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President Biden’s approval rating among Democratic respondents saw a double-digit decline in the past month, resulting in one of the lowest in his presidency, according to a Gallup poll released Thursday. The survey found that 75 percent of Democrat respondents approve of the job Biden is doing as president, down 11 points from last month’s poll. Republican respondents’ views of Biden remain unchanged; 5 percent said they approve of the job Biden is doing as president, according to the poll. Biden also saw a drop in his overall approval rating to 37 percent; 59 percent of those surveyed think otherwise. The overall rating is a 4-point decrease from last month’s poll. The Gallup poll was released two weeks after Hamas’s surprise attack against Israel, which resulted in the deaths of 1,400 people in Israel. About 200 others were taken hostage by the militant group. In response, Israel has launched a series of airstrikes in Gaza, resulting in the deaths of more than 7,000 people and injuries to more than 18,000 more, according to a Thursday update from the Gaza Health Ministry. Biden, along with other Western allies, has signaled support for Israel. The House approved a resolution Wednesday night that expressed support for Israel and condemned the Hamas attack. FULL STORY

Former President Trump said the judge in his New York civil trial “has gone crazy in his hatred,” after he fined the former president $10,000 for violating a gag order imposed in the case. “The judge in the New York State [attorney general (AG)] case refuses to accept the overturning of his decisions by the Appeals Court. This is a first in the history of the State! HE HAS GONE CRAZY IN HIS HATRED OF ‘TRUMP,'” Trump wrote Thursday in a Truth Social post. In an unexpected twist Wednesday, Trump took the witness stand to answer a series of questions from Judge Arthur Engoron about an apparent violation of a gag order in place that prohibits Trump and other parties in the case from speaking about the judge’s staff. The violation was in connection to a comment the former president made to reporters about a “very partisan judge with a person who is very partisan sitting alongside him, perhaps even more partisan than he is.” Engoron suggested Trump was referring to his principal law clerk, who sits to the right of the judge. Trump denied this and said he was instead referencing his ex-fixer Michael Cohen, who testified this week and is a key witness in New York Attorney General Letitia James’s (D) fraud case against Trump. Responding to Engoron’s questions, the former president said he thinks the judge’s clerk is “very biased against us.” Upon leaving the stand, Engoron issued an order fining Trump $10,000. “The Radical Left Judge who should not be handling the FAKE & FULLY DISCREDITED CASE brought against me by the New York State A.G. (It should be handled by the Commercial Division, but should never have been brought!), fined me $10,000 under his so-called gag order,” Trump wrote in a separate Truth Social post Thursday, adding he believes the judge found him guilty “before the trial even started.” FULL STORY

More than 50 years after The Beatles broke up, the band have announced the release of their "last song". Called Now And Then, it is based on a 1970s demo recording by John Lennon, and was completed last year by Sir Paul McCartney and Sir Ringo Starr. Sir Paul teased the song in a BBC interview this summer, saying AI technology had been used to "extricate" Lennon's vocals from an old cassette. The track will premiere at 14:00 GMT on Thursday, 2 November. It will also feature on newly-remastered versions of The Beatles' Red and Blue albums, due on 10 November. Originally released in 1973, the career-spanning compilations have been described by Rolling Stone magazine as "arguably the most influential greatest hits albums in history". Featuring everything from Love Me Do to The Long And Winding Road, the two volumes are essentially divided between the band's early mop-top days (the Red Album) and their more experimental and expansive late period (the Blue album). In a press release, the surviving Beatles said completing the song had been a surreal experience. "There it was, John's voice, crystal clear," said Sir Paul. "It's quite emotional. And we all play on it, it's a genuine Beatles recording. In 2023 to still be working on Beatles music, and about to release a new song the public haven't heard, I think it's an exciting thing." "It was the closest we'll ever come to having him back in the room so it was very emotional for all of us," added Starr. "It was like John was there, you know. It's far out." 'Rubbish' recording Now And Then was originally written by John Lennon after the Beatles' split up in 1970, and has circulated as a bootleg for years. An apologetic love song, it is addressed to an old friend (or lover), to whom Lennon declares: "Now and then, I miss you / Now and then, I want you to return to me". After Lennon was fatally shot outside his New York apartment building in December 1980, his widow, Yoko Ono, gave the song to Sir Paul. FULL STORY

