A week after polls closed, Jose Ugarte and Estuardo Mazariegos are still locked in a tight race to see who will succeed Curren Price for the Los Angeles City Council’s 9th District seat.

Ugarte was leading Mazariegos by just 156 votes, 19,200 to 19,044, according to the latest tally released by the Los Angeles County Registrar-Recorder Tuesday night.

Tuesday was the last day for mail-in ballots to be counted, said Mike Sanchez, spokesperson for the office. Sanchez said he couldn’t estimate how many votes remained to be counted.

Because of the Veterans Day holiday Wednesday, the next vote tally will not be released until Friday, he said.
District 9 encompasses South L.A. neighborhoods, the Convention Center and USC.

The current councilmember, Price, must leave office because of term limits and is currently facing charges of embezzlement and conflict of interest and he has denied wrongdoing. Price has endorsed Ugarte, whose platform includes protecting city residents from federal immigration enforcement and the Trump administration. Mazariegos is backed by the L.A. chapter of the Democratic Socialists of America. He has worked as a community organizer for decades and said he’s running to improve quality of life in the city, including by making housing more affordable and spending money on basic services other than policing.

Mazariegos’ campaign made claims this week against the Ugarte campaign and shared images of unsealed and sealed ballots, alleging the ballots were collected during “an Ugarte canvassing operation.”

“Taking people’s ballots, filling them out, and not following legal voter assistance guidelines in a district that has faced so much disenfranchisement is disgusting,” Mazariegos said in a statement.

Among their claims, the campaign shared a photo of a USC student volunteering for Ugarte’s campaign delivering a stack of ballots to a drop box.

The registrar-recorder’s office forwarded the complaint to the district attorney’s office for review, Sanchez said. Sanchez said the photo of the student, which circulated online, didn’t raise alarms because California law allows voters to authorize another person to return their completed ballots.

The district attorney’s office said it was looking into the matter.

Ugarte said in a statement that the allegations made by Mazariegos’ campaign “are categorically false and defamatory.”

The 9th District seat is one of two council races determined in the Nov. 3 election. Barri Worth Girvan declared victory in the west San Fernando Valley’s 3rd District seat Friday night, after the latest vote tally showed her widening her lead over rival Tim Gaspar, with 51% of the vote to Gaspar’s 48%.

“I will bring competence, transparency, follow-through, and ethical leadership to City Hall, which Angelenos deserve and too often do not get,” Worth Girvan said in a statement.

Worth Girvan will replace Councilmember Bob Blumenfield, who is leaving office because of term limits. The 3rd District seat includes Woodland Hills, Reseda and Canoga Park.

Before entering the race, Worth Girvan was L.A. County Supervisor Lindsey Horvath’s district director for three years, handling constituent services on the Westside and in the Valley, and has spent nearly 20 years working in public service. Gaspar is a former insurance company owner who had been backed by business groups.

Before this season, Koumas had mixed success across his three loans to the second tier.

The forward made 31 starts and scored six goals during his first loan spell at Stoke City for the 2024-25 campaign.

A disappointing stint at Birmingham City followed, before he helped Hull City win promotion to the Premier League in the second half of last season.

“Loans can be hit and miss at times and I’m actually surprised by the amount of game time he’s had at such a young age in the Championship,” Bellamy said.

“It helps with their development. They see it, they smell it. In that period some take off, some don’t, but it’s not going to define your career.

“You’re learning and gaining experience and exposure and Liverpool felt it was right for him to go on loan.

“They decided to keep him for pre-season this year and it’s real example of how to progress a top, young talent.”

Koumas’ next opportunity to impress on the international stage comes this Saturday in Oslo, as Wales take on Norway.

Wales are looking to repeat their win over Stale Solbakken’s side during the last international window to boost their chances of League A survival.

“The thing with Koumy is he hits a lot of the markers,” Bellamy said.

“Intensity and sprint distance through the roof and when you look at a top player he has all the markers for that.

“I like him at nine and I love that intensity. I remember [Carlos] Tevez doing the same for me at Manchester City and players like Koumy inspire you.

“You see him going and you say, ‘I’ve got to go, I’ve got to move as well.’ It’s got to be controlled, but his willingness excites you.”

The United States House ⁠of Representatives has blocked an attempt to impeach Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth in a surprise reprieve for President Donald Trump’s administration as Republicans reel from their midterm election defeat.

The impeachment articles were introduced by Republican Congressman Thomas Massie, but the effort was backed primarily by Democrats. They accuse Hegseth of abuses of power and conducting illegal military operations.

The Republican-led House voted 211-204 on Tuesday to refer the articles back to the House Judiciary Committee, where they could remain indefinitely. The procedural move in effect killed the impeachment drive for the duration of the current Congress’s term, which ends in eight weeks. On January 3, Democrats will take control of the House and Senate.

In a twist, the absence of 11 Democratic lawmakers during the vote proved decisive.

Here’s what to know about the vote to block Hegseth’s impeachment and what could happen next:

What was Tuesday’s vote about?

The vote was not on whether to impeach Hegseth. It was on whether to refer the articles of impeachment to the Judiciary Committee, where they may be further investigated or amended.

Such procedural moves are often used as stalling tactics. With the current Congress due to conclude soon, the resolution is unlikely to return to the House floor before its term ends.

Massie called the vote “a procedural motion to kill the resolution”.

What was the result of the vote?

It narrowly passed 211-204.

Massie was the sole Republican to oppose the measure. The remaining votes fell along party lines with Republicans supporting the measure and Democrats opposing it.

Eighteen representatives were absent from the vote – 11 Democrats and seven Republicans. Had the Democrats shown up and voted with their colleagues, they would have had the numbers to defeat the procedural move, forcing a full House vote on whether to impeach Hegseth as early as this week.

Trump cheered the result of Tuesday’s vote in a social media post, saying the Democrats’ impeachment effort had “miserably FAILED!”

Who were the 11 absent Democrats, and why did they miss the vote?

The Democrats absent from the vote were:

• Julia Brownley (California)
• Lou Correa (California)
• Nancy Pelosi (California)
• Laura Gillen (New York)
• Steven Horsford (Nevada)
• Jonathan Jackson (Illinois)
• Brittany Pettersen (Colorado)
• Melanie Stansbury (New Mexico)
• Haley Stevens (Michigan)
• Marilyn Strickland (Washington)
• Frederica Wilson (Florida)

The representatives have given varying explanations for why they did not show up.

Strickland, Jackson, Stansbury and Gillen all blamed a traffic delay in Washington, DC.

Pelosi said she was in her home state for a veterans event while Correa said he was in California before undergoing a health procedure. Horsford’s office cited a personal emergency.

Pettersen, who said she helped introduce articles of impeachment against Hegseth in April, said she had been “denied the ability to vote on this motion” without elaborating.

Jackson, Stansbury, Gillen, Strickland, Horsford, Pelosi and Pettersen all said they would have joined their Democratic colleagues in opposing the measure. Jackson and Stansbury also said they had formally recorded their opposition in the Congressional Record although this does not change the official vote count.

There was no immediate comment from Stevens, Brownley or Wilson on their absences.

Stevens previously criticised the Trump administration for launching the war on Iran with Israel and sought more congressional oversight. But days before the US midterm elections on November 3, the Michigan congresswoman, who had lost the Democratic primary for the state’s open Senate seat earlier to Abdul El-Sayed, endorsed Republican candidate Mike Rogers against her own party’s nominee.

Wilson, 83, on Monday attended the groundbreaking for a housing project in Miami-Dade County. Wilson and Brownley, like Stevens, previously opposed Trump’s handling of the war on Iran and demanded the administration seek congressional approval for the fighting.

What has been the reaction?

Democratic politicians and progressive commentators have expressed outrage that poor attendance from Democrats impacted the outcome of the vote.

Congresswoman Sydney Kamlager-Dove from California said: “We knew that this vote was coming, so people should have gotten their raggedy selves up these steps to vote.”

“There is no reason why we should have lost this vote because of attendance issues,” she added.

Senator-elect El-Sayed, responding to a question about the absent Democrats, said: “You should show up and do your job.”

Some pundits pointed the finger at Democratic House leader Hakeem Jeffries, who is expected to become the new speaker of the House in January. They accused him of failing to exert sufficient pressure on party members to defeat the measure.

Political commentator Krystal Ball called the vote “a major Hakeem Jeffries fail”.

“You could have impeached the war criminal Pete Hegseth but Dems didn’t show up to vote,” she said.

