King Charles III appeared on Elton John’s Rocket Hour radio show in an episode recorded secretly last month. The programme will air on Saturday to coincide with the King’s 78th birthday and features a discussion about music and the King’s Trust.
Key Facts
The King told Elton John he had become “a national treasure,” and John joked that he would be on Antiques Roadshow.
The episode was recorded at Apple Music Studios in Battersea Power Station during a visit for the launch of Apple x King’s Trust Creative Labs.
The King’s Trust was established by Charles in 1976 to help young people from disadvantaged backgrounds find work or start businesses.
John has supported the charity and donated rose-tinted glasses to its 50th anniversary auction this year.
The King was asked to select music by performers who have supported the trust and newer artists it has helped.
Tracks said to feature include Skye Newman’s “Hairdresser,” Raye’s “Joy” and Muse’s version of “Feeling Good.”
The episode also recalls benefit performances, including Wembley Arena rock galas in the 1980s and shows at the Royal Albert Hall and Hyde Park.
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Scientists identified five new species of miniature horned frogs in India’s eastern Himalayas after five years of fieldwork. DNA analysis suggests the group diversified as the Himalayas rose and the Asian monsoon developed over millions of years.
Key Facts
The five species belong to the Jingophrys group.
Researchers from the University of Delhi and Harvard University carried out the study.
The species are Jingophrys taniitatii, Jingophrys tanogogo, Jingophrys siangensis, Jingophrys hrdy and Jingophrys wularsoni.
Jingophrys tanogogo is the first frog recorded in India, and the first in its family, known to eat snails.
The discoveries were made in Arunachal Pradesh and other parts of the eastern Himalayas.
Some species were named with contributions from local tribal communities.
The researchers said further studies are needed to understand the frogs’ biology and conservation needs.
The study was published in Royal Society Open Science on 11 November.
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Chinese President Xi Jinping said Taiwan’s “complete reunification” with China must happen and described it as a mission of the Communist Party. Taiwan’s government rejected Beijing’s “one country, two systems” proposal, while Taiwan’s defence ministry reported Chinese aircraft and warships operating around the island.
Key Facts
Xi made the remarks in Beijing at an event marking the 160th birthday of Sun Yat-sen.
Xi said China supports peaceful reunification under its “one country, two systems” policy and is willing to talk with Taiwan.
Taiwan’s Mainland Affairs Council said Taiwan’s government and people could not accept “one country, two systems.”
China claims Taiwan as its territory, while Taiwan rejects Beijing’s claim.
Taiwan’s defence ministry reported detecting 29 Chinese military aircraft, including fighter jets and drones, near the island alongside Chinese warships.
The article said Xi was due to meet U.S. President Donald Trump at the APEC summit in Shenzhen the following week.
The article reported that the United States had paused a $14 billion weapons purchase for Taiwan in May.
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At the COP31 climate summit in Turkey, former U.S. secretary of state John Kerry criticized President Donald Trump for withdrawing the United States from international climate efforts and reversing clean-energy policies. Kerry said the changes could weaken U.S. competition with China, while summit speakers called for faster cuts to fossil-fuel use.
Key Facts
The United States did not send a delegation to the COP31 talks in Antalya, according to the article.
Kerry said Trump’s climate policies were ceding clean-energy opportunities to China.
The Biden administration had passed tax incentives for clean energy and electric-vehicle manufacturing.
Republicans later removed most of that support, and the Trump administration imposed tariffs and provided public money to coal-fired power plants.
Trump said he would not approve wind turbines and called them a major loser.
UN Secretary-General António Guterres said it was long past time to phase out fossil fuels.
Greta Thunberg criticized the climate conferences, saying they had become greenwashed circuses.
The White House said the summit failed to acknowledge what it described as the harms of climate policies.
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Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto argues that disruption in the Strait of Hormuz exposed the economic risks of relying on imported fossil fuels and strengthened the case for renewable energy. He says Indonesia plans to use state resources and private investment to expand clean energy, while calling for changes to global finance to lower the cost of investment in developing countries.
Key Facts
The article says that before the Hormuz crisis, 60 percent of Southeast Asia’s crude oil imports and one-third of its gas imports came from the Middle East.
