<a href='https://www.skysports.com/rugby-union/live-blog/12337/12989238/rugby-world-cup-semi-finals-england-vs-south-africa-for-place-in-final-in-paris-live'>England vs South Africa: Rugby World Cup semi-final updates</a>
Storm Babet is continuing to batter the UK – with another red “danger to life” warning in place for parts of eastern Scotland and four severe flood warnings across England and Wales.
England, Wales and Northern Ireland have had warnings in place since Babet first hit on Wednesday, but eastern Scotland has suffered the worst of the storm which has left three people dead.
Train operators around the UK have advised customers not to travel due to widespread disruption following the storm.
Meanwhile, thousands remain without power as the adverse conditions continue.
A rare red weather warning is in place for parts of eastern Scotland for a third day on Saturday, with the country’s First Minister Humza Yousaf to warn: “We have not seen the last of this.”
Mr Yousaf has also posted on X, formerly known as Twitter, to urge people to heed the red weather warning and evacuate if instructed.
It comes as an amber warning for rain, meaning “extensive flooding to homes and businesses is possible”, is in place for parts of northeast Scotland covering Aberdeen and Cromarty.
The red warning is in place until 6pm.
Read more: Full list of warnings – follow live storm updates
Meanwhile, the Environment Agency has issued three severe “risk to life” flood warnings around the River Derwent in Derbyshire.
They are the highest level of warning and are in place at Derby City Water Treatment Works, Little Chester, Eastgate and Cattle Market, as well as Racecourse Park at Chaddesden.
There were 282 flood warnings, meaning flooding is expected, and 220 flood alerts, meaning flooding is possible, across England as of 12 noon on Saturday.
The fourth severe flood warning has been issued for the River Severn at the village of Llandrinio, nearly Welshpool, in northern wales.
It also covers isolated properties in the Severn-Vyrnwy confluence area including Hendre Lane, Haughton and Haimwood.
Wales had eight further flood warnings in place as well as 14 flood alerts as of 12 noon on Saturday.
In the northeast of England a yellow weather warning for wind, meaning there was a small chance of fast-flowing or deep floodwater, was in place until midday.
Train operators urge people not to travel
It comes as London North Eastern Railway (LNER), Avanti West Coast and Northern Rail have all warned against travelling as lines are widely flooded.
LNER has said there is “an extremely limited service” in place due to flooding between Doncaster and Wakefield.
The service has also been impacted by speed restrictions in Scotland and trains and crews being out of position after extensive disruption on Friday.
There are no LNER services north of Edinburgh on Saturday and rail replacement services are not available because of road closures.
The train operator said remaining services may be subject to short-notice cancellations.
Northern Rail said all lines between Cheadle Hulme and Wilmslow are blocked due to damage to the overhead electric wires.
Services are also not able to run from Sheffield to Nottingham or Lincoln due to flooding.
Trains are also unable to travel between Leeds and Doncaster, Harrogate and Bradford.
The line between Newcastle and Morpeth is also closed due to viaduct damage, Northern Rail added.
Avanti West Coast has said its services are also severely disrupted and it has asked customers to not travel between Crewe and North Wales and that people should only travel between Preston and Glasgow or Edinburgh if absolutely necessary.
Thousands still without power
The Energy Networks Association said around 100,000 customers had been affected by power cuts due to Storm Babet but as of Saturday morning 96% had been reconnected, leaving 4,000 still without power.
Around 55,000 people were left without power on Friday as a result of the storm.
Some 45,000 people were reconnected to the grid as of the evening, the Energy Networks Association said.
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River turns into raging torrent as Storm Babet hits.
Babet leaves three people dead
A man in his 60s died after getting caught in fast-flowing flood water in the town of Cleobury Mortimer in Shropshire on Friday.
Police Scotland previously said a falling tree hit a van near Forfar in Angus on Thursday evening, killing the 56-year-old driver.
A 57-year-old woman also died on Thursday after being swept into a river in Angus.
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Residents in tears as severe floods hit Brechin
The council in Angus said it was in uncharted territory dealing with “extreme and really challenging conditions” on Friday – with people rescued from 60 homes in and around Brechin.
The village of Edzell was completely cut off with no emergency access except via helicopter, the council said.