Progressive writer Laura Bassett said: “Jeffries didn’t even whip the vote. He told people to ‘vote their conscience’, and 11 members of his caucus didn’t show up. This is why people want a stronger leader.”

Could Hegseth still be impeached?

Yes. When the new Democratic-controlled Congress convenes in January, they could begin the process again and will be in a stronger position to advance impeachment articles.

Jeffries has said he will consult members about another potential bid to impeach Hegseth next year. “We’ll have that conversation at the appropriate time,” he said.

However, a vote to impeach Hegseth does not necessarily mean he will be removed from office. Impeachment itself means the House has formally brought charges against a federal official, similar to a criminal indictment.

A successful impeachment vote triggers a trial in Congress’s upper chamber, the Senate, on whether to convict.

A conviction, which immediately removes the official from office, requires at least two-thirds support in the Senate. That means Democrats, even with their incoming majority in the chamber next year, would likely need about a dozen Republicans to join them to secure Hegseth’s removal.

Only eight officials – all federal judges – have ever been convicted by the Senate. Trump has been impeached twice – in December ⁠2019 and January 2021 – but the Senate acquitted him on both occasions.

The unusual exodus of KC-135 Stratotanker aerial refueling jets from RAF Mildenhall in the U.K. continued on Tuesday. The movements, which began on Monday, are taking place as security levels at the installation have been raised, due to threats from Iran, acccording to The Wall Street Journal. TWZ was the first to report that Mildenhall and RAF Lakenheath were operating under enhanced security measures.

The departure of the KC-135s and increased security protocols are taking place a month after U.S. Air Force B-1B Lancer bombers hastily left RAF Fairford in the U.K. following a security incident connected to Iran.

Tuesday afternoon local time, a KC-135 Stratotanker, tail number 58-0095, took off from Mildenhall toward Germany, according to Flightradar24. A few hours later another KC-135, tail number 59-1464, also took off, according to the ADS-B exchange.

The flights were first noticed by the @DefenceGeek open-source flight tracker account on X. The departures on Tuesday followed those of 10 other KC-135s and three CV-22 Osprey tiltrotor aircraft from Mildenhall on Monday, DefenceGeek noted on X. The tankers flew to Spangdahlem Air Base in Germany, Moron Air Base in Spain, Ramstein Air Base in Germany and Glasgow Prestwick International Airport in Scotland. The three CV-22s flew to RAF Lakenheath.

Why are the KC-135s leaving RAF Mildenhall?

When we asked about the repositioning of aircraft away from Mildenhall and the reported threats from Iran, the White House on Tuesday morning referred us to U.S. European Command (EUCOM). In a statement nearly identical to one we received Monday, the command declined to offer specifics about the aircraft movements or the increased security measures at Mildenhall and Lakenheath.

U.S. Air Forces in Europe – Air Forces Africa (USAFE) also declined to provide any details.

“For operational security reasons, we are unable to discuss specific force protection measures,” USAFE told us on Tuesday morning. “We constantly assess a variety of factors that determine what measures are implemented or modified. In close partnership with our host nation Ally, RAF Mildenhall remains vigilant. Together, we are taking coordinated and appropriate actions to ensure the safety and security of our U.S. service members, U.S. and host nation civilians, contractors, and all of our families. Protecting our shared community is a joint responsibility, and we encourage everyone to support this effort by reporting any unusual or suspicious activity to local authorities.”

As far as whether Iran threatened Mildenhall, USAFE said it would be “inappropriate to comment on matters of intelligence. We have nothing further to provide.”

As we noted at the top of this story, The Wall Street Journal on Monday night reported that the aircraft departures from RAF Mildenhall began after an unspecified threat from Iran.

“The precise nature of the threat to RAF Mildenhall—whether imminent or more general—remains under discussion among U.S. officials,” the newspaper wrote, citing its sources.

Security at both Mildenhall and Lakenheath was raised to Force Protection Condition Charlie (FPCON Charlie), the second-highest alert for U.S. military installations. FPCON Charlie applies when an incident occurs or intelligence is received indicating some form of terrorist action targeting personnel or facilities is likely.

TWZ cannot independently confirm The Wall Street Journal’s reporting. However, on Monday, a U.S. official told us that “enhanced force protection measures” were underway at Mildenhall and Lakenheath. The official did not say why.

Both installations are home to U.S. Air Force aircraft and are major hubs for transits to other regions, as we have noted in the past.

How serious is the reported threat to RAF Mildenhall and Lakenheath?

A ​spokesman for U.K. Prime Minister Andy Burnham told Reuters that the protection of Britain’s military bases was a top priority, and that the government worked closely with the police and allies to protect them.

“Security measures were kept under constant review and the government was investing more than £2 billion in air defense and counter-drone capabilities,” the spokesman said. Asked if he was ​confident that Britain’s bases were safe, he said: “Yes.”

A former commander of the 100th Air Refueling Wing, the host unit at Mildenhall, told us that it certainly appears that the hasty departure of all these aircraft “is based on a credible threat.”

“Now, how severe of a threat, we would never know in this medium,” retired Air Force Col. Troy Pananon told us. “The threat might not need to be significant to make a decision to move assets from varying locations.”

Pananon, who also served at MacDill Air Force Base in Tampa, Florida, called the departures from Mildenhall “atypical” and likened them to when “we routinely evacuated aircraft from MacDill for potential hurricane impact and projected paths.”

The Iranian threats to the two U.S. air bases in England were reported as efforts are underway to stave off a new round of attacks from the U.S., and likely Israel, against Iran.

On Tuesday, Secretary of State Marco Rubio told reporters that for the moment, new combat operations are not imminent.

“I informed our partners – as we’ve been discussing with you and others – that at this point the economic campaign and the pressure and the devastation that our economic campaign is having on the Iranian regime is working so well that the President really doesn’t have any need to conduct major combat operations,” Rubio explained.  “Now, obviously, if Iran crosses certain red lines, if their regime does certain things that should not happen – I’m not going to speculate what those are, but you know what they are – obviously the U.S. military, the most capable military in the world, stands ready to address it.”

What else has Iran been accused of in Europe?

The reported Iranian threats against the two U.K. air bases are not the only recent nefarious actions in Europe attributed to the Islamic Republic. Commercial refrigerators at grocery stores across France were hit by an Iranian cyber attack, French authorities claim.

“On 11 and 12 October, nearly 700 retail sites were targeted by a cyber campaign that was unprecedented in its scale and level of aggressiveness,” French Minister of Europe and Foreign Affairs Jean-Noël Barrot stated on X Tuesday morning. “Today, thanks to the work of government services, we know who is responsible: the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps of Iran. The Ambassador of Iran has been summoned. We plan to sanction the perpetrators and take all the measures we deem necessary and proportionate to respond to these attacks and deter those who might consider carrying out further attacks.”

As we mentioned earlier in this piece, security concerns about bases in England hosting U.S. Air Force aircraft and personnel were raised following an incident at RAF Fairford in September.

Like Mildenhall and Lakenheath, RAF Fairford is a major hub for U.S. military aircraft in the United Kingdom. It is a regular host of strategic assets, including bombers and U-2 spy planes. It also acts as a pit stop for other aircraft, including fighters, that are being ferried to and from the United States. Bomber strikes launched from Fairford were a central aspect of major U.S. combat operations against Iran earlier this year.

In late September, five men were arrested on suspicion of driving bomb-laden vans toward it. They were soon released on bail after no explosives were found, but two men were later arrested, one of whom was “charged with assisting a foreign intelligence service, which police earlier said they believed to be Iran,” according to the BBC.

According to a new U.S. federal indictment handed up on Tuesday, the plot against Fairford was partly coordinated from an American jail.

Mohammad Baqer Saad Dawood al-Saadi, a dual Iranian-Iraqi national, Mohsen Mohajeri, an Iranian national, and Mohammad Ali al-Hassani, an Iraqi national, “allegedly conspired to commit terrorist attacks in Europe and the United States on behalf of an Iran-aligned terrorist network, which included the IRGC and Kata’ib Hizballah,” the Department of Justice (DOJ) announced. 

“Most recently, in approximately September 2026, al-Hassani allegedly orchestrated a terrorist plot at a British Royal Air Force Base (RAF Fairford) in Fairford, United Kingdom (the “RAF Fairford Terrorist Plot”), which at the time of the attempted attack, housed U.S. military aircraft and personnel,” according to DOJ.

