Police have launched a murder inquiry after a woman exposed to nerve agent Novichok in Wiltshire died.
Dawn Sturgess, 44, died in hospital on Sunday evening after falling ill on 30 June.
Charlie Rowley, 45, who was also exposed to the nerve agent in Amesbury, remains critically ill in hospital.
Theresa May said she was “appalled and shocked” by the death, which comes after the poisoning of Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia in Salisbury.
A post-mortem examination of Ms. Sturgess, from Durrington, is due to take place and her family has been informed, police said.
The investigation is being led by detectives from the Counter-Terrorism Policing Network and about 100 detectives are working on the case alongside Wiltshire Police.
Officers are still trying to work out how Ms. Sturgess and Mr. Rowley were exposed to the nerve agent although tests have confirmed they touched a contaminated item with their hands.
Assistant Commissioner Neil Basu, the head of UK Counter-Terrorism policing, said: “This is shocking and tragic news. Dawn leaves behind her family, including three children, and our thoughts and prayers are with them at this extremely difficult time.
“The 45-year-old man who fell ill with Dawn remains critically ill in hospital and our thoughts are with him and his family as well.”
Mr. Basu said the death “has only served to strengthen our resolve to identify and bring to justice the person or persons responsible for what I can only describe as an outrageous, reckless and barbaric act.”
He said: “Detectives will continue with their painstaking and meticulous work to gather all the available evidence so that we can understand how two citizens came to be exposed with such a deadly substance that tragically cost Dawn her life.”
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Brexit Secretary David Davis resigns
Brexit Secretary, David Davis, who has been leading negotiations to leave the EU, has resigned from the government.
In his resignation letter, Mr. Davis criticised the PM’s Brexit plan – agreed by the cabinet on Friday – saying it would leave Parliament with “at best a weak negotiating position.”
In her reply, Mrs. May said she did not agree but thanked him for his work.
Junior minister, Steve Baker, quit shortly after Mr. Davis, as Mrs. May prepares to face MPs and peers later.
In his letter, Mr. Davis told Mrs. May that “the current trend of policy and tactics” was making it “look less and less likely” that the UK would leave the customs union and single market.
He said he was “unpersuaded” that the government’s negotiating approach “will not just lead to further demands for concessions” from Brussels.
Mr. Davis, who was appointed Brexit Secretary in 2016, said: “The general direction of policy will leave us in at best a weak negotiating position, and possibly an inescapable one.”
In her reply, Mrs. May said: “I do not agree with your characterisation of the policy we agreed at cabinet on Friday.”
She said she was “sorry” he was leaving but would “like to thank you warmly for everything you have done… to shape our departure from the EU.”
Conservative MP Peter Bone hailed the resignation as a “principled and brave decision,” adding: “The PM’s proposals for a Brexit in name only are not acceptable.”
Labour Party chairman Ian Lavery said: “This is absolute chaos and Theresa May has no authority left.”
Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn said Mrs. May was “incapable of delivering Brexit.”
In the Commons on Monday Mrs. May is expected to tell MPs that the strategy agreed on by the cabinet at Chequers on Friday is the “right Brexit” for Britain.
Brexiteer MP Jacob Rees-Mogg said it would be “very difficult” for Mrs. May’s plans to win the backing of MPs without Mr. Davis.
He told BBC 5 Live: “These proposals will have to come to the House of Commons in legislation and the question is ‘will they command support from Conservative MPs?’
“And I think without David Davis there, without his imprimatur, it will be very difficult for them to get the support of Conservative MPs and therefore the prime minister would be well advised to reconsider them.”
BBC political editor, Laura Kuenssberg, said she understood Mr. Davis was “furious” after a meeting at Number 10 earlier on Sunday and “concluded he could not stay in post.”
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Flooding and landslides in Japan leave at least 75 dead, authorities say
Dozens of people have been killed and two million forced to flee their homes after record rains pounded southwest Japan, triggering widespread flooding and deadly landslides.
At least 75 people are dead and 40 have been reported missing or are unaccounted for, according to Japan’s Fire and Disaster Management Agency.
Earlier, Japanese broadcaster NHK reported that 85 people had died, and at least 58 missing.
Most of the deaths were reported in Hiroshima and Ehime Prefectures, though eight prefectures were impacted.
Images from Saka, a small town on the southern coast of Hiroshima Prefecture, show cars buried in mud.
Kazuhiko Ono, who owns a secondhand book store in Hiroshima city, was unable to return to his home and store when the rains first arrived.
His wife and children took shelter in the second floor of their home, while the store filled up with water.
“I’m a secondhand book seller,” Ono said. “I’m so sad I lost many books, I can never find them anymore.”
The town of Kaita, on the outskirts of Hiroshima, was also heavily damaged by flooding and landslides.
“It was terrifying,” said Kaita resident Yuichi Tada. “I’ve never experienced it before. I’ve been living this town for almost 70 years, but it was first time to have such heavy rain.”
Further north, in Gifu Prefecture, the Tsubogawa River overflowed, flooding nearby roads and damaging houses.
“The record rainfalls in various parts of the country have caused rivers to burst their banks, and triggered large scale floods and landslides in several areas,” Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga said Sunday.
In Kurashiki near Okayama, soldiers were deployed to carry elderly residents from their homes into waiting dinghies.
Hundreds of homes have been destroyed or damaged.
“I went to my father’s family home but it was hopeless,” one man said. “We were hoping to find two people but still can’t find one.”
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Maedeh Hojabri: Iran women dance in support of arrested teen
Women in Iran have posted videos of themselves dancing online, in support of a teenager who was arrested.
Maedeh Hojabri had gathered thousands of followers on Instagram with videos of herself dancing to Iranian and Western pop music.
On Friday, state TV broadcast Ms. Hojabri’s apparent confession.
Social media users shared videos and messages supporting the young dancer, using hashtags such as one that translates as #dancing_isn’t_a_crime.
The Iranian government has strict rules governing women’s clothing and dancing with members of the opposite sex in public is banned, except in front of immediate family members.
Ms. Hojabri’s videos showed her dancing at home without the mandatory headscarf, or hijab.
Several other dancers have reportedly also been arrested in recent weeks.
Read also: Foreign Titbits: Japan floods: At least 60 killed in deluges and landslides
Blogger Hossein Ronaghi commented: “If you tell people anywhere in the world that 17 and 18-year-old girls are arrested for their dance, happiness and beauty on charges of spreading indecency, while child rapists and others are free, they will laugh! Because for them, it’s unbelievable!”
One Twitter user wrote: “I’m dancing so that they [the authorities] see and know that they cannot take away our happiness and hope by arresting teenagers and (girls like) Maedeh.”