US President Joe Biden has warned China that the US will defend the Philippines in case of any attack in the disputed South China Sea. The comments come days after two collisions between Filipino and Chinese vessels in the contested waters. Mr Biden reiterated his "ironclad" defence commitment to the Philippines. Manila has contested Chinese claims to the waters, cutting floating barriers and inviting media to film what it calls Beijing's dangerous moves at sea. Mr Biden's statement on the South China Sea on Wednesday was his strongest since tensions between Beijing and Manila heated up in recent months. "I want to be clear — I want to be very clear: The United States' defence commitment to the Philippines is ironclad. The United States defence agreement with the Philippines is ironclad," he said. Signed in 1951, the Mutual Defense Treaty binds the US and the Philippines, its former colony, into defending each other in the event of an armed attack. "Any attack on the Filipino aircraft, vessels, or armed forces will invoke our Mutual Defense Treaty with the Philippines," he added in his speech an the White House on Wednesday, as he welcomed Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese. Why the Philippines and China are on a collision course Cat-and-mouse chase with China in hotly contested sea What is the South China Sea dispute? Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said the US had "no right to get involved in a problem between China and the Philippines". Should the US defend the Philippines, its actions "must not hurt China's sovereignty and maritime interests in the South China Sea", she told reporters in response to a question on the statement. FULL STORY

Police in China have rescued more than 1,000 cats from being slaughtered and sold as pork or mutton, state-affiliated media report. Acting on a tip from animal welfare activists, police intercepted the truck that was carrying the felines in the eastern city of Zhangjiagang. The cats were moved to a shelter, according to a report in The Paper. The rescue uncovered an illicit trade of cat meat and raised fresh concerns about food safety, the report said. Cat meat can fetch 4.5 yuan ($0.61; £0.51) per catty, a unit of measure in China that is roughly equivalent to 600g, activists said. One cat can yield four to five catties. It was unclear if the rescued cats were strays or pets. They were in transit to the country's south where they were to be served up as pork and lamb skewers and sausages. Chinese city bans the eating of cats and dogs Anger over Chinese theme park's pig bungee stunt According to The Paper, activists in Zhangjiagang had noticed a large number of cats being held in nailed-up wooden boxes in a cemetery and monitored it for six days. When the cats were loaded onto a truck on 12 October, they stopped the vehicle and called the police. The story on The Paper, published last Friday, got thousands of angry comments on China's social media platform Weibo. Some users called for tighter inspections of the food industry. "May these people die a horrible death," said one Weibo user. FULL STORY

Russia is executing soldiers who try to retreat from a bloody offensive in eastern Ukraine, the White House has said. According to the US, some of the casualties suffered by Russia near Avdiivka were "on the orders of their own leaders". Russian and Ukrainian troops have been locked into a fierce battle for the frontline town since mid-October. Russia is thought to have suffered "significant" losses in this time. Ukrainian estimates put the number of Russian casualties in Avdiivka at 5,000, while the US says that Russia lost "at least" 125 armoured vehicles and more than a battalion's worth of equipment. A Ukrainian army spokesperson said that Russian troops were refusing to attack Ukrainian positions near Avdiivka because of heavy losses and that there had been mutinies in some units. "Russia's mobilised forces remain under-trained, under-equipped and unprepared for combat, as was the case during their failed winter offensive last year," National Security Council spokesman John Kirby said in a briefing on Thursday. He said that the Russian military "appears to be using what we would call 'human wave' tactics, just throwing masses of these poorly trained soldiers right into the fight." "No proper equipment, no leadership, no resourcing, no support. It is unsurprising that Russian forces are suffering from poor morale," Mr Kirby added. Taking Avdiivka - which lies near the Russian-occupied city of Donetsk - would allow Russian troops to push the front line back, making it harder for the Ukrainian forces to make further advances into Donetsk region. Avdiivka has been all but abandoned by its 30,000 residents as Russian forces continue to pummel it. Earlier this week, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky described the situation as "particularly tough". On Thursday, the US announced a new $150m (£123.7m) military assistance package for Ukraine that includes artillery and small-arms ammunition, as well as anti-tank weapons. However, future aid to Ukraine is in doubt following the election of Republican Mike Johnson as speaker of the US House of Representatives earlier this week. Mr Johnson - who is on the right wing of the Republican Party - is against further US aid to Ukraine and has previously supported amendments to block it. FULL STORY

