May To Be Handed Keys To Nuclear Red Button

Within hours of becoming Prime Minister, Theresa May will be given a security briefing from the Cabinet Secretary, National Security Adviser and Chief of the Defence Staff.

Having just returned from Buckingham Palace and addressed the nation in Downing Street, this will be the moment that the true enormity of her appointment sinks in.

Tony Blair was said to have turned "quite white" as he sat in Downing Street and listened to the responsibility now on his shoulders.

The three men will bring Mrs May up to speed on the UK's secret military deployments.

Specifically, she will be told the whereabouts of the Royal Navy's on-duty nuclear submarine.

HMS Vigilant

Although normally on patrol somewhere in the North Atlantic, her exact whereabouts is known only by a handful of people.

Even most of the crew on board are unaware.  

The new Prime Minister will then be asked to make probably the gravest decision of her premiership.

A decision that she will never live to witness.  

She must decide how she wants the military to react in the event of nuclear war.

Her instructions will only be acted out if she, and her entire Cabinet, has been wiped out.

Mrs May will be given four options:

1. To retaliate.

2. To do nothing.

3. To place the submarine under the control of an ally - specifically the United States Navy or Royal Australian Navy.

4. To act according to how the Captain deems best.

She will be left alone to consider her options. It won't be easy.

Think about it yourself for a minute. What would you do?

Your first reaction might be to retaliate, to hit back at the aggressor.

Bear in mind though, that by then, the nuclear deterrent would have failed.

It would have failed to do what it was designed to do: deter.

And your posthumous order would mean tens of thousands of innocent people would die.

Gosh, that requires pause for thought.

Once decided, Mrs May will write four handwritten letters.

They will be addressed to the Commanders of the four Vanguard class submarines.

They will be delivered to the boats and locked away.

David Cameron's letters, which were written when he took office, will be burned without being opened.

Unless he decides to tell us, we will never know what his decision was.

Only one Prime Minister has revealed that secret.

James Callaghan told the historian Peter Hennessy: "If we had got to that point, where it was, I felt, necessary to do it, then I would have done it.

"I've had terrible doubts, of course, about this.

"I say to you, if I had lived after having pressed that button, I could never ever have forgiven myself."

It is a decision, like no other.

FBI Gives Up On Solving 1970s Plane Hijacking

The hijacker, who became known as DB Cooper, was never identified

It was a mysterious crime which baffled the FBI: a skyjacking which saw a businessman jump out of a plane with ransom money, never to be seen again.

But nearly 45 years on from the daring heist, investigators are closing the unsolved case for good after failing to identify the criminal who became known as "DB Cooper".

On the night before Thanksgiving in 1971, the hijacker in a business suit told an air hostess on a flight from Portland to Seattle that he was carrying a bomb - and demanded $200,000 in cash and four parachutes.

The plane touched down in Seattle to collect the ransom money, and although all 36 passengers were released, the man ordered the plane's crew to fly towards Mexico.

Under his instruction, the Boeing 727 flew slowly at a height of just 10,000ft - and over Washington state, the hijacker lowered the plane's rear stairs and jumped into the freezing rain.

Nine years later, a boy digging on a beach discovered three bundles of damaged $20 bills worth $6,000 which matched the serial numbers of the cash given to Cooper.

But despite an investigation which became one of the longest and the most exhaustive in the FBI's history, the trail went cold - and the bureau says it's time to focus on other cases.

"Although the FBI appreciated the immense number of tips provided by members of the public, none to date have resulted in a definitive identification of the attacker," officials said in a statement.

Evidence from the case is going to be preserved at the FBI's headquarters, but detectives will only examine further tips if Cooper's parachutes or ransom money are discovered.

There have been countless conspiracy theories about the identity of the hijacker and whether he survived the plunge.

Reports of unexplained wealth have been examined by detectives, with one woman telling the FBI that her late uncle had turned up to Thanksgiving dinner in Oregon - where the ill-fated plane had taken off the day before - with serious injuries.

