Pyongyang's envoy to the United Nations says buildup is to counter threat from hostile nuclear weapons states'North Korea's UN envoy has said Pyongyang will accelerate a buildup of its nuclear weapons programme just days after it test-fired an intercontinental ballistic missile for the first time this year at a moment of rising tensions with the west.Kim Song, North Korea's ambassador to the UN, said during a security council meeting on Monday that Pyongyang would accelerate the programme to counter any threat presented by hostile nuclear weapons states". Continue reading...
by Denis Campbell Health policy editor on (#6RZNM)
Parliamentary bill will also ban the advertising of vapes and restrict their flavours, packaging and marketingSmoking is set to be banned outside schools and hospitals as part of a crackdown on one of the UK's biggest killers and its most common cause of cancer.But the government has dropped plans to outlaw smoking outside pubs and restaurants, prompting health campaigners to complain about vested interests" covertly influencing policy. Continue reading...
by Tom Ambrose (now); Daniel Lavelle and Martin Belam on (#6RZ08)
Breakdown in peace negotiations may have been caused by leaked and falsified documents involving close aide to Israeli PMIsraeli media reports that prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu will meet today with opposition leader Yair Lapid for a security briefing.The Palestinian Authority's foreign ministry has issued a statement condemning the reported burning of cars by Israeli settlers in Al-Bireh in the Israeli-occupied West Bank.The ministry affirms that the Jewish terrorist elements who stormed Al-Bireh would not have committed this heinous crime had they not felt protected, supported and immune from the political level in the occupying state, especially the ministers of the extreme Israeli right who openly incite against Palestinian citizens, their land and their property in full view. Continue reading...
Since 2010 government travellers have been banned from accepting frequent flyer points for work-related travel. But ban did not extend to status credits
Case follows numerous attacks on the voting process and threats of violence, even as officials say voting is safeA man in Illinois punched an election judge at a polling location and was arrested on Sunday, two days before the climax of the US presidential race, according to authorities.The man, identified as 24-year-old Daniel Schmidt, was charged with two counts of aggravated battery to a victim over 60, two counts of aggravated battery in a public place, and five misdemeanor counts of resisting arrest and one count of disorderly conduct. Continue reading...
The push to vote early has amounted to an unprecedented wave, with more than 80 million having voted early so farThe US election is under way across the country, and so far more than 80 million people have voted early, according to the University of Florida's election lab.In numerous states, the push to vote before election day, whether by mail or in-person, has amounted to an unprecedented wave of early voting. Continue reading...
Future Coalition Pac accused of sending the two groups very different messages about Harris's position on GazaA political action committees (Pac) linked to Elon Musk are accused of targeting Jewish and Arab American voters in swing states with dramatically different messages about Kamala Harris's position on Gaza, a strategy by Trump allies aimed at peeling off Democratic support for the vice-president.Texts, mailers, social media ads and billboards targeting heavily Arab American areas in metro Detroit paint Harris as a staunch ally of Israel who will continue supplying arms to the country. Meanwhile, residents in metro Detroit or areas of Pennsylvania with higher Jewish populations have been receiving messaging that underscores her alleged support for the Palestinian cause.Don't miss important US election coverage. Get our free app and sign up for election alerts Continue reading...
Murray Sinclair praised by prime minister for pioneering country's Indigenous reconciliation effortsMurray Sinclair, the Anishinaabe judge, senator and university chancellor, who reshaped Canada's legal system and forced the public to confront the brutal realities of the Indigenous residential school system, has died at the age of 73.Sinclair - whose spirit name was Mizhana Gheezhik, meaning The One Who Speaks of Pictures in the Sky" - was a champion of Indigenous rights and reconciliation efforts, dedicating his life to reversing the stark inequties many Indigenous communities face as the result of colonial policy. Continue reading...
Rumors across various social media sites are magnified through translation and dissemination to other platformsAfter Kamala Harris became the Democratic candidate, TikTok and Instagram saw the emergence of a particularly vicious kind of misinformation - that Harris stole someone's husband, specifically Willie Brown, a former mayor of San Francisco.This is false. But these rumors were soon translated into Chinese and posted on X, with the language becoming even more inflammatory", according to the Chinese factchecking group PiYaoBa. One Chinese influencer, whose tweet garnered more than 60,000 views, translated stole a woman's husband" as mistress". Continue reading...
Top platforms had placed Republican ahead but Democrat is catching up and even leads on one appBetting markets have narrowed significantly on the eve of Tuesday's presidential election, eroding Donald Trump's lead over Kamala Harris as Americans cast their vote.The former president and his allies have touted the betting market forecasts as more accurate than traditional polling in recent weeks, as the top platforms put him way ahead of Harris. Continue reading...
