‘Minuscule’ amount of novichok could have been fatal, scientist tells inquiry

Witness from Porton Down laboratory says ‘many lethal doses’ of nerve agent were applied to Sergei Skripal’s door

A “minuscule” amount of the nerve agent used in the attempted assassination of Sergei Skripal – as small as a sixth of a grain of salt – could have been enough to prove fatal, a government scientist has told an inquiry.

The scientist, an expert in chemical and biological weapons, said “many lethal doses” of novichok were daubed on the handle of the former Russian spy’s front door in Salisbury and it was so pure that it must have been manufactured by a sophisticated laboratory.

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Argentina withdraws negotiators from Cop29 summit

Move adds to concerns about the stability of the Paris agreement after the election in the US of Donald Trump

Argentinian negotiators representing the government of the climate science denier Javier Milei have been ordered to withdraw from the Cop29 summit after only three days, adding to concerns about the stability of the Paris agreement.

More than 80 representatives from the South American country are in Baku, Azerbaijan, for two weeks of negotiations about climate finance for the energy transition. Argentina’s far-right leader has previously called the climate crisis a “socialist lie”, and during his election campaign last year he threatened to withdraw from the Paris agreement, though he has since backed down.

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US wants Gaza fighting pause, Blinken says, but will not limit arms transfers despite Israel missing aid deadline – as it happened

This live blog is closed

The US wants real and extended pauses in fighting in Gaza so assistance can get to people who need it, US secretary of state, Antony Blinken, told reporters on Wednesday.

More details to follow …

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From high tariffs to isolation, what a 2nd Trump term might mean for foreign policy – NPR

  1. From high tariffs to isolation, what a 2nd Trump term might mean for foreign policy  NPR
  2. Opinion | Trump Had It Easy the First Time  The New York Times
  3. The End of American Exceptionalism: Trump’s Reelection Will Redefine U.S. Power  Foreign Affairs Magazine
  4. What Trump’s second term could mean for the wars in Ukraine and the Middle East  NBC News
  5. Opinion | Trump’s rise signals the end of US global leadership  South China Morning Post
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Guardian quits X social media platform, citing racism and conspiracy theories – Reuters

  1. Guardian quits X social media platform, citing racism and conspiracy theories  Reuters
  2. Why the Guardian is no longer posting on X  The Guardian
  3. The Guardian to stop posting on X, calling it "a toxic media platform"  CBS News
  4. Don Lemon and the Guardian left Elon Musk’s X after the election. But is it a mass exodus? Don’t be so sure  CNN
  5. The Guardian quits ‘toxic’ X over Elon Musk using it to influence politics  POLITICO Europe
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Macron to visit Notre Dame Cathedral before reopening after 2019 fire

French president to give ‘republican and secular’ speech outside monument days before it reopens to public

As firefighters doused the embers of the blaze that threatened to destroy Notre Dame Cathedral on 16 April 2019, Emmanuel Macron promised the church would be restored “more beautiful than ever” within five years.

In two weeks, the French president will visit the monument that has been returned to its former glory with the help of millions in donations and hundreds of specialist artisans using age-old skills.

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Hegseth, advocate for firing ‘woke’ military leaders, picked for defense secretary – Reuters

  1. Hegseth, advocate for firing 'woke' military leaders, picked for defense secretary  Reuters
  2. Trump's defense choice stuns the Pentagon and raises questions about the Fox News host's experience  The Associated Press
  3. Pentagon stunned after Trump picks Pete Hegseth for defence secretary  The Guardian US
  4. 'Frightening': Van Jones reacts to Hegseth's military ideology  CNN
  5. 'Who?' Some Republican senators surprised by Trump's defense pick  NBC News
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South Korean actor Song Jae-lim dies aged 39

Star of Korean dramas Moon Embracing the Sun and Queen Woo was found dead at his home in Seoul

Song Jae-lim, a South Korean actor known for his roles in dramas Moon Embracing the Sun and Queen Woo, was found dead at his home in Seoul. He was 39.

Officials at Seoul’s Seongdong district police station didn’t immediately comment on the cause of death.

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Swedish firm censured for use of C-word in ads for vaginal health supplements

Regulator deems posters offensive, though Elexir Pharma argues term is ‘not loaded in the same way as in the UK’

The Swedish advertising ombudsman has criticised a company for using the C-word in posters to promote vaginal health supplements, saying the use of the “gross profanity” is offensive to consumers.

The ads, displayed on public transport in Stockholm and Gothenburg, feature the phrase “you can cunt on us” in pink writing.

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Notre-Dame Cathedral Is Ready to Reopen in December – The New York Times

  1. Notre-Dame Cathedral Is Ready to Reopen in December  The New York Times
  2. Macron to visit Notre Dame Cathedral before reopening after 2019 fire  The Guardian
  3. Notre Dame Bells Ring Out for the First Time in 4 Years, Heralding its Upcoming Completion December 8th  Good News Network
  4. Opinion: A joyous sound unites Paris and Portland  Press Herald
  5. Video New details revealed for the Notre Dame’s grand reopening  ABC News
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France boycotts COP29 after Azerbaijan’s ‘colonies’ attack – POLITICO Europe

  1. France boycotts COP29 after Azerbaijan’s ‘colonies’ attack  POLITICO Europe
  2. Argentina withdraws negotiators from Cop29 summit  The Guardian
  3. Why Is a Petrostate Holding This Year’s Climate Talks?  The New York Times
  4. Head of U.N. Climate Summit in Azerbaijan Caught on Tape Pushing Oil & Gas Deals  Democracy Now!
  5. Azerbaijan accused of ramping up repression of critics ahead of hosting UN climate summit  The Associated Press
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Haiti police accused of shooting two patients, attacking staff of French medical charity – Miami Herald

  1. Haiti police accused of shooting two patients, attacking staff of French medical charity  Miami Herald
  2. 2 patients in ambulance killed by vigilantes, police in Haiti, aid group says  The Washington Post
  3. Aid group accuses Haiti police of taking part in deadly attack on ambulance  CNN
  4. Doctors Without Borders ambulance in Haiti ambushed and two patients killed  The Guardian
  5. MSF outraged by police attack on ambulance and execution of patients in Haiti  Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) International
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Spain floods: Málaga evacuates thousands as nation faces fresh storms – Euronews

  1. Spain floods: Málaga evacuates thousands as nation faces fresh storms  Euronews
  2. Thousands evacuated from Malaga as areas of Spain hit with nearly a month’s rainfall in one hour  CNN
  3. Spain flood epicentre under highest alert for fresh rain  The Elkhart Truth
  4. Schools closed and people evacuated as torrential rain returns in Spain  The Guardian
  5. Must See: Flooding in Spain doesn’t stop residents from commuting  WPRI.com
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