europe

Starlink has recently denied restricting internet speeds but Elon Musk suggested the US military could be behind it.

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has said that speed restrictions by Starlink’s military-grade internet service had aided a wave of deadly Russian attacks across Ukraine.

Two people were killed on Saturday in a Russian drone attack on what Ukrainian officials called “critical infrastructure” in the northern Koriukivka region.

An energy facility was also hit in Odesa overnight on Sunday, leaving 41,000 households without electricity, Ukraine’s DTEK energy provider said in a Telegram statement.

Ukraine’s army said it shot down 106 of 132 Russian drones launched overnight.

Zelenskyy posted on X that Russia was targeting energy substations with Shahed drones, which both sides commonly attack each other with.

“And many of these strikes are getting through because restrictions on the operating speed of Starshield terminals along the front line and in the temporarily occupied territories are still there,” he posted, citing Starlink’s sister company and reiterating accusations that it was throttling internet speeds and hampering military operations.

The president said on Saturday that the internet restrictions had been in place for five days and that Starlink reported technical problems, but Ukraine does “not believe that is the case”.

It is the second such outage in recent weeks. Starlink, owned by US billionaire Elon Musk’s SpaceX, has denied restricting internet speeds. Last month, Musk said the United States government controls Starshield.

Tit-for-tat attacks

Russia’s Defence Ministry said on Sunday that it launched attacks targeting Ukraine’s military airfields, munitions depots and other military facilities.

Authorities also said that an electrical engineer was killed and four others were injured in Russia’s Taganrog region after Ukrainian drones attacked the area on Sunday.

Six people were injured in a drone attack in Nizhnekamsk, local officials said. The city, as well as the wider Trans-Kama region of Tatarstan, reported heavy Ukrainian attacks on industrial facilities and a residential building earlier on Sunday.

US negotiators concluded visits to both countries in recent days in attempts to secure a ceasefire, despite tensions between Washington and Kyiv over Ukrainian attacks on Russian oil refineries.

Zelenskyy said the US floated the idea of Ukraine withdrawing its remaining forces from the eastern Donbas region in exchange for NATO membership.

Russia’s President Vladimir Putin is due to meet President Donald Trump and China’s President Xi Jinping in the Chinese city of Shenzhen this week – but Ukraine is not on the agenda. Analysts have compared the meeting to the Yalta conference of 1945, which saw the US, UK and former Soviet Union divide Germany and establish the United Nations.

However, in a statement on Sunday, Ukraine’s Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha, dismissed Russia’s longstanding proposal to revise Europe’s security architecture.

“Putin is throwing around ideas about reshaping the European security order. In his dreams, he sees himself in Yalta in 1945. The problem is that to put forward ideas of this magnitude, you first need to win a world war,” he said.

Secret votes, coloured ballot papers, straw polls and backroom efforts to force a consensus — with the threat of powerful vetoes hanging over it all. These could be the contours of how boards of mubil-billion dollar corporations decide on contentious issues.

It’s also the way the United Nations picks its secretary-general, the person at the apex of a vast and sprawling machinery tasked with upholding fast-fraying international laws and practices.

That process is now barrelling towards a tense climax, with the UN Security Council holding multiple straw polls in a bid to select its new secretary-general by December 31, when incumbent Antonio Guterres must step down.

Eight candidates are in the fray — from Costa Rica’s Rebeca Grynspan, the head of the UN Conference on Trade and Development, the organisation’s trade body, and Rafael Grossi, the head of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), to Lana Nusseibeh, the United Arab Emirates minister of state for foreign affairs.

The UNSC recommends a candidate who gets nine votes without a veto from its five permanent members. The process ends after the UN General Assembly (UNGA) gives its seal of approval to that candidate.

Here’s what we know:

Who chooses the secretary-general?

In effect, the 15-member UNSC chooses the UN chief.

The council has five permanent members – China, France, Russia, the United Kingdom, and the United States – who hold veto power.

Ten elected non-permanent members also make up the council. Bahrain, Colombia, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Denmark, Greece, Latvia, Liberia, Pakistan, Panama, and Somalia are the current UNSC members — non permanent members are elected by rotation every two years.

According to Article 97 of the UN Charter, the UNSC decides on a candidate and recommends them to the UNGA for a vote by all members.

There has never been a time when the council has picked a candidate who was voted down by the assembly, meaning that while, in theory, everyone has a say, the assembly have never gone against the 15-member security council. And because the five permanent members wield a veto, the secretary-general in effect is chosen by them, once they’ve convinced the non-permanent members.

However, one time, in 1950, the UNGA voted to extend the term of the then secretary-general without the UNSC’s recommendation after a deadlock in the council.

How does the Security Council make its choice?

The council holds informal, anonymous polls, also known as straw polls, on whether the members “encourage”, “discourage”, or “have no opinion” about a candidate.

Although it is expected to be secret, the number of encourage, discourage, or no-opinion votes is often leaked.

In later rounds of voting, coloured paper ballots are used to distinguish between the UNSC’s permanent members and the 10 elected members, providing a clearer sense of where members are leaning.

Once a straw poll confirms that a candidate has at least nine “encourage” votes and no vetoes against them, the council holds a formal vote to recommend them to the UNGA, which is expected to endorse that nomination.

Jane Kinninmont, CEO of United Nations Association UK, an independent, non-governmental organisation, explained that the process to select a candidate has traditionally been “closed and secretive” but has become more open as a result of campaigning by civil society groups and member states.

“However, the Security Council continues to guard its secrecy tightly – part of a political culture that many other countries regard as outmoded,” Kinninmont told Al Jazeera.

“One of the stated reasons is that no country wants to have a situation where it votes for one candidate, but another candidate actually is appointed and resents them for not voting for them,” she said.

Al Jazeera’s UN correspondent, Gabriel Elizondo, also explained that the secrecy behind the selection was just due to the way the system was set up.

“Now, there have been some talks in recent years, including this year, about trying to make the process more transparent in the Security Council, but the five permanent members just want to keep it the way that it is,” he said.

Who are the candidates this year?

Eight candidates are currently running to become secretary-general, after some dropped out earlier in the race.

Two leading candidates are IAEA chief Grossi from Argentina and Costa Rican Rebeca Grynspan, the UNCTAD head.

Grynspan, who, if successful, could become the first woman and first Jewish person to lead the UN, played a key role in brokering the Black Sea Grain Initiative between Russia and Ukraine in 2022. The deal allowed for millions of tonnes of food to be exported from war-torn Ukraine, much of which went to developing nations.

