Today in Focus

Donald Trump’s $10bn defamation lawsuit against the BBC has been granted permission to proceed, after the corporation’s attempt to get it dismissed was thrown out by a Trump-appointed Florida judge. The case focuses on an edit in a 2024 Panorama documentary that spliced two comments together that were made by the president during a rally before the January 6 Capitol riots, for which the BBC has ap...

Multiple women allege David Walliams abused his power and position as a celebrity to prey on them for sexual purposes when they were young women, an investigation by the Guardian and ITV News has found. He denies the allegations. Maeve McClenaghan reports. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/infocus

Last month, Melania Trump helped broker a temporary ceasefire that allowed hundreds of Ukrainians to be evacuated from Oleshky. But as talks on ending the war resume in Abu Dhabi, what are the prospects for a more lasting peace?. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/infocus

Russell Brand, once an award-winning comedian and Hollywood actor, has been sentenced to more than 10 years in prison for rape and sexual assault. The judge paid tribute to the ‘determination and bravery’ of the women who came forward in the case, and described Brand as a sexual predator of ‘staggering arrogance’. Police are investigating two further additional rape allegations and have urged all...

A crisis in post-adoption support in England is making some adoptive parents feel they have nowhere to turn when things go wrong. Jessica Murray reports. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/infocus

Today’s political conversation is dominated by one topic above all: race. The Guardian columnist Nesrine Malik has been way ahead of the pack in diagnosing how immigrants, their children and grandchildren are reshaping not just politics but western societies. On the latest episode of Radical Thinking with Aditya Chakrabortty, Nesrine talks about where never-ending culture wars and real wars in the...

Global tech stocks have plunged after the Democrats’ victory in the US midterm elections, with fears of a slowdown in AI development. Major tech corporations including Apple, Tesla and Nvidia shed about $1tn in a single trading session. Is this stock market jitters, or a sign the AI bubble might be about to burst? Lucy Hough speaks to senior economics correspondent Richard Partington – watch on Yo...

In the decades he’s spent on our screens, Russell Brand’s been a comedian, an actor, a presenter and a political anarchist. Now he has been convicted of rape and sexual assaults. Emine Sinmaz reports. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/infocus

Andy Burnham has asked countries affected by Britain’s role in slavery to help shape a formal apology through a ‘structured dialogue’. During the prime minister’s visit to the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in Antigua and Barbuda, Downing Street said affected countries would play an indispensable role in crafting an enduring message. Though the plans for talks were received positively, t...

Journalist Molly Ball reports from Washington DC after the Republicans’ resounding midterms defeat. Will the party finally distance itself from Donald Trump? And what will the Democrats do with the power they’ve just gained? Send your comments and questions to tif.questions@theguardian.com . Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/infocus

Democrats have won a historic sweep in the US midterm elections, winning back control of Congress in a major setback for Donald Trump. Senate seats went blue in traditional Republican strongholds such as Texas, South Carolina and Kansas, where the Democrats had their first win since 1932. Voters have sent a strong message of discontent to the Trump administration over the economy, the cost of livi...

North Korea is said to be behind the theft from the crypto exchange Binance. How did they pull it off and what will they do with the money? Kalyeena Makortoff and Jean H Lee report . Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/infocus

Supermarket fridges and freezers in several European countries have malfunctioned after a reported cyber-attack, with their thermostats remotely cranked up. It is unclear who is behind the latest apparent attack but the EU has condemned what it said was ‘a deliberate attempt to disrupt our food supply’. It comes as the UK’s cybersecurity body warns AI-powered malicious software is ‘highly likely’...

The UAE’s spymaster is also one of the richest financiers on the planet. Now he has his sights on AI dominance. Jack Shenker explores the sheikh’s shadowy world. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/infocus

Democratic congresswoman Haley Stevens has endorsed the Republican candidate for the Senate after a spat with her party’s own candidate in Michigan, Abdul El-Sayed. The endorsement stunned Stevens’s Democrat colleagues, with one calling it a ‘despicable betrayal’ on the eve of the midterm elections. So what will it mean for the race? Lucy Hough speaks to US southern bureau chief and host of Anywhe...

What happens when Elon Musk and a bunch of tech bros try to rip up the US government? Journalist Michael Lewis – the author of Moneyball and of The Big Short – talks to Nosheen Iqbal about his new book Blockers, which tracks the story of the civil servants who stood up to Elon Musk’s ‘department of government efficiency’ as it tried to dismantle the US government. Send your comments and questions...

What if someone told you the truth about the economy? For years, governments have tried spending more, spending less, cutting red tape, Brexit, levelling up – and still failed to increase growth per person in the UK. So what’s the lesson from the great British fairytale? On the latest episode of Radical Thinking with Aditya Chakrabortty, rebel economists Karel Williams and Sukhdev Johal explain wh...

Tributes have poured in for Patrick Stewart, who has died aged 86. The distinguished actor had a long and varied career that began on stage with the Royal Shakespeare Company before going on to global stardom on the screen in the Star Trek and X-Men franchises. Stewart was born in Yorkshire in 1940, and had spoken of a challenging childhood marred by alcoholism and domestic violence – something he...

Washington bureau chief David Smith reports from Texas, where the Democrats are hopeful of a stunning victory that could also signal a much wider defeat for Trump in the midterms. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/infocus

Spain has begun three days of mourning after at least 69 people were killed and more than 100 were injured in a crash between two high-speed trains. The town of Urda has become the site of a major operation, as emergency services continue to search through the wreckage and relatives wait for news of their loved ones. There is growing public anger over the incident, which is the second fatal train...

After two years of protests, a student-led movement has defeated Serbia’s authoritarian leader, Aleksander Vučić, at the ballot box. But can a leaderless movement govern a country? Send your comments and questions to tif.questions@theguardian.com. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/infocus

In his first budget as chancellor, John Healey has pledged to offer ‘breathing space’ to help Britons navigate ‘global economic storms’. There were a record number of measures, including a one-off £100 energy payment to millions and a rise in the levy on bank profits. But the Conservatives have criticised the government for postponing big decisions, including on defence and welfare. Lucy Hough spe...

Food security expert Prof Tim Lang and prepper and YouTube influencer Ana talk about the government’s new campaign encouraging the public to store three days’ worth of basic supplies. Send your comments and questions to tif.questions@theguardian.com . Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/infocus

Harry Kane is the men’s Ballon d’Or winner for 2026, the first Englishman to win the trophy in 25 years. At a lavish ceremony at the Palladium Theatre in London, Kane unexpectedly won ahead of co-favourites Lamine Yamal of Barcelona and Kylian Mbappé of Real Madrid. In a contest that has been critiqued for promoting individualism and celebrity in sport, Lucy Hough speaks to the Guardian’s chief sp...

It’s being called the most consequential election in Israel’s history. Emma Graham-Harrison explains what’s at stake. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/infocus