Deadly Head-On Train Collision In Italy

At least 20 people have been killed after two trains collided head-on in southern Italy, say officials. 

Dozens of other passengers were injured in the crash, near the town of Andria, some are in hospital with serious injuries.

One local official appealed for blood donations and said: "There could still be someone in the wreckage."

The passenger trains collided on a single stretch of track

The four-carriage passenger trains, thought to be mainly carrying commuters, collided in the middle of an olive grove in the Puglia region of Italy, a spokesman for the fire brigade said.

Police said the accident happened on a single stretch of track between the towns of Corato and Andria.

Reports said rescue workers were pulling victims from the wreckage, including a small child who was alive. 

Local police chief Riccardo Zingaro said: "Some of the cars are completely crumpled and the rescuers are extracting people from the metal, many of them injured." 

Rescue workers trying to get inside the badly damaged carriages

The Mayor of Corato, Massimo Mazzilli, said the scene was horrific and the rescue work was ongoing with firefighters, civil protection officials and volunteers.

He said workers had just pulled out a passenger alive and were poised to rescue a second one.

On his Facebook page, he wrote: "It's as disaster, as if an airplane fell. Rescue workers and civil protection is on the scene, but unfortunately there are victims!"

One of the badly damaged carriages badly damaged in the collision

An aerial image showed train carriages derailed and badly damaged by the collision, with debris spread out on either side of the track.

The Italian Prime Minister, Matteo Renzi, said the train crash "is a moment of tears".

Rescue workers have been pulling passengers from the wreckage

He has cut short a visit to Milan in the north of the country following the accident.

"We won't stop until we get a clear explanation over what happened," he told reporters.

Taylor Swift World's Highest Earning Celebrity

Taylor Swift raked in $170m (£131m) last year

Taylor Swift has become the world's highest paid celebrity after raking in $170m (£131m) last year.

The pop star's huge earnings put her ahead of fellow chart-toppers Adele at number nine on the Forbes list with $80.5m, Madonna at 12 with $76.5m, Rihanna at 13 with $75m and Katy Perry at 63 with $41m.

The Shake It Off singer's 1989 World Tour earned more than $200m last year.

One Direction came second after earning $110m which should tide them over while they enjoy a hiatus from making music.

Harry Styles is currently filming Christopher Nolan's new film Dunkirk, while bandmates Louis Tomlinson, Niall Horan and Liam Payne are rumoured to be working on new music.

Swift's ex, the Scottish DJ Calvin Harris, pulled in $63m, according to the list.

Kim Kardashian, who is featured on the cover of the magazine, was 42nd on the list with earnings of $51m.

Some 40% of her income came from her mobile game Kim Kardashian: Hollywood, Forbes said.

Kardashian shared a picture of her cover on Instagram with the caption: "Such a tremendous honour to be on the cover of @forbes! I never dreamed this would happen and know my Dad would be so proud."

She added the hashtag: "#NotBadForAGirlWithNoTalent"

The Six Tasks Facing Theresa May As PM

Theresa May gets the keys to Downing Street on Wednesday - as Jason Farrell takes a look at what's at the top of her to-do list.

:: Brexit Negotiations

"Brexit means Brexit," said Theresa May. But what does Brexit mean?

Leaving the EU, yes, but it is still not clear whether the referendum result will lead to the UK's exit from the single market or a complete end to free movement of people.

It is not even clear what the status will be of UK nationals currently in the EU and vice-versa.

Despite promising to set up a Brexiteer-led team to unpick our EU relationship, Mrs May takes on the mantle of the UK's chief negotiator in Europe who will be at top table discussions with leaders of the other 27 member states.

I asked Mrs May whether we would remain in the single market and perhaps achieve that by offering a deal on free movement? 

"We need to get the best deal in trade and in goods and services," she said.

"Services are hugely important to us in the United Kingdom.

:: 'Humbled' Theresa May To Be PM On Wednesday

"But I am very clear that the Brexit vote was also a message that we need to bring control into free movement. 

