Larry, the Downing Street cat, has had to adapt to seven different prime ministers moving into No 10 over the past decade. Yet while the nation’s attention is fixed on the departing and incoming political leaders, who is thinking about the effect these upheavals might have on one of the property’s most enduring residents?

Cats thrive on predictability and the consistency of their environment is important for their welfare. On the whole cats prefer an unchanging environment. Some cats cope with change better than others. Many cats are distressed by disturbances such as moving house, changes in familiar routines, people moving into or leaving the household, or even changes to the scent of their home environment.

Unlike dogs, cats aren’t obligate social species, therefore may not have such a strong proclivity to form social attachments. However, in certain situations domestic cats can be found living in social groups, particularly in environments with a plentiful food supply.

Some cats enjoy the company of people, while others prefer a more solitary life. This is determined partly by their early experiences. A young kitten that learns in the early weeks of their life that contact with people is associated with nice experiences is more likely to seek social interactions with people as an adult. Kittens raised by mothers who show friendly behaviour towards people can learn to value human company through the process of social learning.

Genetics also influence a cats friendliness towards people. Researchers in a 1995 study found that the kittens of friendlier fathers were more likely to show friendly behaviour towards unfamiliar people even if they weren’t socialised as a new kitten.

Some cats appear to suffer when separated from their caregivers, although some researchers question whether this can be described as a secure attachment (one that is necessary to maintain feelings of safety and security in threatening situations).

Researchers have identified five different forms of cat-owner relationship, based on the level of emotional investment of the owner, the way the cat relates to others, their aloofness and their need to be in close proximity to their owner. These types range from open relationships (characterised by a lightly emotionally invested owner and an avoidant cat) to casual relationships, co-dependence and friendship.

Although the Starmer family has moved out and the Burnhams have taken up residence, Larry’s main caretakers are civil servants, so his day-to-day care won’t change. Larry’s behaviour in recent days (strutting along Downing Street, nonplussed by the comings and goings and embarking on a successful hunting expedition) suggests that he takes such changes in cohabitants in his stride.

Other animals

The new prime minister has a dog called Axel, and although cats and dogs can live together harmoniously and even form close bonds, integrating Axel into Larry’s home might cause tensions if not handled well. However, not even the prime minster would dare to disturb Larry’s position as chief mouser. Andy Burnham has told the BBC he’s not bringing Axel to London with him because he doesn’t think the two animals will get on.

If he changes his mind there are a few things he could do to help Axel and Larry get along. Introducing a dog into a household with a cat should be done gradually, with the aim to prevent any chasing or aggression between the pets.

Before the dog arrives, settle the cat into a safe space, which the dog won’t have access to. This might be a bedroom, bathroom or any part of the house that the cat likes to relax in, ensuring the cat has access to everything they need such as places to hide, litter trays, food and water.

Scent is incredibly important to both cats and dogs, so getting them accustomed to each other’s aroma in the home helps to smooth the introduction. This can be done by introducing bedding or toys used by the other pet, or gently wiping a damp cloth across the body of the pet to pick up their scent.

It’s vital that the first meeting goes well and there are a few things that will help to ensure they get off on the right foot. Make sure the dog isn’t full of energy by exercising them before the meeting. Start with a barrier such as a baby gate between them.

When they first meet give both pets plenty of their favourite food treats, to reward calm behaviour and so that they associate the presence of other with something nice happening.

Signs of stress

Cats can be difficult to read but there are known warning signs of stress in cats. More obvious stress behaviour includes hissing, growling, swiping or puffed up fur. But indicators also include the cat running away or hiding and refusing treats they normally avoid. Flattened ears, dilated pupils, tense body posture and a flicking tail are all signals a cat is feeling tense.

Larry seems like quite an independent confident cat if reports “he has the run of the house” are anything to go by, so it’s likely that he will soon teach the new inhabitants of No 10 how he likes things done.

No-one can be certain what happens now. And no-one knows what the future for Infantino is.

Fifa is yet to respond to Uefa’s statement, which was followed up by another from Concacaf, which governs football in North and Central America and hosted this year’s World Cup, saying their 41 members rejected the proposals.

