UK post-Brexit payments to the EU expected to exceed £50 billion amid criticism over cost

UK post-Brexit payments to the EU expected to exceed £50 billion amid criticism over cost: New ONS data shows the UK sent £3.25 billion to Brussels last year, bringing total post-2020 payments to roughly £44 billion, with at least £8 billion more committed under the Withdrawal Agreement—pushing the bill past £50 billion, comfortably above what ministers once swore they’d tolerate. Most of it covers obligations racked up while the UK was still a member and during the 2020 transition, a fine-print detail doing little to soothe taxpayers bracing for possible tax rises. Former Tory Brexit minister turned Reform UK figure David Jones calls it a “slap in the face,” while critics say negotiators were outplayed and the Commission is “laughing to the bank.” The settlement was originally pitched at £35–£39 billion; Downing Street even dismissed an EU estimate of £41 billion in 2021. Sovereignty, it seems, came with a surprisingly pricey goodbye card.

North Korea dismisses Korean Peninsula denuclearization as a “pipe dream”

North Korea dismisses Korean Peninsula denuclearization as a “pipe dream,” declaring it can “never be realized” just ahead of a planned Lee–Xi summit on Saturday. Classic pre-summit theater from Pyongyang: why consider concessions when a sneer does the job? The timing signals defiance as Seoul and Beijing prepare to compare notes.

Dominic Cooper says "Frontier" explores truth and morality

Dominic Cooper says "Frontier" explores truth and morality, pitching his new thriller The Last Frontier as compelling entertainment that also tackles big questions. He told UPI the series blends watchability with themes of truth and morality—because apparently even shootouts can pause for a little ethics.

Wicker and Reed call on Hegseth to disclose Caribbean strike orders

Wicker and Reed call on Hegseth to disclose Caribbean strike orders, demanding the Pentagon hand over the directives authorizing strikes on boats the Trump administration labeled drug traffickers. The bipartisan duo released two letters to Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, including one dated Sept. 23 pressing the legal rationale and requesting copies of the orders—Congress, in other words, would like receipts for this high-seas war-on-drugs pageant.

Judge blocks Trump’s order requiring proof of citizenship for voter registration

Judge blocks Trump’s order requiring proof of citizenship for voter registration: On Friday in Washington, D.C., U.S. District Judge Colleen Kollar-Kotelly sided with civil rights groups and halted the executive order, noting that regulating elections is the job of the states and Congress— not a presidential Sharpie. Federalism, it seems, is still on the books, despite recent attempts at creative reinterpretation.

OpenAI Unveils Aardvark to Find and Fix Hidden Code Bugs

OpenAI Unveils Aardvark to Find and Fix Hidden Code Bugs, a GPT-5-powered autonomous agent that embeds in the development pipeline to scan, reason about, and patch code like a tireless security researcher with fewer coffee breaks. It maps entire repositories, builds a contextual threat model, and watches every new commit for risk or pattern violations—then actually tries to exploit its findings in a sandbox before sounding the alarm, aiming to slash the usual avalanche of false positives. When a vulnerability is real, Aardvark teams with Codex to propose a patch and re-analyzes the fix to ensure it didn’t trade one hole for two. OpenAI claims benchmarks show it catching 92% of known and synthetically introduced flaws across test repos. If that holds outside the lab, developers might finally get a tool that knows the difference between real danger and lint with delusions of grandeur.

Judge blocks citizenship-proof voter registration order

A federal judge told the White House to put down the Sharpie and pick up a civics textbook, ruling that the president cannot require documentary proof of U.S. citizenship on the federal voter registration form. U.S. District Judge Colleen Kollar-Kotelly barred both the administration and the Election Assistance Commission from enforcing the mandate, agreeing with civil rights groups that the Constitution leaves these rules to states and Congress. Other planks in the March 25 order, like paper ballots and accepting only mail ballots that arrive by Election Day, remain under review. Translation, one executive shortcut to election law is out, the rest are still in the queue.

