Andy Burnham is facing increasing pressure to clarify his plans for increasing defence spending from the head of Nato and Labour’s union paymasters.  

Mark Rutte, the former Dutch premier is expected to use a speech in Oxford tonight to publicly hold his feet to the fire over increasing spending on the UK’s depleted military.

At the Ditchley Foundation’s annual lecture in Oxfordshire, the Nato chief will praise the UK, describing it as ‘serious about security’.

But in what could be seen as a pointed remark about the need to go further, he will add: ‘The UK is already investing more in defence. And I welcome the new Prime Minister’s assurance that his government will meet its Nato commitments.’   

The Government faces a challenge in how to hike defence spending to 5 per cent over the next decade, as it grapples with rising borrowing costs caused by the US-Iran war, and multiple domestic pressures on the public finances. 

UK defence spending is expected to rise to around 2.7 per cent of GDP by 2027, but Mr Burnham has raised alarms that it will not meet an interim target of 3 per cent by 2030.

Last week he sparked uproar by refusing to cut the UK welfare bill to fund a boost to defence spending, saying: ‘National security cannot come at the expense of social security.’

But the PM is also facing pressure from Labour’s union paymasters to pour money into defence to create jobs.

Unite boss Sharon Graham said that the UK had been ‘running our hand across our mouth in defence for ages’ and said it should form part of a ‘proper plan for the reindustrialisation of Britain’. 

UK defence spending is expected to rise to around 2.7 per cent of GDP by 2027, but Mr Burnham has skirted around a further target of 3 per cent by 2030

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She told Politico: ‘I’m in conversations with members and employers in defense, and these people are making decisions now about whether they stay in Britain.’ 

However unions are divided, with the University and College Union using the TUC conference to pass a motion demanding the cash should be used to fight climate chance and renationalise utilities instead.

Pushing the body to back its ‘wages not weapons’ campaign, UCU general secretary Jo Grady lashed out at the US and Israel for its ‘war of aggression against the people of Iran’.

‘Our lives don’t feel more secure because BAE systems is getting another multi-billion-pound contract. A global arms race does not make us feel safer,’ she told the conference.

‘There is a choice, because every pound spent on bombs doesn’t get homeless people off the streets, it doesn’t build a new school, it doesn’t feed a hungry child, it doesn’t help the desperate NHS, the crumbling transport infrastructure or the crucial need for a programme of insourcing and renationalisation.’

Nato allies have agreed to hike their defence spending to 5 per cent of economic output by 2035, amid burgeoning threats from Russia and China, and demands from Donald Trump’s America that European member states invest more in their own security. 

Unite boss Sharon Graham said that the UK had been ‘running our hand across our mouth in defence for ages’ and said it should form part of a ‘plan for the reindustrialisation of Britain’.

However the University and College Union’s Jo Grady used the TUC conference to say that the cash should be used to fight climate chance and improve schools and housing instead

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Chancellor John Healey quit as defence secretary in June over Sir Keir Starmer’s refusal to commit to the 3 per cent target, saying it was the minimum needed to keep Britain safe.

Mr Rutte will use his speech to say that the UK ‘is leading, along with Nato allies, the push back against Russia’s dangerous and reckless campaign against us’.

He will add: ‘Collectively we will continue to strengthen our ability to deter and defend all allies, against any threat. Nato will not be intimidated by Russia’s campaign of hostile actions. Russia wants to stop us helping Ukraine – but their actions will only lead us to do more for Ukraine. Russia’s actions are a sign of weakness, and a symptom of Putin’s failure in Ukraine.’

Elsewhere in his speech, Mr Rutte will address the changing nature of the military alliance.

Mr Rutte will say: ‘To stay transatlantic, Nato is becoming more European. A Nato with Europe, and Canada, spending more, producing more, and doing more for their security. This is the idea of Nato 3.0.

‘Building for the future. A stronger Europe, in a stronger Nato.’

The father of a missing three-year-old boy has pleaded with the public to keep searching as he ‘cannot go another night knowing he’s out there alone’.

Local officials said at 5am that there had been no sightings of three–year–old Noah Woods, who is non-verbal and partially deaf, after he vanished from a playground in Suffolk yesterday.