Yet, in a sense, it is not Fifa’s argument.

Football Association chair Debbie Hewitt is a Fifa vice-president. She spoke out against the plan at Uefa’s emergency meeting on Thursday. The FA said it stands “shoulder to shoulder with our European colleagues” on the matter.

Scottish FA president Mike Mulraney is also chair of Fifa’s finance committee. The Scottish FA’s statement said the organisation “agrees unequivocally” with Uefa’s stance.

The repeated responses from those who have spoken out are of fury at the lack of proper consultation and lack of dialogue from Infantino, including with his Fifa colleagues, as much as with the proposals themselves.

“Anger,” said one source, when asked for the prevailing mood at Uefa’s emergency meeting.

Infantino became Fifa president in 2016 when he beat Asian Football Confederation president Sheikh Salman al-Khalifa by 115 votes to 88. The Swiss is due to stand for a fourth term in March.

Prior to this week, it had been anticipated he would be re-elected unopposed. FAs around the world, including some in Europe, have already confirmed their intention to support the 56-year-old.

But sources say in addition to rejecting Infantino’s plan, the vast majority of the Concacaf members are either losing faith in the Fifa president’s ability to govern the game, or have lost it altogether.

Now there is talk of trying to find someone to stand against him.

The name of Nasser Al-Khelaifi has been mentioned. This is understandable. Qatari Al-Khelaifi is already one of the most powerful figures in football, not only through his status as president of back-to-back Champions League winners Paris St-Germain but his leadership of European clubs.

Previously known as the European Clubs’ Association, Al-Khelaifi took over as chairman in the aftermath of the other seismic event that threatened to pull the game apart – the ill-fated European Super League, which collapsed within 48 hours in 2021.

Al-Khelaifi presided over a name change – to European Football Clubs. More importantly, he expanded it to over 800 members. Of the biggest clubs, only Real Madrid remain outside.

In theory, he would be the best person to challenge Infantino. But he doesn’t want to. “He genuinely, genuinely, genuinely doesn’t want the job,” was the response of a source close to the 52-year-old when asked about the possibility on Thursday.

Historically, sitting Fifa presidents are not challenged in elections. The last president to lose an election was Englishman Sir Stanley Rous when he was beaten by Brazilian Joao Havelange in 1974.

“I don’t know, in all honesty,” said McAllister, when asked if Infantino will keep his job.

Former FA chairman David Bernstein was asked the same question by BBC Sport.

“In a normal organisation, if he has to back down due to something of this magnitude he’d probably be shown the door,” Bernstein said.

“But Fifa is not a normal organisation. If he has the support of enough of the national associations, he will continue.”

Former Uefa chief executive Lars-Christer Olsson told the BBC that Infantino has overplayed his hand and his position could be in trouble.

He suggested Fifa should instigate a reform where the presidency circulates around figures from different confederations “rather than giving people so much power” as it has done with Infantino and his predecessors, Switzerland’s Sepp Blatter and Brazil’s Havelange.

When asked if Infantino should be removed from his role, Olsson said: “I think that should be a new start for football.”

SEATTLE (AP) — Seattle’s police chief has resigned amid criticism of the city’s response to a fatal shootout at a food festival last weekend, Mayor Katie Wilson said Thursday.

The announcement followed hours of speculation about whether Police Chief Shon Barnes would step down, as some of his supporters said he had rebuffed Wilson’s request that he resign.

Wilson said she was appointing Deputy Chief Andre Sayles, a law enforcement veteran with more than two decades of experience, as interim chief.

Barnes told The Seattle Times on Thursday that whether he remains chief is “up to the mayor.” He said he was off for the day and spending time with family. A police department spokesperson told The Associated Press he did not have any information to share about the situation.

Barnes was out of town at a law enforcement conference when gunfire erupted last weekend at the Bite of Seattle, an annual three-day festival that draws hundreds of food and retail vendors and performers. Three people, including one suspect, were killed, and four people were wounded. One of the injured was a 2-year-old boy.

Dozens of officers were at the event, and at least one saw a 15-year-old suspect firing into a crowd and quickly persuaded him to surrender, according to court documents. Police are still searching for at least one other person.

