The Evening Standard: Recent Episodes
The Evening Standard
SpaceX has postponed its next astronaut flight for NASA until Wednesday because of rough winds and waves hundreds of miles away.
Four astronauts were supposed to blast off early tomorrow morning on a six-month mission to the International Space Station. But while the forecast at NASA's Kennedy Space Center was near perfect, a large storm in the Northeast had the sea churning farther up the coast. The safety violation meant managers moved the launch.
Good weather is needed right across the North Atlantic to Ireland, in case something goes wrong and the capsule has to make an emergency splashdown.
More than 160 buildings in a town in northwestern Myanmar, including at least two churches, have been destroyed by fires caused by shelling by government troops.
The destruction of parts of the town of Thantlang in Chin state look like being the most extensive so far in the ongoing struggle between Myanmar's military government and its opponents.
The army seized power in February from the elected government of Aung San Suu Kyi, but has failed to quell the widespread resistance.
Human rights groups and U.N. experts have recently warned that the government is planning a major offensive in the country's northwest.
World leaders meeting in Rome have expressed "broad support" for a landmark deal to establish a 15% global minimum corporate tax. It’s aimed at stopping multinational companies from using clever accounting to escape taxes by using low-rate havens.
Leaders spoke on the proposal during this afternoon’s opening session of the G20 conference of rich nations.
A key question is whether the U.S. Congress will pass legislation to comply, since the United States is home to 28% of the world's 2,000 largest multinationals.
France’s wind turbines are causing controversy
Xavier Bertrand, the leading conservative contender for next year’s presidential election says he opposes any "archaic growth" of wind turbines.
Two weeks ago, French far-right candidate Marine Le Pen said she would end all subsidies for renewable energy and take down France's wind turbines if she’s elected .
Meanwhile the CEO of French company Engie says it would be a "huge mistake" to suspend wind power development
France produces about three quarters of its power in nuclear plants, which means its electricity output has among the lowest carbon emissions of any developed country. However, it lags far behind Germany and other European nations in wind and solar investment.
Reports are coming in from Sudan that two protesters have been shot dead by troops in the capital Khartoum's twin city of Omdurman.
Thousands of Sudanese people have poured into the streets, chanting "revolution, revolution" to the sound of whistles and drums. They’re protesting against a military coup earlier this week that is threatening to derail the country's transition to democracy.
Pro-democracy groups had called for mass protests across the country to press demands for re-instating a deposed transitional government and releasing senior political figures from detention.
The United States and the United Nations have warned Sudan's strongman, General Abdel-Fattah Burhan, that they view the military's treatment of the protesters as a test, and called for restraint.
Parts of the UK have been hit with almost a month’s worth of rain in 48 hours, with more downpours expected over the weekend, ahead of the COP26 climate summit.
Weather warnings for rain remain in several parts of the country, including Glasgow where the climate emergency talks will start tomorrow
The Environment Agency says there are eight flood warnings, meaning that flooding is expected, and 51 flood alerts, meaning that flooding remains likely.
In Dartmoor, Devon parts of the area received nearly five inches of rain in 48 hours – that’s almost as much as the average for the whole of October.
Italy's Premier Mario Draghi has opened a conference of the world's richest countries with a sharp call to pick up the pace in getting vaccines to poor countries. He’s calling the gaping global COVID-19 vaccine gap "morally unacceptable."
Draghi reminded his fellow leaders that only 3% of people in the world's poorest countries are vaccinated, while 70% in rich countries have had at least one shot.
The global economy is recovering from the pandemic at different speeds. Climate change, vaccines, the recovery and international taxation are all on the agenda as leaders hold their first in-person summit since Covid struck.
A drug smuggler has been jailed for 20 years after admitting smuggling cocaine into the UK, including a load hidden in a shipment of children’s toys.
Chris Michaelides from Essex was arrested following a complex operation which dismantled an encrypted communications system. He’d been in contact for six years with an international network of criminals in Holland and the Czech Republic.
One plot involved loading children’s bricks with 50kg of cocaine into a lorry for import into the UK.
But the plan was foiled as authorities intercepted the vehicle.
German Chancellor Angela Merkel says she’s looking forward to taking it easy after 16 years at the helm of her country.
She’s told reporters she will perhaps travel a bit or read, knowing that no possible upheaval may happen in the next 20 minutes.
The Social Democrats, the Greens and the Free Democrats are in talks about forming a coalition government after last month’s election. Outgoing Vice Chancellor Olaf Scholz of the Social Democrats appears to have the best chance of become the next leader.
Until the next government has been formed, Merkel will continue as caretaker leader, she’s now at the G20 summit in Rome.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has invited Pope Francis to visit the country, extending an official invitation after plans for a 2017 papal visit fell apart.
Modi is in Rome for the G20 summit. His visit to the Vatican marks the first time in more than 20 years that an Indian leader has met a pope.
India is home to the second largest Catholic population in Asia after the Philippines, but the 18 million Catholics are a small minority in the largely Hindu nation of 1.3 billion.
Religious tensions have flared after Modi's Hindu nationalist government was returned to power for a second term in 2019, with attacks against Muslims and Christians.
A female jaguar has undergone a medical procedure that could help preserve her species.
Eight-year-old Bianca has been artificially inseminated with frozen semen from a male from another location, by scientists from Brazil and the US.
Two years ago, she gave birth to a healthy cub by the same process and was the first in the world to do so.
Jaguars are becoming rare in the wild, numbers are falling because of fires and habitat loss in the Amazon area and inbreeding becomes a problem in small, isolated populations.
Frozen semen can be used for years but doesn’t have the same success rate in big cats than in humans.
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson has denied that his government's policies on coal and air travel undermine his message that the world needs to wean itself off of fossil fuels.
