Leaders from Germany, Belgium, the Netherlands, Luxembourg and Denmark urged the EU and UK to deepen cooperation on clean energy ahead of a 20 November summit in Brussels. They want the sides to agree on a path for Britain to rejoin the EU’s internal electricity market, which they say could support North Sea energy development and lower costs, though a deal may involve a UK contribution to EU funds.
Key Facts
The five leaders sent a letter to European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and European Council President António Costa.
The Brussels summit is scheduled for 20 November, with UK leader Andy Burnham expected to attend.
The planned summit agenda includes agreements on food and drink, carbon emissions and youth exchanges.
The leaders urged the EU and UK to speed up negotiations on Britain’s return to the EU’s internal electricity market.
The letter said closer integration could help develop the North Sea into a major clean-energy hub.
A UK return to the market could require payments to EU cohesion funds, which support development in poorer regions.
Energy UK estimated in 2024 that the current relationship could add £10bn in costs for Britain from 2024 to 2029.
Michel Barnier said Britain could not rejoin the EU single market by choosing only some of its rules and freedoms.
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At least five people were killed in a shooting near Krakow’s main market square on November 7, Polish police said. Police caught the suspected shooter while he was trying to flee, and authorities are investigating.
Key Facts
The shooting took place near the main market square in Krakow, southern Poland.
Police reported at least five people killed.
Police said they caught the shooter while he was trying to escape.
Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk said police were investigating the shooting.
Tusk said the interior ministry was keeping him informed.
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A gunman fired at people from a car near Krakow’s Main Market Square, killing five and wounding around a dozen, police said. Police neutralized the gunman and took him to a hospital; officers were among the wounded. Authorities are investigating the circumstances of the attack.
Key Facts
Police reported five deaths and around a dozen people wounded.
A man fired toward people from a car driving through Krakow’s Main Square, according to police.
Police officers were among the wounded.
Police neutralized the gunman and transported him to a hospital.
Krakow’s municipal government confirmed that people were killed and injured after shots were fired.
Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk said he was receiving updates from the interior minister and that police were investigating.
Krakow is about 250 kilometres south of Warsaw.
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The National Trust voted to begin a competitive process to choose a new banking partner, with environmental commitments included as a condition for the first time. The vote followed years of member concern about Barclays’ financing of fossil fuel expansion, though the Trust said the process would not be limited to specialist ethical banks and may not begin for at least a year.
Key Facts
The resolution passed at the Trust’s annual general meeting with support from its board of trustees.
The vote was 53,256 in favour and 4,094 against.
The tender process will require a prospective bank to show a positive commitment to protecting biodiversity and reducing human-caused climate change.
Members have raised concerns about Barclays’ financing of the fossil fuel industry, including oil and gas expansion.
The Trust has identified climate change and the decline of nature as major threats to the places in its care.
A wildfire at Dunwich Heath in Suffolk burned 104 hectares of ancient heathland in July; campaigners estimated recovery could take 25 years.
The Trust said the tender would not be restricted to specialist ethical banks, and insiders suggested it might not take place for at least a year.
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A car crashed into the window of Tiger Rock Restaurant on North John Street in Liverpool city centre at about 12:30 GMT, causing a gas leak. Police said the driver remained at the scene and there was no indication the crash was deliberate.
Key Facts
Merseyside Police said a Peugeot hit the restaurant window.
Three people in the restaurant were assessed for minor injuries, according to Merseyside Fire and Rescue Service.
Firefighters and police set up a cordon after the impact caused a gas leak.
A structural engineer and a gas engineer were due to attend.
Nearby buildings were evacuated as a precaution.
Road closures were put in place at the junctions of North John Street with Dale Street and Lord Street.
Wirral Metro buses were temporarily diverted; services terminated at Whitechapel and began return journeys from Sir Thomas Street.
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Reform UK is facing renewed questions about how it vets candidates and staff after several people linked to the party faced criminal charges or scrutiny over past comments. The party says it did not know about some cases, while its internal vetting process has changed over time and remains largely private.
Key Facts
George Madgwick, Reform’s former leader on Hampshire county council, was charged with 35 alleged sexual offences, including 12 counts of rape; he has said he is innocent.
