Because of Russian attacks on energy infrastructure, Ukrainian authorities have warned residents in Kyiv to expect longer power outages lasting more than four hours.
Rolling blackouts are affecting not only Kyiv but also Ukraine’s central regions, including Dnipro.
According to President Volodymyr Zelensky, approximately four million people have been affected, but “the shelling will not break us.”
This month Russia launched dozens of missiles and Iranian-made drones.
Ukraine’s energy infrastructure is being pounded by the air attacks – Mr Zelensky says about a third of the country’s electric power stations have been destroyed.
The Kyiv region has lost 30% of its power capacity, the private energy company DTEK says, meaning “unprecedented” power cuts will be necessary.
“Unfortunately the scale of restrictions is significant, much larger than it was before,” said DTEK director Dmytro Sakharuk.
The power cuts have meant curbs on the use of street lights and electric-powered public transport, besides the discomfort in people’s homes.
IMAGE SOURCE,EPA Image caption, The scene in Dnipro as street lighting is switched off
The EU and other international allies of Kyiv have condemned the deliberate targeting of civilian infrastructure – attacks that Ukraine sees as war crimes.
Ukraine’s second city Kharkiv, heavily damaged by Russian shelling, also faces long power cuts, along with the central cities of Zhytomyr, Poltava and Chernihiv.
Russia stepped up its missile attacks on Ukraine’s power stations and other civilian infrastructure in retaliation for the 9 October bombing of the Kerch Bridge – a key link to Russian-annexed Crimea.
President Vladimir Putin called that blast a Ukrainian “act of terrorism”. The bridge is a symbol of his campaign to incorporate large swathes of Ukraine into Russia.
A power station employee called Pavlo, quoted by AFP news agency, said “we are confronted by such damage for the first time”. The unnamed plant had twice been targeted by missiles and then by an Iranian-made “kamikaze” drone.
He said repairs had been underway for more than two weeks, but “there are difficulties in that the equipment that has been damaged is unique – it’s hard to find the same parts”.
In other developments:
Russia said it had mobilized 300,000 reservists – the target number set by defence minister Sergei Shoigu. He said 41,000 of those called up had already been deployed to the battlefield in Ukraine
Russia also said it had completed an operation to move thousands of civilians out of occupied Kherson, ahead of an expected battle with Ukrainian forces for the strategic southern city
President Zelensky accused Russia of dismantling medical facilities in Kherson – removing “equipment, ambulances, just everything” – and pressurising doctors to move to Russia
Chechen leader and Putin ally Ramzan Kadyrov admitted that a Chechen unit had suffered “big losses” – 23 fighters killed and 58 wounded in a Ukrainian artillery attack
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has urged all parties to renew the grain export deal, which is due to expire next month. Russia has suggested it might not renew the deal. The agreement allowed Ukraine to resume exports in the Black Sea which had been blockedwhen Russia invaded.
South Africans are not big fans of royalty, but the upcoming official coronation of the new Zulu king has the country captivated – and marks a watershed moment in the country’s history.
The event will include a number of firsts for the country.
President Cyril Ramaphosa will formally recognise King Misuzulu ka Zwelithini as monarch, marking the first time a black president has been involved in a Zulu coronation.
It will be the first Zulu coronation since South Africa became a democracy in 1994. It will also finally put an end to the fierce family feud that dogged his succession to the throne – an embarrassing battle played out in public.
The last coronation took place on a rainy day back in 1971 under the apartheid government, when King Goodwill Zwelithini ka Bhekuzulu was crowned.
Then, as now, South Africa’s traditional leadership was regulated by the government. But the white-minority authorities at the time expected the young monarch to wear Western attire.
He attended the event in a suit – a leopard skin sash the only nod to Zulu couture.
As the crowds gather at the Mabhida Stadium in the coastal city of Durban on Saturday for his son’s government-backed coronation, they will be hoping for a more ostentatious display of Zulu culture when President Ramaphosa hands over the certificate that endorses Misuzulu as the ninth Zulu king.
“It’s a joyous occasion, the beginning of a new era,” explains Sihawukele Ngubane, a professor of African languages at the University of KwaZulu-Natal and expert on Zulu culture.
“The apartheid-era government bestowed the certificate to the king back then. This time we expect our king to wear his traditional garb because we now live in a democracy and there’s absolutely no obligation for his majesty to wear British-inspired clothing.”
In first, the coronation is going to be broadcast live on national television.
A fifth of South Africa’s population is Zulu – the country’s largest ethnic group -and its monarchy has a yearly taxpayer-funded budget of more than $3.6 (£3.2m).
It is the money that tends to put South Africans off royalty – given the country has eight monarchs officially recognised by the government, all funded by taxpayers.
Many question the seemingly lavish lives that some of the traditional leaders lead, with luxury cars and large properties.
Saturday’s state coronation comes two months after a traditional one that took place for King Misuzulu at KwaKhangelamankengane Palace in KwaZulu-Natal province – with festivities attended by thousands of people.
The Zulu royal household receives one of the biggest budget allocations, though KwaZulu-Natal’s provincial government states that this money is not just spent on the family – it also covers staff salaries, maintenance of palaces, and programmes that deal with traditional ceremonies and social cohesion.
Political parties across the divide have welcomed the new king, including the Economic Freedom Fighters, led by controversial politician Julius Malema. The Zulu Inkatha Freedom Party says it has put aside its difference with the governing African National Congress (ANC) ahead of the event.
Only the South African Communist Party seems unhappy, its members plan to picket the event to raise awareness about the political situation in neighbouring Eswatini, as its absolute monarch, King Mswati III, is attending the coronation of King Misuzulu, his nephew.
The media fanfare that followed the succession saga has brought King Misuzulu to the attention of the South African nation – and endeared him to some.
He trended on social media as young South Africans felt they could identify with him, casually teasing him when he fluffed his first speech.
He made it a few months after his father had died and before his official succession had been resolved. It was a powerful appeal to people in KwaZulu-Natal to stop the looting and riots that broke out in July 2021 following the arrest of former President Jacob Zuma, a proud Zulu, for contempt of court.
It was the worst violence the country had witnessed since the end of apartheid, but as he tried to read the speech in Zulu, he struggled and he ended up reading it much more fluently in English.
For Prof Ngubane, it shows that although King Misuzulu may only hold a ceremonial position, he is considered someone that many look up to as a moral authority.
“In Zulu, we say: ‘Umlomo ongathethi manga’, which means ‘What the king says goes’.”
And when he oversaw last month’s Reed Dance – a rite of passage ceremony for teenage girls – the monarch spoke out against gender violence in a country that has one of the world’s highest rates of rapes and sexual assaults.
IMAGE SOURCE,AFP Image caption, The Reed Dance is a rite of passage for young Zulu women and teenage girls
“Violence against women and children is an embarrassment to our nation. A woman is to be respected and protected. We must do better as men,” he said.
On the side-lines of those rehearsing for the Durban coronation, some young women tell us why the event means so much to their generation.
“We are excited to attend to show him that we are 100% behind him as king,” one of them says.
Who is Misuzulu ka Zwelithini?
Born on 23 September 1974 in Kwahlabisa
Educated privately at St Charles College in Pietermaritzburg
Studied at Jacksonville University in the US, where he lived for several years
An estimated 11,000 foreign children and women remain in the refugee camps of Roj and al-Hol in northeastern Syria.
The Australian government has returned four Australian women and their 13 children from a Syrian refugee camp to the state of New South Wales, according to home affairs minister Clare O’Neil.
The repatriation is part of a plan to bring back from Syria dozens of Australian women and children who are relatives of dead or imprisoned ISIL (ISIS) fighters and have been held at the al-Hol and Roj detention camps in Kurdish-controlled northeastern Syria for several years.
Australia first repatriated eight children and grandchildren of two dead ISIL fighters from a Syrian refugee camp in 2019 but has held off repatriating any others until now.