“Al-Hassani and Mohajeri, both of whom were in Iran at the time of the RAF Fairford Terrorist Plot, allegedly relied on a network of contacts in the United Kingdom,” the U.S. Attorney’s Office added. “Al-Saadi, who was imprisoned and awaiting trial on pending terrorism charges in the Southern District of New York, attempted to coordinate with al-Hassani and Mohajeri from jail by passing coded messages through third parties.”

A week after the security incident, U.S. Air Force B-1B Lancer bombers that had been deployed to RAF Fairford in the U.K. since Operation Epic Fury returned to their home stations, a U.S. defense official confirmed to TWZ at the time. The hasty movement was reportedly sparked by new Iranian threats against the base. As we previously reported, Tehran directly threatened RAF Fairford in July over its use as a base to launch attacks against Iran.

We may never know what prompted the reported threats to Mildenhall and Lakenheath or exactly why so many aircraft were dispersed from Mildenhall in such a short period of time. We will provide the answers to those questions if and when we find them.

Contact the author: howard@twz.com

The provided text highlights the historical significance of Colon Day in Panama, which is annually commemorated on November 5. It details the pivotal events of November 5, 1903, when local citizens successfully persuaded stationed Colombian military forces to halt their advance toward Panama City. This peaceful intervention prevented the troops from gaining a tactical advantage that could have easily crushed the nation’s fragile independence movement. Furthermore, the excerpt serves as an example of content found on a broader digital platform that frequently covers international holidays, global news updates, and financial exchange rates.

Friends say they haven’t heard from her since November 6

A woman has disappeared in a tourist hotspot after leaving her hotel. Friends have been left worried after Emily Lummis disappeared after stepping out of her holiday accommodation.

The 38-year-old has not been seen for days after she vanished in Lisbon, Portugal. The last sighting of her came on November 6. The missing persons report states that she was last seen leaving the Palacio do Governador hotel in the district of Belem.

This sighting came around 12pm with no further updates made as of yet. The Brit, who is from London, is described as being blonde, around 5ft 4ins tall and of a slim build.

Emily also allegedly goes by the name ‘Lyra’. She was last seen wearing jeans, a grey jumper and a black overcoat. Brits abroad, expats and locals have been urged to contact the police with any information they may have.

Her friend Ravi has posted the report online. She said: “I’m here looking for help. Lyra, also known as Emily Lummis, has been missing since Friday 6th Nov, 12pm. Last seen leaving her hotel Palacio do Governador in the district of Belem.

“She is English, slim blonde, 38 years old, 5ft 4. Last seen wearing jeans, a grey jumper and a black overcoat.

“We are now increasingly worried. Please contact us if you have any information on seeing her or her whereabouts. Contact- Police no. +351 261 860 710 in Lisbon.”

DESCRIBED as “ruthless, calculated and manipulative”, the depravity of Russell Brand has appalled the nation as every chilling detail of his sex attacks played out in court.

By his own admission, he was a “hedonist” and “an exploiter of women” who used his celebrity status and every emotional tool in his arsenal to achieve what he considered to be “my birthright” – having an “orgasm”. 

Brand, who was jailed for 10 years and six months this week, said he had “dedicated a lot of [his] life” to “beyond reckless philandering” – acts that saw him be “persuasive, seductive, begging and flirting” and even pretend to be gay to sleep with women. 

Now, in the wake of him being convicted for three sexual assaults and one rape, more questions have emerged about this master of manipulation and what else he sought to control. 

It has been speculated that even his romances may have had a calculated nature behind them – apparently benefiting his career, status, wealth or a combination of them all.

Most notable in this theory is his relationship with Katy Perry. Before dating and then marrying the popstar, all within the space of 10 months, an ex-girlfriend claimed Brand told her his aim was to find a world-famous girlfriend in order to make him a global superstar. 

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At the time in 2010, Brand was famous in the UK for his stand-up specials, hosting Celebrity Big Brother spin-off Big Mouth and had parodied himself in films including Forgetting Sarah Marshall, Get Him To The Greek and St Trinian’s. 

But the comedian was barely known stateside and no doubt, a relationship with Perry – who was quickly becoming the world’s most famous popstar thanks to mega hits I Kissed a Girl, Hot N Cold and Teenage Dream – would help him to achieve that. 

Brand himself admitted that he “pushed to get married early” due to feeling “inadequate and insecure” and according to Perry, he longed to be “an equal” both in their relationship and to be seen as one by the outside world. 

But this determination to be considered on the same level manifested itself in a dark way. It led him to “mock her and be mean behind her back,” according to one source, who claimed he “just couldn’t cope with her star eclipsing his”.

It also led him to share a deliberately unflattering, make-up free photo of Perry to his 1.8million followers on Twitter, now known as X, in 2010 – an act decreed as “cruel”, “mean” and “disrespectful” by fans. 

While Brand deleted the snap within 48 minutes of posting, it had already gone viral and exposed his wife to bile from online trolls across the globe, who eagerly branded her “ugly” among other hurtful comments. 

A source who knew the couple told The Times that Brand “found himself resenting her success” while “her career rocketed” and his was waning – most notably after his film Arthur, which he had been “given full rein on”, flopped at the Box Office in 2011.

Brand would later admit he “didn’t handle [their] marriage very well” due to his insecurity and loneliness while Perry was “pursuing her dream of … becoming the world’s most famous pop star”. They divorced in 2012. 

Yet the romance with Perry wasn’t the only time Brand has faced claims of having weaponised his love life for fame and financial gain.

Back in 2006, Brand’s career was still in its early days. He was a BBC Radio host, presenter on Big Brother Efourum – later known as Big Mouth – and had appeared on shows like Richard & Judy, Kings of Comedy and The Bill. 

That soon changed after he was photographed with world-renowned supermodel Kate Moss following a one night stand and the subsequent war of words in the love triangle involving them and Libertines frontman Pete Doherty. 

The publicity from those snaps coupled with the attention garnered from fuming Doherty calling him a “hairy t***” and “no replacement”, gave Brand’s star a huge bump. 

A year on from their romp, Brand had made a whopping 19 appearances on TV shows including on The Royal Variety Performance, The Big Fat Quiz Of The Year and Soccer AM.

He had also presented The BRIT Awards and released his first memoir My Booky Wook.

Brand would also capitalise from the Moss tryst by boasting about it in his second autobiography, My Booky Wook 2, where he described Moss as like “an angel of my own devising”.  

Prior to those feats, Brand seemed keen to distance himself from bad boy, lothario image and paint himself in a more wholesome light by claiming he was ready for lasting love.

He told the Mirror in 2006 about having sworn off sex and his master plan: “I’d like to settle down and have children.”

Yet at the same time, Brand – who claimed to have deleted 784 numbers from his phone to avoid temptation – ferociously flirted with his female interviewer.

When asked how long his abstinence, then at 22 days, would last, he replied: “Is that an offer? Because it’s incredibly indiscreet!”

Brand would later tell her: “You’re quite attractive and it’s making me think I should maybe face the other way a bit more.

“I think it’s the tights, your hair, the cleavage, the boots. And you’re all cute and blushy and Northern and sweet.”

Brand would tell her “blushing is an indication of sexual availability” and quizzed her about cheating multiple times, including asking: “Are you faithful at the minute?”

That was the same year, that Brand was accused of drugging and raping a 20-year-old student at an Edinburgh flat he was renting.

Brand denied any knowledge of the 2006 claims and, later, his friend Trevor Lock was charged with rape. The case was later dropped by police and prosecutors. 

He also started dating future wife Laura Gallagher – then a 19-year-old art student, while he was 31 – that same year. They broke up in 2007 after he cheated on her multiple times.

The next known relationship was with Perry, who he spent two years married to before dumping her and demanding a divorce via text message in 2012. 

A source, who knew the couple, claimed the split followed his struggles living stateside and dealing with “her star eclipsing his”.

They added: “He was becoming more disillusioned spending time in Hollywood and the failure of Arthur – a project he had been given full rein on.”

That year Brand returned to the UK and appeared to be attempting to reestablish himself as a British icon, with performances including at the London 2012 Olympic Games Opening Ceremony.

He appeared in a BBC documentary about substance abuse and addiction – which drew heavily from heroin and sex addictions, made a comeback comedy tour called Only Joking and even briefly dated Spice Girl Geri Horner.

The romance was over in less than two weeks but was so intense that the singer and Brand apparently spent three days looking at houses together in North Devon, according to a source.

At the time of the split, Horner said: “It’s been a whirlwind. All I want is to be in a loving relationship. Is he my ideal man? I’m choosy. I want someone who’s trustworthy, sweet and kind.”

