The regulatory crackdown that sparked arrests and a debt crisis in China's second-biggest developer may do more harm than good to market, say analystsThe saga of China's second-largest development firm has escalated from a financial crisis to a potentially criminal one with the investigation and detention of Evergrande chairman and founder, Hui Ka Yan.The company resumed trading on Tuesday after it was suspended last week in the wake of media reports of Hui's apprehension. But analysts say signs point to a potential liquidation of the company, which could have drastic ramifications for China's economy too. Continue reading...
Suspension of operations at Yongbyon complex points to reprocessing work for nuclear arms, South Korean government source quoted as sayingNorth Korea has halted the nuclear reactor at its main atomic complex, probably to extract plutonium that could be used for weapons by reprocessing spent fuel rods, a South Korean news report has said, citing a government source.The operation of the five-megawatt nuclear reactor at the Yongbyon nuclear complex has been suspended since late September, according to intelligence assessments by US and South Korean authorities, the report said. Continue reading...
Justice department claimed ownership of the ordnance on the grounds that they were being smuggled to Yemeni Houthi forces, breaching a UN embargoThe United States has supplied Ukraine with more than a million rounds of Iranian ammunition confiscated in the Gulf late last year.The transfer of the ordnance followed a civil forfeiture case pursued by the justice department to gain ownership on the grounds that the bullets were seized as they were being smuggled to Yemeni Houthi forces in violation of a UN arms embargo. Continue reading...
by Robert Booth Social affairs correspondent on (#6FACD)
Quarter of UK private renters spending over 40% of income on housing amid warning people are trapped in poverty'England is now the most difficult place to find a home in the developed world", housebuilders have claimed in a snapshot of the housing crisis that also found a greater proportion of people in England live in substandard properties than the European Union average.The Home Builders Federation (HBF), an industry group representing companies that build for private sale, found that England has the lowest percentage of vacant homes per capita in the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), a group of 38 nations, including most of the EU the US, Japan and Australia. Continue reading...
Red Cross warns 28-day move-on' process is not enough time for asylum seekers to find new accommodationMore than 50,000 refugees in the UK could be made homeless by the end of the year unless ministers take urgent steps to support them as it clears the asylum backlog, the British Red Cross has warned.The government has pledged to process all legacy" asylum applications - made before 28 June 2022 - by the end of the year. Based on those currently in asylum accommodation the charity estimates that 53,100 refugees will be at risk of homelessness if the government meets its target. Continue reading...
Members of the group storm production, unveiling banners and locking themselves to stageFive people have been arrested after Just Stop Oil protesters disrupted a performance of Les Miserables at the Sondheim Theatre in London's West End.During a performance of the song Do You Hear the People Sing? members of the Just Stop Oil group stormed the stage with banners. In a video of the protest posted online, the performance came to a halt as one member shouted just stop oil", to boos from the audience. Continue reading...
Father and mother of 15-year-old describe their daughter as the light of our lives'Hundreds of people gathered in south London for a candlelit vigil close to where a 15-year-old schoolgirl was stabbed to death.Elianne Andam died after being stabbed during the morning rush hour at a bus stop outside Whitgift shopping centre on Wellesley Road in Croydon on 27 September. Continue reading...
Tory leader's attempt to portray himself as change candidate at party conference overshadowed by fierce criticism of U-turnRishi Sunak unleashed a Tory civil war on Wednesday by announcing the scrapping of the northern leg of HS2 as the former prime minister David Cameron said the decision showed the country was heading in the wrong direction.After days of frenzied speculation over the future of the flagship levelling-up project, Sunak confirmed he was axing the Birmingham to Manchester line and would use the 36bn of savings to fund a number of other transport schemes, described as Network North". Continue reading...
The two prime ministers have forced immigration onto the agenda at European Political Community summit in GranadaGiorgia Meloni has turned to the UK's prime minister Rishi Sunak to take her battle against migration beyond the EU, it has emerged.In what some are dubbing the Spanish framework, the prime ministers have forced migration on to the agenda at a historic meeting of about 50 European leaders in Granada on Thursday. Continue reading...
by Dominic Rushe in New York and agencies on (#6FA0P)
Letitia James calls former president's appearance at civil trial a political stunt' and a fundraising stop'The New York attorney general, Letitia James, told reporters on Wednesday that the Trump show is over" as the third day of the former US president's civil fraud trial wrapped up in Manhattan.James and Trump both returned to the trial a day after Trump ran afoul of the judge by denigrating a key court staffer in a social media post.Agencies contributed to this article Continue reading...