Grossi has headed the UN nuclear agency since 2019, and has been at the centre of the UN’s efforts to prevent nuclear escalations between Russia and Ukraine, amid their ongoing war. But Grossi has also faced criticism, especially from Iran, over perceptions that some of his reports critiquing Tehran’s nuclear programme helped serve as pretext that the US and Israel used to attack Iran.

The other candidates include:

• Maria Fernanda Espinosa Garces (Former UNGA chief, Ecuador)
• Lana Zaki Nusseibeh (UAE minister of state at the Foreign Ministry )
• Feridun Hadi Sinirlioglu (Organization for Security and Co-operation chief, Turkiye)
• Carolyn Rodrigues Birkett (Guyana’s ambassador to the UN)
• Ivonne A-Baki (Politician, Ecuador)
• Olara Otunnu (Politician, Uganda)

What’s happened in the 2026 straw polls so far?

Eight polls have been held so far, but no consensus has emerged on a candidate who has received no discouraging votes.

According to the 1 for 8 Billion campaign, supported by organisations and individuals worldwide to call for a fair, open, and inclusive selection process for Guterres’s job, the eighth poll had Grynspan leading.

Last week’s poll saw Grynspan receive 12 encourage votes and three discourage votes.

In second place, Grossi received nine encourage votes, four discourage votes, and two no-opinion votes. He was followed by Birkett, who received eight encourage votes, five discourage votes, and two no-opinion votes.

While it is unclear how the permanent members voted and whether any had used a veto, candidates need zero discourage votes from them to secure the nomination.

According to Kinninmont, there is “growing resentment” about the five permanent members of the council using their vetoes that have often led to a paralysed council.

“The appointment of the SG is a different issue from any single conflict, but ultimately this person is supposed to be the world’s leading defender of the UN Charter and a spokesperson for the peoples of the world, in whose name the charter is written,” she said.

“Thus, it seems hard to defend the idea that any single power should be able to veto a candidate even if that candidate has the support of the majority of other countries on the Security Council and indeed a majority of the countries in the world.”

On more powers for the General Assembly in the selection process, Elizondo said that while there is talk of reforming the system, it would mean the permanent members would have to give up some of their power.

“None of them want to give up their power because, essentially, the truth is, while the United Nations is made up of 193 member states, it’s really the five permanent members (the US, Russia, China, France, and the UK) that really have the overwhelming amount of power to select who the next Secretary General is,” he said.

What happens if no one is picked by December 31?

It’s unclear.

There is nothing in the UN Charter about what happens if no candidate is picked before Guterres’s term ends.

The UNSC has some options if it is struggling to decide on a pick, including recommending a candidate for a shorter term or compromising on a candidate, as it did in 1996 to select Kofi Annan after a deadlock.

Member states could also let a senior UN official oversee operations in the meantime.

According to Elizondo, Guterres has also been asked if he would stay on if no secretary-general was selected.

“He gives a pretty noncommittal answer. He says as of January 1, he hopes to be and expects to be back home in Portugal. What would happen? Nobody knows because that’s never happened before,” Elizondo said.

Kinninmont said one way of achieving a more “transparent and democratic process” in selecting a candidate could be for the Security Council to agree on two or three candidates and the General Assembly to vote on those.

Democratic Republic of the Congo and Rwanda clash over who should lead the organisation of French-speaking nations.

Leaders of the Organisation internationale de la Francophonie (OIF) are meeting in Cambodia amid a dispute between the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and Rwanda over who should lead the association of French-speaking nations, which threatens to split the group.

The OIF is holding a three-day summit in the Cambodian capital, Phnom Penh, through Monday. A loose confederation of 90 states and governments where French is spoken or widely used, the OIF has 53 full members, five associate members and 32 observers.

French President Emmanuel Macron, who chaired the last summit in 2024 and will hand the chair to Cambodia, arrived on Saturday and met Prime Minister Hun Manet, The Associated Press news agency reported.

About 20 leaders are expected, including Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney, Vietnamese President To Lam, Rwandan President Paul Kagame and DRC President Felix Tshisekedi.

A fight over the top job

On Monday, leaders will choose the organisation’s next secretary-general for a four-year term.

Rwanda’s Louise Mushikiwabo, who has led the OIF since 2018, is seeking a third term.

The DRC, however, which accuses Rwanda of backing the M23 armed group in the country’s east, has threatened to leave the OIF if she is re-elected. Congo, the United States and United Nations experts say Rwanda backs the M23, one of about 100 armed groups in the mineral-rich region.

Rwanda denies the allegations.

On Saturday, the DRC withdrew its candidate, Juliana Lumumba, the daughter of independence hero Patrice Lumumba, and backed Romanian former Prime Minister Dacian Ciolos to allow “consensus around a unifying candidacy”.

Rwanda’s foreign minister, Olivier Nduhungirehe, said Mushikiwabo would stay in the race. Mauritania’s Coumba Ba, a former minister, is also running, the AFP news agency reported.

Macron’s office said that most members agreed on the need for consensus and that he would take it up with his African counterparts. France is the biggest contributor to the OIF’s 2026 budget of 71.7 million euros ($79m).

Rwanda has said Macron asked Kagame to withdraw its candidate and that Kigali refused, AFP reported.

The DRC has a population of more than 110 million, roughly 40 million more than France, and is the most populous country where French is an official language. Its exit would be a blow to the organisation, which lost Mali, Niger and Burkina Faso, which announced their withdrawals in March 2025 following suspensions over military coups.

Cambodia in the spotlight

The summit’s slogan is “Reinvest in Peace for Shared Prosperity and Lasting Stability”. Activists see it as a chance to press Cambodia, a de facto one-party state, on rights.

UN Special Rapporteur Tom Andrews urged delegates to press for the release of detained activists. “No one should be detained for defending human rights, reporting on matters of public concern, or voicing critical opinions,” he said.

Macron arrived as France faces widespread protests at home. He is due to visit the Angkor World Heritage Site on Monday before leaving for Malaysia.

Rasmus Hojlund stars with brace as Denmark close in on a spot in the Nations League quarterfinals.

Portugal have been hammered 1-4 by Denmark, an embarrassing Nations League defeat in their first match without Cristiano Ronaldo, following the superstar forward’s retirement from international football.

