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Badenoch pledges inheritance tax cut as Weston family buys Boots
Kemi Badenoch vows to abolish inheritance tax on homes, whilst Canada’s Weston family confirms a £6.74bn Boots purchase. France suspends stun grenades after a teenager’s hand was severed in protests.
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Far-right activists confront French police over Channel crossings
Hard-Right activists, reportedly including British citizens, have clashed with French police on beaches in Calais and the French west coast whilst attempting to prevent migrants boarding small boats destined for the UK. The group has engaged in confrontations with both migrants and police, with French aid organisation Utopia 56 documenting racist abuse and Nazi salutes.…
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Maricarmen Abascal dies after eviction sparked protests across Spain
Maricarmen Abascal, an 87-year-old pensioner whose eviction became a focal point in Spain’s housing debate, has died, according to the Madrid Tenants’ Union. She was removed from her Madrid home in September after a dispute over a steep proposed rent rise, prompting protests and renewed calls for stronger protection for renters. Abascal’s family had rented…
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The Social Reckoning follows Haugen’s disclosures but shifts the timeline
Aaron Sorkin’s film *The Social Reckoning* dramatises Frances Haugen’s decision to leak Facebook documents to journalist Jeff Horwitz, leading to the 2021 “Facebook Files” investigation and her congressional testimony. The article says the film largely follows the real story and draws on the leaked documents, while compressing events and changing some dialogue and chronology. In…
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New Tory MP warns Labour and SNP policies threaten Aberdeen’s oil industry
New Conservative MP Douglas Lumsden says Labour and SNP policies are undermining Aberdeen’s oil and gas industry, which he describes as central to the city’s fortunes. His comments link his Aberdeen South by-election victory to support for North Sea drilling and come amid warnings that investment and jobs could be at risk. Lumsden said the…
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Russia-linked threats cost UK businesses and taxpayers £2.5bn a year
An independent report has revealed that defending Britain against Russian hostile activity costs taxpayers and businesses more than £2.5 billion annually, termed the “Putin Tax”. This represents a significant economic burden from Russia’s hybrid warfare campaign, encompassing cyber-attacks, damage to critical infrastructure, and attacks on major private companies. Russian cyber-attacks have cost an estimated £1.5…
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Man to face French trial over Annecy playground attack on 13 people
Abdalmasih Hanoun will face trial in France over an alleged knife attack at a playground in Annecy in June 2023. Prosecutors say he is charged with attempted murder relating to 13 people, including a British toddler, and armed resistance; the case is significant because experts found he was not suffering from a disorder that removed…
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Britain’s billionaires flee; £1bn energy relief planned; Israel marks October 7
More than half Britain’s billionaire wealth has departed since Labour took power. The Chancellor plans energy bill relief whilst Israel marks October 7, a Scottish film challenges The Jazz Singer, and a Trump caricature adorns the European Parliament.
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Fury at Trump’s midterms masterminds for cashing in on ‘random a**’ Putin ally’s election as Republicans brace for election bloodbath
Two senior advisers overseeing Donald Trump’s 2026 midterm operation reportedly received hundreds of thousands of dollars each to advise Republika Srpska, a self-governing territory in Bosnia and Herzegovina, before its election. Their work has drawn criticism from Republican insiders because it took place just a month before US midterms, when the party faces a difficult…
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French wine industry facing historic low harvest after extreme summer heat
The French wine industry is facing a historic low harvest at approximately 35m hectolitres following extreme summer heatwaves across the country. This represents a 2% decline from 2025’s already mediocre yield (the lowest since 1957) and sits 14% below the 2021-2025 average. The harvest decline results from sustained hot weather and a 1.9% reduction in…