Meanwhile, a major search was under way following reports of a man trapped in a vehicle in floodwater in Aberdeenshire.
Police Scotland said the alarm was raised at 3am on Friday near the village of Marykirk.
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Plane skids off runway at Leeds Bradford Airport
It comes as the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA) warned a second major river could breach in the country on Saturday.
Aberdeenshire Council has said the latest SEPA modelling indicates a considerable risk of flooding on the River Don at Inverurie, Kemnay and Kintore between 10am and 2pm.
Hundreds of homes in Scotland have already been flooded after the River South Esk breached its banks
Leeds Bradford Airport has said it is “working hard to reopen” at 2pm today and has urged people not to travel to the terminal before that point. The airport closed on Friday after high winds forced a passenger plane to skid off a runway.
Tui customers who were due to travel from Leeds Bradford on Saturday are being directed to Manchester Airport, the airline has said.
Owning a classic car is a sensory experience.
Purists say it’s the feel of the leather, the smell of the fuel, the growl of the engine that brings a classic car to life.
But on an industrial estate in Newtown, mid-Wales, that growl is silenced.
Three Ferrari Testa Rossas, a Maserati Ghibli and a Land Rover are all getting their old engines ripped out and electric motors put in.
At this workshop, or “toyshop” as the owner, Richard Morgan, calls it, they’re bringing vintage vehicles into the 21st century.
“We’re future-proofing classic cars to be able to be used regularly.”
There’s a clear production line, with cars getting their engines gutted by the door and then moving into a fabrication area.
Here, bespoke motors are built.
Apart from the engine, nothing in the original car is changed.
Instead, a team of fabricators play Tetris with batteries, motors and wires, building bespoke engines for every vehicle.
They weld boxes and supports to fit the new electric engine around the car, then bolt them into place.
But it’s not just the classic car that is upcycled.
Around 40% of the batteries put into the classics are recycled from other, usually crashed, electric cars.
They’ve used so many, they say they’ve exhausted the UK supply of second-hand EV batteries.
But for Richard, the founder of Electric Classic Cars, it’s not actually about saving the planet.
“It’s about being able to have the confidence to get into a classic car, and use it as a daily driver.
“When I started doing this years ago, the reaction was, ‘Oh my God, I can’t believe you’d do that to a classic car. You’ve ruined it, you’ve taken out the soul.’
“But as time goes on, and more and more people are driving electric cars, they’re starting to get it.
“They’re starting to understand, ‘Oh, it’s got a bit of poke. It’s quite nice to drive around in a nice, quiet, smooth car’.”
He sees it like modernising a home – and the cost of fitting one of these motors could pay for a house deposit.
It can range between £20,000 and £120,000 to have your old engine replaced by Richard’s team.
“It’s not done because it’s going to save you money. It’s done because you want to future-proof the classic car for future generations.
“If you live in a really old house, you don’t have your original coal fireplace, you put a modern central heating system in, or you put in double-glazing or a sewage system.
“It’s like that for me. You’re improving the internals to make it more enjoyable and easier to live with on a day-to-day basis.”
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Many petrolheads in the classic car community remain unconvinced, including Jason Mills, the founder of Vintage Vehicle Restorations over the border in Ludlow.
“Purists would argue that it came out of the factory with that engine,” Mr Mills said, “so to restore it with an electric motor just doesn’t seem right.”
The mechanics here have been restoring vehicles for decades, and although they can see the value in making them cleaner and more reliable, it’s the old engine experience that they love.
“It is the sound, the speed, the noise, the smells,” Mr Mills said.
Purists aside, future-proofing these old classics could keep them on the roads for longer – a reliable, clean and extremely indulgent ride.
Two women have died following a five-vehicle collision on the M4.
Emergency services were called to the eastbound carriageway between junction 17 for Chippenham and junction 18 for Bath at about 9.10am on Friday.
Four cars and an HGV were involved in the pile-up, and two women who were travelling in one of the vehicles were pronounced dead at the scene.
Wiltshire Police said specialist officers have informed their next of kin.
Two other people involved in the collision suffered minor injuries and were treated by paramedics at the scene.
