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Scott Colom leading Republican incumbent Cindy Hyde-Smith in razor-thin race; president's ally Jason Reding Quinones steps down

Ian Winter KC told Rosamund Urwin of the Sunday Times, whose investigation led to Brand's victims coming forward: I hope you are pleased with yourself'Russell Brand's barrister has reported himself to his professional regulator after being accused of launching a tirade at a journalist shortly after the former comedian had been found guilty of rape.Ian Winter KC confronted" the Sunday Times journalist Rosamund Urwin, whose investigation led to Brand's victims coming forward, telling her: I hope you are pleased with yourself." Continue reading...

Spotted on Balenciaga, Celine and Valentino catwalks, purple is having a moment. If you really want to stand out, wear it with redThe colour purple has links to royalty, the Catholic church, Prince, Gordon Brown's ties and Barney the dinosaur and it now has a new association - autumn 2026.It has been deemed fashion's favourite colour having been spotted on autumn/winter catwalks, with Balenciaga, Celine and Valentino showcasing all-purple designs. Continue reading...

Father of the Duchess of Sussex was taken into custody near Tampa, US prosecutors saidThomas Markle, the father of Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex, was arrested by US federal agents in Florida on Friday and charged in connection with possession of child sexual abuse material, according to the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).Markle, 82, was taken into custody at a nursing home near Tampa early on Friday, and was expected to appear in court in Tampa in the early afternoon, the US justice department said in a statement.In the US, call or text the Childhelp abuse hotline on 800-422-4453 or visit their website for more resources and to report child abuse or DM for help. For adult survivors of child abuse, help is available at ascasupport.org. In the UK, the NSPCC offers support to children on 0800 1111, and adults concerned about a child on 0808 800 5000. The National Association for People Abused in Childhood (Napac) offers support for adult survivors on 0808 801 0331. In Australia, children, young adults, parents and teachers can contact the Kids Helpline on 1800 55 1800, or Bravehearts on 1800 272 831, and adult survivors can contact Blue Knot Foundation on 1300 657 380. Other sources of help can be found at Child Helplines International Continue reading...

After midterm wins, Democratics plan comeback for when new Congress is sworn in, including pushback against Trump and his policiesDonald Trump will be blocked from putting a rightwinger" on the US supreme court, according to Chuck Schumer, the soon-to-be Senate majority leader, in remarks that were a preview of how Democrats intend to wield their power come January.In an interview with the Associated Press, Schumer said Democrats would not confirm any crappy nominees" to the supreme court, lower courts or Trump's cabinet. Continue reading...

Media organisations in Ireland and UK also affected as apparently coordinated effort to cause chaos continuesA fresh wave of bomb threats disrupted air traffic across Europe on Friday but the affected aircraft landed safely and searches revealed no explosive devices.The latest alerts affected at least 18 flights to or from Bulgaria, Cyprus, Czechia, France, Hungary, Italy, Portugal, Romania and the UK. Continue reading...

Lisa Nandy calls for whistleblowers to be protected and highlights bravery of women who came forward in caseLisa Nandy, the culture secretary, has warned that Russell Brand's conviction for rape and sexual assault must be a wake-up call" to the media world and beyond, after widespread concerns over the failures to confront his behaviour.With renewed calls from TV insiders for a new examination of how Brand's treatment of women was tolerated for so long, Nandy said the case was a defining moment for our country". Continue reading...

Prime minister says root and branch review of childhood' is needed and he does not rule out some benefit cutsThe government is aiming for quite radical change" in the way young people are supported, Andy Burnham has said, indicating this could include tougher rules for benefits as well as notably more help with everything from finding work to mental health.In media interviews before the release of the second report by the former minister Alan Milburn on reducing the numbers of young people not in work, education or training, Burnham said his mission was rethinking childhood" from the early years onwards. Continue reading...