Both the Seattle Police Department and Wilson have faced criticism for slow and confusing communication in the shooting’s aftermath.

After an initial social media post announcing that there had been a shooting with multiple victims, it took nearly five hours for police to provide any additional information to the public, including whether there was any ongoing threat. In the meantime, Wilson announced that two people had been taken into custody, a statement she later retracted.

Assistant Seattle Police Chief Tyrone Davis finally provided an update around 11 p.m. Sunday night during news conference that was also attended by the mayor, Gov. Bob Ferguson and U.S. Rep. Pramila Jayapal.

Barnes is the second Black police chief in Seattle.

Several Black community organizations, including the Seattle NAACP and the Urban League of Metropolitan Seattle, rallied to try to save his job Thursday. In an open letter to the mayor’s office, they credited him with improving relations between the department and the community, helping reduce gun violence and strengthening the department’s operations.

Barnes was appointed by Seattle’s previous mayor, Bruce Harrell, in December 2024 after serving as chief of the Madison, Wisconsin, police department.

When Wilson — a democratic socialist who once supported defunding police — won the mayor’s race last year, she kept Barnes on as chief. That was a signal to the city’s business establishment and community groups that she did not intend to take a radically different approach to public safety.

Wilson came into office with no prior elected or management experience, but with a reputation as someone who thought deeply about social and policy issues. A lingering question was how decisively she would act as mayor.

“She looks weak and vacillating,” Seattle political consultant Sandeep Kaushik said Thursday. “There’s almost 24 hours now where it’s not clear whether the police chief is still the police chief.”

Barnes has faced some criticism for spending time in Chicago, where his family lives. Sgt. Patrick Michaud, a department spokesperson, said Thursday that Barnes has made four trips to Chicago this year and spent in total about 18 days traveling there. Barnes also has traveled to several police executive and recruitment conferences.

Barnes was named as the chief of police in Seattle five days after he was thrust into the national spotlight because of a shooting at a religious school in Wisconsin that killed a teacher and student. At the time, Harrell said Barnes had demonstrated “impressive leadership capabilities” during an investigation into the shooting.

The tension between the mayor and police chief comes as Seattle heads into another big festival weekend. Seafair Weekend Festival 2026 — a boating event, air show and festival — starts Friday.

Danni Simpson has completed her mural for the Fleadh this week

Australian artist Danni Simpson moved to Belfast over eight years ago and has been leaving her mark on the city one mural at a time.

Danni quit her job and left Australia for Europe, but didn’t expect that a pit-stop in Northern Ireland would result in it becoming her new home.

She has worked on countless pieces across the city, from adding some colour to the electric boxes and large murals throughout the city.

Danni’s artwork can also be spotted all across Belfast in many cafés and bars, and she has worked for clients such as Belfast City Council, Translink and Malfy Gin, with one of her most recognised pieces being her ‘Belfast you are here’ mural on North Street in the city centre.

As the Fleadh rolls around this weekend, Dani has put the finishing touches on a large-scale piece that can be found right beside Writer’s Square, facing St. Anne’s Cathedral. The piece depicts a man leaning against the wall, holding a fiddle, and has a Guinness glass at the bottom filled with coins and flowers.

She drew inspiration from “the huge amount of musical influence in the city”, adding that it is “really nice to be able to capture that” in this new mural.

Many would be forgiven for thinking that the piece appeared out of nowhere, as it only took Danni three days on and off to bring it to life. A major factor that needs to be taken into account when creating something like this is the weather, and in typical Belfast fashion, it didn’t play ball in the process, with some rain holding her back.

While Danni herself hasn’t given the piece a name, she hopes the people of Belfast will use their famous creativity to give the new mural a fitting title.

The new mural isn’t the only thing that Danni has created for the Fleadh Cheoil na Héireann, which is expected to bring 800,000 visitors to Belfast across the festival.

Danni has created a collection of merch that she hopes will become a keepsake for any of her customers of the incredible week that is planned in the city.

She has become known for her illustrated maps, and the collection for the Fleadh is a map of the many different pubs and the atmosphere of the Cathedral Quarter throughout the festival.

