Laurent Nunez also defended blanket bans on demonstrations in some parts of FranceThe French prime minister Sebastien Lecornu has just issued a statement on a shooting in a town west of Paris this morning where one person was killed and four others injured.Police said a gunman had opened fire in Trappes, in the Yvelines, and neighbouring La Verriere. The gunman was later arrested in nearby Coignieres. Continue reading...
Documents show German party's scramble to request support after president's 2016 election win and co-leader's pursuit of Steve BannonA data leak from Germany's far-right German Alternative fur Deutschland (AfD) has revealed the extent of efforts by the party to court Donald Trump and other leading figures in the Maga movement, stretching back more than a decade.The trove also reveals the pains the AfD took in wooing the president, whom they saw from the beginning as a potential ally, with senior party officials agonising over the wording of an obsequious congratulatory telegram when he was elected in 2016, which included the wish that his hopes as a person be fulfilled". Continue reading...
Trump's latest tactic to champion Republicans at midterm rallies? Assessing men's bodies in meticulous detailSpeaking at a rally in Youngstown, Ohio, earlier this month, to support the Republican senator Jon Husted, Donald Trump broke from his prepared remarks.Trump said he had recently learned that Husted played football at university. The president, 80, said this had prompted him to conduct a physical assessment of Husted. Continue reading...
Investigation marks a rare move by the DoJ against an ally of the US president. Plus, why the world's coral reefs are facing a dire futureGood morning. Corey Lewandowski, a former political adviser to Donald Trump and top aide at the Department of Homeland Security, is under criminal investigation over allegations he profited off his role in the US government. The DoJ has not yet issued subpoenas or other legal demands in the criminal investigation, and a lawyer for Lewandowski did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The justice department under Trump has investigated several prominent critics of the president, but investigations of people close to Trump have been rare.Lewandowski served as a top aide to Kristi Noem during her tenure as homeland security secretary. Lewandowski allegedly signed some DHS contracts despite having questionable legal authority as a special government employee, according to one DHS official. Certain grants and contracts, including those involving the Federal Emergency Management Agency, were put on hold at Lewandowski's direction, according to two other sources.Where else has Trump suffered a legal setback? Donald Trump has been ordered by a US judge to cooperate with the discovery process mandated for his lawsuit against the BBC and to sit for a deposition by 11 December - or else he could be subject to sanctions, including possible dismissal of the $10bn lawsuit.What request has Trump claimed he made of Google? Trump has said Google rejected his request to rename the Atlantic Ocean after himself or America. Google has previously acceded to Trump's demands, with locations labeled Gulf of America" and Lake America" for US users at the president's request. Continue reading...
Meghan also reveals she was made aware of disturbing allegations' against him in 2018 by Met policeThe Duchess of Sussex has said she is deeply distressed" over accusations involving child sexual abuse images against her estranged father, Thomas Markle Sr, and revealed she was made aware of disturbing allegations" against him in 2018 by the Metropolitan police.Meghan issued a statement after the Sun newspaper published claims that her half-brother Thomas Markle Jr alleged he had found a stash of images belonging to their father at his former home in the Philippines. Continue reading...
The prime minister said the government is having conversation about emergency preparednessA DUP minister has said he is confident MP Carla Lockhart will stay in the party despite leaving its main decision-making body amid a row with party leadership over the future of Stormont.Lockhart is at odds with DUP leader, fellow MP Gavin Robinson, over whether the party should withdraw deputy first minister Emma Little-Pengelly from the power-sharing executive. Continue reading...
World's second largest brewer says use of drugs such as Wegovy can reduce desire to drink alcohol Business live - latest updatesHeineken has warned British bars and pubs that the boom in popularity of weight-loss drugs could lead to a fall in sales of beer and cider.The world's second-largest brewer sent a presentation to British hospitality customers earlier this month that said the use of GLP-1 medication - such as Ozempic and Wegovy - could reduce the desire to drink alcohol. This in turn could result in fullness and fewer serves" of pints in pubs and bars, it added. Continue reading...
by Richard Partington Senior economics correspondent on (#7988V)
Economic fallout from war in Middle East adds to pressures on consumers and on chancellor before budgetConsumer confidence in the UK has fallen at the fastest rate outside the Covid pandemic since the 2016 Brexit vote as the escalating economic damage from the war in the Middle East hits Britain.With less than a week before John Healey's first budget, the latest barometer from the data company GfK indicated confidence plunged by 11 percentage points in October to -24 amid pressure on consumers from the rising cost of living. Continue reading...