Freshways lowers price paid to producers by 7p a litre, prompting warnings confidence in the sector is at rock bottom'Milk is leaving the farm at a loss," says dairy farmer Ian Harvey, as he warns confidence in the sector is at rock bottom".Most of the UK's dairy producers were already being paid less for their milk than it costs to produce it after a year of volatile farmgate milk prices, combined with the impact of the summer's drought and soaring costs of vital fuel and fertiliser triggered by the conflict in Iran. Continue reading...

This blog is now closed, you can read more on this story hereA Romanian airline Tarom flight from Prague to Bucharest is the latest believed to be affected by today's bomb threats.The aircraft, operating flight number ROT226M, sent a squawk code of 7700 - general emergency - before landing safely in Bucharest. The threat was later confirmed to be unproven. Continue reading...

Health secretary Yvette Cooper has faced calls to axe US tech firm's contract to deliver the flagship government AI system, report saysHere are some more photos from prime minister Andy Burnham's visit to Siemens Rail Technology Centre in Chippenham earlier today:The Conservative leader, Kemi Badenoch, has caused profound anger, hurt and disbelief" among many black voters with her comments about transatlantic slavery, according to the chair of Operation Black Vote (OBV), who urged the prime minister, Andy Burnham, to apologise for Britain's involvement without delay. Continue reading...

Paul Mackenzie convicted over the deaths of 190 children and one adult after followers were ordered to starve themselves and their familiesThe leader of a Kenyan doomsday sect has been sentenced to 200 years in prison for the murders of 190 children and one adult in one of the world's worst cult disasters in recent history.The sentence, comprised of 100 years for murder by starvation and 100 years by direct homicide, came two weeks after the court in Kenya's coastal city of Mombasa found the cult leader guilty of the crimes. Continue reading...

From Serbia to Bangladesh and India to France, young people are pushing back against authoritarianism and reshaping political landscapesIn Brazil, they rallied online by the millions, sharing videos and spreading memes. In Serbia, they cycled across Europe and ran ultramarathons to make their voices heard.Both movements burst into international public view last month as they became central during election campaigns to the pushback against authoritarianism. What they also offered, however, was a window into a wider phenomenon playing out across the globe, as youth-led movements reshape political landscapes. Continue reading...

US judge issues 14-day block on construction on DC monument after it was approved by planning commissionA federal judge in the early hours of Friday blocked any construction work from beginning on Donald Trump's towering triumphal arch for 14 days, a major setback for one of the president's most prominent projects in his vision to remake the nation's capital.The temporary restraining order was issued by US district judge Tanya Chutkan in a Washington DC court that has regularly proved to be a thorn in the US president's side, such as in previous cases involving election subversion and the January 6 insurrection by Trump supporters. Continue reading...

Far-right politician addresses Conservative Political Action Conference and makes unsubstantiated claims about election fraudFlavio Bolsonaro, the far-right politician who lost Brazil's presidential election last month, has insisted his defeat is not the end for Brazil" as he battles to maintain political relevance after fleeing to the US.Bolsonaro absconded early last week shortly after losing the 25 October election to the leftwing incumbent Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva by more than 4m votes. Continue reading...

Operation Black Vote chair says Tory leader's claim that Britain should not apologise has caused hurt and disbelief'The Conservative leader, Kemi Badenoch, has caused profound anger, hurt and disbelief" among many black voters with her comments about transatlantic slavery, according to the chair of Operation Black Vote (OBV), who urged the prime minister, Andy Burnham, to apologise for Britain's involvement without delay.David Weaver, a former government adviser, said the Labour and Tory leaders risked alienating black voters with their handling of the issue of a state apology for slavery, while saying Badenoch's remarks showed a troubling absence of moral leadership". Continue reading...

