Malcolm Offord had insisted an IndyRef2 should not be debated by the Scottish Parliament as the matter is reserved to Westminster.

Reform MSPs flounced out of the Holyrood chamber tonight after the party failed to get a debate on independence cancelled.

Malcolm Offord had insisted the issue of IndyRef2 should not be debated by the Scottish Parliament as the matter is reserved to Westminster.

But Kenny Gibson, the Presiding Officer, told the Reform leader in Scotland: “This is a parliament and it’s free to debate any issue it wishes.”

Offord then branded the debate a “farce” and led his MSPs in a walkout – to jeers and laughter from members of other parties.

Gibson later branded that “a gross discourtesy to all members”. But Offord, a former Tory peer, insisted: “This debate is not just a farce, it is an insult to the Scottish electorate who expect their politicians to deal with serious issues in their communities.”

He argued that Scots wanted to see MSPs dealing with “shocking” homelessness figures released earlier on Tuesday, the nation’s public finances or drug deaths – with a further rise in these expected to be announced on Wednesday.

“These are the serious matters of Government,” the Reform MSP said. “In contrast this debate is ill-judged, self-serving and wholly inappropriate.

“Reform won’t engage further in these pointless proceedings. We didn’t come into the Parliament to waste our time on vanity projects, and therefore I withdraw my amendment and we will exit from the chamber.”

It came as MSPs debated from John Swinney which declared: “Scotland is a nation that has a right to decide its own future.”

This was passed by 84 votes to 18 – despite Prime Minister Andy Burnham having recently made clear another referendum is “off limits”.

The Prime Minister however had to pull back from comments he made in the Commons chamber, which appeared to suggest a second ballot on independence could be possible if Scots support one.

But Swinney claimed Burnham’s opposition to another referendum “cannot hold”.

The SNP leader added: “My party believes it is for the people of Scotland to decide when there is an independence referendum.”

Saying that Scotland needs the “fresh start” of independence, he told MSPs the “fundamental right to decide our nation’s future remains”.

Referring back to the 2014 referendum – where 55% of voters backed staying in the UK – Mr Swinney said: “Just because a right has been exercised once does not mean it can never be exercised again.

“If the people of Scotland themselves want the opportunity to ask the question again, who has the right to stop them?

“Scotland is a nation and its people have the right to decide their future.

“The UK is a voluntary union, which means its nations can stay part of it or they can choose their independence.

“These two things were once accepted right across the political spectrum in Scotland.”

His comments were echoed by Scottish Green co-leader Ross Greer, who insisted: “Our journey of self determination, our journey of national democracy, didn’t end in 2014. Democracy isn’t a one-off event.”

He added: “The public are not bound by a decision made in 2014 any more than this Parliament is bound by its predecessors.”

But new Scottish Labour leader Michael Marra said the Parliament’s priority should be “getting back on track” with targets for tackling child poverty.

And an amendment from him called on Holyrood to reaffirm its commitment to child poverty targets – including the ambition to cut the number of youngsters living in relative poverty to less than 10% by 2030.

Marra said it was “disappointing, but not surprising the SNP has a different priority” to this.

His comments came as he insisted Scotland “can be a fairer and stronger nation without being a separate state”.

He added: “I don’t believe we have to risk our currency, our defence, our markets and our budgets to deliver a more equal and just Scotland.”

Police in Inverness are seeking to trace a man who speaks with a Liverpudlian accent following an ‘incident’ in the city centre.

A man who may be from Liverpool could hold the key to an investigation into an ‘incident’ in Inverness city centre. Police have released a CCTV image of the man who they wish to speak to following the incident in the early hours of Sunday, July 6.

He is understood to have spoken with a Liverpudlian accent and is believed to be from Liverpool. Police described the man as white, of heavy build and over 6ft tall.

Officers were called following the incident in Stephen’s Brae at around 1am on July 6. At the time, the man was wearing a black jacket, black trousers, and black trainers, with a black cap.

No details of the incident were released by Police Scotland. Anyone who knows the man or who may be able to help trace him is asked to come forward.

The 124-page report found it was not possible to identify those responsible for Mr O’Kelly’s murder, but reached some findings about how it was carried out.

The murder of prosecutor Rory O’Kelly in Co Tyrone in 1977 was “carefully planned by the Provisional IRA”, a report has found.

The 59-year-old father of five was shot by the terror group at Lyttle’s Bar in Coalisland on March 4 after returning to his home town to attend a funeral.