Dawn Sturgess died in July 2018 after she was exposed to novichok in discarded perfume bottle in WiltshireTwo senior police officers have apologised to Dawn Sturgess's family for falsely describing her as a known drug addict while she was in hospital for the novichok poisoning that killed her, an inquiry has heard.One of the officers, who liaised with the hospital treating Sturgess, also apologised for claiming in an email that ambulance and fire service crews who came to her aid had panicked somewhat" by concluding her condition was the result of nerve agent poisoning. Continue reading...
Mount Lewotobi Laki-Laki spews thick brownish ash into the air, killing at least 10 peopleAt least 10 people have died as a series of volcanic eruptions widens on the remote Indonesian island of Flores, the country's national disaster management has said.The eruption at Mount Lewotobi Laki-Laki on Monday night spewed thick brownish ash as high as 2km (1.24 miles) into the air and hot ashes hit several villages, burning down houses including a convent of Catholic nuns, said Firman Yosef, an official at the Lewotobi Laki-Laki monitoring post. Continue reading...
Adam Coy, who is white, convicted in murder of Hill, a Black man who was holding a cellphone and keys when killedA former police officer was convicted of murder on Monday in the shooting of Andre Hill, a Black man who was holding a cellphone and keys when he was killed.Officer Adam Coy, who is white and served nearly 20 years with the Columbus police force, shot Hill four times in a garage nearly four years ago. Coy was fired after the shooting. He later told jurors that he thought Hill was holding a silver revolver. Continue reading...
New Conservative leader makes key appointments and says she wants to unite party, with Stride a senior figure on the left and Patel prominent rightwingerStarmer went on to say the government was going to treat people smugglers like terrorists". And he explained what that meant.So we're taking our approach to counter terrorism, which we know works, and apply it to the gangs with our new Border Security Command.We're ending the fragmentation between policing, Border Force and our intelligence agencies, recruiting hundreds of specialist investigators, the best of the best, from our National Crime Agency, Border Force, immigration enforcement and the CPS [Crown Prosecution Service] and our intelligence agencies, all working together.We have the powers to trace suspects' movements using information from the intelligence services.We can shut down their bank accounts, cut off their internet access, and arrest them for making preparations to act before an attack has taken place.I will work with anyone serious who could offer solutions of this, anyone, because without coordinated global action, it will not go away.And unless we bring all the powers we have to bear on this in much the same way as we do for terrorism, then we will struggle to bring these criminals to justice. Continue reading...
Security and defence will be difficult areas if the Republicans triumph but neither candidate seems keen on a trade deal with BritainEarly on Wednesday morning the results will start to trickle in from the most consequential US presidential election in a generation.The result will set the path for the US's relationship with a UK led by its first Labour government in 14 years. Keir Starmer and his team have sought to prepare themselves for either eventuality: a Kamala Harris victory, with its easier, more predictable consequences, or a second Donald Trump administration and the volatility that would bring. Continue reading...
Residents warned of potentially life-threatening conditions' including tornadoes and severe thunderstormsA day after tornadoes injured at least 11 people while downing trees, power lines and gas lines, communities in Oklahoma on Monday were navigating fresh warnings of destructive weather.Six or more tornadoes hit the state overnight into Sunday - and more tornadoes (some strong), large hail, and severe thunderstorm gusts, are expected today into tonight from the Southern Plains into the Ozarks and mid Mississippi Valley", the US's National Weather Service (NWS) said on Monday. Continue reading...
Being married or in marriage-like' situation may bring health benefits - but quality of relationship is key, say expertsThey were portrayed as self-satisfied and insufferable by Bridget Jones's Diary, but research suggests cohabiting couples may have something to be smug about: they have a lower risk of depression than singletons.A large-scale analysis involving more than 100,000 individuals across seven countries has added weight to previous research suggesting that being married or being in a marriage-like" relationship could bring health benefits. Continue reading...
Strike called after negotiations between the guild and Times management failed to yield a contract agreementThe New York Times Tech Guild, which represents hundreds of the outlet's tech staff workers, went on strike Monday morning - one day before the US presidential election.The threat of a strike has existed within the company for months, raising questions over a potential disruption of election coverage. The newspaper giant confirmed in a statement that members would begin protesting outside the Times headquarters daily, beginning at 9am Monday. Continue reading...
Government drops opposition to case of 64 people, including 16 children, who fled persecution in Sri LankaDozens of Tamils stranded on the remote Indian Ocean island of Diego Garcia for more than three years are to be airlifted to the UK after the government dropped its opposition to their case, the high court has heard.The 64 people, including 16 children, have been stranded on the island since October 2021, when a fishing boat they were using to flee persecution in Sri Lanka got into difficulties. Continue reading...