Wrexham rally, Moore’s perfect hat-trick snaps Coventry streak

Wrexham came from behind after Ephron Mason-Clark’s opener, then Kieffer Moore assembled the full collector’s set, right foot, left foot, header, to flip the script before Tatsuhiro Sakamoto’s late consolation. Phil Parkinson called it a statement win, crediting disciplined off-ball work and momentum from a Middlesbrough draw and three straight promotions as Wrexham climbed to 11th. Coventry’s six-game unbeaten run ended one shy of a club record, and Frank Lampard admitted standards slipped, offered praise to Wrexham, and labeled it a reality check. Sometimes the aura takes a night off, and a poacher does not.

Mega sports events, big buzz, fuzzy math

Playoff and marquee tournaments juice hotel bookings, bar tabs, and merch sales, but sports economists keep pointing to the fine print. Spending leaks to non-local vendors, regular tourists avoid the crush, and most jobs are short-lived and low wage. Government impact reports often read like a confetti cannon aimed at a spreadsheet. Canada’s 2026 World Cup co-hosting promises hundreds of millions for Toronto and Vancouver plus global exposure, which is nice, but brand lift for famous cities is incremental, environmental costs are real, and the house that always wins is FIFA. The smart play is to count net impact, factor displacement and leakage, lock in community and environmental safeguards, and turn the spotlight into repeat tourism. Great party, yes. Long-term value requires receipts, not ribbon cuttings.

Denmark shelves client-side scanning plan

After a domestic and international backlash, Denmark is dropping its proposal to force providers to scan users' messages and files on their own devices for child abuse material. The U-turn arrives while Copenhagen holds the rotating EU Council presidency until December, a timely reminder that leading Europe does not require rummaging through everyone’s phones. Privacy gets a breather, now bring solutions that catch predators without deputizing every device.

Ribbon Communications discloses year-long supply chain breach

Ribbon says a nation-state actor slipped in via a supplier, lingered for months, and was discovered in early September, according to an SEC filing. For a telecom and networking vendor tied to critical infrastructure, that is less a breach and more a long-term sublease with utilities included.

Russia arrests alleged Meduza infostealer developers

Moscow police detained three young IT specialists accused of building and selling the Meduza data-grabbing malware. Investigators say the tool was used to hit a Russian government institution in May, which suggests the thieves did not just raid enemy pantries, they allegedly raided their own fridge.

UN cybercrime treaty draws privacy alarms

Editors and advocates warn the pact’s vague powers could supercharge cross-border data grabs under a cybercrime banner. That is a dream for overreaching states and a nightmare for due process and privacy, unless negotiators add guardrails that mean something outside a press release.

Hospital Snapchat scandal underscores HIPAA exposure

Staff at Baptist Jay Hospital reportedly posted candid patient photos to Snapchat, triggering legal fallout and a very expensive reminder that patient care includes protecting dignity. Save the memes for the break room, invest in training and auditing, and maybe try leadership that reads its own policies.

Private equity targets Jamf, Apple enterprise tightens

Francisco Partners is acquiring Apple device management firm Jamf, a move that signals more consolidation and tighter control of the Apple enterprise stack. Expect the usual private equity seasoning, higher ARPU, auto renew by default, and a cancel button that hides like a shy raccoon.

Snowflake files 8-K after TikTok sidewalk scoop

Snowflake rushed an 8-K after its CRO casually told a TikTok creator outside the NYSE that revenue could top 4.5 billion this year and hit 10 billion in a couple of years. The company said he was not authorized to share financials and reaffirmed prior guidance. Nothing says investor relations like material statements delivered to a ring light and an algorithm.

Blind Item: K-pop Phenom, Tax-Friendly Zip Codes, and a Social Network Cofounder

Unverified gossip alert: the rumor mill claims a two-color K-pop star has migrated to a Southeast Asian low-tax locale and is allegedly cozy with a Facebook cofounder, not the hydrofoiling CEO, and not one of the rowing twins. If true, it is a perfect mashup of international pop and fiscal yoga. If false, it is still a reminder that tax havens have better nightlife than accountants want you to know.

Blind Item: Influencer Dynasty, Private Photos, Public Ethics

Another unverified blind item says the sibling of an A-list YouTube or TikTok star is allegedly selling the star’s private photos, with the sourcing as murky as the morals. If this is real, it is a masterclass in monetizing proximity. If it is not, file it under internet fiction written by people who do not deserve Wi-Fi.