October drop of 0.6% leaves average price of property at 296,285, says Lloyds, as high mortgage rates hit market

Former liberation movement's share of national vote almost 14 percentage points below 2021 resultThe African National Congress is on course to suffer a bruising defeat in South Africa's local elections, with the once dominant party of Nelson Mandela falling to under a third of the vote nationally with more than 80% of ballots counted.Wednesday's fragmented vote marks another stage in the decline of the ANC, which has led national governments since the end of white minority apartheid rule in 1994. High unemployment, crime, corruption and poor local service delivery have all contributed to voters turning away from the party. Continue reading...

RMT union calls eight 24-hour strikes on London Underground in opposition to plans for four-day weekTube train drivers in the RMT union have called eight 24-hour strikes running over 16 days - including six in the lead-up to Christmas - that threaten to bring transport chaos to the capital.The drivers will start another series of 24-hour strikes in late November in opposition to plans for a four-day week - a proposal that has been warmly welcomed by the majority of London Underground drivers represented by the Aslef union. Continue reading...

Mild autumn temperatures causing premature flowering and raising concerns for pollinators, say expertsTrees are experiencing an early spring" because of mild UK temperatures this autumn, with experts warning this could cause long-term harm to pollinators.Last month was warmer than average across all parts of the UK, with October marking the ninth consecutive month with above-average mean temperatures. Continue reading...

Texas business owner says he expected ICE raids to focus on those with criminal records not his relatives and employeesTuesday night's explosive rout of the Republican party was supercharged by the fury of Hispanic Americans who turned out in record numbers in key battlegrounds to protest the Trump administration's anti-immigrant assault on their communities.Trump went against us," said Benny Melendez from Weslaco, Texas. He made us the target of ICE operations, so we decided to punish him by voting against his party. That's what happened." Continue reading...

Government claims removal of former residents of housing complex in Helsingor is unrelated to their ethnicityDenmark's supreme court is expected to rule on whether the state's classification of residents with non-western" backgrounds is covered by racial discrimination law.The appeal by residents who were evicted from Nojsomhed-Sydvej in Helsingor, a city north of Copenhagen, could have far-reaching implications for others who have been forced out of their homes by the controversial legislation previously known as the ghetto law". The government now refers to affected neighbourhoods as parallel societies". Continue reading...

Mark Rowley says he would not be surprised if many more people emerged with allegations against convicted rapistThe head of Scotland Yard has called for anyone with fresh allegations against the convicted rapist Russell Brand to come forward.Mark Rowley, the Metropolitan police commissioner, said he would not be surprised if many more" alleged victims of Brand emerged after the former comedian turned online influencer was on Thursday convicted of rape and sexual assault. Continue reading...

Further south this week, severe thunderstorms affect midterms voting in Florida, Oklahoma and ColoradoDespite the rapid descent into autumn in the northern hemisphere, parts of eastern North America have experienced an exceptionally late taste of summer in recent days. Temperatures approached 23C (73.4F) in New York and Boston, about 7-10C above what is expected in early November. The unseasonable warmth also spilled into parts of eastern Canada, with temperatures exceeding 20C, about 10-15C above normal for the time of year. The balmy conditions were the result on an area of low pressure in the US midwest, dragging up exceptionally warm air from the Gulf of Mexico along its eastern flank. This area of low pressure will gradually drift eastwards, allowing temperatures to fall closer to the average.Further south in the US, severe thunderstorms have resulted in numerous flood warnings and evacuation warnings being issued this week across many states, with disruptive weather impacting polling stations in states such Florida, Oklahoma and Colorado. The powerful thunderstorms this week even resulted in a tornado touching down in Keyes, Oklahoma, forcing a relocation of the polling station. The tornado left extensive damage across the town, although no causalities have been reported. Officials across many states impacted by the severe weather have requested federal funding assistance after extreme weather resulted in widespread damage to homes and infrastructure. Continue reading...