Despite efforts to mitigate biodiversity loss, planning has destroyed parts of ancient woodlands and damage will continue despite reprieveThe scrapping of HS2 from Birmingham to Manchester may save 32 ancient woodlands from destruction and reprieve miles of waterways and hedgerows - but the railway's negative environmental impact may actually intensify with Rishi Sunak's decision.The carbon emissions reduction case for HS2 was never favourable - it will be a net contributor to emissions over its 120-year lifespan, according to its own data - but cancelling the new line north of Birmingham weakens the hope that a national high-speed rail network will cut flights between major cities. Continue reading...
Twenty-one people died when bus crashed through guardrail that accident victim charity says was designed for a country road'Serhan Gangal and his sister were among a group of tourists waiting for the 8.30pm bus on Tuesday which they expected to shuttle them back from central Venice to their campsite in nearby Marghera.The siblings from Germany, first-time visitors to Venice, had made the 9-mile journey several times during their three-day break, enjoying seeing one of the world's most famous cities while benefiting from the cheap chalets and swimming pool at the Hu di Marghera campsite. Continue reading...
Ryan Carson, 32, who worked in series of advocacy positions, died on Monday morning after attack at bus stop in BrooklynA man who dedicated his life to social justice activism was stabbed to death by a stranger on a New York street after attending a wedding with his girlfriend.Ryan Carson, 32, was stabbed multiple times near a bus stop at Malcolm X Boulevard and Lafayette Avenue in Brooklyn, at about 4am on Monday. Local outlets reported that Carson was waiting for the bus after coming back from a wedding on Long Island with his girlfriend. Continue reading...
Sunak's wife continued an appalling pantomime tradition, but she was at least spared the knivesAs we gather here today," said Akshata Murty, Rishi Sunak's wife, to look to the future of the UK ... " OK, I'll be honest. The end of this sentence got lost to my internal cacophony. Are you allowed to say that about gathering? Don't you have to go to vicar school first?It was a vanishingly short speech, introduced in winning style with a faux-prod at the prime minister that he didn't have a clue what his wife was about to say. The audience laughed approvingly, imagining their quaking premier anticipating his acid-tongued wife. Would she reveal that he was aspirational? Or that he believed in fair play? Would she have loved him from the moment they first met, or the point at which she realised how fervently he believed in the rule of law? It was a high stakes game for Sunak, who'd had quite the morning, rendering ill-managed railway disappointment unto Manchester, while he was literally in Manchester. Continue reading...
by Vivian Ho (now); Tom Ambrose and Helen Sullivan (e on (#6F9G8)
Rishi Sunak urges allies to arm Ukraine in party conference speech; Victoria Roshchyna has not been heard from since 3 August, says International Women's Media Foundation
Young people's needs were forgotten, with no one made responsible by UK government for ensuring their rights were met, says legal expertChildren were disproportionately affected by pandemic policies, with their voices not listened to and no one made responsible by the government for ensuring their legal rights were met, the Covid inquiry has heard.Questions about how lockdown policies affected young people weren't even asked", said the barrister Jennifer Twite, giving evidence on behalf of Save the Children UK, Just for Kids Law and the Children's Rights Alliance. Continue reading...
Cheshire force says it will consider areas including senior leadership and decision-making at Countess of Chester hospitalPolice have launched a corporate manslaughter investigation into the Countess of Chester hospital after the neonatal nurse Lucy Letby's convictions for the murders of seven babies and the attempted murders of six others.Cheshire constabulary said the investigation would examine senior leadership and decision-making to determine if there was criminality at the time of the charges Letby faced. Continue reading...
Local health department believe woman was victim of failed infanticide by her parents during second world warAn elderly woman in Russia's far east has lived her whole life with a 3cm-long needle in her brain, it was revealed after doctors made the unexpected discovery during a CT scan.Doctors believe the woman, 80, was the victim of a failed infanticide carried out by her parents, and said they would not attempt to remove the needle for fear of worsening her condition. Continue reading...
Ilham Aliyev will not attend meeting with Armenian PM amid anger over French decision to supply military aid to YerevanAzerbaijan will not attend an EU-brokered event in Spain where its president, Ilham Aliyev, was set to hold talks with his Armenian counterpart over the future of Nagorno-Karabakh.Aliyev had been considering taking part in a meeting to discuss the breakaway region - which has largely emptied out after the mass exodus of ethnic Armenians - with the leaders of France, Germany, Armenia and the EU Council president, Charles Michel. Continue reading...