Former Chinese premier Li Keqiang has died at 68, state media has reported. He was the second most powerful man in the ruling Chinese Communist Party until he retired last year. State media said he had been "resting" in Shanghai when he suffered a sudden heart attack on Thursday. He passed away ten minutes past midnight on Friday despite "all-out efforts" to revive him, state broadcaster CCTV said. Li rose through the party ranks despite not having any power base, and at one point was even pegged for the top role of president. A trained economist, he was initially given the reins of China's economy, but analysts said he became increasing sidelined towards the end of his career as Chinese President Xi Jinping gathered power around himself. In his final term, he became the only incumbent top official who didn't belong to President Xi's loyalists group. Li was seen to be aligned to former leader Hu Jintao, who was taken off stage at last year's Party Congress on Mr Xi's orders. As he was being led away, he tapped Li Keqiang on the shoulder in a friendly gesture and the premier nodded back. Li's death is being widely mourned by Chinese netizens online, with one person saying it was like losing "a pillar of our home". The elite Peking University-educated leader was known for being pragmatic in economic policies, with policies that focused on reducing the wealth gap and providing affordable housing. "He was a very enthusiastic open man who really strove to get China ahead and facilitated open dialogue with people from all walks of life," Bert Hofman, a professor at the National University of Singapore told the BBC's Newsday programme. FULL STORY

Police in the US city of Lewiston, Maine have warned a gunman is on the loose, with reports that at least 16 people have been killed. Residents of the city, the second-largest in the state, have been told to shelter in place. Police named Robert Card, 40, as a person of interest and said he should be considered "armed and dangerous". The White House said President Joe Biden had been briefed on the situation and would continue to receive updates. There were also multiple but unconfirmed reports of at least 50 people injured. Billie Jayne Cooke, who is running for the city council in Lewiston, told BBC News Channel she had been leaving an event as details of the shooting emerged. "The entire ride home was just solid sirens, one siren after another," she said. "Helicopters, sirens, I've never heard so much activity in my life in this city. We have police from all over the state, from out of the state, coming up. "The whole city's on lockdown. It's horrible. You just don't think that's ever going to happen and it did." In a statement on X, formerly Twitter, Maine State Police said: "There is an active shooter in Lewiston. "We ask people to shelter in place. Please stay inside your home with the doors locked." Lewiston Police said it had responded to two locations, a restaurant called Schemengees, and Sparetime Recreation, a bowling alley. The two locations appear to be about four miles (6.5km), or 10-minute drive, from each other. The Central Maine Medical Center said it was reacting to a "mass casualty, mass shooter event" and was coordinating with other hospitals in the area to treat the injured. The Androscoggin County Sheriff's Office released two images of a suspect, saying he was at large and asking for the public's help identifying him. They showed a bearded man in a brown sweater carrying a firearm walking into a building. Police also shared a photo of a white vehicle, saying its front bumper was believed to be painted black, and asked anybody who recognised it to contact police. Lewiston Public Schools Superintendent Jake Langlais said in a statement that schools in the district would be closed on Thursday. A statement from the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) said Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas had been briefed and was continuing to monitor the situation. "DHS is working closely with our federal, state and local partners to support the Lewiston community," it said. A US justice department statement said that federal agencies were assisting state and local law enforcement. FULL STORY

Queen Rania of Jordan has accused Western countries of “aiding and abetting” the killing of Palestinians by supporting Israel’s war against Hamas. The monarch also accused those backing Israel’s bombing of Gaza in response to Hamas’s terror attack as an example of Western “double standards”. “The people all around the Middle East, including in Jordan, we are just shocked and disappointed by the world’s reaction to this catastrophe that is unfolding,” she told CNN. “In the last couple of weeks, we have seen a glaring double standard in the world.” The monarch added: “When October 7 happened, the world immediately and unequivocally stood by Israel and its right to defend itself and condemned the attack that happened … but what we’re seeing in the last couple of weeks, we’re seeing silence in the world. “Many in the Arab world are looking at the Western world as not just tolerating this…but aiding and abetting it.” Queen Rania’s comments came as Israel and Hamas continued bombing each other, with airstrikes in Gaza killing more than 750 people between Tuesday and Wednesday, according to the territory’s health ministry. The Israeli military said its strikes had killed militants and destroyed tunnels, command centers, weapons storehouses and other military targets, which it has accused Hamas of hiding among Gaza’s civilian population. Gaza-based militants have also been launching unrelenting rocket barrages into Israel since the conflict started. The death toll, following a reported 704 killed the day before, was unprecedented in the decades-long Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Even greater loss of life could come when Israel launches an expected ground offensive aimed at crushing Hamas militants. FULL STORY