He will welcome world leaders to Glasgow, Scotland, for the United Nations climate summit tomorrow and wants them to improve on their commitments to cutting greenhouse gas emissions.
But, at home, his government this week slashed tax on domestic air fares, and it is considering whether to approve the U.K.'s first deep coal mine for decades.
The Prime Minister says Britain's pledge on cutting carbon dioxide emissions is one of the "punchiest" of any country.
A Turkish-flagged cargo ship carrying about 400 migrants will dock at a Greek port to let them disembark. It’s being towed by a Greek coastguard vessel and sent a distress signal near the island of Crete.
Greece's Shipping Ministry has asked Turkey to accept the vessel's return.
Greece is the main route into the European Union for asylum-seekers arriving from Turkey.
Although numbers fell sharply after a deal was signed to stop migrants from crossing to Greece, many EU states fear more will attempt the journey after the Taliban takeover of Afghanistan.
Boris Johnson says The Queen is on “very good form,” despite being told to rest for two weeks.
The Prime Minister’s in Rome for a G20 summit of world leaders He told reporters the “important thing” was that the monarch follows the advice of her doctors and gets some rest. He added that the whole country wishes her well.
The Queen underwent tests in hospital last week and cancelled a two-day trip to Northern Ireland as well as a visit to the climate crisis summit in Glasgow.
But the head of state says she has the “firm intention” of leading the nation in honouring the country’s war dead on Remembrance Sunday on November 14.
Opponents of a military coup in Sudan are holding nationwide protests. They’re demanding the restoration of a civilian-led government to put the country back on a path to democracy after decades of authoritarian rule.
Thousands of Sudanese people have already taken to the streets to protest against General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan ousting Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok's cabinet. In response to the coup, western countries have frozen hundreds of millions in aid.
The United States is calling for the restoration of the civilian-led government and says how the army reacts today will be a test of its intentions. The State Department is calling on security forces to not to use violence against protesters.
At least 11 demonstrators so far have been killed in clashes with security forces
U.S. governors want a seat at the table as world leaders prepare to gather in Scotland for talks to reduce fossil fuel emissions and slow the planet's temperature rise.
At least a half dozen state governors — all Democrats — plan to attend parts of the two-week United Nations' climate change conference in Glasgow, known as COP26.
They’re from California, New Mexico, Hawaii, Louisiana, Illinois and Oregon
Other states sending officials include Maryland and Massachusetts, which have Republican governors.
In California, Governor Gavin Newsom has pledged to halt the sale of new gas-powered cars in the state by 2035, it’s aimed at accelerating the nation's transition to electric vehicles.
Few U.S. states are as influential as California. It’s home to nearly 40 million people and would be the world's fifth-largest economy if it were an independent nation.
The erupting volcano on the Spanish island of La Palma is attracting tourists keen to see the spectacle and boost the community’s economy by spending money at hotels and restaurants.
The authorities has restricted access to the roads near the Cumbre Vieja volcano so that security and emergency teams can operate as visitors arrive for the All Saints' Day weekend. But they’ve also set up a free bus service so people can view it from a safe distance.
Since the eruption began last month, lava has covered more than 2,000 acres, destroying around 2,000 buildings and many banana plantations. More than 7,000 people have had to leave their homes.
Zayn Malik has been axed by his record label after reports that he had been smoking cannabis.
RCA Records, owned by Sony Music Entertainment, dropped the former One Direction star due to concerns about his lifestyle choices.
It comes after the 28-year-old was charged with harassing his ex Gigi Hadid and her mother Yolanda after an alleged altercation at his Pennsylvania home, he denies the accusation.
Malik launched a solo career after leaving One Direction in 2015. His most recent album, January’s Nobody Is Listening, peaked at 17 in the UK albums chart.
Gunmen on a motorbike have fired on a broadcast journalist in his car in the Afghan capital of Kabul.
Iranian broadcaster Ali Reza Sharifi survived the attack last night with minor wounds.
A media watchdog has reported more than 30 instances of violence and threats of violence against Afghan journalists over the last two month, with nearly 90% committed by the Taliban.
Since the withdrawal of U.S. forces from Afghanistan in late August, three journalists have been killed in the country.
The Prince of Wales believes changes to the way cities are developed are needed to combat the climate emergency.
Prince Charles was speaking ahead of the G20 summit where he will join world leaders, before the UN climate change conference COP26, which formally opens in Scotland on Monday.
He says a change in lifestyles will be needed in the battle for the environment and sustainable urban development is an important part of responding to the climate crisis.
People in London have been warned to be alert to the threat of a pre-Christmas extremist attack in the capital.
The Head of London’s police force, Cressida Dick described the killing of MP Sir David Amess as a “chilling reminder” of the continuing danger from terrorism.
The Met Commissioner says it’s vital that members of the public report suspicious behaviour, regardless of who it involves as tipping off police saves lives.
The number of terror investigations underway by police and the security services is at record levels.
New floating wind farms will be built off the UK coast under Boris Johnson’s plans to reduce reliance on fossil fuels and tackle the climate crisis.
The UK Prime Minister is committing £160 million in funding to kickstart the building of large-scale offshore wind ports and factories in Scotland and Wales.
Unlike typical wind turbines which are anchored to the seabed, floating farms tend to be attached by mooring lines so they can be placed in deeper waters where gusts are stronger.
Developers and manufacturers will be able to bid for a share of the funding.
Lawyers for the Duke of York are seeking to dismiss a lawsuit brought by Virginia Giuffre with the royal saying he “unequivocally denies” sexually abusing or assaulting her.
Ms Giuffre has claimed she was trafficked by convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein the duke’s former friend, to have sex with Andrew when she was aged 17 and a minor under US law.