Mr O’Kelly had twice acted as election agent for TD and MP Austin Currie and joined the SDLP in 1970. He worked for the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions for Northern Ireland (DPP) as an assistant director.

In its first published report, the Independent Commission for Reconciliation and Information Recovery (ICRIR) found he was the fifth person connected to the administration of justice to be murdered by PIRA, with the aim being to “undermine it by terrorist threat”.

The 124-page report found it was not possible to identify those responsible for Mr O’Kelly’s murder, but reached some findings about how it was carried out.

These included that his murder was a “one of a series of carefully planned attacks by the Provisional IRA”, and that Mr O’Kelly was selected as a target because he worked for the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP).

In a statement, Mr O’Kelly’s daughter Anne commended the work of the ICRIR.

She said the report comes 11 months after the death of her brother Roger, who pursued the case throughout his life.

She added that three members of the ICRIR sat by his bedside in a hospice last year and related the details they had found.

She said it was a “sacred and transformative” meeting, and she and her brother had been “moved into a space of serenity and light, all anger taken away”.

“I would never have expected to know this sort of release,” she said.

Ms O’Kelly said she had always had a “feeling of irrecoverable loss and distress” and could never talk about her father’s killing to anyone.

“I can never thank the members of the ICRIR enough for working so hard to piece together the facts of the death of our father, and the three lovely persons who came over to England to tell us what they had found; all done just in time,” she said.

“Roger died barely a week later. It was that he had now found a great peace.”

She added they will “probably never know who the operative was”.

“There is one hero in this story, or heroine, I should say – our mother. Silently and bravely, she accepted her place in the ranks of the lonely widows, still young herself, mother of five, with two little ones still to rear,” she said.

“She kept the home warm and cheerful, and encouraged us to get qualified and be independent.

“She never got over the loss of her husband. She missed his kindliness, his humour and his story-telling. She thought of him every day of her life.”

Ms O’Kelly said she hopes for a “just and satisfactory outcome for everyone who has come to the ICRIR for answers”.

She said while theirs was a “straightforward case”, digging up the simple facts 50 years later was a “difficult task”.

“Truth takes precedence and nothing short of the truth in full will work. Truth is the foundation for real forgiveness and a lasting reconciliation,” she added.

ICRIR chief commissioner Sir Declan Morgan said he is grateful to Ms O’Kelly for her confidence in the panel.

He said the publication of its first report after two years in operation was a “significant moment”, adding that a number other late-stage investigations and draft reports are developing.

A further report is being checked by Secretary of State Sir Chris Bryant, and several others are being readied for that process.

“I recognise that the commission must keep improving and building its credibility across all parts of society. I hope that the commitment of the two governments to further partnership and progress on legacy can assist us all in that goal,” Sir Declan said.

“It is 12 months since two colleagues and I spoke with Rory O’Kelly’s son Roger as he lay dying in a hospice, and where we outlined our interim findings into his father’s murder,” he said.

“I was humbled by that poignant encounter before Roger died. That moment reiterated for me the vital work being undertaken by the commission.

“I am grateful to Roger’s sister Anne for placing ongoing confidence in the commission.

“Uncovered truths can help create a mosaic of reflection on the horrors of our past. Uncomfortable truths can help us promote reconciliation and understanding for future generations.

“That process requires continued courage and commitment from us all.”

The commissioner for investigations, Peter Sheridan, said: “After almost 50 years, today’s focus is rightly on the O’Kelly family’s tragic loss.

“There are well over 300 other families already with the commission, with over 140 live investigations. These cases come from every community background across Ireland, Northern Ireland, the UK and Europe.

“Investigating the legacy of Northern Ireland’s Troubles/Conflict is complicated and complex work. I want to recognise the patience of Rory O’Kelly’s family, and the persistence of the commission’s investigators and findings team.

“Today is not a time for anyone to play politics with legacy. It is a day to remember the families of all those bereaved through the Troubles/Conflict, and to remind everyone that the commission’s door is open to all.

“The commission has provided as many answers as possible in this report. However, like many legacy cases, there will be people who can still shed light on Rory O’Kelly’s murder. I am calling on those people to use this moment to engage with the commission for the sake of those members of Mr O’Kelly’s family who are seeking further information.

“Timelines for security checking and family representations in the commission’s processes are requirements of law to ensure fairness and appropriateness in our published findings reports. But society cannot wait any longer. Every family, victim and survivor deserves dignity, truth and acknowledgement.”

Secretary of State for Northern Ireland Sir Chris Bryant said it was a “momentous day” for Mr O’Kelly’s family.