By-elections latest: Boris Johnson blamed for Sunak’s ‘armageddon’ defeat in Tamworth and Mid Bedfordshire Sir Keir Starmer has cast himself the heir to Blair after a historic Tory by-election drubbing in which he jubilantly declared Labour was “redrawing the political map”. The Labour leader said that Tory voters were turning to them because they were “fed up with the decline and despairing of the party they used to vote for”. The Tories are now staring down the barrel of an unprecedented wipeout after suffering defeats in two fiercely contested by-elections, with huge majorities evaporating overnight following a disastrous few years in which the party has seemingly stumbled from one crisis to another. Starmers remarks came as polling guru John Curtice said Boris Johnson and Liz Truss were largely to blame for the crushing defeat. Overturning the biggest majority in British by-election history, Labour took Mid Bedfordshire from the Tories for the first time. While in Tamworth, the party saw the second biggest swing from the Tories to Labour in a by-election in post-war history. Meanwhile, former chancellor George Osborne warned the record defeats spell “armageddon” for the Conservatives at the general election. FULL STORY

Russia’s military has conducted a simulated nuclear strike in a drill overseen by President Vladimir Putin, hours after the upper house of parliament voted to rescind the country’s ratification of a global nuclear test ban. The bill to end ratification of the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty, approved in the lower house last week, will now be sent to Putin for final approval. Putin has said that revoking Russia’s 2000 ratification would “mirror” the stance of the US, which signed but did not ratify the nuclear test ban. State television showed Putin directing the exercise via video call with top military officials. Russia’s minister of defence, Sergei Shoigu, said the purpose of the drills is to practise “dealing a massive nuclear strike with strategic offensive forces in response to a nuclear strike by the enemy”. While similar drills are held every autumn, Shoigu’s pointed comments came amid soaring tensions between Russia and the west over the fighting in Ukraine. The test ban treaty, adopted in 1996, bans all nuclear explosions anywhere in the world, but the treaty was never fully implemented. The treaty is yet to be ratified by China, India, Pakistan, North Korea, Israel, Iran and Egypt. There are widespread concerns that Russia could move to resume nuclear tests to try to discourage the west from continuing to offer military support to Ukraine. Many Russian hawks have spoken in favour of a resumption of the tests. FULL STORY

President says Ukraine will not only defend its infrastructure but will also respond, as it prepares for attacks this winter. Volodymyr Zelenskiy has said Ukraine is preparing for renewed Russian attacks on its energy infrastructure ahead of the second winter of Vladimir Putin’s full-scale invasion of the country – and that the country is ready to counterattack if targeted. “We are preparing for terrorist attacks on our energy infrastructure,” Zelenskiy said. “This year we will not only defend ourselves, but also respond.” The warning came as Russia looks for new tools to win dominance over Ukraine in its war, which has lasted more than 20 months along frontlines that have grown increasingly static. Russia has launched assaults on the cities of Kupiansk in northern Ukraine and of Avdiivka, where commanders said they were worried that Russia was seeking to surround and besiege the well-defended city. Footage posted on Wednesday showed the Russian defence minister, Sergei Shoigu, visiting a command post near the frontlines in eastern Ukraine, where he received a briefing on combat operations planned for the winter months and on training for drone operators, who have become crucial to the war effort on both sides. Shoigu claimed that the Ukrainian army had “reduced capacity” due to the Russian attack. Meanwhile, footage of the Russian assault indicates high numbers of dead and wounded. British defence intelligence have claimed that Russian casualties have grown by 90% since it began the offensive in Avdiivka and Kupiansk. Little territory has changed hands as a result. On Wednesday, the Russian parliament approved Moscow’s withdrawal from a global treaty banning nuclear weapons tests, in what Kyiv has called an attempt at “nuclear blackmail”. FULL STORY

