Alberta opposition New Democratic Party members questioned a September 2025 Kentucky bourbon-distillery trip by Alberta Minister Dale Nally, saying expense records raise questions about taxpayer costs and an additional guest. Nally’s office says Gary Davidson, the husband of Nally’s chief of staff, paid his own expenses; the NDP is seeking repayment of some disputed costs.
Key Facts
The delegation’s trip to about 11 Kentucky distilleries cost taxpayers approximately $14,000, according to expense records obtained by the NDP.
The delegation included Nally, his chief of staff, his deputy minister and Gary Davidson.
Trip briefing materials described Davidson as an “additional guest” and did not list a public official role for him.
The NDP says transportation instructions split costs among three people even though four traveled in the vehicle.
The NDP alleges taxpayers may have covered about $1,405 in transportation costs attributable to Davidson.
The NDP is seeking repayment of about $3,790 in expenses related to the distillery tours.
Nally’s office maintains that Davidson paid his own expenses.
The trip took place in September 2025, amid U.S.-Canada trade tensions and Canadian restrictions on American alcohol imports.
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French President Emmanuel Macron presided over an Armistice Day commemoration in Paris on Wednesday, November 11, 2026. The article describes it as his final Armistice Day ceremony.
Key Facts
Macron led the ceremony in Paris.
The commemoration took place on Wednesday, November 11, 2026.
The article identifies the event as Macron’s final Armistice Day ceremony.
The article includes a 36-second video.
The article lists France and Emmanuel Macron as keywords.
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Labour MPs are urging ministers to keep the UK’s legal requirement for electric vehicles at 80% of new car sales by 2030. Cabinet ministers are due to meet Thursday to discuss possible cuts, with reports pointing to a compromise target of 60% to 65%; a final announcement is expected this month.
Key Facts
The current 2030 requirement calls for 80% of vehicles sold by carmakers to be electric.
Business Secretary Jonathan Reynolds supports lowering the target to 50%.
Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander supports a target of about 60%.
Energy Secretary Miatta Fahnbulleh wants the target to remain as close to 80% as possible.
Louise Haigh is expected to favor a compromise target of 60% to 65%, according to sources cited in the article.
Climate and Nature Crisis Caucus chair Chris Hinchliff warned that cutting the target could weaken the government’s climate goals and industrial strategy.
Some Labour MPs from industrial areas support a lower target, saying it could give manufacturers a more realistic path while protecting jobs and investment.
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Researchers tested an obesity diagnosis method that combines BMI with waist measurements and checks of organ function. Using health records from more than 800,000 people, they estimated that BMI alone can miss obesity in 5% to 9% of adults and wrongly label up to 3%; the alternative also separates clinical obesity, which impairs organ function, from pre-clinical obesity.
Key Facts
The study used health records from the UK, US, China and Spain and tracked people for up to 15 years.
The proposed method considers people with a BMI above 40 obese, while people with lower BMIs are assessed using waist measurements and waist-to-height ratios.
The method defines clinical obesity as excess body fat that is already impairing organ function.
Pre-clinical obesity refers to excess body fat that poses a health risk but has not yet caused organ problems.
The researchers estimated that only about a quarter to a third of people classified as obese under the new approach had clinical obesity.
The article reports that 80% to 90% of people with pre-clinical obesity did not develop clinical obesity during the following 10 years.
The researchers said the more detailed assessment could help doctors tailor care, including lifestyle advice, weight-loss drugs or surgery.
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Hundreds of schools in Scotland and Northern Ireland received hoax bomb threats on Wednesday, and some evacuated pupils as a precaution. Police in both regions said the threats were not considered credible; officials in the Republic of Ireland also assessed similar messages as not credible.
Key Facts
Police Scotland said at least 470 schools across Scotland received hoax warnings.
At least 300 schools in Northern Ireland were affected.
Some schools in Scotland briefly evacuated pupils, while others activated emergency procedures.
Police Scotland said there was no indication of a credible threat or a wider danger to the public.
The Police Service of Northern Ireland said the risk to the public was low and its inquiries were ongoing.
Scotland’s cyber and fraud unit is working with UK and overseas security and law enforcement bodies to identify those responsible.
Officials in the Republic of Ireland said similar messages were not credible and did not prompt evacuations.
Northern Ireland’s education minister said last month’s hoax threats appeared to be Islamist, but authorities had not publicly confirmed their origin.