Substrate Bets on Particle-Accelerator X-rays to Outflank EUV

U.S. startup Substrate says particle-accelerator X-ray lithography can deliver 2 nm class chips at a tenth the cost of EUV, then adds a plot twist by planning to build its own fabs instead of selling tools. If the physics holds and the logistics do not revolt, wafer costs could plunge and resolution could leap. If reality intrudes, chalk it up as another moonshot that tripped over the launchpad.

AMD Reverses Course, Keeps RDNA 1 and 2 in the Fast Lane

AMD now says RDNA 1 and RDNA 2 will keep getting day-zero game support and driver updates, with new features added based on market needs. Translation, the wallets spoke, the company listened. Owners of aging GPUs just dodged the dreaded maintenance mode parking lot.

Nick Clegg Floated for Ofcom Chair, Revolving Door Spins Briskly

Former UK deputy prime minister and current Meta insider Nick Clegg is being touted for Ofcom’s top job as Lord Grade prepares to step down next year. Clegg has been selling a Save the Internet shtick on the event circuit, which is convenient branding for someone fresh from Big Tech’s strategy table. If appointed, Ofcom would be chaired by a man who knows Silicon Valley’s playbook intimately, because he helped write it.

Speech Synthesis on a 10 Cent Microcontroller, Yesterday’s Magic in a Thrift-Store Bottle

A tinkerer shoved six seconds of compressed audio into a CH32V003, a 48 MHz RISC-V chip with 16 KB of flash and 2 KB of SRAM, then ported the Talkie library to recreate classic LPC speech. The result drives a speaker through a one-transistor amp and speaks like a budget Speak and Spell. It is open source, absurdly cheap, and a delightful reminder that the cutting edge ages faster than milk.

Netherlands Train and Truck Collide at Level Crossing, Five Injured

A train struck a truck at a level crossing in the Netherlands, leaving five people with minor injuries. Emergency crews responded promptly, and investigators are now asking the obvious question of how a road vehicle and several hundred tons of rail traffic tried to share the same square of track. At level crossings, physics does not yield.

Aberystwyth named Wales’ first UNESCO City of Literature

Aberystwyth named Wales’ first UNESCO City of Literature, as the Ceredigion seaside town joins the global Creative Cities Network—Wales’ first UNESCO Creative City and now in the same literary club as Dublin, Barcelona and Seattle. The successful bid, led by the Dinas Llên partnership of local councils, universities, the National Library of Wales and the Books Council, spotlights a bilingual Welsh–English culture powered by festivals, publishers, theatres, and nationally significant institutions. With ties to hundreds of poets and a tradition that runs from the promenade to the stacks of the National Library, the designation celebrates a living, everyday literature rather than museum-piece nostalgia. The mayor called it a “worldwide stage,” the First Minister offered a hearty “Llongyfarchiadau,” and UNESCO nodded to inclusion, sustainability and cultural heft. Not a city in the traditional sense, perhaps—but when your streets are practically paved with poetry, the planning department can take a seat.

Dunelm halves price of ‘luxe’ bedding set praised by shoppers for better sleep

Dunelm halves price of ‘luxe’ bedding set praised by shoppers for better sleep, trimming the cost on a set buyers say “looks and feels really high quality.” If it actually upgrades your shut-eye, that’s a sale doing more than fluffing a marketing pillow.

Judge urges USDA to tap emergency funds for SNAP benefits

Judge urges USDA to tap emergency funds for SNAP benefits: In Boston, Judge Indira Talwani all but slapped the government’s hand away from the off switch, signaling she’ll order the USDA to deploy a $5.5 billion emergency fund so nearly 42 million Americans don’t lose food aid during the shutdown. The Trump administration argued those dollars are only for natural disasters—because apparently hunger isn’t an emergency unless it arrives with a storm surge—but more than two dozen states sued, insisting families shouldn’t starve because Washington can’t count to “pass a budget.” Talwani said benefits can’t just be cut off, noting, “Congress has put money in an emergency fund, and it is hard for me to understand how this is not an emergency.” The cash won’t cover a full month, but it could allow partial payments as states scramble to reload EBT cards. A ruling could land as early as Friday, with the judge warning that absent a decisive win, benefits won’t be there on Nov. 1.