Japan’s top court has ruled that a legal clause requiring people to undergo sterilisation surgery if they want to legally change their gender is unconstitutional. Several international organisations including the European court of human rights, the World Professional Association for Transgender Health and UN had said the requirement was discriminatory and infringed on human rights. While rights group welcomed the verdict, a decision by the judges to ask a lower court to deliberate on a separate clause, requiring that the genital organs of people who want to change their gender resemble those of the opposite gender, was met with disappointment. “This decision was very unexpected and I’m very surprised,” the plaintiff, identified only as a transgender woman under the age of 50, said in a statement read out by her lawyers. She added, however, that she was “disappointed” that a decision on the other clause had been postponed. Some lawmakers and women’s groups in socially conservative Japan had said a ruling that challenged the existing law would sow confusion and undermine women’s rights. The supreme court threw out a similar attempt to scrap the sterilisation requirement in 2019. Human Rights Watch said Wednesday’s ruling meant the government must follow up. “The government is under the obligation to make any laws constitutional so the government now needs to act quickly to remove the clause,” Kanae Doi, its Japan director, said. “It’s late, but never too late.” Japanese law states that people who want to change gender must present a diagnosis of gender dysphoria and meet five requirements. These are: being at least 18 years old; not being married; not having underage children; having genital organs that resemble those of the opposite gender; and having no reproductive glands or ones that have permanently lost their function. FULL STORY

US president calls for end to attacks by West Bank settlers and accuses Hamas of hiding behind civilians in Gaza, but that Israel also must follow the ‘laws of war’ US President Joe Biden has called for an immediate end to Israeli settler attacks on Palestinians in the West Bank, as Israel kept up its strikes on Gaza in preparation for a long promised ground invasion. Speaking at a joint press conference with Australian prime minister Anthony Albanese, Biden said US support for Israel’s defense was ironclad, but added that the treatment of Palestinians in the West Bank by some Israelis was “pouring gasoline on the fire.” “They’re attacking Palestinians in places that they’re entitled, and … it has to stop now,” the president said. Biden accused Hamas of “hiding behind” Palestinian civilians in Gaza, but said Israel must follow the “laws of war,” in its strikes on the besieged enclave. Israel has been bombarding Gaza since 7 October when Hamas gunmen poured across the border killing 1,400 people, mostly civilians, and kidnapping 222 others. More than 6,500 Palestinians have been killed in Gaza, according to the Hamas run health ministry, and there are fears the toll could further soar if Israel pushes ahead with a widely expected ground invasion. Biden however cast doubt on civilian casualty figures put forward by the Palestinians. “I have no notion that the Palestinians are telling the truth about how many people are killed. I’m sure innocents have been killed, and it’s a price of waging war,” he said. “But I have no confidence in the number that the Palestinians are using.” FULL STORY

The House elected Rep. Mike Johnson (R-La.) to be the 56th Speaker on Wednesday, capping off a chaotic three weeks that paralyzed the lower chamber in stunning fashion. In finally coalescing around a new leader, House Republicans hope that Johnson can steer them around a series of legislative and political landmines in the weeks and months to come — an objective that is poised to be a heavy lift in the fractured GOP conference. Johnson, who was in his second term as vice chair of the House Republican Conference, won the Speaker’s gavel in a 220-209 vote over Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.), officially cementing himself as successor to former Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) following McCarthy’s unprecedented removal earlier this month. Republicans unanimously supported his election on the House floor. Johnson’s ascension marks the end of a nasty and tumultuous period for the House GOP conference, which witnessed McCarthy’s ouster, cycled through four Speaker nominees and saw tensions reach a boiling point before settling on Johnson as its next leader. “We’re in the majority right now,” Johnson said in a news conference on the House steps following his swearing-in as Speaker. “We’ve gone through a little bit of character building, and you know what it’s produced, more strength, more perseverance, and a lot of hope.” “And that’s what we’re about to deliver to the American people,” he added. FULL STORY

Donald Trump walked out of the courtroom Wednesday afternoon moments after one of his lawyers finished questioning fixer-turned-foe Michael Cohen Abrupt departure came shortly after he was fined for a second time - to the tune of $10,000 - for violating an order that barred him from disparaging court staff During his first day of testimony Tuesday, Cohen claimed Trump instructed him to 'arbitrarily' inflate the value of the Trump Organization's assets Donald Trump has stormed out of his $250million fraud trial after a series of legal blows that saw him fined $10,000 and his request for a directed verdict denied. In a dramatic courtroom outburst Wednesday afternoon, the former president threw his arms up in the air before getting up and leaving in a huff, sending Secret Service agents chasing after him. The abrupt departure came shortly after he had been fined for a second time for violating a gag order and moments after one of his lawyers finished questioning fixer-turned-foe Michael Cohen, who testified that Trump did not direct him to inflate the value of his properties. The admission - which contradicts Cohen's earlier testimony - prompted defense attorney Clifford Robert to ask for a directed verdict, arguing that his statement was grounds for dismissal. Judge Arthur Engoron said it was 'absolutely denied' and that the case had 'evidence all over the place.' He also said he did not consider Cohen a 'key witness'. 'There's enough evidence in this case to fill this courtroom,' the judge said. FULL STORY

