Final recount confirms Georgia ruling party victory, says electoral commission

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EU and US demand investigation as opposition and pro-European president cry foul

Officials in Georgia said a partial recount confirmed the ruling party had won its disputed election, while a global research and data firm called the official results reported by the electoral commission “statistically impossible”.

The pro-western opposition on Thursday repeated its earlier assertions that the parliamentary vote had been “stolen” by the ruling Georgian Dream party and it refused to recognise the results, plunging the Caucasus country into uncertainty.

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Lloyds shareholders could take £1bn hit over car finance crisis

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Analysts forecast bank will have to halve £2bn buyback plan, as ex-boss of City regulator blames watchdog for crisis

Lloyds Banking Group could give almost £1bn less to shareholders this year as a result of the car finance crisis, analysts have said, as the City regulator’s former boss blamed the watchdog for the chaos.

The estimated size of a multibillion-pound compensation bill for motor lenders has grown after a shock court of appeal ruling last Friday, which said customers could not consent to motor loans that involved “secret commission” payments to brokers and car dealerships.

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Ed Davey: care sector will be ‘pushed to brink’ by national insurance hike and should be exempt

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Lib Dem leader says rise in employer’s contribution risks worsening NHS crisis

The Liberal Democrats have called on the government to exempt the social care sector from the increase in national insurance in Labour’s budget, as an organisation representing many smaller care providers warned that the impact would be substantial.

In the biggest fiscal measures of Wednesday’s budget, raising an additional £25bn a year by the end of the parliament, Rachel Reeves announced an increase of 1.2 percentage points on the national insurance paid by employers, with the salary threshold at which this begins falling from £9,100 a year to £5,000.

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Why were the floods in Spain so bad? A visual guide

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Scores of people have died as country is hit by deadliest floods in decades

At least 150 people have died in Spain after torrential rains triggered the country’s deadliest floods in decades, unleashing a deluge of muddy water that turned village streets into rivers, destroyed homes and swept away bridges, railways tracks and cars.

An unknown number of people remain missing, while thousands of others are without electricity or phone service. The majority of those killed were in the coastal region of Valencia, where the state-run agency said that nearly a year’s worth of rain had fallen in just eight hours.

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Budget 2024: what the UK papers said about Rachel Reeves’ statement

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Headlines featured numerous ‘nightmare’ allusions for budget delivered the day before Halloween

After Rachel Reeves‘ first budget as chancellor, which included £40bn in tax rises, newspaper headlines in the UK featured “nightmare” and “horror show” allusions as it came a day before Halloween.

The Financial Times’ front page featured a picture of smiling Reeves headlined “Reeves unveils £40bn budget tax rise”. The paper reported the chancellor’s aims of fixing public services, and the “broken” finances, saying businesses and the wealthy would “bear bulk” of the “heaviest fiscal burden” in a generation.

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Business leaders keep quiet on Trump – what are they saying in private?

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Experts say top chief executives are treading a fine line to avoid any backlash in the event of a Trump victory

After the January 6 attack on the US Capitol, America’s business leaders came out strongly in their criticism of Donald Trump. Now – as the Harris campaign brands Trump a “fascist” and Trump threatens retribution against “the enemy within” – there appears to be a conspiracy of silence.

In fact, as the nation heads to the polls in an election that is too close to call, some of America’s most powerful chief executive appear to be cozying up to Trump again.

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The Wildly Entertaining Tale of How Día de los Muertos Got Its Iconic Sugar Skulls – Fodor’s Travel

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  1. The Wildly Entertaining Tale of How Día de los Muertos Got Its Iconic Sugar Skulls  Fodor's Travel
  2. Pets join Mexico’s Day of the Dead celebrations, as Fido and Tiger get their own altars  The Associated Press
  3. 12 ‘megaofrendas’ to visit during Day of the Dead weekend in Mexico  Mexico News Daily
  4. Political protest is deeply embedded in Day of the Dead, a crossover U.S. tradition  USA TODAY
  5. US residents travel to Mexico to visit their dead  WWLP.com
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What is Diwali, the Festival of Lights? – The Associated Press