The allegations, which Andrew has repeatedly denied, have been labelled “false” in a document filed to a district court on Friday which added the duke’s “sullied reputation is only the latest collateral damage of the Epstein scandal”.
Ms Giuffre is suing the Queen’s son for allegedly sexually assaulting her when she was a teenager and she is seeking unspecified damages.
Commuter journeys on Britain’s railways are still at less than half of those before the pandemic.
Industry body the Rail Delivery Group says the number of train journeys made by people travelling to or from work in mid-October was just 45% of what it used to be.
That’s an increase from 33% in late August but highlights the difficulty businesses in city centres businesses face in attracting customers as many people continue to work from home.
London has seen the slowest recovery in commuting, with demand at just 41% of pre-virus levels compared with 54% across the rest of Britain.
Meanwhile, train journeys taken for leisure reasons are at around 90% of what they were before the pandemic.
Lawyers for the Duke of York are seeking to dismiss a lawsuit brought by Virginia Giuffre. The Prince says he “unequivocally denies” sexually abusing or assaulting her.
Ms Giuffre has claimed she was trafficked by convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein to have sex with Andrew when she was aged 17 and a minor under US law.
The allegations, which the Prince has repeatedly denied, have been labelled “false” in a document filed to a district court yesterday.
Epstein died in a Brooklyn jail in 2019 as he was held on charges for the sex trafficking of minors in Florida and New York.
The Prince of Wales will join world leaders at the G20 summit this weekend.
Presidents and prime ministers are gathering in Rome for a meeting of the world’s leading economies on the eve of the UN climate change conference COP26. That formally opens on Monday in Scotland.
Charles will give the opening address at the summit in Glasgow and is already warning world leaders that action is expected of them.
The Prince of Wales last visited Rome in 2019 to attend the Canonisation of Cardinal John Henry Newman. He’ll join the leaders this weekend for an official photograph before attending a private reception and dinner.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex have written an open letter to the G20 leaders to act immediately to help end the Covid pandemic.
Harry and Meghan teamed up with World Health Organisation Director-General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus to call for leaders to take action.
The couple begged Presidents and Prime Ministers to “end this devastating inequity.”
They emphasise the global targets of vaccinating 40 per cent of all countries by the end of this year and 70 per cent by the middle 2022.
French president Emmanuel Macron is suggesting the UK has not kept its Brexit pledges in the developing row over fishing rights.
France is threatening to block British boats from its ports and tighten checks on vessels if an issue over a lack of licences for small French vessels to fish in British waters isn’t resolved by Tuesday.
The UK says it could retaliate if that happens.
In an interview with the Financial Times, President Macron says the UK’s “credibility” is at stake.
A woman who stabbed her husband of 24 years three times and told a emergency operator “I thought I’d get his heart but he hasn’t got one” has been jailed for a minimum of 18 years after being found guilty of his murder.
Penelope Jackson knifed 78 year old David at their home in Somerset in February this year after a row over a birthday meal.
She repeatedly refused to help the victim when the emergency services operator asked her to apply pressure to the wound or throw him a towel to try and stem the bleeding.
Jackson later denied murder, pleading guilty to manslaughter and saying she had lost control following years of physical and emotional abuse at the hands of her husband.
Britain is donating a further 20 million Covid vaccine doses this year to poor countries struggling to immunise their populations.
The Government has already sent ten million AstraZeneca jabs to COVAX, the coalition seeking fair distribution of vaccines around the world.
A further ten million will be despatched in coming weeks, 100 million have been promised in all.
Boris Johnson is set to tell world leaders at the G20 summit in Rome that they should work to get the whole planet inoculated against the disease by the end of next year.
However, world health chiefs have heavily criticised wealthy nations for not being faster and more generous in distributing their stockpile of jabs to poorer countries.
The youngest-ever speaker at the World’s Anti-Bullying Forum in Sweden has urged social media platforms to take more action on cyberbullying.
17 year old Riddhi Oswal wants to help empower young people to open up about cyberbullying amid growing concern over the corrosive effect of social media on teenage mental health.
The teenager, who’s of Indian heritage and went to a Swiss boarding school, says her own experiences of bullying had inspired her to set up the ‘Stop The B’ Instagram account. It has more than 25,000 followers and many describe horrific bullying experiences which left them wanting to take their own lives.
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Insulate Britain spokesperson and eco-home builder Craig Scudder discusses the group’s continuing protests, the need for public support and his hopes for the upcoming COP26. On Friday, some activists from the group decided to try and walk along the M25 into oncoming traffic to get their message heard. Craig tells the Evening Standard; the group is not officially changing tactics to walking along motorways and will continue their sit-ins on key routes instead. He also talks about protests on roads as a ‘last resort’, apologises to those affected, and discusses the UK’s position as host of the upcoming COP26 Climate Conference in Glasgow.
Fans of The Simpsons have praised the show for featuring a new breast cancer survivor character.
In the show’s latest episode titled 'Lisa's Belly', the eldest Simpson daughter struggles with body anxiety. Marge takes her to hypnotherapist Dr Wendy Sage to help her handle the anxiety, and Sage happens to be a breast cancer survivor who has had a unilateral mastectomy.
The show's creators wrote the plot to honour Breast Cancer Awareness Month.
The trailer has been released for Olivia Colman’s new HBO series Landscapers.
It’s a darkly comic mystery about a seemingly ordinary married couple who become the subjects of a murder investigation after two bodies are discovered in their back garden.
Gordon Ramsey has backed his daughter Tilly after a radio host body-shamed her on his show.
Steve Allen has been urged to quit after he described the Strictly Come Dancing star as a “chubby little thing” live on air.
The comments sparked a huge backlash and Tilly herself released a statement on social media.
