French President Emmanuel Macron has arrived at Notre-Dame with a TV crew to show the world the restored cathedral, years after it was heavily damaged by fire. The cathedral has undergone an estimated £582m renovation over the past five and a half years.

Reported by BBC News - 29/11/24

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/live/cvg52lgeglxt

Updated article:

The bill has passed the vote in the House of Commons and will not be put forward to the House of Lords for further scrutiny. 

Original article:

A debate about assisted dying legislation is currently taking place in the UK Houses of Parliament, ahead of a vote on the proposed bill due to take place today.

Reported by BBC News - 29/11/24

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/live/c99rzxlv99et

Louise Haigh has resigned as  Transport Secretary after pleading guilty to a criminal offence related to incorrectly telling police that a work mobile phone was stolen in 2013.

She said she pleaded guilty to making a false report to police at a magistrates' court six months before becoming an MP in the 2015 election, and received a discharge - the "lowest possible outcome".

Justice minister Heidi Alexander has been announced as her replacement.

Reported by BBC News - 29/11/24

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cdxy1kp73y9o

The owner of Vauxhall has announced plans to close its van-making factory in Luton, putting about 1,100 jobs at risk.

Stellantis, which also owns brands including Citroen, Peugeot and Fiat, said it would combine its electric van production at its other UK plant in Ellesmere Port in Cheshire.

Reported by BBC News - 26/11/24

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cy8n3n62wq4o

Update:

Egyptian rescuers found four bodies and five survivors on Tuesday during a Red Sea search operation after a tourist boat carrying 44 people sank on Monday.

A total of 33 people have been rescued so far but seven were still missing as of Tuesday evening.

Original Article : 

Egyptian authorities say 16 people are missing and 28 have been rescued after a tourist boat sank in the Red Sea.

Two of those missing are understood to be British and a national from Finland is unaccounted for. Four Egyptians are also missing.

The boat with 44 people on board - including 13 crew - sent a distress signal at 05:30 (03:30 GMT).

Reported by BBC News - 25/11/24, updated 26/11/24

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c1knxd24v8xo

The US Air Force (USAF) says several drones have been detected near three bases in eastern England used by American forces.

Tuesday's ongoing incident occurred just days after unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) were spotted near RAF Lakenheath, RAF Mildenhall, and RAF Feltwell. They were actively monitored after they were seen in the vicinity of and over the three bases.

Reported by The Express - 26/11/24

https://www.express.co.uk/news/uk/1979885/unidentified-drones-UK-airbases

Snow, high speed winds and flood warnings around the UK and Ireland as Storm Bert causes disruption and danger to life.

A man has died when a tree hit his car. Officers were called to the A34 southbound carriageway between Kings Worthy and Winnall, Hampshire, just after 7.45am. 

A dog walker's body has also been found.

Reported by Sky News - 23/11/24

https://news.sky.com/story/storm-bert-latest-multi-hazard-weather-event-to-hit-uk-as-rare-red-warning-issued-13258302

Gatwick airport has been partially evacuated due to suspicious/potentially prohibited luggage. The evacuation order was lifted after the item was dealt with on Friday afternoon.

This comes as suspicious package also caused an evacuation of the US embassy in London on the same day, which has been destroyed by bomb disposal experts.

Reported by BBC News - 22/11/24

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/ced94pggwxpo

Ford has announced it will cut 800 jobs in the UK over the next three years. The move is part of a major restructuring programme, which will see 4,000 posts closed across Europe as a whole.

However, the cuts will not affect its manufacturing sites in Dagenham and Halewood, or its logistics base in Southampton. Ford said it hoped to make the majority of job cuts through voluntary redundancy.

Reported by BBC News - 20/11/24

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c20626dy9d6o

An underwater telecommunications cables linking Finland to Germany has been severed, disconnecting the service. The breakage in the 730 mile long cable is being investigated.

This follows reports of the discovery of another underwater cable severance, between Sweden's Gotland Island and Lithuania, on Sunday morning (17/11/24).

Reported by BBC News - 19/11/24

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c9dl4vxw501o

A Southwest Airlines Boeing 737-800 was struck by a bullet near the cockpit while taxiing at Dallas Love Field Airport on Friday evening, just before its scheduled flight to Indianapolis. No injuries were reported, and the plane was safely returned to the gate where passengers disembarked. The flight, 2494, was canceled, and another flight was arranged for the passengers. The source of the gunfire is unclear, but the incident raised concerns about airport security, and an investigation is underway.

Reported by Sky News - 16/11/24

https://news.sky.com/story/dallas-gunfire-at-airport-as-passenger-plane-hit-by-bullet-13255093

Thousands of protesters in Abkhazia clashed with security forces over a proposal allowing Russians to buy property in the Russian-backed separatist region of Georgia. Opponents argue the move would inflate housing prices and deepen Moscow’s influence, further eroding Abkhazia's fragile autonomy. At least eight people were injured in the violence, which forced parliament to postpone its session. The protests reflect broader fears that increased Russian involvement could undermine local sovereignty and exacerbate economic inequality, as many Abkhaz citizens worry about being priced out of their own housing market. 

Reported by Euronews - 16/11/24

The family of murdered civil rights activist Malcolm X is suing the FBI, the CIA, and the New York Police Department (NYPD) for $100 million (£79 million), accusing them of playing a role in his assassination. The lawsuit claims the agencies were involved in the plot and failed to prevent the killing. Civil rights attorney Ben Crump, representing the family, stated at a news conference, “We believe that they all conspired to assassinate Malcolm X, one of the greatest thought leaders of the 20th century.”