Rasmus Hojlund starred with a superb brace on Saturday as second place Denmark close in on a spot in the quarterfinals with a brilliant display in Braga.

The Danes are on nine points from five fixtures, three behind Portugal, who were already sure of qualification for the last eight having won all four of their previous group fixtures.

A draw against third-placed Norway on Tuesday, 3-1 winners over Wales earlier, will see Denmark through.

Ahead of kickoff, Portugal paid tribute to Ronaldo, who announced his exit from the international game last week, with the team and mascots walking out wearing Ronaldo’s number seven and his name on their jerseys.

Fans held up a huge banner that read “Thank you, captain” as the teams entered the field, while applause rolled around the stadium once the match clock hit seven.

Ronaldo made his debut for Portugal in 2003 and went on to establish world records for goals and appearances in international football, netting 146 times in 234 matches.

The highlight of his international career was winning Euro 2016, but it ended badly when the 41-year-old fell out with Portugal coach Jorge Jesus over not being selected for a Nations League fixture in September.

That row led to the five-time Ballon d’Or winner being handed a 30-day suspension by the Portuguese football federation and his subsequent retirement, and Portugal, in a dismal display, looked like they needed prime Ronaldo.

Denmark were the better team from the first minute, and it was no surprise when the away team went in at the break thanks to Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg’s spot-kick in the 43rd minute.

Hojlund lashed home a brilliant volley four minutes after the restart, and seven minutes later left the home crowd shell-shocked with a strike of which Ronaldo would have been proud – the Napoli striker skipped past Ruben Dias before crashing home a powerful shot from the edge of the area.

Boos and whistles began to ring out at Estadio Municipal when Joachim Andersen headed in the fourth, and Bernardo Silva’s late consolation effort barely dampened the discontent.

Earlier on Saturday, Antonio Nusa opened the scoring for Norway just before the hour mark in Oslo with a fine low strike, before Andreas Schjelderup tapped home a perfect low cross from Erling Haaland, who rounded off the scoring from the penalty spot two minutes from time.

Wales briefly had hope of getting a result when David Brooks’s chipped finish halved the deficit in the 79th minute, but Craig Bellamy’s team will finish bottom of the group and risk being relegated to League B.

Zelenskyy rejected the possibility of Ukraine committing to neutrality and said he refused to cede territory to Russia.

US negotiators have floated the idea that Ukraine should cede parts of eastern Donbas in exchange for NATO membership, Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has said, after the latest rounds ⁠of Russia-Ukraine peace talks in Abu Dhabi and Ireland.

This is the first time the question of linking NATO membership to territorial concessions has been raised, Zelenskyy told reporters in remarks released by his office on Saturday.

“The Americans raised a question: ‘What if Ukraine joins NATO? Would Ukraine withdraw from ⁠Donbas?” he said. “That is why I believe NATO is back on the agenda.”

Zelenskyy said the parts of the Donbas region in eastern Ukraine the US asked about were areas Russia does not control. The Ukrainian president said he refused to cede territory.

“[Russian President Vladimir] Putin’s desire to change borders in Europe is a fact. I am sure this is part of his concept of revising security guarantees in Europe,” he said. “This is dangerous because, in my view, it is precisely things like this that lead to wars or escalations.”

Putin has long said that Ukrainian membership of NATO is a red line for Moscow, citing the issue as one reason for launching Russia’s full-blown invasion in 2022.

Zelenskyy did say that if Ukraine received a comprehensive package, including security guarantees, military and reconstruction funds, and a recovery plan from the US and other partners, he would put the question about ceding parts of Donbas to a national referendum.

“If the American side confirms precisely this to us, together with other NATO partners, then I will ask our Ukrainian society what it thinks: do we accept it or not?” Zelenskyy said.

He stressed that any arrangement would not involve recognising occupied territories as Russian. Zelenskyy also rejected the possibility of Ukraine committing to neutrality, saying that would require changing the country’s constitution.

“If Putin expects Ukraine’s neutrality to be enshrined, that’s not going to happen,” he said. “We’re not in NATO right now anyway.”

Despite the diplomatic push to end the conflict, Russia and Ukraine reported numerous overnight attacks. Russian officials reported on Friday that about 1,200 Ukrainian drones were fired at the country, with oil infrastructure among the targets, while Ukraine reported attacks on a hospital and the port of Odesa.

At the summit in Ireland over recent days, EU leaders agreed that Europe’s team for any Ukraine peace talks would comprise five major military powers – non-EU member Britain plus France, Germany, Italy and Poland – as well as EU officials. They would hold talks ‌with ‌US and Ukrainian officials, but not with Russia.

FORGET Victorian arcades or historic promenades – a seaside resort in Europe looks more like something from the future.

La Grande-Motte is a popular holiday destination with French locals.

The purpose-built seaside resort is futuristic-looking with unusual modernist buildings that look more like pyramids – in fact one is called The Great Pyramid.

It was designed by French architect Jean Balladur and constructed throughout the 1960s and 70s.

It’s considered one of Europe’s greenest resort towns, with more than 70 per cent of its area made up of trees, parks and gardens.

The triangular- shaped buildings which are a landmark of the resort are mostly residential now.

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But the area in Occitanie itself welcomes around two million tourists each year thanks to there being plenty to do.

During the summer, most visitors will flock to its coastline and La Grande-Motte has four miles of sandy beaches.

One that families will like is Plage du Point Zéro which is in the centre of the resort right by the 1960s modernist pyramid buildings.

Plage du Grand Travers is best for those looking for a more wild beach, it has sand but is backed by pine trees.

The huge 280-hectare lake called Étang du Ponant is ideal for water sports like water skiing, stand-up paddleboarding, jet skiing, parasailing and tubing.

There’s a large marina filled with sailboats, yachts and lined with pretty cafes, ice cream parlours and shops.

For those wanting to take to the water, catamaran cruises and coastal sailing trips can travel across to the Bay of Camargue.

The Camargue wetlands are known for their flamingos, white horses, and black bulls.

There’s a waterpark too called Espace Grand Bleu with both indoor and outdoor pools.

If the kids need entertaining, head to Ponant Aventure Park with a Tree-Top adventure course, zip-lining, play trails and playground.

At the seaside town are plenty of places to stay from five-star hotels, to family-friendly resorts and campsites.

One of the hotels called Hôtel Mercure La Grande Motte Port and rates start from £81.

