Something is bobbing in the distance in the deep blue of the Mediterranean Sea. From the windows of this tiny plane, soaring high above the water, it is almost indistinguishable.
The aircraft tilts sharply and zooms closer, as the crew hold their binoculars to the glass. It comes into view: it is a small, blue wooden boat packed with around 25 people, including women and children. Few have life jackets.
They are making a perilous attempt to reach Italy from Libya, travelling along the deadliest known migration route in the world.
All the supermarket staples having import tariffs removed
The Chancellor will soon cut tariffs among other cuts to give families “breathing space”.
Budget announcements
Making higher tax-free mileage rates permanent and removing import taxes on some food items are among the measures being announced ahead of Wednesday’s Budget.
The announcements are part of Chancellor John Healey’s pledge to give families what he is calling “breathing space” with the cost of living.
Which foods will have their tariffs cut?
Citrus jams, marmalades and pastes (20% + £19 per 100kg)
Cough drops, boiled sweets, toffees and caramels (8%)
Baked beans (16%)
Other measures announced
- A 55p per mile tax-free mileage rate for those driving up to 10,000 miles for work, with the rate rising from 25p per mile
- Allowing carers to earn more than an existing earnings limit without losing their entire allowance
- Giving two weeks of paternity pay to self-employed fathers
- Rolling out hundreds of additional Post Office drop boxes to make sending parcels easier
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A minimum wage rise
Healey will also announce the new National Minimum Wage for 18 to 20-year-olds on Wednesday as well as the National Living Wage for those aged 21 and over.
has reported that the National Minimum Wage is likely to rise by 3.9% from £10.85 an hour to around £11.27.
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Why Putin will welcome Trump’s post-midterms mayhem
Even while Vladimir Putin does what he can to help Donald Trump salvage something from this month’s midterm elections, the Russian President is working on the assumption that the Republicans will lose badly.
The Kremlin’s goal
The Kremlin’s goal is to see the West paralysed by internal division and dispute, and it sees a humiliated Trump as a disruptive one.
Mired in a badly conceived and legally questionable war in the Gulf, with petrol and other prices rising and his erratic personal style increasingly counting against him, Trump has looked to Moscow for help.
Putin’s token efforts to aid Trump
- 1Trump’s deal to buy Russian diesel gave Putin the opportunity to pit Kyiv against the White House.
- 2Last week, Putin also freed Stephen Hubbard, a 74-year-old US citizen who had been given seven years in prison on charges of being a mercenary fighting for Ukraine.
- 3The Kremlin has also made much of the fact that a ceasefire it has agreed with Kyiv to allow residents of the beleaguered town of Oleshky to receive aid or simply flee the fighting, was driven by the First Lady, Melania.
Why Russia doesn’t care about Trump’s losses
Russians themselves have long regarded Trump as periodically useful, but never reliable.
“We’ve always known that [Trump] was self-indulgent and self-destructive,” a Russian political commentator told The i Paper. “The only question was when he was going to sink his own ship.”
- Moscow has had to see its Venezuelan client toppled and seen European countries ramp up their defence spending at Trump’s behest.
- Trump may press for a peace process as a last chance to secure his legacy and the Nobel Peace Prize.
Channel 4 to bring its shows to Disney+ – what we know
Channel 4 and the Walt Disney Company have struck a deal that will bring the British broadcaster’s shows to Disney+ in the UK and Ireland next year.
What you need to know
The agreement includes multiple Channel 4 shows being made available on-demand each year on Disney+, at the same time as their release on the station.
These include drama starring Bella Ramsey, comedy featuring Denise Welch, and reality show Celebrity SAS: Who Dares Wins – along with Channel 4’s main TV channel and additional on-demand content.
How will it work?
When can you watch?
From 2027, Disney+ customers will be able to watch Channel 4’s linear HD channel, plus scripted and unscripted content at no extra cost.
What will be featured?
Channel 4 shows available “day and date” on Disney+, and access to new Channel 4 shows each year.
Where can you find it?
There will be a dedicated Channel 4-branded section intergrated into Disney +.
The key detail Spotify is asking family plan users to prove
Spotify has outlined a new verification process for family plan users to prove they live in the same household.
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The process
What has changed?
Spotify will now ask family plan users to verify their address using a QR code.
How will it work?
The plan manager opens the QR code which needs to be scanned. All users on the plan need to be in the same place to scan.