Why the Budapest Summit Was Canceled

Why the Budapest Summit Was Canceled: Washington scrapped President Trump’s planned sit-down with Vladimir Putin after Moscow sent a memo doubling down on hard-line demands over Ukraine, promptly followed by a tense call between the countries’ top diplomats. When the pregame is ultimatums and icy phone diplomacy, the main event doesn’t make it to air.

Families begin burials after Rio favela police raid leaves at least 132 dead

Families begin burials after a Rio favela police raid leaves at least 132 dead, as authorities say the operation aimed to capture leaders and curb the Red Command’s territorial expansion, which has tightened its hold on favelas in recent years.

Reeves Faces Scrutiny After Issuing Conflicting Statements on Illegal Home Rental

Reeves Faces Scrutiny After Issuing Conflicting Statements on Illegal Home Rental: Within 24 hours, Chancellor Rachel Reeves’s team released two contradictory lines on an illegal house rental—first hastily clearing her of wrongdoing without any actual investigation, then pivoting on 29 October with a statement beginning, “Regrettably, we were not aware that…” It’s crisis comms by boomerang: throw out a confident denial, watch it come back and hit you in the face.

Jewish heirs sue the Met and a Greek foundation over van Gogh allegedly looted by Nazis

Jewish heirs sue the Met and a Greek foundation over van Gogh allegedly looted by Nazis, arguing that Vincent van Gogh’s 1889 "Olive Picking" was left behind when their relatives fled Nazi Germany and are now seeking to reclaim ownership from the institutions holding it.

Notable birthdays on Oct. 31: Lee Grant, Jane Pauley

Notable birthdays on Oct. 31: Lee Grant, Jane Pauley — Actor Lee Grant hits a remarkable 100, and journalist Jane Pauley marks 75, leading the roster of famous Oct. 31 birthdays. A classy reminder that some careers don’t just endure; they outlast entire trends.

Oct. 31: Death Valley and Joshua Tree National Parks Established

Oct. 31: Death Valley and Joshua Tree National Parks Established — On Oct. 31, 1994, President Bill Clinton signed the California Desert Protection Act, elevating Death Valley and Joshua Tree to national park status—an honest-to-goodness win for nature from a town that usually treats “green” as a campaign finance category.

Strengthening Cyber Resilience in Canadian Aviation

Strengthening Cyber Resilience in Canadian Aviation: With threats zeroing in on aviation infrastructure, NAV Canada CISO Tom Bornais says the mission isn’t perfection—it’s staying airborne under fire. He points to internal alignment, realistic incident simulations, and toughened supply chain security as the backbone of defending tightly linked IT and OT systems. In other words, skip the glossy promises; build what actually keeps planes moving.

Avoiding Legal Risks in Revenue Forecasting

Avoiding legal risks in revenue forecasting just got a vivid case study: Fortinet. In August, the cybersecurity firm’s stock plunged more than 20%—not because its tech faltered (Gartner had just anointed it a leader in hybrid mesh firewalls), but because revenue forecasts didn’t materialize. Translation: glossy badges don’t offset guidance that overshoots reality. For the cybersecurity sector, it’s a reminder to keep projections disciplined and disclosures airtight, because Wall Street forgives many sins—missing your own numbers isn’t one of them.

The Sceptic, Episode 57: A Grim Week in Migration News and the Impact of Wind Turbines on Birds

The Sceptic, Episode 57: A Grim Week in Migration News and the Impact of Wind Turbines on Birds — In this cheery installment, David Shipley surveys a grim, horrifying week in migration news, while Chris Morrison targets wind turbines for their toll on birds and argues that so-called climate “tipping points” are a fallacy.

Five reasons collagen may help you stay active this winter

“Five reasons collagen may help you stay active this winter” arrives with a helpful retail map: Revive Active’s so-called super supplement, Joint Complex, is now on shelves at Boots and online. Translation: the collagen pitch is in full seasonal swing, promising limber joints while your wallet does the stretching. Convenience is confirmed; any actual benefits are—naturally—in the fine print.