Or the Golf Hotel from £89 which has an outdoor swimming pool, two hot tubs and a garden.

If camping is what you’d rather do then check out Maïana Resort Eurocamp with everything from swimming pools to kids clubs.

For seven-nights, this starts from £356.02 per party or £8.48pppn.

The easiest way for Brits to get to La Grande-Motte is to fly to Montpellier which can be done in less than two hours.

Fom there it’s a 40-minute drive to La Grande-Motte.

US President Donald Trump, China’s President Xi Jinping and Russia’s President Vladimir Putin will hold their first trilateral meeting on the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit in China’s Shenzhen, the White House has confirmed.

On Friday, Washington also confirmed Trump’s attendance at the summit, which will take place from November 18-19.

Talks will focus on nuclear proliferation, the White House said. But they come amid significant global turbulence: Russia’s war in Ukraine, the US-Israeli war on Iran and ongoing trade tensions between Washington and Beijing.

Not all the issues hold equal weight for the leaders, though. So what does each side want? Here’s what we know:

What’s on the agenda?

Each leader has his own priorities, but there are some issues all will want to discuss.

New nuclear treaty

A top issue for Russia and the US is the New Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (New START), which lapsed in February. The treaty was first signed in 2010 and caps US and Russian strategic nuclear arsenals.

Russia currently possesses the largest number of warheads, followed by the US and then China, which is rapidly building up its own arsenal.

Trump previously rejected Russia’s proposal to extend the treaty after it expired, demanding instead a “new, improved and modernised” deal that includes Beijing.

China is understood, however, to be reluctant to join an agreement it was not involved in forming.

A senior Trump administration official told Reuters this topic will start the conversation but that “we do not expect to get any kind of agreement”.

US-Israel war on Iran

Officials also say the world leaders will discuss the Iran war, which the US and Israel launched on February 28. While full-scale strikes have, for now, ceased, the conflict remains in a deadlock.

After more than 100 days, the critical Strait of Hormuz remains closed, and oil and gas prices are still volatile as ships in the strait continue to face Iranian strikes and seamines. One-third of China’s crude oil supply transited the strait before the war. The conflict is also hampering demand for Chinese exports.

Russia, meanwhile, has profited from rising energy prices and recent sanctions relief from Washington amid supply crunches – particularly of diesel.

China-US trade rivalry

Trade wars and the race to control microchips used to power artificial intelligence are straining relations between Beijing and Washington.

Trump hit China with a 145 percent tax hike last year, while Beijing retaliated by imposing 125 percent levies on US imports. Tensions mounted further over China’s restrictions on exports of rare earth minerals needed to manufacture advanced chips and other technology.

The two countries have since reduced tariffs and struck several deals following Trump and Xi’s meetings in South Korea and Washington However, the recent scandal at chip firm Nvidia has prompted the US to allege that China was spying on CEO Jensen Huang. Beijing denies this.

Will the Ukraine war be discussed?

It is very unlikely. A Trump administration official told reporters the US president will not bring up Russia’s war on Ukraine, although Kremlin officials previously suggested the conflict could be discussed.

China, an ally of Moscow’s, has said the Ukraine war is a European issue.

US officials also note that Washington is pursuing peace talks, with US envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner visiting both Ukraine and Russia this week. “China is not really a part of that track, so it doesn’t seem appropriate to have the Ukraine discussion there,” an official told reporters.

President Trump has accused Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy of “not wanting” to end the war, while Kyiv has reiterated allegations that the US has restricted its Starlink satellite connection that allows it to operate attack drones. Trump has also blamed Ukraine for soaring diesel prices because of its strikes on Russian oil facilities.

At the same time, Trump has feted Putin, agreed to allow Russian diesel into global and US markets, and lifted oil sanctions on Moscow.

What does each side want from this meeting?

Russia

For President Putin, the meeting could provide a positive photo opportunity and a platform to project power while sidelining the Ukraine conflict, analysts say.

It will give him a “first among equals” position that he can display at home to show that he can influence Europe’s security architecture following the Ukraine war, Alexander Bratersky, a Moscow-based journalist and political analyst, told Al Jazeera.

China

Beijing has already been pushing for a resolution to the US war on Iran, which has impacted its own energy supplies.

China will also want to avoid being pulled into a nuclear treaty it had no part in establishing.

Last month, China’s Foreign Ministry said it would be “neither fair, reasonable nor realistic to ask China to join the so-called trilateral nuclear disarmament negotiations at this stage”.

US

Trump’s priority is to include both China and Russia in a new nuclear proliferation treaty, according to administration officials. “The president has made it clear that, among other topics, he will discuss the reduction of nuclear weapons in the world. This proliferation, President Trump believes, is very dangerous,” Olivia Wales, a White House spokesperson, told reporters.

The president could also use the meeting to project his administration’s diplomatic influence, as Iran refuses to capitulate to US demands for ending the war and hand Washington a win.

Trump has also sought closer ties with Xi, Putin and North Korea’s Kim Jong Un, all seen as “strongmen”, and is likely to be perceived as influential in such circles, analysts say.

However, his Republican Party’s crushing defeat in midterm elections last week could undermine his leverage, experts note, as a new Democrat-led Congress is likely to support Ukraine more staunchly.

Is this the start of a new Yalta?

Pyotr Tolstoy, chairman of the Russian parliament’s foreign affairs committee said it could lead to a “new Yalta”.

The 1945 conference in Yalta, in the then Soviet Union, saw USSR President Joseph Stalin, the US’s Franklin D Roosevelt, and the United Kingdom’s Winston Churchill divide Germany and establish the United Nations in what was seen as the template for a new world order.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov, called the trilateral meeting now taking place between the leaders of the US, China and Russia as “extremely significant” but pointed out that any agreements reached at the meeting cannot be imposed on other nations.

The British government’s “Be Ready” campaign has caused a rush on tinned goods, bringing back memories of the COVID-19 pandemic when supermarkets ran dangerously low on toilet paper and online vendors were price-gouging on the internet.

In the 10 days since the campaign urging citizens in England and Wales to be ready for a national emergency was launched on October 22, sales of bottled water have risen by 67 percent; tinned and jarred food by 37 percent; and hand sanitiser by 83 percent, according to retail research firm Worldpanel by Numerator. Wind-up radios, torches and power banks have also sold out at several retailers.

British Defence Secretary Wes Streeting, the campaign’s most prominent public face, says the government wants people to be “alert but not alarmed”. So what is Be Ready, why now, and is it really necessary?