Noah is believed to have run off from his grandfather out of the playground in the village of Brantham, disappearing down an alleyway at 3pm on Tuesday.

Residents have been urged to check their gardens, sheds and outbuildings, and those with CCTV or doorbell cameras have been asked to review the footage. 

This morning, police cordoned off a footpath beside the playground, while a helicopter hovered overhead and circled around the area. 

Hundreds of volunteers have also converged on the tiny village as the search enters its second day.

Posting to Facebook, Noah’s father Rhys Woods said the emergency services believe that his young son is no longer in the immediate areas around the playground where he disappeared.

He asked the public to ‘please don’t give up on him’ and to continue searching, telling them ‘he is out there somewhere’.

Noah, who is mildly autistic and unlikely to respond to his name being called, was described as white with curly ginger hair. He was wearing a t–shirt with cartoon character Bluey on it, shorts and white trainers when he went missing.

The alleyway he disappeared down leads to a new–build housing estate, a local pond and a railway line.  

‘We still have nothing, all the emergency services and all of you have shown how strong this community is, with people coming from far and wide also,’ Mr Woods wrote.

Members of the public turned out to help police as the search continues for Noah throughout the village of Brantham

Noah vanished after becoming separated from a relative in Merriam Close, Brantham, on Tuesday afternoon

Emergency services are searching the Brantham area in a bid to locate him, while residents have been urged to check their gardens, sheds and outbuildings

This morning, police cordoned off a footpath beside the playground, while a helicopter hovered overhead and circled around the area

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‘The emergency services are very confident that the high risk areas (Decoy pond, railway lines) are all clear.

‘This means knowing our boy, he has gone even further, could I ask that all of you brilliant people out there today expand further if you are able to?

‘I cannot go another night knowing he’s out there alone, please don’t give up on him guys. He is out there somewhere and I appreciate every single one of you.’

Noah’s great uncle, Tony Malcolm, who was part of the search team, described him as ‘a lovely little kid’.

Volunteer searchers were briefed at the village hall this morning by parish clerk, Sarah Keys, who told them: ‘Please remember we are searching for a frightened three-year-old boy.’

Ms Keys said around 500 people had stayed up all night to carry on searching for Noah. 

The village hall stayed open during the night, and the council also printed out hundreds of maps for volunteers to use in their searches.

Ms Keys said: ‘There were about 1,000 people out at one point. I think local people are just feeling devastated. Everyone just wants to pull together and help.’

Police and Crime Commissioner for Suffolk Tim Passmore urged those joining the ongoing searches not to go out alone and to get direction from those organising the response.

Speaking to BBC Radio Suffolk, he said his ‘thoughts and prayers’ are with friends and family of Noah Woods.

He said: ‘As time goes by I really hope we can get some good news. I can’t think of anything worse than a poor little three-year-old lad going missing and not being found.’

Dozens of locals gathered at the village hall from 8.30am in the hope of getting a police briefing about where to search, but many decided to head off on their own before a senior officer arrived to talk to them.

Ms Keys told the crowd: ‘I know your feet are itching to go out and look for that little boy. We just want to find him.’

Around 200 locals who had arrived at the hall by around 9.30am were split into two groups with fitter people being allocated to search muddy tracks and fields while others were told to concentrate on the paved areas of the village.

Members of a search and rescue team continue their search near Merriam Close for Noah

Environment Agency officers join police officers as they continue their search for Noah

Noah’s father Rhys Woods (pictured) asked the public to ‘please don’t give up on him’ and to continue searching, telling them ‘he is out there somewhere’.

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Yesterday, a Coastguard helicopter was seen circling the village, which is near the estuary of the River Stour.

And passengers on trains between Manningtree and Ipswich were told that their services would be run at a reduced speed because of the searches. 

Volunteers from Suffolk Lowland Search and Rescue used a boat to search Decoy Pond, the local beauty spot Noah was seen running towards.

Police dog units joined the search overnight, and thermal imaging cameras were deployed.

Just before midnight, volunteers who joined the hunt were told to go home for the night and rest, but many remained on the streets. 

