The exit of a soft-left intellectual politician from government highlights a growing unease about the reordering of the party’s priorities

The resignation of Anneliese Dodds, the international development minister, from Labour’s cabinet may not have been entirely unexpected. Sir Keir Starmer’s decision to cut the aid budget to “pay” for increased defence spending was wrong. Making the world’s poorest foot the bill for Britain’s security is reckless and self-defeating. Slashing aid fuels instability – it won’t buy safety. From her perch in government Ms Dodds, who was Sir Keir’s first shadow chancellor, knew this better than most.

The former cabinet minister’s letter is right to warn that the cuts will mean the UK withdrawing from many developing countries and having a diminished role in global institutions like the World Bank, the G7 and climate negotiations. She pointedly argued Britain will find it “impossible” to deliver on its commitment to maintain development spending in Gaza, Sudan and Ukraine with the shrunken budget. Sir Keir rebuffed this charge, but Ms Dodds is right to say his move is being seen as following the Trumpian lead in cutting USAid – a framing that implies the UK is losing its independent foreign policy direction.

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Hundreds of thousands demonstrate amid outpouring of anger over state’s handling of Tempe tragedy

Two years to the day since 57 people died and dozens were injured in Greece’s worst train crash in history, hundreds of thousands of protesters filled plazas around the country and a general strike paralysed the transport network in an outpouring of anger over the government’s handling of the tragedy.

By 11am on Friday, more than 100,000 people had already gathered in Syntagma Square in Athens. Thousands who could not get to the area due to packed metro trains instead vented their anger outside stations in the capital’s suburbs.

Charles Hanson had been accused of being violent towards wife, Rebecca Hanson, but is cleared of all charges

The celebrity auctioneer Charles Hanson has been unanimously cleared of coercive control and assault allegations made against him by his wife.

The trial heard allegations that Hanson, 46, put Rebecca Hanson in a headlock while she was pregnant with a baby she later lost, repeatedly “grabbed” her, locked her in a hotel room, pushed her and scratched her as she tried to snatch a mobile phone.

Buy a set of earplugs, maritime charity advises those hoping to sleep near Cornwall’s Longships Lighthouse

The distant sound of a lighthouse can be a part of coastal life that really adds to the maritime ambience.

For those living near Land’s End, however, any sense of whimsy has worn off. A fog alarm at Longships Lighthouse, just off the Cornish headland, has been going off every 13 seconds for the past week.