She created the pieces in collaboration with Willie Jack from the Duke of York, who can be spotted on one of the t-shirts and hopes that they act as “a fun little way to capture the event”.

As someone who is relatively new to the city, she gave some advice to people who are making their way to Belfast for the event, saying that “the best way to do it is to see where the music takes you and make lots of friends”.

Danni went on to urge people to “support the local businesses who have put a lot of effort into making this week really special”.

If you are out and about soaking up the atmosphere during the Fleadh, Danni will be holding a pop-up shop and live painting on Commercial Court underneath the famous neon umbrellas.

She finished off by saying, “Come down and say hello to see what I’ve been creating”.

For all the latest news, visit the Belfast Live homepage here and sign up to our daily newsletter here

Presenter Stacey Dooley is set to front Clickbait Clinic, a new BBC One and iPlayer series investigating social media health trends

Stacey Dooley is set to front a brand new BBC One and iPlayer series alongside doctors Alex George and Nighat Arif, as the trio investigate some of social media’s biggest health claims.

The new programme, Clickbait Clinic with Stacey Dooley, is produced by the award-winning team at Nutopia and aims to separate medical fact from online misinformation. It comes as studies suggest around one in three people in the UK now turn to social media for health advice.

Across the series, Stacey will examine some of the internet’s most viral wellness trends, looking at how they become so popular and meeting the content creators behind them. With support from Dr Alex and Dr Nighat, she’ll also explore whether the science behind these online health claims stands up to scrutiny.

Supported by former Love Island contestant Dr Alex and This Morning regular Dr Nighat, she’ll scrutinise the scientific basis underpinning these viral phenomena, reports OK!.

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The presenter will examine subjects ranging from extreme leg-lengthening procedures and NAD+ infusions to the carnivore diet, testosterone therapies, methylene blue and assertions that dog deworming medication can treat cancer.

Dr Alex initially gained prominence as a Love Island participant in 2018. Subsequently, he was named the UK Government’s inaugural Youth Mental Health Ambassador and has authored several bestselling publications centred on health and wellbeing.

Dr Nighat Arif, meanwhile, is a prominent British GP, broadcaster and advocate for women’s health issues. She has established herself as a recognisable presence on television programmes such as ITV’s This Morning, while leveraging her profile to champion crucial health matters.

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Speaking about the new series, former A&E doctor and mental health advocate Dr Alex George said: “I’ve spent plenty of time searching online for answers about my own health, but I’ve also spent years working as a doctor.

“Looking at some of the claims going viral from both perspectives has been fascinating, and I’m really excited to explore them with Stacey and Nighat.”

Dr Nighat Arif said: “This is a dream project for me and even better it’s with Stacey and Alex. I’ve often seen the very real impact of harmful online health advice in my clinic, so helping to untangle this for viewers could not be more important.

“The one thing I want them to be able to say, ‘is this something that is evidence-based or is this something that could potentially not work or even do me harm?”

Clickbait Clinic with Stacey Dooley will air on BBC One and iPlayer later this year.

Real Housewives of Orange County‘s Vicki Gunvalson has defended her former castmate Jeana Keough after Keough started a GoFundMe page to help pay for personal expenses while battling cancer.

Keough’s daughter Kara Bosworth launched the GoFundMe on July 19 after her realtor mom, 70, started treatment for tongue cancer.

While the GoFundMe has already reached over $70,000, many fans of the Real Housewives franchise – which follows the lives of affluent women in exclusive social circles – have criticized the fundraising move due to Keough’s apparent wealth. 

Defending her co-star and friend on SiriusXM’s Jeff Lewis Live last week, Gunvalson insisted that Keough isn’t as rich as some people think she is.

‘Jeana owns two houses in Florida,’ Gunvalson explained.

‘When she sold the house next to me she bought two houses, rental property. It doesn’t have a lot of equity, the real estate in Florida has gone down,’ she continued.

Keough shot to fame as an original cast member on Bravo’s Real Housewives franchise, which follows affluent groups of women in exclusive social circles

‘She is getting a small pension from [ex-husband] Matt [Keough], she’s getting her social security. It’s not enough to support her rent in Coto de Caza, she rents a house there, and her life.’