Speaking for the first time about the incident, Gordon said: “It made me feel very proud that she stood up and said, ‘I’m not taking this.’
Friends star Matthew Perry is to release an "unflinchingly honest" autobiography, a publisher has announced.
In the as-yet-untitled book, to be published next autumn, Perry will take readers "behind-the-scenes" of the hugely successful sitcom.
The memoir will also explore the 52-year-old actor's history of substance abuse and alcohol problems.
One of the world’s most popular musicians, Ed Sheeran, has just released his new album =.
It’s Sheeran’s fifth studio album and he’s had a lot happen recently which he’s used for inspiration, including; marriage, loss and fatherhood.
Duran Duran’s Roger Taylor has confirmed plans for an upcoming biopic film about the new wave band.
In an interview with The Sun newspaper, the drummer said that a project was “under discussion”, with “different scripts and ideas” being put forward. There’s no word on who would play Taylor and his bandmates, although the drummer said whichever actors came on board would have to have “the right look” and “the right vibe”.
Bridgerton star Phoebe Dynevor has said she welcomed the costume change from corsets to oversized baggy clothes in her new role in The Colour Room.
The 26-year-old actress stars as Stoke-on-Trent ceramic artist Clarice Cliff.
Zayn Malik has "adamantly" denied assault of Gigi Hadid's mum, Yolanda Hadid.
The former One Direction singer told TMZ claims that he hit Yolanda are "false allegations".
Zayn didn't directly address the allegations in a statement posted on Twitter, but he did ask for privacy and said he hoped for "healing for all involved".
Yolanda has not commented in public yet.
Gigi Hadid also asked for privacy for herself and their daughter in a separate statement.
Will.i.am has praised the power of technology in the battle against discrimination.
The musician was the keynote speaker at the Black Young Professionals Network’s leadership conference.
Regina King has received one of Hollywood’s highest honours - imprinting her hand and footprints outside Hollywood's Chinese Theatre.
The Oscar winning actress is the star of films such as If Beale Street Could Talk and The Harder They Fall.
Harry Maguire says Manchester United’s players “let down” boss Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and the fans against Liverpool but is confident the squad can bounce back.
United were beaten 5-0 by their arch-rivals at Old Trafford on Sunday, Liverpool’s biggest away victory against the Red Devils.
Man U have taken one point from their last four Premier League games and are seventh in the table – they face Tottenham away on Saturday.
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has promised to come out fighting as pressure grows on the Manchester United boss. Solskjaer has been under intense scrutiny following last Sunday’s 5-0 home loss to Liverpool, which left United seventh in the Premier League table having taken one point from their last four matches. Man U are back in action on Saturday when they face Tottenham away.
Leeds and Northern Ireland player Stuart Dallas has said that the death of a close friend and contracting Covid-19 at the same time in September impacted him a lot.
Dallas pulled out of the Northern Ireland squad for their World Cup qualifiers in early September.
At the time, the Leeds man's absence was attributed to personal reasons but he has now elaborated on the issue.
Barcelona president Joan Laporta says he is in contact with Xavi but would not comment on whether he will become the club’s new manager. Ronald Koeman was sacked after a defeat to Rayo Vallecano on Wednesday and Laporta has admitted he should have gone sooner. Former Barca midfielder Xavi, is currently in charge of Qatari club Al Sadd, but is the favourite to replace Koeman.
Coronavirus restrictions imposed on Premier League clubs will be relaxed once the number of players who are double vaccinated reaches 85%.
The Premier League said last week 68% of players had been fully vaccinated and 81% had received at least one dose.
Strict rules have been imposed at club training grounds and stadiums since the competition resumed in June 2020.
The former Premier League player and current Bristol Rovers manager, Joey Barton has apologised for comparing his side’s performance to Holocaust
The manager faced a huge backlash when he made the comment after a 3-1 defeat by Newport.
Barton said ‘It was a poor analogy … it won’t happen again’
Co-chairman Rob McElhenney says Wrexham's "big dream" would be to reach the Premier League.
McElhenney and fellow Hollywood star Ryan Reynolds are visiting the Welsh club for the first time since they were confirmed as owners in February 2021.
Wrexham have been in English football's fifth tier since relegation from the Football League in 2008 and are currently 11th in the National League after a mixed start to the season.
Barcelona have appointed Sergi Barjuan as their interim coach following the sacking of Ronald Koeman.
Barjuan's first game will be at home against Alaves on Saturday.
There are a number of reports that Barcelona legend Xavi will be confirmed as the club's permanent new manager soon.
Wrexham owners Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenny have praised how they’ve been welcomed during their first visit to the club.
The Hollywood actors bought the club back in February and have told journalists they dream of taking the fifth-tier Welsh club into the Premier League.
Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta has confirmed that a sickness bug in the squad has affected preparations for Saturday's Premier League trip to Leicester City.
Defender Pablo Mari missed Tuesday's Carabao Cup victory over Leeds with the virus, while Ben White was forced off during the game.
White has not trained since and is doubtful for the game with the Foxes.
Jupiter’s swirling ‘Great Red Spot’ goes much deeper into the planet than we had previously realised.
The Great Red Spot can be seen from Earth as a huge scarlet circle on the surface of Jupiter. But close-up, its storm is swirling 16,000 kilometres across the planet – big enough to swallow Earth whole – and has been going for hundreds of years.
Nasa has been using the Juno spacecraft to get more detail about the planet than has ever been known before.
Jupiter’s swirling ‘Great Red Spot’ goes much deeper into the planet than we had previously realised.
The Great Red Spot can be seen from Earth as a huge scarlet circle on the surface of Jupiter. But close-up, its storm is swirling 16,000 kilometres across the planet – big enough to swallow Earth whole – and has been going for hundreds of years.