In a Facebook post just after 5am on Wednesday, Brantham Parish Council said there had been no confirmed sightings of Noah.

‘The search for Noah continues this morning,’ the post said.

‘If you are able to help with the search today, please keep safe and take care of yourselves. 

‘Search in pairs where possible, wear high-vis clothing and take extra care around roads, water, woodland and other potentially dangerous areas. Please take a fully charged mobile phone with you.

‘Please also check your own property thoroughly, including gardens, sheds, garages, outbuildings, vehicles and under or behind furniture.

‘If the police ask you to move away from an area, please follow their instructions. This may be to allow specialist search activity to take place.’

Last night, Brantham Parish Council wrote on its Facebook page: ‘We have been completely overwhelmed by the support received from the Brantham community and from visitors from far and wide and our thanks go to the emergency services and all the volunteers who have joined the search so far.

‘The Village Hall will be open all night with toilet facilities and drinks if you need it. 

‘The emergency services will be continuing their search throughout the night.’

The search continues in darkness for three–year–old Noah, who disappeared in Brantham

Volunteers who joined the hunt have now been told to go home for the night and rest

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One police officer manning the cordon last night urged the public to allow officers to get on with the job themselves. 

He told the Harwich and Manningtree Standard: ‘We have been given information and we want to search this bit with our teams now that we have got the teams here.

‘You’ve got dog units looking for any sort of tracks, and then we’ve got thermal imaging going throughout the wooded area.

‘At this time of night with this light, it’s harder for members of the public – we want to make sure we can do that with all of our equipment we’ve got. 

‘The more people we have got in there [in the woodland] the harder it is going to be for us, especially with scents – if there is a scent or a track or anything like that, we don’t want that to be changed in any way. 

‘If there are people in there, the thermal imaging is going to pick up them as opposed to obviously all of our goal to find the little man.’

Suffolk Police said anyone with information about Noah’s whereabouts should contact them. 

They said: ‘Police are appealing for help to locate a missing three–year–old boy in Brantham.

‘Noah was last seen at approximately 3pm [on] Tuesday 15 September, when he became separated from a relative after visiting the playground in Merriam Close.

‘Noah is reported to have run off down the alleyway beside the playground towards the new build housing estate.

‘Noah is described as white, with curly ginger hair. He is wearing a white Bluey t–shirt, shorts and white trainers.’

A spokesman for HM Coastguard said: ‘We are assisting Suffolk Constabulary with an incident at Brantham by sending an HM Coastguard helicopter and Coastguard Rescue Teams from Felixstowe and Holbrook.’ 

A former teacher and hotel manager is on trial accused of raping three women over a 20-year period. Daniel Gravell is alleged to have indecently assaulted and raped a woman in 2001, to have raped a second woman in 2005, and to have raped a third woman in 2021.

The 44-year-old defendant denies the allegations and is on trial at Swansea Crown Court.

It is the prosecution case that the first alleged rape happened at Gravell’s home in Johnston near Carmarthen in 2001 after the defendant and the woman met on a night out. The court was told that the pair initially engaged in consensual kissing but when the woman told Gravell she was on her period he “yanked out” her tampon, pinned her down, and raped her.

The second alleged rape is said to have happened in 2005. Jurors were told that Gravell took the complainant to a “secluded spot” behind Carmarthen Athletic rugby club and attacked her.

The third allegation of rape involves a woman who Gravell met on social media in 2021. It is the prosecution case that defendant drove the woman to the Baltic Hotel in Carmarthenshire which Gravell was managing at the time but which he told the woman he owned. The court was told that after showing her around the hotel, the defendant took the woman to one of the rooms, locked the door, and raped her.

It is Gravell’s case that the 2001 incident “simply never happened” while the 2005 and 2021 incidents were consensual sexual encounters.

On Tuesday the jury heard evidence from the alleged victim of the 2001 incident. She told the court how she met the defendant in Carmarthen town centre before going back to his home in nearby Johnstown.

The complainant said Gravell and her were kissing consensually on his bed when she told him she was on her period. Jurors heard that at that point “things changed” and Gravell got on top of her before “ripping out” her tampon and raping her.