Subianto says developing countries need $1.3 trillion annually by 2035 for climate action.
The article says private capital costs two to three times more in developing countries than in wealthy countries.
Indonesia pledged $1 billion to the Tropical Forests Forever Facility, alongside Brazil.
Indonesia established the sovereign wealth fund Danantara in 2025, bringing nearly $1 trillion in state-owned assets under one roof, according to the article.
Indonesia has launched a program to build 100 gigawatts of solar power; the article gives current nationwide installed capacity as 88 gigawatts.
Danantara is intended to help finance the solar program and attract private investment in projects that convert municipal waste into electricity.
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DJ Tim Westwood pleaded not guilty to two additional sexual offence charges at Southwark Crown Court. He now denies 17 charges involving allegations by nine women, and his seven-week trial is scheduled to begin on 27 January.
Key Facts
Westwood denied indecently assaulting a girl aged 16 or 17 in west London in 1991.
He also denied sexually assaulting an 18-year-old woman in south London in May 2004.
The charges concern alleged offences between 1983 and 2016.
The 69-year-old faces 17 charges involving allegations by nine women.
The allegations include indecent assault, sexual assault and rape.
Westwood was granted conditional bail.
His trial is scheduled to start at Southwark Crown Court on 27 January and is expected to last seven weeks.
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Italy’s lower house approved a bill allowing some healthcare workers removed from professional registers during the pandemic for serious anti-vaccine-related violations to apply for reinstatement. Medical experts warn the proposal could further weaken trust in vaccines as Italy faces rising measles cases and low vaccine uptake; the bill still requires Senate approval.
Key Facts
The bill covers healthcare workers removed from professional registers for serious violations linked to anti-vaccination beliefs, including promoting treatments without a scientific basis.
Brothers of Italy and the League back the measure; support from National Future helped secure its passage in the lower house.
A Senate vote is scheduled for January.
A University of Turin report based on a survey of 50,000 Italian adults found nearly one in two were hesitant about vaccination.
The report linked vaccine hesitancy more to misinformation and distrust in institutions than to safety concerns.
Italy reported 472 measles infections in the first five months of this year, up from 322 in the same period last year.
More than half of the reported measles cases were among young adults.
Flu vaccine uptake among people aged 65 and over stood at 49.81% so far this season, the first time it had dropped below 50%.
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Two French Republican Guard members fainted during a ceremony at the Elysee Palace as President Emmanuel Macron welcomed Slovak President Peter Pellegrini. A French presidential source said both were quickly treated and were fine.
Key Facts
The incident occurred late Wednesday outside the Elysee Palace in Paris.
The guards were part of the ceremonial honour guard for Pellegrini’s arrival.
Televised images showed one guard sway and fall against a pillar, dropping his ceremonial sword.
The newspaper Le Parisien reported that a second guard collapsed off camera.
A presidential source said both guards suffered fainting attacks and were swiftly attended to.
The Republican Guard is part of the French gendarmerie and often stands for long periods in heavy ceremonial clothing.
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At the COP31 climate conference in Turkey, delegates are discussing emissions and climate targets as humanitarian agencies warn that climate disruption is worsening food insecurity. The Food and Agriculture Organization is calling for food systems to play a central role in climate action, amid concerns that El Niño could add to extreme weather and disrupt food production.
Key Facts
COP31 delegates are gathering in Turkey.
Conference discussions include emissions and climate targets.
Humanitarian agencies are highlighting growing food insecurity as a consequence of climate disruption.
The return of El Niño is adding to concerns about extreme weather and food production.
The Food and Agriculture Organization is urging climate efforts to put food systems at their heart.
The report was issued on November 12, 2026.
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At the COP31 summit in Turkey, UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham said agreement on climate science and climate action had weakened, while pledging a new era of UK leadership. He highlighted the security and economic risks of climate change and appointed Dame Madeleine Alessandri as the UK’s first climate security envoy, but campaigners criticized recent UK decisions they say conflict with the pledge.
Key Facts
Burnham said the UK remained committed to reaching net zero emissions by 2050 and to reducing dependence on fossil fuels.
Burnham cited the UK’s record-hot summer; the Met Office said climate change made such heat 130 times more likely.