What is ‘Be Ready’?

Be Ready is a three-year public information campaign being run by the Cabinet Office. Its launch on October 22 marked its first stage.

The government is asking households in England and Wales to make sure they would be able to cope on their own for 72 hours if electricity, water, phone and internet services all fail in the event of a national emergency. The idea is that emergency services can then focus on people who require more urgent assistance.

The campaign’s website features a checklist, starting with bottled water and long-life food that does not need to be kept in a fridge, such as tinned food, dried fruit and nuts.

It also recommends having a torch, spare batteries, a charged power bank and a wind-up or battery-powered radio, along with cash in case card payments go down, a first aid kit, medication, warm clothing and blankets to hand.

The new website covers England and Wales. Scotland and Northern Ireland receive their own advice through Ready Scotland and NI Direct.

More than 500 organisations, including charities, businesses and faith and community groups, have signed up to spread the message.

Official household preparedness guidance has existed since May 2024. What is new is the push to get people to act on it.

What’s this all for?

Officially, the focus of the campaign is to ensure households can get through “everyday emergencies” such as storms, floods, wildfires and burst water pipes. The campaign follows months of heatwaves, drought and fires across the United Kingdom this summer.

The government also highlights how unprepared Britons say they are. In a Cabinet Office survey this year, only 13 percent said their household was largely or totally prepared for an emergency, while 84 percent wanted more advice from the government.

Independent research points the same way. A 2025 survey of 931 people by Bournemouth University’s Disaster Management Centre, part of its EM-PREPARE project, found that only 52 percent felt they understood the hazards they faced, and 21 percent said they were not aware of the risks at all. The same study found that 81 percent were willing to do more to prepare.

In September, the National Audit Office, the UK’s spending watchdog, warned of threats facing Britain’s food supply chain.

The security backdrop features, too. Ministers have linked the campaign to the risk of cyberattacks and hostile state activity against critical infrastructure. On Remembrance Day, Defence Minister Lord Coaker said the 13 percent figure was exactly why the campaign had been launched.

The UK is also catching up with its neighbours. The European Commission’s Preparedness Union Strategy, adopted in March 2025, recommends that people be able to cope alone for at least 72 hours. Sweden posted 5.2 million copies of its crisis-preparedness brochure to households in November 2024, and Finland, Poland and the Czech Republic run similar campaigns.

What has the response been?

Shoppers in England and Wales have acted fast and enthusiastically. Supermarket chain Iceland said sales of tinned products rose 40 percent over the first weekend. Tinned-food producer Princes reported particularly high demand for tuna, meat and vegetables.

Worldpanel found the equivalent of 400,000 extra people a day bought tinned meat immediately after the launch.

Meanwhile, Canned Food UK, part of the Metal Packaging Manufacturers Association, has launched a consumer campaign featuring TV chef and author Theo Michaels, who demonstrates how to use canned food in tasty recipes.

The rush has extended beyond the food aisles. Electronics retailer Maplin said torch sales jumped 284 percent; radios, 92 percent; and power banks, 106 percent, within days. Hardware store group Robert Dyas reported a 160 percent rise in radio sales, and at least seven wind-up radio models sold out across several outlets.

Criticism has focused on tone more than substance. On BBC’s Question Time, an audience member accused Streeting of “scaremongering”, warning that the advice would trigger panic buying. Streeting replied that the campaign was about everyday threats such as wildfires, flooding and frozen pipes.

Opposition figures have largely accepted the principle. Conservative Shadow Foreign Secretary Tom Tugendhat called the advice “a perfectly reasonable thing”.

Analysts and charities are split on who should carry the burden. The British Red Cross, a campaign partner, has backed it, saying simple preparation helps people support friends, family and neighbours.

But more than 180 experts, academics, farmers and community food leaders signed an open letter warning that 29 percent of Britons cannot afford a three-day food reserve. They urged ministers to set up national, regional and community food stores rather than rely on the resilience of individual households.

How ready are British households for an emergency?

On November 2, Parliament’s Joint Committee on the National Security Strategy took evidence on public preparedness. Among the witnesses was Lee Miles, professor of crisis and disaster management at Bournemouth University, who led the EM-PREPARE study of household resilience.

His research found that 75 percent of households had no major measures in place to cope with climate change, and about 69 percent were willing to spend no more than one day improving their preparedness.

Miles told the committee that the challenge was to move from raising awareness to helping people act. “The important thing about the ‘Be Ready’ campaign is turning it into a ‘Being Ready’ campaign,” he said.

Miles also warned that local resilience bodies would need proper funding if they were given more responsibility. “Otherwise, you set them up to fail in various aspects; they will not be able to deliver what they are supposed to,” he told MPs.

Is this all really necessary?

Supporters say the advice is modest and overdue. Having three days of supplies is standard across much of Europe, and the 2025 Iberian blackout showed how fast cash machines, card payments and mobile networks can fail.

That was when Spain, Portugal and parts of southwestern France were hit by a widespread power blackout that paralysed public transport, caused large traffic jams, delayed flights, and left residents unable to access cash from ATMs, as utility operators and the authorities scrambled to restore the electric grid.

With only one in eight Britons feeling prepared, they argue, a calm campaign now is better than a panicked one during a crisis. Retail data so far suggests most people have responded calmly.

The Bournemouth research highlights why the messaging could be critical. Households responding to that said they saw accidents at home as the hazard most likely to affect them – cited by 35 percent – while only 5 percent named war and conflict, and 4 percent terrorism.

Miles called for more targeted risk communication to the public, alongside education to help households build their resilience.

White House says Trump plans to discuss the Iran war and nuclear arms at a meeting on the sidelines of APEC next week.

Leaders of the United States, China and Russia are set to hold an unprecedented three-way meeting next week, the White House has said.

US President Donald Trump, Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian leader Vladimir Putin will meet on the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit in Shenzhen, China’s tech hub, the White House assistant press secretary confirmed in an announcement.

The talks will be held nine months after the last nuclear arms treaty between Washington and Moscow expired, leaving the world’s two countries with the largest atomic arsenals without caps for the first time in more than 50 years.

What’s on the agenda?

Trump has said the meeting is a chance for all three countries to reach a deal on nuclear stockpiles.

The New Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (New START) lapsed in February. Trump then rejected Russia’s proposal to extend it for another year and demanded a “new, improved and modernized” deal that includes China.