The woman told the jury that the defendant gave her a sexually transmitted disease, and that on a subsequent occasion when she saw him out in Carmarthen she decided to confront him about it. she told the jury Gravell “laughed in my face” before she had the chance to get the words out and that he “said something like ‘I gave you a little present’”.

Daniel Gravell, of Porth Y Plas, Johnstown, Carmarthen, denies three counts of rape and one count of indecent assault, and the trial – before Judge Paul Thomas KC – is expected to last two weeks.

You can follow today’s evidence in our live blog below:

Cllr Chadwick, who represented Westhoughton, died this morning, leaving his fellow councillors “shocked and saddened”.

Leading the tributes to the passionate champion of Bolton and dedicated advocate for his ward was Bolton Council leader Cllr Akhtar Zaman.

He said: “Everyone at Bolton Council is deeply shocked and saddened to hear of the passing of David Chadwick, Deputy Mayor of Bolton.

“A Bolton lad through-and-through, David dedicated his life to serving the community he was so proud to call home.

“He served as a Westhoughton Town Councillor, as a ward councillor for Westhoughton South, as Cabinet Member for Transport, as Chair of the Licensing Committee, as a school governor and in countless other roles.

“One of his proudest moments was his inauguration as Mayor of Bolton for 2025/26, a role he performed with typical dedication, warmth, and good humour.

“Our thoughts are with his wife Valerie, his children Matthew and Victoria, and his grandchildren.

“The town hall flag will be flying at half-mast as a mark of respect.”

Lisa Nandy has vowed to strengthen the law on “doxxing” after lifeboat volunteers involved in migrant crossing rescues had their personal details published online.

The culture secretary said she would “tighten up the law” to make doxxing, which involves leaking people’s home addresses, a criminal offence.

Currently, she said this kind of behaviour is only illegal if it is done with clear intent to cause fear, harm and distress.

Nandy convened a meeting with social media firms on Tuesday afternoon to discuss such abuse, but she called social media company X a “disgrace” for failing to turn up.

Last week, the chief executive of the RNLI – the Royal National Lifeboat Institute – condemned online and physical abuse volunteers for the charity had received over English Channel migrant crossings.

That followed protests after 120 people landed on Portsmouth’s shores from France with the RNLI’s assistance.

Nandy told BBC Breakfast she was “appalled” that the likes of RNLI volunteers, police officers, social workers and journalists were “being doxxed online” – having their names, photos and addresses published.

In her meeting with social media companies, she said she found “wildly varying standards” from them on doxxing material.

TikTok told her it would automatically remove such posts while Facebook and Instagram owner Meta said it would not, she said.

“And frankly, X didn’t even bother to turn up yesterday which shows real contempt for people’s safety and security and their obligations to society,” she added.

She said the government “will not hesitate to take action” to make clear that “where people’s addresses are being published online, that is an offence and action has to be taken swiftly”.

BBC Verify found viral social media posts about those involved in migrant crossing operations, some of which wrongly identified RNLI crew members and called for their families to be tracked down.

The RNLI has said only 109 of its 9,058 lifeboat launches last year were for people “in distress in the Channel” – 1.2% of its total rescue work.

The charity’s chief executive added around 95% of small boats were intercepted by the UK Border Force.

Nandy has also taken aim at “incredibly slow” progress with enforcement of the Online Safety Act, the government’s flagship law to tackle online abuse, as she called for regulator Ofcom to move faster.

Describing the “major challenges” with enforcing the Act, she told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme two penalties had so far been issued to companies but no fines had yet been paid.

At least 20 people have been killed, including five children, and dozens are missing after a war-damaged building collapsed in the Gaza Strip, according to local rescue teams.

Video footage shows the search for bodies and survivors continuing in the rubble of the multi-storey building in the Tal al-Hawa area of Gaza City, its floors sandwiched together.

Locals said 10 families had been living in the apartments despite warnings that they were unsafe.

Members of the Hamas-run Civil Defence rescue service said they had initially been working with “empty hands” due to tight Israeli restrictions on equipment allowed into Gaza. However, they have since been able to borrow some heavy machinery.