By 2014, Brand had reinvented himself again as an activist – following a scandal-hit relationship with Jemima Goldsmith, the then-editor of political magazine The Spectator.

Post Brand’s conviction, she claimed to have suffered “violence, coercive control and abuse” during their year-long romance. She has not reported those claims to the police.

Their split followed an alleged 2014 “violent incident”, which ended with her having to “call the police to have him removed from my house”. 

Prior to the break up, there was more trouble linked to a masseuse hired by Brand, who claimed she was treated “like a prostitute” and was “the victim of wrongful and criminal conduct” – which the couple denied. 

The case was investigated by police but no charges were brought. Masseuse Szilvia Berki was taken to the High Court, where she had no legal representation and would be bankrupted by the £50,000 legal costs she was forced to pay.

She was subjected to a type of gagging order called an anti-harassment injunction, which prevented her from speaking about the case.

While the case was all unfolding, Brand was painting himself as a man of the people and campaigner. 

He released a book titled Revolution, which criticised capitalism and claimed democracy was broken. 

He joined housing and anti-gentrification protests and a group of young mothers who refused to leave their homes after being issued with eviction notices after funding was cut at their hostels. 

Then in 2015, when the case with masseuse Berki was settled, he started dating future wife Laura for a second time – a woman he married two years later and had three kids with.

Recalling how Brand came back into her life, Laura told Grazia in 2020: “My ex had literally moved out of our flat that day, and I was heartbroken, with mascara running down my face

“A friend dragged me out on a walk to the canal in east London, where I’d never been in my life, and as we came on to the footpath, Russell was standing there, like he’d organised it.”

Laura would remain a bedrock who has stood by him through the claims of abuse in Channel 4’s Dispatches in September 2023 and the many police interviews that would follow. 

In the lead up to those years, Brand had already started to raise doubts about the government, police and media online.

He began sharing dangerous myths that the Covid-19 jabs posed a risk to health and peddled anti-establishment narratives.  

Six months after the documentary came out, Brand was baptised in the River Thames by TV adventurer Bear Grylls in a Christian rebrand that would endear him to religious worshippers in America and the UK. 

Since then Brand has peddled false theories about the ‘mainstream media’, claimed those who spoke out are often silenced and pushed extreme far right theories. 

It led to fans championing his cause outside of Southwark Crown Court throughout his trial – including one group with a banner that read: “Christ was crucified for telling the truth, Russell is the truth”.

Those worshippers will likely continue to cast doubt upon the three sexual assault and one rape convictions that a jury found Brand guilty of last week. 

But for all of the many faces adorned by Russell Brand, it was not enough to prevent his past from catching up with him. 

Yesterday, he was sentenced to nearly 11 years imprisonment and will have to serve at least seven years before he can be considered for parole.  

Upon his release, Brand will no doubt emerge as another new man and with another grand plan to rise to fame once more. 

The Federal Reserve faces an increasingly difficult inflation challenge as widening divisions between U.S. consumers complicate the central bank’s ability to set monetary policy, according to Societe Generale cross-asset strategist Manish Kabra.

The gap between households continues to widen, with credit

Two panellists considered that the “subjectivity in assessing impact meant this did not meet the high threshold for VAR intervention”, but the majority view was it that was “a clear and obvious error”.

One panellist considered the “short-lived holding to lack clear impact on the ability of Isak to progress”.

Isak stayed on his feet during the incident.

After the match, Liverpool manager Andoni Iraola told BBC Match of the Day: “There is a clear grab of the shirt.

“Alex was just in front of him. He was going to head in front of the goal, but couldn’t because he grabbed the shirt.

“If he goes to the floor, they call the penalty, 100%. It should be like this, but it is what it is.

“Next time, the managers should tell Alex to go to the floor, otherwise they won’t call it.

“The answer is you have to dive. If you don’t dive they won’t call it.”

The KMI Panel ruled that there was a second VAR error on 31 October.

It said Ipswich should have been awarded a penalty against Hull City when Nobel Mendy held back Dara O’Shea at a corner.

Referee Peter Bankes did not spot the offence and VAR Neil Davies took no action.

The game was 0-0 at the time. Ipswich took the lead shortly afterwards and it finished 2-2.

When war engulfs Gaza in October 2023, members of a Palestinian-Russian family hold on for as long as they can. They have a route out of the Strip. But Anna and Ghassan Ashour and their daughters, Lisa and Donia, stay on despite the worsening conditions, because Gaza is their home. But as the violence escalates, they’re eventually forced to leave and head to Russia in search of safety. For Lisa and Donia, life there is unfamiliar. Struggling with the language, culture and separation from Gaza, the two of them move to Egypt, closer to home and to the possibility of a return. Split between Russia and Egypt, the family must find new ways to live with distance, uncertainty and longing. Their story reveals the enduring tension between the need for safety and the place that they still think of as home.

The brand new series is not to be missed as it promises ‘raw testimony and shocking footage’

A raw new documentary series following officers who put themselves into harms way is set to be released, and it’s coming sooner than you think.

With fresh releases landing on Channel 5 such as Police Suspect No.1 and Forensics: Murder Scene, the broadcaster has delivered once more, bringing a series that true crime fans will not want to miss.

With the first episode airing tonight (Wednesday, November 11) at 8pm, At War With Next Door plunges viewers into explosive neighbour disputes and those who are “living in a nightmare”.

It will explores the unpredictable and shocking feuds between neighbours over issues such as noise, anti-social behaviour and fly-tipping as it takes viewers across the UK.

An official synopsis has teased: “One third of Brits admit to an ongoing row with next door. Shockingly, councils across the UK receive a neighbour complaint every 70 seconds.

“Everyone should feel safe in their own home, but many don’t… and are living in a nightmare instead. This series has exclusive access to the battles raging behind Britain’s front doors, as people across the country face off with neighbours from hell.

“From noisy pets to wonky sheds, from creepy neighbours spying on your every move, to music blaring every hour day and night, we meet the people pushed to breaking point by those next door. With raw testimony and shocking footage, this series is not for the faint-hearted.”

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Tonight’s episode will plunge viewers into a huge dispute when a drunk woman in a downstairs flat becomes abusive. Her infatuation with her neighbour tips over the edge, as viewers will also see a “creepy resident who starts to steal a young mother’s used sanitary products from her outdoor bin, and a dispute over an unwanted shed turns violent”.

The synopsis continues: “We’re also behind the scenes of Brent Council, in one of London’s busiest and most multicultural areas. We follow the enforcement officers on the frontline against anti-social neighbours, putting themselves in harm’s way to keep neighbour disputes under control.

“This week, they’re tackling a noisy shisha bar, which is driving local residents mad. These are the stories of the most shocking neighbour disputes across the UK.”

With around four episodes expected in total, new instalments will air every Wednesday, taking over the 8pm slot – and already true crime fans say it’s one not to be missed.

Taking to social media, one enthusiast admitted: “At war with the neighbours will probably be like nightmare neighbour next door it used to be on Channel 5 it was so good it finished years ago.” Another stated: “Loving Channel 5 for true crime.”

At War with Next Door airs tonight at 8pm on Channel 5. Episodes can also be streamed online

A family of four left a TUI partner hotel after they discovered disgusting conditions at the venue including ants in their room and a toilet that wouldn’t stop flushing

A family left a TUI partner hotel early after discovering it was “unfit for humans” and left in a state so poor the two children were in ‘tears’.

Clinical resourcing partner Vikki Ashton, from Leeds, had travelled to Sousse, Tunisia with her husband and their two children in July this year for an £1,800 two-week all-inclusive holiday.

However, when they arrived at the hotel, they found it was very different to how it was advertised. It was in such a poor state, in fact, that TUI would later remove it from their site.

Vikki, 49, explained that one of the first warning signs occurred when the family arrived and found the hotel pool was green rather than blue. This was before they entered their hotel room and found lights off the walls and a toilet that wouldn’t stop flushing.

Vikki recalled: “While we were walking to our room [after checking in] we saw that the pool was green. It looked filthy. On the website the pool is blue. People were in it. It was in full use. We got in the room and saw it was pretty basic. The side lights were hanging off on wires, not even attached to the wall.

“We went in the bathroom and the toilet was filthy and it wouldn’t stop flushing. The noise was awful. The bathroom door handle just came off. It was falling apart. It wasn’t fit for human habitation. The public toilets that run from the all-inclusive bar to the toilets were covered in dirt. It was filthy. We were horrified.”

