US says Lebanon ceasefire talks making ‘good progress’ – as it happened

US secretary of state and defence secretary express hope of ceasefire in near future as Hamas rules out short-term truce for Gaza

Reuters reports that the Israeli military said on Thursday it had shot down a drone smuggling weapons from Egyptian territory to Israel on Wednesday.

No other information was provided. We will update the blog as more details come in.

Rafael and Lala Goliev … residents of Lod, were arrested after they carried out tasks on behalf of an Iranian cell that recruits Israelis from the Caucasus countries in Israel.”

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Strike on Gaza Hospital Destroys U.N. Supplies, Palestinian Officials Say – The New York Times

  1. Strike on Gaza Hospital Destroys U.N. Supplies, Palestinian Officials Say  The New York Times
  2. IDF says it hit terrorists hiding in Gaza hospital, claims Hamas crumbling in Jabalia  The Times of Israel
  3. At least 46 Palestinians killed in Israeli strikes, hospital hit, says Gaza ministry  Reuters
  4. IDF hits north Gaza’s last functioning hospital, officials say; U.S. envoys visit Israel  The Washington Post
  5. Director of north Gaza hospital won’t leave despite killing of his son  Al Jazeera English
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Ofcom fines GB News £100,000 for breach of impartiality rules over Sunak interview

GB News to challenge decision and watchdog will not enforce sanction until proceedings are concluded

Ofcom has fined the rightwing broadcaster GB News £100,000 for “breaking due impartiality rules” after an interview with the former prime minister Rishi Sunak earlier this year.

The media regulator said it chose to impose a fine over the programme titled People’s Forum: The Prime Minister because it considered the breach serious, and because of GB News’s track record of breaking impartiality rules.

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Spain floods: number killed passes 150 as scientists say climate change ‘most likely explanation’ – as it happened

At least 155 people have reportedly died with more rain forecast for the flood-hit region of Valencia

Experts have been giving their reaction to yesterday’s disaster - sounding a warning about our preparedness and ability to cope.

Extreme weather events are becoming more intense, are lasting longer and are occurring more frequently as a result of human-induced climate change, scientists say.

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Reeves’s long-term spending figures almost as unrealistic as Tories’ were, IFS says – UK politics live

Institute for Fiscal Studies says budget ‘looks like the same silly games’ as seen under the Conservatives

Rachel Reeves is now being interview on ITV’s Good Morning Britain.

She is being interviewed by Ed Balls, the former Labour shadow chancellor who is now a TV presenter. He asks her to confirm that workers will end up losing out because of the employers’ national insurance contributions (NICs) increase.

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Jennifer Lopez campaigns with Harris in Las Vegas – as it happened

This blog is closed now, thanks for following along. You can find all of our US elections coverage here.

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A lot of money has been spent on this year’s elections.

Only 150 billionaire families have contributed $1.9bn in support of presidential and congressional candidates, according to a new report from Americans for Tax Fairness.

Of this giant figure 72% went to support Republicans compared with the 22% spent on Democrats.

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Sweden abolishes tax on plastic bags despite warnings usage could rise

Levy that reduced usage by more than three-quarters in four years fell victim to rightwing culture wars, say critics

A tax that has reduced plastic bag consumption in Sweden by more than three-quarters in four years is being abolished on Friday, despite warnings that the move could lead to usage rising back towards previous levels.

Since the introduction of the 3 kroner (£0.21) tax in May 2020, plastic bag usage in the country has slumped. In 2019, before the levy was introduced, people in Sweden used an average of 74 plastic bags (15-50 micrometres thick) per person each year each. In 2023 that number had dropped to 17.

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Political violence in US could potentially surge after elections, experts warn

Trends in online chatter mirror patterns observed in the lead-up to 2020 elections and January 6 Capitol attack

There could be a potential surge in political violence following the upcoming US election, and pro-Trump rightwing vigilante “poll watchers” might surveil ballot drop boxes as Americans cast their votes, experts warned this week.

A new report from the Global Project Against Hate and Extremism (GPAHE) highlighted alarming trends in online chatter, mirroring patterns observed in the lead-up to the 2020 election and the January 6 Capitol insurrection.

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