“The decision to repatriate these women and their children were informed by individual assessments following detailed work by national security agencies,” O’Neil said in a statement on Saturday.
The women and children left the Roj refugee camp in northern Syria on Thursday afternoon and crossed the border into Iraq to board a flight home, the Sydney Morning Herald and state broadcaster ABC reported on Friday.
O’Neil said at all times the focus has been on the safety and security of “all Australians” as well as those involved in the repatriation, with the government having “carefully considered the range of security, community and welfare factors in making the decision to repatriate”.
The repatriation followed similar moves by the United States, Italy, Germany, France, the Netherlands, Belgium, the United Kingdom, and Canada, O’Neil said.
She said allegations of illegal activity would continue to be investigated by state and federal law enforcement authorities.
“Any identified offences may lead to law enforcement action being taken,” O’Neil said, adding that New South Wales was providing “extensive support services” to assist the group to reintegrate into Australia.
In a statement on Saturday attributed to the repatriated women, the group said they were “deeply thankful” to be back in Australia and they expressed regret for the “troubles and hurt” caused by their actions, particularly to their families.
Asking for privacy and space to reconnect with their loved ones, the women expressed hope that “all Australian children and their mothers will soon be repatriated from the camps in Syria”.
Human Rights Watch researcher Sophie McNeill said the repatriation was a “long overdue step”.
“For years, the Australian government has abandoned its nationals to horrific conditions in locked camps in northeast Syria,” McNeill said.
“Australia can play a leadership role in counterterrorism through these orderly repatriations of its nationals, most of them children who never chose to live under ISIS,” she said.
In a statement congratulating Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese for his “strong leadership” on the repatriation plan, the humanitarian organisation Save the Children said that an estimated 11,000 foreign children and women remain in the Roj and al-Hol camps.
Before the council meets, no major decisions or account reinstatement will be made, according to the outspoken billionaire businessman.
Elon Musk has announced his intention to form a “content moderation council with widely diverse viewpoints” at Twitter in his first policy actions since taking over the social media company on Friday while emphasising that no changes to the platform’s moderation policies have been implemented thus far.
“No major content decisions or account reinstatements will happen before that council convenes,” the outspoken billionaire businessman said amid concerns that former US President Donald Trump’s account might be reinstated.
“To be super clear, we have not yet made any changes to Twitter’s content moderation policies,” he added in a later tweet.
Twitter formally became the private property of Musk, CEO of Tesla and SpaceX, on Friday, steering the platform down an uncertain path under the stewardship of one of its most vocal critics.
Scrutiny quickly turned to how the platform will operate under a self-proclaimed free-speech absolutist who some users fear will turn Twitter into a global stage for hate speech and disinformation.
To be super clear, we have not yet made any changes to Twitter’s content moderation policies https://t.co/k4guTsXOIu
Musk’s sealing of the on-again, off-again $44bn deal ended a months-long soap opera of corporate chicanery, involving insults, threats, and lawsuits.
“The bird is free,” tweeted the billionaire Tesla founder and space pioneer in reference to the company’s logo. “Let the good times roll.”
The deal drew contrasting reactions, with former US president Donald Trump cheering the change of leadership on a platform that had banned him, while activists warned of a surge in harassment and misinformation.
European politicians were quick to signal to Musk that the continent had regulations for social media companies.
“In Europe, the bird will fly by our rules,” tweeted Thierry Breton, the EU internal marketcommissioner.
Musk had promised to dial back content moderation and was expected to clear the way for Trump to return to the platform.
The then-president was blocked over concerns he would ignite more violence like the 2021 deadly attack on the US Capitol to overturn his election loss.
Taking to his own Truth Social platform, Trump said he was “very happy that Twitter is now in sane hands” – but gave no commitment to rejoin if allowed.
Far-right users were quick to rejoice at Musk’s ownership, posting comments such as “masks don’t work” and other taunts, under the belief that moderation rules would now be relaxed.
‘A huge responsibility’
Yale University philosophy professor Jason Stanley, who has characterised Trump’s rise as a sign of mounting fascism in the United States, said he would alter his approach to posting.
“For the moment I am staying on Twitter. But I am going to try to be much more careful about what I say now that Elon Musk is in charge. Cascading hate speech targeting can destroy your week,” he said.
Right-wing political commentator Ben Shapiro said he gained 40,000 Twitter followers on Friday, while the actor Mark Hamill, a liberal, said he had lost almost 6,000 followers over the last three days.
Musk reportedly fired Twitter chief executive Parag Agrawal and other senior officials – though the company did not reply to a request for comment and Agrawal still listed himself as CEO on his Twitter profile.
But Ned Segal, Twitter’s chief financial officer since 2017, announced his departure.
“At its best, (Twitter) democratizes communication and knowledge, ensuring accountability and equal distribution of info,” Segal said. “It’s a huge responsibility for everyone that shares in the work. I wish them strength, wisdom, and foresight.”
Musk, who is using a combination of his own money, funds from wealthy investors, and bank loans to finance the deal, has conceded he is overpaying for a company that has regularly posted eye-watering losses.
How to monetize?
Twitter says it has 238 million daily users – dwarfed by the likes of Facebook’s nearly two billion – and has not been able to monetise in the same way as its rivals.
However, it holds an outsized influence on public debate because it is the favoured platform for many companies, politicians, journalists and other public figures.
Though he has promised that Twitter will not become a “free-for-all hellscape,” Musk reportedly plans deep staff cuts that would gut teams that oversee content.
Despite Musk posting a letter to advertisers saying he wants Twitter to be a forum where rival viewpoints can be debated in a “healthy manner”, US auto giant General Motors said on Friday it has “temporarily paused” paid ads on the platform.
“We are engaging with Twitter to understand the direction of the platform under their new ownership,” said a GM spokesman.
Media watchdog Media Matters for America sounded the alarm over the future of a Musk-led Twitter, particularly the effect on imminent US midterm elections.
The platform “is now on a glide path to becoming a supercharged engine of radicalization” and a “fever swamp of dangerous conspiracy theories, partisan chicanery, and operationalized harassment,” the organisation’s head Angelo Carusone said.
Officials in the Philippines have revised a previous figure of more than 70 deaths from Tropical Storm Nalgae, which has caused flash floods and landslides in provinces in the country’s south.
The tropical storm, which has maximum sustained winds of 95km (59 miles) per hour and gusts of up to 160kph (99.4 mph), made landfall in the eastern Catanduanes province early on Saturday.
The southern region ofMindanao has been the hardest hit with 40 bodies recovered so far, national civil defence chief Rafaelito Alejandro said at a news conference in Manila.
Fatalities were also reported earlier in Sultan Kudarat, in South Cotabato, and in the Visayas region in the central Philippines.
Earlier on Saturday, the civil defence office had reported 72 dead, but Alejandro said the toll was reduced after local “validation”.
More than 30 people have been injured and 15 are missing, spokesman and civil defence chief for the southern region Naguib Sinarimbo told Agence-France Presse.
Rescuers help residents evacuate in Kalamansig, Sultan Kudarat on October 28, 2022 [Regional Maritime Unit 12, Sultan Kudarat Maritime Police/AFP]
Storm Nalgae will bring heavy and at times torrential rains over the capital, Manila, and nearby provinces on Saturday as it cuts through the main Luzon island and heads to the South China Sea, the state weather agency said in its latest bulletin.
Barnaby Lo, reporting for Al Jazeera from Manila, said on Saturday that the capital had experienced around 10 hours of continuous rain and the precipitation was expected to continue through to Sunday.
The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical, and Astronomical Services Administration warned on Saturday that Nalgae (known locally as Paeng) will continue to cause flooding and rain-induced landslides as it crosses the country.