Ryan Dinnage, a former member of Nigel Farage’s security team, faced a rape charge while working with him and was later convicted and jailed; Reform said it did not know about the charge and stopped using him when it came to light.
Suspended Reform councillor Glenn Gibbins is due in court over a charge of making grossly offensive social media posts about Nigerians; he denies the charge.
Reform has repeatedly faced calls to disown candidates after offensive or prejudiced comments emerged, including comments by Robert Kenyon, its candidate in the Makerfield byelection.
Before the 2024 election, Farage blamed an external company for inadequate candidate background checks; the party later brought vetting in-house.
Reform’s vetting is now run by deputy chair Paul Nuttall, and the party has not publicly detailed how the process works.
A report cited by the article says prospective candidates may be asked to give an unprepared speech and take part in a mock interview at regional events.
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Gympanzees, a £10m play and leisure centre for disabled children near Bristol, is preparing to open after more than a decade of planning and fundraising. The centre will offer accessible play, exercise and sensory spaces, alongside support for families.
Key Facts
Founder Stephanie Wheen developed the idea through her work as a children’s physiotherapist in Bristol.
The charity began running temporary play and exercise sessions in schools, attracting 1,000 visitors in its first four weeks.
Gympanzees bought a former service station near the Severn Bridge and adapted the 4,000-square-metre site.
The project has raised more than £10m and has £400,000 left to raise; a £2.2m loan helped fund the site purchase.
The centre will include 10 activity spaces, an accessible outdoor play park, a café and a shop selling care supplies.
Its two-storey soft-play area will use two hoist systems to improve access for wheelchair users.
A party room will have DJ equipment controlled by eye-gaze technology, which lets users operate devices by looking at controls.
Scope research cited in the article found that half of UK playgrounds are not accessible to disabled children.
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New Zealand’s general election produced no clear winner, leaving party leaders to negotiate over a coalition government. Preliminary results gave the centre-right National Party the most seats, while the final outcome awaits the count of special votes and official results due on 27 November.
Key Facts
National won 42 seats, 19 short of a simple majority.
Labour won 36 seats, and leader Chris Hipkins did not concede.
National could form a governing bloc with ACT and New Zealand First if they reach an agreement.
The Opportunity Party passed the 5% threshold to enter Parliament for the first time and said it would consider working with either side.
More than 99% of votes had been counted, with National and Labour close in vote share.
The two major parties together received about 60% of the vote, a historically low combined share, according to the article.
Special votes, including votes cast overseas or outside a voter’s electorate, were still to be counted.
The election campaign focused on the cost of living and unemployment.
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Pope Leo XIV urged Catholics in Uruguay to share their faith and build bridges during a Mass in Paysandú on the second day of his 12-day South American tour. He also praised mate as a tradition that brings people together and spoke about healthcare and support for people nearing the end of life.
Key Facts
Leo celebrated Mass in Paysandú on November 7, 2026.
The visit is the first papal visit to Uruguay since 1988.
Leo urged Uruguayans to be “bridge builders” and share the joy of their faith.
He said the shared herbal drink mate teaches people to share and be together.
The article says Leo underwent surgery for lung cancer three weeks before beginning the tour.
Leo said people should receive needed care and support to live with dignity until the natural end of life.
The tour is scheduled to continue in Argentina and Peru.
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Jean-Luc Mélenchon is launching his platform for France’s 2027 presidential election with pledges to raise the minimum wage, cap prices on essential foods and restore retirement at 60 for people who have paid into the system for 40 years. His programme also proposes tax changes, a shift away from nuclear power and a gradual French withdrawal from NATO’s integrated military command.
Key Facts
Mélenchon’s party, France Unbowed, calls its platform “L’Avenir en commun,” or “A Shared Future.”
The platform proposes raising the net monthly minimum wage from about €1,480 to €1,700.
It proposes repealing President Emmanuel Macron’s pension reform, which raised the minimum retirement age from 62 to 64.
The platform calls for ending the flat tax on capital income and raising taxes on the wealthiest households.
It proposes phasing out nuclear power, scrapping the planned EPR2 reactor programme and not extending nuclear plants’ operating lives beyond 60 years.