Nasa has been using the Juno spacecraft to get more detail about the planet than has ever been known before.
Ever wondered why giant pandas are black and white? Well scientists think they now actually know.
Even though we might think that their colours make them stand out, the opposing shades of their fur actually plays a counterintuitive but crucial defensive role, in the mountain forests where they are normally found.
The new study from the University of Bristol, the Chinese Academy of Sciences and the University of Jyvaskyla discovered that the combined extremes allow them to camouflage themselves more effectively against different aspects of a given backdrop and helps them avoid predators in the wild.
Goodbye Facebook, hello Meta!
But, there’s been a huge reaction to Mark Zukerberg’s new name announcement. Many are questioning the motives behind the change and whether they are going to address the key issues raised about the company recently, such as; security, misinformation, privacy and children’s welfare.
Plus, as you might expect, social media is now awash with Meta inspired memes and jokes. Even Twitter is getting in on it, posting on their official account that they had “big news” followed by – “lol jk still twitter”.
The European Commission has opened an investigation into Nvidia's acquisition of the British chip-design company Arm. The £29 billion deal was announced in September and regulators are concerned Nvidia could use the move to restrict access to Arm's technology, which powers the majority of the world's smartphones. Nvidia has promised it will maintain Arm's open-licensing model. Officials said the tech giant, the world's largest graphic and artificial-intelligence chip-maker, had offered concessions in an attempt to address its concerns. But the commission said it still had "serious doubts" about the deal.
The BBC has unveiled plans for its “biggest and most significant push” to ensure its content is fair, accurate and unbiased. The move comes in response to the publication of the Serota Review into governance and culture at the broadcaster, which was published on Friday and made a number of recommendations on improving editorial standards. The recommendations have been accepted by the broadcaster. The review, led by Arts Council England chairman Sir Nicholas Serota, says the organisation “needs to do more to embed editorial values into the fabric of the organisation”. It was commissioned by the BBC board following Lord Dyson’s scathing report into the circumstances surrounding Martin Bashir’s now notorious 1995 Panorama interview with Diana, Princess of Wales. The BBC unveiled a 10-point action plan in response to the report, which includes extending impartiality training throughout the organisation. It also recommends the BBC’s board monitors impartiality through metrics including editorial complaints.
US President Joe Biden was dealt a setback on Thursday as the House of Representatives abandoned plans for a vote on an infrastructure bill with progressives seeking more time to consider his call for a separate $1.75 trillion plan for climate measures, preschool and other social initiatives. Biden had sought to unite his par ty behind the climate and social spending plan with personal appeals, and had pressed for a Thursday vote on the $1 trillion infrastructure bill, another main plank of his agenda. He hoped a framework on the larger measure would convince progressive House Democrats to support the infrastructure bill, but their insistence that the two move together led House leaders to abandon a planned vote, leaving Biden empty handed. And how, exactly, it could come together remains a puzzle.
US President Joe Biden arrived at the Vatican on Friday for a meeting with Pope Francis expected to centre on climate change and injustice but which has been overshadowed by debate at home about the Catholic U.S. president’s support for abortion rights. The president’s motorcade approached under tight security and the U.S. flag flew from the Vatican’s central balcony. The meeting between the first Latin American pope and the second Catholic president in U.S. history takes place amid fierce debate in the United States Church, where Biden in under pressure from conservatives over his conflicted position in the dispute over abortion rights. The president, who goes to weekly Mass regularly and keeps a picture of the pope behind his desk in the Oval Office, has said he is personally opposed to abortion but cannot impose his views as an elected leader.
A guitar once owned by Pink Floyd founder member Syd Barrett has sold at auction for almost £20,000. The 12-string Yamaha acoustic guitar fetched £19,920, almost double its pre-sale estimate of £5,000 to £10,000, with the proceeds split evenly between charities Mind and the Arthur Rank Hospice. It was bought by an online bidder based in France during the sale at Cheffins in Cambridge on Thursday. Barrett left Pink Floyd in 1968, as they were about to achieve worldwide recognition, and lived in the basement of his mother’s house in Hills Road in Cambridge. The singer died of pancreatic cancer in 2006 at the age of 60.
The number of mortgage approvals made to home buyers fell to the lowest level this year in September, surpassing the lows set a month earlier, Bank of England figures show. There were 72,600 approvals for house purchase, marking the lowest figure since July 2020 – the month that a temporary stamp duty holiday was put in place. Despite the dip, approvals remain above pre-February 2020 levels, the Bank’s Money and Cre qdit report said. The stamp duty holiday in England and Northern Ireland was tapered from July, reducing the potential savings that could be made, and ended completely on October 1. As a result, the amount borrowed soared to £9.5 billion – the highest level since June this year.
Violence against Brazil’s indigenous people increased last year as land disputes and invasions of their reservations rose and the government failed to provide protection, the Catholic Church’s Indigenous Missionary Council said on Thursday. Its annual report on violence against the descendents of Brazil’s original inhabitants said there were 182 murders of indigenous people in 2020, compared to 113 murders in 2019, a 61 per cent surge. There were 263 reported land invasions, an “alarming” increase of 137 per cent over incursions on indigenous territory the previous year. The report blamed the government for failing to protect indigenous communities, while pushing legislation that would open their reservations to commercial mining, oil and gas exploration and the building of hydroelectric dams.
Supply chain woes cost Apple $6 billion in sales during the company’s fiscal fourth quarter, which missed Wall Street expectations, and boss Tim Cook reckons the impact will be even worse during the current Christmas sales quarter. Cook told Reuters on Thursday the last quarter had “larger than expected supply constraints” as well as pandemic-related manufacturing disruptions in Southeast Asia. Cook said while Apple had seen “significant improvement” by late October in those Southeast Asian facilities, the chip shortage has persisted and is now affecting “most of our products”. He added the company expects year-over-growth for its quarter ending in December. Analysts expect growth of 7.4 per cent to $119.7 billion.