The M4 was fully closed at junction 18 eastbound and junction 17 westbound to allow emergency services to carry out recovery and investigative work.
One lane on the westbound carriageway has since reopened.
Read more on Sky News
Plane skids off runway while landing at Leeds Bradford Airport
Police watchdog to investigate Met over arrest of boy with water pistol
Acting Inspector Will Ayres, of Wiltshire’s roads policing unit, said: “Due to the seriousness of the collision and the vehicles involved, the recovery work and investigation at the scene is likely to take a significant time and therefore the eastbound side of the motorway will remain closed well in to this evening.
“We have opened one lane of the westbound carriageway, however there are currently a number of emergency service vehicles still occupying that carriageway. Once these are cleared we will fully reopen this side of the motorway.”
A students’ union has banned blue shirts and chinos after “behaviour concerns”.
Cardiff University Students’ Union said it would always support students to “have fun in a safe manner” at its venue.
The union said the clothing restrictions would be temporary and were not aimed at a specific group.
It said the policy was introduced in direct response to a specific recent incident, without providing any details.
The effectiveness of safety measures is regularly reviewed, according to the union.
A spokesperson said that, as the not-for-profit venue was owned by a registered charity, it invested in initiatives “that go above and beyond industry standards”.
“The students’ union is proud to run the most popular student entertainment programme in Wales, with over 8,000 visitors to the venues each week,” they added.
“It is our established practice to proactively respond to behaviour concerns so we can ensure that our events are safe, accessible and comfortable.”
Read more from Sky News:
Man killed after being caught up in Storm Babet floodwater
Plane skids off runway while landing at UK airport
The spokesperson added that changes to safety measures were regularly communicated to its student population, and they thanked students for their support.
Detectives are offering a reward of up to £20,000 for help to trace the killer of a man whose body was discovered in the freezer of a derelict pub.
The remains of Roy Bigg were found in the basement of the former Simpson’s Wine Bar in Forest Gate, east London, on 15 October 2021.
Police were called after builders working at the property made the gruesome discovery.
Mr Bigg went missing in February 2012 and is believed to have been aged 70 when he died.
His body is thought to have been in the freezer for several years, the Metropolitan Police said on Friday.
A post-mortem examination found the cause of death to be inconclusive, with Mr Bigg’s remains identified using his dental records.
The force has made a fresh appeal for information and offered the reward for information leading to the arrest, charge and prosecution of Mr Bigg’s killers.
Detective Chief Inspector Kelly Allen, of the Metropolitan Police’s Specialist Crime Command, asked anyone who knew Mr Bigg to come forward.
Read more:
Bag of remains found in river contained skull with 27 ‘deep’ lacerations
Husband charged with murder of wife after remains found buried under home
“It’s been more than two years since Roy was found,” DCI Allen said.
“Although our investigation and previous media appeals have provided us with information about Roy’s life, we still need your help to identify who is responsible.
“Roy went missing in February 2012. We believe that his body may have been in the freezer for a number of years, and that he was aged 70 when he died.”
To date, there have been “no confirmed sightings” during the nine-year period between 2012 and 2021, DCI Allen added.
“Anything you can tell us may prove invaluable in helping us discover what happened,” she said.
A surprise double by-election win for Labour that overturns records, sees two of the safest Tory seats in the country turn red and cut the Tory vote cut in half. Whatever Conservative ministers say, this matters.
The Tamworth by-election defeat is the second biggest Tory to Labour swing since 1945, and setting a record by overturning the 66% Tory majority at the last election. To put it another way, no governing party has lost a seat as safe as Tamworth.
Mid Bedfordshire, which some Tories hoped would remain in their hands at the start of the evening, went red because of – rather than in spite of – the Liberal Democrats.
Follow live: Terrible night for Tories as Starmer says Labour is ‘redrawing the political map’
What could have been a low point for tactical voting ended with Lib Dems claiming partial credit for Labour taking control of Nadine Dorries’s seat, to the gnashing of Labour teeth.
While true that by-elections are no automatic proxy for general elections, hearing a parade of Tory frontbenchers hiding behind this epithet still does mean the Conservative Party has many places to hide.
