Iranian security chief Mohsen Rezaei denied that Tehran is negotiating with Washington and said the Strait of Hormuz will remain closed until the United States meets Iran’s demands. The statements came as U.S. officials said they were open to diplomacy and vessel incidents continued in the strait.
Key Facts
Rezaei said Iran is waiting for a clear U.S. response to its seven conditions for peace talks.
Iran has not published the full list of conditions; officials have said it includes lifting sanctions and the U.S. naval blockade and ending fighting on all fronts, including Israeli attacks in Lebanon.
Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said the Strait of Hormuz could reopen within two days if Iran’s demands are met.
President Donald Trump said there was positive momentum toward ending the conflict and that further attacks were unnecessary.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the United States was open to diplomacy and that economic pressure could meet its objectives without major combat operations.
The IRGC claimed that three oil tankers caught fire after hitting naval mines; the UK Maritime Trade Operations agency reported incidents involving two tankers, including one struck by an unknown projectile northeast of Oman.
Maritime monitoring firms reported at least 37 attacks on ships in and near the Strait of Hormuz in November, the highest monthly total since the war began.
The war has entered its ninth month and disrupted oil and gas supplies, contributing to higher prices around the world.
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Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent moved from his Washington-area home to a military base after an Iranian threat against his life, the New York Times reported. The report said Iran has intensified efforts to target current and former U.S. officials, though the seriousness of the threat to Bessent was unclear.
Key Facts
Bessent has led a U.S. effort to weaken Iran’s economy through sanctions.
The New York Times cited three people familiar with the matter in its report about threats to Bessent.
The sources said Iranian plots against U.S. officials had reached a more advanced stage.
National intelligence chief Jay Clayton said last month that Tehran had substantially increased efforts to target Americans in the Middle East and elsewhere.
The U.S. ordered non-essential embassy staff and their families to leave Saudi Arabia last month after attacks by Houthi fighters backed by Iran.
The U.S. military has removed some aircraft from two British bases in recent weeks amid reported threats from Iran.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Tuesday that economic pressure on Iran made further attacks unnecessary.
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Video shows students and staff running for safety after fireworks were set off in a school corridor in France. Similar incidents were reported at several schools on the same day, amid recent student-led protests calling for reforms.
Key Facts
Fireworks were set off along a school corridor in France.
Students and staff ran for safety.
Video captured the incident.
Similar incidents were reported at several schools on the same day.
France has recently seen student-led protests demanding reforms.
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Pro-Palestinian protesters threw milk cartons and other objects toward Joe Biden and his family during a visit to Dublin, Ireland. Police clashed with protesters, and Irish broadcaster RTÉ reported at least two arrests.
Key Facts
Biden and his wife, Jill, attended a ceremony at Trinity College Dublin.
Their son, Hunter Biden, received the Gold Medal for Outstanding Contribution to Public Discourse.
Protesters chanted “blood on your hands” and some carried Palestinian flags.
Videos posted on social media showed security staff using an umbrella to shield Biden and his family as they entered a car.
Footage showed police restraining protesters during the incident.
RTÉ reported that at least two people were arrested.
The article links the protests to criticism of U.S. military aid and diplomatic support for Israel during the Gaza war.
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The U.S. warned Madagascar against expanding military ties with Russia, arguing that similar partnerships in military-led Sahel countries have not stopped militant attacks. U.S. Africa Command also raised concerns about security and shipping in the Mozambique Channel as Russia and Madagascar deepen cooperation.
Key Facts
U.S. Africa Command deputy head Lt. Gen. John Brennan said Madagascar’s Indian Ocean location is important to global trade.
Madagascar’s military took power in 2025, and Russia has since supplied weapons and military instructors.
Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger turned to Russia for military support after ending ties with Western partners.
Militant attacks have continued in the three Sahel countries despite their closer military ties with Russia.
Brennan warned that Islamist State-linked militants in northern Mozambique and other actors could threaten maritime activity in the Mozambique Channel.
At a Russia-Africa summit last month, Madagascar and Russia signed cooperation agreements covering defence, tourism and trade.
Madagascar’s President Michaël Randrianirina visited Moscow in February, a few months after taking power.
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The article says U.S. support for Israel is weakening because of long-term political shifts and criticism of Israel’s actions under Benjamin Netanyahu’s government. It reports that President Donald Trump announced a phaseout of about $4 billion in annual U.S. military aid to Israel by the end of 2026, and argues that a change in Israel’s government may not reverse the decline in relations.
Key Facts
The article describes the United States as Israel’s closest and most consequential ally.
It says U.S. support for Israel, which it characterizes as largely consistent since 1967, is cooling.