Expectations are low. “We do not expect to get to any kind of agreement,” a senior Trump administration official told the Reuters news agency, describing the meeting as the start of a conversation.

Russia holds the most nuclear warheads, followed by the US, then China, according to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute.

Trump plans on discussing the Iran war with Xi and Putin, but will steer away from discussing Russia’s war in Ukraine, according to a senior US official who briefed reporters on condition of anonymity.

Elon Musk will also travel with Trump to China but will not attend the meeting, the official added. Trump is also not expected to meet North Korean leader Kim Jong Un during the Asia trip.

Yalta Conference comparisons

The planned summit has drawn comparisons with the 1945 Yalta Conference, where the leaders of the US, Britain and the Soviet Union shaped the post-war order.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov, however, dismissed the parallel, saying any agreements reached in Shenzhen cannot be imposed on others, but he still called the meeting “extremely significant”.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has voiced concern that the meeting could become a platform to discuss a Ukraine deal behind Kyiv’s back.

Trump has pursued closer ties with both leaders despite a short-lived trade war with China last year and Russia’s continuing war in Ukraine, where Washington is seeking to mediate a solution.

The children’s author and comedian denies the sexual assault allegations, says he has not broken the law.

London’s police have opened an investigation into allegations of serious sexual offences after media reports accused British comedian and children’s author David Walliams of grooming and sexually abusing girls and young women.

Walliams, 55, denies the allegations.

The Metropolitan Police said in a statement on Friday that it “has received a number of allegations of non-recent serious sexual offences involving a man now in his 50s”.

In the statement, Met Police Detective Superintendent Mike Cagney urged anyone affected to come forward.

The Met said the new allegations are separate from those reported this week by ITV News and The Guardian.

The two news organisations published reports on Tuesday that several women had accused Walliams of sexual misconduct, with the allegations dating back as far as 2003.

The reports came out a day after comedian Russell Brand was sentenced to more than 10 years in jail for rape and sexual assault.

Multiple allegations

The Guardian and ITV said they spoke to more than 100 people during a three-year investigation.

One woman said Walliams sexually assaulted her at his London home when she was 15, while others accused him of grooming them as teenagers. The reports also included allegations that he harassed young female colleagues.

In a letter to ITV and The Guardian, he said: “Whilst a power imbalance is inevitable when one party is famous, abusing that power is something else entirely and it is something that I never did.”

He added: “I am not a sexual predator … I have not broken the law.”

The investigative reports were published after he lost a High Court bid to block the media outlets from naming him.

The judge, Matthew Nicklin, said an injunction would be “an exceptionally serious interference” with the media’s rights.

Dropped by BBC, literary agency

A spokesperson for the BBC told the AFP news agency that it had taken down some shows involving Walliams, including all episodes of Little Britain, the comedy sketch show that made him famous.

His literary agency, Independent Talent Group, said it was “no longer representing him in any capacity”.

Walliams’s publisher, HarperCollins, dropped him last year, following accusations that he harassed female staff, which he had also denied.

Walliams rose to fame as a comedian with sketch shows Little Britain and Come Fly With Me. He was also a judge on ITV’s Britain’s Got Talent.

He penned children’s books that have reportedly sold more than 50 million copies, including Mr Stink, Gangsta Granny and The Boy in the Dress.

Moscow blames Kyiv for a series of car bombings that have targeted people linked to the war with Ukraine.

A car bombing in Moscow has critically injured an adviser to Ukraine’s former prime minister a day after a similar attack killed a military officer in St Petersburg.

The explosion on Friday was the latest in a series of bombings and shootings that have targeted people involved in the fighting in Ukraine. Moscow has blamed Kyiv for the attacks.

The Moscow explosion struck a car driven by Sergei Zavorotnyi, who previously worked as an adviser to former Ukrainian Prime Minister Mykola Azarov, according to Russia’s Investigative Committee.

Zavorotnyi was hospitalised with injuries, the committee added. It did not identify possible suspects pending a criminal inquiry.

Azarov served as prime minister under Ukraine’s Moscow-friendly President Viktor Yanukovych, who was forced from office by protesters and fled to Russia in February 2014.

Azarov, who also lives in Russia, told state-run TV that he was “shocked” by the attack that left his former adviser critically injured. He said he believes Zavorotnyi was targeted because of his criticism of the Ukrainian government.

Zavorotnyi. 72, had worked as a journalist for Russia’s daily Komsomolskaya Pravda before becoming Azarov’s adviser. He wrote a book about Yanukovych’s ouster and ran an online outlet critical of Ukrainian authorities.

Russia’s REN TV channel said he lost his left arm, suffered multiple other injuries and was in a coma after the explosion.

Explosive devices triggered remotely

Al Jazeera’s Yulia Shapovalova, reporting from Moscow, said an explosive device was reportedly planted under the man’s car and detonated remotely as he was driving on Friday.

“The investigative committee has already launched a criminal case into this explosion,” she said.

A day earlier, in St Petersburg, a military serviceman was killed by a bomb in his vehicle, according to Russia’s Investigative Committee. It did not identify the victim or say who could be behind the bombing.

The Fontanka news outlet said Thursday’s victim was a colonel, while other Russian online media said the victim was a senior air force officer.

Shapovalova said preliminary reports indicated that the victim was a military serviceman, rather than a colonel of the Russian Air Force.

Like the attack on Friday, he was also driving the car when the bomb went off, she added.

“In both cases an explosive device was triggered remotely, and it was planted under their car,” Shapovalova said. “Here in Russia, all the attacks are considered to be orchestrated by the Ukrainian side.”

Ukrainian authorities have not commented on either bombing.

As Ukraine, Russia and the United States engaged in their first peace talks since February this week, the front lines continued to deteriorate for Moscow as its casualties rose to a possible new record without any significant territorial gains.

Ukraine’s military said it had caused more than 26,000 Russian casualties – meaning those killed and seriously wounded – in the first 10 days of November, suggesting this month’s figure could mark a new record topping October’s 54,400.

On November 9, Ukraine also claimed a new daily record of 2,980 Russian soldiers killed or wounded. That marked the fourth reported daily record this year.

Al Jazeera cannot independently verify casualty claims by either side.

This cluster of new casualty records in the autumn, accompanied by a lack of any significant territorial gains by Russia, suggested that Moscow was not coming any closer to its goal of seizing the last remaining quarter of Ukraine’s eastern Donbas region this year.