If the 20 percentage point swings to Labour seen in four recent by-elections were repeated in a national poll next year – admittedly imperfect but nevertheless useful proxy – that would mean a comfortable Labour majority for Sir Keir Starmer.
Tory MPs with 10,000 and 15,000 majorities – which would usually be considered safe – now will be worrying whether they have a sufficient buffer to withstand any Labour tidal wave. Jitters divide parties at a time when they need to be united.
Yet the message from the government is that the response to this by-election to carry on with the existing plan.
Maria Caufield, a Tory frontbencher, suggested that Rishi Sunak should be credited having previously already showed an appetite for change – albeit that was revealed at a chaotic Tory conference and appears to have fail to move the dial with voters in this byelection. She also played down the big Tory to Labour swings as “statistical”.
It is true the number of Labour votes received in Mid Beds was down a fraction on the 2019 general election – a point clung on to by a succession of – this argument ignores that the Conservative vote was a quarter of what it was. There is no easy way for the Tories to spin their way out of this beyond the opening bluster.
Meanwhile Andrew Bowie, a Scottish minister, said that while it’s important to listen “what is clear is that they do agree with our priorities” and “supporting what we are doing” but “they are not prepared to vote for us at the moment”.
When I asked if he thought the Tories were doing everything right, he replied: “Obviously there’s always room for improvement but we are absolutely determined we are on the right course.”
This suggests a government that speaks the language of listening without any intention of action.
Perhaps it is too difficult for the Tories to upend the plan at this point.
Mr Sunak has already done one reset this autumn – changing policies, cabinet members and the team in Number 10 and so far there is little sign it is paying off.
There are enough things already in the agenda to have to cope with: the plan is coming together for next month’s King’s Speech with legislation which has little parliamentary time to pass, followed by an autumn statement which may unveil a mega fiscal black hole.
The final roll of the dice is a possible reshuffle later in the year if Sunak thinks he is stronger than he was at the start of September.
This is enough change on the cards; inside Number 10 they likely do not think there is much need for any further revolution.
The question is how the wider Conservative movement now responds to the dreadful response.
The party conference in September suggested a membership already looking around for alternatives, and some MPs wanting to show they’re listening.
Will this mean restless Tory MPs, pushing for yet more bolder, more distinctive policies – often ideas that appease factions on the right of the party.
Or will it mean a rush for the exit in the new year – more Tory MPs sniffing the wind and deciding not to stand again.
Mr Sunak will try and shrug off wider discontent, but the question is whether he’s strong enough to do this successfully.
The unwelcome message the results send will be heard far and wide across the Conservative movement, meaning it is hard to predict what will happen next.
Police have arrested more than 1,600 suspects across the country in a blitz on county lines drug dealers.
For a week investigators targeted city gangs who exploit vulnerable youngsters to distribute drugs in towns and villages.
Police said they had shut down 250 county lines – the mobile telephone links gangs use to order and deliver their drugs to more rural areas.
Officers seized £1.2m worth of class A drugs, more than a million pounds in cash, 100 kilos of cannabis and 458 weapons, including 33 guns, 377 knives, three crossbows, 21 batons and 28 knuckle dusters.
In the wave of raids across England and Wales last week 710 people, including 58 children, were referred for safeguarding support as victims of exploitation.
Notoriously, county lines gangs pay youngsters to act as drugs runners and coerce other vulnerable people into storing drugs in their homes.
Commander Paul Brogden, of the National Police Chiefs’ Council, said: “County lines drug dealing destroys lives, and we are committed to tackling the supply of illegal drugs, and the exploitation and violence that is frequently associated with it.
“Our message is clear to anyone running county lines across the country – we will be relentless in our pursuit of you, we will shut down your county lines, we will take drugs off our streets, and we will rescue those who are being exploited by you.”
In a series of operations against county lines gangs since 2019, the Home Office said police have closed 4,755 lines, arrested 14,887 suspects and referred 7,267 children and other vulnerable people for safeguarding.
Home Secretary Suella Braverman, who joined West Midlands Police on raids earlier this month, said: “Vile thugs running county lines drug gangs blight our communities and groom the most vulnerable in society for their personal gain.
Read more:
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“Our police officers are working every day to break up these criminal networks pushing illegal drugs on our streets, and since April 2022 they have shut down over 1,700 county lines through the County Lines Programme.