TROPICAL CYCLONE BULLETIN NO. 15
Severe Tropical Storm #PaengPH (NALGAE)
Issued at 5:00 AM, 29 Oct. 2022
Valid until next bulletin at 8:00 AM today
Search and rescue teams pulled bodies from the water and thick mud after Nalgae triggered flooding and landslides in the south of the country on Friday.
“We are now gathering all rescue teams and will conduct a briefing before deployment,” Nasrullah Imam, a disaster agency official at Maguindanao province, said on Saturday. “It’s no longer raining so this will help our search and operation.”
An average of 20 tropical storms hit the Philippines annually.
Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr sent condolences to those who had lost their lives in the storm and reassured the public that emergency services were deploying with supplies of food and other items to the hardest-hit areas.
More than 7,000 people were evacuated ahead of the storm’s landfall, the civil defence office said.
The coast guard has also suspended ferry services through most of the archipelago nation due to rough seas, stranding hundreds of vessels and thousands of passengers at ports. Civil aviation authorities said that more than 100 flights had been cancelled so far.
The storm struck at the beginning of a long weekend in the Philippines when millions return to their hometowns to visit the graves of their relatives.
Scientists have warned that such storms, which also kill livestock and destroy key infrastructure, are becoming more powerful as the world gets warmer because of climate change.
Paul Pelosi, the husband of US House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi, is recovering from surgery after being attacked at the couple’s San Francisco home by a hammer-wielding intruder.
Mr. Pelosi, 82, suffered a fractured skull as well as injuries to his right arm and hands, but he is expected to recover fully.
The attack has heightened fears of political violence in the run-up to the midterm elections on November 8.
The suspect, David Depape, 42, is said to have demanded to see Mrs Pelosi.
President Biden described the attack as “despicable” and denounced a corrosive political climate for contributing to violence.
“Enough is enough is enough,” he said during a speech in Philadelphia. “Every person of good conscience needs to clearly and unambiguously stand up against the violence in our politics, regardless of what your politics are.”
Hours after the attack, the US government distributed a bulletin to law enforcement across the nation warning of a “heightened threat” of domestic violent extremism against candidates and election workers driven by individuals with “ideological grievances”.
However, police investigating the attack on Mr Pelosi – which they have deemed an attempted murder – told reporters a motive had not yet been fully determined.
‘Paul Pelosi made secret 911 call’
Mrs Pelosi – who was on the other side of the country in Washington DCat the time of the assault – flew back to see her husband in hospital.
A spokesman for the senior Democrat said Mr Pelosi had been attacked in the early hours of Friday morning “by an assailant who acted with force, and threatened his life while demanding to see the Speaker”.
San Francisco Police Chief William Scott said officers had responded to a call at around 02:27 local time (09:27 GMT) on Friday.
They found Mr Pelosi and the suspect struggling over a hammer, but it was wrested from Mr Pelosi by the intruder, who violently assaulted him with it.
The suspect was tackled and disarmed by officers. He had attempted to tie up Mr Pelosi “until Nancy got home”, law enforcement sources told CBS News. He reportedly shouted “where’s Nancy?” during the incident.
He is also facing charges of assault with a deadly weapon, burglary, and several other felonies, Chief Scott said.
He said the suspect had gained access through a rear entry to the four-bedroom Pelosi home in the upmarket neighbourhood of Pacific Heights. Footage shows a smashed glass door at the property.
The suspect is currently in hospital, but police declined to share details about his medical condition.
At the start of the break-in, Mr Pelosi told the intruder he needed to use the bathroom then made a secret 911 call on his mobile phone and left the line open, allowing a dispatcher to hear him talking to the suspect, reports the Los Angeles Times.
Chief Scott confirmed it was Mr Pelosi who had called the police and that a quick-thinking emergency dispatcher had been “able to read between the lines” and send officers.
“This was not a random act,” said the police chief of the attack. “This was intentional.”
He added: “Everybody should be disgusted by what happened this morning.
Far right web activity
A blog, website and social media accounts under the name of the suspect seen by the BBC are filled with anti-Semitic memes, Holocaust denial, references to far-right websites and conspiracy theories such as QAnon.
He also posted debunked allegations of election fraud. His recent posts were rambling and touched on a host of far-right and extremist talking points.
Older messages by the suspect promote hemp jewellery and quartz crystals. He was also a nudist activist who had listed himself as a member of the Green Party, according to the San Francisco Chronicle.
The suspect grew up in the western Canadian province of British Columbia before moving to the US and becoming estranged from family members back home, his stepfather told the Globe and Mail newspaper.
IMAGE SOURCE, GETTY IMAGES
Mrs Pelosi is one of the most powerful politicians in the country. She was re-elected to a fourth term as Speaker of the House of Representatives in 2021, making her second in line to the presidency after Vice-President Kamala Harris.
The Baltimore native has represented the San Francisco area in Congress since 1987 and typically splits her time between California and Washington DC.
Her husband, the multimillionaire founder of a venture capital firm, lives primarily in San Francisco, where he was born and raised.
The couple have been married since 1963 and have five children.
Members of Congress have been on high alert over security threats since the riot at the US Capitol in January 2021. Mrs Pelosi’s office in the building was ransacked by supporters of then-President Donald Trump during the attack.
Russia saysonly 3 percent of food exported from Ukraine under a deal that allowed its grain shipments to resume has gone to the world’s poorest countries. It says Western nations have received half.
“The geography of the recipients of these cargoes has turned out to be completely inconsistent with the initially declared humanitarian objectives,” Russia said in a statement.
“Needy states such as Somalia, Ethiopia, Yemen, Sudan, and Afghanistan have received just 3 percent of the food, mostly from the World Food Programme,” it said.
Since the signing of the UN-backed Black Sea Grain Initiative in July in Turkey, several million tonnes of corn, wheat, sunflower products, barley, rapeseed, and soya have been exported from Ukraine.
But President Vladimir Putin and other Russian officials have since complained that there are serious problems with the deal, raising fears that Moscow could block those exports unless its demands are met.
The US willprovide a new $275m military assistance package for Ukraine to help it battle Russia’s invasion, the Pentagon has announced.
The package includes ammunition for Himars precision rocket launchers, various types of 155 mm artillery rounds, anti-armor systems, small arms ammunition, and four satellite communications antennas, Deputy Pentagon Press Secretary Sabrina Singh told journalists.
“We’re seeing Ukrainian infrastructure and electrical grids being targeted by the Russians and these antennas provide an additional capability on the ground at a critical time when Ukraine’s infrastructure is being hit,” Singh said.
This month, Russia resumed strikes on Kyiv, targeting critical infrastructure and forcing Ukraine to implement rolling blackouts.
According to Mr Klitschko, the city’s electricity deficit currently ranges between 20% and 50%.
It is, therefore, still operating in an emergency capacity.
Ukraine’s main power supplier, Ukrenergo, said it hopes to eliminate the shortages within two to three weeks – if there are no further strikes.
Mr Klitschko said: “The city is doing everything possible to save electricity consumption. In particular, trolleybuses have been replaced by buses on many routes of communal public transport.
“At the same time, the capital is not going to stop the metro. Once again, I call on the citizens of Kyiv and businesses to reduce electricity consumption!
“The risk of a major blackout, when a lack of electricity can lead to even greater consequences and an even greater shutdown, there is.”
Ukrainianian Foreign MinisterDmytro Kuleba said he had received a call from his Iranian counterpart Hossein Amirabdollahian on Friday.
Within it, Mr Kuleba said he had demanded that Tehran stop sending weapons to Russia.
Ukraine and its Western allies have accused Iran of sending “kamikaze” drones to Russia – which have then been used to devastating effect.
Iran denies the charge, which relates to attacks in major Ukrainian cities.
“I demanded Iran to immediately cease the flow of weapons to Russia used to kill civilians and destroy critical infrastructure in Ukraine,” he saidUkrainian minister demands Iran stop ‘supplying weaponry to Russia’
Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said he had received a call from his Iranian counterpart Hossein Amirabdollahian on Friday.
