Retailers warn inflation could hamper UK shoppers in run-up to Christmas

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British Retail Consortium figures come alongside data showing a fall in household disposable income

Shoppers’ ability to afford Christmas treats has been put under threat as retailers warned November could mark a turning point for inflation, with the recent fall in prices slowing amid increased fresh produce costs and fewer discounts on the shelves.

Shop prices fell by 0.6% in November, compared with a fall of 0.8% in October, according to the latest report from the British Retail Consortium (BRC) and research firm NielsenIQ. The slowdown in deflation was driven by non-food goods and a slight increase in fresh food prices, including seafood.

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Number of single UK women having fertility treatment trebles, report says

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Study also finds that number of female couples receiving IVF or DI treatment doubled between 2012 and 2022

The number of single women in the UK undergoing fertility treatment to start a family has more than trebled in a decade, a report has revealed.

In total, 4,800 women without a partner had in vitro fertilisation (IVF) or donor insemination (DI) treatment in 2022. This represents a 243% increase from the 1,400 single women who had fertility treatment in 2012, according to the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA).

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Israeli government votes to boycott Haaretz – Axios

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  1. Israeli government votes to boycott Haaretz  Axios
  2. Israeli cabinet sanctions country’s oldest newspaper over critical coverage and publisher’s comments  CNN
  3. Likud minister asserts that government has right to enact ‘regime change’ in Israel  The Times of Israel
  4. Israel sanctions Haaretz due to articles that ‘hurt’ Israeli state  Al Jazeera English
  5. Can Israel navigate dissenting voices without undermining democracy? – editorial  The Jerusalem Post
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Biden will attend Trump’s inauguration in January, says White House

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US president and Jill Biden to attend swearing-in of Trump, who did not attend Joe Biden’s inauguration in 2021

President Joe Biden and first lady Jill Biden will attend Donald Trump’s inauguration in January, a White House spokesperson said on Monday.

“The president promised that he would attend the inauguration of whomever won the election,” said Andrew Bates, senior deputy press secretary at the White House, Reuters reported.

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Ex-official exits running for Trump team over Sebastian Gorka appointment

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Michael Anton, national security official in first Trump term, reportedly removed name from contention over feud

A frontrunner to be deputy national security adviser in Donald Trump’s administration reportedly withdrew from the running after learning that he would have to work with Sebastian Gorka, the president-elect’s choice as counter-terrorism adviser.

Michael Anton, a conservative speech writer and national security official in Trump’s first presidency, removed his name from contention over Gorka’s appointment against a backdrop of acrimonious past relations between the pair, the Washington Post reported.

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Snow and rain forecast to hit US north-east for Thanksgiving

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Winds and rain could disrupt Macy’s parade and affect holiday travel – but also provide relief to drought conditions

A Thanksgiving Day storm is forecast to bring rain and potentially snow across the eastern half of the US, including to parts of New York.

The storm, which is predicted to bring snow to California’s Sierra Nevada early this week, is set to make its way to the north-east. As it travels further east, it is likely to strengthen after gathering more moisture from the Gulf of Mexico and eventually the Atlantic, according to AccuWeather.

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Gangs and ‘ultra-violence’ blocking south Gaza aid distribution – BBC.com

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  1. Gangs and 'ultra-violence' blocking south Gaza aid distribution  BBC.com
  2. How gangsters took over Gaza’s aid routes  Financial Times
  3. Nearly a hundred aid trucks looted in Gaza, as UN warns of ‘collapse of law and order’  CNN
  4. Looting deepens Gaza misery as famine looms, says UNRWA official  Reuters
  5. Northern Gaza trapped in catastrophic humanitarian situation, UN report says  ABC News
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Father of missing Hawaii woman found dead in Los Angeles, police say

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Body of Ryan Kobayashi, who flew to LA to find daughter, found after police respond to reports of apparent suicide

Ryan Kobayashi, who flew to Los Angeles from Hawaii in search of his missing daughter, has been found dead near the Los Angeles international airport. Ryan Kobayashi had been searching for his 31-year-old daughter, Hannah Kobayashi, who was last seen at the airport on 8 November en route to New York City.

“After tirelessly searching throughout Los Angeles for 13 days, Hannah’s father, Ryan Kobayashi, tragically took his own life,” the family wrote in a statement shared by the Rad Movement, a missing persons non-profit. “This loss has compounded the family’s suffering immeasurably.”

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Pentagon sees no signs of DPRK troops presence in Ukraine – Ukrinform

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  1. Pentagon sees no signs of DPRK troops presence in Ukraine  Ukrinform
  2. Battlefield Intelligence Suggests North Koreans Killed in Ukraine War  Newsweek
  3. Russia Supplies Antiaircraft Missiles, to North Korea, the South Says  The New York Times
  4. North Korean soldiers in Russian invasion: Are they fighting?  Euronews
  5. No indication North Korean troops are moving into Ukraine, Pentagon says.  Kyiv Independent
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NATO considers first-strike strategy in case of Russian attack, says top NATO official Rob Bauer – Euromaidan Press

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  1. NATO considers first-strike strategy in case of Russian attack, says top NATO official Rob Bauer  Euromaidan Press
  2. Top NATO official calls on business leaders to prepare for 'wartime scenario'  Reuters.com
  3. Top NATO military official urges businesses to be prepared for ‘wartime scenario’  Fox News
  4. Speech by Admiral Rob Bauer, Chair of the NATO Military Committee Berlin Security Conference  NATO HQ
  5. NATO is discussing the possibility of preemptive strikes against Russia — Bauer  Eurasia Daily
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‘Royalties for everyone’: Suriname president plans to share oil wealth

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All Surinamese adults to receive payment from recently discovered oil and gas reserves – ‘no one will be left behind’

Suriname’s president has announced a program of “royalties for everyone” as the South American nation plans for a boon from recently discovered oil and gas reserves.

Suriname and its neighbor Guyana, both former Dutch colonies, expect to make billions in the years to come from rich offshore crude deposits. Earlier this month, Guyana announced all adult citizens living at home and abroad would received a payout of around £370 as part of an effort to redistribute its oil wealth.

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