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  1. What is Diwali, the Festival of Lights?  The Associated Press
  2. Happy Diwali 2024: 50+ wishes, images, SMS, greetings, WhatsApp and Facebook status to share on Deepawali  Hindustan Times
  3. What is Diwali and why is it celebrated? What to know about the Hindu festival of lights  USA TODAY
  4. Happy Diwali 2024: November 1 Lakshmi Puja timings and 60+ best wishes, WhatsApp messages to share with your loved ones  Business Today
  5. Indians celebrate Diwali by lighting a record number of clay lamps  The Associated Press
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US election: EU wants Kamala Harris in the White House – DW (English)

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  1. US election: EU wants Kamala Harris in the White House  DW (English)
  2. It’s not just Democrats who fear a Trump victory – it would be a disaster for Europe too  The Guardian
  3. It doesn’t matter if Trump or Harris win. Europe has already lost.  POLITICO Europe
  4. America’s European allies face challenging times, whoever wins the presidential election  The Associated Press
  5. Trump or Harris? MEP surrogates take sides  Euronews
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North Korea missile test reaches record height and duration, says Japan

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Test of apparent ICBM theoretically capable of striking US mainland comes amid warnings over North Korean troops in Ukraine

North Korea has test launched a long-range missile theoretically capable of striking the US mainland in another display of defiance by the regime amid growing warnings over its troops’ participation in the war in Ukraine.

US officials said they believed Thursday’s launch was that of an intercontinental ballistic missile [ICBM] but did not say how they had reached that assessment. Japan’s defence minister, Gen Nakatani, said the missile had flown higher and for longer than others tested by North Korea.

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Saudi Arabia World Cup bid report accused of ‘whitewashing’ rights abuses

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Law firm AS&H Clifford Chance failed to include alleged abuse of migrant workers in assessment for Fifa 2034 bid, say rights groups

A report by the Saudi arm of a global law firm on Saudi Arabia’s 2034 Fifa World Cup bid has “whitewashed” the Gulf kingdom’s record of exploiting and suppressing the rights of migrant workers, rights groups have claimed.

AS&H Clifford Chance was commissioned to independently assess the human rights implications of the bid, but the report “contains no substantive discussion of extensive and relevant abuses in Saudi Arabia”, according to a statement released by 11 organisations, including Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch.

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Lebanon, Israel could agree to ceasefire within days, Lebanese prime minister says – Reuters

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  1. Lebanon, Israel could agree to ceasefire within days, Lebanese prime minister says  Reuters
  2. Hezbollah agrees to withdraw beyond Litani, Iran's response to be 'definitive and painful'  The Jerusalem Post
  3. Lebanon truce proposal: IDF to withdraw within a week, retain freedom to attack Hezbollah  Haaretz
  4. Israel Discusses New US-Led Deal to End Hezbollah Conflict  Bloomberg
  5. Inverting its approach, US pursues calm in Lebanon that will then spread to Gaza  The Times of Israel
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Typhoon Kong-rey: biggest storm in decades wreaks destruction in Taiwan

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People warned to stay inside because of high risk of storm surges, flooding and landslides as typhoon crosses island

The biggest typhoon to hit Taiwan in decades has crossed over the island, leaving behind a path of destruction but minimal reported deaths or injuries.

Typhoon Kong-rey was the largest in size to make landfall in Taiwan since 1996, and also struck later in the typhoon season, which typically stretches from May to October, than any other typhoon since record-keeping began in the 1950s.

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Iran said threatening ‘definitive, painful’ response to Israel, likely before US election – The Times of Israel

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  1. Iran said threatening ‘definitive, painful’ response to Israel, likely before US election  The Times of Israel
  2. Israel’s strikes on Iran broke a 40-year taboo. Tehran faces tough choices about what to do next  CNN
  3. What Israel Proved With Its Most Recent Attack on Iran | Opinion  Newsweek
  4. Strike on Iran Shows Israeli Air Force's Embrace of Ballistic Missiles  Business Insider
  5. Israel moves to dismantle Iran's backbone  The Jerusalem Post
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