Month: November 2022

Election night in America can mean a long evening watching hundreds of results from all corners of the country pour in. Feeling overwhelmed? Here's how you can focus on the moments that really matter. Republicans are banking on voters' economic anxiety and concerns over crime to win back control of both the Senate and House of Representatives. If they do, they have vowed to throw a wrench into President Joe Biden's agenda for the next two years. And that's just the fight for control of Washington. Individual states are also electing governors, picking the officials who run their elections, and voting on measures such as legalising cannabis, abolishing modern slavery, and abortion. So where are some of the most contested races, and what are the biggest m...

Spain's former King Juan Carlos is seeking legal immunity in a UK appeals court over harassment claims brought by his ex-mistress. The hearing in London follows fresh allegations about his conduct by British resident Corinna zu Sayn-Wittgenstein in a new podcast. She accuses the ex-king of spying on and harassing her after their relationship broke down in 2012. The former king, who abdicated in 2014, denies any wrongdoing. Juan Carlos, who lives in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), did not attend the hearing - and a ruling is expected in several weeks. He is appealing against a High Court decision in March, which rejected his claim that English courts had no jurisdiction over the case because he has state immunity as a royal. ...

Norway's Princess Märtha Louise has relinquished her royal duties to focus on her alternative medicine business with her fiancé, a self-styled shaman. The Princess will keep her title, but is surrendering official duties to "create a clearer dividing line" between her private and royal role. Her fiancé, Durek Verrett, has promoted unfounded medical practices, including suggesting cancer is a choice. The American also claims to have influenced Gwyneth Paltrow. Princess Märtha Louise is "relinquishing her patronage role" as she and Mr Verrett seek to "distinguish more clearly between their activities and the Royal House of Norway", the palace said in a statement. It added that King Harald V had decided she would keep her title. "She ...

Donald Trump has warned Florida's Governor Ron DeSantis against running for president in 2024, saying doing so would harm the Republican Party. "I think he would be making a mistake. I think the base would not like it," the former president told Fox News. He also threatened to release unflattering information about the 44-year-old, without providing details. Both men have been tipped to announce presidential runs and become likely rivals for the Republican nomination. Mr Trump's comments came just hours before Tuesday's midterm elections that will decide control of Congress. He branded the rising Republican star "Ron DeSanctimonious" at a rally over the weekend. "I don't know if he is running. I think if he runs, he co...

It's a year since the COP26 summit that saw thousands of delegates and more than 100 world leaders descend on Glasgow. As the next annual climate conference gets under way in Egypt this week, BBC Scotland looks at some of the factors from the last 12 months that will influence talks. This year's extreme weather in Scotland and across the globe must focus minds at the COP27 summit, a leading academic has warned. Professor Elizabeth Bomberg says storms, heatwaves and droughts seen since the Glasgow conference are a reminder of the impact of climate change. But there are concerns that the war in Ukraine and associated global energy crisis could derail the process. World leaders are gathering in the Egyptian resort of Sharm El Sheikh fo...

It is rare for Donald Trump to deliver the same message as Barack Obama and Joe Biden - but it happened when the Republican and two Democrats campaigned in Pennsylvania on the same day. The political foes all urged Americans in the crucial state: go vote. Mr Biden and Mr Obama cast the election as a battle for democracy, while Mr Trump said the country's safety and security were on the line. Tuesday's US midterm elections will determine control of Congress. All 435 seats in the House of Representatives are being contested, while 35 are up for grabs in the Senate. In Pennsylvania a razor-thin margin separates Democratic Senate candidate John Fetterman, 53, from Republican Mehmet Oz, 62. The appearances of two ex-presidents and Presi...