Both Gunvalson and Keough currently live ‘two doors down’ from each other in Coto de Caza, an exclusive, gated community where the Real Housewives of Orange County was originally filmed.  

Gunvalson also pointed out that Keough is a commission-based realtor and has been unable to work during treatment, so her ‘income stopped’.

She clarified that Keough’s ‘medical care is covered’, and that the GoFundMe is to help with other expenses. 

On the official GoFundMe page, Keough’s eldest daughter states, ‘Any funds raised will go directly toward expenses, everyday living costs, nutrition, and the additional support she needs while undergoing treatment.’

The fundraising goal was originally set at $50,000, but it has since been raised to $90,000 following a flood of generous donations from both fans and Bravo stars alike.

The top donor to the GoFundMe is currently ‘Andrew Cohen’, who contributed $5,000.

Real Housewives of Orange County newcomer Carmella Garcia is also listed as having donated $1,000.

Daily Mail has contacted both Keough and her daughter Kara Bosworth for comment. 

Defending her friend and fellow Housewife on SiriusXM’s Jeff Lewis Live last week, RHOC star Vicki Gunvalson insisted that Keough isn’t as rich as some people think she is

Keough’s GoFundMe was started by her daughter Kara Bosworth and has so far raised over $70,000

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Keough originally lived in a large mansion in Coto de Caza, but she sold it in 2016 for $3.4 million to downsize to a smaller home in the area and to buy property in Florida.

The former 1980 Playboy Playmate of the Month was one of the founding cast members on The Real Housewives of Orange County, lasting on the reality series for its first five seasons before stepping back and making sporadic guest appearances in the following years.

She returned to the franchise this year for RHOC’s landmark 20th season for a cameo at a party featuring various past cast members, which will be shown on an upcoming episode.

Keough, a staunch conservative, occasionally shared her political viewpoints in early seasons of the series.

Earlier this week, Bosworth took to Instagram with an update on how her mother is dealing with her tongue cancer treatment and confirmed that she currently cannot speak.

‘Right now, Jeana isn’t talking,’ Bosworth said. ‘The tongue and throat pain, paired with the mucus from radiation on the area, is just brutal. Poor mama has to spit into tissues all day.’

Bosworth thanked the company Blow Tissues for sending tissues for Keough to use, adding, ‘She’s never needed a delivery more.’

Keough, 70, is unable to speak as she undergoes treatment for tongue cancer

Keough recently filmed a cameo on the Real Housewives of Orange County’s 20th season, which is airing now 

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Keough, a regular on the first five seasons of the Real Housewives of Orange County, is also mother to sons Shane, 39, and Colton, 34, with late ex-husband Matt Keough. 

Bosworth on July 19 detailed her mother’s health woes in a statement on GoFundMe, saying that Keough had complained about ‘a painful spot on her tongue’ for almost a year’s time.

‘A biopsy confirmed our worst fear: squamous cell carcinoma of the tongue,’ Bosworth said, adding that she underwent a pair of surgeries to remove the cancer and then her lymph nodes.

She said her mother has continued with a ‘relentless’ regimen of ‘chemotherapy, radiation, and immunotherapy’ which has left her ‘exhausted’ and ‘malnourished’ due to related pain.

Bosworth said that each day ‘is a battle just to get enough nutrition and hydration to continue treatment.’

She noted that the ailment had left her mother ‘unable to work,’ as ‘the loss of income has created an enormous financial burden at the very time she needs to focus all of her energy on healing.’

Keough first shot to fame as a Playboy model and was named the Playmate of the Month for the November, 1980 issue of the magazine

A young Keough is pictured on an episode of the ’80s variety show Pink Lady

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In subsequent updates to the fundraising page, Bosworth said July 21 that her mother had experienced more complications, as she had been slated to be set up with a feeding tube known as a G-tube to help with nutrition as she had been unable to eat for two weeks.

Doctors had to pause their plans due to the discovery of a deep vein thrombosis (DVT) blood clot in her leg which presented further danger, Bosworth said.

In a pair of updates last week, Bosworth said that her mother was cleared for surgery to receive a ‘PEG feeding tube placed so she can receive the nutrition her body desperately needs. 