On Tuesday, Israeli air strikes in Gaza killed at least five Palestinians, including two children and a Hamas commander, according to health officials and Hamas sources.

The Israeli military said it killed a Hamas commander in southern Gaza and another fighter in the north. In both cases, a child was also reportedly killed.

Separately, the British charity Medical Aid for Palestinians said that a patient was killed by an Israeli drone at a health centre it supports in Jabalia in northern Gaza.

North Yorkshire Council’s annual review of its library service reveals 1,909,289 visits were recorded during 2025/26, with the authority saying usage has been on an upward trend in recent years as libraries increasingly operate as community hubs.

The increase comes despite an overall five per cent fall in book issues compared with the previous year.

The council said the reduction reflected a national trend, although physical borrowing was also under-recorded during the first two quarters of the year following the introduction of a new library management system.

Digital borrowing continued to grow, with eBook and eAudio issues increasing by 11 per cent and eMagazine and eNewspaper issues rising by 16 per cent.

Councillor Simon Myers, executive member for culture, arts and housing, said it was really encouraging to see an increased use of the county’s Libraries which he said was a testament to the hard work of the librarians and volunteers.

He added: “It is particularly gratifying to see an increase in young users and in membership, year on year. Our libraries really are at the heart of our communities, and I hope that in this National Year of Reading more people will take up this wonderful, free, resource.

“I think Billy Connolly’s recollection of the life-altering power of books rings as true today as it did in my own, painfully shy, youth.

“Billy said ‘when I was an unhappy little boy, going to the library changed my life. It may even have saved it. Amazing as it sounds, literature can do that for you’.”

The annual review also claims North Yorkshire is providing its library service more cheaply than comparable rural councils.

According to the latest data covering 2024/25, the service costs £7.55 per head — the lowest among the rural authorities used for comparison.

Despite the lower expenditure, North Yorkshire recorded the third-highest number of book issues and fourth-highest number of library visits among the comparable authorities.

However, the figures also highlight the significant contribution made by unpaid volunteers to running the service.

North Yorkshire has a network of 42 libraries, including a mobile library, with 31 branches run in partnership with community organisations.

During 2025/26, volunteers contributed 147,924 hours to the service, carrying out roles ranging from helping to run community libraries and hosting children’s story sessions to providing digital support.

The council says its volunteer numbers are the highest among the authorities included in its comparison.

Libraries are also increasingly being used for services beyond borrowing books.

During the year there were 22,353 assisted digital sessions, while residents spent more than 101,000 hours using library computers. More than 2,500 people were helped to access Household Support Fund assistance.

Meanwhile, the relaunched mobile library has also seen increased demand, with visits between January and March 2026 38 per cent higher than during the same period a year earlier.

While the star said he was “appalled by the conflict between Israel and Palestine” and that the “suffering and pain caused on both sides is a human tragedy”, he also attempted to explain his decision to keep political issues at arm’s length.

“I am not complicit,” he wrote. “I have my personal views on this devastating conflict. Just because I choose not to speak publicly, it doesn’t mean I don’t have them, and it doesn’t mean I don’t care.

“Nor does it mean I don’t support causes in my own, personal way.”

He continued: “There is a reason I do not use my professional platform for politics – my audience includes young people, often children, of all backgrounds.

“Those who come to my shows do not expect a political forum. I respect Macklemore’s strength of purpose to stand up and shout for what he believes.

“However, there is room for multiple approaches to the same end: Peace.

“I choose to use my fame and platform to be a place of safety and sanctuary, to maintain diplomacy and keep conversations open, not closed. If we only focus on shouting the loudest, nothing will ever change. There are different approaches to being an advocate for change.”

Sheeran added that, “as with all my support acts”, Macklemore had been allowed to choose his own setlist.

If the statement was meant to placate his fans and other artists on the line-up, it has seemingly had the opposite effect.

Writing on Instagram, Lukas Graham said: “We should be able to speak about war, about civilians being killed, about children who deserve to grow up. Wherever they live. Whatever flag flies over them.”