The article reports that Trump announced a plan to phase out approximately $4 billion in annual military aid to Israel by the end of 2026.
It says the aid phaseout had reportedly been agreed before Trump’s announcement, despite the surprise of its timing.
The article links criticism of Israel among progressive voters to the war in Gaza, the occupation of Palestinian territories, settlement expansion, and settler violence.
It says some America First supporters oppose foreign military aid and cite the cost of U.S. involvement in the conflict.
The article argues that replacing Netanyahu may not be enough to stop the deterioration in U.S.-Israel relations.
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An interview on France 24 examines Olympic judo champion Teddy Riner’s reported bid for the French presidency and what it may say about voter demand for alternatives to established political leaders. Guest Lex Paulson says Riner’s fame could help him attract attention, but questions whether he has set out a developed political vision; he links the interest in outsiders to wider concerns about political representation and public trust.
Key Facts
The segment aired on November 11, 2026.
The interview was hosted by François Picard and featured Lex Paulson of Mohammed VI Polytechnic University in Morocco.
The discussion focused on Riner’s reported presidential candidacy in France.
Paulson said public visibility can help an outsider gain attention in a fragmented media environment.
Paulson questioned whether Riner has presented a sufficiently developed political vision to become a serious contender.
The article says Riner’s public opposition to racism and xenophobia may resonate with some voters.
Paulson argued that some voters see professional politicians as distant and feel unheard outside election campaigns.
The segment raised bringing decision-making closer to citizens as a way to address concerns about democratic representation.
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The UK has issued its first cold health alerts of the season for parts of England as Arctic air is forecast to bring widespread frost and below-freezing overnight temperatures from midweek. Rural areas could fall to -5C or lower, while sleet or snow is possible in far northern Scotland and the islands.
Key Facts
Yellow cold health alerts cover the West Midlands and north west of England.
The alerts are scheduled to run from 09:00 GMT Thursday until 12:00 GMT Saturday.
The UK Health Security Agency says the cold could pose a greater risk to vulnerable people and have minor effects on health and social care services.
Overnight temperatures are forecast to fall below zero in many towns and cities from midweek.
Some rural areas, including parts of Scotland and southern England, could reach -5C.
Sleet and snow are possible in Shetland, Orkney and northern Scotland, with snow potentially settling on higher ground.
Thursday daytime highs are forecast to reach about 7C in many areas, despite the cold conditions.
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Éric Zemmour announced his candidacy for France’s 2027 presidential election. The leader of the far-right party Reconquête says he wants to reduce immigration and expel certain foreign residents.
Key Facts
Zemmour formally announced his candidacy on Tuesday, November 11, 2026.
He leads the far-right party Reconquête.
Zemmour said he wants two million fewer immigrants by the end of a five-year term.
His proposed measures include expelling foreign offenders in prison and foreign residents who have been unemployed for more than six months.
Zemmour finished fourth in France’s 2022 presidential election.
Marine Le Pen, of the National Rally, is also expected to seek the presidency.
Zemmour was convicted in 2020 over remarks about Muslims and traditional religious clothing.
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The article compares billionaire political spending in the United States and the United Kingdom, focusing on Elon Musk’s spending on Republican candidates and large cryptocurrency-linked donations to Reform UK. It reports that Musk’s spending did not secure the desired election results and that concerns about Nigel Farage’s financial dealings have become a hurdle for his party.
Key Facts
Musk reportedly spent $224 million supporting Republican candidates in Texas and another $250 million on races elsewhere.
James Talarico became the first Democrat to win a Senate seat in Texas since 1988; his campaign opposed Musk’s involvement.
The Electoral Commission reported that parties and campaign groups spent a combined £94.5 million in the year before the last UK general election.
Christopher Harborne gave Farage £5 million shortly before Farage ran for Parliament in 2024; Farage did not register the gift after being elected and denies wrongdoing.
Harborne gave Reform UK £9 million in 2025 and £36 million in 2026, according to the article.
Ben Delo, another cryptocurrency billionaire, gave Reform UK £36 million days before Harborne’s 2026 donation.
A parliamentary standards commissioner is expected to issue a decision on the £5 million gift; a finding against Farage could lead to a Commons suspension and a recall petition.
A More in Common survey found that perceptions of Farage as sleazy or corrupt were an obstacle to support, including among a group the firm calls “dissenting disruptors.”
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Russell Brand donated £3,000 to a rape crisis charity in Essex in late 2010, a year after committing a rape for which he was later convicted. The charity said Brand’s management arranged the donation, and it had no direct contact with him.
Key Facts
South Essex Rape and Incest Crisis Centre received the £3,000 donation in late 2010.
