Met Office

Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya's Office met with human rights defenders to discuss the safety of Belarusians and the accountability of Alexander Lukashenko's regime for ongoing repression. The talks focused on documenting abuses and protecting those targeted inside Belarus and in exile. Rights groups have long pressed for international accountability mechanisms over political persecution in the country.

Weather maps indicate a -1C cold snap is on the way, with temperatures across every part of the UK falling into single digits. The forecast, reported alongside Met Office guidance, suggests a widespread chill is approaching, prompting interest in how cold it will get and when the wintry conditions will arrive.

Several Dutch public authorities are already working with a digitally autonomous workplace: a sovereign alternative to Windows and Office built on Linux. The initiative, covered by Tweakers, is framed as a step toward digital sovereignty, reducing dependence on American software vendors. Tech commentators are discussing which governments are involved and whether the approach could scale to other public institutions.

Geoff Freeman, president and CEO of the U.S. Travel Association, met with President Donald Trump in the Oval Office to discuss matters affecting the American travel industry. The meeting drew attention within the travel sector, where industry leaders are focused on issues such as international visitor numbers, visa policy, and the economic contribution of tourism to the U.S. economy. Details of what was discussed have not been fully disclosed, but the high-level access signals the industry's priorities are reaching the White House.

Candidates running for Michigan secretary of state met to discuss election security and their priorities for the office. The conversation comes as the state remains a key battleground, making the official who oversees elections a closely watched role. Candidates outlined differing approaches to protecting vote administration and the office's broader duties ahead of the election.

A Metropolitan Police officer has been charged as part of an investigation connected to Charing Cross police station in London. The charge follows ongoing scrutiny of the force, which has faced previous misconduct scandals linked to that station. Details of the specific allegations have not been added beyond the charge itself, and the case is likely to proceed through the courts.

The London Evening Standard looks back at how the last Super El Niño affected the capital, including Storm Katie and Met Office warnings, and asks what a similar event could mean for London this winter. The piece explores whether the climate pattern could bring stronger storms and unusual weather to the UK in the coming months.

The Met Office has published an El Niño outlook warning of increased flood risk for the UK. The forecast suggests the climate pattern could bring wetter conditions to Britain in the coming months, prompting calls for households and authorities to prepare for potential flooding.

Scotland Yard says officers have arrested a 14-year-old boy suspected of phone theft as part of a wider Metropolitan Police crackdown on phone snatching across London. Footage of the moment of arrest has drawn attention to the scale of phone theft in the capital and to the young age of some of those suspected of carrying it out.