Rowe, who opened on the Australian leg of the tour earlier this year and resumed as a support act for the US in June, said he did not “take the decision [to quit] lightly”, adding: “Ed has been a friend to me and has changed my life, I could never thank him enough for this.”

In their post, Beoga said: “As musicians, playing to those crowds every night is the stuff of dreams but to play in venues that silence anyone advocating for a Free Palestine is simply not an option for us.”

The Senedd group will meet immediately following the shock news of leader Dan Thomas’ departure from the role

Reform UK will on Wednesday begin the process of appointing a new leader after Dan Thomas stood down after being arrested by police.

Mr Thomas resigned on Tuesday after it emerged he had been arrested on suspicion of assault and coercive/controlling control.

Reform UK’s chief whip, Llyr Powell MS, admitted it had been a “challenging” day.

He was asked on BBC Radio Wales on Wednesday if Mr Thomas should remain in the Senedd. He said the investigation was ongoing and added: “I don’t want to presume anything”.

He said it was right for Mr Thomas, and his family’s wellbeing, he would stand down. He denied Mr Thomas’ presence in the Senedd would be a “distraction”.

“We’ll wait for whatever judgement comes,” he said. “In this country we have due process.” For our free daily briefing on the biggest issues facing the nation, sign up to the Wales Matters newsletter here

Reform UK’s Welsh Senedd group was set to meet on Wednesday morning with Helen Jenner, the deputy leader, as interim leader.

The group has a constitution, Mr Powell said, which determines the process of how a new leader will be selected.

The rules will be set there but he said if only one candidate puts their name forward there will be no contest. If there is more than one then there will be a vote of Reform UK Senedd members.

He said he expects the process to be concluded by the end of September.

Mr Powell said he expected there would be some people who would put their names forward on Wednesday.

But who could be in the running?

Llŷr Powell

A stalwart in Nigel Farage’s political journey in Wales Mr Powell refused to rule himself in our out of the race when he was asked on Wednesday morning.

He said he hadn’t had time to consider it.

He stood in the crucial Caerphilly by-election last October and lost but was elected to the Senedd in May. Since becoming chief whip he has been a key player in setting up the group as well as coaching staff and determining policy.

In terms of experience he is one of those who has been close to Nigel Farage, and key players in Reform’s Millbank HQ, and knows how the Senedd works.

Laura Anne Jones

Ambitious, certainly, and the most experienced Senedd politician in the group having served in the National Assembly, as was, from 2003 until 2007 and then again for the last six years. As a Welsh Conservative Laura Anne Jones was elected as a regional member in South Wales East for the second time in 2020. In 2025 she revealed a shock defection to Reform UK and was unveiled by Nigel Farage at the Royal Welsh Show and was elected to represent the party in Sir Fynwy Torfaen in May 2026.

James Evans

Another Conservative who defected to join the group James Evans’ journey into Reform wasn’t straightforward. However he is one of those sat on the front row of the group in the Senedd chamber alongside the other obvious frontrunners.

He holds the key health brief for the party and is clearly ambitious.

He has hinted he won’t stand again in 2030 as he wants to have a life away from politics and start a family so would such a high-profile role be a step too far?

Speaking to the BBC in July Mr Evans said “as things stand today I won’t be standing in 2030”.

He said it was going to be “a long goodbye” and “a lovely four years for me to go”.

“I’m a big believer that some people can go on in politics too long. It was always my intention to only stand two terms.

“I’ve got a wife… I’d like to start a family,” he said. “We’re seen as a bit of public commodity that can be attacked and then, obviously, that spills into our family life, and I don’t want to be bringing up children in that environment.”

Helen Jenner

The current deputy leader, and now interim, Ms Jenner is a former teacher who represents Bangor Conwy Mon. Thrust into the hotseat when Dan Thomas missed First Minister’s Questions on Tuesday she held her own against Rhun ap Iorwerth.

A Welsh speaker, she has experience from outside of politics she can bring to the table.

Jason O’Connell

One of the core members of Reform UK in Wales Jason O’Connell’s name was touted during the last leadership contest as he is seen as a safe pair of hands by those in power in the party.

He did a lot of media work before the election and he’s been given the economy and transport brief under Dan Thomas.