Organised criminal gangs are increasingly using rented houses and flats to operate illegal cannabis farms – and police say it is putting the lives of innocent neighbours at risk.

FBI Director Kash Patel said: “Our agents and local law enforcement are on the scene already, and we will share updates as more information becomes available”.

Two Scottish nationals were shot dead outside Monaghans bar in Fuengirola, Costa del Sol, with a man and a woman reported as victims.

Two Israeli embassy staffers, a young couple on the verge of getting engaged, were shot dead in Washington, DC on Wednesday night.

The proposed sentencing policy review could lead to sex offenders undergoing chemical castration, with widespread early release for certain inmates after serving only a third of their sentences.

Lucy Connolly’s appeal against a 31-month prison sentence for inciting racial hatred through an inflammatory social media post was denied, with the court finding no basis for reducing her sentence.