RFK Jr, an anti-vaccine conspiracy theorist, says Trump promised him control over public health policy if he winsDonald Trump suggested vaccines could be banned if he becomes president, in the clearest sign yet of a radical shake-up in public health policy should he put his ally Robert F Kennedy Jr in charge of it.Trump on Sunday told NBC that Kennedy, the anti-vaccine conspiracy theorist and former independent candidate who dropped out and endorsed Trump, would have a big role in the administration" if wins Tuesday's presidential election. Trump said he would talk to Kennedy about vaccinations. Continue reading...
Sibling of murder victim says it is difficult to understand' purpose of eight-part series co-produced by KnoxMeredith Kercher will always be remembered for her own fight for life", the sister of the murdered British student has said as filming began in Italy on a controversial TV series co-produced by Amanda Knox about the case.Filming of the eight-episode series, Blue Moon, has coincided with the 17th anniversary of the murder, for which Knox was twice convicted before being definitively acquitted in 2015. Continue reading...
by Hannah Al-Othman North of England correspondent on (#6RZ4W)
Victims remains in hospital in a critical but stable condition with injuries to her neck, abdomen, chest and backA teenager has been remanded into custody after he appeared in court charged with attempting to murder a 13-year-old girl and possessing a samurai sword.The 14-year-old was arrested after a girl was found with life-threatening injuries near Hull on Friday morning.
Foreign minister says bomb threats against polling stations in German cities show Putin will stop at nothing'Germany has condemned what it called a massive, coordinated attempt" to prevent Moldovans abroad from voting in the second round of the country's presidential election.Germany's foreign minister, Annalena Baerbock, said vote-buying, manipulation and bomb threats against Moldovan polling stations - even in Germany" - were aimed at the heart of European democracy", and showed that the Russian president, Vladimir Putin, will stop at nothing". Continue reading...
Children for Change contains stories, poems, and illustrations from more than 80 collaborators including Jamie Oliver, Mary Portas, David Baddiel and Adam KayKonnie Huq, Jamie Oliver, David Baddiel, Adam Kay, Mary Portas and Joseph Coelho are among those collaborating on an ebook about the climate crisis which will be free to access for every UK primary school.The ebook, Children for Change, is edited by Huq and features contributions from more than 80 writers, illustrators, environmentalists and young people including Tom Gates author Liz Pichon, The Gruffalo illustrator Axel Scheffler and TV presenter Chris Packham. Continue reading...
Arizona official notes that hardened tactics, including active shooter drills, offer sad commentary' on countryElections offices in the US have hardened their security measures this year, anticipating potential violence based on experience since 2020 and during an ongoing rise in threats and harassment focused on election workers.Many offices have now trained their workers on de-escalation tactics. They've run drills for active shooters or other disturbances. They have a process for flagging the threats that could be criminal and seeking law enforcement help when needed.Don't miss important US election coverage. Get our free app and sign up for election alerts Continue reading...
History teacher stabbed and decapitated near his school in a Paris suburb in 2020 in case that shocked FranceEight people have gone on trial in Paris for their alleged role in events leading to the beheading of the history teacher Samuel Paty in 2020, in a case that horrified France and heightened fears of terrorist attacks on schools.Paty, a 47-year-old history teacher, was stabbed and then decapitated near his secondary school in the Paris suburb of Conflans-Sainte-Honorine, by Abdoullakh Anzorov, a radicalised 18-year-old who arrived in France aged six with his Chechen parents and had been granted asylum. Continue reading...
Claire Hanna lambasts arrogance of former PM and stinking status quo' in Stormont that has stifled ambitionBoris Johnson left a wholly negative legacy" for the island of Ireland but difficulties in Northern Ireland also stem from a stinking status quo" that has stifled ambition and drive for change, the new leader of the Social Democratic and Labour party has said.Weeks after taking over from Colum Eastwood, Claire Hanna, spoke about her plans to revive the SDLP, pull Northern Ireland out of past mindsets and fight for new partnerships with Dublin on health and other public services. Continue reading...
Day after king and PM pelted by angry residents, search focuses on areas where people could have been trappedHundreds of civil and military emergency workers are searching shopping centres, garages and underground car parks for more victims of floods in the Valencia region that have killed at least 214 people, as public anger mounts over Spanish authorities' handling of the disaster.Yellow and amber weather warnings were in place for parts of Valencia and neighbouring Catalonia on Monday, with people in the affected areas advised to stay off the roads and keep away from the coast and rivers. Continue reading...