The article reports that hundreds of schools closed, cereal harvests fell by 11%, and ambulance services faced unusually high demand during the summer heat.
Burnham appointed former Joint Intelligence Committee head Dame Madeleine Alessandri as climate security envoy.
Turkey is seeking a COP31 commitment for countries to meet 35% of their energy needs through electricity by 2035; the current share is about one-fifth.
Campaigners criticized the UK government’s approval of the Jackdaw gas field and a cut to funding for the Warm Homes Plan, which supports heat-pump installations.
The United States is due to hold the G20 presidency next year; the article says President Donald Trump withdrew the country from the Paris Climate Agreement.
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A 72-year-old British woman was reported missing from Tui’s Marella Voyager while it crossed the Atlantic toward the Caribbean. The ship searched and alerted authorities; the U.S. Coast Guard asked nearby vessels to watch for her as the cruise continued.
Key Facts
The woman was last seen aboard the ship on Monday, and staff noticed she was missing on Tuesday.
The crew searched the ship and conducted an emergency headcount, according to Tui and media reports.
The U.S. Coast Guard asked the ship to continue its route rather than turn back to search.
The Coast Guard’s Rescue Co-ordination Centre in Norfolk issued an alert asking nearby ships to look out for the woman, according to the report.
Marella Voyager left Malaga on 4 November with about 2,000 passengers and 800 crew.
The ship was due to reach Antigua on Friday, then visit Dominica and end its voyage in Barbados on Sunday.
Tui said it was supporting authorities, and the UK Foreign Office said it was supporting the woman’s family.
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A Metropolitan Museum of Art exhibition explores how Japanese and Okinawan photographers documented postwar social change and the effects of the American military presence. The works span the 1960s and 1970s and include images of military bases, protests, work, and life around bases.
Key Facts
The exhibition features photographs by Tōmatsu Shōmei, Iida Takao, Heshiki Kenshichi, and Ishiuchi Miyako.
Tōmatsu’s 1969 photograph Okinawa Okinawa depicts a woman behind layers of chain-link fence at a U.S. airbase.
The curator says the exhibition grew from a focus on Okinawa to a wider look at photographers’ responses to the American military presence across Japan.
Heshiki Kenshichi photographed ordinary work connected to a factory his family owned that supplied flak vests to the U.S. military.
Ishiuchi Miyako’s Yokosuka Story series dates to 1977 and 1979.
The exhibition examines how photography and publishing conveyed the social changes of postwar Japan.
The article notes growing recognition of photobooks and magazines as important forms of artistic work.
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Reports say a Russian air force colonel was killed by a suspected car bomb in central St. Petersburg on Thursday. The officer had not been publicly named, and the blast’s circumstances were still being reported as the story developed.
Key Facts
The Telegram channel Fontanka reported that a remote-controlled explosive device was attached beneath an SUV.
The blast occurred as the SUV left the courtyard of a residential building in central St. Petersburg, according to Fontanka.
TV channel 78 identified the dead officer as chief navigator of Russia’s 6th Air and Air Defence Army.
The article says Russia has blamed Ukrainian intelligence services for car bombings targeting military and security figures; it does not provide evidence for that claim.
The article lists several other Russian military or defense figures killed in car bombings, including Lieutenant General Yaroslav Moskalik in April 2025.
The report described the St. Petersburg case as developing and said the colonel had not been named as of Thursday morning.
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The article says the 2026 war involving the United States, Israel and Iran has exposed risks to U.S. overseas bases, which have long supported military operations and reassured allies. After attacks and reported threats, the U.S. moved aircraft and other assets from bases in Britain and the Gulf, prompting questions about the security costs of hosting U.S. forces.
Key Facts
The article says RAF Fairford supported U.S. operations in the 1991 Gulf War, the 1999 NATO bombing of Yugoslavia and the 2003 Iraq war.
In October 2026, the U.S. withdrew all 12 B-1 bombers from RAF Fairford amid concerns about Iranian threats, according to the article.
The article reports that the U.S. withdrew 12 planes from RAF Mildenhall earlier in November.
Reports in July said the U.S. had moved many military assets from Gulf bases damaged by Iran to bases in Jordan and was considering moving them to Israel.