What if you don’t?
If verification isn’t completed in seven days, the member can’t join a different Family or Duo plan for 12 months.
As part of our ongoing efforts to improve the quality and value of Premium we implement measures to ensure appropriate use of Spotify accounts. This includes reviewing Household Plans to ensure they are used only by primary account holders and those living at the same address, as stated in our terms and conditions.
a spotify spokesperson told sky news
Everything you need to know about Israel’s election
Today, Israel is due to hold its first elections since the 7 October Hamas attacks in 2023.
What you need to know
Many Israelis have described the upcoming election as the most important one in their country’s history.
Polls show current Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu trailing in the race behind his main challenger, former military chief Gadi Eisenkot.
However, it may take weeks or months before it’s clear who will be designated the winner.
More about the key players
Netanyahu has led Israel for 19 of the last 30 years at the head of a far-right coalition. He is currently on trial for corruption, so losing power could risk jail time for him.
Gadi Eisenkot is the former head of the Israeli military. He’s positioned himself as the opposite of Netanyahu, naming his party Yashar, or “Honesty”.
What are the polls saying?
Netanyahu in decline
Most polls show Netanyahu’s Likud and his current coalition parters losing their majority.
Anti-Netanyahu majority
Polls also show a clear anti-Netanyahu majority, but opposition seats are divided.
Palestine parties
Palestinian politicians have indicated they might support a minority government to unseat Netanyahu.
Voters disenfranchised
In the occupied West Bank, more than 500,000 Israeli settlers can vote.
In occupied East Jerusalem more than 230,000 Israelis with voting rights live among 350,000 Palestinians who cannot vote.
Two million Palestinians in Gaza, who live under Israeli military occupation, according to the international court of justice, also have no vote.
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What the result could mean
Neither Netanyahu nor Eisenkot supports the establishment of a Palestinian state in the foreseeable future. Their most significant differences concern democratic institutions, the West Bank and Israel’s relationship with the rest of the world.
- Netanyahu has governed with ultra-Orthodox parties that support settlement expansion in the West Bank. Eisenkot presents himself as a more pragmatic alternative. He has also taken a tougher position against violence by Israeli settlers.
Why Jimmy Carr thinks comedy should be taught in school
Stand up comedian Jimmy Carr has said comedy should be taught in schools.
Here is everything we know.
Comedy is a ‘teachable skill’
54-year-old Carr is known for hosting 8 Out Of 10 Cats and as well as performing his own stand-up comedy shows.
Carr said he thinks no one is born funny and that comedy is a “teachable skill” that can help young people find their “authentic voice”.
Comedy is a ‘valuable skill’
Speaking on the podcast, he said: “I think comedy should be taught in schools, well drama more generally, but comedy specifically.
“It is a teachable skill. Is it an innate ability? Are you born funny? I don’t think so.
He added: “You will write down and order your thoughts. You’ll learn to communicate them and you will speak in your own authentic voice.
“It’s a valuable skill to learn.”
How to be more grateful for daily life in five easy steps
The world feels like a difficult place at the moment, and it can feel very hard sometimes to find things to be thankful for; when we are overwhelmed, we have less capacity to notice and reflect on the good things. Yet, ironically, proactively cultivating gratitude is one of the things that can actually help us feel less stressed.
NHS GP dR RADHA
The science
Research has shown that feeling or expressing thanks can actually alter our brain.
- The balance of neurotransmitters change; more serotonin and dopamine (feel good chemicals) are produced.
- This can be long lasting if we make gratitude a regular habit.
- We also get a decrease in our cortisol (stress hormone) levels which helps lower anxiety.
- Being grateful can strengthen the nerve pathways which triggers positive emotion.
How can we build gratitude?
Change your words
Instead of seeing something as a problem, try to see the opportunities within it.
Our brains are very receptive and what we read or write can alter our emotional system.
Express it
This will not only make you feel good, but you will also get a positive response from others.
How can we build gratitude?
Notice more
Throughout your day, try to notice all the things that are going well; has someone opened a door for you, or smiled?
The basics
By being thankful for the small things every day, we are far more likely to be and stay healthy so that we can enjoy them.
What to do
Gratitude can lead to feelings of optimism, lower our blood pressure, and improve sleep quality.
- Write down what potential good aspects there are to the things you don’t feel like doing, or even what could be worse about it.