"Free movement cannot continue as it has done up till now."

In other words there is no answer yet to either part of the question.

:: Reduce Immigration

Of course, the issue of free movement plays into the immigration question.

There is no doubt it was a turning point in the referendum campaign when, in late May, the Office Of National Statistics figures showed net migration at 333,000; the second highest on record.

Bear in mind that 184,000 of those immigrants came from within the EU and those numbers could be significantly cut by ending free movement, but this alone would not reduce immigration to the tens of thousands.

How will the new PM achieve this? Perhaps the bigger question is whether the UK economy would be damaged by a massive drop in young, enthusiastic foreign workers.

:: Theresa May: 'Unflappable' Vicar's Daughter

Or indeed whether an economy damaged by Brexit will reduce the attraction of coming here anyway.

In return, perhaps Britain will get some of its pensioners back from southern Spain.

:: Repair The Economy

The UK has lost its last AAA rating and the pound has dipped to a 30-year low against the dollar.

Optimists such as Andrea Leadsom see a silver lining to all this. But not George Osborne.

Already, the Chancellor has used the referendum result as a reason to renege on his commitment to take the country into a budget surplus by the end of this Parliament.

The "punishment budget" seems to have gone away, but what will Mrs May's Chancellor do to counter the treasury predictions house prices would be hit, the country would fall into recession and families would be £4,300 poorer by 2030? She was in the camp that warned of this impending disaster now she has to stop it.

:: Unify A Divided Party

The mission to unify the party starts on day one with the appointment of Cabinet.

You might expect prominent Brexiteers such as Michael Gove and Boris Johnson to pick up decent roles, but they could play second fiddle to the Out campaigners who were quicker to back Mrs May's leadership such as Chris Grayling, David Davis or even Liam Fox who has been in backbench exile for a few years.

The party will only unite wholly behind Ms May if she proves her worth in EU negotiations, but her policy on tax, spend and infrastructure projects could also open divisions.

:: Unify A Divided Country

"Make no mistake; the referendum was a vote to leave the European Union. But it was also a vote for serious change," Mrs May told the audience in Birmingham.

Of course, 48% voted to remain and did not want any of the upheaval. Mrs May recognises this rift in the country and in society.

Her speech in Birmingham was rather overshadowed by events when Andrea Leadsom backed out of the leadership race, but it is worth checking back on some interesting points made by the Prime Minster-designate.

:: Theresa May: My Three Key Pledges For The UK

Mrs May acknowledged the economic division between London and the rest of the UK, and all types of inequality in society.

She said: "Right now, if you're born poor, you will die on average nine years earlier than others.

"If you are black, you are treated more harshly by the criminal justice system than if you are white ...

"If you are a woman, you still earn less than a man."

Mrs May says she will tackle corporate pay and tax avoidance and help ordinary workers to get higher pay.

Recognising divisions is one thing - healing them is a big task.

:: Deal With The In Tray Backlog

Infrastructure decisions are building up - and the cranes are waiting to go up. Business leaders are growing impatient.

As well as general commitments to road and house building, the question of HS2 and HS3 hang in the air.

The biggest question though is Heathrow.

Will the Maidenhead MP be willing to accept a bit more noise over her constituency, or will she plump for Gatwick?

Trident renewal also awaits a decision and there is a Junior Doctors dispute to resolve in the NHS.

What is more, Mrs May could face calls for a snap election, a second EU referendum and, perhaps more likely, a second referendum in Scotland.

But these are all things she will be hoping to keep out of the in tray - and that is another job in itself.

Cameron's Last Cabinet As May Picks Top Team

David Cameron is to chair his final Cabinet meeting before stepping down as Prime Minister, as his successor Theresa May decides who she will appoint to the top jobs.

It is bound to be an emotional meeting for Mr Cameron, who had expected to stay in 10 Downing Street until early September, as Cabinet colleagues led by Mrs May pay tribute to him.

