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Rupert Murdoch's UK tabloids offer a rare apology in a legal settlement with Prince Harry

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Rupert Murdoch's UK tabloids offer a rare apology in a legal settlement with Prince Harry

LONDON (AP) — Rupert Murdoch’s U.K. tabloids made a rare apology to Prince Harry in settling his privacy invasion lawsuit and will pay him a substantial sum, his lawyer said Wednesday.

Harry’s lawyer David Sherborne read a statement in court saying News Group offers a “full and unequivocal apology to the Duke of Sussex” for years of unlawful intrusion.

The bombshell announcement in London’s High Court came as the Duke of Sussex’s trial was about to start against the publishers of The Sun and the now-defunct News of the World for unlawfully snooping on him over decades.

Harry, 40, the younger son of King Charles III, and one other man were the only two remaining claimants out of more than 1,300 others who had settled lawsuits against News Group Newspapers over allegations their phones were hacked and investigators unlawfully intruded in their lives.

In all the cases that have been brought against the publisher since a widespread phone hacking scandal forced Murdoch to close News of the World in 2011, Harry’s case got the closest to trial.

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Murdoch shut down the News of the World after the Guardian reported that the tabloid’s reporters had hacked the phone of Milly Dowler, a murdered 13-year-old schoolgirl, while police were searching for her in 2002.

As the case was about to start Tuesday morning, his lawyer asked for a one-hour recess, then got a longer adjournment and finally asked to have the rest of the day as it became clear a settlement was in the works.

The case was one of three lawsuits Harry has brought accusing British tabloids of violating his privacy by eavesdropping on phone messages or using private investigators to unlawfully help them score scoops.

His case against the publisher of the Daily Mirror ended in victory when the judge ruled that phone hacking was “widespread and habitual” at the newspaper and its sister publications.

During that trial in 2023, Harry became the first senior member of the royal family to testify in court since the late 19th century, putting him at odds with the monarchy’s desire to keep its problems out of view.

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His feud with the press dates back to his youth, when the tabloids took glee in reporting on everything from his injuries to his girlfriends to dabbling with drugs.

But his fury with the tabloids goes much deeper.

He blames the media for the death of his mother, Princess Diana, who was killed in a car crash in 1997 while being chased by paparazzi in Paris. He also blames them for the persistent attacks on his wife, actor Meghan Markle, that led them to leave royal life and flee to the U.S. in 2020.

The litigation has been a source of friction in his family, Harry said in the documentary “Tabloids On Trial.”

He revealed in court papers that his father opposed his lawsuit. He also said his older brother William, Prince of Wales and heir to the throne, had settled a private complaint against News Group that his lawyer has said was worth over 1 million pounds ($1.23 million).

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“I’m doing this for my reasons,” Harry told the documentary makers, though he said he wished his family had joined him.

Harry was originally one among dozens of claimants, including actor Hugh Grant, who alleged that News Group journalists and investigators they hired violated their privacy between 1994 and 2016 by intercepting voicemails, tapping phones, bugging cars and using deception to access confidential information.

Of the original group, Harry and Tom Watson, a former Labour Party member of Parliament, were the holdouts headed to trial.

News Group had denied the allegations.

NGN had issued an unreserved apology to victims of voicemail interception by the News of the World and said it settled more than 1,300 claims. The Sun has never accepted liability.

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The outcome in the News Group case raises questions about how Harry’s third case — against the publisher of the Daily Mail — will proceed. That trial is scheduled next year.

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Two dead as Typhoon Kalmaegi brings massive flooding in central Philippines

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Two dead as Typhoon Kalmaegi brings massive flooding in central Philippines

Residents seek refuge on rooftops, and cars float through flooded streets on the island of Cebu.

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Rain-soaked residents sought refuge on rooftops, and cars floated through flooded streets as Typhoon Kalmaegi battered central Philippines, killing at least two people, according to the national disaster agency and media reports.

Hundreds of thousands have been displaced by the powerful storm across the Visayas region as well as parts of southern Luzon and northern Mindanao, as Kalmaegi made landfall shortly before midnight.

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By noon local time (04:00 GMT) on Tuesday, Kalmaegi was moving westwards across the islands of Cebu, Negros and Panay with winds of 150km/h (93mph) and gusts of 185km/h, toppling trees and downing power lines.

A video published by DZRH radio’s Facebook page showed homes in Talisay City in Cebu completely submerged, with only rooftops visible.

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Similar scenes in other parts of Cebu City, where vehicles and streets were underwater, circulated on social media. In some of the videos, people were heard pleading to be rescued.

A road in the town of Tabuelan, also in Cebu province, was rendered impassable following a landslide.

On the island of Bohol, one person was reported killed after he was pinned down by a fallen tree, according to radio station DYMA.

An elderly person drowned after being trapped in his residence on the island of Leyte, according to radio station DZMM.

State weather agency PAGASA said the combination of Kalmaegi and a shear line had brought heavy rain and strong winds across the Visayas and nearby areas.

“Due to interaction with the terrain, Tino may slightly weaken while crossing Visayas. However, it is expected to remain at typhoon intensity throughout its passage over the country,” PAGASA said in a morning bulletin.