The British government accused Iran of plotting to target RAF Fairford; Tehran denied the allegation.
Iran cited the presence of U.S. bases as justification for attacks on Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain and Kuwait, the article says.
Iran also attacked Oman, which the article says has no permanent U.S. base, as well as Jordan and Iraq, which host major U.S. facilities.
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Activist Daniel Thomas admitted criminal damage after slashing a migrant dinghy with a knife in the English Channel. He denied a separate allegation that he failed to give police his phone PIN, and is due to be sentenced on 18 November.
Key Facts
Thomas, 37, is also known as Danny Tommo.
He changed his plea to guilty on the criminal damage charge at Portsmouth Crown Court.
The dinghy was adrift and being approached by rescue crews, including the RNLI, Border Force and the French Coastguard.
A French rescue worker had boarded the dinghy when Thomas slashed it, according to the prosecution account.
Thomas was heard on a livestream telling people on the boats to get off and be taken back.
He denied failing to disclose his phone PIN to police.
The court scheduled his sentencing for 18 November.
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Argentina has threatened criminal prosecution, imprisonment and fines against Rockhopper Exploration chief executive Sam Moody and the company’s finance chief over the Sea Lion oil project near the Falkland Islands. Argentina has asked an international tribunal to suspend drilling, while the UK says the tribunal lacks jurisdiction and disputes Argentina’s legal basis for the request.
Key Facts
Moody said Argentina sent the threats to him and Rockhopper’s chief financial officer on 1 September 2026.
The UK submitted Moody’s statement to the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea (ITLOS), which held hearings this week.
Rockhopper and Israeli company Navitas are leading the Sea Lion offshore oil project north of the Falkland Islands.
Argentina is seeking an urgent, temporary suspension of drilling, arguing that the project worsens the sovereignty dispute.
Moody said actions by Argentina, including a 20-year ban on Navitas operating in the country, had made it harder to finance the project.
A tribunal filing said the companies withheld the names of contractors to protect them from possible action by Argentine authorities.
Halliburton said it would not work on the project after discussions with Argentina.
The UK argued that ITLOS lacked jurisdiction and that the 1976 UN resolution cited by Argentina was not legally binding.
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DR Congo President Félix Tshisekedi signed a law on November 10 authorizing a referendum, opening the way for a possible constitutional amendment. Opposition figures fear the move could allow him to seek a third term and accuse him of trying to stay in power.
Key Facts
Tshisekedi signed the referendum law on November 10.
The law authorizes a referendum.
The referendum could lead to a constitutional amendment.
Opposition figures have accused Tshisekedi of manoeuvring to remain in power.
The concerns center on the possibility of Tshisekedi seeking a third term.
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Eighteen beaches in Kent, including popular sites at Margate and Ramsgate, have closed after significant oil deposits were found along the coast. Thanet District Council is inspecting the area, but the source of the oil has not been identified.
Key Facts
Thanet District Council reported the oil deposits on Wednesday evening.
The closures affect 18 beaches across Kent.
Margate and Ramsgate are among the affected areas.
The council urged people, especially dog walkers, to stay away from affected beaches.
The council asked the public to report oil deposits.
Officers are inspecting the area.
The Environment Agency has been approached for comment.
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U.S. envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner are expected to meet Vladimir Putin in Moscow to discuss a ceasefire in Ukraine. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy reported renewed Starshield speed restrictions that he said are hindering defenses against Russian drones, while the EU plans new sanctions on Russia; a bomb alert also closed a train station in northern France.
Key Facts
Zelenskyy said Starshield has faced systematic speed restrictions across Ukraine for several days.
He said the restrictions affect Ukrainian forces along the frontline and in occupied areas.
Zelenskyy said the limits make it harder to intercept Russian jet-powered drones and can allow strikes to get through.
Zelenskyy said Ukraine is working with the United States to establish the circumstances behind the disruptions.
France’s Europe minister Benjamin Haddad said the EU plans to approve new sanctions against Russia on Monday.
Haddad said the proposed measures would target 150 additional entities and 50 banks.
A bomb alert closed Calais-Fréthun station in northern France, delaying domestic and international trains, including Eurostar services to and from London.
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