Within it, Mr Kuleba said he had demanded that Tehran stop sending weapons to Russia.
Ukraine and its Western allies have accused Iran of sending “kamikaze” drones to Russia – which have then been used to devastating effect.
Iran denies the charge, which relates to attacks in major Ukrainian cities.
“I demanded Iran to immediately cease the flow of weapons to Russia used to kill civilians and destroy critical infrastructure in Ukraine,” he said
Today, I received a call from Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir Abdollahian, during which I demanded Iran to immediately cease the flow of weapons to Russia used to kill civilians and destroy critical infrastructure in Ukraine.
Canada announced on Fridaythat it will sell a five-year government-backed bond to raise funds for Ukraine.
It will also impose new sanctions on 35 Russian individuals, including executives from Gazprom.
“Canadians will now be able to go to major banks to purchase their sovereignty bonds, which will mature with interest after five years,” Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said.
“These funds will go to support the government of Ukraine so they can continue to support the Ukrainian people.”
The proceeds will “help the (Ukrainian) government continue operations, including providing essential services to Ukrainians, like pensions, and purchasing fuel before winter,” a statement added.
The equivalent of the income raised will be channelled “directly to Ukraine” through an International Monetary Fund-administered account.
Mr Trudeau also announced new sanctions on 35 senior officials of energy sector entities, including Gazprom “and its subsidiaries,” according to a statement, plus six other “energy sector entities.”
“We will continue to tighten the screws on anyone abetting this illegal invasion,” he said.
Donald Trump has stated that he is “very happy that Twitter is now in sane hands” following Elon Musk’s acquisition of the company.
Musk’s $44 billion purchase of Twitter was completed on Thursday, and he reportedly fired the company’s CEO and two other top executives.
The world’s richest man tweeted “the bird is freed” and “let the good times roll”.
He’s promised to overhaul the service by getting rid of fake accounts and ensuring it’s a place where a “range of beliefs can be debated in a healthy manner”.
Donald Trump – arguably once Twitter’s most famous user – was banned after the siege on the US Capitol in January 2021 for allegedly inciting violence with two of his posts.
His banishment could be about the end, however, as Musk has previously said the ban was a “mistake” and “morally wrong”.
Trump celebrated the takeover on TruthSocial, a conservative social media platform he created, by posting that Twitter “will no longer be run by Radical Left Lunatics and Maniacs that truly hate our country”.
Many on the right of the political spectrum have long argued that Twitter and other social media sites are biased against their views and quick to ‘deplatform’ them.
Musk’s approach to Twitter could allay some of those accusations as he’s described himself as a “free speech absolutist”.
Image:Musk has big plans for his new purchase
However, he also assured advertisers Twitter would not become a “free-for-all hellscape, where anything can be said with no consequences”.
The former president said the service would become “smaller but better” and that it must “work hard to rid itself of all the bots and fake accounts”.
He also claimed his own TruthSocial had become a “phenomena” that last week had “bigger numbers” than TikTok, Twitter, and Facebook.
It’s unclear what figures he’s referring to, but the claim is likely to be false given the huge user base of those services.
Musk’s purchase of Twitter was completed a day before the 28 October deadline to avoid the deal going to court. The company had taken legal action to force the deal through after Musk backed out in July over the number of fake and spam accounts.
Earlier this week, Musk posted a bizarre video of himself entering Twitter’s San Francisco headquarters carrying a sink alongside the message: “Entering Twitter HQ – let that sink in”.
He’s also now updated his Twitter bio to “Chief Twit”.
According to reports, Musk told staff during his visit it was not true he was planning on cutting up to 75% of Twitter staff after acquiring the company.
It was previously reported that Musk told investors he was hoping to cut around three-quarters of the firm’s 7,500 employees.
He has told investors he plans to sell users premium subscriptions to reduce reliance on ads, allow content creators to make money, and enable payments, according to Reuters news agency.
A Dutch fishing boat rescued a British man in the Channel after his kayak capsized and he was left clinging to a buoy for days.
Teunis de Boer, the captain, said he saw the kayaker waving frantically as his boat Madeleine sailed by.
“He was clearly in distress,” the captain said, according to Dutch media.
After the man was given water and a chocolate bar, he was airlifted to a hospital by French authorities.
The drama unfolded late on Thursday morning several miles west off the French coast, in a shipping lane of the Dover Strait, also known as the Pas de Calais.
The boat captain said he was checking they were not steering too close to the Colbart Nord buoy when he suddenly saw something moving around on it. “I picked up the binoculars and saw a young man just in his swimming trunks waving at us like a madman,” he told the De Telegraaf website.
URKER VISSERS REDDEN BRITSE KAJAKKER | De bemanning van de kotter BL936072 ‘Madelaine’ van rederij De Boer & Zonen, heeft rond 11 uur in het Kanaal een Engelse kajakker gered van een lichtboei. Hij werd bij toeval ontdekt toen de kotter in de buurt van de Cobalt-bank ging vissen. pic.twitter.com/8Oq1AZ1u2P
They threw the Briton lifebuoys and hauled him on board. “He was covered in bruises and explained that he’d stayed alive by scraping mussels off the buoy and eating little crabs and seaweed,” Mr De Boer told public broadcaster NOS. He was dehydrated and suffering from hypothermia, so the crew wrapped him in blankets.
A French coastguard helicopter was quickly on the scene and flew the Briton to a hospital in nearby Boulogne.
What is less clear is how long he had survived clinging to the buoy. The fishing boat captain said the man had told them he had left Dover in his kayak on 15 October, 12 days before he was picked up.
In a statement, the French maritime prefect for the Channel and North Sea said, however, that he had left Dover around 48 hours earlier.
The prefecture warned anyone planning to cross the Channel of the risks involved in such an undertaking, pointing out that conditions were often very dangerous and more than 400 merchant ships passed through it every day.
Britse kajakker na dagen op een lichtboei door Nederlandse vissers gered. Maakt het goed. pic.twitter.com/0EEZ57mTxl
Two police officers have been fired as a result of the ongoing protests in Iran.
According to state media, the dismissal was due to “malpractice” by police during clashes in the city of Zahedan on September 30.
Dozens were killed in those protests, which erupted in response to allegations that a senior police officer had raped a teenage girl.
Although not directly related, widespread unrest following the death of another young woman in police custody poses a serious challenge to the Islamic Republic.
Mahsa Amini, 22, died on 16 September.
She had been detained three days earlier by the morality police in Tehran and fell into a coma after collapsing at a detention centre.
She was arrested for allegedly wearing her Islamic headscarf “improperly”.
There were reports that officers had beaten her with a baton and banged her head against a vehicle, but policedenied she had been mistreated and said she had suffered a heart attack.
It is not clear how many people died in the 30 September clashes which have now led to the dismissal of the two senior police officials in the south-eastern city of Zahedan, the capital of Sistan Baluchistan province.
Some reports by human rights organisations have put the number at more than 80.
There have been regular protests in the city since then – on Friday security forces were said to have again fired at crowds after prayers at the city’s mosques.
It is rare for Iranian authorities to sack senior officials involved in suppressing protests against the country’s top leadership.
Sistan Baluchistan province, which borders both Pakistan and Afghanistan, has a sizeable Sunni Muslim population. Iran is a majority Shia country.
Authorities have said the security forces were attacked by armed Baluchi separatists – something the imam of the city’s biggest mosque has denied.
Norway-based Iran Human Rights says at least 234 protesters, including 29 children, have been killed by security forces in crackdowns around Iran so far. Iran’s leaders have portrayed the unrest as “riots” instigated by foreigners.
Footage posted on social media and verified by the BBC shows widespread recent protests in many cities – an upsurge that came after police reportedly opened fire on protesters in Saqqez, home city of Ms Amini, on Wednesday, 40 days after she died.
