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    Wes Streeting’s shock as he is compared to Elon Musk

    Wes Streeting appeared shocked when he was compared to Elon Musk during a live TV interview on Wednesday, 13 November.The health secretary appeared on Sky News to detail government plans to name and shame failing NHS hospitals in league tables.Managers will be sacked if they cannot improve patient care and take control of finances in a package of measures aimed at tackling poor performance.When asked if he and the billionaire X owner share similar sentiments towards driving government efficiency, Mr Streeting laughed: “That was not the comparison I was expecting this morning.” More

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    Oil and gas are gift of god, Azerbaijan president tells climate summit

    Your support helps us to tell the storyFrom reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it’s investigating the financials of Elon Musk’s pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, ‘The A Word’, which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.Your support makes all the difference.CloseRead moreOil and gas are a “gift of god”, Azerbaijan’s president Ilham Aliyev has told the Cop29 climate conference – which is country is hosting. Speaking to delegates at the United Nations summit, held in the capital city of Baku, Mr Aliyev defended his nation’s oil and gas resources. He added that “countries should not be blamed for having [oil and gas] and should not be blamed for bringing the resources to the market, because the market needs them”.“Azerbaijan’s share in global gas emissions is only 0.1 per cent” he told the conference.The declaration stunned many at the summit, where global leaders, thousands of delegates and campaigners have assembled to push for a transition away from fossil fuel. Azerbaijan’s role as the host was already under scanner. Before the start of the summit, recordings highlighted in a report by the BBC allegedly showed the chief executive of Azerbaijan’s Cop29 team, Elnur Soltanov, discussing “investment opportunities” in the state oil and gas company with a man posing as a potential investor.”We have a lot of gas fields that are to be developed,” he appears to say. Azerbaijan’s Cop29 team have not commented on the allegations.However, Mr Aliyev said “western fake news media” was unfairly targeting the country. Participating world leaders and delegates pose for a family photo during the United Nations Climate Change Conference (Cop29) in Baku More

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    Keir Starmer dodges questions over Donald Trump climate fears at Cop29 summit

    Sir Keir Starmer appeared to dodge questions over President-elect Donald Trump’s climate fears at the Cop29 summit.The prime minister was asked how he plans to work with the new US president on climate change, when he previously described the crisis as a “hoax”.Sir Keir appeared to dodge the question during an interview on Tuesday (12 November), instead insisting that the UK will show leadership to tackle the climate crisis.Trump has threatened to pull the US out of the Paris Agreement once more to curb global warming.When pressed again on Trump’s views on climate change, Sir Keir said: “I look forward to working with President Trump.” More

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    Defence secretary dismisses suggestion Farage could help government with Trump

    Defence secretary John Healey dismissed a suggestion that Nigel Farage could assist the government in its relationship with Donald Trump.The Reform UK leader has offered to be “useful as an interlocutor” between the Labour and the president-elect as they have “a great relationship” and knows people he believes will be in Mr Trump’s administration for “quite a long time”.When asked if Mr Farage would be the “bridge that unifies the two countries,” Mr Healey replied: “The important relationship which has already been started and established is between [Sir] Keir Starmer and President-elect Trump.” More

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    UK could be spared from Trump’s tariffs because of Brexit, says US governor

    The UK could be spared from Donald Trump’s tariffs raise because of Brexit, a US governor has said.Trump has said he wants to raise tariffs on goods from around the world by 10 percent, rising to 60 percent on goods from China, as part of his plan to protect US industries.Governor of New Jersey Phil Murphy believes the UK could be exempt because of Brexit.Speaking to Sky News on Saturday (9 November), he said: “I have a gut feeling that he looks at the UK’s move out of the European Union, which by the way I have to say was a huge mistake from my perspective, but from his perspective I think its’ ‘These guys have the courage to pull out of this big bureaucratic blob and I Donald Trump have some sympathy with the renegade who does that’ and I think that’s a card that can be played.” More

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    Putin describes Trump in one word as he breaks silence on Republican’s election victory

    Russian leader Vladimir Putin described Donald Trump in one word as he spoke publically for the first time about the Republican’s election victory.Putin said he had been “impressed” by Trump, before describing him as “courageous” concerning the assassination attempt on the president-elect at a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania.On Thursday (7 November), Putin said: “In his first term as president he was dubbed mostly a businessman, but his behavior when there was an attempt on his life, I was impressed, he is a courageous person.Trump’s win has raised tensions, especially in Ukraine, where Moscow’s forces have made swift advances, supported by North Korean troops stationed in Russia’s Kursk region. More

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    Foreign secretary dismisses past criticism of Donald Trump in first interview since Republican’s victory

    Foreign secretary David Lammy has dismissed his past criticism of Donald Trump in his first interview since the Republican’s election victory.Mr Lammy previously described the president-elect as a “woman-hating, neo-Nazi-sympathising sociopath”.In his first interview since Trump’s victory, he appeared on BBC’s Newscast podcast to discuss the future of the UK’s relationship with the US.Lammy said he sees Trump as “someone that we can build a relationship with in our national interest”.The foreign secretary also praised Trump’s election campaign as “very well run”. More

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    Labour minister struggles to name any benefits of Trump election win in awkward Question Time grilling

    A Labour minister struggled to name any benefits of Donald Trump returning to the White House in an awkward Question Time grilling.The Minister for Industry, Sara Jones was asked about the Republican’s historic win repeatedly by host Fiona Bruce when she appeared on the show on Thursday evening (7 November).Discussing trade between the UK and the US, the BBC host stepped in to tell her: “None of that is specific to Trump?”Ms Bruce added: “Can you not think of any benefits?” More