Case filed in 2022 by patient unable to afford medicine leads to cap on drug prices for millions who face ruin if diagnosedThe Indian government has moved to reduce the price of cancer drugs after a retired bank clerk took her case to the supreme court.From next month, 137 cancer drugs in India will be cheaper as the government tries to tackle the tragedy of poorer patients either forgoing treatment, selling land or falling into debt to meet the high cost of some medicines, which are making large profits for hospitals and pharmacists. Continue reading...
Officials will call on UK to step up' financial support at Brussels summit - with post-Brexit issues also on agendaEU leaders will press Andy Burnham at a summit in Brussels to contribute more to Ukraine's defence effort in 2027.EU officials argue that the UK, Canada and Japan should do more to support Ukraine, but entreaties to these G7 countries for extra financial aid at recent international meetings have not been answered, Brussels says. Continue reading...
Regular users detail their frustrations - and question whether Andy Burnham's crackdown on antisocial behaviour will actually workAndy Burnham has announced a campaign against nuisance behaviour on public transport, including headphone dodgers" who play loud music.We've all been on the train when someone starts blasting music or videos from their phone," Burnham said in a statement. It gets on your nerves and can quickly spoil the journey." Continue reading...
In today's newsletter: Born from the fury surrounding the deadly Novi Sad station collapse, Serbia's Student List has taken its protests all the way to the elections in an unprecedented grassroots campaignGood morning. As waves of youth-led protests swell across Europe, prompted by the cost of living, unaffordable housing and education standards, in Serbia the younger generation is taking on the apparatus of the state itself.In tight-run parliamentary elections this Sunday, the country's most consequential political movement in decades, Student List, is challenging former Slobodan Miloevi henchman Aleksandar Vui and his 12-year domination of Serbian politics.UK news | Every Briton is being urged to stock up to nine litres of bottled water and three days' worth of food in new government guidance designed to ensure that households can survive a weather, cyber or other serious emergency.Ukraine | Russia has carried out a massive demonstrative" attack on Ukraine, bombarding Kyiv with ballistic missiles just hours after Vladimir Putin said he had agreed to resume trilateral negotiations.UK politics | Nigel Farage's newest billionaire donor was in business with a powerful Iranian religious foundation under the authority of the country's supreme leader.Europe news | Emmanuel Macron has said illegitimate" demonstrations will be banned over the coming days as France seeks to get a grip on civil unrest after some of its worst street violence in years.Energy | Great Britain is expected to pay some of the highest energy costs in Europe this winter as its reliance on imports to ensure a steady supply is forecast to deepen. Continue reading...
Official forecasts show country will meet energy demand by paying high prices to secure importsGreat Britain is expected to pay some of the highest energy costs in Europe this winter as its reliance on imports to ensure a steady supply is forecast to deepen.Energy system operators have said the country will have enough gas and electricity to meet demand over the coldest months - in part because of paying higher market prices than neighbouring markets to secure imports. Continue reading...
Protests and fringe violence expose sharp divide between marginalised and immigrant youth and those with greater prospectsMartina Micciche was filming riot police kicking and beating a teenager with batons as they dragged him along Piazza del Duomo, the central Milan square hosting its cathedral, when she was struck by a flying object, causing a deep gash and bruising near her right eye.The journalist had joined hundreds of mostly young people marching through the northern Italian city on Saturday afternoon to protest over soaring living costs and unaffordable housing, echoing the wider wave of economic discontent fuelling protests across Europe. Continue reading...
Exclusive: West Streeting says MoD in talks amid legal challenge by LGBT staff forced out of militaryWes Streeting is pursuing an out-of-court resolution to a legal battle over compensation for gay veterans who were forced to resign from the armed forces because of their sexuality.The defence secretary told the Guardian the Ministry of Defence was holding talks this week in the midst of a high court challenge over rules that blocked some veterans receiving 50,000 payments despite being forced out of military service. Continue reading...
by Lisa O’Carroll Senior correspondent on (#798AF)
Visa quotas, university fees and NHS surcharges remain sticking points ahead of post-Brexit negotiations next monthA deadline for a youth mobility scheme between the EU and the UK could be deferred by six months in a bid to ensure Andy Burnham has a successful reset" summit on 20 November, diplomats have said.EU ambassadors in Brussels on Wednesday heard that the UK was still insisting on international tuition fees, quotas and an NHS surcharge for EU students. This has fuelled fears the summit could fail, just as the prime minister is promising to unveil a new vision for Britain's long-term relationship with the EU. Continue reading...
