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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

The United Nations’ secretary general has called for an immediate ceasefire to end “epic suffering” in the Gaza Strip after Israeli airstrikes reportedly killed more than 700 people in a single day and hospitals began to shut down for lack of fuel. António Guterres said the bombardment and blockade of Gaza amounted to the “collective punishment of the Palestinian people” and violated international law, comments that sparked a fierce row with Israel. “To ease epic suffering, make the delivery of aid easier and safer and facilitate the release of hostages. I reiterate my appeal for an immediate humanitarian ceasefire,” he said. Guterres said the 7 October attacks by Hamas were “appalling” but did not happen in a vacuum. “The Palestinian people have been subjected to 56 years of suffocating occupation,” he said. “They have seen their land steadily devoured by settlements and plagued by violence; their economy stifled; their people displaced and their homes demolished. Their hopes for a political solution to their plight have been vanishing.” Israel’s envoy to the UN, Gilad Erdan, called on Guterres to resign immediately, accusing him of being detached from reality. “His comments … constitute a justification for terrorism and murder. It’s sad that a person with such views is the head of an organisation that arose after the Holocaust.” Israel’s foreign minister, Eli Cohen, cancelled a planned meeting with Gutteres. Airstrikes killed at least 704 people in the past day, the Hamas-run health ministry said, bringing Gaza’s total death toll after 18 days of bombing to 5,791 including 2,360 children. Twenty trucks of aid that had been expected to enter the besieged territory on Tuesday were unable to cross into Gaza from Egypt amid wrangling between Israel, Egypt, the US and the UN over procedures for inspecting the shipments. The Palestinian Red Crescent later confirmed that eight trucks had arrived in Gaza carrying water, food and medicine. Asked by reporters in Washington whether aid was getting into Gaza, the US president, Joe Biden, replied: “Not fast enough.” Three hospitals could no longer function because they had run out of fuel to generate electricity, the Palestinian health minister, Mai al-Kaila, told a press conference. She called for a safe corridor to ferry injured and critically ill people to Egyptian hospitals. Late on Tuesday an Israeli military spokesperson said fuel supplies would not be included in any aid shipments to the territory. “Fuel will not enter Gaza as Hamas uses it for its operational needs,” said R Adm Daniel Hagari. “If necessary, Hamas can return the fuel it stole from UNRWA [the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestinian refugees] and give it to the hospitals.” According to the UN, some Palestinians who had fled their homes in northern Gaza have returned because of a lack of food and shelter in the south. FULL REPORT

The pope has accepted the resignation of a Polish bishop whose diocese has been rocked by reports of a gay orgy involving a male sex worker in a priest’s apartment, as well as previous violent incidents involving his clergy. The Vatican did not give a reason why Grzegorz Kaszak was resigning as head of the diocese of Sosnowiec, in south-western Poland. At 59, he is several years shy of the normal retirement age of 75. But his diocese has been in the spotlight after one of his priests was placed under criminal investigation for having allegedly organised an orgy at his apartment in Dąbrowa Górnicza involving a male sex worker. Polish media reported that one of the participants of the sex party collapsed after overdosing on erectile dysfunction pills. A prosecutor said the priest was suspected of “failing to provide assistance to a person whose life is at risk” for having allegedly tried to bar paramedics from entering the apartment. It was not the first incident involving clergy from the diocese to make headlines. In 2010, the then acting rector of the Sosnowiec seminary allegedly got into a scuffle at a gay club, but was allowed to remain in his job for more than a year even after the case was publicised by Polish media. The Holy See finally intervened and dissolved the seminary altogether, according to the PAP news agency. In March 2023, the corpse of a 26-year-old deacon was found with injuries suggesting homicide. Local prosecutors said he had been killed by a 40-year-old priest who then killed himself. FULL STORY

