Author: staff
An increasing number of polls place Mélenchon in second place in next year’s high-stakes election to replace President Emmanuel Macron. The top two vote-getters go on to a second round, which could see Mélenchon facing off against far-right leader Marine Le Pen, who also pledges to take France out of NATO’s integrated command. Unlike Le Pen’s far-right party, France Unbowed does not explicitly say it would stop providing assistance to Ukraine — but it does insist on the need for a diplomatic solution. Any peace agreement would need to lean on “collective security guarantees, between the belligerents and with the…
Around 300,000 energy-efficient LED lights brought the famous shopping street to life, with more than 30 angel-shaped decorations returning for their 11th year. Presenter Harriet Fisher switched on the display at 6.30 pm, coinciding with Britain’s Bonfire Night celebrations. With traffic banned for the evening for the first time since 2019, crowds filled the pedestrianised street to enjoy live bands, a Christmas choir, LED dancers, stilt walkers and playful Hamleys elves. This year’s decorations feature glowing words including “Joy”, “Smile” and “Hope”, as well as illuminated hearts, stars and new installations in Princes Arcade. Nearby, visitors to St James’s Market…
“We will immediately implement our program at the national level. This will therefore require a confrontation with European institutions,” according to the manifesto from Mélenchon’s France Unbowed. “This also means disobeying rules blocking [us] whenever necessary.” “Our logic is simple. As long as a deal on changing the treaties is not done, we negotiate with our partners and disobey […] blocking rules in parallel. If we get to an agreement, it will be put to a referendum,” the manifesto added. The proposals, which echo Mélenchon’s earlier statements, would likely face tough opposition from France’s partners in the European Council, which…
One-year-old Nagi and two-year-old Pokke arrived in October at a 900-square-metre vacant plot in the bustling Shinjuku district, where they have been steadily grazing on weeds as part of an environmentally friendly initiative launched by East Japan Railway (JR East). The trial, which began on 9 October, offers an alternative to conventional grass cutting and herbicides and is expected to continue until around December, unless the animals finish the job sooner. Although JR East has previously experimented with goat grazing, this is its first such project within Tokyo’s central Yamanote railway loop. The unusual sight has attracted schoolchildren, office workers…
Published on 6 November 2026 – 13:15 GMT+1 A rebound in car production helped lift German industrial output more than expected in September, official data showed on Friday. In September, industrial production rose by 0.7% month-on-month, following a revised 1% increase in August, and was 0.4% higher than a year earlier, according to Germany’s federal statistics agency, Destatis. Economists polled by Reuters had expected output to be flat on the month. Carsten Brzeski, global head of macro at ING, said supply chain disruptions linked to the Iran war and low river levels over the summer had so far done less…
By Greta Ruffino & AFP Published on 6 November 2026 – 12:19 GMT+1 The parents of a 13-year-old girl have filed a lawsuit against Google, alleging that their daughter used its AI technology on a school-issued computer to plan a possible suicide and her funeral. Filed on Monday 2 November in a court in the US state of California, the lawsuit is believed to be the first to accuse Google of negligence over AI-powered search features accessed through a school-issued Chromebook, one of the company’s low-cost laptops widely used in schools. The girl, identified as Emma, was unable to access Google’s Gemini app…
Since then, Philippe has met with the five party leaders who make up Belgium’s coalition government and concluded that there is still a possible path for them to agree under a De Wever premiership. “Following his discussions with the leaders of the five majority parties, the King noted that each of them wishes to conclude the budget negotiations as quickly as possible … The King also received a formal commitment from the five party leaders that their respective parties are prepared to make concessions in order to reach an agreement within the government,” the palace’s statement said. While the government…
Published on 6 November 2026 – 12:29 GMT+1 Five people were reportedly rescued off the coast of Kiribati last weekend after having drifted thousands of kilometres at sea over the course of three months. The group, which included two children, were spotted by villagers off Fanning Island on Sunday, the Australian Broadcasting Corporation reported. They had set off on a 20-foot skiff on July 30 with four others, intending to cross between Murilo and Ruo islands in Micronesia, but had been caught in a storm, the report said. They were estimated to have drifted around 5,400 km east of Micronesia.…
U.S. President Donald Trump reiterated his promise of a “big, beautiful agreement” on Ukraine after holding a meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin’s envoy, Kirill Dmitriev, on Thursday. Dmitriev, who heads the U.S.-sanctioned Russian sovereign wealth fund, was attending a White House event hosted by First Lady Melania Trump where she delivered remarks about the temporary ceasefire in Oleshky that she helped negotiate. Although Russian and Ukrainian officials were present at the event, Trump told reporters Thursday evening he had only met Dmitriev. “I can’t tell you what I discussed. But I’m just telling you, it’s going to be a…
A mother and her daughter have been found dead following a suspected bear attack near Bella Coola, on British Columbia’s central coast. Family members identified the victims as art therapist Jenny Balcarras and her daughter, Selah Reed. They had been reported missing on Sunday. The British Columbia Conservation Officer Service said multiple grizzlies may have been involved in the attack. Inspector Jeff Tyre said the service was called in after human remains were discovered in the Snooka West trail area. Trapping efforts are now underway as authorities try to locate the animal or animals responsible. Authorities have imposed a curfew…