The donation helped pay for the charity’s 25th anniversary party at Orsett Hall.
Charity founder Sheila Coates said the charity had asked many public figures for donations.
Coates said Brand’s management team handled the donation and the charity had no direct contact with Brand.
Brand was convicted of raping a 21-year-old woman in 2009.
Brand is serving a 10-year-and-six-month prison sentence after being found guilty of one count of rape and three counts of sexual assault.
Coates raised concerns about victim-blaming and said people should understand why victims may delay reporting sexual assault.
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One Nation Victoria candidate Chris Moore apologised for offensive social media posts he made between 2010 and 2012 about Indians, lesbians, refugees and former Australian prime minister Julia Gillard. The party has not withdrawn its endorsement of Moore, who is running for Greenvale.
Key Facts
Moore said the posts were thoughtless comments he shared as a young man and did not reflect who he is today.
His posts included calling Australian-Indians “curry munchers” and comparing a woman and child in burqas to rubbish bags.
Moore shared an image that used a sexual insult about Julia Gillard and made derogatory comments about lesbians and refugees.
Greenvale is held by Labor MP Iwan Walters, and Labor won the seat with a 7.1% margin.
The article says Greenvale has a large Islamic and West Asian population and one of Victoria’s highest proportions of residents born in the Middle East.
One Nation Victoria recently disendorsed candidates Franco Guardiani and Matthew Collins over social media posts.
The party says Victorian candidates must submit their personal social media accounts for vetting and undergo an interview with a selection panel.
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Sightless Cinema is running a two-year audio-drama project for blind and partially sighted people. Participants are creating a play through sound, using props and sound effects to build settings and characters for an audience; they plan to perform it in 2028.
Key Facts
The workshop is part of a two-year project run by Sightless Cinema.
The group is writing a play about a jilted bride on her wedding day and a chaotic household.
Participants use items such as gravel, leaves, a wind machine and a miniature door to create sounds.
Helen Kennedy plays the bride and said mainstream drama groups had been reluctant to include her because they feared she might fall from a stage.
Jim Masterson, who lost his sight after an assault, has returned to drama after decades away.
Participants said the sessions offer a chance to perform, improvise, learn sound techniques and connect with others.
The group plans to perform the play for an audience in 2028.
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After Israel’s October election, President Isaac Herzog tasked opposition leader Gadi Eisenkot with forming a government. Benjamin Netanyahu has called for a unity government under his leadership and warned that a government backed by Arab parties could risk civil conflict, while negotiations focus on whether ultra-Orthodox parties will support Eisenkot or Netanyahu.
Key Facts
The new Knesset was due to be sworn in on Tuesday, according to the article.
President Isaac Herzog tasked former military chief Gadi Eisenkot with forming a government.
Netanyahu urged opposition leaders to join a unity government under his leadership.
Netanyahu warned in a video that a government supported by Arab parties could pose a risk of civil war; he accused those parties of seeking to eliminate Israel.
United Torah Judaism did not endorse Netanyahu as the person to form a government, and the article reported that it might support Eisenkot.
Pollster Mitchell Barak said Eisenkot could have 67 seats if United Torah Judaism joined his bloc, enough for a majority in the 120-seat Knesset.
Negotiations include the ultra-Orthodox parties’ longstanding push to shield yeshiva students from military service, despite a June 2024 Supreme Court ruling.
Netanyahu faces corruption charges and is on trial; the article says he has asked President Isaac Herzog for a pardon.
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Rightmove’s annual survey named Richmond upon Thames the happiest place to live in Britain. The south-west London borough ranked highly for green space, local services, shops and restaurants, jobs, and residents’ pride, though its average asking price for a home exceeds £1 million. The survey was self-selecting, and 81% of respondents across Britain said they were happy with where they live.
Key Facts
Richmond upon Thames topped Rightmove’s 15th annual Happy at Home Index.
Harrogate, North Yorkshire, ranked second, and Cirencester, Gloucestershire, ranked third.
Richmond returned to first place after winning in 2023 and placing second last year.
Monmouth was the highest-ranked place in Wales, while Kirkcaldy ranked first in Scotland.
Richmond scored highly for access to nature and green spaces, essential services, shops and restaurants, employment opportunities, and local pride.
The average asking price for a home in Richmond upon Thames was more than £1 million.
Four-fifths (81%) of survey respondents said they were happy with where they live.
Rightmove invited participants by email from its database, making the survey self-selecting.
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Scotland’s housing shortage is worsening as homelessness and demand for affordable homes rise while housebuilding slows. Councils and builders point to limited social housing, rising construction costs, land shortages, planning delays and regulation as factors affecting supply.
