Your morning briefing: What you should know for Monday, November 18

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Jason Collie18 November 2019

Queen gave blessing for Prince Andrew interview: Maitlis

The Queen gave her approval for the Duke of York's controversial interview about the Jeffrey Epstein sex scandal, Newsnight presenter Emily Maitlis has said.

The interview has been widely criticised with commentators questioning Prince Andrew’s responses and condemning his tone and lack of remorse for the friendship with the sex offender.

Ms Maitlis, who carried out the interview, has revealed in The Times that after pitching the idea to the duke, his office told the BBC it had been approved from "higher up".

During the interview Prince Andrew denied sleeping with Virginia Giuffre, one of Epstein's victims, on three separate occasions, including twice while she was underage.

Police storm university in Hong Kong

Police have stormed into a Hong Kong university campus held by protesters after an all-night siege that included firing repeated barrages of tear gas and water cannon.

Anti-government protesters had barricaded themselves inside Hong Kong Polytechnic University for days, fighting back with petrol bombs and bows and arrows.

Police surrounded the area on Sunday night and began moving in after issuing an ultimatum for people to leave the area.

As riot police moved in from all sides, some protesters retreated inside the university. Others set fires on bridges leading to it.

Lib Dems and​ SNP take debate snub to court

High Court judges will hear a legal challenge against ITV today over an excluding the Liberal Democrat and SNP leaders from its debate.

ITV is hosting a head-to-head debate between Boris Johnson and Jeremy Corbyn tomorrow.

Both parties say it is unjust to not include their leaders.

Meanwhile, Mr Johnson, Mr Corbyn and Lib Dem leader Jo Swinson will all attempt to win over business leaders today with speeches at the annual CBI conference.

Charles and Camilla kick off New Zealand tour

Prince Charles and Camilla have started their tour of New Zealand by paying tribute to war dead.

The royal couple also met Niue Islanders living in Auckland, and Charles attempted turning plastic waste into designer furniture at a recycling company.

Ant and Dec back to their best on I'm A Celeb

Ant McPartlin and Declan Donnelly let rip with a raft of jokes as they were reunited on I'm A Celebrity... Get Me Out Of Here! last night.

The pair did not present the ITV programme together last year, as McPartlin took a step back from his work commitments following his arrest for drink-driving.

As the series started, the TV star joked about his absence, teasing Donnelly when he got confused about which contestant they were talking about by saying: "I've had a year off, what's your excuse?"

On this day…

1477: William Caxton issued the first dated, printed book from his printing press in Westminster - it was Dictes or Sayengis of The Philosophres.

1626: St Peter's in Rome was consecrated.

1910: There were more than 100 arrests when suffragettes tried to storm the House of Commons.

1916: The first battle of the Somme ended.

1928: The first Mickey Mouse cartoon, Steamboat Willie, was shown.

1933: BBC Radio's In Town Tonight was first broadcast.

1987: The worst fire in the history of the London Underground killed 31 people at King's Cross.

1991: Beirut hostage Terry Waite and American Thomas Sutherland were released by their pro-Iranian Islamic Jihad captors.

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