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Driver Crashes Car Into Gate Outside Angela Merkel’s Office

The motive was unclear, but it could be tied to an expected German government extension of a partial lockdown to stem coronavirus infections.

Iran's president hopes Biden unravels Trump's Iran policies

Iran’s president has reiterated his hope that U.S. President-elect Joe Biden would return America’s Iran policy to where he left things as vice president four years ago, rejoining Tehran's nuclear deal with world powers

7 migrants die as boat overturns near Spanish island

Spanish rescue services say at least seven people have died after a migrant boat carrying more than 30 people hit rocks close to a small port on the Canary Island of Lanzarote

Ethiopian PM rebuffs mediation attempts as Tigray deadline nears

Abiy Ahmed faces growing calls to end conflict that threatens to destabilise eastern Africa

Abiy Ahmed, the prime minister of Ethiopia, has forcefully rejected efforts by the international powers to bring hostilities in the north of the country to an end.

Abiy’s statement on Wednesday came only hours before a deadline for the surrender of the leadership of the restive region of Tigray expires, after which federal troops have been ordered to attack its capital.

'The people are not afraid any more': young Peruvians rise up to demand change

After a tumultuous week, Peru’s burgeoning grassroots movement says it will not accept a return to business as usual

After a tumultuous week in which Peru saw three presidents – and a brutal police backlash against massive pro-democracy protests – a nascent youth movement has emerged with a clear message to the country’s politicians.

Under the rallying cry “They messed with the wrong generation”, the non-partisan group is warning Peru’s elected representatives that they will not tolerate a return to the business-as-usual world of dirty tricks and backroom deals.

Tell us: how has Notting Hill changed over the past 50 years?

We’d like to like to hear from people who grew up around Notting Hill between the late 60s and the mid 80s. How has the area changed?

Notting Hill and the surrounding areas in West London is at the heart of Steve McQueen’s five part anthology series Small Axe. The series of five films, which takes its title from a proverb about collective struggle (“If you are the big tree, we are the small axe”), features true stories from the late 60s to the mid 80s about London’s West Indian experience.

The area, which is home to Notting Hill carnival, has undergone dramatic change over the past few decades. Have you or your family grown up in the area? Does the series hold any sentimental value to you? How has the area changed in your lifetime?

Business

‘Thumb-Stopping.’ ‘Humaning.’ ‘B4H.’ The Strange Language of Modern Marketing.

The ad business is overrun with buzzwords and acronyms, and some people are saying it’s enough already.

In a Year of No Trade Fairs, Germany Takes It Hard

Some big companies say they can do without them. But trade fairs are essential for those that can’t afford an international sales force, and play an important role in the German economy.

The Pandemic Work Diary of a Podcasting Tech Editor

Nilay Patel and The Verge are still reviewing gadgets and covering an industry, but with cameos from a Halloween-loving 2-year-old.

UK politics live: government accused of creating 'jobs crisis' as Sunak prepares to unveil...

Latest updates: Rishi Sunak to deliver one of the toughest spending review statements ever with the UK economy deep recession due to coronavirus

9.37am GMT

People bereaved by Covid-19 have warned that allowing families in the UK to get together over Christmas is “sheer madness” and urged the public to have a low-key festive period rather than risk the grief they have endured, my colleague Robert Booth reports.

9.36am GMT

From the Times’ Steven Swinford

The OBR's forecast will not just look at the impact of coronavirus on the economy today

It also includes a scenario showing the impact of a no-deal Brexit vs the central forecast, which anticipates a deal

It will also include a coronavirus 'upside' & 'downside' scenario

9.24am GMT

Good morning. Rishi Sunak, the chancellor, will be delivering his spending review this afternoon and he will be hoping it turns out to be more robust than most of the other big financial announcements he has made this year. On 11 March, when he presented his budget, he announced spending worth £12bn to help businesses cope with coronavirus. Less than a week later those plans were effectively in tatters and he was back announcing a support package of loans and grants worth £350bn. That pattern has been repeated several times this year. Ensuring that economic policy stays ahead of events has turned out to be near impossible.

That is why the spending review has been scaled back already. Originally it was meant to determine government spending for the next three years (which is normal for a spending review). Instead it is largely going to be a one-year review because, with so much uncertainty about what the economy will look like next year, making long-term plans would be rash.

One of my favourite quotes of his [Murthy’s] is: ‘In God we trust, but everyone else needs to bring data to the table.’ It’s something I try to live by as well. You know, I’m always interested in getting the data; getting the facts.

The Conservatives’ irresponsible choices have wasted and mismanaged billions, led to our country experiencing the worst downturn in the G7, and created a jobs crisis.

Whether it’s building starter homes or garden bridges, this prime minister and his government talk a good game. But they haven’t delivered on their promises - and regional inequality has got worse under their watch.

Divvy Homes Says Rent-to-Own Deals Work. Next Year Will Be a Test.

Portraying itself as a good guy in a seedy corner of home sales, Divvy has received mixed early reviews. But the bulk of its clients will soon have to decide whether to buy or back out.

Finance

Sacre bleu! France as you've never seen her before

They set out to capture the forgotten France, the everyday architecture of emptied towns and overlooked villages – before their uniqueness is lost for ever. Eric Tabuchi and Nelly Monnier talk us through their vast photographic atlas

From the industrial north to the sun-baked south, Eric Tabuchi has spent two decades scouring the landscape of France with an obsessive eye. In 2008, the Danish-Japanese-French photographer created a beguiling series called Alphabet Truck by sneaking up on 26 different articulated lorries on the move and photographing the single giant letter adorning each one’s rear, from A to Z. In 2017, he made Atlas of Forms, a 256-page guide to all the shapes, from pyramid to polygon, the world’s buildings are based on. And in 2017, he joined forces with the painter Nelly Monnier, also his partner, to create the Atlas des Régions Naturelles.