- Spend a few minutes writing down three things that you are looking forward to that day, or the good things that have happened to you that day.
- Say thank you to yourself for the things you have achieved, or managed to get through and changed that day.
Sales of battery
electric vehicles hit a record high last year.
Starts at £22,995 for the smaller battery
Available with either a 40kWh battery or a larger 52kWh pack, that offers almost 255 miles, the latest, retro-inspired Renault 5 is both a joy to behold and a hoot to drive.
The interior has been lavished with a level of detail that’s typically reserved for more expensive cars.
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A champion of EV efficiency
It offers a remarkable 491 mile range on a single charge from the 85kWh battery.
It is a technological masterclass inside with the ability to option screens that span the entire width of the dashboard, including an optional display for the front passenger.
Priced from £37,400
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It’s a lot of money to part with, but this is arguably all the car you will ever need.
The £89,000 Macan is a premium SUV that somehow manages to blend Porsche’s reputation for dynamics and sporty driving with everyday practicality.
The 95kWh batteries can go from 10 to 80 per cent in as little as 21 minutes from the fastest public charging outlets.
With the business class-style six seat configuration costing a staggering £76,995, it is by far the most expensive Kia ever made, but it backs up its financial demands with a suite of genuinely useful and impressive onboard technology.
It’s fast, goes a long way between stops and charges relatively quickly but the interior is bland, the onboard technology is infuriating and the experience is devoid of emotion.
All of its gadgetry can’t disguise the fact that performance is weak, even for a typically zippy EV, the ride is fussy at slower speeds and it’s not in the least bit enjoyable to drive on a country road.
- While good value (prices start at £17,935) for the 200-mile max range, there are more interesting options from Hyundai, Citroen and Renault for similar money.
- It attempts to wow with tech, much of which hinders, rather than helps.
- There’s no tangible benefit over mounting your phone to the dash.
- Simply an average driving experience, adequate range and slow charging speeds.
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I am on board the Albatross, a humanitarian monitoring plane that patrols the Mediterranean, looking for small boats and documenting the actions of the Libyan coastguard as it tries to turn them back.
Last year, this irregular migration route was the most active into the EU, peaking at 150,000 arrivals in 2023. But in the first nine months of this year, the number of arrivals has fallen to 22,500, a 56 per cent drop on the same point in 2025. Deaths along the route have, however, risen.
The Albatross is key to working out why, shedding rare light on the murky world of Mediterranean people smuggling.
The plane is the size of a small car and can fit just four people on board. The crew, from humanitarian organisation SOS Méditerranée, remain glued to the windows for around five hours at a time, documenting what they find with a long-lens camera.
It sets off from the Italian island of Lampedusa, which has one of the highest rates of small boat arrivals anywhere in Europe, nearly every day of the week.
The small blue boat the crew has spotted is overcrowded and unstable. If it is not rescued, there is a serious risk it will capsize or drift, leaving its passengers stranded and starving.
Over the plane’s radio, the crew make a mayday call to alert the Italian and Maltese coastguard of the boat’s location: around five hours from the coast, at its current speed. There is no response. They call in again, but are ignored. They make the difficult decision to fly on; now they have notified the authorities, there is little they can do, and their presence can alarm the passengers.
The migrants on board have already turned off the engine, perhaps out of fear, perhaps because they believe the plane belongs to authorities who may try to identify who is driving the boat and prosecute them for smuggling – though humanitarians say this is usually just a migrant who has been offered a cheaper fare.
During the patrol, the crew spots five empty boats, mostly deflated rubber dinghies that float along the water. It is a sign they have been rescued or shipwrecked, but there is no way to know which.
Sometimes, they find corpses. Although tiny, they are easy to identify; the fluids released by the decaying body make a ring of lighter-coloured water around it.
The crew shows me a photograph of a body found last month; a man, fully clothed, floating face down in the water, his legs beginning to discolour. He is one of nearly 27,000 people who have died or disappeared in the past 12 years while trying to reach Europe via this route, with at least 996 believed dead so far this year alone.
The Albatross frequently witnesses Libyan coastguard vessels intercepting small boats to take back to Libya, something widely believed to be illegal under international law. The UN’s 1951 Refugee Convention makes it clear that a refugee should not be returned to a country where they face serious threats to their life or freedom, which Libya – accused of “systematic” abuse of migrants – is likely to constitute.