Luxury countryside retreat’s idyllic image marred by an incident in one of its rooms

A luxury countryside retreat’s idyllic image was marred by an incident in one of its rooms—because nothing caps a spa day like unexpected drama behind a Georgian door. The quaint stately home, long marketed as the perfect getaway, also carries a haunted history that refuses to check out at noon, offering guests a side of spectral ambiance the brochures politely forget to mention.

London Underground station featuring ‘horrifying’ artwork you may recognise

London Underground station featuring ‘horrifying’ artwork you may recognise has turned its platforms into a cinematic creep show, with walls depicting serial killers and deadly birds from famous films. Because nothing says “mind the gap” like a quick reminder of humanity’s greatest hits in terror before your morning latte.

NIS2 Tightens Vulnerability Management Requirements

NIS2 Tightens Vulnerability Management Requirements, and—what do you know—Europe’s firms are getting better at finding flaws before they explode. Integrity COO Ed Parsons says the directive is driving significant improvements across the region, pushing organizations toward proactive security and speeding up discovery by tapping crowdsourced communities and ethical hackers—because nothing jump-starts diligence like a regulation breathing down your neck.

Bracing for Cyber Disruption: A Stress Test for Healthcare Resilience

Bracing for Cyber Disruption: A Stress Test for Healthcare Resilience—experts warn that ransomware isn’t just an IT headache but a whole-business threat, urging hospitals and their key vendors to plan across operations so patient care doesn’t flatline when attacks hit, triggering diverted ambulances, canceled appointments, frozen business processes, and halted critical services within minutes.

U.S. Orders All Nonessential Personnel and Family Members to Leave Mali

U.S. Orders All Nonessential Personnel and Family Members to Leave Mali, with the State Department directing the departure of non-emergency staff and their dependents amid a deteriorating security situation as Mali’s government battles al-Qaida-linked militants. The move signals a reduced U.S. presence until conditions stabilize.

Trump urges Republicans to eliminate the Senate filibuster using the ‘nuclear option’

Trump urges Republicans to eliminate the Senate filibuster using the ‘nuclear option,’ calling on GOP senators Thursday to scrap the 60-vote threshold so they can end the shutdown and pass legislation with a simple majority—his so-called “TRUMP CARD.” Because nothing says “restoring order” like detonating the Senate’s guardrails and calling it efficiency.

Five Unions Split from Democrats Over Shutdown

Five Unions Split from Democrats Over Shutdown, as labor leaders publicly prod Senate Democrats to accept a Republican bill to reopen the government—a striking crack in a once lockstep alliance. What used to be unthinkable now looks like Washington’s new normal: workers want paychecks, politicians want leverage, and even organized labor is telling Democrats to drop the brinkmanship and vote to turn the lights back on.

Trump Shifts Second-Term Focus to Foreign Policy

Trump shifts his second-term focus to foreign policy after a six-day Asia swing full of gold-plated receptions, daily deal announcements, and smiling foreign ministers—because chandeliers beat committee hearings every time. Back in Washington, he returns to a month-long government shutdown, slipping poll numbers, and rising voter anxiety about the economy. The split screen is the point: opulent palaces abroad, scowling lawmakers at home, and a fight with Democrats over surging health-insurance costs for millions. If you can’t fix the mess on Main Street, you pivot to the photo ops on the tarmac.

Trump Keeps Distance from Government Shutdown Debate

Trump Keeps Distance from Government Shutdown Debate: One month into the shutdown, President Trump is ruling out another Oval Office meeting with Democrats “for now,” with White House officials casting a bipartisan sit‑down as a “rescue mission” they won’t attempt until after Democrats vote to fund the government—translation: no talks until the other side surrenders first.

Leaks say Israel sought a secret Wink in Project Nimbus, Google and Amazon deny evading laws

An investigation by the Guardian, +972 Magazine, and Local Call reports that during Israel’s 2021, 1.2 billion dollar Project Nimbus cloud deal, officials pushed Google and Amazon for a covert “winking mechanism,” signals embedded in payments to quietly alert the state if the companies disclosed Israeli data to foreign courts despite gag orders. The alleged aim was to keep tight control over government data stored on the tech giants’ clouds. Critics call it an attempt to sidestep legal obligations abroad. Both companies deny evading any laws or facilitating such a workaround. Cloud sovereignty meets plausible deniability, with a wink for accounting.