So concerned about the state of the room was the family that Vikki said she was worried they would “end up getting poorly” as their two daughters found ants “all over the room and all over the bed”.

In response, Vikki called TUI to express her worries about the venue, but claimed they told her they could not move the family due to it being peak holiday season. This was despite Vikki claiming she had seen availability online. Taking matters into their own hands, the family decided to rebook with another hotel privately at the cost of £3,200 for the rest of their holiday.

Vikki explained: “We told reception we need moving. We rang TUI again the next morning and they told us they couldn’t move us because it was height of the season. But they could’ve moved us because we could see right now there were several hotels in the area with availability today.”

Vikki added: “We said give us the money back for this hotel and we’ll move ourselves. They said they wouldn’t do that. We tried to work with TUI to get this resolved but they were not very forthcoming.

“It was either pay for another hotel ourselves or go home. The girls were in tears. The next hotel was fine and we stayed there for the remaining 13 nights. There was no way on earth we would’ve stayed at the first hotel. You could hear people in the hotel saying ‘get me out this place’.”

Upon their return to the UK, Vikki claimed that TUI was only willing to offer the family £105 in compensation for what had happened, an offer the family declined. Vikki, saddened at what had happened, said they hadn’t been expecting luxury, just “the basics”.

After Vikki’s case was raised, TUI have since claimed they reviewed the matter, including issues at the property Vikki mentioned. TUI has also claimed one of their team was in contact with VikkI and have since offered to fully reimburse them the price of the alternative accommodation they organised. Alongside this, they say the original venue, which was the source of the complaints, has also been removed from sale.

A spokesperson for TUI said: “We’re very sorry to hear about Ms Ashton’s experience. We want everyone who travels with us to be able to do so with confidence and to receive the standard of holiday they expect.

“We have since resolved the matter directly with the customer and, following the concerns raised, taken the decision to remove the property from sale, meaning it is no longer available to book through TUI.”

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HIGH SCHOOL GIRLS VOLLEYBALL
CIF SOCAL REGIONALS
TUESDAY’S RESULTS
First Round

DIVISION I
#1 Harvard-Westlake d. #16 Francis Parker, 25-17, 25-19, 25-19
#8 San Juan Hills d. #9 Newport Harbor, 25-22, 25-22, 23-25, 25-19
#5 Murrieta Valley d. #12 Corona Centennial, 25-20, 20-25, 23-25, 27-25, 15-12
#4 Redondo Union d. #13 Corona del Mar, 25-23, 25-17, 21-25, 25-23
#14 Coronado d. #3 Long Beach Poly, 19-25, 25-19, 25-27, 25-22, 15-11
#11 Sherman Oaks Notre Dame d. #6 Frontier, 15-25, 25-17, 25-18, 21-25, 15-13
#7 San Luis Obispo d. #10 Orange Lutheran, 21-25, 21-25, 25-15, 25-22, 15-12
#15 Bishop’s d. #2 Marymount, 25-18, 25-19, 23-25, 22-25, 15-13

DIVISION II
#16 Mission College Prep d. #1 Bakersfield Centennial, 20-25, 25-17, 22-25, 25-21, 15-11
#8 Bakersfield Liberty d. #9 Cerritos Valley Christian, 25-20, 25-22, 25-23
#5 Santa Fe Christian d. #12 Arroyo Grande, 25-18, 20-25, 25-17, 26-28, 17-15
#13 Vista Murrieta d. #4 La Jolla Country Day, 25-17, 12-25, 25-18, 25-30
#14 Glendora d. #3 San Dieguito Academy, 19-20, 27-25, 25-14, 20-25, 19-17
#6 Newbury Park d. #11 Mission Vista, 25-17, 25-21, 25-22
#10 Westview d. #7 Crescenta Valley, 25-23, 25-15, 25-23
#2 North County San Marcos d. #15 Portola, 25-13, 25-18, 25-23

DIVISION III
#1 Santa Barbara d. #16 Villa Park, 25-20, 25-16, 22-25, 25-15
#9 Steele Canyon d. #8 Venice, 25-15, 25-22, 14-25, 23-25, 15-5
#5 Woodland Hills Taft d. #12 Oceanside, 21-25, 25-20, 21-25, 25-23, 15-11
#4 Helix d. #13 Palisades, 25-22, 25-17, 19-25, 25-23
#3 Sage Creek d. #14 La Serna, 25-11, 25-21, 25-23
#6 Cleveland d. #11 El Toro, 19-25, 25-12, 28-26, 25-19
#10 Westridge d. #7 Atascadero, 27-25, 25-20, 25-19, 22-25, 15-13
#2 Point Loma d. #15 Winchester Liberty, 25-16, 22-25, 26-24, 25-21

DIVISION IV
#1 El Camino Real, bye
#8 Placentia Valencia d. #9 Sherman Oaks CES, 25-21, 25-19, 25-21
#5 Chatsworth d. #12 Tri-City Christian, 26-24, 25-14, 25-15
#4 Granada Hills d. #13 Tustin, 28-26, 23-25, 16-25, 25-14, 15-11
#3 Castaic d. #14 San Pedro, 25-19, 25-22, 25-20
#11 Fullerton d. #5 Eagle Rock, 3-1
#7 Capistrano Valley d. #10 Granada Hills Kennedy, 25-10, 25-16, 20-25, 25-19
#2 Lakewood d. #15 Northview, 26-24, 25-22, 25-14

DIVISION V
#1 Rio Mesa, bye
#8 San Diego Hoover d. #9 Narbonne, 27-25, 25-11, 25-23
#5 Bakersfield North d. #12 San Fernando Arroyo, 3-0
#4 Strathmore d. #13 El Monte Arroyo, 25-15, 25-10, 25-13
#3 Desert Christian Academy d. #14 Tarbut V’ Torah, 25-11, 25-17, 25-15
#6 Maywood CES d. #11 Orange, 3-0
#7 Rancho Mirage d. #10 Huntington Park, 25-15, 25-22, 25-11
#2 San Gabriel Academy d. #15 La Quinta, 25-22, 25-21, 14-25, 25-19

WEDNESDAY’S SCHEDULE
First Round

OPEN DIVISION
#8 Los Alamitos at #1 Mater Dei
#5 Mira Costa at #4 San Diego Cathedral
#6 Santa Margarita at #3 Torrey Pines
#7 Oaks Christian at #2 Sierra Canyon

Note: Quarterfinals (Divisions I-V) Nov. 12 at higher seeds; Semifinals (all divisions) Nov. 14 at higher seeds; Finals (all divisions) Nov. 17 at higher seeds; State Finals Nov. 20 at Santiago College.

The deal is back in an exclusive sale

Home Bargains has brought back a “lightweight” piece of luggage that will be instantly approved for travel on dozens of airlines as an under-seat cabin bag. The offer reduces the price from £14.99 to just £5.99, while stocks last.

Describing it online, Home Bargains said that the Bordlite Under Seat Cabin Bag is a “lightweight, compact travel buddy with three external pockets and a long shoulder strap”. It is ideal for “organised journeys and approved by over 30 airlines”, according to the brand.

The approximate bag dimensions were shared as 40 x 30 x 20cm. Shoppers can be assured the bag is suitable for free travel on most major airlines, such as Ryanair, easyJet, TUI Airways, Jet2, Wizz Air and more.

Below is a full list of the 30 airlines which accept this size (or larger) when booking. In most cases, carriers include a free personal item or underseat item with the ticket price — but always check with the airline directly before risking an unexpected airport charge.

What airlines accept this size bag?