Donald Trump’s ex-fixer inflated the valuation of the former president’s assets to “whatever number Mr Trump told us to”, he has testified. Michael Cohen made the allegation as he took the stand at Trump’s civil fraud trial in New York. His highly anticipated testimony is at the heart of the prosecutors’ case against his former boss. Cohen – the trial’s star witness – claimed he was “tasked, by Mr Trump, to increase the total assets based upon a number that he arbitrary selected”, in an effort to magnify his net worth and “obtain better insurance premiums”. Trump, who attended the trial on Tuesday, dismissed Cohen as a “proven liar” and told reporters he was “not worried at all” about his former lawyer’s testimony. Judge Arthur Engoron has already ruled Trump and his family business committed fraud. Engoron is using this trial – focused on remaining claims of conspiracy, insurance fraud and falsifying business records – to decide on punishment. “This is not about Donald Trump v Michael Cohen, or Michael Cohen v Donald Trump,” Cohen said as he arrived at court in Manhattan. “This is about accountability, plain and simple.” The two men have not been in the same room since Cohen, Trump’s personal attorney for more than a decade, turned on his boss. The former executive vice-president at the Trump Organization ultimately pleaded guilty in 2018 to felony charges, including tax evasion and lying to Congress during an investigation of Trump’s ties with Russia. Trump continued to attack Cohen before entering the courtroom on Tuesday. “He’s a proven liar, as you know, a felon,” the former president told reporters. “We did nothing wrong and that’s the truth.” Cohen’s congressional testimony in 2019 – during which he alleged that Trump “inflated his assets when it served his purposes” – led the office of the New York attorney general, Letitia James, to pursue its fraud case against the former president. FULL STORY

Sir Bobby Charlton: Man Utd and England legend dies aged 86 Charlton is regarded as one of Manchester United's greatest ever players, scoring 249 goals in 758 appearances. He won the European Cup with United in 1968, as well as three First Division titles; Ashington-born Charlton also won the World Cup with England in 1966 Full Article

Vladimir Putin spotted with ‘scar on his throat’ after reports of being ‘resuscitated’ Vladimir Putin's health is under scrutiny after reports emerged claiming the Russian leader had to undergo intensive care after suffering from a heart attack. A Video of Vladimir Putin has been fuelling speculation about his health after eagle-eyed observers noticed a scar on his neck. The clip began circulating online before reports emerged claiming the Russian leader had suffered a heart attack and had to receive intensive care. The footage shows Putin speaking at an unspecified public event, a scar clearly marking his neck – with some analysts suggesting it might be the result of "resuscitation" procedures. A Telegram channel believed to belong to a former Kremlin official claimed Putin's health had sparked huge "alarm" across Moscow. The insider alleged that the Russian leader was found "lying on the floor, rolling his eyes" after suffering a suspected heart episode. They went on to claim Putin was then transferred to a special medical facility to undergo intensive care. The Telegram channel General SVR wrote: "Putin convulsively arched while lying on the floor, rolling his eyes. The doctors, who were on duty at the residence in one of the adjacent rooms, were immediately called. "Doctors performed resuscitation, having previously determined that the president was in cardiac arrest. Help was provided on time, the heart was started, and Putin regained consciousness." While speculation about Putin's health has been rife in recent months, the Daily Express could not independently verify the claims. The Russian leader is no stranger to interest in his state, and his condition has only attracted more conjecture since the start of the war in Ukraine. Putin was repeatedly spotted seemingly struggling to keep his arms and legs from shaking when delivering speeches. FULL STORY

Vladimir Putin is alleged to have suffered a "cardiac arrest" in his private Moscow apartment on Sunday evening. A Telegram Channel believed to be run by a former Kremlin insider reported that incident saying the Russian leader was found by guards on the floor of the bedroom "lying on the floor, rolling his eyes." Doctors were reportedly called immediately and they later diagnosed the 71-year-old as having suffered a "cardiac arrest." Putin was then moved to a special medical facility built in the apartment where he underwent intensive care, the source claims. The unverified report comes following persistent speculation surrounding Putin's health amid rumours of a long-hidden medical condition. The Telegram channel General SVR, reportedly run by a former Russian lieutenant-general, declared in a post:"Security officers of Russian President Vladimir Putin, who were on duty at the residence, heard noise and sounds of falling coming from the president's bedroom. "Two security officers immediately followed into the president's bedroom and saw Putin lying on the floor next to the bed and an overturned table with food and drinks." General SVR continued: "Putin convulsively arched while lying on the floor, rolling his eyes." Doctors later reportedly arrived a "resuscitated" Putin having "previously determined that the president was in cardiac arrest." FULL STORY