He said: “Reading Anne O’Kelly’s deeply moving personal statement, I was struck by the transformative impact the information provided by the Independent Commission for Reconciliation and Information Recovery (ICRIR) has had on her and her family.

“Many families have waited too long to find out what happened to their loved ones during the Troubles, but I strongly believe that the work to uncover this information is of vital importance.

“I look forward to a steady rhythm now being established for the publication of ICRIR’s reports, as we work together to prepare for its transition to the Legacy Commission as set out in the NI Troubles Bill.”

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Consett Community Market runs across several town venues on Saturday, September 26, from 10am to 3pm.

The market has grown so quickly that organisers booked another hall for extra stallholders.

Visitors can browse food producers, bakers, craft sellers, authors and fashion retailers, plus hot-food vendors and outdoor stalls on Middle Street.

Indoor traders will set up at Consett Methodist Church on Station Road, the Foundation for Good building on Trafalgar Street and the town’s Masonic Hall on John Street.

Among the businesses attending will be Geordie Bangers, Cassie’s Scotch Eggs and a range of bakers selling cakes, fresh bread and savoury produce.

Organisers say the market’s craft stalls will help shoppers get ahead with their Christmas shopping.

Mr Mix HQ on Medomsley Road will also open from 10am to noon, giving visitors free popcorn and candy floss as they travel between venues.

Extra parking will be available at Consett Academy and Derwentside College.

The market organiser said its success showed growing support from traders and shoppers, adding that public backing would help it expand and return in future years.

In November 2025, Cllr Kathryn Rooney warned that Consett’s community markets could disappear if footfall did not improve, saying people needed to support them, but has welcomed the return of the event.

She said: “I love to see Consett busy on market day; it has a real buzz.”

Organisers have also announced plans for future market events, including children’s crafts on October 31.

While the December 5 market will be treated to a visit from Santa himself.

Detective Superintendent Dan Thompson, the Met’s spiking lead, said: “We’re seeing offenders use a wider range of substances than ever before, including everyday medications and substances added to vapes, while increasingly targeting victims in private settings such as homes, parties and student accommodation.

Almost a dozen toilet cubicles could become “stoma-friendly” as part of an effort by councillors to improve provision for people with the “life-changing condition”.

Whitby Town Council should “convert one cubicle in each of the male and female toilet blocks at Abbey Headland, New Quay Road, Pier Road, the Market Place and West Cliff to being ‘stoma-friendly’ this financial year,” a motion, proposed by Cllr Jacqui Layman and seconded by Cllr Chris Riddolls states.

READ MORE: What people think about 50p cost of York public toilets

The proposal will be debated at a full meeting of the town council on Tuesday, September 22.

Approximately one in 335 people in this country have a stoma, the motion notes, and “whilst it is a life-changing condition, it is neither difficult nor expensive to make adequate provision to provide a safe, clean, and dignified place in which to change their pouches”.

The councillors have estimated the cost of the conversions would be “modest” at around £250 per cubicle, with a total cost of £2,500.

“Hooks to hang a coat and a bag, a small table to lay out supplies and appliances, a mirror to see what they’re doing and a bin to discreetly dispose of the old bags are all that is needed,” the motion notes.

People with a stoma have additional needs when using the toilet and even a simple day trip can be a potential source of anxiety, according to Colostomy UK, a charity that supports people with stomas and those who care about them.

A spokesperson said: “Because the condition is ‘hidden’, they often face discrimination too, being challenged or criticised for using accessible toilets.

“In our recent survey, more than 30 per cent of respondents stated that they had experienced problems of this nature in shops, sporting venues and visitor attractions, etc.”

Whitby Town Council. Courtesy Numminen/LDRS

The charity said that becoming a stoma-friendly organisation is about “more than meeting accessibility standards; it’s about creating environments where people living with a stoma feel confident, respected and able to participate fully in everyday life”.

“As awareness grows around inclusive design and health-sensitive customer experiences, organisations across retail, property and facilities management are recognising both the social and commercial value of supporting stoma needs,” Stoma UK’s website states.

In the early days of the full-scale invasion of Ukraine, Russian armoured columns pushed east along the Zhytomyr highway towards Kyiv. Makariv, a small settlement of about 10,000 people 36 miles west of Kyiv, sat on their route. The town was wrecked in the month of fighting that ensued.

Roughly 40% of the settlement’s infrastructure was destroyed and the bodies of 132 executed civilians were recovered by April 2022. A 2026 account puts the total death toll as high as 238. Yet Makariv was never taken. It held, with Russian forces only taking control of about 10% of its land, and Kyiv held behind it.