UK and Europe:

1. Ryanair (Up to 40 x 25 x 20cm)
2. Wizz Air (40 x 30 x 20cm exactly)
3. FlyOne (40 x 30 x 20cm exactly)
4. easyJet (Up to 45 x 36 x 20cm)
5. Jet2 (Up to 45 x 36 x 20cm)
6. British Airways (Allows a large cabin bag up to 56 x 45 x 25cm for free)
7. Lufthansa (Up to 40 x 30 x 10cm for personal item, but easily fits their free overhead limit of 55 x 40 x 23cm)
8. Air France / KLM (Up to 40 x 30 x 15cm for personal item, but easily fits their free overhead limit of 55 x 35 x 25cm)
9. Norwegian Air (Up to 38 x 30 x 20cm)
10. Iberia (Up to 40 x 30 x 15cm for personal item / 56 x 45 x 25cm for overhead)
11. TAP Air Portugal (Up to 40 x 30 x 15cm for personal item / 55 x 40 x 20cm for overhead)
12. Aegean Airlines (Up to 40 x 30 x 25cm)
13. Vueling (Up to 40 x 30 x 20cm)
14. Eurowings (Up to 40 x 30 x 25cm)
15. Pegasus Airlines (Up to 40 x 30 x 15cm for personal item / 55 x 40 x 20cm for overhead)
16. SAS (Scandinavian Airlines) (Up to 40 x 30 x 15cm for personal item / 55 x 40 x 23cm for overhead)
17. Swiss International Air Lines (Up to 40 x 30 x 10cm for personal item / 55 x 40 x 23cm for overhead)

Middle East and Asia

1. Emirates (Allows an overhead bag up to 55 x 38 x 20cm for free on all tickets).
2. Qatar Airways (Allows a cabin bag up to 50 x 37 x 25cm for free).
3. Etihad Airways (Allows a cabin bag up to 56 x 36 x 23cm for free).
4. Singapore Airlines (Allows a personal item up to 40 x 30 x 10cm or a main cabin bag up to 55 x 40 x 20cm)
5. Turkish Airlines (Allows a personal item up to 40 x 30 x 15cm or a main cabin bag up to 55 x 40 x 23cm)

American and Transatlantic

1. Delta Air Lines (no specific personal item dimensions, must fit under the seat)
2. United Airlines (Up to 43 x 25 x 22cm)
3. American Airlines (Up to 45 x 35 x 20cm)
4. Air Canada (Up to 43 x 33 x 16cm for personal item / 55 x 40 x 23cm for overhead)
5. JetBlue (Up to 43 x 33 x 20cm)
6. Spirit Airlines (Up to 45 x 35 x 20cm)
7. Frontier Airlines (Up to 45 x 35 x 20cm)
8. WestJet (Up to 41 x 33 x 15cm for personal item / 53 x 38 x 23cm for overhead)

What else is new in Home Bargains?

Although the peak summer holiday season is well and truly over, shoppers can still find major bargains in-store and online for their travel needs. Recent offers include full suitcase sets and more compact cases to dodge airline fees.

The Overlow Suitcase Set (worth £149.99) includes three different-sized pieces of luggage for £59.99, saving shoppers £90. Home Bargains calls the deal “perfect for every trip, whether you pack light or heavy”.

For those looking for a budget-friendly way to stay within some airlines’ free allowance, the store recently added the Salisburys Underseat Backpack for £19.99. Described as a “stylish and practical choice” for travellers, it measures 20 x 30 x 40cm, making it suitable for the likes of Ryanair, EasyJet and Jet2.

Islamabad, Pakistan – In the spring of 2025, Pakistan and India severed most of their remaining links after years of acrimony.

Gunmen had killed 26 people in Pahalgam in India-administered Kashmir that April. New Delhi blamed Pakistan for the attack – Islamabad denied any role – and put the Indus Waters Treaty, governing the sharing of rivers flowing into Pakistan, in abeyance. Pakistan retaliated by closing its airspace to Indian airlines, shutting the Wagah border crossing and suspending trade.

By May, the nuclear-armed neighbours were exchanging missile and drone strikes. Four days of fighting ended in a ceasefire on May 10, for which United States President Donald Trump claimed credit.

Eighteen months later, data from Pakistan’s central bank suggested trade is gradually recovering.

Pakistan imported goods worth $61.7m from India from July to September this year, up 69 percent from the same period a year earlier, according to the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP).

Here is what the data show, what Pakistan buys from India and how the trade is continuing:

What do the latest figures show?

The SBP records payments made by Pakistani banks for imports, broken down by country. From July to September 2025, payments for Indian imports totalled $36.6m.

After the conflict, monthly payments fell from $20m in April 2025 just before the four-day war to $9.2m in June and $8.2m in July before recovering to $19.6m in September.

Over the full 2025-2026 fiscal year, which ended this June, Pakistan paid $203.8m for Indian imports, 7.6 percent less than the previous year.

Monthly averages suggest payments have largely recovered: $19.3m in the 12 months before the conflict and $19.1m in the 13 months from September 2025.

Government trade data, which break down imports by commodity, put the value of imports in the latest quarter slightly lower at $62.6m, compared with $66.6m a year earlier.

What does Pakistan import from India?

Organic chemicals and pharmaceutical products accounted for 96.2 percent of imports from India in 2025-2026, compared with 93 percent the previous year, government trade data show.

The largest category was vaccines, blood products and similar items worth $93.6m, up from $70.3m. Within this group, imports of vaccines for human use rose to $32.3m from $11.1m.

Khaqan Najeeb, a former adviser to Pakistan’s Ministry of Finance, said the reliance was driven by price and supply.

“India has developed a competitive pharmaceutical industry, particularly in active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs), which are essential for medicine manufacturing,” he told Al Jazeera. “Pakistan’s pharmaceutical industry has historically sourced some of these inputs from India because of competitive prices, product availability and geographical proximity.”

How does trade continue during the ban?

Pakistan’s restrictions on Indian goods predate the 2025 conflict.

On August 9, 2019, days after India revoked the special autonomous status of India-administered Kashmir, Pakistan’s Ministry of Commerce banned the import of goods originating in India or shipped from the country.

Less than a month later, however, it exempted therapeutic products regulated by the Drug Regulatory Authority of Pakistan (DRAP).

After the 2025 Pahalgam attack and India’s decision to suspend the Indus Waters Treaty, Pakistan’s National Security Committee (NSC) imposed further restrictions.

“All trade with India including to and from any third country through Pakistan is suspended forthwith,” the NSC said in a statement on April 24, 2025.

But Muhammad Zubair Motiwala, a former chief executive of the Trade Development Authority of Pakistan (TDAP), a government body responsible for facilitating the country’s international trade and exports, said some Indian goods still entered Pakistan through third countries.

“Indian goods actually come through Dubai and Malaysia and others, but they are counted by country of origin,” he told Al Jazeera.

Najeeb, however, cautioned against drawing conclusions about the routes through which such goods reach Pakistan.

“Some supplies may reach Pakistan through international supply chains, but the precise routes and volumes are not publicly established,” he said.

A DRAP official speaking on condition of anonymity said that ultimately, despite the tensions with India, Pakistan’s trade decisions were determined by one factor above all: It would import from India if needed in the national interest.

Could Pakistan buy elsewhere?

Nowhere is that interest clearer than in the field of pharmaceuticals.

Overall, India accounted for only about 0.3 percent of Pakistan’s $64.5bn total import bill in 2025-2026, according to SBP data. Pakistan paid $19.5bn for imports from China, its biggest trading partner.

But the pharma sector is a different story. In 2024 before the four-day war, India was Pakistan’s second-largest supplier of pharmaceuticals, marginally behind Belgium, according to the Observatory of Economic Complexity.

Motiwala said replacing Indian suppliers could significantly increase costs for some businesses.

“We actually want this [trade] to reopen. Our raw material comes from them, and it comes from other places. It adds 40 to 50 percent to the cost if we import from other places,” he said.

Najeeb said the impact of switching suppliers would vary depending on the product.

“Freight, insurance, quality certification, regulatory approvals and delivery reliability all influence the economics. Alternative sourcing may increase costs for some products although this will vary across ingredients,” he said.

Are there signs of a thaw?

Motiwala said relations between the neighbours appeared to be easing.

“I do think the ice is melting. It seems like it. Fishermen were recently released, and there was a handshake between the two teams,” he said.

On August 29, India repatriated 25 Pakistani nationals, including fishermen, through the Wagah-Attari border crossing.

Last week, Indian and Pakistani footballers shook hands before and after India’s 3-2 win in a SAFF Championship match in Dhaka, a departure from the recent practice of teams from the two countries avoiding such gestures in other sports.

Najeeb said closer economic ties could benefit both countries.

“However, economic considerations cannot be divorced from the prevailing political and security environment. Where conditions permit, a gradual and mutually agreed resumption of trade could be examined, beginning with areas of clear economic and humanitarian benefit,” he said.

As the Russian-Ukrainian war, which long ago entered a phase of attrition, grinds on, Russia, Ukraine and the United States began a new round of US-brokered trilateral talks in Abu Dhabi, the capital of the United Arab Emirates, on November 10. The talks are scheduled to continue on November 11.

The talks follow a successful humanitarian operation in Oleshky, a southern Ukrainian town that has been occupied by Russian forces since 2022.