Crowd surfing will not be permitted at concerts in Ireland and nightclub goers must form a socially distanced queue to buy drinks, under new guidelines issued by the government for recently reopened venues. Irish nightclubs opened their doors for the first time since March 2020 last weekend, while theatres and concert venues also returned to full capacity as the government lifted most curbs that had made up one of Europe’s toughest lockdown regimes. However with Covid-19 infection rates rising despite Ireland boasting one of the highest vaccination rates in the world, ministers scrambled to put some mitigation measures in place to minimise any further spread and keep the whole economy open. These included telling performers they should not “partake in high-risk activities” such as crowd surfing, moving through the crowd or throwing personal items from the stage.
US traffic deaths soared by more than 18 per cent in the first six months of 2021 from the same period a year earlier, for the most deadly first half on American roads since 2006, the Transportation Department said on Thursday. Traffic deaths surged after coronavirus lockdowns ended in 2020 as more drivers engaged in unsafe behaviour like speeding and driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol, regulators said. That made for the largest six-month increase ever recorded in the Fatality Analysis Reporting System’s history, which has been in use since 1975. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration estimated 20,160 people died in car crashes in the first six months of 2021 in the United States, up 3,140 over the same period in 2020.
Insulate Britain activists have switched up their protest methods with the potentially lethal tactic of walking towards oncoming traffic on the M25, London’s orbital motorway. The group said the decision to stop sitting in the middle of roads to block vehicles had been made following “feedback” that many drivers were frustrated by their actions. On Friday morning demonstrators briefly entered the carriageway near Junction 28 and 29 of the motorway, intending to walk down the white lines marking traffic lanes. But Essex Police said officers arrived at the scene “swiftly” and 10 activists were removed from the road and arrested, with both carriageways reopening within 30 minutes.
The political leaders who meet at the upcoming COP26 climate change summit must give “concrete hope” to future generations that they are taking action to effectively tackle climate change, Pope Francis said in a message released in Friday. “It is essential that each of us be committed to this urgent change of direction,” Pope Francis told the BBC. The Pontiff continued: “The political decision makers who will meet at COP26 in Glasgow are urgently summoned to provide effective responses to the present ecological crisis and in this way to offer concrete hope to future generations.”
A circus-themed bar in Sydney is readying to open on Monday for the first time in four months, with new staff going through their paces and arcade machines serviced, polished and primed. Featuring luminescent bumper cars, ten-pin bowling and neon flashing classic arcade and virtual reality games, Archie Brothers Cirque Electriq has been shut since Sydney locked down on June 26. Assistant Venue Manager Georgia Vaughan found the lockdown extremely tough, as she spent several months stuck at home not knowing when it would be possible to return to her job. But all that is behind her now, she hopes. Sydney emerged from over 100 days of lockdown on 11 October, and Archie Brothers Cirque Electriq which also houses a restaurant and bar, is allowed to reopen on Nov. 1 under hospitality guidelines.
Mexico said on Thursday it would give humanitarian visas to children and pregnant women in a migrant caravan moving north from southern Mexico, adopting a softer approach to the task of containing migrant flows than at times taken recently. Lasting a year, the visas grant migrants access to public services like healthcare, as well as the ability to work. Thousands of migrants from Central America and the Caribbean last weekend began traveling slowly from the southern border in a bid to reach the United States or Mexico City. A major caravan moving through Mexico last month met with often heavy-handed resistance from Mexican authorities, sparking complaints about their tactics.
An agenda is shaping up for US President Joe Biden’s meetings in Europe, including talks with France and Turkey on the sidelines of the G20 and UN climate change meetings. Briefing reporters traveling with the president on Thursday, national security adviser Jake Sullivan said Biden’s meeting with French President Emmanuel Macron on Friday would “cover the waterfront” of issues as the two mend fences after a rift over a U.S. security pact with Britain and Australia. The meeting will include discussion of counterterrorism in the Middle East, competition with China, the economy, trade and technology issues. The main topic on Saturday at a meeting among Biden, Macron and leaders of Germany and Britain will be the status of the Iranian nuclear program.
An American woman jailed in 2015 with her boyfriend for murdering her mother and stuffing the remains in a suitcase on the Indonesian island of Bali was released from prison on Friday after serving a chunk of her 10-year sentence. Swarmed by reporters, Heather Mack left Bali’s Kerobokan prison early on Friday. She did not say anything. Her lawyer, Yulius Benyamin Seran, who was not seen with Mack, declined to comment when contacted by Reuters. Arrested in 2014 in a case that captured global attention due to its grisly nature, Tommy Schaefer was sentenced to 18 years for premeditated murder, while Mack received a 10-year sentence for being an accessory to murder.
China’s President Xi Jinping will participate in the Group of 20 leaders’ summit in Rome on Oct. 30-31 via video link, according to a notice from China’s foreign ministry on Friday. He will make a speech at the summit, the notice said. Xi has not left China since early 2020, when the gravity of the COVID-19 pandemic became clear. A handful of other key leaders from wealthy G20 nations, including Russian President Vladimir Putin and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida will not attend in person. Host Italy had hoped the summit would see all leaders meet face-to-face. U.S. President Joe Biden has confirmed he will attend in person.
Sarah, Duchess of York is to launch a Historical Romance Book Club with publisher Mills & Boon. The ex-wife of the Duke of York, 62, released her first fictional historical romance novel, titled Her Heart For A Compass, with the publisher in August. The book, which draws on Sarah’s own life journey and incorporates research into her ancestry, is a fictional account of the life of the duchess’s great-great-aunt Lady Margaret Montagu Douglas-Scott. It was co-written with Marguerite Kaye, who has written more than 50 historical romances set in a variety of eras. She is due to publish her second historical romance novel, which will again be co-written with Kaye, in 2022.
