Friday evening news briefing: SNP bid to make Jeremy Corbyn the Prime Minister as they launch election campaign

Nicola Sturgeon ready to make Jeremy Corbyn the next PM

Nicola Sturgeon has said she is ready to form an alliance with Labour to put Jeremy Corbyn into Downing Street and "lock the Tories out of Government" if there is a hung Parliament. Launching the SNP's election campaign in Edinburgh, Scotland's First Minister said the price for such a deal would be Labour's backing for a new independence referendum next year. It comes as Mr Corbyn saw two of his candidates withdraw from the election - one for using the offensive term Shylock in front of a Jewish councillor, and another for comparing Israel to a child abuser. This morning, veteran Labour MP Margaret Hodge repeatedly refused to say she wants Mr Corbyn to be Prime Minister. Amy Jones has all the latest developments in The Telegraph's politics liveblog.

Despite efforts by many to move the focus onto domestic policies, it appears December's poll will remain the Brexit election. As latest research finds Brexit remains firmly the top concern in the public's mind, Asa Bennett has written this guide to how this campaign affects leaving the EU. And French president Emmanuel Macron has given his view on the matter, suggesting in an interviewthat Brexit will hurt Britain's middle classes and only help the UK's elites. For Telegraph readers enjoying Front Page abroad, here is the answer to all your questions about whether British expats can vote in the general election.

PS - It's a do or dry pledge. Despite pictures of him in a distillery this week, Boris Johnson says he has given up alcohol until after Brexit. It might be wise judging by Anna Magee's piece on what alcohol does to your body after 40.

Woman's body pulled from flood waters as town evacuated

A woman's body has been pulled from flood water in Derbyshire amid warnings of a "danger to life" after heavy rainfall. It comes after a month's worth of rain fell in 24 hours in parts of northern England. Families across Yorkshire have been evacuated after severe flooding caused chaos, forcing some people to sleep in shopping centres overnight. A total of 116 flood warnings are in place, including five severe Met Office alerts - indicating a danger to life. Follow the latest live updates. If you are affected, Sam Barker outlines what you can and can't claim under your home insurance. And see pictures of the dramatic scenes.

No exams and no uniform: Inside the best school in the world

In a quiet corner of southern California, in a small sun-dappled school, a group of casually dressed teenagers are chattering about their upcoming lessons. Subject boundaries are fluid. Maths and physics are taught as one. English and history share time. An art and physics scheme resulted in a school full of life-size wooden staircases which led nowhere. Welcome to High Tech High, where classes are just as likely to be in making skateboards as maths, yet 95 per cent go on to university. So what can the UK's exam-obsessed schools learn from its freewheeling ethos? Victoria Lambert visited to find out.

News digest

• Ellie Gould murder | Swimming star who stabbed girlfriend to death jailed

• Grace Millane | Revelation about blood found in accused killer's flat

• Millionaire farmer | Wife and lover jailed for killing William Taylor

• Football for sale | Ex-Premier League defender tells court of 'weird' agents

• Royal support | Gareth Thomas hails Prince Harry after HIV revealed

Video: Unprecedented bushfire crisis in Australia

The Australian state of New South Wales is in the grip of an unprecedented bushfire crisis, with almost 50 fires still out of control on Friday night despite the efforts of 1,200 firefighters and 70 fire-fighting planes. An ominous orange glow looms over large areas, with locals describing the scene as "apocalyptic".

Comment

• Jeremy Warner | Conservatives should give all tenants 'the right to own'

• Daniel Korski | This election could rest on finding a reply to 'Ok, Boomer'

• Alan Cochrane | It's the Union, not Brexit, that's the big issue in Scotland

• Judith Woods | Scientists have discovered what the clitoris is for

• Oliver Brown | Margaret Court's feats shouldn't be airbrushed from history

World news: The one story you must read today...

US presidential race | Michael Bloomberg, the billionaire former mayor of New York City, is opening the door to a 2020 Democratic presidential campaign, warning that the current field of candidates is ill equipped to defeat President Donald Trump. Mr Bloomberg, who initially ruled out a 2020 run, has not made a final decision on whether to jump into the race. Read on for more.

Editor's choice

1. State-sponsored assassination or sex game gone wrong? | What really happened to The Spy in the Bag?

2. Katie Morley Investigates | 'Children orphaned by ski accident denied £5k insurance payout'

3. Fall of the Berlin Wall | The Cold War ghosts you can still see in Germany, 30 years later

Business and money briefing

Taking flight | Thomas Cook's landing slots at Gatwick and Bristol airports have been sold to easyJet for £36m. Elsewhere, Jet2 has bought the collapsed carrier's landing slots at three other airports. Read on for details.

• Crossrail delay | Line will not open until 2021 as costs expected to soar

• Christmas adverts | Ikea goes grime with first festival TV campaign

• Stay on top of the markets | Live stocks and shares updates 24 hours a day

Sport briefing

Liverpool vs Manchester City | These two teams cannot stand each other, according to former Kop hero Jamie Carragher, who argues their mutual loathing makes their top-of-the-table clash on Sunday a real rivalry. JJ Bull analyses what it will take for City to secure a result at Anfield.

• Jack Wilshere | Midfielder opens up about his injury-plagued career

• Steve Diamond | Sale Sharks director of rugby reacts to salary cap scandal

• Gaming world champion | 'I haven't spoken to Dad since I chose esports'

And finally...

Mammoth discovery | Archaeologists say they have made the largest-ever discovery of mammoth remains: a trove of 800 bones from at least 14 of the extinct giants found in central Mexico. Moreover, they believe they have made the first-ever find of a mammoth trap set by humans, who would have used it to capture the huge herbivores more than 14,000 years ago, said Mexico's National Institute of Anthropology and History (INAH). Click here to see pictures.