Coyote bites child in Portland backyard, officials issue alert and safety guidance

A 9-year-old in Portland’s Alameda neighborhood was bitten around 6:15 p.m. while playing hide-and-seek. The coyote grabbed the child’s socked foot, the child pulled free, and the father’s shouts sent the animal running. The child was treated for minor injuries. The Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife canvassed the area, posted warnings, and is monitoring with city, state, and federal partners. Officials urge residents to supervise children, leash or bring in pets, remove food attractants, and haze bold coyotes with loud noises or thrown objects. Do not feed coyotes. Report aggressive behavior to ODFW at 971-673-6000, and call 911 in an emergency.

Antique on the dyno: a century-old wagon wheel becomes a small-engine test rig

A DIY builder turned a 100-year-old wagon wheel into a flywheel inside a 6 by 6 timber frame, balanced it with added weights, measured inertia with a falling-weight test, and drives it via a chain with a 7:1 reduction to keep speeds sensible. A BlackBoxDyno logs engine and flywheel RPM with Hall sensors, and after a quick calibration the setup calculates torque and horsepower for small engines. Not many people dyno their lawnmowers, fewer still with frontier-era hardware. If you are chasing peak grass-cutting performance, welcome to your pastoral proving ground.

Fox newsletter spotlights antisemitism as NYC race turns accusatory, wider incidents underscore gravity

Fox News’ Antisemitism Exposed newsletter frames the final stretch of New York City’s mayoral contest around charges and countercharges, highlighting Andrew Cuomo’s accusation that frontrunner Zohran Mamdani tolerates extremist rhetoric and Mamdani’s reply that Cuomo is trafficking in Islamophobia. Beyond the campaign crossfire, the newsletter surveys heavier developments: Pittsburgh SWAT officers recount confronting the Tree of Life synagogue gunman in a new documentary, Cornell’s student paper retracts a professor’s artwork featuring a bloodied Star of David and Nazi SS imagery after backlash, a Milan mural honoring Shiri Bibas and her two sons is defaced during an Oct. 7 memorial, and a 20-year-old Palestinian American is sentenced to 17 months for assaults on Jewish protesters at multiple pro-Israel rallies. A guest editorial by Rabbi Dovid Hofstedter and Mark Walker urges confronting metastasizing antisemitism head-on. The politics may be loud, but the stakes are sober and real.

Royal Family set to remove Prince Andrew’s royal title over ties to Jeffrey Epstein

Royal Family set to remove Prince Andrew’s royal title over ties to Jeffrey Epstein, a long-overdue nod to reality from an institution that usually prefers fairy tales. Palace officials say Andrew, the younger brother of King Charles III, will be stripped of his title and reintroduced to the public as Andrew Mountbatten Windsor. He’ll also be evicted from Royal Lodge and moved to a private residence—think of it as a relocation from grace-and-favor to just… favor. The decision was deemed “necessary,” even as Andrew continues to deny the allegations; the royals emphasized their “utmost sympathies” for victims and survivors of abuse. Developing.

Tylenol and autism: What the evidence shows as Texas AG Ken Paxton files lawsuit

Tylenol and autism: What the evidence shows as Texas AG Ken Paxton files lawsuit. Paxton is suing Johnson & Johnson and Kenvue, accusing them of burying signals that acetaminophen use in pregnancy raises autism and other neuro risks. The politics got louder when President Donald Trump warned pregnant women to “fight like hell” not to take Tylenol—flanked, naturally, by HHS chief Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and CMS boss Mehmet Oz, because when you want medical guidance, you call a talk show and a conspiracy influencer. Major medical groups—including ACOG, the AAP, the Autism Science Foundation, and WHO—pushed back, saying there’s no conclusive evidence Tylenol causes autism. The FDA, threading the needle, moved to update acetaminophen warning labels and urged doctors to limit use for low-grade fevers in pregnancy, while noting there are scenarios where it remains reasonable.