On his second day of testimony, fireworks erupted between Donald Trump's former personal attorney, Michel Cohen, and his current legal defence team in a high-stakes fraud trial. The heated day featured multiple procedural skirmishes between the defence attorneys, prosecutors, and Judge Arthur Engoron, culminating in a $10,000 (£8,250) fine against Mr Trump for violating a gag order against speaking or posting about court staff. Earlier in the day, Mr Trump had told reporters that Mr Engoron was a "very partisan judge, with a person who is very partisan sitting alongside him, perhaps even much more partisan than he is". His comments followed a previous social media attack against the judge's clerk earlier this month, which had led to the gag order and a fine. In a dramatic moment shortly after 2 PM, the judge forced Mr Trump to briefly take the stand to settle the matter. When questioned on the stand, Mr Trump told the judge he was referring to "You and Cohen", not the judge and his clerk. Yet Judge Engoron found his explanation "not credible," and fined him $10,000 for a repeated violation of the gag order. "I am very protective of my staff as I believe I should be," Judge Engoron had said earlier in the day, citing the "heated environment" around the case. "I don't want anybody to get killed." It was the capstone of a long and rocky day in court starring Mr Trump's former personal counsel. Mr Cohen is a key witness in a case brought by New York attorney general Letitia James, which alleges that the Trump Organization and its top figures fraudulently inflated the value of its assets to secure more favourable loans. Judge Engoron has already ruled the organisation committed fraud, and the current trial is focused on additional charges. There is no jury, and an unfavourable ruling could put Mr Trump's New York real estate empire in peril. On Wednesday, Mr Trump's team was clearly taking the offensive. FULL STORY

Many believe electric vehicles will not last very long because the battery will degrade, despite countless examples of high-mileage EVs. The most recent is a 2016 Model S 90D used as a taxi in Canada for more than 500,000 km (310,000 miles) without needing a battery replacement. The alleged low lifecycle of Li-ion batteries keeps many people from switching to an electric vehicle. Not only this, but many EV haters use this argument to spread FUD about electric cars, comparing their battery packs to the Li-ion batteries powering smartphones and other mobile devices. That's why some people expect an EV battery to last far less than a typical vehicle's lifetime, which sometimes can be longer than 15 years. Sure, even the best Li-ion batteries have a limited lifecycle, and replacing them would not make much sense, considering that a new pack costs more than half of a new EV's price. Still, many battery-powered vehicles can travel hundreds of thousands of miles before the first signs of battery aging occur. One incredible example is a Tesla Model S with more than 1.2 million miles, still operating after nine years of service. It's in its third battery, but that's because Tesla considered it subpar and replaced it for free. FULL ARTICLE

The Kremlin has dismissed the claim Vladimir Putin is unwell as an “absurd hoax” and said “everything is fine” with the dictator. “This belongs to the category of absurd information hoaxes that a whole series of media discuss with enviable tenacity. This evokes nothing but a smile,” Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said. On Sunday, posts emerged on the Telegram messaging app claiming Putin had suffered a cardiac arrest. The channel said the Russian president was “very ill” and unlikely to live until the end of autumn, with all official meetings conducted by a body double. It comes after Ukraine launched an “underwater sabotage” attack on Russia’s Black Sea fleet near Sevastopol, Crimea, according to Mikhail Razvozhayev, the Moscow-installed governor of the region. Soon after, Russia’s defence ministry said it had destroyed three unmanned Ukrainian boats in the Black Sea off the Crimean peninsula. “Anti-sabotage missiles and bombs hit the area where the unmanned boats were detected,” the ministry said on the Telegram messaging app. Putin has pushed more troops to the frontline in Avdiivka, Ukraine, despite a failing offensive which has incurred heavy losses. Kremlin rejects claims about Putin’s ill health The Kremlin has dismissed the claim Vladimir Putin is unwell as an “absurd hoax” and said “everything is fine” with the dictator. “This belongs to the category of absurd information hoaxes that a whole series of media discuss with enviable tenacity. This evokes nothing but a smile,” Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said. On Sunday, posts emerged on the Telegram messaging app claiming Putin had suffered a cardiac arrest. The channel said Putin was “very ill” and unlikely to live until the end of autumn, with all official meetings conducted by a body double. In a 2020 interview, Putin denied longstanding rumours that he uses body doubles, although he said he had been offered the chance to use one in the past for security reasons. FULL STORY