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Russia said it would bar two French lawmakers and two journalists from entering the country. Moscow described the move as retaliation for France’s July expulsion of Xenia Fedorova, the former head of RT France.
Key Facts
Russia named lawmakers Sacha Houlié and Arthur Delaporte among those banned.
The two journalists named were Paul Gogo and Ariane Chemin.
Foreign ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said the bans responded to alleged harassment of Fedorova.
France expelled Fedorova in July.
French Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez accused Fedorova of relaying Russian propaganda in a way that threatened France’s fundamental interests.
France had banned RT France after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
Russia has barred dozens of Western journalists and lawmakers since its full-scale invasion of Ukraine began in February 2022.
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France held Armistice Day commemorations on November 11, marking the end of World War I. With the French presidential election less than six months away, President Emmanuel Macron presided over his final Paris ceremony, while candidates seeking to succeed him stated their positions.
Key Facts
The ceremony took place in Paris on Wednesday, November 11, 2026.
Emmanuel Macron presided over what the article described as his final Armistice Day ceremony in Paris.
The French presidential election was less than six months away.
Candidates seeking to succeed Macron made their positions clear during the commemorations.
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Millions of Spanish workers joined a general strike on Wednesday to protest housing costs. The government hopes to use the protest ahead of a national election later this month.
Key Facts
The strike took place on Wednesday, November 11, 2026.
Organizers used the slogan “Salaries. Housing. Prices.”
The walkout affected businesses and public transportation.
The article describes it as Spain’s first general strike in 14 years.
A national election is scheduled for later in November.
The government hopes to leverage the strike before the election.
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Experts and researchers told Al Jazeera that Israeli attacks have damaged wheat-growing areas and disrupted farming in southern Lebanon and the Bekaa Valley. A study cited in the article found large losses in wheat-growing areas in both regions during the 2023–2024 and 2024–2025 seasons, while the share of land previously used for wheat that was left fallow rose from 9 percent to 24 percent.
Key Facts
A study by researcher Mariam Ibrahim tracked Lebanon’s wheat production from 2017 to 2025.
In southern Lebanon, wheat-growing areas fell by 47 percent in 2023–2024 and 61 percent in 2024–2025, according to the study.
The Bekaa plain produces about 64 percent of Lebanon’s wheat, and its wheat-growing area fell by about 43 percent and 57 percent in those two seasons.
The study estimated that all cropland in the border town of Bint Jbeil was destroyed.
In the Baalbeck district, about 32 percent of cropland was destroyed, the study reported.
Researchers said the share of land formerly used to grow wheat that was left fallow rose from 9 percent to 24 percent, mainly in the south and Bekaa Valley.
Munira Khayyat told Al Jazeera that attacks and damage to land could weaken its ability to support life and increase drought and desertification risks.
Ibrahim said Lebanon’s wheat-growing area peaked in the 2022–2023 season, partly as international wheat prices and currency depreciation increased incentives for local farmers.
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Russia barred two French lawmakers and two French journalists from entering the country, saying the move responded to France’s expulsion of Xenia Fedorova, former head of RT France. France expelled Fedorova in July, accusing her of relaying Russian propaganda and threatening the country’s interests; she rejected the action as censorship.
Key Facts
Russia named lawmakers Sacha Houlie and Arthur Delaporte and journalists Paul Gogo and Ariane Chemin in its entry ban.
Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said Russia imposed the ban over the alleged harassment of Fedorova.
Fedorova led RT France from 2017 to 2023.
French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot described Fedorova as an agent of influence.
France’s Interior Minister Laurent Nunez accused Fedorova of relaying Russian propaganda in an attempt to attack the country’s fundamental interests.
Houlie said on X that he viewed the Russian measure as recognition of his work against foreign interference.
Russia has barred dozens of Western journalists and lawmakers since its full-scale invasion of Ukraine began in February 2022.
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The article says Democrats’ gains in the U.S. midterm elections have brought relief in Europe but may not curb President Donald Trump’s ability to pressure European countries through foreign policy and trade. It argues that the election’s effect on European populist parties is uncertain: some leaders may distance themselves from Trump, while others could retain support amid domestic economic concerns.
Key Facts
The article says Democrats gained control of Congress in the midterm elections.
It notes that Trump can use executive foreign-policy powers without congressional approval, including on trade, Ukraine and Iran.
European leaders cited in the article fear Trump could become more confrontational toward Europe after domestic political setbacks.