Many voters think of President Biden as a green energy champion who wants to put fossil fuels out of business. But if you look at the financial performance of oil and natural gas companies under Biden’s presidency, you might think he’s their biggest booster. Energy has been the best-performing sector during much of Biden’s presidency, which is now fueling a mega-merger consolidation sweep among some of the world’s biggest energy companies. ExxonMobil announced plans to buy driller Pioneer Natural Resources for $64 billion on Oct. 11, prompting Chevron to bid $53 billion for Hess on Oct. 23. More deals are possible as huge energy firms hustle to lock in premier drilling sites as the point of “peak oil”—maximum global demand for the commodity, followed by a gradual decline — comes into view, perhaps within the next decade. The Exxon and Chevron deals are both all-stock transactions. That’s possible because shares of America’s two largest energy firms have soared during the past two years, giving the acquirers plenty of headroom for big purchases without having to tap cash or borrow. Big Oil has been thriving, of course, at the same time Biden is overseeing the biggest green energy push in American history. The 2022 Inflation Reduction Act Biden signed includes green energy incentives that could total more than $1 trillion. Private sector firms are applying for those incentives at three times the rate budgeters expected last year. One consequence is a boom in the construction of factories for electric vehicle components and other green energy gear. This might sound like a set of schizophrenic developments in the US energy sector, with a jacked-up fossil fuel industry threatening Biden’s green energy push (or vice versa). But it’s not. Big Oil is enjoying a heyday now in part because it’s rebounding from lean times. And while Biden clearly favors renewables over carbon, he has also learned that ample stocks of fossil fuels will be needed for years to keep consumer energy costs down and prevent voters from revolting. FULL STORY

This calm, vivid documentary looks at the thousands of youngsters missing amidst the invasion – and their families’ search. Be warned: the Russian response may cause outrage These are terrible times, bleak times, and Ukraine’s Stolen Children is one of many films continuing to shed light on the growing list of horrors blighting the world. Veteran journalist and film-maker Shahida Tulaganova tells the horrifying story of the thousands of children reported missing from Ukraine in 2022, who were taken away in the months after Russia invaded the country. In March, the international criminal court (ICC) issued arrest warrants for Vladimir Putin and Maria Lvova-Belova, the Russian commissioner for children’s rights, for the alleged war crimes of unlawfully deporting and transporting Ukrainian children. In this film, Tulaganova gets to the heart of it, speaking to some of the young people who were taken by the Russians, sometimes to what were supposed to be holiday camps. She also meets their family members and carers, and those working for the charity that has been trying to bring them home. Denis was 16 and living in an orphanage in the Kherson region when Russian troops invaded. Volodymyr Sahaidak, who ran the orphanage, describes a bright and helpful boy who tried to take care of the younger children while the area was under blockade. As with many contemporary films about conflict, the presence of phones adds an element of intimacy, as we see clips of Denis, talking about the psychological difficulties of living under fear of attack. Shortly after Denis was taken away, he was seen on Russian state television, draped in a Russian flag. FULL ARTICLE

A former National Security Agency (NSA) employee from Colorado pleaded guilty Monday to trying to sell classified national security information to Russia. Federal prosecutors agreed to not ask for more than about 22 years in prison for Jareh Sebastian Dalke when he is sentenced in April if he adheres to the terms of a plea deal, but the judge will ultimately decide his punishment. Dalke, a 31-year-old army veteran from Colorado Springs, technically faces up to a possible life sentence for giving the information to an undercover FBI agent who prosecutors say Dalke believed was a Russian agent. However, accepting responsibility for a crime usually leads to a lighter sentence. Dalke told the agent that he wanted to “cause change” after questioning the United States’ role in causing damage to the world, but he also said he was $237,000 in debt, according to court documents. He also allegedly said he had decided to work with Russia because his heritage “ties back to your country”. Dalke pleaded guilty during a hearing before US district judge Raymond Moore. He only spoke in answer to questions from Moore about whether he understood the terms of the deal. He acknowledged that he has been taking medications for mental illness while being held in custody for about a year. Dalke was paid $16,499 in cryptocurrency last year for excerpts of some documents that he passed on to the agent to show what he had, and then he offered to sell the rest of the information he had for $85,000, according to the plea deal. FULL STORY

Turkey’s president, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, has removed one of the final hurdles blocking Sweden from joining Nato by submitting a bill approving membership to parliament for ratification. The move on Monday was in line with a commitment Erdoğan made to Nato at its summit in July when he said he would send the bill to parliament for ratification when parliament restarted in October. The bill’s passage through parliament should be a formality, but Erdoğan has a track record of holding out on Sweden’s application to extract concessions from the US, including the sale of F-16s to Ankara – a deal that has been held up in the US Senate. The Turkish leader has also been demanding that Sweden tighten up on the extradition of Kurdish asylum seekers living in Sweden. Turkish officials have insisted the steps Sweden had taken to clamp down on the outlawed Kurdistan Workers party militia were insufficient. In a sign of real movement, the Turkish parliament on Monday moved the accession bill forward. “The Protocol on Sweden’s NATO Accession was signed by President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on October 23, 2023 and referred to the Grand National Assembly of Turkey,” the presidency wrote on the social media platform X, formerly known as Twitter, without elaborating. Turkey and Hungary are the only two EU members whose legislatures have yet to sign off on Sweden’s accession. FULL STORY