This sprawling, unwieldy multipart portrait of a nation takes as its foundation the 500-odd régions naturelles, or non-administrative areas (a bit like British counties) into which mainland France is divided. Monnier and Tabuchi are slowly making their way around the country, arriving in each area with a minimum of preconceptions. First impressions are key, the idea being to shoot a few characteristic landscapes, then to work their way up through the area’s vernacular architecture, with everything dictated by local conditions.

The pair received a detailed message from a boy who had found the spot where he had first kissed a girl

Market’s record run is far from the finish line, Oppenheimer’s chief strategist predicts

Oppenheimer Asset Management's John Stoltzfus believes the Dow's record move above 30,000 is justified despite the surge in coronavirus cases.

U.S. stock futures rise slightly after record day on Wall Street

U.S. stock futures rose slightly on Tuesday night following a banner day for three of the for major market benchmarks.

Trial of Brexit border checks causes five-mile lorry queues in Kent

M20 backlog caused by French authorities testing post-Brexit checks at the Eurotunnel

Queues of trucks stretching for five miles unexpectedly built up in Kent on Tuesday after the French started a trial of post-Brexit checks in Calais.

Lorries on their way across the English channel were forced to stop in long lines up to junction 11 on the M20 as they tried to approach the Eurotunnel entrance just outside Folkestone.

Govt reveal plan ship portaloos down Kent motorway.
"If we get to a position where traffic there is static for a prolonged period as a reactive protocol in place with highways England..whereby portaloos could at that point be deployed to the carriageway" - dept of transport

JPMorgan Chase pays $250 million penalty over weak controls in its wealth management division

It was the second time in two months that the bank agreed to pay a massive settlement to U.S. regulators over how it conducts business.

Entertainment

The Weeknd calls Grammy Awards 'corrupt' after nominations snub

The Blinding Lights singer had been expected to perform strongly, but didn't get any nominations.

Zahara: Violence against women in South Africa 'a pandemic'

Zahara, a platinum-selling singer in South Africa, talks to the BBC about surviving a violent attack.

Grammys 2021: Beyoncé, Taylor Swift and Dua Lipa lead nominations

Harry Styles also receives his first-ever nomination, but R&B star The Weeknd is overlooked.

'Hillbilly Elegy' turns J.D. Vance's memoir into a dreary movie

"Hillbilly Elegy," J.D. Vance's 2016 memoir, won praise for its insight into the forgotten folk whose poverty and hopelessness prompted them to embrace Donald Trump as a political force. That sociology aspect is mostly lost in Netflix's dreary movie adaptation, which focuses on one family trapped in a circular pattern of dysfunction, and how the son escaped it.

Billy Barrett: Responsible Adult star 'honoured' by International Emmys win

The 13-year-old wins best actor and says it's "crazy" to be the youngest to triumph at the event.

Jennifer Grey talks 'Dirty Dancing 2' without Patrick Swayze

The "Dirty Dancing" sequel is special to star Jennifer Grey, but she's well aware it won't be the same without Patrick Swayze.

I'm A Celebrity: The truth behind the Bushtucker trials

Reports suggest celebrities are allowed to rehearse their Bushtucker trials. What is the truth?

Archie Lyndhurst's parents say final farewell to 'dearest boy'

The funeral of the CBBC star and son of actor Nicholas Lyndhurst took place on Monday.

Lifestyle

An Ethiopian Boutique Showcasing Artisanal Design

Anna Getaneh opened African Mosaique almost four years ago in a home her father had built where she spent some of her childhood years.

Danish Hygge Is So Last Year. Say Hello to Swedish Mys.

The essence of mys is the feeling of warmth. And the best city to stock up on mys-making supplies is Stockholm.

Discovering Vintage Madrid

When the pandemic temporarily closed El Rastro, the city’s sprawling street market, neighboring shops had a chance to shine.

7 New Books to Watch For in December

There’s a new novel from Jane Smiley and biographies of the English suffragist Sylvia Pankhurst and Louise Fitzhugh, the creator of “Harriet the Spy.”

In Buenos Aires, Shops Where Sophistication and Tradition Meet

You’ll find everything from handmade Quichua blankets to world-renowned leather polo boots.

The Museums of Paris: A Source for Gifts Inspired by the Past

Although a new lockdown has made it more challenging, browsing at museum shops is still an option, thanks to the internet.

For Bangles, I Head to Hyderabad

This Indian city’s Laad Bazaar has been selling handmade lacquer jewelry for generations. It’s where brides shop.

Sports

The next Lionel Messi or Cristiano Ronaldo? Don't bet against Erling Haaland

The scoring rates of Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo have blown almost every previous record out the water, and have set a high bar for the next generation of attackers.

7 Places Where the Slopes Are Less Skied

These under-the-radar resorts offer plenty of room to turn, and plenty of challenge amid a winter of social distancing.

College Football Teams Change Thanksgiving Traditions Amid Pandemic

Some of the shifts come as universities deal with the prospect of students traveling during the surging coronavirus.

Australian Open 'likely' to be postponed by 'one or two weeks'

Next year's Australian Open will "likely" be postponed by "one or two weeks," according to an announcement by the state government in Victoria, Australia on Wednesday.