A cross-border rail line remains closed after two road bridges were “washed away” amid torrential rain. Network Rail Scotland said the bridges spanned the River Annan, north of the railway with trains unable to pass over a viaduct, closing the Dumfries to Carlisle line. The incident happened after a major incident was declared in Hawick in the Scottish Borders with up to 500 properties feared to be at risk of flooding. An evacuation of homes has been halted with residents advised they are safe to return and a rest centre closed.
Crossrail is facing a “serious” funding gap and there is uncertainty over how loans will be repaid, MPs have warned. A report by the Commons’ Public Accounts Committee (PAC) stated that the estimated cost of completing London’s new east-west railway exceeds current available funding by £150 million. The predicted cost of finishing the project is now £18.9 billion. The committee also expressed doubts over how and when Transport for London and the Greater London Authority will repay taxpayer loans issued for the project amid the collapse in fares revenue due to the coronavirus pandemic. The Department for Transport expects a £750 million loan to be “financed and repaid” from TfL’s own revenues, according to the report.
Former UK prime minister Gordon Brown has called on Western leaders preparing to gather at Cop26 in Glasgow to “make a decision” to provide the world’s poorest and most vulnerable people with Covid vaccines. Mr Brown was among a group including former UN general secretary Ban Ki-Moon and ex-New Zealand premier Helen Clark who this week called for world leaders to send unused vaccines to developing countries to keep vaccination targets on track. Speaking on ITV’s Good Morning Britain, Mr Brown said of those due to gather in Scotland: “They’re the people who control these vaccines. Make a decision, get the unused vaccines out.” A World Health Organisation plan to redistribute an over-supply of unused vaccines could deliver an extra 600 million doses as soon as December.
Greta Thunberg is set to join protesters in London lobbying against the use of fossil fuels. The teenage activist is expected to be one of thousands protesting across 26 countries and every continent in the world on Friday to demand the global financial system stops putting money into the use of fossil fuels. The protests will come just days before global leaders are set to join for the Cop26 UN climate change conference in Glasgow. Leaders including Prime Minister Boris Johnson will, from Monday, discuss how best the world can work together against climate change.
The Government has been urged to invest significant extra funds in social care within weeks to help ease the “unbearable situation” faced by people with dementia and their families. Families living with dementia through no fault of their own “are at the sharp end of a system that does not work”, according to a report by the Health and Social Care Committee. The cross-party MPs say these families continue to face a “huge financial and psychological burden” as key elements of social care reform remain undecided. The committee heard evidence that people with dementia and their carers are required to navigate complex care pathways, “grapple with bureaucracy” and face a system that is “unfair, confusing, demeaning, and frightening”. The Government has pledged to invest £36 billion from April 2022, to be funded through a UK-wide health and social care levy based on national insurance contributions paid by working adults.
Almost 250,000 stray cats live in urban areas of the UK, according to a new study. Researchers estimate the number of unowned cats to be 247,429, with most concentrated in more densely populated and socioeconomically deprived areas. The findings suggest there are, on average, 9.3 unowned cats per square kilometre in the UK, but the number varies between 1.9 and 57 unowned cats per square kilometre depending on the location. The authors of the study, published in Scientific Reports, analysed the findings of 877 separate resident reports and 601 expert reports. The authors suggest the number of stray cats is higher in more densely populated areas because there are more people, and therefore more pets, which may produce accidental litters and be abandoned or stray from home. These unowned cat populations could then support themselves by scavenging on human food waste, the researchers suggest.
Julian Assange must wait to discover whether senior judges will overturn a decision not to extradite him to the US following a two-day hearing at the High Court. Assange, 50, is wanted in the US on allegations of a conspiracy to obtain and disclose national defence information following WikiLeaks’s publication of hundreds of thousands of leaked documents relating to the Afghanistan and Iraq wars. US authorities are challenging a January ruling by then-district judge Vanessa Baraitser that Assange should not be sent to the US, in which she cited a real and “oppressive” risk of suicide. Lord Chief Justice Lord Burnett, sitting with Lord Justice Holroyde, said lawyers had given them “much to think about” and that they would “take time to consider our decision” at the end of legal arguments on Thursday.
Labour MP Naz Shah has described how her children were forced to flee her home in the middle of the night after she dialled 999 following “an immediate firearms threat”. Shah, who is shadow minister for community cohesion, was speaking after Sundas Alam, 30, admitted a number of charges at York Crown Court on Thursday relating to sending death threats to the Bradford West MP. She said she had endured many death threats before, but this was the first time she had dialled 999 because “I really genuinely felt it was an immediate firearms threat”. Shah said that what made Alam’s threats worse was that Alam used cloned email addresses which led to an innocent family being dragged out of their beds by armed police and questioned for 20 hours by officers responding to her alert in April.
France’s ambassador to the UK has been summoned to the Foreign Office as the row over post-Brexit fishing rights dramatically escalated. Catherine Colonna will be questioned on Friday about “disappointing and disproportionate” threats of retaliation by Paris over what it claims is a lack of licences for French boats to fish in UK waters. Foreign Secretary Liz Truss took the rare step of ordering an allied nation’s envoy to be summoned in a sign of the UK’s concern about the row, which has already seen one UK trawler detained in a French port. French ministers have warned they will block British boats from some French ports and tighten checks on vessels travelling between France and the UK if the issue is not resolved by Tuesday – as well as threatening the electricity supply to the Channel Islands.