Cost of certificate of entitlement', introduced in 1990 to control number of cars, now equivalent to four Toyota Camry Hybrids in USTo own a car in Singapore, a buyer must bid for a certificate that now costs $106,000, equivalent to four Toyota Camry Hybrids in the US, as a post-pandemic recovery has driven up the cost of the country's vehicle quota system to all-time highs.Singapore has a 10-year certificate of entitlement" (COE) system, introduced in 1990, to control the number of vehicles in the small city-state, which is home to 5.9 million people and can be driven across in less than an hour. Continue reading...
Chief prosecutor Bruno Cherchi says he is proceeding with road multiple homicide investigation after tourist bus crashed off overpass in northern ItalyMassimo Fiorese, the chief executive of the transport company that owned the bus that crashed, said this morning the vehicle appeared to have been leaning on a railing, TGcom24 reported.His comments add to speculation about the quality of infrastructure on the stretch of road where the accident took place. Continue reading...
Course exploring impact of magic and witchcraft on society comes amid growing interest in folkloreIf you've been getting into crystals, manifesting your dream board or exploring feminist readings of witchcraft, you can now take your hobby to the next level - with the UK's first postgraduate degree in magic and the occult.The University of Exeter is seeking to harness growing interest in the subjects with a course that will explore the history and impact of witchcraft and magic around the world on society and science. Continue reading...
Reed Wischhusen, who allegedly plotted series of revenge' attacks, pointed handgun at police officer, jury toldA police firearms officer has told a jury he thought he was going to die when a man accused of plotting to carry out a series of revenge" attacks ran towards him pointing a gun.The officer, identified only by the codename L4, became emotional as he described drawing his own gun and shooting Reed Wischhusen, who had allegedly stockpiled an armoury and plotted attacks on his former primary school, his workplace and a police headquarters. Continue reading...
Fox held 'on suspicion of conspiring to commit criminal damage and encouraging or assisting offences to be committed'Police have arrested the rightwing commentator Laurence Fox at his home after comments encouraging people to vandalise Ulez cameras.On Wednesday morning Fox's Reclaim party posted a video on X, formally known as Twitter, which showed him sitting on the sofa in his living room, as several people dressed in police uniforms and wearing protective plastic gloves milled around him. Continue reading...
New York college hit with lawsuit alleging school has been systemically' paying women less than men for nearly 20 yearsA group of professors at Vassar, the historic US women's college in New York, tried for years to internally resolve an issue of being paid less than their male counterparts but now they have finally resorted to legal action, a lawyer for the group said.Vassar has been hit with a federal lawsuit brought by five senior female professors who allege their employer has knowingly" and systematically" been paying them and other female professors less than the men for nearly 20 years. Continue reading...
Boss of rising singer's former music label has denied any involvement in unexplained deathPolice in Nigeria have detained the Afrobeats star and record label boss Naira Marley for questioning over the death of the fast-rising singer MohBad last month.MohBad death's in unexplained circumstances on 12 September at the age of 27 led to an outpouring of grief among his fans and sent ripples through the multibillion-dollar Afrobeats music genre. Continue reading...
by Mark Brown North of England correspondent on (#6F9KB)
Man arrested on suspicion of murder after death of 54-year-old who witnesses say sustained throat injuriesA murder investigation has been launched after a man was fatally injured in Wearside by a dog believed to be an American XL bully.Northumbria police said said they received a report of an attack at about 6.55pm on Tuesday evening at an address in Shiney Row near Houghton-le-Spring, Sunderland, and a man aged 54 was taken to hospital with serious, life-threatening injuries. Continue reading...
Advocacy group said Elizabeth Polanco de los Santos, 21, accused of assaulting and insulting' contact, faced up to year in prisonElizabeth Polanco de los Santos, a New York college student, arrived in Dubai in July meaning to take only an hours-long layover during an international trip. But because she allegedly touched an airport security officer's arm, she was detained there for more than two months and endured the threat of spending more than a year in prison before she was cleared to return home Tuesday, according to an advocacy group which supported her.Polanco's nightmare stay in Dubai began as she traveled back to New York City from Istanbul with a friend on 14 July when her ordeal began. The 21-year-old, a business arts major at Lehman College in the Bronx, had stopped there for a connecting flight when airport customs officers told her to take off a waist compression device she was wearing after having surgery. Continue reading...
by Patrick Butler Social policy editor on (#6F9KD)
Council says without help it may be forced to make drastic cuts to local services to avoid bankruptcyOne of the UK's largest Conservative-run councils has warned it faces financial meltdown" and has called on ministers to fix the broken" local government funding system to avoid it and many other authorities plunging into effective bankruptcy.Hampshire county council said without a major overhaul of council finances in England - which it admitted was unlikely to come in time to prevent further cuts - it would be forced to push ahead with drastic reductions to local services over the next 18 months. Continue reading...