Starting in December 2025, Oleshky experienced a food crisis that worsened dramatically in the summer of this year. Over the years under Russian occupation, its population declined from 25,000 to 2,000 people, and the food crisis threatened the survival of those who remained. In the summer, however, Ukrainian and Russian intelligence services agreed to work on a local ceasefire in order to evacuate Oleshky’s inhabitants – if they wanted to leave – either to Ukraine or to Russia.

The humanitarian mission went surprisingly smoothly. Both sides stood by the ceasefire agreement, hundreds of people were successfully evacuated (mostly to Ukraine) from the long-suffering town, and it was extraordinary to see the Ukrainian and Russian human rights representatives, Dmytro Lubinets and Yana Lantratova, coordinating the humanitarian mission peacefully and with mutual respect.

Can this successful mission lay the groundwork for – or at least contribute to – progress in the Abu Dhabi peace negotiations brokered by the US between Russia and Ukraine? Several factors suggest that this is unlikely.

One immediate indicator is that the success of the mission in Oleshky was driven not by Moscow’s desire for peace but by its willingness to pander to Donald Trump’s vanity against the background of his animosity towards Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

It has long been known that Trump wanted to be awarded the Nobel Peace Prize. However, despite his claims that he has ended countless wars around the world, Trump is unlikely to receive this prestigious award. Today, it seems that the Trump family’s plan is to try to secure the Nobel Peace Prize for Melania Trump.

The Oleshky humanitarian mission seems to be a case in point. A few days before the ceasefire, the White House announced that it was Melania Trump – in “her formal role as Exclusive Intermediary” – who had initiated discussions on the ceasefire agreement between Russia and Ukraine, thus dismissing not only the Vatican’s efforts to secure the Oleshky ceasefire, but also the fact that Ukrainian and Russian intelligence services had already begun discussing the temporary armistice in the summer. Moscow, however, readily backed Washington’s version of Melania Trump’s critical role in the agreement, and Kyiv had to align with that version, too.

Both Russia and Ukraine are seeking to win Donald Trump over to their side, but while both countries eventually agreed to play along with the White House’s promotion of the US first lady as a “peacemaker”, Moscow presumably considered that the success of the Oleshky humanitarian mission would benefit it more than Kyiv. Putin’s apparent reasoning here is that Moscow’s apparent willingness to cooperate may deepen Trump’s disaffection with Zelenskyy and strengthen his delusion that it is Ukraine rather than Russia that is blocking the path to the end of the war. For Putin, winning Trump over would be a way to continue the aggression against Ukraine under more favourable circumstances – not a way to come to peace with Ukraine.

Another factor suggesting that the Abu Dhabi talks are unlikely to result in progress towards lasting peace is that Moscow appointed Vladimir Medinsky, Putin’s aide, as the head of the Russian delegation for the talks in the UAE. Medinsky headed the Russian delegations for the negotiations with Ukraine in Istanbul in 2022 and 2025, and his reappointment as the delegation’s leader for Abu Dhabi suggests that the Russian position on Ukraine has not changed since the Istanbul negotiations. The only acceptable outcome of the war for Russia remains Ukraine’s surrender, and surrender was unacceptable to Ukraine in 2022 and 2025, and remains so today.

However, Putin appears to believe that Russia is in a stronger negotiating position than Ukraine, and his belief is grounded in both erroneous and realistic assumptions.

On the one hand, it is a mistake on Putin’s part to assume that the constant Russian attacks on Ukrainian infrastructure, including energy and water supplies, can undermine Ukrainians’ resilience to the point where they will demand that the authorities surrender to Russia or rebel against the government. Ukraine is fighting an existential war, in which surrender means death, torture and ethnic cleansing – practices characteristic of Russian rule in the currently occupied Ukrainian territories. Ukrainians simply have no choice other than to resist the Russian aggression.

On the other hand, Moscow is correctly assessing developments across the West, where continuing support for Ukraine is being challenged on several fronts. While European nations keep financing weapons supplies for Ukraine’s defence, a large share of the weapons the country needs comes from the US. The joint US-Israeli war against Iran depleted some US stockpiles, and US capacity to restock them is limited, which creates a significant gap in Ukraine’s offensive and defensive efforts, especially when it comes to air defence. The Democratic Party’s victory in the US midterm elections will hardly change the situation, even though the party has been more favourable to Ukraine than the Republicans: the shortage of weapons that the US can sell to Ukraine via its allies is a material rather than a political issue.

Moreover, the continued military and economic support that Ukraine receives from its European and other allies depends not only on the political consensus among those allies about the need for such support, but also on the individual positions of those allies. France will hold a presidential election in the first half of 2027, potentially followed by snap parliamentary elections, and the right-wing nationalist party National Rally has a good chance of securing both the presidency and the premiership of the French Republic. Its informal leader, Marine Le Pen, who has announced that she will stand for the presidency in the spring of next year, has already said that France can no longer provide financial assistance to Ukraine, implying that she would stop that financial aid if elected president. Despite the fact that France is the second-largest economy in the EU, it is only the fifth-largest bilateral EU donor to Ukraine; but France is an influential European country, and if it stops financial support for Ukraine, this may produce a domino effect among some other EU countries and create more economic and internal political pressure on those EU governments that continue to aid Ukraine.

Marine Le Pen, whose party received financial support from Russia in 2014 and who met Putin personally in Moscow in 2017, is most likely Russia’s best bet for 2027 with regard to weakening Ukraine’s defence. But this is not the only bet. In Germany, the right-wing nationalist party Alternative for Germany is surging in the polls, and it is the largest openly pro-Putin and pro-Trump party in the EU. And Trump himself, despite his Republican Party’s losses in the 2026 US midterm elections, remains one of Russia’s important bets in the context of the Russian war.

The fact that Russia participated in the trilateral negotiations in Abu Dhabi is not a sign that it is ready for peace with Ukraine. It is not – Russia hopes that Western support for Ukraine will wither away, and believes it has the resources to wait for that hypothetical moment.

The views expressed in this article are the author’s own and do not necessarily reflect Al Jazeera’s editorial stance.

COMEDIAN Lucy Beaumont has revealed she was a whistleblower on David Walliams’ allegations and offered to help one of his alleged victims.

The former Celebrity Traitors star, 43, said she was “really worried” about one of Walliams’ alleged victims, adding: “I don’t think I’ll work in telly again”.

Walliams was revealed as the celeb behind a sex claim injunction on Tuesday after losing a bid to gag the media and keep his identity secret.

The 55-year-old has been accused of preying on young girls for sexual purposes – including two as young as 15 – Walliams has denied all wrongdoing.

Now, Lucy Beaumont has revealed she gave information to The Guardian after she was approached by someone who alleged their job was to take “young girls” to Walliams’ dressing room.

She told Sky News that she feared the alleged victim would “take her own life”.

UNMASKED

David Walliams named as star behind injunction as he’s accused of preying on teens

‘ABUSE’ TIMELINE

David Walliams timeline of controversies and ‘sex assault’ allegations

It comes as…

“I did as much as I could do privately and whenever I’ve heard a rumour about anyone, I’ve done everything I can,” she said.

“There’s only so much you can do. I’m not the police. Nothing seems to be illegal, but I was really worried, and I was one of the whistleblowers. I was one of the people to let The Guardian know.”

Lucy added that she never personally worked alongside Walliams nor had she witnessed any allegations.

“I was worried that these girls were young. What I did was I then tried to contact some of them to check and to ask if they were alright.”

Lucy revealed she contacted an alleged victim and offered to pay her legal fees as she was “in a really bad way”.

“I was really worried about her. I was really worried she was going to take her own life because of it, she had put stuff online, and there was evidence that she was in a dressing room. 

“I offered to pay legal fees to try and get her some protection, and I’m not saying necessarily that what she said was true, but I wanted to help her because it was a world that she was really out of depth with, and she, I believe, had signed an NDA.”

She added that the girl was not just restricted in talking to the media but she “couldn’t talk to family or friends or a therapist”.

“And the reason I’m speaking out about this when I know everyone I know knows this, and I don’t hear anybody talking about it,” she continued.

“And honestly, I don’t think I’ll work in telly again. I honestly don’t.”

Lucy also confirmed the alleged victim “wouldn’t talk to me much” and “declined my offer of support”.

She said the girl “explained that she’s been silenced” adding: “And she was worried about other people.

“She was worried that if she told someone, then there was a legal burden on them as well.”

A three-year joint investigation by ITV News and the Guardian has revealed allegations dating back as far as 2003 against Walliams. He denies the claims.