A group of pro-Ukrainian hackers from Belarus said they had accessed records of the Russian state statistical service, Rosstat, and discovered an official tally of 450,000 Russian fatalities for the entire full-scale invasion, since 2022.

Independent assessments indicate that Russia has seized a net 117sq km (45sq miles) this year, a poor showing for its pains.

Yet, Russia was as defiant as ever at peace talks in Abu Dhabi on November 10-11.

Presidential aide Vladimir Medinsky, who headed the Russian delegation, told Vesti television after the talks concluded that he would be satisfied “only when we win and sign a peace agreement on our terms”.

Russia has demanded territory Ukraine is not willing to surrender, and said NATO needs to pull out of all the former Soviet bloc countries which joined it since 1997.

Medinsky called for “a new, comprehensive, and just security system in Europe,” because the one put in place after World War II “is functioning very poorly, and, in fact, the entire system is sick. In Ukraine, a festering wound has simply burst.”

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy saw it differently.

“When the Russians now talk about a security architecture for themselves … What they really want is to freely interfere in the affairs of other countries, and to use force whenever they want, and to make sure that no one can support liberty inside Russia,” he told the Danish parliament, the Folketing, on the day the talks concluded.

Although US negotiators agreed to table the subject of a European security architecture at Abu Dhabi, the three European powers present – Germany, France and the United Kingdom – did not, and they were excluded from the proceedings.

“We did not communicate with them. We don’t really understand what their status is here,” Medinsky said.

Europe agrees with Ukraine that such a discussion puts the cart before the horse.

“The idea of discussing European-Russian security infrastructure is a complex and potentially dangerous one,” Zelenskyy said on the eve of the talks. “First, we must discuss how to end Russia’s war against Ukraine. Second, what the security infrastructure will be for Ukraine.”

Ukraine has asked for an ironclad guarantee of military intervention if it is attacked again, as offered in NATO’s Article 5.

Instead, Zelenskyy said, the Trump administration offered “something similar to NATO”.

Russian President Vladimir Putin received the US negotiating team in Saint Petersburg after talks in Abu Dhabi, and repeated the Russian position that the presence of European peacekeepers in a post-war Ukraine would also be “absolutely unacceptable”.

Zelenskyy attributed Russia’s absolutism to its inaccurate understanding of realities on the ground.

“Putin lives in a different reality,” he told journalists in Copenhagen on November 11. “When I received the second report from our negotiating group after the meetings in Abu Dhabi, they told me that the Russians believe and claim that they have already occupied half of the [part of the] Donbas region which is actually under our control. These were military officers, Russian intelligence.”

Russia’s defence ministry has claimed to have seized 3,600sq km (1,400sq miles) of Ukraine this year, and Putin has repeated the claim.

Still, Abu Dhabi did produce some results.

Russia and Ukraine said there would be a new POW exchange of at least 1,000 or possibly 1,500 prisoners on each side. And Zelenskyy said de-escalation steps were discussed.

‘Ukraine faced constant alarms’

In the run-up to Abu Dhabi, Russia pounded Ukraine’s cities.

“For 10 days and nights, Ukraine faced constant alarms,” said its General Staff. During that period, Russia launched 3,519 drones, and Ukraine managed to intercept 3,068 of them, they said, including 83 percent of the jet-powered drones, which now comprise roughly half of the swarm.

On the night of November 7, Russia unleashed 36 ballistic missiles into Ukraine, including some reportedly manufactured by North Korea, striking energy infrastructure.

Prime Minister Serhiy Koretskyi has asked European allies to provide generators and battery packs for homes, as well as mobile shelters and buses to keep urban transport moving during blackouts.

On November 12, Ukraine reported it was experiencing renewed restrictions on its use of the Starlink satellite service, which it needs to coordinate interceptors to incoming Russian drones.

“This directly impacts our ability to intercept Russian kamikaze drones,” said Zelenskyy. “Due to the speed limitations, we simply cannot intercept them in time.”

This came as Ukraine continued its own strikes inside Russia, targeting ballistic missile launchers and factories as a forward defence.

On November 7, a fire burned almost a hectare of storage space next to an Almaz factory in Rostov, which makes communications equipment. It was unclear whether Ukraine caused it. On the same day, Ukraine fired Neptune missiles into the Proton-Electrotex conglomerate which makes parts for Kormoran cruise and Iskander ballistic missiles, and destroyed two ballistic missile launchers.

On November 9, Ukraine struck the Morozov plant near St Petersburg, which makes solid rocket fuel for ballistic missiles, and the Redkino plant in Tver, which makes chemical products used in missiles.

On November 10, Ukraine struck the 123rd Aircraft Repair Plant in Novgorod, which services Russia’s increasingly rare A-50 early warning and targeting aircraft.

On November 11, Ukraine struck the Naro-Forminsk cruiser, which launches Kalibr and Onyx cruise missiles.

“We are acting asymmetrically,” Ukrainian defence minister Yevhenii Khmara told his Dutch counterpart. Ukraine had struck a total of 12 ballistic missile launch sites inside Russia, he said without specifying the timeframe, and said the strikes on factories were reducing Russian production capacity.

Zelenskyy renewed his call for German Taurus missiles with which to strike Russian launchers.

Ukraine also struck a series of refineries during the past week, including the Afipsky, Saratov, Kirishi, Ust-Luga and Omsk refineries. Russian military reporters said three Russian helicopters had been downed by friendly fire during attempts to defend the Ust-Luga refinery.

Since the end of October, its General Staff said, Ukraine had struck Russia’s five biggest refineries.

Sources told Reuters that Ukraine has destroyed at least 30 percent of Russia’s refining capacity.

The purpose of refinery strikes is to diminish Russian export revenue for petroleum products and to disrupt its economy. Those goals appeared to be working last week, as Ukraine’s Foreign Intelligence Service reported Moscow projecting a $63bn-$67bn deficit for 2026, double its intended figure, and Russian media reported staff layoffs at the parliament, or Duma, and the Russian Federation Council.

Playing their first game since Cristiano Ronaldo announced his retirement, two-time champions Portugal face Denmark at home.

Who: Portugal vs Denmark
What: UEFA Nations League, Group A4
Where: Braga Municipal Stadium, Braga, Portugal
When: Saturday, November 14, at 7:45pm (19:45 GMT).
How to follow: Al Jazeera Sport will bring you all the build-up from 16:45 GMT before our live text commentary stream

A new chapter in Portuguese football starts on Saturday, as the national team moves on from the departure of their record scorer and longstanding captain, Cristiano Ronaldo.