‘This will allow us to bypass the painful swallowing and choking that happen every time she tries to eat or drink.’

Keough was a fulltime cast member on the first five seasons of the Real Housewives of Orange County

She still keeps in touch with her fellow RHOC stars and is pictured enjoying a lavish lunch with Jo De La Rosa and Alexis Bellino in 2024

Following the procedure, Bosworth said that her mother had been ‘recovering’ and ‘able to stay on track with her treatment despite the setbacks from the blood clot and infection.’

Bosworth said in a Friday update that her mother had been ‘finally feeling a little more like herself’ after she ‘gave her the full “spa treatment” at the hospital’ consisting of washing her hair with a shampoo cap and shaving her legs.

‘She’s still very weak, and her mobility is limited, but we’re hopeful that now that she’s finally able to get the nutrition her body desperately needs, she’ll begin to regain her strength,’ Bosworth said.

Bosworth thanked the people who have ‘checked in, prayed, donated, shared your own experiences as patients or caregivers, and lifted our family up.’

She added, ‘Every message, every prayer, and every act of kindness has meant more than you know. Your positivity is healing.’

The One Show hosts Alex Jones and Clara Amfo were left visibly moved in the BBC One studio

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The One Show was full of emotional moments on Thursday’s episode.

During Thursday’s programme, presenters Alex Jones and Clara Amfo disclosed they had recruited Spider-Man: Brand New Day stars Zendaya, Tom Holland and Jacob Batalon to surprise nine-year-old youngster Oliver.

Oliver, nine, from Barnsley has been raising money for The Brain Tumour Charity by running the equivalent of nine marathons in four months.

Inspired by his own family’s journey after his dad Tom was diagnosed with a brain tumour aged just 39, Oliver set himself an incredible challenge: to run nine marathons, one for every year of his life, in support of the Brain Tumour Charity that had been there for his family when they needed it most.

Oliver has raised more than £16,500 to help ensure other families facing a brain tumour diagnosis receive the same vital support and hope.

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His inspiring achievement earned him a very special One Big Thank You on The One Show, where the cast of Spider-Man: Brand New Day surprised Oliver in London before inviting him to the London movie premiere, leaving the youngster in tears.

Back in the studio, The One Show hosts Alex Jones and Clara Amfo were left visibly moved. Alex, 49, was seen fighting back tears as she said: “Thank you so much to Tom and Zendaya and Jacob.

“And true to their word, last night Oliver went along to the premiere with his family to see the film and you can watch Spider-Man: Brand New Day in cinemas now” before emotionally sighing and composing herself.

Co-host Clara, 42, then added: “Oh, such a beautiful gang and if you know someone… we’ll try not to cry” with Alex admitting: “Well, emotional!”

Clara then continued: “If you know someone who you think is a hero, who deserves one big thank you, please please do get in touch.”

Taking to Twitter, now X, over the emotional show moment one person said: “Oh that #OneBigThankYou for the boy Oliver raising money for the Brain Tumour Trust was so good. What good eggs Tom, Zendaya and Jacob are #Spiderman #TheOneShow.”

To which a different viewer added: “Best one big thank you ever!! So emotional and the stars were so lovely to Oliver” with a heart emoji.

The One Show continues on weeknights at 7pm on BBC One and BBC iPlayer

PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti (AP) — Voter registration began Thursday in Haiti’s capital and beyond, marking a critical milestone in the push for general elections even as concerns over widespread gang violence persist.

The government opened 10 registration centers across Port-au-Prince in neighborhoods considered generally safe as dozens of hopeful Haitians trickled through.

“This may be the first time that I’m going to vote,” said 34-year-old construction worker Vadley Bernadel.

Haiti hasn’t held general elections in more than a decade, and the country hasn’t had a president since President Jovenel Moïse was killed at his private residence in July 2021.

Gang violence has only surged since then, but Haiti’s unelected prime minister is under pressure to hold elections, with Dec. 13 marking the first round.

“Haiti needs someone with a vision, someone who can lead the country in a better direction,” said Bernadel, who decried his country’s multiple crises.

