Bill Maher to receive Kennedy Center’s Mark Twain prize after White House denial

Nigeria and UK look to strengthen trade and economic ties amid growing calls from Africa and Caribbean for reparative justice“There are chapters in our shared history that I know have left some painful marks,” King Charles said during a state banquet to welcome the Nigerian president, Bola Tinubu, to the UK, in a year in which the monarch is expected to come under renewed pressure to make a formal apology for transatlantic slavery and colonialism.But while demands grow from African and Caribbean nations for the UK to further reparative justice, Nigeria and the UK are looking to the future of global trade. Continue reading...

Terms of reference are to seek fullest disclosure of information and to produce a report by spring 2028UK politics live – latest updatesThe government has announced the formal start of the promised official inquiry into the violent policing at the Orgreave coking plant during the 1984-85 miners’ strike and the discredited prosecutions of 95 men that followed.Chaired by Pete Wilcox, the bishop of Sheffield, the inquiry was announced in July by the then home secretary, Yvette Cooper. The government has since worked on appointing an expert panel to consider the evidence. Continue reading...

Shaine March fatally stabbed Alana Odysseos, who was in early stages of pregnancy, after being released on licence for killing teenager in 2000A man who murdered his pregnant girlfriend after being released from prison on licence must spend the rest of his life in jail, the court of appeal has ruled after finding that the original 42-year sentence was “too lenient”.Alana Odysseos, 32, was in the early stages of pregnancy with her third child when she was killed by Shaine March last July at her home in Walthamstow, east London. She died at the scene from 23 slash and stab wounds. Continue reading...

Higher blend has been prohibited in warm weather because of concerns it could worsen smogThe US Environmental Protection Agency said Wednesday that it would temporarily allow widespread sales of a higher ethanol gas blend in a move that they hope will tamp down consumer prices that have soared since the Iran war began.The higher blend has been prohibited in warm weather because of concerns it could worsen smog. Continue reading...

Other winners include Inter Alia’s Rosamund Pike, Ivo van Hove for All My Sons and Hayley Atwell who beat her Much Ado co-star Tom Hiddleston to best Shakespearean performanceBrendan Gleeson has been named best actor at the Critics’ Circle theatre awards for his West End debut in Conor McPherson’s pub drama The Weir. He beat fellow nominees including Bryan Cranston and Paapa Essiedu, both recognised for All My Sons, and James Hameed and Arti Shah, the duo who together portray Paddington in the new musical about Michael Bond’s bear. The Weir, directed by McPherson, was entirely omitted from the nominations for this year’s Olivier awards and is being turned into a film with Gleeson and the rest of the West End cast.All My Sons, a critically adored production of Arthur Miller’s 1946 classic at Wyndham’s theatre, won in two categories at the Critics’ Circle awards: best revival of a play or musical and best director for Ivo van Hove. A new production of Stephen Sondheim and James Lapine’s Into the Woods, directed by Jordan Fein at the Bridge theatre, also won two prizes – best designer (Tom Scutt) and the inaugural award for best ensemble or cast. Continue reading...

Electric buses are just 1% of the Australian fleet compared with 80% in urban China, a quarter in the Netherlands and 12% in the UKFollow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesSign up for climate and environment editor Adam Morton’s free Clear Air newsletter hereAs diesel climbs past $3 a litre amid fuel security concerns, transport advocates are calling for the rollout of electric buses across Australia to be prioritised.In Australia, just 1% of buses are electric, compared with 80% of the urban fleet in China, a quarter in the Netherlands and 12% in the UK. Continue reading...

Rationing is not under consideration yet as hundreds of retailers report being without one or more types of fuelGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastPetrol stations are reporting a surge in demand of up to 25% in the last fortnight alone on top of already major spikes earlier in the Iran war as Anthony Albanese comes under pressure to devise a national plan to cushion Australia against the “biggest energy crisis in history”.The Australasian Convenience and Petroleum Marketers Association has revealed the scale of the demand on retailers, which has left hundreds of stations across the country without one or more types of fuel. Continue reading...

Move is part of £27bn five-year investment plan for A-roads and motorways, with almost a third going on work such as resurfacingMinisters have pledged to spend record amounts on road maintenance as part of a £27bn five-year investment plan for England’s major roads and motorways.The government said it was aiming to “fix the foundations” with almost a third, £8.4bn, of the spending going on maintenance, including resurfacing a quarter of England’s strategic road network. Continue reading...

Michael Rousseau says his lack of French overshadowed families’ grief after Mark Carney and Quebec denounced his videoSign up for the Breaking News US email to get newsletter alerts in your inboxThe chief executive of Air Canada has apologized for his inability to express himself in French after politicians called for his resignation for his English-only message of condolence after Sunday’s deadly crash in New York.Air Canada’s CEO, Michael Rousseau, has been criticized for the four-minute condolence video posted online that included only two French words – “bonjour” and “merci”. Continue reading...

Prime minister says UK must do more to regulate against potential harms after landmark ruling in US courtSir Keir Starmer has said he will tackle “addictive features” in social media amid increasing signs the UK government is preparing to crackdown on risks to children after a landmark US court verdict which held Meta and YouTube responsible for harms caused by designing addictive technology.The prime minister said the verdict in a California court signals a rising public expectation for more aggressive regulation and said: “I’m absolutely clear that we need to go further.” Continue reading...

European Commission says social messaging app is exposing children to grooming and sexual exploitationBrussels has opened an investigation into Snapchat over concerns that the social messaging app is exposing children to grooming, sexual exploitation and other criminality.In a separate decision on Thursday, the European Commission also said four pornographic websites were failing to prevent minors seeing adult content. Continue reading...