Ronaldo ended his 23-year association with the Selecao last week, announcing his retirement in a lengthy video on social media, weeks after a public rift with Portugal coach Jorge Jesus.

The 41-year-old, a polarising football icon who wore the much-adored No 7 shirt for his country, said it was now time to “pass it on to the future”.

Playing their first game without their biggest star, Portugal face Denmark in Saturday’s home fixture, having already confirmed their spot in the quarterfinals.

With three goals each, forwards Goncalo Ramos and Joao Felix have orchestrated Portugal’s attacking play in Ronaldo’s absence, while Denmark’s charge has been led by Rasmus Hojlund, who has netted three of his team’s seven goals so far.

Two-time holders Portugal will be confirmed as group winners if they avoid defeat against Denmark, who are second in the standings.

The Danes have a bit more complicated path to secure their spot in the last eight on Saturday – they need to win against Portugal and hope that neighbours Norway do not beat third-placed Wales in a clash of the bottom two.

How have Portugal played in the Nations League?

Portugal have a perfect record in the competition, with four wins out of four.

They began their title defence with a 1-0 home win over Wales before beating Norway 2-1, a game in which Ronaldo was an unused substitute.

Shortly afterwards, Ronaldo stormed out of the national camp, but his absence did not trouble the team as they thrashed Denmark 4-2 in another away game before winning 2-1 at home against Norway to reach the quarterfinals.

How have Denmark played in the Nations League?

Denmark have won two games and lost two.

Their campaign started with a 3-2 loss in Norway, but they bounced back with a 2-0 home victory against Wales.

The third match saw them fall 4-2 at home to Portugal before they beat Wales 1-0 away.

What happened when Portugal and Denmark last met?

Goals from Joao Cancelo, Goncalo Ramos, Vitinha and Felix gave Portugal a 4-2 win over Denmark on October 1.

Mikkel Damsgaard and Rasmus Hojlund scored for the hosts in that game at Copenhagen.

Portugal vs Denmark: Predictions

Opta’s supercomputer has given Portugal a 59.4 percent probability of victory, while Denmark’s odds stand at 19.4 percent.

There is a 21.2 percent chance the game ends in a draw.

Head-to-head

• Matches: 18
• Portugal wins: 12
• Denmark wins: 4
• Draws: 2

Form guide

(Last five matches, latest game first)

Portugal: W-W-W-W-L

Denmark: W-L-W-L-D

Team news and predicted lineups

Portugal

Cancelo and Francisco Conceicao are suspended, while Rafael Leao, Nuno Mendes and Nuno Tavares are out with injuries.

Probable Portugal XI: Diogo Costa; Diogo Dalot, Ruben Dias, Renato Veiga, Flavio Nazinho; Ruben Neves, Vitinha, Bruno Fernandes; Joao Felix, Goncalo Ramos

Denmark

Denmark will be without Patrick Dorgu, and they will have to be cautious with six players one booking away from suspension.

Probable Denmark XI: Mads Hermansen; Rasmus Kristensen, Joachim Andersen, Oliver Provstgaard, Joakim Maehle; Morten Hjulmand, Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg; Gustav Isaksen, Mikkel Damsgaard, Mohamed Daramy; Rasmus Hojlund

Portugal vs Denmark: TV channel, livestreaming

• Portugal: Sport TV Portugal
• Denmark: TV2 PLAY
• Middle East and North Africa: beIN SPORTS
• United Kingdom: Prime Video UK
• United States: FOX Sports, FuboTV, ViX
• India: Sony Sports Network
• South Africa: DStv Stream

You can find your regional broadcaster on UEFA’s official broadcaster listing.

Calling all fans of the wizarding world, a special Harry Potter Christmas market will be taking place for the first time ever this year for some sorcery during the festive season

Nothing beats wandering around a Christmas market with a cup of steaming mulled wine to the sound of merry jingles, while browsing the wooden chalets stocked with gifts and seasonal goodies. And it’s about to get a lot better, as a new Harry Potter Christmas market is opening for the very first time.

In a world first, the new Christmas market launching this year will feature designs in the style of those in the new Harry Potter HBO series, which is set to be released on 25 December, 2026, along with cabins and themed culinary offerings. Yet, those eager to discover a slice of the wizarding world will need to plan a festive getaway and catch a short flight to Germany, where it will be held.

In an announcement from Skydance, which has merged with Paramount, they confirmed: “The magic of Hogwarts is coming to Munich: To celebrate the launch of the new HBO Original series ‘Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone,’ HBO Max is transforming Munich’s Praterinsel into an enchanting Christmas market. Visitors can immerse themselves in the world of the new HBO Original series even before the premiere.

“From November 28th to December 6th, Praterinsel will be transformed into a festive world of experiences, designed entirely in the style of the new series. In a Christmas atmosphere, guests can get a first glimpse of the HBO Original series, right in the heart of Munich and even before its official premiere.”

They further explained: “The Christmas market is inspired by ‘Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone’ and offers many activities and attractions for fans of all ages. Atmospheric photo opportunities in the style of the series invite visitors to capture memories of their visit. Food and other culinary offerings inspired by the ‘Harry Potter’ world bring the magic to the table. Guests can also expect further surprises.”

The Harry Potter Christmas Market will take place on Praterinsel in Munich, but you’ll have to plan accordingly if you want to visit, as it won’t be there for long. The spellbinding event will only be held from Saturday, 28 November until Sunday, 6 December, 2026, yet there’s still plenty of time to book your festive escape to experience the magic.

Skydance added: “With the transformation of Praterinsel, HBO Max brings the magic of one of the world’s most popular stories to the Bavarian capital and gets fans in the mood for the start of the new HBO Original series in a very special way.”

As Potter fans eagerly wait for the market to arrive, a huge amount of excitement has already been sparked. One commented on a Reddit post: “I’m going and am so excited!! I’ve been looking forward to this show for YEARS now, so I’m so happy that finally there is an event in my area where I can celebrate it.”

“Omg this is amazing,” another shared on Instagram, while another declared, “We need to go to Germany”. Others raised concerns about what it will actually include. However, one local had some reassurance. “Christmas markets in Germany are usually great as it is. I would go regardless if I was anywhere near Munich and had the time off work,” they shared.

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