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The day’s news from outlets across the spectrum, side by side. Follow what you care about, vote on what matters and have your say.
Inside team Trump’s ‘ill-prepared’ midterm strategy and missed red flags before blue tsunami.. as aides scrambled and president focused on ballroom
- Democrats won both chambers in a major midterm upset.
- Trump reportedly delayed releasing $400 million for campaign spending.
- Advisers’ polling flagged voter concerns about the Iran war.
Republican strategists were reportedly frustrated by Donald Trump’s approach to the midterm elections, which ended in a major Democratic victory in both chambers of Congress. A report says advisers saw warning signs in voters’ views on the Iran war, candidate choices and campaign spending, while Trump’s attention was…
‘Children were wearing fake life jackets’: one Syrian family’s terrifying, 10-year journey
- Filmmakers followed Israa’s family for a decade.
- Their journey took them from Aleppo to Cologne.
- The film traces Israa’s life into adulthood.
Documentary-makers Itab Azzam and Jack MacInnes have followed Syrian refugee Israa and her family for ten years, from their dangerous flight from Aleppo to Germany and into her adult life. Their film, *One in a Million*, shows how a record of one family’s journey grew into a portrait…
Discord rebuilds desktop app in Rust to cut memory use
- Discord is rebuilding its desktop client in Rust.
- A preview image showed the Windows app using 290MB of RAM.
- User testing is hoped to begin soon.
Discord is replacing Electron in its desktop app with a version built fully in Rust, aiming to reduce memory use and improve performance. The change matters because Discord’s current Windows app can consume substantial RAM, particularly for people in several servers. Chief technology officer Stanislav Vishnevskiy said Electron…
UK emergency services prepare for Bonfire Night disorder amid attacks on crews
- Emergency services are preparing for possible Bonfire Night disorder.
- Thirty tonnes of illegal fireworks were seized in West Yorkshire.
- Attacks injured 129 firefighters in England in the year to March 2025.
Police and fire services across the UK are preparing for possible Bonfire Night disorder after fireworks-related unrest in several areas and attacks on emergency crews. The preparations matter because fireworks used antisocially can endanger the public and prevent firefighters from safely responding to emergencies. Police have introduced dispersal…
‘Harry Potter’ Oxford Street Christmas Lights Details Revealed: Hogwarts Houses and a Tree With “Enchanted Snowfall”
- Oxford Street’s free Harry Potter lights event begins on 9 November.
- Four Hogwarts house displays use more than 75,000 LEDs.
- Hanover Square will feature a themed tree with enchanted snowfall.
Oxford Street will host a free Harry Potter-themed Christmas lights event on 9 November, with a switch-on countdown beginning at 2pm and the official start at 4.30pm. The celebration marks the forthcoming HBO Max series and brings themed displays to one of London’s busiest shopping streets. Four 16-metre-wide,…
GovTech must keep renewing capabilities, will continue to support retrenched officers: PM Wong
- GovTech plans to retrench about 300 workers over two years.
- The Government says affected staff will receive support.
- Wong wants technology capabilities embedded across the public service.
Prime Minister Lawrence Wong said GovTech must keep renewing its capabilities while remaining a place where staff can tackle meaningful public problems. He also said policymakers and technologists need to work together earlier and more closely, as technology should inform policy from the outset rather than simply be…
Leicester City slammed for allowing links to porn star Eva Elfie via sponsor BC Game
- The Foxes Trust objects to BC Game’s new partnership with Eva Elfie.
- It says the sponsorship risks harming Leicester’s family-friendly image.
- Nearly three quarters of fans polled viewed the BC Game deal negatively.
The Foxes Trust has criticised Leicester City’s front-of-shirt sponsor, BC Game, after the offshore crypto bookmaker announced a partnership with adult content creator Eva Elfie. The supporters’ group says the association risks damaging the club’s family-friendly reputation by linking it with both gambling and pornography, particularly for younger…
Karoline Leavitt says Trump was crushed because Americans ‘forgot about his good policy and listened to the lying media’
- Leavitt blamed the Republican defeat on voters and the media.
- Democrats took control of both chambers of Congress.
- US petrol averaged $4.12 a gallon, up from $3.05 a year earlier.
Former White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt blamed Republicans’ crushing midterm defeat on voters forgetting Donald Trump’s policies and listening to what she called the “lying media”. Democrats won control of both chambers of Congress, in a result that reflected voter frustration with the cost of living, fuel…
World’s largest olive oil company plummets 19% after rivals agree to takeover deal
- DCOOP and Acesur plan to take equal stakes in Deoleo.
- Deoleo shares fell 19% after the announcement.
- The deal would create a larger Spanish olive oil group.
Deoleo shares fell sharply after Spanish olive oil producers DCOOP and Acesur agreed to acquire the world’s largest olive oil company. The deal would give each buyer a 50% stake and create a larger regional group, further consolidating Spain’s position in the olive oil sector. DCOOP said the…
JD Vance blames Iran war and support for Israel for failure in US mid-term elections
- Vance blamed the Iran war for Republican election losses.
- He said many 2024 Trump voters backed Democrats in 2026.
- Polling pointed to four issues behind voters’ shift.