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More than 160 flights to and from affected areas have been cancelled, while those at sea were advised to head to the nearest safe harbour immediately and to stay in port.

PAGASA warned of a high risk of “life-threatening and damaging storm surges” that could reach more than 3-metre (10-foot) height along coastal and low-lying communities in the central Philippines, including parts of Mindanao.

On Monday, the country’s Office of Civil Defense reported that some 156,000 individuals had been preemptively evacuated.

Kalmaegi comes as the Philippines, which is hit by an average of 20 tropical storms each year, is recovering from a run of disasters, including earthquakes and severe weather events, in recent months.

In September, Super Typhoon Ragasa swept across northern Luzon, killing at least 10 people and forcing government work and classes to shut down as it brought fierce winds and torrential rain.

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State weather service specialist Charmagne Varilla told the AFP news agency that at least “three to five more” storms were expected by December’s end.

Scientists warn that storms are becoming more frequent and more powerful due to human-driven climate change.

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Map: 6.3-Magnitude Earthquake Strikes Afghanistan

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Map: 6.3-Magnitude Earthquake Strikes Afghanistan

Note: Map shows the area with a shake intensity of 4 or greater, which U.S.G.S. defines as “light,” though the earthquake may be felt outside the areas shown.  All times on the map are Afghanistan time. The New York Times

A strong, 6.3-magnitude earthquake struck in Afghanistan on Monday, according to the United States Geological Survey. Follow our coverage here.

The temblor happened at 12:59 a.m. Afghanistan time about 20 miles southeast of Mazar-i-Sharif, Afghanistan, data from the agency shows.

As seismologists review available data, they may revise the earthquake’s reported magnitude. Additional information collected about the earthquake may also prompt U.S.G.S. scientists to update the shake-severity map.

Source: United States Geological Survey | Notes: Shaking categories are based on the Modified Mercalli Intensity scale. When aftershock data is available, the corresponding maps and charts include earthquakes within 100 miles and seven days of the initial quake. All times above are Afghanistan time. Shake data is as of Sunday, Nov. 2 at 4:01 p.m. Eastern. Aftershocks data is as of Monday, Nov. 3 at 10:15 a.m. Eastern.

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Maps: Daylight (urban areas); MapLibre (map rendering); Natural Earth (roads, labels, terrain); Protomaps (map tiles)

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Mexican mayor who took hard line against drug gangs shot and killed at Day of the Dead event

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Mexican mayor who took hard line against drug gangs shot and killed at Day of the Dead event

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A Mexican mayor who was outspoken in his opposition to drug cartels and pushed for hardline laws against trafficking was killed in a shooting at a Day of the Dead celebration this weekend.

Before his death, Uruapan Mayor Carlos Manzo had been critical of Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum for what he saw as a lack of effort in combating cartels. His city lies in Michoacán State, which suffers from particularly high levels of cartel violence.

“We need greater determination from the president of Mexico,” Manzo told local media in September, vowing not to take “a single step back.”

“I do not want to be just another mayor on the list of those who have been executed and had their lives taken away from them,” he continued. “I am very afraid, but I must face it with courage.”

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Carlos Manzo, Uruapan’s mayor and one of the few independent politicians elected to office in Mexico, attends a candlelight Day of the Dead festival in Uruapan, Michoacan State, Mexico, shortly before he was shot, resulting in his death, Nov. 1, 2025, in this screengrab taken from a live video streamed by his team and obtained from social media. (Carlos Manzo via Facebook/Handout via REUTERS)

State officials say Manzo was shot seven times on Saturday night during a Day of the Dead vigil. He died of his wounds in a nearby hospital.

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Mexican Security Minister Omar García Harfuch announced an investigation into Manzo’s killing on Sunday.

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Carlos Manzo's funeral

Family and friends attend the funeral of Carlos Manzo, the mayor who was shot dead during a Day of the Dead event, in Uruapan, Mexico, Nov. 2, 2025. (REUTERS/Ivan Arias)

“We send our deepest condolences to his family, loved ones and the residents of Uruapan, who today are experiencing a painful and unjust loss at the hands of organized crime,” Harfuch said at a press conference. “There will be no impunity.”

Authorities said Manzo’s security was extensive, comprised of officers handpicked by Manzo as well as 14 National Guard members.

Funeral procession for Carlos Manzo, Uruapan's mayor

A person holds a picture of Carlos Manzo, the mayor who was shot dead during a Day of the Dead event, in Uruapan, Mexico, Nov. 2, 2025. (REUTERS/Ivan Arias)

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Manzo’s aggressive approach to crime earned him the moniker “Mexican Bukele,” referring to El Salvador’s President Nayib Bukele, who has led a massive crackdown on gang violence in his country. According to the New York Times, Manzo had been critical of Sheinbaum’s approach to cartel issues since her inauguration in October 2024.

“If she thinks she’s going to detain these criminals without a single shot fired and that they’ll just turn themselves in, well, she should get it done,” Manzo said in a May speech, referring to Sheinbaum. “And believe me, if she manages to do that, I will immediately submit my resignation.”

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