Impacts in emerging contact sports are akin to coward punches and cannot be made safer with regulation, neurologist says

James Norton and Lucy Punch star as a youthful Mr and Mrs Claus in lively ad about shared moments as well as shoppingFor years the Christmas advert moment" has belonged to one brand. John Lewis's syrupy commercials featuring piano ballads and tearjerker storylines have given the 160-year-old department store a cultural head start in the dash for festive profits.This year, however, there's one high-street rival with a sackful of tricks to make up the ground. Marks & Spencer has brought out the big guns - in the form of a topless Santa, played by the small-screen heart-throb James Norton. Continue reading...

In today's newsletter: From diverted airliners to hacked fridges, a string of disruptive incidents has exposed the vulnerabilities of modern life. There is now an increasingly blurred space between peace and conflict, the grey zone.Good morning. A multiplicity of hoax bomb threats divert passenger flights across Europe. A malign cyber-attack targets supermarket fridges in Belgium, Sweden, the UK and - in a sickening escalation - the cold storage facilities of France's national blood service.The actors behind this week of chaos and disruption, be they hostile states or criminal gangs - or even enterprising teenagers - are yet to be identified. But what is certain is that they operate in a context of deepening global conflicts, building national threat and an accompanying, pervasive sense of vulnerability.UK news | Russell Brand has been found guilty of raping a woman and sexually assaulting three others over the course of five years of his show business career.US politics | Donald Trump signed a proclamation that he says will prevent future administrations from changing his design of the Oval Office and Cabinet Room, spaces he declared as national monuments that should be preserved.UK politics | Andy Burnham has said he wants to recast" the UK's deal to cede control of the Chagos Islands after resistance from Washington.Health | Cancer diagnoses in England have hit record highs, with more than 1,000 people a day diagnosed, NHS figures show.World news | The UN-recognised government of Yemen has shaken up its political and military leadership in an attempt to regain territory lost to the Houthis in September. Continue reading...

She was shot on 14 December 2025 during Hanukah festival and had been in and out of hospital since

Santiago Pena's rightwing administration had authorised Ueno Bank to drastically expand operations before collapseParaguay's rightwing president, Santiago Pena, resigned on Thursday after a political and financial crisis collapsed the South American country's banking system in recent days.At the centre of the crisis is Ueno Bank, which in just a few years under Pena went from an obscure digital bank to one of the country's largest lenders, claiming to have about 60% of Paraguay's adult population as customers. Continue reading...

As new pornography laws come into force, officers say viewing extreme content could lead young people towards abuse imagesPolice forces are turning to specialist charities and partner agencies to cope with the growing number of teenagers caught up in online child abuse.As new pornography laws come into force, frontline officers warn that young people are going down a pathway through extreme content that could lead to real-life abusive images of children. Continue reading...

Bosses from Great Britain's biggest energy companies called to meeting as part of government's debt relief planAn energy minister has told the bosses of Great Britain's biggest energy suppliers to do more to help households get on top of their unpaid energy bills this winter, before the government spends almost 2.5bn to help write off the country's record high debts.Energy bosses were summoned to a roundtable meeting on Thursday to discuss the government's plan to pay down the energy debts of about 2.4m of the hardest-hit households. Continue reading...

Former NSW police officer gives evidence for a second day after pleading not guilty to murdering Baird and Luke Davies in early 2024

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Opposition leader Jess Wilson grimaced as the Jess Express', carrying Liberals and reporters, backs into the structure in suburban Melbourne

Mark Rowley calls for revolution' in policing as major review is expected to propose regional super forces'Police are heading for failure unless the number of forces in England and Wales is slashed, with their ability to catch criminals collapsing and public confidence falling, Britain's top officer will say on Friday.The stark comments from Sir Mark Rowley, the commissioner of the Metropolitan police, come as some police leaders demand a radical package of reforms. Continue reading...

Coups de theatre abound in the $915m addition to western Sydney's skyline, which opens on Saturday with five new exhibitions - and a 23-day festival

News channel trailed NBC and ABC, but edged out CNN, MS Now and CBS in primetime hours on midterm election night

Website known for politics, arts and culture coverage announces closure just weeks before anniversarySalon, one of the early internet's pioneering publications, is closing after more than three decades, the outlet announced on Thursday.It's difficult to find the right words for the end of something that has meant so much to so many people. Salon was never just a website," Salon said in a statement. It was an idea about what journalism could be, born at a moment when the internet was still a largely unexplored frontier." Continue reading...

