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Meeting comes two days after Witkoff and Jared Kushner held five hours of talks with Vladimir Putin in Moscow

Trade group tells Rachel Reeves her property tax changes threaten the survival of community pubs

Lord Evans of Watford and other directors of investment firm deny claims made in lawsuits they say are meritless'A peer suspended by the House of Lords for breaking lobbying rules is now facing claims that he received at least $1m (760,000) from an allegedly corrupt deal.Lord Evans of Watford, a longtime Labour peer, was found last week by the House of Lords watchdog to have broken its rules four times after undercover reporting by the Guardian, and will be suspended for five months. Continue reading...

Crypto investor Christopher Harborne previously gave 1m to Boris Johnson office and was one of biggest donors in UK politicsNigel Farage's Reform UK party has received a 9m donation from Christopher Harborne, a leading cryptocurrency, defence and aviation-fuel investor who previously bankrolled the Brexit party.Harborne gave the record donation to Reform over the summer in a boost to the party's finances before its autumn conference. Continue reading...

Experts say any change to the hepatitis B schedule could have significant and far-reaching consequencesRobert F Kennedy Jr's vaccine advisory committee convenes on Thursday to consider a reversal of a decades-long program of childhood immunizations, including a recommendation to delay hepatitis B shots for newborn babies.For decades, federal health recommendations have suggested that all newborns be vaccinated against the virus that can lead to serious liver disease. Kennedy, the US health secretary and a prominent anti-vaccine activist, has long pushed for delaying the shot. Continue reading...

Financial watchdog rejects claims Treasury officials deliberately misled reporters but leaves door open for follow-up inquiry

It comes after major policies such as freeze on income tax thresholds were reported in chaotic build-up to budget

As leaders try to break smugglers' business model, research suggests strategy so far has had opposite effectHardline migration policies adopted by governments across the globe have been a boon for people smugglers, fuelling demand and allowing them to raise their prices, according to a report.The findings, released on Thursday by the Mixed Migration Centre of the Danish Refugee Council, and based on interviews with thousands of migrants and hundreds of smugglers, come as officials prepare to gather next week in Brussels to discuss how best to combat smuggling. Continue reading...

Administrative review tribunal no longer authorised to alter a person's plan or reinstate funding, agency confirms

The Russian president's Delhi visit gives him a chance to reduce Moscow's isolation but both countries need each other to negotiate Trump's America and a powerful ChinaWhen Vladimir Putin last set foot in India almost exactly four years ago, the world order looked materially different. That visit - lasting just five hours due to the covid pandemic - saw Putin and Indian prime minister Narendra Modi discuss economic and military cooperation and reaffirm their special relationship.Three months later, Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine would turn him into a global pariah, isolating Russia from the world and restricting Putin's international travel. Continue reading...

Government once seen as progressive on migration says aid cuts to blame for excluding countries not experiencing war'The Ugandan government has stopped granting asylum and refugee status to people from Eritrea, Somalia and Ethiopia, citing severe funding shortfalls for the significant policy shift.Hillary Onek, Uganda's minister for refugees, announced that the government would no longer grant the status to new arrivals from countries not experiencing war". Continue reading...

Passengers welcome climbdown and say plan to turn Avanti West Coast service into ghost train' made no senseI don't think I've seen it this busy in years," said Liam, a customer service specialist struggling to deal with a growing line of tired customers onboard the 7am Avanti West Coast service from Manchester to London.They were made more agitated by the news that the microwave was broken and bacon sandwiches were off the menu. I don't think there's been this many people on the 7am since before Covid," said the beleaguered staff member. Continue reading...

Resort to be located on the banks of Penrith's Nepean River, 15km from Western Sydney airport, with plans for a 300-metre Olympic-class ski run

Exclusive: Senior minister raises significant concerns' over one of UK's biggest property managersA senior minister has said he has significant concerns" about one of Britain's biggest property managers after dozens of residents complained of high charges, slow repairs and aggressive debt collection techniques.It is the latest sign of growing anger in Westminster over the behaviour of FirstPort, which manages properties on behalf of 1 million people, and other leasehold management companies. Continue reading...