On the data: a recent meta-analysis of 46 studies found mixed, largely observational associations—some showing increased risk, some none, a few even protective—with dose-response hints but no proof of causation. Fever itself is a risk factor, which muddies the signal, and genetics account for the bulk of autism risk; a massive Swedish sibling study found no significant association once family factors were controlled. Legally, a federal MDL tying Tylenol to autism was dismissed in August 2024 for insufficient evidence; appeals are underway. Texas is the first state to bring its own case, with more litigation simmering while the science remains unsettled.

Blind Items Revealed, Part 7

Blind Items Revealed, Part 7: Another “reveal” trains its sights on a barely-there celebrity offspring, peddling ominous, unverified insinuations about her family—because nothing says journalism like vague doom wrapped in a famous last name.

Welshman wins large National Lottery prize

Welshman wins large National Lottery prize as 73-year-old Peter Rogers of Merthyr Tydfil lands a £1 million Lotto windfall after matching five numbers and the Bonus Ball on 6 September—proof that sometimes the biggest punch lands outside the ring. A lifelong boxing devotee who’s even written a book on Merthyr’s proud fight scene, Rogers calls it “the biggest victory of his life” after first thinking the win was a glitch. He and his wife, Rosa, plan to swap their town-centre house for a bungalow better suited to her health needs, with a celebratory trip to New York and a dream fight night at Madison Square Garden on the cards. Not a bad outcome for a spontaneous ticket picked during a food shop—Merthyr’s boxing heritage gets another champion, this time courtesy of Lady Luck.

King to formally strip Prince Andrew of titles and honours over Epstein links

King to formally strip Prince Andrew of titles and honours over Epstein links: Buckingham Palace says the King has begun the process, citing “serious lapses of judgment” in Andrew’s association with convicted paedophile financier Jeffrey Epstein. Andrew, who denies the accusations, will now be known as Andrew Mountbatten Windsor. He’s been served notice to surrender the lease on Royal Lodge—whose terms had helped shield his residency—and will leave his Windsor home for alternative private accommodation, understood to be at Sandringham. When your strongest defense is a tenancy agreement, the moving van becomes the court of appeal.

Rachel Reeves faces housing rules row as unlicensed rental sparks scrutiny

Questions are piling up over the Chancellor’s South East London rental after she failed to get a selective landlord licence, a scheme she publicly cheered in Leeds. Her team says the lettings agent did not flag it and that she applied as soon as it came to light, while also alerting the Prime Minister, the standards watchdog, and anyone else with a nameplate. The optics are bleak, given the property’s roughly £44,800 haul since last September at £3,200 a month. Not illegal to be a landlord, just inconvenient to forget the rules you promote. With her Budget due on November 26 and tax rumours swirling, the timing could not be worse. Transparency, meet test.

Virginia deputy frees deer from fence, bureaucracy briefly outrun by compassion

A York-Poquoson sergeant in Williamsburg pried a deer out of a metal fence and sent it sprinting back to the woods. No forms, no waiting period, just a public servant doing the job and a very happy constituent on four legs. More of this, please.

Lt. Gen. Joe McGee to retire after reported friction with Hegseth and Caine

Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell says the three-star is retiring, with thanks for his service. Translation, the chain of command is intact, but the gears have been grinding. In Washington, personalities are a weapons system, and the recoil is always spectacular.

Trump and Xi stage polite thaw, chip controls stay frozen

In South Korea, the two leaders agreed to ease some tariffs and pause new rare-earth curbs. On the issue that matters most to Beijing’s AI dreams, Nvidia’s top-tier chips remain off-limits. Smiles for the cameras up top, permafrost in the export basement.

Americans are over the biannual clock yo-yo

An AP-NORC poll finds 47 percent oppose the current system of springing forward and falling back. Voters want sleep, not seasonal jet lag without the vacation. Now comes the hard part, convincing Congress to fix time without creating a commission for the sun.

Bexley’s budget gap is small, which passes for bragging rights

Bexley Council projects a £2.184 million shortfall by year-end. Annoying, yes, but practically saintly next to Greenwich’s £45.1 million overspend. Still, you do not print “less catastrophic than next door” on the letterhead.