The outcome could have profound implications for the wars in Gaza and Ukraine as well as the climate crisisAmerica's moment of reckoning has arrived. On Tuesday, the nation will hold a presidential election like none before, poised between the historic candidacy of a Black woman and a former president branded a fascist by his own former officials.Democrat Kamala Harris and Republican Donald Trump spent the weekend barnstorming swing states, aware that opinion polls show them running neck-and-neck in the race for the White House. Analysts are predicting the closest election since 2000, when George W Bush prevailed by 537 votes, and warning of the threat of civil unrest and political violence. Continue reading...
Source says one person's hand was severed in altercation involving several people at Ozoir-la-Ferriere stationFour people have been wounded, two of them seriously, after an axe was used during a fight on a suburban train outside Paris, a police source said.One of the victims had their hand severed and another had their skull split open, the source added, asking not to be named. Two others were less seriously injured. Continue reading...
by Nadia Khomami Arts and culture correspondent on (#6RZ09)
Outgoing artistic director of Young Vic calls for urgent government action to redress arts funding in schoolsKwame Kwei-Armah, the outgoing artistic director of the Young Vic, has warned that diversity in the theatre industry will regress if the government does not make urgent interventions to improve the provision of drama and art classes in schools.The director and dramatist has scripted a new Hercules musical that opens at Theatre Royal Drury Lane in London in June 2025, taking over the musical mantle at the theatre from Frozen. It will be his first major project since stepping down from the Young Vic earlier this year. Continue reading...
Rachel Reeves announced in her budget that after April 2026 heirs will pay tax when farms are passed onFor more than 100 years, the family of 56-year-old Andrew Smith has had a cattle farm on Bodmin Moor in Cornwall. Smith, who now runs the farm, sees chancellor Rachel Reeves's changes to inheritance tax rules as a grave betrayal of British farmers.Working with his three sons, the farm produces about 2,000 sheep and 30 to 40 cows each year, yet makes no profit", he says. We just pay the bills." Continue reading...
National Audit Office report says taxpayer-funded scheme made payment to suspected scammer last autumnFraudsters may have stolen 500,000 from a taxpayer-funded scheme aimed at accelerating the removal of dangerous cladding from buildings, the public spending watchdog has revealed.The National Audit Office said the government decision to prioritise speed in handing out money to building owners had increased its risk of losses from fraud. Continue reading...
In today's newsletter: The new Conservative party leader was announced on Saturday - and must build a credible opposition from a small pool of colleagues in the House of Commons Sign up here for our daily newsletter, First EditionGood morning. Kemi Badenoch was elected as Conservative leader over the weekend, and now has a window of about two minutes of mainstream attention before the US election devours the entire news agenda. That is not time to plot the next five years in any detail. But it doesn't take long to observe just how stiff the challenge she faces will be.The contest was billed as a postmortem of the election defeat - but as it played out, we don't even know in any detail why Badenoch thinks the Tories lost. She said yesterday that the threat of Reform UK was a symptom of her party not being consistent enough about values" - without being specific about what that would mean in practice. Meanwhile she starts with a reputation as an abrasive media performer who is firmly on the right of her party, and will soon have to decide whether to oppose public spending increases just four months after a landslide defeat.US election | In the final stretch of the presidential race, Donald Trump has said he should never have left the White House after his defeat in 2020 and joked darkly he would be fine with reporters getting shot. Meanwhile, Kamala Harris promised to work to end the war in Gaza as she attempted to appeal to Arab American and Muslim American voters in Michigan.Europe | The pro-western incumbent Maia Sandu has won a second term in office in the Moldovan presidential election, preliminary results have shown, marking a significant boost for the country's EU aspirations and a clear rebuke to Moscow.Labour | Rachel Reeves has admitted she was wrong to say before the election that no major tax rises would be needed, but promised there was no need to increase taxes further" after last week's budget raised 40bn.Spain | Hundreds of people have heckled Spain's King Felipe and prime minister Pedro Sanchez - throwing mud and shouting murderers" - as they visited an area in Valencia devastated by last week's floods. The scenes laid bare the degree of anger among residents who feel abandoned by the authorities.Work | One thousand workers in the UK will get extra time off with no loss of pay in the first official pilot by the four-day week campaign under the Labour government. Amid growing momentum for a shorter working week, the campaign will present its findings in the summer. Continue reading...
by Denis Campbell Health policy editor on (#6RYZ2)
Government plan to reduce smoking rates in danger of falling a decade behind scheduleEngland will not be smoke-free" until 2039, missing a key public health target by almost a decade, an analysis has found.While smoking rates are in decline they are not falling fast enough to realise the government's ambition of England being smoke-free" by 2030, according to Cancer Research UK (CRUK). Continue reading...
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