Tesco’s £25 champagne beats Moët & Chandon in festive taste test

Supermarket fizz bursts the prestigious French label’s bubble in blind tastings by consumer group Which?

Champagne at prosecco prices? Every little helps. Tesco’s Finest champagne has triumphed over the prestigious French label Moët & Chandon in a festive quaff test.

The Tesco Finest premier cru brut champagne received the top score of 82% in a blind taste test conducted by the consumer group Which?. The £25-a-bottle bubbly was hailed by judges for its “nutty aroma and fresh, fruity flavours”. The supermarket fizz beat Moët & Chandon, which scored 77% and at £44 is almost twice as expensive.

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Call for investigation into far-right EU politicians’ flights to Trump gala

Transparency International writes to EU requesting inquiry into potential failure to declare travel and ticket expenses

An NGO has called for an investigation into five far-right members of the European parliament, warning of a potential failure to declare expenses for a trip to attend a gala dinner in New York headlined by Donald Trump.

Transparency International’s EU office has written to the parliament’s watchdog on MEP conduct requesting an inquiry into five politicians over a potential failure to declare travel and tickets to the black-tie gala hosted by the New York Young Republican Club (NYYRC) in December 2023.

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Bushfire evacuations in Victoria’s west as conditions prompt catastrophic danger warnings

Gellibrand, Dereel and Kadnook residents told to leave as total fire bans declared across parts of South Australia and Victoria

Several communities in Victoria’s west have been urged to evacuate as firefighters work to control a number of bushfires.

A short-lived heatwave has brought hot, dry and windy conditions to much of southern Australia, with total fire bans in place and some areas experiencing catastrophic fire danger.

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Melbourne warehouse fire leads to evacuation of 150 nearby residents in middle of night

Victoria police believe building on Spencer Street was empty at the time of the blaze

Police are investigating a warehouse fire in West Melbourne which led to 150 people being evacuated from an apartment complex in the middle of the night.

Fire Rescue Victoria found the warehouse “fully involved with fire” after being called to the incident on Spencer Street early on Saturday.

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California man jailed for life over hate-crime murder of teenage ex-classmate

Samuel Woodward, 27, sentenced to life without parole over stabbing of Blaze Bernstein, who was gay and Jewish

A California man convicted of stabbing to death a gay University of Pennsylvania student in an act of hate was sentenced Friday to life without parole in prison.

Samuel Woodward, 27, was sentenced in a southern California courtroom at the end of an all-day hearing for the murder of Blaze Bernstein nearly seven years ago.

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Dutch coalition government survives despite minister resignation over Amsterdam violence

Prime minister Dick Schoof said party leaders decided to work together after five-hour crisis meeting

The Dutch prime minister Dick Schoof’s rightwing government averted a crisis on Friday when a junior minister resigned over alleged racist comments by cabinet colleagues, but the coalition government will remain in place.

The deputy finance minister, Nora Achahbar, handed in her resignation late on Friday as the Netherlands grapples with the political fallout of last week’s attacks on Israeli football fans.

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Bomb threats targeted Oregon election offices days after election day

Local clerks say they received threatening emails last week, amid a series of hostile election-related incidents

The FBI confirmed it is “aware” of bomb threats that targeted election offices in several Oregon counties. Local clerks in Deschutes, Crook, and Jefferson reported receiving threatening emails last week, just days after election day.

The FBI said that none of the threats were deemed credible.

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Woman wins right to sue Queensland over alleged historic sexual and physical abuse as a ‘state child’

High court rules Aboriginal woman can pursue damages for abuse allegedly suffered in state care more than 60 years ago

The high court has ruled an Aboriginal woman can pursue damages on some allegations of historical sexual and physical abuse while in state care in Queensland.

The woman, 70, had tried to sue the Queensland government for almost $1.76m in damages, claiming she suffered a psychiatric injury as a “state child” decades ago.

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California city council passes $5.9m reparations deal with ex-residents

Palm Springs approves settlement for displaced Black and Latino families after decades-long fight for compensation

The Palm Springs city council on Thursday unanimously approved a $5.9m reparations settlement with former residents of a largely Black neighborhood that was leveled in the 1960s for commercial development.

The city council was also set to approve another $21m for housing and small business support aimed at the former residents and their descendants.

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Russian Offensive Campaign Assessment, November 15, 2024 – Institute for the Study of War

  1. Russian Offensive Campaign Assessment, November 15, 2024  Institute for the Study of War
  2. Kremlin increases pressure on Europe regarding war in Ukraine amid uncertainty in US – ISW  Ukrainska Pravda
  3. ISW: Russia exploits US policy uncertainty to pressure European allies on Ukraine, pushes for Ukraine's complete surrender  Euromaidan Press
  4. ISW Russian Offensive Campaign Assessment, November, 15, 2024  Kyiv Post
  5. Russia captures 2 villages in eastern Ukraine, defense ministry says  VOA Asia
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