“My message is clear. We will not tolerate illegal drugs of any kind, and we must rid our communities of these criminals.”
The number of British people killed as a result of the Hamas attack on Israel has risen to nine, Rishi Sunak’s spokesperson has said.
A further seven remain missing after the incursion from Gaza into Israel on 7 October, the spokesperson added.
Until Wednesday, authorities said seven British nationals had been confirmed killed, with nine missing.
Middle East enters ‘dangerous moment’ – follow live conflict updates
“We can now confirm that at least nine British nationals were tragically killed,” the prime minister’s spokesperson told reporters on Thursday.
“A further seven British nationals are missing, some of whom are feared to be among the dead or kidnapped.”
Among the British nationals killed so far are a teenager, a soldier, people visiting Israel on holiday and a music festival security guard.
In other developments in the Israel-Hamas war:
• Humanitarian aid being readied for opening of Rafah crossing from Egypt to Gaza
• World Health Organisation says five aid lorries are ‘loaded and ready to go’
• Israel’s defence minister tells troops: ‘You will soon see Gaza from inside’
• Air raid sirens heard on Israel’s border with Lebanon
Yahel Sharabi, 13, and her mother, Lianne, were two of the British nationals killed during Hamas‘s attack.
She disappeared from Be’eri kibbutz after it was raided and was confirmed to be dead on 17 October. Lianne was also killed in the attack on the kibbutz.
Yahel’s sister Noiya Sharabi, 16, and their father, Eli Sharabi, were also kidnapped and are still missing.
Photographer Danny Darlington, who was originally from the UK but was living in Germany and on a visit to Israel, was killed in Nir Oz kibbutz.
Other British nationals killed include 20-year-old Nathanel Young, who was serving in the Israel Defence Forces (IDF), festival security guard Jake Marlowe, 26, and Bernard Cowan, who was originally from Glasgow.
Sunak visits Israel
Rishi Sunak made a visit to Israel on Thursday, where he held talks with the country’s prime minister and president.
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‘The UK stands with you’ – Rishi Sunak
Speaking as he arrived at an airport near Tel Aviv, he said: “I’m here to express my solidarity with the Israeli people.
“You have suffered an unspeakable, horrific act of terrorism and I want you to know that the United Kingdom, and I, stand with you.”
Mr Sunak met Israeli President Isaac Herzog and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
After their meeting, Mr Netanyahu thanked Mr Sunak for his support, while Mr Sunak said he was “proud” to stand with Israel in its “darkest hour”.
He also welcomed the opening of a humanitarian corridor into Gaza.
Gaza under siege
Gaza is under siege and has been bombarded with airstrikes after Hamas militants launched the surprise attack on 7 October.
Hamas fighters captured 203 hostages and brought them back to Gaza as part of the attack. Israel said 1,400 of its citizens were killed in the weekend raid.
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Israeli airstrike hits Gaza mosque
The Gaza health ministry said at least 3,785 people have been killed in Gaza since the latest war began, the majority of them women, children and older adults. Nearly 12,500 others have been injured.
Mr Sunak’s visit comes following the explosion at the al Ahli hospital in Gaza City, where hundreds of Palestinians had taken refuge following the outbreak of the conflict.
Read more:
Who are the British victims of the Israel-Hamas war?
Rishi Sunak says to Israel: ‘The UK stands with you’
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Hamas officials claimed the hospital blast killed hundreds of people and was caused by an Israeli airstrike – but the Israeli military blamed a misfiring rocket from the Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) group and released imagery and communications intercepts to support their case.
US President Joe Biden visited the region this week. He also spoke to Mr Netanyahu.
Mr Biden had been set to meet Palestinian, Jordanian and Egyptian leaders, but the summit was scrapped following the explosion at the hospital.
All residents have been told to leave the town of Brechin in Angus due to flooding from Storm Babet.
A severe flood warning is set to be put in place for the Brechin River and South Esk area, Angus Council has said.
Those in the affected areas should leave their homes.
The council will be going door to door shortly.
It comes as severe weather warnings are in place in parts of England, Scotland and Northern Ireland as Storm Babet sweeps the UK.
Live: The latest Storm Babel news
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