Artist who once draped Barbican in brightly coloured fabric says he is humbled by recognition in ArtReview rankingsThe Ghanaian artist Ibrahim Mahama has become the first African to be named the most influential figure in the art world in ArtReview magazine's annual power list.Mahama, whose work often uses found materials including textile remnants, topped the ranking of the contemporary art world's most influential people and organisations as chosen by a global judging panel. Continue reading...

Inaugural prize expected to be handed to Donald Trump but process' for choosing future winners to be proposed by controversial tycoon's committeeIt was the timing that set off the first alarm bells. With Donald Trump brooding over missing out on the Nobel peace prize, and shortly before Gianni Infantino, the president of world football's governing body, Fifa, was due to meet the US president in Miami, an announcement was made.In a press release and a post on his personal Instagram account last month, Infantino said Fifa would launch its very own peace prize, to be awarded each year to individuals who help unite people in peace through unwavering commitment and special actions". Continue reading...

Seizures and warrants involve Chinese-Cambodian tycoon Chen Zhi, who heads US-sanctioned Prince Group, and Cambodians Kok An and Yim LeakThailand has seized assets worth more than $300m, including shares in a major regional energy company, and issued arrest warrants for 42 people in a high-profile push against regional scam networks, officials said on Wednesday.Parts of south-east Asia, including the border areas between Thailand, Myanmar and Cambodia, have become hubs for online fraud, with criminal networks earning billions from illegal compounds where trafficking victims are often forced to work. Continue reading...

New South Wales south coast faces highest heatwave category, with extreme temperatures forecast elsewhere, including in Western Australia and the NT

Nine-country poll finds half of people believe risk of war with Russia is high and three-quarters want to stay in EUNearly half of Europeans see Donald Trump as an enemy of Europe", rather more rate the risk of war with Russia as high and more than two-thirds believe their country would not be able to defend itself in the event of such a war, a survey has found.The nine-country poll for the Paris-based European affairs debate platform Le Grand Continent also found that nearly three-quarters of respondents wanted their country to stay in the EU, with almost as many saying leaving the union had harmed the UK. Continue reading...

Lack of local content is notable this year in the music platform's analysis of users' personal music, podcast and audiobook choices

Monarch welcomed German president, Frank-Walter Steinmeier, and promised both nations' support for UkraineThe UK and Germany are ready to bolster Europe" against the threat of further Russian aggression and both nations stand" with Ukraine, King Charles said as he hosted the German president, Frank-Walter Steinmeier..The visit comes at a difficult time for Europe in the face of Russia's war in Ukraine, and will aim to underscore the Kensington treaty signed in July - the first formal pact between the UK and Germany since the second world war - which sets out plans for closer cooperation on migration, defence, trade and education. Continue reading...

Ban due to take effect next week, but Meta has started deactivating accounts already

Naccom members accommodated record 4,434 refugees and migrants in 2024-25 but could not house another 3,450Thousands of refugees are facing a growing homelessness crisis, according to a network of more than 100 organisations across the UK who say homelessness has more than doubled among refugees in the last two years.Naccom, the national charity of 140 frontline refugee and migrant organisations, blames the increase on near-constant government policy changes" and the introduction of eVisas, which some refugees have not been able to activate in order to access vital services and support. Continue reading...

Leaders focus on bolstering Ukraine's finances as US-Russia talks to end war make little progressThe European Commission will move ahead with controversial plans to fund Ukraine with a loan based on Russia's frozen assets, but in a concession to concerns raised by Belgium, which hosts most of the assets, the EU executive has also proposed another option: an EU loan based on common borrowing.The European Commission president, Ursula von der Leyen, said on Wednesday the two proposals would ensure Ukraine has the means to defend [itself] and take forward peace negotiations from a position of strength". Continue reading...

Increasing number of people asking for help to regain access to accounts, with Google topping digital platform-related complaints

Former political staffer says Lehrmann's extended defamation action against Network Ten and Lisa Wilkinson was retraumatising'

Agency says missile struck citizens in Khan Younis, as Israel reports targeting Hamas terrorist' after clash with militantsAn Israeli strike on Palestinian territory has killed five people including two children, Gaza's civil defence agency told AFP on Wednesday.Five citizens, including two children, killed and others injured, some seriously, as a result of an Israeli missile strike," in al-Mawasi, west of Khan Younis, civil defence spokesperson Mahmud Bassal told AFP. Continue reading...