On foreign policy, the platform calls for France to begin gradually withdrawing from NATO by leaving its integrated military command.
The article says recent polls place Mélenchon as the strongest candidate on the left and suggest he could reach the runoff against Marine Le Pen, but would lose in the second round.
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A documentary by Zaradasht Ahmed follows efforts to preserve Mosul’s cultural heritage after the city’s battle with ISIL nearly a decade ago. It centers on a fisherman guarding a marble gate topped with carved lions and a collector who wants to place it in his unofficial museum, while a musician urges him to consider the human cost of removing artefacts.
Key Facts
Bashar lost his family home during the battle to liberate Mosul from ISIL.
The marble gate crowned with carved lions is all that remains of Bashar’s former home.
Bashar guards the gate.
Fakhri is a collector seeking to acquire the gate for his unofficial museum.
Fadil, a musician silenced under ISIL, challenges Fakhri to consider the human cost of each artefact.
Mosul is rebuilding and experiencing a cultural revival.
The documentary is titled The Lions by the River Tigris and was made by Zaradasht Ahmed.
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Iraqi Foreign Minister Fuad Hussein said Baghdad has evidence that outside parties used Iraqi territory to attack neighboring countries, and that Iraq is investigating attacks on Gulf states. He said Iraq is discussing the weapons held by Iran-aligned factions with the factions and Tehran, while seeking to settle disputes with Saudi Arabia through dialogue.
Key Facts
Saudi Arabia has accused Iran-aligned groups operating from Iraq of attacking its oil infrastructure.
Baghdad confirmed in September that drone attacks on Saudi Arabia’s east-west pipeline originated in Iraqi territory.
Hussein said Iraq is negotiating with Iran-aligned armed factions to bring their weapons under state control and favors dialogue over force.
Hussein said Washington formally requested that Iraq close all but two border crossings with Iran.
Hussein said Iraq lost about $60 billion when oil exports through the Strait of Hormuz were suspended, and that shipments have resumed following understandings with Washington and Tehran.
Hussein said Iraq, Syria, Jordan and Türkiye formed a committee to combat ISIL’s presence in Syria.
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Russian missile and drone strikes hit Kyiv and 12 other regions of Ukraine on Saturday, November 7, wounding at least nine people and damaging homes, infrastructure and power facilities. The attacks came ahead of planned talks between Russian, Ukrainian and U.S. negotiators in Abu Dhabi on Tuesday.
Key Facts
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Russia launched 36 missiles and 172 drones.
Zelenskyy said Ukraine intercepted four of the missiles.
Authorities reported damage to homes and commercial properties in Kyiv, along with new power and water outages.
Ukraine's Energy Ministry said strikes damaged electricity networks serving Kyiv and central regions, as well as other power facilities.
Kyiv officials closed the Northern Bridge after the strikes; the Russian Defense Ministry said it had targeted the bridge.
Russia said it struck military-related facilities in the Kyiv region, including an industrial site producing Flamingo missiles.
Zelenskyy said preliminary findings indicated that North Korean-made KN-23 missiles were used against an energy facility.
Negotiators from Russia, Ukraine and the United States are scheduled to meet in Abu Dhabi on Tuesday for talks aimed at ending the war.
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The U.S. carried out new strikes against Iran’s air defense systems, President Donald Trump said Friday, describing them as “minor.” The U.S. military had also struck Iran’s Qeshm Island on Monday, targeting an area that is home to an Iranian naval base in the Strait of Hormuz.
Key Facts
Trump said the U.S. launched new strikes against Iran on Friday.
He described the strikes as defensive and “minor.”
The latest strikes targeted Iranian air defense systems.
The U.S. military had struck Iran on Monday.
The Monday strike targeted Qeshm Island.
Qeshm Island is home to an Iranian naval base.
The island is in the Strait of Hormuz.
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New Zealand Prime Minister Christopher Luxon said he has a path to form the next government after early election results put his National Party narrowly ahead of Labour in the popular vote. The outcome remains too close to call.
Key Facts
Christopher Luxon is New Zealand’s prime minister.
Luxon said he has a pathway to form the next government.
Early results showed the National Party narrowly ahead of Labour in the popular vote.
