the-Pooh’s England‘ as one of the best places to visit in 2026. He based the story in the fictional Hundred Acre Wood which is inspired on the real-life Ashdown Forest just minutes away. If you fancy, taking a gander around Ashdown Forest on your own – it’s free entry into the woodland. A.A. Milne lived at Cotchford Farm in Hartfield which is now a holiday cottage – so you can actually stay in it yourself.

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Almost 71,500 properties lost power across England and Wales during the height of Storm Goretti, according to the National Grid's map of outages. When will Storm Goretti end? Storm Goretti is now on its way out, but will stick around until around midday in some parts of the UK. Another yellow weather warning for rain is in place for Norfolk and areas of eastern England, which will last from 6pm to 9pm today. The Met Office website added: "Storm Goretti’s influence will wane on Friday evening as the system moves to the east of England.

In 2025, the county confirmed a previous measles case that also followed international travel, Merchant noted. In its weekly report, the California Department of Public Health has recorded one measles case statewide in 2026. Measles on the riseCalifornia saw 25 cases of measles in 2025, including Bay Area cases in Contra Costa, San Mateo and Santa Clara counties — contributing to a total of 2,144 confirmed cases nationwide. Last year saw the country’s highest number of measles cases since the disease was eliminated in the year 2000, according to the CDC data. Last year saw the country’s highest number of measles cases since the disease was eliminated in the year 2000, according to the CDC data.

The United Arab Emirates has restricted funding for its students wishing to study at British universities over concerns about extremism on campuses. A list of eligible universities where students from the UAE can receive scholarships for study in the coming academic year has been published and notably excludes all UK institutions. According to reporting in The Times and Financial Times, all UK funding has been limited due to concerns over the presence of the Muslim Brotherhood on UK campuses, which is proscribed as a terrorist group in the UAE. ADVERTISEMENTThe exclusion of UK institutions does not prevent Emirate students from studying in the UK, and those who are able to self-fund will still be able to apply. According to figures from the Higher Education Statistics Agency, the number of UAE students studying in the UK doubled between 2017 and 2024 to 8,500.

If you believe Portland benefits from smart, local journalism and arts coverage, please consider making a small monthly contribution, because without you, there is no us. The shooting victims were a man and a woman who were allegedly targeted by federal agents for arrest. • After the second day of a scheduled two-hour vote for a new council president, Portland City Council still has not made a decision. • Portland Police (PPB) say they arrested six people at a demonstration at the Immigration and Customs Enforcement facility on Thursday night. PPB said in addition to its usual protest squad, Portland Fire & Rescue and Oregon State Police also assisted them.

On Wednesday, Renee Nicole Good, 37, was killed by a federal immigration agent in Minneapolis during a large-scale immigration enforcement operation. Eyewitness footage from various angles shows how the shooting unfolded

Named: 50 ‘experts’ and linked brands publishers should treat with cautionExperts and brands associated with more than 1,000 likely faked stories.

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New this morning in Episode 186, topics include: A local day care comes under scrutiny. What next for the canceled Veterans project on Alameda Point? If you can’t see the embedded player, you can listen to this week’s episode (and previous episodes, too!) Or you can ask Alexa, Siri, or Google to “Play the Alameda PostCast podcast” and you’ll hear the latest episode. Scott Piehler hosts and produces Alameda’s only weekly news digest podcast, the Alameda PostCast.

Delays sidewalk repair ordinance, approves CSI Mini-Storage leaseOn January 6, City Council unanimously accepted The Road Home Final Report, the City’s five-year strategic plan to prevent and respond to homelessness. The plan identified key causes of housing instability, including lack of affordable housing, high cost of living, discrimination, and systemic barriers faced by vulnerable populations. Five major focus areas guided implementation: preventing first-time homelessness, reducing chronic homelessness, shortening the duration of homelessness, addressing racial and systemic disparities, and preventing returns to homelessness. Since 2021, the City has built 82 affordable ownership units and 182 affordable rental units, with 816-875 additional units anticipated by 2030. Since 2021, the City has built 82 affordable ownership units and 182 affordable rental units, with 816-875 additional units anticipated by 2030.