Trump administration blocked from suspending Snap benefits for millions of Americans

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One judge issued temporary restraining order while another judge ruled the government must continue to fund program that helps low-income households

Two federal judges issued back-to-back rulings on Friday in separate cases ordering the Trump administration to use contingency funds to continue paying for food stamps during the government shutdown.

A federal judge in Rhode Island on Friday afternoon blocked the Trump administration from suspending all food aid for millions of Americans, in a case brought by a group of US cities, non-profit organizations and a trade union.

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Palace’s statement on Andrew is ‘vindication’ for Virginia Giuffre, says her family – The Guardian

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  1. Palace’s statement on Andrew is ‘vindication’ for Virginia Giuffre, says her family  The Guardian
  2. What’s Next for Andrew After He Loses ‘Prince’ Title?  The New York Times
  3. Five times the British royal family has been ruthless with its own  The Washington Post
  4. ‘Prince’ no longer: What next for Andrew Mountbatten Windsor?  CNN
  5. Andrew in line for six-figure payment and annual stipend from king, sources say  The Guardian
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M&S launches ‘secret support’ pants that offer men a ‘subtle lift’

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Retailer says underwear that could become male equivalent of push-up bra is intended to ‘help men feel their most confident’

For men who lament the decline of the codpiece, or who lack confidence at the office when their pants are not pushing up their genitals all day, Marks & Spencer is riding to the rescue.

The retailer, the UK market leader in selling underwear, has launched what could be considered the male equivalent of the push-up bra.

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Palace’s statement on Andrew is ‘vindication’ for Virginia Giuffre, says her family

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Women’s rights groups say announcement sends important message to survivors of abuse

The historic statement from Buckingham Palace stripping Andrew Mountbatten Windsor of his title is an “acknowledgment” that something happened to the late Virginia Giuffre, her family has told the Guardian.

In its announcement on Thursday, the palace said Andrew Mountbatten Windsor – as he is now known – will also leave his mansion in Windsor, Royal Lodge, as his links to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein continue to cause controversy.

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Thousands of Unexploded Bombs Dropped by Israel Have Turned Gaza into a Minefield – Drop Site News

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  1. Thousands of Unexploded Bombs Dropped by Israel Have Turned Gaza into a Minefield  Drop Site News
  2. The Deadly Long-term Problem Hiding Throughout Gaza  NPR
  3. UK pledges £4m to clear land mines to help flow of aid in Gaza  BBC
  4. UK to provide $5M for clearance of unexploded munitions in Gaza  The Times of Israel
  5. Children play near damaged Israeli tank in Gaza  Xinhua
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Nexperia halts chip supplies to China in threat to global car production

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Dutch-controlled company informs customers about suspension but is said to want to de-escalate trade war

Nexperia, the EU-based automotive chipmaker at the centre of a geopolitical dispute, has suspended supplies to its Chinese factory, stepping up a trade war that threatens to halt production at carmakers around the world.

The company wrote to customers this week informing them all supplies to a Chinese plant had been suspended.

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‘How do you rebuild all this?’ Black River residents assess damage after Hurricane Melissa – The Guardian

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  1. ‘How do you rebuild all this?’ Black River residents assess damage after Hurricane Melissa  The Guardian
  2. In One Jamaican Town, Hurricane Melissa Left Behind Floodwaters and Dead Livestock  The New York Times
  3. Slough-based charity Khalsa Aid sends aid and workers to Jamaica  BBC
  4. U.S. Military Task Force Provides Aid, Disaster Relief to Jamaica  USNI News
  5. 19 fatalities in Jamaica from Hurricane Melissa, death toll expected to rise  ABC News
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Western Sahara: Vote on a Draft Resolution Renewing MINURSO’s Mandate* : What’s In Blue – Security Council Report

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  1. Western Sahara: Vote on a Draft Resolution Renewing MINURSO’s Mandate* : What's In Blue  Security Council Report
  2. UN calls for Western Sahara talks based on Morocco's autonomy plan  Reuters
  3. UN approves resolution supporting Morocco’s claim to Western Sahara  The Guardian
  4. Western Sahara: Morocco secures diplomatic victory at the UN  Le Monde.fr
  5. Explanation of Vote Following the Adoption of a UN Security Council Resolution on Western Sahara  United States Mission to the United Nations (.gov)
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US electricity bills increased by 11% in Trump’s second term, data shows

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New analysis prompts letter to Trump from Elizabeth Warren: ‘Your administration has no answers for families hit by high energy costs’

Donald Trump promised to slash US electricity bills, but they have increased by 11% since he retook the White House, new data shows.