People succumbed to heat at highest rates in Malta, Italy and Hungary, with health issues, loneliness and poverty exacerbating tollHeat killed a record 50,000 people in European cities this summer, new research suggests, with scientists blaming climate breakdown for two in every three of the deaths.Morgues and funeral homes filled with bodies from June to August as the heat added by planet-baking pollution cut short an extra 32,000 lives in urban areas, the researchers found. Hot days pushed vulnerable bodies into overdrive and warm nights prevented them from recovering. Continue reading...
by Ashifa Kassam European community affairs correspon on (#7988T)
Alois uses the first veto of his reign to quash parliament-approved bill backed by a national petitionThe hereditary prince of Liechtenstein has used his veto for the first time in his reign to quash a bill aimed at bringing abortion laws in line with much of Europe.The legislation was approved by Liechtenstein's parliament last month after the presentation of a citizens' initiative signed by roughly a quarter of the nation's voters. Continue reading...
by Presented by Jonathan Freedland, with Moira Donega on (#7988W)
Will Donald Trump accept a blue wave' if it happens? Have young people turned away from centrist politics for ever? Will the US ever recover its image on the world stage? Jonathan Freedland is joined by the Guardian US columnist Moira Donegan to answer these questions and moreBuy your tickets to the Guardian's post-midterms live event, hosted by Jonathan FreedlandWatch Jonathan Freedland on our new Politics Weekly YouTube channelSend your questions and feedback to politicsweeklyamerica@theguardian.comWatch Stateside's episode on attacks on voter rights in the US Continue reading...
by Presented by Helen Pidd with Tom Phillips; produce on (#7987K)
Our Latin America correspondent, Tom Phillips, heads to Roraima to hear what's at stake for the rainforest and the communities that live there in the Brazilian presidential runoff on Sunday. Send your comments and questions to tif.questions@theguardian.comFor the Amazon and the communities who live there, the stakes in Sunday's Brazilian presidential election runoff could scarcely be higher.Our Latin America correspondent, Tom Phillips heads to Roraima, the country's most northern state, to hear from voters, preachers and politicians in a region that heavily backed Flavio Bolsonaro in the first round. Continue reading...
NSW supreme court judge otherwise dismisses case brought by film's co-producers and awards Wilson almost $400,000 after star countersuedAustralian A-lister Rebel Wilson has secured a major court victory after co-producers of her debut film accused her of sabotage, lying and breaching contracts.The Pitch Perfect star directed, co-produced and starred in The Deb, a musical comedy that became the battleground for multiple legal battles in Australia and the US. Continue reading...
by Natricia Duncan, Caribbean correspondent on (#79862)
Caricom commission chair Hilary Beckles wants king to ensure Commonwealth becomes a moral institution committed to human justice'The head of the Caribbean's reparations commission has appealed to King Charles III as a human brother" whose family he said had benefited from slavery to support reparations talks at next month's Commonwealth leaders meeting in the Caribbean.Speaking at a press conference ahead of the Commonwealth heads of government meeting (Chogm) in Antigua and Barbuda next month, professor Hilary Beckles urged the king to use his influence to advance slavery reparations talks between Britain and the Caribbean. Continue reading...
CQC research finds long delays are making conditions harder to treat and highlights regional disparities in careThousands of children in England are experiencing some of the sharpest rises in waiting times for healthcare in the history of the NHS, a report has revealed.While some adult waiting times have improved, children and young people are being hit hardest" amid soaring demand and falling numbers of staff, according to the annual state of care report by the Care Quality Commission. Continue reading...
Aisha Zaman, 27, charged with two firearms offences after incident in city centre on SundayA 27-year-old woman has been charged after a police officer was shot while attending an incident in Nottingham.Aisha Zaman, from the Hyson Green area of the city, has been charged with possession of a prohibited firearm and possession of that firearm with intent to commit an indictable offence. Continue reading...
Singer who has had record-breaking Brit awards success adds to haul thanks to massively ambitious big-band albumRaye is the winner of the 2026 Mercury prize, for her second studio album, This Music May Contain Hope.Her win - for a hugely ambitious 73-minute record that spanned big band jazz, power balladry, funk and more - caps an ongoing renaissance for a British singer who at one point was in the doldrums, lashing out publicly at her record label for not letting her release a studio album. Continue reading...