Armed men still control swaths of land

Gang violence has displaced more than 1.4 million people, with armed men controlling an estimated 70% of Port-au-Prince and the main roads that lead to the country’s Central and Artibonite provinces, which also are under fire.

More than 50% of Haiti’s electorate live in those three regions, and it’s unclear whether all those seeking to vote will be able to register, let alone vote, given the violence.

“The country can hold elections in three months if it chooses to. The question is, what kind of elections?” said Diego Da Rin, an analyst with the International Crisis Group.

If the government insists on holding elections on Dec. 13, “a large part of the electorate will be left out,” he warned.

Da Rin noted that police and a U.N.-backed mission have seized back areas near the National Palace in Port-au-Prince and made other inroads, but powerful gangs still control vast amounts of territory.

“There has been no significant progress,” he said. “The government will not be able to organize elections in territories controlled by gangs.”

Jacques Desrosiers, president of Haiti’s Provisional Electoral Council, said he plans to open more voter registration centers in upcoming weeks, including 20 in Pétion-Ville, considered one of the safest areas.

As for the possibility of opening centers in other communities, he said that lies in the hands of the Haitian government.

The Prime Minister said by letting mayors keep a slice of income tax and business rates, he will “make good” on his pledge to “take power out of Westminster and carry it into every postcode in the country”.

North East Mayor Kim McGuinness welcomed the policy, saying “this is what taking back control really looks like”. Meanwhile The Times newspaper report that Tees Valley Mayor Lord Houchen was thought to be considering using the power to roll our tax reliefs.

Andy Burnham said the policy would be designed so that “every local leader will have the power and resources to improve public transport, build homes and create jobs.”

He said: “I said we’d take power out of Westminster and carry it into every postcode in the country.

“Today, we make good on that promise.

“Under our plans, more of the taxes raised in a community will stay in that community.”

Details of the reforms are expected to be announced in a white paper, published when Chancellor John Healey presents his first budget in the autumn.

Ms McGuinness responded: “This is what taking back control really looks like, this is what we’ve been fighting for, for the people of the North East.

“For decades, whenever the North wanted something, it had to go to London each time, cap in hand, to beg a civil servant or a government minister to back us.

“We’re changing the North East for good, and much greater financial freedom is the first step.

“This means we can do more to support hard-pressed families through things like cheaper Mayor’s Fares and childcare grants; it means we can grow the Metro and rail network, build more council homes and open youth clubs to give young people the opportunities they deserve regardless of their background.

“Now we can step up and market the North East to the world as a visitor destination and a place to invest, creating new jobs as we do so by helping our people and businesses thrive and grow.

“The days of asking Whitehall’s permission are over. We can now just get on with the job and improve the lives of people here in the North East, now and for generations to come.”

Henri Murison, Chief Executive of the Northern Powerhouse Partnership, added: “Allowing regions to retain a share of income tax revenues will go one step further.

“Under the proposals, individual workers and employers would not pay more income tax or National Insurance, unlike under the Scottish system, but mayors would still be able to borrow against or commit future revenues to help finance privately built and delivered infrastructure.”

The rate of income tax which bill-payers face will not change as a direct result of the reforms, according to the Government.

Ministers will retain an equalisation system, so areas where less tax is collected continue to receive financial support.

Chancellor John Healey said: “The people who best understand what skills employers want, what transport an area needs and where investment can make the biggest difference are those who live there.

“For the first time we’re giving mayors a share of income tax, so communities directly benefit when their economy grows – passing power out of Westminster and driving growth in every postcode.

“This is the way we start to build new hope and advance the working people of this country.”

Housing, Communities and Local Government Secretary Angela Rayner said the announcement would put “an end to the begging-bowl culture of the past”, instead giving locally elected leaders “the tools they need to drive the change that communities have been crying out for.”

Some mayors are thought to be considering using their powers to roll out tax reliefs, including Conservative Tees Valley mayor Lord Houchen of High Leven and Reform UK’s Greater Lincolnshire mayor Dame Andrea Jenkyns, according to reports in The Times newspaper.

By KRISTINA WEMYSS, GENERAL NEWS REPORTER

Published: 19:05 BST, 30 July 2026 | Updated: 21:44 BST, 30 July 2026