“For some reason, Makariv was bypassed in the press,” said local museum curator Vitaly Gedz in a 2026 interview. “They wrote about Makariv twice, ‘it was occupied and then liberated’ … It was only 10% occupied, but it was very badly destroyed.”

On a visit to Makariv the previous year, we visited Gedz’s museum. Among the objects on display there were military maps recovered after Russian forces withdrew. Russian units were found to be carrying Soviet-era sheets, some of which dated back to 1969, with the modern border between Russia and Ukraine often added in pen.

In the early days of the invasion, Ukraine’s national road agency also asked communities to take down road signs to disorientate the advancing Russian columns. For a few weeks in 2022, being hard to read was a defence for Makariv. It is not any longer.

What the record cannot see

Ukraine’s recovery needs currently stand at nearly US$588 billion (£435 billion) – almost three times its GDP for 2025. This total is still moving. Damaged energy assets alone rose by roughly 21% between February 2025 and February 2026, when the fourth and fifth assessments of Ukraine’s reconstruction needs were released.

According to a recent BBC analysis, Kyiv is also now suffering more daily air raid alerts than at any time in the war so far. This bombardment comes weeks after the deputy speaker of the Russian parliament, Pyotr Tolstoy, urged strikes on Ukrainian cities “to demoralise the public”.

Funds for reconstruction across Ukraine must therefore be rationed, and this rationing runs on records with a particular shape. Ukraine’s national recovery and reconstruction is managed using two main online databases. The first of these is the Register of Damaged and Destroyed Property.

This register records which buildings have been harmed, who owns them and what they are worth. An entry is what allows households and businesses to claim compensation, and it will form the basis of any future reparation claim against Russia.

Getting a building on to this list is the responsibility of each individual council. The fourth assessment of Ukraine’s reconstruction needs found that, in December 2024, the register held information about “90+ percent” of damaged apartment blocks in Ukraine but only “nearly 60 percent” of damaged single-family houses.

One survey of a block registers hundreds of dwellings, while a street of houses must be walked gate by gate by staff small councils generally do not have. Like many other small settlements across Ukraine, Makariv is built mainly of houses, the category the register is worst at recording.

The second database is the Digital Reconstruction Ecosystem for Accountable Management. More commonly known as Dream, this is the official platform for the Ukrainian government’s public investment plan. Councils enter their own projects and funders choose from what is there.

The project data local authorities need to provide include descriptions, building designs, budget breakdowns, contracting and payment records and even photos, all of which take time and require money to record. This matters in towns and villages where public servants may not have the resources or experience.

We looked up what Makariv has put into Dream. Its council has registered 70 projects on the portal. Nearly 50% carry no costed amount at all, compared with 24% nationally. An uncosted project cannot be funded, bundled or compared.

This absence has consequences. In July 2025, we held a workshop in Makariv with around 30 residents, including teachers, clerical staff, museum workers and veterans. Interrupted by air alerts, they marked a plan of the settlement spread across two tables.

One woman traced her journey to work, which has grown from 5 miles to 20 miles since the overpass where the Makariv road crosses the Zhytomyr highway was wrecked in 2022. Others pointed out that when a fire breaks out in Makariv or the outlying villages, the fire engine now comes from Byshiv nearly 14 miles away as Makariv’s own station has been destroyed.

None of this argues against digital reconstruction. Ukraine’s systems are among the most transparent anywhere. It is an argument about who does the work of being counted, because a system that asks local authorities to enter themselves will always favour those with staff to spare.

Trump has also been meeting Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, British Prime Minister Andy Burnham and leaders from Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Kuwait, Bahrain and Oman.

Earlier, Guterres gave his farewell speech as UN secretary general, urging unnamed superpowers to recognise “that their power isn’t so super”.

“The fault lines in our world are widening,” Guterres said, citing geopolitical rivalries, wars, climate change and artificial intelligence.

By contrast, Trump criticised international institutions, accusing the UN of a “far-left agenda of globalist bureaucrats who nobody ever elected”.

The US president instead emphasised national sovereignty and “unmatched” American military power.

“There is no global government,” he said.

He also warned that the US would not allow threats to establish themselves anywhere in the Western hemisphere.

“If necessary, we will use our unmatched military might to secure the vital national interests of the United States,” he said.

Trump accused Cuba’s communist government of cultivating ties to left-wing groups in the US, including the Communist Party USA, Antifa and the Democratic Socialists of America.

