Author: News Desk

Sectioned patients to avoid being locked in cells in overhaul of mental health system Sign up for our free Health Check email to receive exclusive analysis on the week in healthGet our free Health Check emailPatients sectioned under the Mental Health Act will have more dignity and a say over their care under proposed reforms to what has been described as an “outdated” system.Among the changes as part of the Mental Health Bill, which will come before parliament on Wednesday, police cells and prison cells will no longer be used for people experiencing a mental health crisis, with patients instead…

The polls have officially started to open across the US and voting has begun. Nearly 75 million Americans chose to vote early this election – but today many millions more will cast their ballots for either Kamala Harris or Donald Trump.

The crowd at Trump’s official watch party has just erupted after Fox News projected Donald Trump will win the US presidency. No other US network has made the same projection, including our partners at CBS News.

At least 36 die after bus falls into a gorge in India At least 36 people have died and 27 others injured after a bus plunged into a 50-meter-deep gorge in Uttarakhand’s Almora district. The accident occurred early on Monday morning in the town of Marchula, when the driver lost control of the bus, which was en route to Ramnagar district.  The bus was carrying 44 passengers, and images from the scene showed the vehicle overturned at the bottom of a hill, with several passengers reported dead at the site. Rescue teams have been working to transport the injured to…

Protests in Israel after Netanyahu fires defence minister Protests have broken out in Israel following Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s decision to fire Defence Minister Yoav Gallant. Netanyahu cited a “crisis of trust” between the two leaders as the reason for the dismissal, saying his confidence in Gallant had eroded over recent months. Foreign Minister Israel Katz will take over Gallant’s duties temporarily. Gallant, who had been at odds with Netanyahu on several key issues, suggested his removal was due to disagreements over Israel’s approach to the Gaza conflict, including his belief that painful concessions could help secure the release of…

Kamala Harris will not speak tonight it has been confirmed, as the crowd has now left Harris HQ. The mood amongst Democrats is low as two swing states have been called for Trump – with most people leaving soon after. The night had been like a party just a few hours earlier. The crowd has all but disappeared here at Harris HQ after it was just announced by a senior member of the campaign that Harris will not be appearing tonight.

US election 2024 live – Key updates so far  It’s after 1:00 in the eastern US with all polls closed and results flying in. Here’s a recap of whats happened overnight:

All polls have now closed – the last to do so were in Alaska and Hawaii. The current projections have Republican Donald Trump on 246 electoral college votes and Democrat Kamala Harris on 187. A candidate needs 270 to win the White House. So far, two swing states have been projected – North Carolina and Georgia – and both have gone to Trump. There are five more battlegrounds still to be called, though early projections suggest Trump is ahead in all of them.

Republicans to take control of the Senate – projection The Republican Party is set to take control of the Senate, according to a projection from the BBC’s US partner CBS. There are still lots of races being counted, but it looks clear that the Democrats will lose their effective majority of just one.

Florida abortion rights measure fails A proposal to restore abortion rights in Florida is expected to fail, marking a significant setback for efforts to expand local protections for abortion access. The amendment, which sought to allow abortion up to 24 weeks or fetal viability, needed 60% voter support to pass but is currently projected to secure only 57%, with 95% of votes reported. The measure was a direct challenge to Florida’s recently enacted law banning abortion after six weeks, with limited exceptions. Campaigners had pushed for the amendment as a way to counter this restriction, but it faced strong opposition,…