The BBC and other independent media are banned from reporting from inside Iran, making state media and other reports hard to verify. Authorities have also heavily disrupted the internet, hampering the ability of protesters to post on social media.
The Islamic Republic of Iran has seen protests before. But not like this.
The authorities are still trying to dismiss and discredit them as “rioters influenced by foreigners”.
It’s hard to square that with extraordinary images of teenage schoolgirlsrejecting obligatory headscarves, and of women of all ages walking bare-headed in public spaces.
It’s hard, too, to see Iran returning to days where so-called morality police can police women’s dress the way they’ve done for decades.
This is now about more, much more than what women wear.
In the past, major uprisings have fizzled out or were forcibly suppressed, after months of unrest. But, with every week, this wave seems to strengthen.
The full force of Iran’s security apparatus has yet to be unleashed. The authorities will do whatever it takes to preserve the Islamic Republic.
But Iran’s protesters, especially a new generation of women and men, also seem ready to do whatever it takes to change their lives, and much more.
Jemma Mitchell, 38, became the first woman in England and Wales to be sentenced live on television for the murder of Mee Kuen Chong, 67, and the disposal of her headless body in woods more than 200 miles away.
A woman was sentenced to 34 years in prison for murdering and decapitating her friend in a money dispute.
Jemma Mitchell, 38, became the first woman in England and Wales to be sentenced live on television for killing Mee Kuen Chong, 67, also known as Deborah, and dumping her headless body in some woodland in Salcombe, Devon, more than 200 miles away.
Sentencing her on Friday, Judge Richard Marks KC described her as “extremely devious”.
“You have shown absolutely no remorse,” he told her at the Old Bailey. “It appears you are in complete denial as to what you did, despite the overwhelming evidence against you.
“The enormity of your crime is profoundly shocking, even more so given your apparent religious devotion as well as the fact that Deborah Chong was a good friend to you and had shown you good kindness,” he said.
Judge Marks said Mitchell and her mother were living in a house in Willesden, northwest London, and had been cheated out of most of the £230,000 they paid two builders to add another floor to the property.
Image:Mee Kuen Chong, who was also known as Deborah
Mitchell denied having anything to do with her death and declined to give evidence during the trial.
Jurors viewed CCTV footage of Mitchell arriving at Ms Chong’s home in Wembley, northwest London, carrying a large blue suitcase on the morning of 11 June last year.
More than five hours later, she emerged from the property with the suitcase appearing bulkier and heavier.
Judge Marks said: “That large suitcase contained Deborah Chong’s body. I have no doubt that you killed her when inside her house.”
CCTV of Mitchell with the blue suitcase in London
After Ms Chong’s lodger reported her missing, Mitchell claimed she had gone to visit family friends “somewhere close to the ocean”.
The prosecution said Mitchell stored her remains in the garden of the house she shared with her retired mother until 26 June when she put the suitcase in a car she had hired and drove down to Devon.
Image:Woodlands in Salcombe, Devon where Ms Chong’s remains were found
Image:The blue suitcase used to transport Ms Chong’s body
Headless body found by holidaymakers
On her way to Salcombe, Mitchell was forced to drive into a service station after the car blew a tyre. A repairman who changed the wheel described an “odd musty smell” inside the vehicle, jurors heard.
After the delay, she dumped her body and her head near Bennett Road in Salcombe.
Ms Chong’s headless corpse was found by holidaymakers the next day. Her skull was recovered a few metres away from the body following a police search.
A post-mortem examination confirmed that Ms Chong had suffered a skull fracture along with other injuries consistent with an assault.
Experience in dissecting bodies
The court heard Mitchell and Ms Chong, who met through church,had exchanged several messages about renovating Mitchell’s home.
They were both “devout Christians”, the judge added.
Mitchell decided to murder her victim after she pulled out of giving her the £200,000 to pay for the refurbishment of her £4m home.
The judge said Ms Chong had a “serious history of mental illness”, was on anti-psychotic medication, and was “particularly vulnerable, both mentally as well as physically” before she died.
He also said as part of her degree in human sciences from King’s College London, Mitchell “was taught anatomy” and “had experience in the dissection of human bodies”.
“That no doubt stood you in good stead,” he said.
Judge Marks said there were three aggravating factors to Mitchell’s crimes – her planning, her victim’s vulnerability and “the chilling aspect” of what she did to the victim’s body after she died.
She had a previous conviction for breach of a non-molestation order, but was of “effective previous good character”.
Following her conviction, Detective Chief Inspector Jim Eastwood, who led the investigation, said: “Mitchell has never accepted responsibility for Deborah’s murder so there are questions which remain unanswered.
“Why she kept her body for a fortnight, why she decapitated her, why she deposited her remains in Salcombe.
“What we do know is that these were evil acts carried out by an evil woman and the only motive clearly was one of financial gain.”
An art historian says , an artwork by the abstract Dutch painter Piet Mondrian has been hanging upside down in various galleries for 75 years.
Despite the recent discovery, the work, titled New York City I, will continue to be displayed upside down in order to avoid damage.
The 1941 photograph was first shown in 1945 at New York’s MoMA.
It has hung at the art collection of the German state of North Rhine-Westphalia in Düsseldorf since 1980.
Curator Susanne Meyer-Büser noticed the longstanding error when researching the museum’s new show on the artist earlier this year, but warned it could disintegrate if it was hung the right side up now.
New York City I is an adhesive-tape version of the similarly named New York City painting by the same artist.
‘Wrong way around’
“The thickening of the grid should be at the top, like a dark sky,” Meyer-Büser told The Guardian, about the unfinished and unsigned red, blue and yellow striped lattice artwork.
“Once I pointed it out to the other curators, we realised it was very obvious. It is very likely the picture is the wrong way around,” she added when contacted by the BBC.
IMAGE SOURCE,PETRA WISCHGOLL Image caption, Curator Susanne Meyer-Bueser poses in front of the Piet Mondrian painting New York City I in the Kunstsammlung NRW
The evidence seems to bear this theory out, as the similarly-named New York City, which is on display at Paris’s Centre Pompidou, displays a thickening of lines at the top, rather than the bottom.
Furthermore, a photograph of the influential Dutchman’s studio, taken days after his death shows the same picture sitting on an easel the other way up.
The image was published in the American lifestyle magazine Town and Country in June 1944.
Mondrian, who was born in the Utrecht region of The Netherlands in 1872, is regarded as one of the greatest artists of the 20th Century, and a pioneer of the modern abstract style, minimalism and expressionism.
As the co-founder of the De Stijl art group and movement, and in search of “universal beauty”, he evolved a non-representational form which he termed Neoplasticism.
Moving to Paris in 1911, he experimented in Cubism, but his name is these days synonymous with modernism.
His work had a huge influence, not only on the art world but also in the fields of design, architecture and fashion.
According to the Düsseldorf gallery, His recently re-visited series of New York City paintings from 1941 and 1942, shortly before his death aged 71, was seen as “a revolution in Mondrian’s strict concept of Gestalt” [shape].
The gallery describes Referring to New York City I as “a lively, dynamic rhythm of coloured, red, blue and yellow stripes [which] took the place of the radically reduced pictorial language with the geometric structure and the reduction to the primary colours as well as black and white.”
Taiwan has askedChinese veterinary experts to assist in the treatment of a critically ill male panda.
Tuan Tuan, a giant panda, was given to Taiwan by Beijing in 2008, along with his breeding partner, Yuan Yuan.
However, the 18-year-old bear has become increasingly ill, and Taiwanese zookeepers believe he has a brain tumour.
Taiwan has called on vets from mainland China to help assess Tuan Tuan as he moves into end-of-life care.
The two pandas were donated during a period of warmer relations between the neighbours, although their names combined mean “reunion” or “unity” – probably a reference to Beijing’s desire to reabsorb Taiwan one day.
Relations have since soured between China and Taiwan, which Beijing regards as a breakaway province.
