The Guardian

Estate of former Russian senator Vladimir Sloutsker, who died in September, ordered to pay £25m to his ex-wife A political ally of Vladimir Putin who declared poverty to a London divorce court had £217m-worth of property and land in London and Moscow as well as £21m in investments and a £4m art collection, a judge has found. Vladimir Sloutsker, 69, who died in September from cancer, fought until …

Head of entertainment Kalpna Patel-Knight says hit show ‘promises to be just as unmissable as the first’ The Celebrity Traitors will return for a second series in 2026 after a phenomenal debut that broke audience records, the BBC has said. Ardross Castle in Scotland and the host, Claudia Winkleman, will welcome a new crop of stars in TV’s ultimate game of trust and treachery. Continue reading...

Marcus Decker is supported by climate experts, religious leaders and celebrities as he fights being first person in UK to be ‘deported for peaceful protest’ A climate activist who is appealing against his deportation after serving one of the longest prison sentences in modern British history for peaceful protest has criticised his “crazy double punishment”. Marcus Decker was jailed for two years …

Critics say that fifth Pfas Trump’s EPA has proposed for approval this year would put food and water supply at risk The Trump administration is poised to again approve a new Pfas “forever chemical” pesticide ingredient, a move that is drawing criticism from public health advocates who say the nation’s food and water supply is being put at more risk from the dangerous compounds. The substance woul…

Amended package must be passed by the house and signed by the president. Plus, Volodymyr Zelenskyy on why he’s not afraid of Donald Trump Don’t already get First Thing in your inbox? Sign up here Good morning. The Senate has made significant progress towards ending the longest US government shutdown in history, narrowly advancing a compromise bill to reauthorize funding and undo the layoffs of so…

Protest at Mowaa comes amid dispute over ownership of Benin bronzes looted by British colonial forces Protesters have disrupted a preview event at a new museum in Nigeria that has become embroiled in a bitter row over the restitution of artefacts looted by British colonial forces. In a video circulating on social media, demonstrators were seen loudly chanting “Oba ghato kpere ise” (“Long live the…

Ministers and high-ranking officials from nearly 200 countries have gathered in the Amazonian city of Belem, with Brazil insisting this will be “the Cop of implementation”. There has already been significant wrangling over the Cop30 agenda, with Simon Evans, a journalist from Carbon Brief, posting on on Bluesky yesterday afternoon that the agenda was already on its fourth iteration. “Agenda fight…

Old Laundry theatre in Bowness-on-Windermere will change its name next year and premiere show to mark 10th anniversary of comedian’s death A theatre in the Lake District is to be renamed for the comedian and playwright Victoria Wood and will stage a new musical using her songs to mark the 10th anniversary of her death. The Old Laundry theatre is run by Wood’s friends, the married couple Charlotte…

Former BBC DJ, 68, will return to court next month to face 15 charges relating to seven women The former BBC DJ Tim Westwood has appeared in a central London court after being charged with rape and sexual assault. During a brief hearing at Westminster magistrates court on Monday, the 68-year-old was told he must return to Southwark crown court in December to face 15 charges relating to seven wome…

Mehmet Oz made claim about audits, but experts say he misidentified routine administrative errors The administrator for the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), Mehmet Oz, recently claimed that an audit revealed “more than $1bn of federal taxpayer dollars were being spent on funding Medicaid for illegal immigrants”, but experts say the audits were unrelated to immigration, and that rh…

Deal still needs to be passed in Senate before heading to the House and requires presidential approval President Trump last night also acknowledged the progress to reporters after arriving at the White House after a weekend at Mar-a-Lago. “It looks like we’re getting very close to the shutdown ending.” Continue reading...

Former French president was talking to court via video link about his request to serve rest of sentence at home Europe live – latest updates The former French president Nicolas Sarkozy has said his time in prison has been “gruelling” and a “nightmare” as he appeared via video link at a court hearing over his request to serve his sentence at home. Sarkozy, dressed in a navy blue suit, appeared on …

Move follows rising Israeli violence against Palestinians and freeze on broader sanctions last month Europe live – latest updates The Netherlands is still working on legislation to bar imports from illegal settlements in occupied Palestine, even though it has paused a push for broader sanctions on Israel after last month’s ceasefire deal in Gaza, the foreign minister has said during a visit to th…

Trial’s findings go against common beliefs that people with atrial fibrillation should avoid caffeinated coffee Drinking coffee may protect people against irregular heartbeats, despite the conventional wisdom to the contrary, according to a new study. The Does Eliminating Coffee Avoid Fibrillation (Decaf) clinical trial found 200 patients with persistent irregular heartbeats had a “significantly”…

Warning against breaking manifesto promise comes as speculation mounts about rise in income tax ahead of budget day on 26 November Good morning. The news is dominated today by the repercussions from the resignation last night of the BBC’s director general, Tim Davie, and its head of news, Deborah Turness. This is far bigger than just a media personnel story; the BBC has been in the middle of the …