He will then face MPs in the regular Wednesday session of Prime Minister's Questions for the last time, which is likely to end with applause from MPs, like Tony Blair's last PMQs in 2007.

Mr Cameron will then head to Buckingham Palace to see the Queen in his final act as Prime Minister - after a tearful exit from No 10 with his family, no doubt - before Mrs May makes the same journey and triumphantly arrives in Downing Street.

His abrupt departure, prompted by Andrea Leadsom's bombshell announcement that she was withdrawing from the Conservative leadership contest, means several changes of plans for the departing PM.

He was due to go to Africa on a high-powered trade mission at the end of July, take his children on a final visit to see the royal family at Balmoral in late August, and then take part in a joint farewell from the world stage with Barack Obama at a G20 summit in early September.

Mrs May has already begun talks with senior colleagues and allies about the top roles in her Cabinet.

Her main priority is to appoint her Chancellor, thought likely to be the Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond, in what could be a job swap with George Osborne.

She will also want to appoint a tough operator to succeed her as Home Secretary, with Defence Secretary Michael Fallon and her leadership campaign chief Chris Grayling the leading candidates.

Speaking to Sky News, Mr Fallon refused to speculate on his position but said that he had been "proud to work with the Armed Forces" for the last two years.

But she will also want to give top jobs to women ministers, which could mean a promotion to the Home Office for Amber Rudd, who was a star in the TV debates during the referendum campaign.

:: 'Unflappable': A Profile Of The UK's Next Prime Minister

Many MPs are predicting a return to the frontline for two eurosceptic former ministers and Leave campaigners, Liam Fox and David Davis, who both ultimately backed her for the leadership.

These two could be candidates for the key job of Brexit Minister, negotiating the UK's withdrawal from the European Union, though former leadership rival Mrs Leadsom could also be a candidate for this post.

Opposition parties are already calling for an early election - however, when she launched her campaign for the Tory leadership on 30 June, Mrs May had said: "There should be no general election until 2020."

Mr Fallon said there was no need for a snap election because the Conservatives had won the General Election last year and had a mandate.

This, he said, had been reinforced by the EU Referendum in which people had given the Government a job to do in leaving the bloc. He told Sky News: "We are all now Brexiters".

Political rivals are pointing out that she demanded an immediate election in 2007 when Gordon Brown succeeded Mr Blair, on the grounds that Mr Brown did not have a mandate and was not elected as PM.

Migrants Halt Europe's Longest Rail Motorway

Europe's longest 'rail motorway' service that transports unaccompanied trailers carrying goods from Spain to the UK via France has halted operations.

It comes after migrants at the "Jungle" camp near Calais repeatedly tried to break into them as they attempted to get to Britain, said port authorities.

The VIIA Britanica railway has now stopped its services until September and Calais port workers have staged a go-slow on a highway in protest.

Up to now, the rail motorway, which began operations in March, has allowed road hauliers to cross France in 22 hours, avoiding 745 miles of roads.

Services have been stopped over a "resurgence in migrant intrusions in past weeks," according to authorities.

Antoine Ravisse, who has been protesting against the Calais migrant crisis, said: "The situation keeps getting worse. We don't know what to do anymore to be heard.

"The migrants, some of whom are armed, climb into the trailers, they rip the tarpaulins.

The VIIA Britanica service launched in March

"Our clients lose confidence in us, sometimes their merchandise is destroyed. The cost is enormous."

Trains on the VIIA Britanica have transported trailers from Calais to Le Boulou (at the border between France and Spain) six days a week, with one round trip per day.

At Calais, the trailers can remain unaccompanied as they are loaded onto ferries to cross the English Channel.

The rail motorway terminal in Calais is the first such terminal in a port.

Each train is 680m long and is made up of 20 cars, with enough capacity for 40 trailers.

The service was predicted to shift 40,000 trailers a year from the roads to the rails over the next five years

Around 4,500 migrants, mainly from Afghanistan and Sudan, are believed to live in the Jungle camp.