Donald Trump has nominated a number of highly controversial candidates to serve in his Cabinet – but a new poll claims they have a slight edge on public approval, with one glaring exception. The president-elect has selected a group of hardline conservatives and MAGA loyalists to serve in his administration. Some have unorthodox views and little government experience, while others are hampered by criminal allegations. However, an Echelon Insights poll shows nearly every member with a slight favorability.

The Kremlin has threatened a ‘nuclear response’ should Ukraine strike targets inside Russia with Western-supplied long-range missiles. ‘The Russian Federation reserves the right to use nuclear weapons in the event of aggression with the use of conventional weapons against it,’ Kremlin press secretary Dmitry Peskov told reporters in Russia this morning according to the TASS news service. His statement came as Putin approved an updated nuclear doctrine that would allow his strategic missile forces to deploy nuclear weapons in the event that Russian territory is threatened by a non-nuclear nation supported by a nuclear power.

Snow fell in London today as Britain was gripped by an Arctic chill with temperatures falling well below zero, trains cancelled, cars stuck and schools closed. Commuters faced travel chaos and the coldest UK temperature this early in the season since 1998 was recorded as Braemar in Aberdeenshire fell to -11.2C (12.2F). The Met Office imposed three yellow weather warnings for snow and ice today across the Midlands and North of England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland.

Jeremy Clarkson today demanded Labour ‘backs down’ over its inheritance tax grab as he joined 13,000 farmers and their supporters for a mass protest in London. The 64-year-old appeared alongside his Clarkson’s Farm co-stars Kaleb Cooper and Charlie Ireland – defying the advice of his doctors to ‘avoid stress’ while he recovers from a life-saving heart operation. Farmers arrived at the event in a convoy of tractors bearing ‘the final straw’ signs before joining a huge rally attended by the likes of Andrew Lloyd-Webber, Tory party leader Kemi Badenoch and Nigel Farage.

Jeremy Clarkson is expected to defy doctors’ orders and lead thousands of farmers from Diddly Squat and descend on Westminster to protest against the inheritance tax raid. Farmers gathering for today’s mass protest in London warned that ‘things will get bad very fast’ if the government refuses to scrap plans for inheritance tax on farms. Thousands are set to descend on Westminster to vent their anger over what has been called the ‘family farm death tax’ introduced in last month’s Budget.

Jennifer Lopez shared several photos from inside her $68M mansion in Bel Air, California on Saturday. The siren was inside her dressing room in the two story home that she used to share with Ben Affleck and is now trying to sell. While in the nicely appointed room the Unstoppable actress stood on a beige carpet with chairs behind her and long champagne-colored curtains.

Some of Britain’s biggest retailers have warned that job cuts and price hikes are ‘inevitable’ after Rachel Reeves’ monster national insurance raid. More than 70 businesses including Tesco, Asda and Sainsbury’s sounded the alarm in an open letter to the Chancellor. Ms Reeves unveiled an extraordinary £25billion hike in employers’ NICs in the Budget last month. The rate has been raised and the threshold at which firms must pay has been cut, with ministers adamant it was the only way to prop up public services.

Rebekah Vardy has taken yet another swipe at Coleen Rooney following her debut on I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here! The WAG, 42, has made a series of digs at her rival since it was announced she’d be jetting to Australia to appear on the ITV show, and even took aim at the digs over her Wagatha Christie legal row. In her first I’m A Celebrity column for The Sun, Rebekah was quick to brand Coleen ‘the gift that keeps on giving’ after her canoe capsized during the celebrities’ race to the camp.

Ukraine has carried out its first strike on Russian territory with US-supplied long-range missiles just days after the Biden administration gave Kyiv the green light despite fears it could escalate the conflict beyond control. A fiery explosion at an ammunition depot in Karachev around 75 miles from the Ukrainian border in Russia’s Bryansk region lit up the night sky early this morning on what is the 1,000th day of war in Ukraine. Eyewitnesses along with Russian and Ukrainian military bloggers first reported the attack, with anonymous Ukrainian military officials later telling RBC Ukraine the strike was conducted with the US-manufactured ATACMS (Army Tactical Missile System).