Doctor who was helping response to outbreak in Africa taken to specialist isolation unit at Royal Free hospitalA British doctor who tested positive for Ebola while working in the Democratic Republic of the Congo has returned to the UK for specialist treatment.The patient, whose identity is unknown, was transported home on a medical evacuation flight, the Department of Health and Social Care said on Thursday. They are now being cared for in a specialised high-level isolation unit at the Royal Free hospital in Hampstead, north London.

Georgia governor declares local emergencies as National Weather Service issues warning: Seek higher ground now!'Severe storms brought heavy rain and flash flooding to communities across the Georgia-Tennessee border area late on Wednesday and into Thursday morning that forced dozens of rescues, despite the hazardous conditions making evacuations and efforts to save people difficult.McCaysville, in north central Georgia, was deluged with up to five inches (13cm) of rain by Thursday morning, triggering life-threatening flash flooding, the National Weather Service (NWS) said. The town lies just across the Toccoa River from Copperhill, Tennessee. Continue reading...

Detective urges other potential victims to come forward and says: Our work's not done'The lead detective in the case against Russell Brand has urged other potential victims of the comedian to come forward after it emerged he is under investigation for two further rape allegations and faces a civil claim in the UK.Det Supt Andy Furphy, the Metropolitan police's strategic lead in the investigation, described Brand, 51, as a predator" whose behaviour escalated as his fame grew. Continue reading...

Dhillon is first high-level justice department official to leave after historic Republican defeat in 2026 midterms

Firefighters and police among injured as officials investigate lithium-ion battery found at scene in Sunset ParkSix people died in a fire that roared through a residential home in New York early on Thursday and nine others were injured, including three firefighters and two police officers, the city authorities said.The major fire was reported in the early hours in Brooklyn and brought more than 200 first responders rushing to attend to the blaze and those trapped by it, in the city borough's Sunset Park neighborhood. Continue reading...

While NHS is identifying more cases, it is failing to meet timescale targets on diagnosis and treatment, experts sayCancer diagnoses in England have hit record highs, with more than 1,000 people a day diagnosed, NHS figures show.But experts warned that although the health service was identifying more cases, it was still failing to meet timescale targets on diagnosis and treatment. Continue reading...

Planes forced into emergency landings or diversions two days after hoax alerts affected air travel

EU transport commissioner says too early' to say if bomb threats to 20 flights are linked

British College of Aesthetic Medicine launches checklist as part of vet it before you get it' campaignCosmetic tourism is often sold as a package of sun, sea and surgery, but experts have said travelling overseas for procedures can end in infections, disfigurement and death.Nora Nugent, a consultant plastic surgeon and former president of the British Association of Aesthetic Plastic Surgeons, said travelling to countries such as Turkey for surgery comes with myriad risks - and not just on the operating table. Continue reading...

New report finds that record label Ador stripped child protections from group's contracts when they were minorsThe superstar K-pop group NewJeans signed restrictive record label contracts that waived their right to sleep, rest and free choice".A new report from the New York Times found that the contracts were signed when the members of the record-breaking girl group were aged 14 to 17. Continue reading...

Judge says actor and comedian faces significant custodial term' after being convicted of raping a woman and assaulting three othersRussell Brand has been found guilty of raping a fan and sexually assaulting three women, ending a years-long legal saga that has raised questions about how he was able to commit his crimes at the height of his fame.Brand, 51, was described during his trial as a ruthless, calculated and manipulative sexual predator. He was accused of raping women in a hotel room, in a bar toilet and at his luxury London townhouse. He sexually assaulted women in front of his entourage at their workplaces, at a radio station and TV studio. Continue reading...