Key Facts
Thirteen Scottish councils have declared housing emergencies.
More than 19,000 households were in council-funded temporary accommodation, a 10% increase from the previous year.
Temporary accommodation housed 10,715 children.
Authorities assessed 35,000 households as homeless or at risk of homelessness in 2025-26.
Scotland completed 17,640 new homes in 2025-26, the third consecutive annual decline.
The number of new housing projects started in the past two years was the lowest since 2012-13.
Social housing stock has risen since 2017 but remained 89,000 homes below its 1999 level in March 2026.
Housebuilders cite construction costs, shortages of suitable land, planning delays and added regulation as obstacles.
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A Kenyan domestic worker in Saudi Arabia, Esther Wanja Muthoni, was reportedly sentenced to 100 lashes after giving birth outside marriage. Rights groups say women who give birth outside marriage face punishment and that the case became known after she went to a hospital, which reports such births to authorities.
Key Facts
Muthoni worked in Saudi Arabia as a housekeeper and nanny.
She said she became pregnant during a brief relationship with an Egyptian man, who had since left Saudi Arabia.
A court issued the sentence last month, according to the article.
Muthoni told the New York Times she feared she could not endure the lashes.
Saudi Arabia announced in April 2020 that it would end flogging for ta’zir offences, where judges have discretion over punishment; flogging remained possible for some other offences, according to ALQST.
Rights advocate Ekaterina Porras Sivolobova said hospitals are required to report unmarried women who give birth, while many women give birth at home.
A planned visit to Saudi Arabia by UN special rapporteur Reem Alsalem was postponed the week before the article was published.
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UK Cabinet Secretary Antonia Romeo said she plans major changes to civil service performance management and organisation. She said the reforms aim to improve productivity, address poor performance and use AI to reduce bureaucracy while helping officials focus on public services.
Key Facts
Romeo described parts of the civil service as risk-averse, reactive and siloed.
She said recent increases in bonuses for high-performing senior civil servants were only a first step.
Her proposed performance system would reward strong delivery, expertise and officials who stay in roles to complete work.
Romeo said managers would receive stronger processes and training to reward high impact and address poor performance.
A review due in the spring will examine departmental structures, cross-government work, AI and devolution.
Romeo said AI could reduce bureaucracy and support more predictive, preventative and personalised public services, with safeguards.
A government spokesperson said Andy Burnham supports Romeo’s vision for a civil service fit for the future.
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Chris Cash, a former British parliamentary researcher acquitted of spying for China, told the BBC he believes he became a “fall guy” in a case meant to draw attention to foreign espionage. Messages he shared show discussions with his friend Chris Berry about sensitive UK political matters, but the article says they contain no evidence Cash was paid by or supported China’s Communist Party.
Key Facts
Cash said he was “unprofessional and naive” to send gossiping messages to Berry, but denied intending to harm UK national security.
The messages, sent on Signal from January 2022 to March 2023, included discussion of the 2022 Conservative Party leadership contest.
Berry described meeting a senior Chinese official who was concerned about the possible promotion of a UK MP sanctioned by China.
Cash used Berry as a reference during vetting for a parliamentary pass, which was approved.
UK security services alleged that information in the messages had been passed to people linked to the Chinese state.
Both men denied wrongdoing and were charged with espionage; they were acquitted after the case collapsed last autumn.
The top prosecutor said officials could not state that China had been classed as an “enemy” at the time.
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Yemen’s internationally recognized government and the Houthis reported carrying out attacks against each other, with both sides claiming heavy casualties. The government’s claims could not be independently verified, and the Saudi-led coalition did not immediately confirm Houthi claims about strikes on Sanaa and other areas.
Key Facts
A spokesman for Yemen’s government forces said their attacks targeted Houthi positions in six governorates.
The spokesman reported 29 air strikes, 39 drone attacks, 62 rocket launches and 744 artillery attacks.
He claimed about 190 Houthi fighters and commanders were killed or wounded and up to 130 vehicles or combat assets were damaged or destroyed.
Al Jazeera said it could not verify the government’s battlefield claims.
Houthi spokesman Yahya Saree claimed the group killed or wounded government-aligned fighters in Lahij and al-Jawf.
Saree accused Saudi-backed forces of carrying out 109 air strikes and missile attacks, including in Sanaa and several other areas, and said women and children were among the casualties.
The Saudi-led coalition said it intercepted two missiles fired toward Riyadh and another aimed at Saudi Arabia’s southern region.
The World Health Organization reported at least 1,771 deaths and 7,959 injuries in Yemen’s hostilities since August, with more than 300,000 people displaced.
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