The article describes the election outcome as too close to call.
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New Zealand’s preliminary election results give Prime Minister Christopher Luxon’s centre-right coalition a narrow path to govern, but special votes could change the balance. Official results are due on 27 November, so negotiations over the next government may have to wait.
Key Facts
National won 42 seats, Act won 13 and New Zealand First won 12, giving the current coalition 67 seats in preliminary results.
Labour won 35 seats, the Greens won 16 and Te Pāti Māori won five.
The left bloc is three seats short of a majority without the seven seats won by the centrist Opportunity party.
Opportunity received 5.9% of the vote, enough to enter Parliament for the first time since New Zealand adopted its mixed-member proportional electoral system in 1996.
Special votes, including overseas ballots and votes cast outside a voter’s electorate, have not yet been counted.
In the 2023 election, special votes accounted for 21% of ballots issued and helped the Greens and Te Pāti Māori gain three seats combined.
National’s share of the party vote was 0.02 percentage points higher than Labour’s.
Luxon and Labour leader Chris Hipkins both said the final government outcome would not be clear until votes were counted.
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Jean-Luc Mélenchon, leader of France Unbowed, has gained support among protesters and emerged as a leading left-wing contender ahead of France’s next presidential election. His proposals include higher public spending, tax increases on the wealthy, a lower retirement age and a more confrontational approach to some European Union rules; critics question their feasibility and economic risks.
Key Facts
Mélenchon planned to present his programme at a rally in Le Bourget, north of Paris.
He proposes lowering the retirement age to 60 and raising the monthly minimum wage to 1,700 euros.
His programme calls for France to leave NATO and renationalise parts of the economy.
He wants the European Central Bank to turn French debt it holds into a permanent, interest-free loan.
Mélenchon says France should remain in the European Union but reject rules that conflict with its social, environmental or economic plans.
France Unbowed says higher taxes on wealthy people and corporations would fund its spending plans, including a minimum 2 percent tax on billionaires’ wealth.
The article says protests that began with students grew to include people concerned about public services, living costs and uncertain futures.
Critics warn that the proposals could unsettle investors and raise France’s borrowing costs.
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French unions and student groups planned another day of protests on Saturday, while the Yellow Vests movement planned a separate rally in central Paris despite an authorities’ ban. The demonstrations followed weeks of youth-led unrest and nationwide strikes over the rising cost of living.
Key Facts
French unions planned to take to the streets on Saturday.
Student groups also planned to join the protests.
The Yellow Vests movement planned a separate rally in central Paris.
Authorities had banned the Yellow Vests rally.
The planned demonstrations followed weeks of youth-led unrest.
Nationwide strikes drew hundreds of thousands of workers protesting the rising cost of living.
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Russian drone and bomb attacks have heightened fears in villages south of Zaporizhzhia and in the regional capital, prompting residents to flee and authorities to prepare further relocations. Displaced people in a Zaporizhzhia shelter include elderly residents and people with limited mobility, while the city is installing protective nets against drones.
Key Facts
Volodymyr left Preobrazhenka last week after a Russian drone attack injured him with burns while he sheltered in a basement.
He said only eight people remained in his village before he decided to leave.
The article reports that nine Russian glide bombs struck Komyshuvakha on November 2, killing at least 50 people.
Several people were reported missing after the attack on Komyshuvakha, where many people had gathered for humanitarian aid at a school.
Zaporizhzhia has installed anti-drone netting over streets and civilian infrastructure in the Cosmos neighbourhood.
A regional military administration official said authorities may move Volodymyr's shelter to another neighbourhood if conditions worsen.
Some shelter residents face barriers to evacuation, including limited mobility or missing documents.
Alina, who works in a flower shop under drone netting, said she may have to leave but does not want to.
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Rainwater is inundating displacement camps across Gaza, and makeshift shelters are collapsing. Al Jazeera reporter Nour Khaled reports on the conditions.
Key Facts
Rainwater is inundating displacement camps across Gaza.
Makeshift shelters in the camps are collapsing.
The report focuses on displacement camps in Gaza.
Al Jazeera’s Nour Khaled reports on the situation.
The article describes rainwater as a threat to shelter in the camps.
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