Knock-on effect forecast to turn many countries from net financial receivers into net contributorsExpanding the size of the EU to include nine new countries including Ukraine would cost the existing members more than 256bn (220bn), internal calculations have revealed.The knock-on effect would be to turn many countries that currently enjoy net financial benefits of the EU into net contributors. Continue reading...
Royal Artillery Gunner Jaysley Beck experienced intense period of unwelcome behaviour', inquiry findsA 19-year-old soldier is believed to have taken her own life after sexual harassment from her boss, according to an internal army inquiry report.Royal Artillery Gunner Jaysley Beck was found dead at Larkhill Camp in Wiltshire in December 2021 after experiencing an intense period of unwelcome behaviour", the inquiry report said, according to the BBC.In the UK and Ireland, Samaritans can be contacted on 116 123 or email jo@samaritans.org or jo@samaritans.ie. In the US, the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline is 1-800-273-8255. In Australia, the crisis support service Lifeline is 13 11 14. Other international helplines can be found at www.befrienders.org. Continue reading...
by Josh Butler and Sarah Basford Canales on (#6F9HZ)
Peter Dutton claims Anthony Albanese was hanging out on the red carpet with Alan Joyce' and did not change voice wording as former Qantas boss told him not to
Average 12% reduction comes as more affordable own-brand products introduced in Express storesTesco says food inflation has fallen in the past six months, with the grocer cutting prices on 2,500 products, including bread and broccoli, by an average of 12%.The supermarket also revealed a 14% rise in adjusted operating profit and said it expected the pace of prices rises to continue slowing for the rest of the year. Continue reading...
In today's newsletter: From dithering on HS2 to playing the culture war hits, the Conservative conference is all out of ideas Sign up here for our daily newsletter, First EditionGood morning. Today in Manchester, Rishi Sunak is expected to stand in front of a lectern reading LONG-TERM DECISIONS FOR A BRIGHTER FUTURE" and announce the scrapping of the HS2 rail link to that very city - and with it a key plank of his promise to level up the north.The Conservative party conference - which closes today and is likely the last before a general election in 2024 - has been completely dominated by the prime minister's repeated refusal to confirm whether or not the 100bn high speed line will continue as planned.US | Kevin McCarthy has been abruptly removed from his role as House speaker, ousted by hard-right members of his own Republican party less than a year after his election. It is the first time in US history the speaker has been dismissed, and came after he led a bipartisan effort that avoided a government shutdown.Italy | At least 21 people died and 18 were injured when a tourist coach crashed off an overpass near Venice, falling 30 metres on to power lines and catching fire. Those on board included Ukrainians, German and French citizens, said Venice prefect Michele Di Bari, adding the bus was totally crushed".Transport | Two planned strikes by London Underground workers this week have been called off, the RMT union announced. Its members had been due to strike on Wednesday and Friday, closing the tube over plans to reduce staff numbers by up to 600 posts to save costs.Health | Trans hospital patients in England will be banned from being treated in female- and male-only wards, under plans announced by the health secretary. Steve Barclay also said patient requests to have intimate care provided by someone of the same biological sex would be respected.Diplomacy | India has told Canada it must remove 41 diplomats from its embassy in Delhi as the diplomatic spat continues between the two countries. The Indian foreign ministry has given Canada a week to repatriate two-thirds of its diplomats stationed in India, reducing the number to 21. Continue reading...
Ruling party portrays opposition leader Donald Tusk as subservient to Berlin in run-up to 15 October electionAs campaign videos go, it's arguably one of the less sophisticated. To the booming soundtrack of Wagner's Ride of the Valkyries, a man with a strong foreign accent makes a phone call from the German embassy in Warsaw. His request: to arrange a call between Germany's chancellor and Jarosaw Kaczyski, the leader of Poland's ruling Law and Justice party (PiS).Asked if he would like to speak with Olaf Scholz about Poland's retirement age, raised under Donald Tusk, Poland's former prime minister and the current opposition leader, Kaczyski refuses. Tusk has gone; these customs have changed," he says, and hangs up. An economically resurgent Poland, implies the video, will not dance to Berlin's tune, all thanks to the firm nationalist leadership of the PiS. Continue reading...
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