US Vice President JD Vance said the war with Iran and US support for Israel were central reasons Republicans lost heavily in the mid-term elections. His remarks appeared to challenge President Donald Trump’s Middle East policy and called for Republicans to address voters’ priorities if they want to…
North Korea tells EU to ‘mind its own business’ on human rights
- North Korea rebuked the EU over its draft human rights resolution.
- The UN has condemned North Korea’s human rights record annually since 2005.
- South Korea will co-sponsor the draft for a fifth consecutive year.
North Korea has told the European Union to “mind its own business” after the bloc proposed a draft UN resolution on human rights in the country. Pyongyang called the move politically motivated and rejected what it said was the West’s claim to a monopoly on human rights, amid…
Nigel Farage vows to pardon veterans dragged to court ‘merely for doing their job’
- Reform UK promises new limits on prosecutions of soldiers.
- The party says some veterans would be pardoned within 100 days.
- Military and veterans’ figures question the plan’s legal basis.
Reform UK says it would make it harder to prosecute serving and former British soldiers, with Nigel Farage’s party promising pardons for some veterans and an end to most ongoing cases. The pledge has drawn questions from military and veterans’ campaigners about whether it is legally workable and…
Major UK fish and chips company plunges into liquidation – in business since 2002
- Jon Dow Distribution has entered liquidation after a sustained business downturn.
- All five staff have been made redundant.
- Liquidators will sell assets and contact creditors.
Forfar-based food supplier Jon Dow Distribution has entered liquidation after a sustained downturn in business, ending operations that began in 2002. The collapse affects fish and chip shops across parts of Scotland and has left all five employees redundant. The company delivered along seven routes to areas including…
Regions Calling: Budget Cuts Are Hitting Ordinary Russians Hard. Will They Protest?
- Regional budget cuts are reducing services and public sector jobs.
- Two regions plan to cut 15% of their workforces.
- Analysts expect local complaints rather than nationwide protests.
Russia’s regional governments are reducing social spending and funding for basic services as budget deficits grow, with war-related costs adding pressure. The cuts are already affecting benefits, medicines, hospitals, remote food supplies and public sector jobs, but analysts say the hardship is more likely to prompt local complaints…
Conclave’ Director Edward Berger Teases Upcoming Brad Pitt A24 Film ‘The Riders’: It’s a ‘European Odyssey’
- Brad Pitt stars in Berger’s completed A24 film.
- A father and daughter search across Europe for his wife.
- The story is adapted from a Tim Winton novel.
Edward Berger has confirmed that he has finished shooting *The Riders*, an A24 film starring Brad Pitt, describing it as a European odyssey. Adapted from Tim Winton’s novel, the story follows a father and his daughter as they travel to find his missing wife. Berger said the action…
BT boss refuses to rule out job cuts after ‘unprecedented’ Talktalk rescue
- BT will not guarantee jobs for 900 incoming Talktalk staff.
- The takeover protects services used by 2.5 million customers.
- Regulators are reviewing its potential impact on competition.
BT chief executive Allison Kirkby has refused to guarantee that 900 Talktalk employees joining the company will keep their jobs, as regulators review BT’s takeover of Talktalk’s consumer and wholesale businesses. She defended the purchase as an exceptional rescue, saying Talktalk’s imminent collapse threatened connectivity for millions of…
‘Hunger Games’ actress Mckenna Grace rejects Hollywood nudity, ‘hypersexual’ roles
- Grace says nudity and highly sexualised roles are outside her comfort zone.
- She clarified that her boundary is unrelated to her Disney princess ambitions.
- Other actors and a studio have also set limits around intimate content.
Mckenna Grace says she currently avoids on-screen nudity and highly sexualised roles because they make her uncomfortable. The 20-year-old actor stressed that this is a personal boundary, separate from her dream of someday playing a Disney princess, after media headlines linked the two comments. Grace said she is…
Silver Gore Return With ‘Just Like That’
- Silver Gore have released their new single, ‘Just Like That’.
- Ava Gore says it plays with superstition and deceit.
- The duo will support Nia Archives on upcoming shows.
Silver Gore have released ‘Just Like That’, a new pop single that develops the sound of the duo, Ava Gore and Ethan P. Flynn. Its direct melodies and contrast of light and shade accompany lyrics about everyday spiritual belief, making it a notable step in their continuing evolution.…
Houthi missiles fired at Medina intercepted, Saudi coalition says
- Saudi Arabia says it intercepted a Houthi missile aimed at the Medina region.
- A separate warning was issued for Yanbu shortly beforehand.
- Yanbu helps Saudi oil reach global markets while the Strait of Hormuz is blocked.
Saudi Arabia’s Saudi-led coalition said it intercepted and destroyed a ballistic missile fired by Yemen’s Houthi movement towards the Medina region. The claim is significant because Medina is one of Islam’s holiest cities, while the Houthis have said they would not target the holy cities in their campaign…
Mountains of fly-tipped waste dumped at £10million Welsh business park after ’50 caravans’ set up camp on empty site
- Waste was left at an unused business park near Bridgend.
- A resident said up to 50 caravans had departed.
- The Welsh Government says clean-up and security work is under way.
Fly-tipped waste has been left along a road at Brocastle Business Park near Bridgend after a group living on the unused site departed. The incident has drawn attention to the condition of the publicly funded development, which remains empty nearly five years after completion. A nearby resident estimated…