Family courts should be more open to improve public confidence, the most senior family judge in England and Wales has recommended. Sir Andrew McFarlane, the president of the family division, has published a report following a review into transparency in the family justice system. He recommends a number of changes to current reporting restrictions, which he said will hopefully improve the public’s understanding of the courts. The judge said too often the courts are currently perceived as operating “behind closed doors”.
The government is proposing to create a new criminal offence for so-called talking conversion therapies as part of a raft of measures to ban the coercive practice within months. Proposals will protect lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people in England and Wales, including children, and ensure individuals found guilty of conversion therapy offences cannot profit from the practice, the Government Equalities Office said. But critics said the plans should have gone further and outlawed all conversion therapy. Ministers will legislate to ensure that, when existing violent offences are motivated by conversion therapy, this is considered as a potential aggravating factor when the perpetrator is sentenced. They also propose to create a new offence for talking therapies that seek to change someone’s sexual orientation or gender identity, to be punishable by imprisonment of up to five years.
More than half a million more homes in rural areas are to gain access to faster broadband as the government continues its £5 billion gigabit rollout. Some 567,000 properties in remote parts of Cheshire, Devon, Dorset, Somerset, Essex, Herefordshire, Gloucestershire, Lincolnshire, East Yorkshire and North Yorkshire are in line for the gigabit speed boost, which is the equivalent to 1,000 megabits per second. Such speeds make it possible for a user to download an HD movie in less than 30 seconds. The investment is part of Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s target of achieving at least 85 per cent gigabit-capable UK coverage by 2025, which officials have said is “on track” to be met. At present, the UK has 57 per cent coverage.
As reports of people being spiked by injections continue to rise, students and young women across the country have held boycotts against nightclubs to raise awareness of the issue.
Data from a student survey as well as figures from The National Police Chiefs Council show there is a real problem growing for people on nights out.
The Evening Standard’s feature writer Katie Strick discusses the growing epidemic of injection spiking, how widespread the issue appears to be, and what campaigners are asking clubs to do in response.
South park has announced its new movie - South Park: Post Covid - will premiere on Paramount+ on Thanksgiving Day.
The long-running cartoon announced in the summer that as well as six more seasons of the show, it would also be turning its attention to a staggering 14 movies.
As well as this release, a second feature-length instalment is just around the corner, with a further title being lined up for a December release.
Grey's Anatomy has cast the show's first-ever non-binary doctor. Dr Kai Bartley — as played by E.R. Fightmaster — has already appeared earlier in this season but, ABC and Shondaland has announced that the character will be joining the show in a recurring capacity. Dr Bartley will appear when Grey's Anatomy airs its November 11th episode, and then is set to appear a few more times before the show takes its winter break in December.
Criminal charges may still be filed over last week's fatal shooting on a film set in New Mexico, US police say.
Actor Alec Baldwin accidentally shot dead cinematographer Halyna Hutchins and wounded a director on the set of the Western film Rust.
Investigators said a "lead projectile" had been removed from the director's shoulder, and that it appeared to be a live round.
Jada Pinkett Smith said expectation causes difficulties in her sex life with husband of 24 years Will Smith.
The actress, who tied the knot with the Hollywood star in 1997, frequently discusses intimate details of her marriage on her Red Table Talk online series. She was joined by her mother and Oscar-winning actress Gwyneth Paltrow in the latest episode.
Pinkett Smith said maintaining a strong relationship after decades together is "hard".
A new Beatles attraction could be built on the Liverpool waterfront after the UK Chancellor pledged up to £2m as part of his 2021 Budget.
The money will allow the Liverpool City Region Combined Authority to develop a business case for the attraction.
The city already boasts destinations like The Beatles Story, the Cavern Club and the Liverpool Beatles Museum.
One of the three men charged in connection with rapper Mac Miller's fatal overdose has agreed to plead guilty and accept a 17-year prison sentence.
Stephen Walter will plead guilty to his part in supplying the star with fentanyl.
Miller died in 2018. His death was ruled an accidental overdose, from a combination of fentanyl, alcohol and cocaine.
Angelina Jolie has attended the UK screening of her new film - Eternals:
The film is directed by Oscar winner, Chloe Zhao.
Angelina Jolie has told of her children’s pride over her latest role in new Marvel film Eternals:
Jolie was joined by her children at the UK premier of the movie in London.
Hollywood star Chris Evans takes Buzz Lightyear to infinity and beyond in the first trailer for Pixar's Toy Story spin-off.
The animated film, titled Lightyear, will focus on the backstory of the space ranger who supposedly inspired the toy in the Toy Story franchise.
Directed by Angus MacLane, it’s due for release in June 2022.
The trailer for Tiger King 2 has been released:
The sequel to the outrageous docuseries, which became a runaway hit last year, promises more revelations about US big cat owners.
It premieres on 17th November on Netflix.
The organiser of the flight in which footballer Emiliano Sala died has been found guilty, by majority verdict of endangering the safety of an aircraft.
Sala, and pilot David Ibbotson, died in the crash in the English Channel in January 2019.
David Henderson, was found guilty after a trial at Cardiff Crown Court.
Henderson will be sentenced on 12th November.
Former England star Kieron Dyer is in hospital weeks after withdrawing from the reality show Celebrity SAS: Who Dares Wins.
Dyer, who played for Newcastle and West Ham, is currently working as Ipswich Under-23s manager.
The club confirmed the news in a statement posted to its website and said it would not be commenting further.
Bayern Munich suffered their biggest defeat since 1978 as they were thrashed at Borussia Monchengladbach in the German Cup second round.
It was only the second defeat Bayern have suffered under Nagelsmann and ended a run of scoring in 85 consecutive games.
Bayern last lost a game by a five-goal margin 43 years ago when Fortuna Dusseldorf beat them 7-1 in the Bundesliga.