The rising pace of these pushbacks is believed to be a key reason behind the drop in successful arrivals to Italy this year, along with controversial, hardline border policies from prime minister Giorgia Meloni such as offshore migrant processing centres.
The pushbacks are often “very violent”, says Albatross tactical coordinator San Trouvé, with Libyan vessels ramming into boats to stop them. Recently, the crew watched as the coastguard rammed one boat so forcefully that a migrant fell into the water.
They have also seen the Libyan coastguard beating migrants, and shooting at both small boats and humanitarians, the crew says. Last year, a Libyan coastguard boat opened fire in international waters on SOS Méditerranée’s search-and-rescue vessel, the , from which The i Paper has previously reported. It shot at the ship for 20 minutes, breaking windows, damaging its assistance boats and floatation devices. Those on board feared for their lives.
In an unnerving twist, this very Libyan coastguard boat appears below us during the patrol flight. The crew photograph it through the window before hiking the plane upwards to stay out of the range of any weapons it may have on board.
“We have been witnessing an increase of this violence,” says Trouvé, who joined the organisation after working as a nurse. “The amount of Libyan assets that are now in the vicinity, paid by the European Union with some vessels donated by Italy, are more and more present and using more and more intimidation, shadowing [search-and-rescue] vessels assets, and opening fire.”
During her time in the Mediterranean, both on the Albatross and , Trouvé has met hundreds of people trying to cross to Europe. There is a perception that all migrants are young men, but she regularly sees women, children and babies too.
Many are fleeing conflict or extreme poverty. Some had been tricked into false employment, others had “no clue that they’re going to be forced onto a boat and departing to Europe”.
“Everyone has their own reasons for leaving,” she says. “What I could tell from the people I met is that most of them had really no choice.”
The Albatross is flown by a volunteer pilot from the Humanitarian Pilot Initiative. On my patrol, the pilot is Olivier Wilmart, a retired airline pilot from Belgium. He spent decades flying holidaymakers and businesspeople with Air France and decided that he wanted to use his skillset “for a good cause”.
“I had the chance to do the job of my dreams for my whole life. But I think it’s just fair to be able to give back a little bit of that incredible luck, and I think the best thing you can offer is your time,” he says.
Wilmart has, however, lost friends over his work in the Mediterranean. “We’re not a political organisation, but we’re doing something which is not appreciated by people with far-right views and positions,” he says. “They [believe] that Europe should close the borders, and of course, you cannot do what I do if you believe in that.”
When he first arrived in Lampedusa, Wilmart knew little about migration in the central Mediterranean, “just the news on the TV or on the papers popping out from time to time”.
“I didn’t realise that actually the crossing of the Mediterranean Sea is the end of a very, very long journey for those people,” he says. “When you watch those boats and how overcrowded they are, with women and children and babies on board, it’s really shocking.”
“Nobody is doing that for pleasure, and nobody is willing to leave his native country if they had another choice, that’s for sure,” Wilmart says. “You would do whatever you can to save your family. I think everyone can understand that.”
Wilmart finds it most difficult when he sees a boat get close to Italy before being caught by the Libyan coastguard and returned. He knows all too well what they will face there, with well-documented allegations of torture and abuse inside Libyan detention centres.
“We know that’s the end of hope,” he says. “We know that there’s going to be a hard interception. We know what’s going to happen to those people afterwards, and for me, that’s the most terrible thing to watch.
“To be honest, after some flights you don’t sleep very well, you have nightmares,” he adds. “There are good days and bad days. Some days you’re coming back with a big smile, and other days you’re just crying.”
The crew witnesses “shocking scenes”, but also happy endings, the pilot says. “When we spot a boat and we see that they are rescued either by the NGO ships or by the Italian coastguards, then well, we’re feeling so relieved. Those are the happy days for us.”
Once, Wilmart was shown a drawing a child had done after being rescued and taken to the migrant arrivals centre on Lampedusa. “They had drawn the plane,” he says. “Just talking about it gives me goosebumps.”
It turns out that I’ve joined the patrol on one of the good days. Towards the end of the flight, the crew return to the last location of the small blue boat and find it empty. But its passengers are safe. The ground team confirms that it has been rescued by the Italian coastguard, with its passengers now on their way back to land.
For those 25 people, the perilous journey is nearly over. But thousands of others will never make it to Europe, instead being forced back to detention centres or vanishing into the Mediterranean Sea.