MG4 only managed 281km of its claimed 405km range, while Tesla Model Y came closest to matching expectations

Salvador Plasencia pleaded guilty to giving actor ketamine in the month leading up to his deathA Los Angeles doctor who sold ketamine to Matthew Perry before his overdose death has been sentenced to two and a half years in prison.Dr Salvador Plasencia, 44, had pleaded guilty on Wednesday to giving Matthew Perry ketamine in the month leading up to the Friends star's overdose death in 2023. Perry died at age 54 after struggling with addiction for years, dating back to his time as one of the biggest stars of his generation for his role as Chandler Bing.

US House and Senate lawmakers to meet with top admiral on Thursday about double strike on boats from VenezuelaAs the Trump administration continues military strikes on alleged drug-trafficking boats in the Caribbean, several Republican lawmakers are ramping up scrutiny on the administration over a double strike in early September.The strikes on suspected drug boats from Venezuela have drawn pushback from both parties - in particular, the second strike on a single boat to kill remaining survivors. The Washington Post reported that the order for a second strike came from the defense secretary, Pete Hegseth, which Hegseth has denied. Continue reading...

Russian leader's rejection of latest peace proposal was predictable and shows the Kremlin continues to hold the trump cardBefore the harsh white glare of the Kremlin reception room came a telling prologue: Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, Donald Trump's self-described deal guys", being led by Kremlin officials through the sparkling streets of a festive Moscow.Wasn't it lovely, Vladimir Putin asked later, as both sides sat down to a five-hour negotiation that seems to have led right back to where they started. It's a magnificent city," Witkoff replied. Then the cameras cut out. Continue reading...

Inquiry into British Army Training Unit in Kenya by Kenyan parliament says it faced institutional resistance and non-cooperation'A report by the Kenyan parliament into the conduct of troops stationed at a British military base close to the town of Nanyuki in Kenya has alleged human rights violations, environmental destruction and sexual abuse by British soldiers.The inquiry into the British Army Training Unit in Kenya (Batuk) was carried out by Kenya's departmental committee on defenc, intelligence and foreign relations.The establishment of a survivor liaison unit to offer legal aid to victims of crimes linked to Batuk personnel.For the British and Kenyan governments to negotiate mechanisms to hold Batuk soldiers accountable for child support".The creation of a military-linked crimes taskforce to oversee investigation and prosecution of offences committed by foreign military personnel. Continue reading...

More than third of party's Senedd members write to PM in move seen as further evidence of Labour decline in WalesMore than a third of Labour members of the Welsh parliament have launched an extraordinary attack on Keir Starmer's government, accusing it of rolling back devolution.Eleven Labour Senedd members (MSs) wrote to the prime minister and Labour leader claiming his administration had been either deeply insensitive" to Wales or guilty of constitutional outrage". Continue reading...

This week it was announced that three more former Tory MPs have gone over to Nigel Farage's partyThis is from Ed Davey, the Lib Dem leader, on Nigel Farage's denial of the FT story. (See 9.33am.)A handy reminder that in 2019 Farage did a deal to put Boris Johnson in No10 and push through his disastrous Brexit deal.But instead of taking responsibility, of course Farage plays the victim. Continue reading...

Journalist, broadcaster and author, 67, will take over from Melvyn Bragg when series resumes next monthMisha Glenny, the award-winning journalist, broadcaster and author, will become the new presenter of In Our Time when the series resumes next month, BBC Radio 4 has announced.He takes over from Melvyn Bragg, who stepped down in September after more than 27 years and over 1,000 episodes at the helm of the show, which offers an insight into humanity's cultural achievements. Continue reading...

Charity director warns more deaths will follow' unless government changes tack and closes women's prisonsOver the past decade 97 women have died in prisons in England and Wales, as incidents of self-harm among female prisoners reach the highest level on record, a new report has found.Inquest, the charity that produced the report, collated Ministry of Justice (MoJ) figures since 2015 to arrive at a total number of deaths. It said the numbers were evidence for its case that all women's prisons should be closed. Continue reading...

ICO reprimands company over accidental publishing of data about people caught up in Horizon IT scandal

This blog is now closed, you can read more on this story hereEuropean Commission president Ursula von der Leyen is now briefing the media after the commission's weekly meeting, presenting the bloc's plan to help fund Ukraine's continuing fight against Russia.I will bring you the key lines here. Continue reading...