It is not clear when the vets will arrive, but Taiwan officials said they were processing their visa applications.
Since their arrival, Tuan Tuan and Yuan Yuan have become huge attractions in Taiwan.
“He was small and so cute when he first got here,” Heng Ling-lin, who brought her children to Taipei Zoo to sign get-well notes, told the AFP news agency.
“He was like everybody’s baby,” she added. “It breaks my heart now to see him like this.”
Downing Street announced that the UK and France will step up cooperation to combat migrant crossings in the English Channel.
Rishi Sunak spoke with President Emmanuel Macron for the first time as Prime Minister on Friday.
According to No. 10, the two men expressed a commitment to “deepening” their work to prevent “deadly journeys.”
A statement from the Elysée Palace after the call made no specific mention of migrant boats.
There have already been promises to deepen cooperation earlier in October after then-Prime Minister Liz Truss met with Mr Macron in Prague earlier this month.
The pair pledged an “ambitious package of measures” to be announced this autumn.
Downing Street has refused to give details on any future plans or when an announcement will be made.
But Mr Sunak is said to have “stressed the importance for both nations to make the Channel route completely unviable for people traffickers”.
In 2021, the UK agreed to pay France £54m to boost patrols along France’s northern coast.
A report, in The Times, says Mr Sunak wants to close a new deal with France, including targets for how many boats are stopped.
It has been claimed that the French “pulled the plug” on a draft agreement back in the summer after Liz Truss said the “jury’s out” on whether Emmanuel Macron was a friend or foe.
The Elysée has previously declined to comment while Ms Truss and Mr Macron appeared to patch things up after their October meeting in Prague.
The new prime minister chose on Friday to strike a markedly warm tone towards the French president.
Following their phone call, No 10 emphasized areas of cooperation – including climate change, defence, the war in Ukraine, and energy.
According to Downing Street, Mr Sunak “stressed the importance he places on the UK’s relationship with France – our neighbour and ally”.
The Elysée said Mr Macron spoke of his willingness to deepen ties in defence and energy.
The UK and France have clashed in recent years over post-Brexit fishing rights, the AUKUS security pact, and migration.
In November 2021, 27 people died in the worst-recorded migrant tragedy in the Channel.
But the UK was disinvited from a ministerial meeting on the issue after Mr Macron accused Boris Johnson– prime minister at the time – of not being serious.
There is speculation that Mr Sunak may forge a more positive relationship with the French president than with his two predecessors.
They are close in age, often seen as “slick” in appearance, and worked in banking before turning to politics.
IMAGE SOURCE, REUTERS Image caption, They clashed but before leaving office, Mr Johnson described the French president as “a très bon buddy”
“I think in terms of style, they’re quite compatible,” says Lord Ricketts, who previously served as the UK’s ambassador to France.
However, the cross-bench peer notes that in substance, they’re a long way apart on certain issues.
Mr Sunak was a Brexit supporter in 2016 while Emmanuel Macron is passionately pro-European.
The new prime minister has also signalled he intends to push ahead with certain policies, strongly disliked by the Elysée.
They include sending asylum seekers to Rwanda and pursuing legislationthat could allow ministers to override parts of the post-Brexit deal for Northern Ireland.
“But at least there’ll be a more serious dialogue than there ever was under Boris Johnson, provided Rishi Sunak can stay away from using France as a political football,” says Lord Ricketts.
In August, before leaving Downing Street, Boris Johnson said Emmanuel Macron was a “très bon buddy” and described the UK-France relationship as one of “huge importance.”
King Charleshas been named the ceremonial commander of the Royal Marines, a position previously held by his son, Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex.
Prince Harry was Captain General of the Royal Marines until he retired and moved to the United States.
The position was previously held by the King’s father, the Duke of Edinburgh, as well as his grandfather, George VI.
The King said he was “exceptionally proud” to follow in their footsteps.
The Duke of Edinburgh held the position of Captain General for 64 years before he was succeeded by Prince Harry in 2017.
Prince Harry’s position was removed in February 2021, along with his other honorary military titles and patronages, after he stopped being a working royal.
This week, the prince’s publishers announced that his memoirs, with his view of these events, would be published in January.
The announcement of the King as the new Captain General was made on the 358th anniversary of the founding of the Royal Marines, in October 1664 during King Charles II’s reign.
King Charles III praised the Royal Marines for their “courage, determination, self-discipline, and a remarkable capacity to endure in the most extreme environments”.
After being stabbed and witnessing “a person die in front of me” in an Italian supermarket, Arsenal’s Pablo Mar said he felt “lucky” to have avoided life-threatening injuries.
Mar underwent surgery at Milan’s Niguarda hospital to reconstruct two injured muscles in his back.
A 47-year-old supermarket employee was killed in Thursday’s attack in Milan, according to Italy’s Carabinieri police.
Another employee was left injured along with four customers, including Marí.
The 29-year-old, who is on loan at Monza from Arsenal, had been walking around the supermarket with his wife and son when he was stabbed in the back, reports Gazzetta dello Sport.
“After the hard moment we experienced yesterday, both my family and I want to communicate that fortunately, we are all fine despite the circumstances,” Mari wrote on Twitter on Friday afternoon, alongside a picture from his hospital bed.
“We want to thank all the messages of support and affection that we are receiving.
“In addition, we want to send our condolences and all our strength to the family and friends of the deceased person, and we sincerely wish that all injured people recover as soon as possible.”
Después del duro momento que vivimos ayer, tanto mi familia como yo queremos comunicar que afortunadamente estamos todos bien a pesar de las circunstancias, y agradecer todos los mensajes de apoyo y cariño que estamos recibiendo. pic.twitter.com/8NywRczNS8
Monza said Marí’s surgery went well, adding that he will remain in the hospital for two or three days before startingthe rehabilitation process.
“This type of muscle injury usually requires two months of rest before one can resume physical activities,” the club said.
Italian outlet Corriere della Sera reported that former Napoli player Massimo Tarantino was among those who immobilised and disarmed the attacker before police arrived.
“I’m not a hero. I didn’t do anything special,” said 51-year-old Tarantino.
Monza chief executive Adriano Galliani said the club have asked the Italian football league to postpone Monday’s Serie A match at home to Bologna scheduled for Monday because the team is “in a total state of shock”.
“I’m happy with the outcome of the surgery, but we asked to postpone the next league game,” Galliani told Gazzetta.
“Last night our players were crying. The boys are in shock. We do not know if our request will be accepted or not.”
Marí joined Arsenal from Brazilian side Flamengo in January 2020 and played 19 times for the Gunners before joining Udinese on loan at the start of the year.
The husband of US House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi has been “violently assaulted” after a break-in at their California home.
Paul Pelosi, 82, was taken to hospital and is expected to make a full recovery, a spokesperson said.
The suspect, who has not been named, is in custody but the motive for the attack is unclear.
Mrs Pelosi was not at the San Francisco residence when the incident took place on Friday morning.
“The Speaker and her family are grateful to the first responders and medical professionals involved, and request privacy at this time,” a spokesman for the senior Democrat said.
Two people who spoke on condition of anonymity told the Associated Press that the attacker had specifically targeted the residence.
The assailant used a hammer to gain entry, two sources told CBS News, but it is unclear if it was used to attack Mr Pelosi.
Mrs Pelosi is one of the most powerful politicians in the country. She was re-elected to a fourth term as Speaker of the House of Representatives in 2021, making her second in line to the presidency after Vice-President Kamala Harris.
The Baltimore native has represented the San Francisco area in Congress since 1987, and typically splits her time between California and Washington.
She is currently fundraising and campaigning with Democrats around the country ahead of the midterm elections on 8 November, and was in Washington with her security detail at the time of the attack.
Her husband, the multimillionaire founder of a venture capital firm, resides primarily in San Francisco where he was born and raised.