Democratic lawmakers highlighted the figures in a letter sent to Trump on Friday. “Your administration has no explanations for its failures and no answers for American families that are hit hard by high energy costs, and it continues to actively pursue policies to make this cost crisis worse,” reads the missive, led by Elizabeth Warren, the Massachusetts senator.

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JP Morgan warned US of $1bn in Epstein transactions possibly related to human trafficking

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Bank says it alerted US of ‘suspicious’ transactions just weeks after paedophile was found dead in New York jail cell

JP Morgan warned the US government about more than $1bn in transactions linked to Jeffrey Epstein that were possibly related to reports of human trafficking, new documents confirm.

The largest bank in the US filed a suspicious activity report (SAR) in 2019, just weeks after Epstein was found dead in a New York jail cell, about transactions linked to the paedophile financier and prominent business figures. It also flagged wire transfers made by Epstein to Russian banks.

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French cyclist, 77, survives for three days on red wine after plunging down 130ft ravine – The Independent

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  1. French cyclist, 77, survives for three days on red wine after plunging down 130ft ravine  The Independent
  2. How a 77-year-old survived for days after fall down rocky slope  The Independent
  3. French cyclist survives on red wine for three days after falling down ravine  New York Post
  4. Cyclist tumbles down ravine in France, survives on wine he had in his bag  Global News
  5. Funny old world: the week's offbeat news  DerbyInformer.com
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No high-level US representatives will go to UN climate talks, Trump officials say

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Decision to stay away from Cop30 meeting in Brazil underscores administration’s hostility to climate action

The Trump administration has confirmed that no high-level representatives will be sent by the US to upcoming UN climate talks in Brazil, underscoring the administration’s hostile stance towards action on the climate crisis.

The US has always sent delegations of various sizes to UN climate summits over the past three decades, even during periods under George W Bush and Donald Trump’s first term where there was scant desire to address the global heating crisis.

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Sudan’s RSF accused of ‘PR stunt’ after arresting fighters behind civilian killings

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Reports of indiscriminate violence and ethnic targeting in El Fasher have led to growing global outrage

Sudan’s paramilitary Rapid Support Forces claim to have arrested several of their fighters after outrage over the extent of killing in the city of El Fasher continues to build.

But the paramilitary group’s move has been greeted with scepticism from human rights campaigners and Sudanese people, who see it as an attempt to temper criticism over the violence.

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UK man who murdered pregnant girlfriend after release from prison jailed for 42 years

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Alana Odysseos, 32, was pregnant with her third child when she was killed by Shaine March in July last year

A man who murdered his pregnant girlfriend after being released from prison on licence has been jailed for 42 years.

Alana Odysseos, 32, was in the early stages of pregnancy with her third child when she was killed by Shaine March last year at her home in Walthamstow, east London. She died at the scene from stab wounds after the attack on 22 July 2024.

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Trump may have skipped APEC—but Xi’s using it to sell China as globalization’s last defender – Fortune

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  1. Trump may have skipped APEC—but Xi's using it to sell China as globalization's last defender  Fortune
  2. Xi Delivers Veiled Warning to Nations Not to Take the U.S.’s Side  The New York Times
  3. China's Xi pushes for global AI body at APEC in counter to US  Reuters
  4. Trump no-show at big Asian economic forum may risk US reputation in region  AP News
  5. Xi Jinping’s moment and whirlwind diplomatic tours: key takeaways from the Apec summit in South Korea  The Guardian
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UK politics: Worries about immigration are ‘manufactured panic’ says charity as poll shows issue not a local concern – as it happened

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YouGov poll say only 26% of people say immigration is an issue locally but more than half believe it to be a national issue

There were six council byelections yesterday. Here are the results, from Election Maps UK.

Reform gained two seats, from Labour and from an independent group.

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