What are the legal implications, and why does Belgium fear being left alone with the bill?The European Commission has proposed providing Ukraine with 90bn in funding over two years, which it says will meet two-thirds of Kyiv's financing needs for 2026 and 2027 and allow it to engage in peace talks from a position of strength".There are two options for generating the money. It could be a reparations loan" based on Russian assets frozen in the bloc, the option favoured by the commission but strongly resisted by Belgium, which hosts most of the assets. Continue reading...

The accused, including Syrian refugee Sarah Mardini and Irishman Sean Binder, were among those providing humanitarian assistance in Europe's migration crisisTwenty four former aid workers accused of facilitating the illegal entrance of migrants into Greece, and other crimes that carry lengthy prison terms, are set to appear in court on Lesbos in a trial being closely watched internationally.Human rights defenders from around the world, including Sarah Mardini, the Syrian refugee immortalised in the Netflix movie, The Swimmers, are slated to take the stand when proceedings before a court of appeals begin in the island's capital, Mytilene, on Thursday. Continue reading...

Leaked document raises questions over amount of government control behind MP Kim Leadbeater's bill

Giant biomass plant reveals burning of wood pellets made 9% of UK's electricity in July, its largest ever monthly shareBritain's reliance on burning wood to generate electricity has reached record highs, even as the government moves to curb the controversial use of biomass power.The latest figures supplied by the owner of the huge Drax biomass plant in North Yorkshire have revealed that power generated from burning biomass wood pellets provided 9% of the UK's electricity in July, its largest ever monthly share. Continue reading...

Debt-ridden utility company warns of material uncertainty' despite seeing profits rise to more than 400mThames Water has said crisis talks to secure its future with lenders are taking longer than expected" and will drag into 2026 as it faces the prospect of a collapse into government control.Britain's biggest water company on Wednesday said it had swung to a profit of 414m for the six months to September helped by bills rising by nearly a third, after losing 149m in the same period in 2024. Continue reading...

Gustavo Petro responded to intimations by US president of military strikes on Colombian soil to fight drug traffickingColombia's president has warned Donald Trump that he risked waking the jaguar" after the US leader suggested that any country he believed was making illegal drugs destined for the US was liable to a military attack.During a cabinet meeting on Tuesday, the US president said that military strikes on land targets inside Venezuela would start very soon". Trump also warned that any country producing narcotics was a potential target, singling out Colombia, which has long been a close ally in Washington's war on drugs". Continue reading...

Acclaimed author sick about' 171-year-old institution's proposed restructure as hundreds of writers sign open letter in protest

Global arm of Alliance Defending Freedom, which advances a Christian view' of sexuality, supports proposed legal action over classroom material

Pontiff says Italy specifically could play role of mediator in talks between Russia, US and UkrainePope Leo stressed the importance of Europe's involvement in US efforts to end Russia's war in Ukraine, while suggesting that Italy specifically could play the role of mediator.Russia and the US failed to make progress towards a peace deal for Ukraine during talks on Tuesday, with Vladimir Putin accusing Europe of preventing the US administration from achieving peace on Ukraine". Continue reading...

Prosecutors say two others also indicted in investigation into funding for school training young diplomats

Trust announces major grant to exhibit 4m Chew Valley Hoard, which was found by metal detectorists in 2019The coins were buried in a valley in the English West Country almost 1,000 years ago at a time of huge political and social turmoil.A millennium on, plans have been announced to bring the Chew Valley Hoard, 2,584 silver coins hidden shortly after the Norman conquest, back to the south-west of England. Continue reading...

Cleta Mitchell was compelled to testify in North Carolina over a recent law that hiked up requirementsDuring a federal trial in North Carolina over whether a new voter registration law discriminates against college students, a prominent rightwing election integrity activist previewed Republicans' long-range plans to end same-day registration.Judge Thomas Schroeder is deliberating over the future of provisions in Senate bill 747, which increased registration requirements for voters who cast ballots on the same day they register to vote during North Carolina's early voting period. Schroeder called for briefs at the end of November after a week-long trial in Winston-Salem. Continue reading...