The Cuban delegation also appeared to walk out of the assembly chamber as Trump turned his sights on them, referring to the island as a “failed state”.

Kash Patel is facing a major security breach at the FBI after hackers claimed to have stolen personal data on every employee and job applicant at the bureau.

ShinyHunters, a notorious hacking gang, said it obtained FBI agents’ names, home addresses, phone numbers and dates of birth, and even details on their spouses. 

The gang also defaced the FBI’s jobs website on Tuesday, writing: ‘This site has been seized by ShinyHunters.’ The message mocked the seizure notices the bureau plasters on criminal sites it takes down. 

They then trolled Donald Trump, ending the message with the president’s trademark Truth Social sign-off: ‘Thank you for your attention to this matter.’  

One of the hackers issued a menacing threat to the Trump administration in an interview with 404 Media, which first reported the alleged breach. 

‘What we plan to do is not something I’d call extortion, maybe coercion,’ the hacker said of their plans, adding that it was ‘not financially motivated.’ 

The gang typically steals data and then demands ransom, threatening to dump more files if victims refuse to pay. 

The FBI told the Daily Mail in a statement: ‘The FBI is aware of claims regarding unauthorized activity affecting FBIjobs.gov and is currently investigating.’ 

A sample of 5,000 records shared by the gang contained purported addresses, phone numbers and dates of birth, and in some cases details on spouses. 

Some of the leaked phone numbers matched people with the same names in open-source intelligence databases, and several were linked to Justice Department personnel, according to checks by 404 Media.  

The message left on the jobs site went further, claiming the gang had personal and health information on current and former FBI employees, plus every applicant. 

‘We have a lot more than we claim here,’ it added.

The site was later knocked offline, with a notice warning that the Special Agent Applicant Portal was ‘currently unavailable.’

The FBI has previously warned that ShinyHunters-linked criminals use stolen personal information to harass victims and their families. 

The representative said the gang struck on Monday night by exploiting a previously unknown flaw, called a zero-day, in Oracle’s PeopleSoft software. 

The hackers then claimed to have accessed Amazon’s AWS GovCloud servers, a cloud service built to hold sensitive US government data, and stolen between two and three terabytes of files. 

Donald Trump attends a meeting at the United Nations in New York on Tuesday

The Daily Mail has contacted Oracle and Amazon for comment. 

The alleged breach comes as Patel, 46, faces mounting scrutiny over controversies at the bureau since he was sworn in as FBI director in February last year. 

Patel last week faced heated questioning at a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing over changes to FBI hiring standards involving prostitution and bestiality. 

Patel defended the changes, saying they were meant to let victims of those acts apply for FBI jobs without being automatically disqualified.

In April, Patel filed a $250 million defamation lawsuit against The Atlantic over an article alleging mismanagement at the agency and excessive drinking, claims he denies. 

He has also faced scrutiny over his use of the bureau’s $60 million jet, including a trip to see his girlfriend, country singer Alexis Wilkins, perform at a Penn State wrestling event last year. 

Patel has insisted he is ‘entitled to a personal life just like my other agency counterparts with their partners.’

Greater Manchester Police were called to reports of a stabbing at around 5.40pm on Tuesday

Two teenage boys have been taken to hospital after a stabbing in Greater Manchester that prompted a major emergency response.

Officers from Greater Manchester Police were called to Whittaker Lane in Prestwich at about 5.40pm on Tuesday following reports of a stabbing. Ambulances and police crews were dispatched to the scene near the Royal Oak pub, while an air ambulance landed in nearby Heaton Park shortly after 6pm.

The boys’ injuries are not believed to be life-threatening or life-changing. No arrests have been made and investigations are continuing, with detectives appealing for witnesses or anyone with information to come forward, the M.E.N reports.

Crime Scene Investigators were observed arriving at the scene just after 8pm, while a large police cordon remained in place throughout Tuesday evening, leaving drivers unable to retrieve vehicles parked within the restricted area.

Metrolink’s Bury line has also been affected, with Heaton Park station closed in both directions since around 6.30pm. Passengers have been advised to use Bowker Vale or Prestwich stations as alternatives.

A GMP spokesperson confirmed: “Police were called around 5.40pm on Tuesday (22/09/26), to reports of a stabbing on Whittaker Lane, Prestwich. Emergency services attended and two teenage boys were taken to hospital. Enquiries are ongoing.

“Anyone with information is urged to contact police on 101 or via the LiveChat function at gmp.police.uk and quote log 2743 of 22/09/2026. Alternatively, contact Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.”

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