The couple have been married since 1963 and have five children. Their combined net worth, primarily from Mr Pelosi’s investments, has made the speaker one of the richest members of Congress.
The FBI and the US Capitol Police, which has a field office in California, are assisting San Francisco police with the investigation.
Members of Congress have been on high-alert over security threats since the riot at the US Capitol in January 2021. Mrs Pelosi’s office in the building was ransacked by supporters of then-President Donald Trump during the attack.
And last year, her San Francisco home was reportedly vandalised with graffiti saying “cancel rent”.
Senior Republicans, such as Senate Leader Mitch McConnell, have also been targeted by vandalism in recent times and politicians have raised concerns about an increase in threats.
IMAGE SOURCE,REUTERS Image caption, FBI agents work outside the couple’s San Francisco home – the agency and US Capitol Police are assisting the investigation
In a statement, the White House said President Joe Bidenwas “praying for Paul Pelosi and for Speaker Pelosi’s whole family”.
Chuck Schumer, the top Democrat in the Senate, said: “What happened to Paul Pelosi was a dastardly act. I wish him a speedy recovery.”
Both added that they had spoken to Mrs Pelosi since the incident.
Earlier this year, Mr Pelosi was convicted of driving under the influence of alcohol and causing injury after he crashed his car. The financier pleaded guilty in August and was sentenced to five days in jail.
Rihanna has released her first solo single in six years, a song from the upcoming Black Panther sequel’s soundtrack.
Lift Me Up was released on Friday, following the singer’s social media tease of her return to music earlier this week.
The song will be featured in Marvel’s Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, which is due out in November.
Director Ryan Coogler said Rihanna’s involvement in the project was to honour the late actor Chadwick Boseman.
“Honestly, I think it was Chad,” he said. “A lot of improbable things needed to happen for it to come through and Rihanna was very clear that she did that for him.”
Boseman starred in the first Black Panther film and also appeared in Da 5 Bloods, 21 Bridges, and the James Brown biopic Get On Up.
He died in 2020, four years after being diagnosed with colon cancer. Last year, Boseman was posthumously nominated for an Oscar for his performance in Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom.
Coogler added: “We knew [Rihanna] was at a point in her life as well where she was focusing on different things – focused on business, motherhood, which is a big theme in our film. We were holding out hope that maybe it could work out and boy did it for this song.”
Lift Me Up has been co-written by Rihanna, Coogler, and Nigerian singer-songwriter Tems, who has previously worked with Drake, Justin Bieber, Future, Wizkid, Beyonce, and Khalid.
The song is produced and co-written by Swedish composer Ludwig Göransson, who scored the first Black Panther film as well as Creed, Venom, and Tenet.
It is downtempo but uplifting and sees Rihanna’s distinctive vocals projected over a smooth accompaniment of delicate keys and strings. The singer is accompanied by a subtle backing choir as the atmospheric song builds to its climax.
She sings: “Lift me up, hold me down, keep me close, safe and sound / Hold me when you go to sleep, keep me in the warmth of your love when you depart, keep me safe and sound.”
Fans warmly welcomed the release of the single on social media, with many joking via a string of memes that the song was making them levitate, but others describedit as a “disappointing” comeback and “definitely a movie soundtrack song”.
IMAGE SOURCE, REUTERS Image caption, Black Panther director Ryan Coogler said Rihanna wanted to pay tribute to the late actor Chadwick Boseman with the song
Lift Me Up is the first solo single from Rihanna since the release of her album Anti in 2016.
Since then, she has collaborated with other artists such as PartyNextDoor and N.E.R.D. and appeared on the hugely successful Wild Thoughts alongside DJ Khaled and Bryson Tiller.
But the singer has largely stayed quiet on the music front in recent years, as she focused on expanding her fashion, lingerie, skincare, and cosmetics brand Fenty, as well as recently having a baby boy with rapper A$AP Rocky.
She also appeared opposite Sandra Bullock and Cate Blanchett in 2018’s film Ocean’s 8, an all-female reboot of the Ocean’s 11 franchise.
Rihanna will headline the prestigious half-time show at February’s Super Bowl in Arizona, her first live performance in over five years.
Her involvement in Wakanda Forever will increase fans’ anticipation for the sequel to Black Panther, which was a huge box office success and scored a best picture nomination at the Oscars.
The movie, released on 11 November, will see stars including Letitia Wright and Lupita Nyong’o reprise their roles as the kingdom of Wakanda fights to protect itself from invading forces in the wake of King T’Challa’s death.
He went on to say that Moscow had carried out 4,500 missile strikes and over 8,000 air raids in total.
Mr Zelensky, speaking from Kyiv and standing next to what appeared to be a downed Iranian Shahed drone, pledged to “clip the wings” of Moscow’s air power.
Western officials believe Iran has supplied a large number of drones to Russia, but Moscow and Tehran deny it.
It comes as US Secretary of State Antony Blinken called Russia’s aggressive use of drones “appalling”.
The top US diplomat accused Russian commanders of using the devices to “kill Ukrainian civilians and destroy the infrastructure they rely on for electricity, for water, for heat” during a visit to the Canadian capital Ottawa.
“Canada and the United States will keep working with our allies and partners to expose, to deter, and to counter Iran’s provision of these weapons,” Mr Blinken said.
In recent weeks, Russian attacks have targeted Ukraine’s civilian infrastructure, damaging the country’s electricity and water supply just as temperatures begin to drop.
Western countries say Iran is supplying its domestically developed drones to Moscow and that Iranian military experts are on the ground in Russian-occupied Crimea to provide technical support to pilots.
Kyiv has identified the drones used in some attacks on its infrastructure as Iranian Shahed-136 drones. They are known as “kamikaze” drones because they are destroyed in the attack – named after the Japanese fighter pilots who flew suicide missions in World War Two.
But Tehran has repeatedly denied that it has struck any arms deal with the Kremlin, and Moscow also denies using Iranian drones.
On Wednesday, Iran’s Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian called the accusations “baseless” and urged Ukraine to “present any evidence supporting the accusations”.
“If… it becomes clear to us that Russia has used Iranian drones in the war against Ukraine, we will definitely not be indifferent about this issue,” he added.
Tehran’s regional adversary, Israel, has also attacked Iran over the alleged exports. During a meeting with US President Joe Biden at the White House on Thursday, President Isaac Herzog slammed the regime’s activities.
“The fact that Iran, following its activities in killing its own citizens, in working towards nuclear weapons endlessly, endangering the entire world and the region — and now killing innocent civilians in Ukraine, clearly that gives you a picture of what Iran is all about,” Mr Herzog said.
Prior to the visit, he had pledged to share “proof” with Mr Biden that Iran was supplying the weapons.
Meanwhile, US officials have said they will supply Ukraine with an additional $275m (£237m) of military aid, according to the Associated Press.
The assistance is expected to be used to restock ammunition for Ukrainian artillery systems,including the HIMARS launchers that Kyiv’s forces have used to great effect.
On the ground, fighting has slowed in recent days, with a much anticipated Ukrainian advance on the southern city of Kherson stalled due to poor weather.
Facebook parent Meta Platformsreported earnings Wednesday that fell short of expectations, pummeling the company’s stock in after-hours trading as the social media giant with metaverse ambitions scrambles to cut costs amid advertising headwinds spurred by concerns about the global economy.
KEY FACTS
Meta reported a net income of $4.4 billion, or $1.64 per share, cratering 49% year over year and falling short of expectations for $1.89 per share; revenue of $27.7 billion fared slightly better than the $27.4 billion analysts were forecasting, but down 4% from one year ago.
The company also said its revenue this quarter would fall between $30 billion and $32.5 billion—toward the lower end of average analyst expectations.
Meta shares sank 11% to $115 immediately after the report, pushing losses to more than 61% this year alone—far worse than the tech-heavy Nasdaq’s 30% decline.