One of the schoolgirls said an alleged encounter amounted to “sexual assault” and claims he told her to wait until she was 16 for sex.

Multiple women have also claimed they were “groomed” by the star when they were teens and have painted the star as “pushy” and “predatory”.

A string of his alleged victims opened up about their shocking experiences of the disgraced comic.

It was also claimed he had sent a slew of creepy emails and messages – including begging for nude pictures – to multiple teenage girls.

The allegations – featured in a documentary – also accuse Walliams of inappropriate conduct and sexual harassment at both Britain’s Got Talent and HarperCollins, who published his hit children’s books.

Walliams, 55, was unmasked as the mystery celebrity behind a failed legal bid to prevent the allegations being made public.

The Little Britain star had sought an injunction against Independent Television News (ITN), which produces news programmes for ITV and Channel 4.

Walliams also attempted to block Guardian News and Media, publisher of The Guardian, from publishing the claims to keep his name hidden but a High Court judge dismissed his bid for an injunction last week.

In a statement to ITV News and The Guardian, Walliams denied the bombshell claims saying “I am not a sexual predator”.

He said: “Looking back, I realise that at times I behaved thoughtlessly towards other people I had casual sexual relationships with… I realise I did not always take people’s feelings properly into account. That is something I regret.

“And whilst a power imbalance is inevitable when one party is famous, abusing that power is something else entirely and it is something that I never did…

“I am not a sexual predator… I have not broken the law… I am devastated that some of the women I met ten to twenty years ago have now expressed hurt or anger towards me.”

If you are affected by any of the issues raised in this article, please call the Samaritans for free on 116123.

Nov. 10, 2026 10:42 PM PT

HIGH SCHOOL BOYS WATER POLO PLAYOFFS
TUESDAY’S RESULTS
SOUTHERN SECTION
Semifinals

DIVISION 2
Damien 13, Murrieta Valley 12
St. John Bosco 10, Crescenta Valley 8

DIVISION 3
Troy 17, Norco 14
Elsinore 10, Los Altos 8

DIVISION 4
Liberty 7, Buena Park 6
Foothill Tech 9, El Toro 5

DIVISION 5
Montebello 12, Anaheim 11
California 8, Montclair 7

WEDNESDAY’S SCHEDULE
SOUTHERN SECTION
Semifinals

DIVISION 1
Buena at Mira Costa, 5 p.m.
Laguna Beach at Dos Pueblos, 5 p.m.

THURSDAY’S SCHEDULE
CITY SECTION FINALS
At Palisades

OPEN DIVISION
#2 Cleveland at #1 Palisades, 7 p.m.

DIVISION I
#2 Eagle Rock at #1 Granada Hills, 5 p.m.

Note: Southern Section Finals (all divisions) Saturday, Nov. 14 at Mt. San Antonio College.

Hackers have twice taken control of supermarket fridges across Europe in less than a month, sparking fires and spoiling millions of euros’ worth of food.

On October 11 and 12, attackers heated units at about 700 French stores to as high as 50C (122F). On November 2, a second wave of suspected cyberattacks affected supermarkets and food businesses in at least nine European countries, including Belgium, Estonia, Finland, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Portugal and Sweden.

France has since blamed the first attack on Shahid Kaveh, a cyberunit affiliated with Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), calling it the first large-scale sabotage cyberattack on French soil. It is not yet clear who was behind the second wave.

The attacks have raised concern about how exposed internet-connected equipment has become, from industrial machinery to household appliances. Al Jazeera illustrates the devices at risk in your home and the essential services you rely on, and what you can do to protect yourself.

How can a fridge be hacked?

A supermarket’s fridges and freezers are run from one control panel, which is connected to the internet so contractors can manage it remotely. Home smart fridges connect the same way, through Wi-Fi, an app or a cloud service.

The attackers reportedly found the supermarket systems using Shodan, a search engine for internet-connected devices. According to Vincent Strubel, head of France’s National Cybersecurity Agency (ANSSI), they got in through basic security failures:

• Exposed: The equipment was directly connected to the open internet with no extra protection.
• Weak passwords: Many systems were protected only by weak or default logins.
• Outdated: Many units were old models that no longer get security updates.

Once inside, hackers can switch a fridge off, raise its temperature or steal account details. In France, they simply used the controllers’ own defrost function. A poorly protected fridge can also be a doorway to other devices on the same network, from laptops to smart locks.

Speaking to the French Senate on October 21, Strubel warned that the healthcare sector uses the same type of equipment to store vaccines and hazardous materials, from research laboratories to pharmacies.

How hackable is your home?

Essentially, anything connected via the internet could potentially be hacked.

There are about 21 billion short-range connected devices, such as smartwatches, worldwide and 5.4 billion long-range ones, such as remote monitoring systems, according to Kepios’s Digital 2027 Global Overview Report. US internet households now have an average of about 18 connected devices, nearly double the number a decade ago, according to Parks Associates.

Routers are among the biggest targets because they are always online. In April, the UK’s National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) warned that hackers linked to Russia’s GRU military intelligence were hijacking home and small business routers. By tampering with their DNS settings, which turn website names into IP addresses, the hackers redirected users to fake websites to steal passwords and personal details.

Smart TVs can be hacked without their owners knowing. In June, researchers found that more than a third of apps on LG and Samsung smart TVs could let strangers secretly use a household’s internet connection, hiding their own activity behind that home’s IP address.

Robot vacuums can expose even more. Earlier this year, a programmer reportedly found he could control almost 7,000 DJI Romo robot vacuums with a PlayStation 5 controller. Using Claude Code, an AI coding tool made by Anthropic, to work out how the vacuums talked to DJI’s servers, he gained access to their live camera feeds, audio and floor plans of people’s homes.

What vital services can be hacked?

The same weaknesses that expose a fridge can affect power plants, water supplies, banks and hospitals.

Many of these services are run by industrial computers that can be reached online. Since the US-Israel war on Iran began, US agencies have warned that Iran-affiliated hackers are attacking these systems.

In July, a cyberattack in the US state of Minnesota targeted more than 30 community water systems, according to the state’s IT agency. Officials suspected Iran-aligned hackers, and the FBI and CISA warned that water and wastewater systems were increasingly being targeted, with facilities in 12 states affected at the time.

That same month, a cyberattack attributed to Iran-linked hackers forced a small British power plant offline for four days. It was reported as the first successful attack of its kind on UK energy infrastructure.

The US Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) lists sectors it considers critical infrastructure. The graphic below shows some of the key ones, and what a hack on each could mean for you.

Banks are targets, too. In late September and early October, hackers stole personal data from at least seven South Korean financial firms, affecting about 68,000 people. Yegaram Savings Bank and Shinhan Bank were hit hardest, with about 40,000 and 25,000 customers affected, respectively.

According to The Wall Street Journal, the attacker used ARTEX, an open-source AI tool developed in China to test networks for weaknesses. US cybersecurity firm CrowdStrike said the attacker was likely a China-based individual who also used Claude Code, an assessment it made with moderate confidence.

Which industries are most politically targeted?

The European Repository of Cyber Incidents (EuRepoC), a research database tracking political cyberattacks worldwide, logged 4,932 major incidents between January 2000 and November 2026.

The number of incidents has grown sharply in recent years, peaking at 795 in 2024. About two-thirds of all incidents recorded since 2000 have occurred since 2022.

Governments are the biggest target. State institutions account for nearly 40 percent of all targets, led by the civil service and government ministries, followed by the military, police, political parties and legislatures.

Critical infrastructure is the second most targeted sector, led by health, finance, telecommunications, transport and energy, followed by defence firms, manufacturing, research and digital service providers. Companies, schools, civil society groups and media outlets make up most of the rest.

EuRepoC tracks only politically significant attacks, a fraction of all cyberattacks. Beyond these, hackers often target individuals and companies with scams.

How to protect oneself?

Hackers rely on weaknesses such as weak passwords and devices that no longer receive updates.

Awais Rashid, a professor of cybersecurity at the University of Bristol, told Al Jazeera that as infrastructure becomes more digitised, the risk of disruption from cyberattacks has risen. But, he added, “the world works because cybersecurity works effectively”.

The UK’s NCSC also advises people to turn off features they don’t use, such as remote camera access.

If a power plant or water system is hacked, there is little individuals can do. The UK’s Be Ready campaign, launched last month partly in response to cyber-threats, urges households to keep a three-day supply of water, food, medicine, cash and torches.

The graphic below shows five simple steps you can take to protect yourself from hackers.