The article describes concern that Trump could block aid for Ukraine or limit Kyiv’s access to U.S. defense technology.
It says Democrats in Congress do not share one clear position on Europe or Ukraine.
Poland’s President Karol Nawrocki and Czech Prime Minister Andrej Babiš are described as facing questions or protests related to their political alignment.
The article says Trump’s defeat may not weaken populist parties that are not yet in power, particularly where voters are concerned about stagnant pay, inflation and housing costs.
It reports that Marine Le Pen was leading in French polls at the time the article was written.
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Iran’s government is preparing for a prolonged economic crisis and has directed officials to plan for a budget with little or no oil revenue if the U.S. blockade and sanctions continue. Economists warn that reduced oil income could make it harder to fund public spending, support the currency and contain inflation, while Iranian officials say the country will not collapse.
Key Facts
Iran’s November 3 budget directive outlined scenarios involving either continued restrictions or an improvement that could include lifting the blockade.
Mohammad Ghasemi of Iran’s Plan and Budget Organization said the government must prepare for oil revenue to reach zero next year.
The article says the U.S. military began a blockade of Iran’s southern ports on April 13, lifted it under a June agreement, and imposed a second blockade on July 14.
The U.S. military said it had redirected 147 ships and disabled five while enforcing the blockade, and claimed to have destroyed 10 Iranian oil tankers.
The U.S. Treasury said Iran had loaded no oil onto vessels since August 25.
Kpler assessed in late October that Iran’s oil production had fallen below 2 million barrels per day in recent months, down from more than 3.4 million per day in January and February.
Economist Isaac Saidian said near-zero oil income could strain Iran’s ability to pay salaries and pensions, provide essential goods and prevent inflation from rising.
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Kenya discharged its last Ebola patient and began a 42-day countdown to be declared free of the disease, with December 23 set as the target date. The country reported nine confirmed cases, all linked to its first patient, while authorities continued screening and other prevention measures.
Key Facts
Health Minister Aden Duale announced the discharge at a news conference in Nairobi on Wednesday.
Kenya’s first case was recorded on October 6, and its last case on October 19.
The first patient arrived from the Democratic Republic of the Congo through Uganda and infected four family members and four health workers.
The first patient and his mother died; the other seven patients recovered.
Authorities identified 135 people who had contact with the first patient.
Saudi Arabia suspended visas for Kenyan travelers indefinitely on October 30, affecting Kenyan workers seeking jobs in the Gulf.
Kenya designated an airport gate for passengers from 10 countries linked to Ebola cases and screens arrivals with thermal technology.
Kenyan citizens arriving from the Democratic Republic of the Congo will have to quarantine for 21 days.
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The article reports that U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent moved from his Washington, D.C., home to a military base after alleged Iranian threats. It also describes security concerns at U.S. military sites in the United Kingdom, including aircraft being moved from RAF Mildenhall and arrests linked to an alleged plot against RAF Fairford.
Key Facts
A source told Reuters that alleged threats against Bessent increased after the Wall Street Journal published an aerial photograph of his Georgetown mansion in January 2025.
The New York Times first reported Bessent’s relocation, citing three sources.
A Treasury spokesperson said Bessent would continue the U.S. pressure campaign against Iran.
The article says Bessent has led U.S. sanctions and economic pressure on Iran under a policy called Operation Economic Outcast.
The U.S. military moved aircraft from a second U.K. base after a reported threat from Iran, according to the Wall Street Journal.
Two U.S. refuelling tankers and other tankers left RAF Mildenhall for Germany and other locations, the report said.
British authorities arrested several men in connection with security incidents near RAF Fairford; the article says the U.S. charged three men over an alleged plot.
Iran’s ambassador to the U.K. denied that Tehran was involved in a scheme against RAF Fairford.
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Russia and Ukraine agreed to a large-scale prisoner-of-war exchange after two days of U.S.-mediated talks in Abu Dhabi. Negotiators are returning to their capitals to finalize the details, Ukrainian official Rustem Umerov said on X.
Key Facts
The talks took place in Abu Dhabi.
The United States mediated the talks.
The talks lasted two days.
Russia and Ukraine agreed to a large-scale exchange of prisoners of war.
Negotiators are traveling back to their capitals to finalize the details.
Rustem Umerov announced the agreement in a post on X.
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EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said the United States cannot negotiate on the European Union’s behalf about lifting sanctions on Russia. In a FRANCE 24 interview, she also discussed the war in Ukraine, the Middle East, and possible changes in President Donald Trump’s foreign policy after the U.S. midterm elections.