Actors in the mix to play 007 in Denis Villeneuve's installment include Callum Turner and Jack LowdenThe search for the next James Bond may finally be nearing its end: according to reports, a very select group of actors will screen-test to become the next British agent 007 this weekend.According to the Hollywood Reporter and Variety, citing several sources, a group of actors reportedly including Callum Turner and Slow Horses' Jack Lowden, will appear in front of cameras as the secret agent this weekend in London. Continue reading...
by Kalyeena Makortoff Banking correspondent on (#7981D)
Regulators say removing unnecessary burdens' will save businesses about 2bn over 10 yearsThe UK is watering down rules introduced in the aftermath of the financial crisis that were designed to hold City bosses accountable for wrongdoing.The plans, put forward by the financial industry's two top regulators, the Bank of England and the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA), include a reduction in reporting for lower-level misconduct" and would also free 140,000 managers from extra checks. Continue reading...
Political candidates' once reflexive support for Israel has increasingly become a liabilityWhen the American Israel Public Affairs Committee, the most prominent pro-Israel lobby group in the US, announced on Wednesday that it would stop endorsing candidates or make direct contributions to them, its many critics were quick to hail the development as Aipac's admission of how toxic its brand had become.The announcement marked a significant reversal that underscored just how profoundly US public opinion of Israel has shifted over the latest war in Gaza, and how political candidates' once reflexive support for Israel has increasingly become a liability. Continue reading...
Be Ready campaign aims to prepare UK for impact of climate crisis, technological dependency and threats by hostile stateEvery Briton is being urged to stock up to nine litres of bottled water and three days' worth of food in new government guidance designed to ensure that households can survive a weather, cyber or other serious emergency.The Be Ready campaign is aimed at persuading people to stock up with supplies to last 72 hours, amid growing official concern about the impact of the climate crisis, technological dependency and hostile state threats. Continue reading...
Miatta Fahnbulleh says reference to awkward' interview was meant to be lighthearted and self-deprecatingThe energy secretary has been forced to clarify that she backs Shabana Mahmood's migration policy, after earlier joking that she had not been able to lie" about supporting a key element of the changes.Miatta Fahnbulleh made the original remarks to a journalists' event in Westminster, referring to an awkward" Sky News interview in which she repeatedly refused to say she was in favour of plans to make foreign workers wait 15 years to get permanent residency. Continue reading...
Stage show based on late singer reportedly set to feature her best-loved songs with involvement from her father MitchA musical based on Amy Winehouse is in development for London's West End.The project is still in early stages with Catherine Schreiber, a Tony award-winning producer (Cabaret, Rent), attached to the project, according to Variety. Casting is reported to currently be under way. Continue reading...
Far-right activist says he used private investigators to track down journalists but denies trying to intimidate themThe far-right activist Tommy Robinson has told his harassment trial that he used private investigators to track down journalists who had written about his alleged role in the 2024 riots, and had photos taken of their homes to put pressure" on them.Robinson, whose real name is Stephen Yaxley-Lennon, denied in court that his actions, which included sharing photos of the wife and daughter of one of the journalists, were designed to intimidate and bully. Continue reading...
Parents, colleagues and others encouraged her to go to police but she feared she would not be believedA woman told her mother that Russell Brand had raped her and didn't stop even when she screamed out in pain", a court has heard.The woman also told a colleague she was bleeding everywhere" and that Brand had shouted at her, saying, Look what you've done to my fucking sheets", Southwark crown court heard on Thursday. Continue reading...
Exclusive: Sasan Ghandehari's partnership with religious foundation raises questions about past dealings with republic criticised by Nigel FarageNigel Farage's newest billionaire donor was in business with a powerful Iranian religious foundation under the authority of the country's supreme leader, raising questions about his past dealings with the hardline republic.Hossein Ghandehari, also called Sasan, was little known in the UK until he pledged to give millions to Reform UK this summer and donated 50,000 to Farage to cover the cost of two passes for the Davos World Economic Forum. Continue reading...
by Hannah Al-Othman North of England correspondent on (#797PW)
Charities say tip of iceberg' figures show government is not fulfilling pledge to halve violence against women and girlsAlmost one in 10 adults in England and Wales have experienced domestic abuse in the last year, a survey from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) has found.The Crime Survey for England and Wales (CSEW) found that 9.6% of people aged 16 and over had experienced domestic abuse in the last year - which equates to about 4.7 million people. Continue reading...
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