Reported by BBC News - 16/11/24

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c3rxzndzl7yo

A new China-backed megaport has the potential to create whole new trade routes that will bypass North America entirely. President Xi Jinping himself attended the inauguration of the Chancay port on the Peruvian coast this week. Xi was in Peru for the annual meeting of the Asia-Pacific Economic Co-operation Forum (Apec).

Reported by BBC News - 15/11/24

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/ckg79y3rz1eo

The South African government is refusing to assist about 4,000 miners trapped in an illegal mine in Stilfontein as part of its policy to combat illegal mining, which has become a major issue in the country. The miners, believed to be suffering from a lack of food and water, are caught in the police’s Vala Umgodi operation, which seeks to shut down illegal mining operations by cutting off supplies and forcing miners to surface and be arrested.

Reported by The Independent - 14/11/24

https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/africa/johannesburg-miners-stuck-stilfontein-south-africa-b2647023.html

Brazilian police report a man has died as a result of an attack on the Supreme Court building in the capital Brasilia. The man who died was the perpetrator of the attack and has been identified as Francisco Wanderley Luiz. He set of 2 explosions, but was the only person reported to have been injured.

Reported by BBC News - 14/11/24

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c0j8el1q1gjo

The Archbishop of Canterbury has resigned following the backlash caused by the release of the Malkin report. 

Bishop Helen-Ann Hartley of Newcastle had called for Archbishop Justin Welby to resign following a report revealing that John Smyth QC abused over 100 boys and young men. The report criticized Welby for not adequately following up on allegations against Smyth despite being informed of them. Hartley’s call for Welby’s resignation highlights growing pressure within the Church of England for accountability and reform in response to the abuse.

Reported by Sky News - 12/11/24

https://news.sky.com/story/archbishop-of-canterbury-justin-welby-resigns-after-report-into-sexual-abuse-of-children-13252688

Thousands of people have been evacuated from their homes in the Costa del Sol region of southern Spain as extreme rain and flooding drenches the area.

National weather office Aemet has placed both Malaga and the northeastern Catalonia region on the highest alert for strong rain expected to last until Friday.

Reported by BBC News - 13/11/24

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c80lxd9kne0o

The Kremlin has denied that Donald Trump spoke with Vladimir Putin in a phone call the day after the presidential election. The U.S. president-elect reportedly urged the Russian president not to escalate the war in Ukraine and reminded him of America’s sizeable military presence in Europe during the conversation on Thursday, according to The Washington Post and Reuters, citing sources familiar with the call.

Reported by Sky News - 11/11/24

https://news.sky.com/story/kremlin-denies-trump-and-putin-call-discussing-ukraine-as-biden-to-urge-president-elect-not-to-walk-away-from-kyiv-13252466

Germany's governing coalition collapsed after Chancellor Olaf Scholz dismissed Finance Minister Christian Lindner, citing a loss of trust, leaving the government without a parliamentary majority. The conflict centers on disagreements over the 2025 budget, with Scholz and the Greens advocating for relaxed fiscal rules to allow increased spending, while Lindner opposed this approach, pushing for tax cuts funded by cuts to social and welfare programs. 

In the wake of the collapse, Scholz's government now operates as a minority, with the Social Democrats and Greens needing to seek support from other parties to pass laws. Economy Minister Robert Habeck confirmed the Greens will remain in the coalition, and Scholz appointed Jörg Kukies as the new finance minister. The outcome of the confidence vote will determine whether the government continues or early elections are called.

Reported by BBC News 07/11/24

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c7v3r046pzzo.html

Chinese scientists are reportedly developing high-powered microwave weapons that could disable electronic devices such as satellites, radars, and communication systems. These directed-energy weapons (DEWs) concentrate electromagnetic pulses into a single beam, which requires precise synchronization to hit a target within 170 trillionths of a second. This level of precision, surpassing even atomic clockaccuracy, represents a breakthrough in timing technology, enabling the weapon to deliver a focused burst of energy capable of disrupting or destroying satellites and other electronics without causing physical damage to infrastructure.

Reported by The Mirror - 07/11/24

https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/world-news/real-life-death-star-created-34054715

Four NASA astronauts from the Crew-8 mission were hospitalized after returning to Earth aboard a SpaceX Dragon capsule on October 25, following more than 200 days aboard the International Space Station (ISS). While one astronaut was kept in the hospital overnight in stable condition, NASA has not provided further details on the cause of the hospitalizations. In response, a NASA safety panel instructed SpaceX to prioritize crew safety for future missions, citing recent issues with the Falcon 9 rocket and Dragon capsule. The mission, initially scheduled to return in August, was extended by 55 days due to delays. Health issues like muscle loss and cardiovascular changes are common after extended ISS missions, but NASA has not confirmed their involvement. There were also reports of a parachute malfunction during re-entry. 

Reported by BBC News - 05/11/24

Chris Webb, the Labour MP for Blackpool South, was mugged by a group of masked individuals on bikes in London on Monday evening while walking back to his flat. The gang of five or six young people stole his phone, but Webb was unharmed. He thanked the Metropolitan Police for their response and later shared the incident on X, where other MPs expressed concern. The mugging comes amid a rise in phone thefts in London, with 66,528 reported between October 2023 and September 2024, a 40% increase from the previous year. Webb won his seat in a by-election in May 2023, marking a significant gain for Labour from the Conservatives. The Met Police has been approached for comment.

Reported by BBC News - 05/11/2024

A 74-year-old man died after being struck by a bus in Edinburgh's Cowgate area on Saturday at around 7:25 PM. Following the incident, several roads were closed, and a police cordon was established, including forensic tents and screens on the South Bridge. Police are investigating and seeking witnesses. They have requested that the public refrain from sharing images or videos of the incident on social media out of respect for the victim's family, stating that this was an isolated incident with no ongoing risk to the public. 

Reported by BBC News - 03/11/24