Damian Grammaticas

UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham exchanged a few messages with someone impersonating US President Donald Trump’s chief of staff, Susie Wiles, before becoming suspicious and reporting the contact to authorities. Downing Street declined to comment, while sources said no significant information was shared. The White House said the incident was unrelated to a previous hack of Wiles’s personal phone. The report also describes the removal of cabinet ministers’ personal numbers from public websites and recalls earlier hoax calls and messages targeting UK ministers, including incidents linked by officials to Russian or Iranian cyber operations.

Andy Burnham faces his first major political test as prime minister over plans to release several thousand prisoners early because of severe overcrowding. His review excludes rapists and child-sex offenders but leaves some killers and people convicted of grooming-related crimes eligible for release, prompting sharp Conservative criticism and calls for emergency legislation. Labour MPs largely defend Burnham, arguing that he inherited the crisis, while acknowledging the need for a broader debate about sentencing and prison capacity.