Key Facts
Kaja Kallas is the European Union’s High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy.
Kallas said the United States cannot negotiate on the EU’s behalf about lifting Russia sanctions.
The interview covered the war in Ukraine and the situation in the Middle East.
Kallas discussed a possible change in U.S. President Donald Trump’s foreign policy after the midterm elections.
Kallas reaffirmed the EU’s role as a major player in global affairs.
FRANCE 24 published the interview on November 11, 2026.
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Seven families from a Danish housing estate are challenging a law that can require nonprofit housing areas to sell or demolish homes when they meet specified population and social criteria. Denmark’s Supreme Court is expected to rule on November 23, 2026, after a European Union court said the law’s “non-Western” category could amount to ethnic discrimination; Danish judges must decide whether it does.
Key Facts
The seven families lived at the Nøjsomhed estate in Helsingør, which was placed on a government list in January 2020.
The families say they were forced from their homes because of their own or their parents’ origins.
The 2018 law applies to nonprofit housing areas with at least 1,000 residents, more than half classified as “non-Western,” and at least two of four measures involving unemployment, crime, education, and income.
Areas that remain on the list for five consecutive years must reduce nonprofit family housing to 40 percent by 2030 through sales, demolition, or conversion.
A European Union court ruled in December that the “non-Western” classification could amount to ethnic discrimination and left the decision to Danish courts.
Lower Danish courts ruled against the families, finding that “non-Western” does not describe an ethnic group.
The Supreme Court’s decision on whether the criterion is neutral could affect other housing estates on the government lists.
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The French film “Women on Trial” revisits a landmark 1972 case that helped pave the way for abortion legislation in France. Charlotte Gainsbourg and Cécile de France star in the courtroom drama about lawyer Gisèle Halimi and the high-profile legal battle.
Key Facts
“Women on Trial” is a new French film about a landmark 1972 case.
The case helped pave the way for abortion legislation in France.
Charlotte Gainsbourg and Cécile de France appear in the film.
The program’s critic, Manon Kerjean, discusses the performances and courtroom tension.
The segment also covers “Jupiter,” a film about a French president facing a nuclear threat.
The program features “A Place to Heal,” a tragicomic film about a teenage psychiatric unit, directed by Cédric Kahn.
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Distributors in Australia and the United States say they have removed David Walliams’ cameo from the upcoming film Fing! and will exclude him from its publicity. The decisions followed published sexual harassment allegations, which Walliams denies; streaming service Stan dropped the film, and Sky plans to exit as its UK and Ireland licensee.
Key Facts
Transmission Films said Walliams will not take part in the Australian publicity campaign for Fing!, due in cinemas on 14 January.
The film’s producers said they removed Walliams’ cameo appearance.
Stan said it removed Fing! from its content slate.
US distributor Angel Studios said it removed Walliams’ cameo and will exclude him from US marketing and promotion.
Sky said it intends to exit its position as the film’s UK and Ireland licensee and has removed content featuring Walliams from its platforms.
The film is based on Walliams’ 2019 book and stars Taika Waititi, Mia Wasikowska, Iona Bell and Blake Harrison; Jeffrey Walker directed it.
A Guardian UK and ITV News investigation reported allegations of sexual harassment, including claims involving young fans and workplace conduct. Walliams denies the allegations.
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Russia, Ukraine and the United States ended two days of talks in Abu Dhabi without a breakthrough on ending the war. The discussions focused on post-war security, but the sides remain divided over territory, a ceasefire and Europe’s role; U.S. negotiators are due to meet the Russian and Ukrainian presidents.
Key Facts
The Abu Dhabi talks were the first round since February.
Ukraine negotiator Davyd Arakhamia called the discussions among the hardest and said he saw momentum for another round.
Russia and Ukraine said they were working on a large-scale prisoner exchange that could happen soon.
U.S. negotiators Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner are scheduled to meet Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in Dublin.
Ukraine seeks security assurances from allies, while Russia wants limits on NATO’s influence in eastern Europe.
The sides disagree on whether a ceasefire should come before or after an agreement on security and other issues.
Russia wants Ukraine to give up the parts of Donetsk it still controls; Ukraine wants to freeze the front line.
European representatives met with U.S. and Ukrainian negotiators in Abu Dhabi, but Russia said its delegation had no contact with them.
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