Holding together an unruly Conservative party ultimately proved an impossible task for Boris Johnson and for Liz Truss – and now risks looking insurmountable for Rishi Sunak. The prime minister is increasingly criticised privately by Tory MPs for being too “weak” to stand up to warring backbenchers, amid a host of briefings about him backtracking on key policies. A bill on conversion practices was said to be in the upcoming king’s speech, before a campaign by a leading figure on the Tory right, Miriam Cates, sparked an apparent reverse ferret by the government. Plans to boost housebuilding by axing nutrient neutrality rules have also reportedly been axed, because of the challenge of getting the legislation through parliament. And a promise to end “no-fault evictions” also looks set to be kicked into the political long grass, in part because of widespread hostility by Tory MPs – a fifth of whom are said to be landlords. U-turns are not necessarily more common now than under previous prime ministers, or compared with when Sunak took office. Johnson was often criticised by colleagues for marching them all up to the top of the hill to defend a decision – before retreating. And Truss was forced to tear apart her agenda in the face of market instability and threats by MPs to vote against elements of the mini-budget. Indeed, in the opening weeks of his premiership, Sunak backtracked on housing targets and a ban on new onshore windfarms. The moves were designed to neutralise Tory infighting and restore some stability to the party, after its disunity contributed to toxifying the Conservative brand. FULL ARTICLE

Multiple Democrat House members dug into their Republican counterparts on Tuesday as the GOP conference finds itself back at square one following the collapse of House Majority Whip Tom Emmer’s (R-Minn.) Speakership nomination. House Democrats took to social media to call out the chaos within the GOP conference and urge lawmakers to find a solution — potentially a bipartisan one — to resume the functions of the lower chamber. Rep. Norma Torres (D-Calif.) posted a video of herself crossing out former Speaker Kevin McCarthy’s (R-Calif.) name along with the 10 Republican lawmakers who have run for Speaker in the past three weeks. The California Democrat said “nope,” after crossing off each name and attached the text, “An update – the #GOPChaosContinues!” Reposting a video of GOP Rep. Andy Barr (Ky.) who said, “We might as well have Hakeem Jeffries and the Democrats control the Congress,” Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) wrote “Agreed,” in a post on X. In another post on X, Rep. Steven Hosford (D-Nev.) posted a meme that said, “I would like to see the chaos,” with the words “House Republicans,” below. “I’m convinced some of my colleagues are enjoying this crisis. “We must end the chaos,” Hosford wrote. “End the dysfunction. End the extremism. Let’s reopen the house. A bipartisan agreement appears to be the only clear path.” Some lawmakers have argued a bipartisan solution may be the only path to a Speakership in the wake of intense GOP division. Pushing for the election of House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.), Rep. Dwight Evans (D-Penn.) wrote on X, “It’s been 21 days & the Republicans still can’t get it together and elect a House Speaker. I believe Democratic Leader [Jeffries] is the best person to lead the House in a bipartisan manner to get things done for the American people. Republicans, work with us already!” FULL STORY

U.S. forces based in the Middle East have been attacked at least 13 times in the past week, the Pentagon’s top spokesperson revealed Tuesday. Between Oct. 17-24, American troops were targeted 10 times in Iraq and three times in Syria “via a mix of one-way attack drones and rockets,” press secretary Brig. Gen. Pat Ryder told reporters at the Pentagon. While there is no evidence that Iran has ordered the attacks, Defense Department officials said Monday that all recent targeting of U.S. troops had “Iranian fingerprints all over it.” “It’s been well-documented and you’ve heard U.S. officials across the podiums as well as policy leaders for years talk about Iran’s funding, equipping, guidance and direction, to partners and proxies across the region,” a senior defense official told reporters. “That includes Lebanese Hezbollah, militia groups in Iraq and Syria, as well as the Houthis in Yemen. So I think it’s fair to say when you see this uptick in activity and attacks by many of these groups, there’s Iranian fingerprints all over it,” they added. Ryder did not have the exact number of U.S. troops injured during the attacks, but the Pentagon earlier revealed that an American contractor died of a heart attack during a false alarm at al Asad air base in Iraq. FULL STORY