In a pre-earnings note, Bank of America analyst Justin Post downgraded shares of Meta to a neutral rating, saying the firm’s investment in the immersive virtual reality world known as the metaverse “will remain [an] overhang” on the stock, costing an estimated $10.7 billion next year even as economic concerns potentially intensify.
The report comes less than a month after Meta announced plans to cut costs by restructuring some teams and instituting a hiring freeze as advertising revenue growth slows amid economic pressures, which are quickly mounting: On Monday, an investor with more than $300 million worth of shares urged the company to further slash expenses by laying off employees.
In the earnings release, Meta CFO David Wehner said the company has “increased scrutiny on all areas of operatingexpenses” but it also said its employee headcount would remain roughly flat next year from current levels; in the third quarter, the company’s free cash flow, which measures cash left over after operating expenses, cratered to $173 million from $9.5 billion a year ago.
FORBES VALUATION
$47.2 billion. That’s how much Meta founder Mark Zuckerberg,38, was worth when the market closed on Wednesday. At one point worth more than $130 billion, Zuckerberg’s fortune has plunged by more than 60% since Meta stock peaked in September 2021.
KEY BACKGROUND
Global economies have started to slow down as central banks including the Federal Reserve work to combat inflation by tempering consumer demand with higher interest rates. Recent earnings reports have started to reflect the pressures. On Tuesday, Alphabet stock plunged after the Google parent missed third-quarter sales and profit expectations. The company’s YouTube advertising unit posted a much weaker-than-forecast $7.1 billion, versus average expectations of about $7.5 billion. In a note, analyst Adam Crisafulli of Vital Knowledge pointed out that YouTube and social media advertising is typically much less resilient during economic downturns than other types of ads.
CRUCIAL QUOTE
“I had hoped the economy would have more clearly stabilized by now,” Zuckerberg reportedly told employees at a meeting outlining the company’s cost-cutting plan last month. “But from what we’re seeing it doesn’t yet seem like it has, so we want to plan somewhat conservatively.”
The teenager’s remains were found last week, more than three years after she went missing on her way to work at a finance company in Milton Keynes.
The family of Leah Croucher have said their “faint glimmer of hope” of her being alive has been “brutally extinguished” after the teenager’s remains were found in the loft of a house.
In a tribute to their “bright, funny young” daughter, the 19-year-old’s family said they knew the “heartbreaking news” of her death would “come one day” but they are “devastated” to have been proven right
“The deepest, darkest grief that we, Leah’s family and friends are experiencing over the past weeks shows us that glimmer was actually, foolishly, a shining beacon of hope, which has now been brutally extinguished in the cruellest and harshest of ways,” they said.
“It has been a long way to fall back to reality.”
Leah’s remains were found last week, more than three years after she went missing on her way to work at a finance company in Milton Keynes.
Items belonging to the teenager, who was a European Taekwondo champion, were also found in the same property in Loxbeare Drive, Furzton, a few minutes from her home.
Her family described feeling a “pain almost too big to bear” following her disappearance, but added: “There is little that compares to the deep chasm Leah’s death has brought to us”.
Harry writing a book was controversial enough – but the title is another stab at the firm
“Leah was a bright, funny young woman who was a kind, loyal, helpful, and caring soul,” their statement continued.
“Her smile lit up the room, and her laugh cheered all who heard it. Leah had a wonderful sense of humour, and found joy in everything she did.”
‘We will soon be able to lay Leah to rest’
They added that while their “lives are darker”, they have taken “solace” in believing Leah “will only finally die when the last of us who remember her die”.
“We will soon be able to lay Leah to rest, as she deserves, and say our final goodbyes, be able to grieve at Leah’s graveside and lay flowers for her,” her family added.
“We have missed Leah for so long already, and now have the rest of our lives to mourn her, as well as the memories we will never be able to make.
Writing to Leah directly, the family said: “We hope soon that we will be able to look at pictures of you again, but they are too painful to even think about at the moment.”
“Give Haydon a big kiss and a big hug from us baby, we miss and love you both so much, but hope that you are together now, looking out for each other as always.
The tribute was referring to Haydon Croucher, Leah’s brother, who died on 24 November 2019, nine months after she went missing.
Who is the prime suspect?
The prime suspect in Leah’s murder investigation has been named by police as convicted sex offender Neil Maxwell, who was found dead on 20 April 2019 after he took his own life.
Police started searching the property on 10 October this year after receiving a tip-off from a member of the public.
Officers had visited the house on two earlier occasions but insisted this was the first time Leah’s disappearance was linked to the address – despite conducting about 4,000 house-to-house calls.
At the annual meetings of the World Bank and IMF this month, lobbyists circulated photographs of Ghana’s Finance Minister Ken Ofori-Atta sitting together with Britain’s Chancellor of the Exchequer Kwasi Kwarteng.
Before the end of the week, Chancellor Kwarteng was on a flight back to London, forced to cancel his participation in the rest of the summit because his job was at risk. Within days, the British government had collapsed, and Prime Minister Liz Truss had joined Kwarteng on the back benches.
This week Ghana’s Ofori-Atta faces a rebellion from MPs in his own party, calling for his resignation and accusing him of mismanaging the economy. The risk that London’s political drama plays out similarly in Accra must worry Ofori-Atta and President Nana Akufo-Addo.
Common shaky ground
On the surface, both men are relatively similar; Ghanaian economists and bankers are in charge of the fiscus of two countries with a shared colonial experience.
However, there is a deeper layer to the symbolic ties between the Chancellor and the Minister.
Kwasi Kwarteng’s woes are universally acknowledged to have stemmed from his botched mini-budget. At a time of widespread anguish about inflation and interest rate hikes in America, the mini-budget, with its ideological flourish of “the largest tax cuts since 1972” and unfunded growth pills, rang of neoliberal excess.
Interestingly, the heaviest backlash came from the markets. A Conservative Prime Minister and her Chancellor didn’t expect the blowback to come from the financial heartlands.
After all, caps on bankers’ bonuses were to be scrapped, and the highest tax rate (for the top 1.1%, roughly a third of whom work in financial services) was to be brought down from 45% to 40%. Planned corporation tax increases were dropped.
And a raft of regulations bogging down business was to be cut’ more free zones, with even fewer taxes and regulations, created. A Conservative newspaper, the Daily Mail, crooned: “A Tory budget at last!”
Surely the grandees of the historic square mile of central London, the fount of global capitalism, would jump on board? The charm offensive of the Chancellor, himself a JPMorgan alum and longtime finance guy, must have seen to that?
They didn’t.
Analysts deciphered the consequences of a mini-budget to include a massive spate of borrowing at a time of rising interest rates, an undoing of the Bank of England’s efforts to tackle inflation, and a squeeze of middle-class incomes (in the ~£60,000 to ¬£120,000 band), with potential effects on demand.
The market took a longer horizon and broader-demographic perspective. That aligns with the increasingly nuanced view of the link between pro-growth tax cuts and market benefit that has emerged from the vast literature on the Trump tax cuts.
So, the markets revolted.
Yields on long-term government securities, a measure of investors’ sense of the state’s creditworthiness and likely cost of future borrowing, rose by a staggering 150 basis points. The pound sterling sank immediately.
Lunging for stability, the blindsided Bank of England announced a £65 billion program to buy back government bonds caught in therout, reversing an earlier plan to sell £80 billion more into the market. Only the wholesale repudiation of the Kwarteng-Truss mini-budget could calm the markets.
Off the straight and narrow
It is mainly the short-lived tenor of Britain’s most recent episode of fiscal adventurism that marks it out from Ghana.
In their six years in power, the ruling party in Ghana has sought to transform the country’s finances into a rollercoaster capital market play. It has devised various unprecedented fiscal devices to do so.
It has securitised future tax streams, grabbed the cash up-front, and splashed on massive capital and welfare projects. The securitisation extravaganza has touched taxes meant to fund the educational sector, energy sector levies, and road taxes.
As future revenue streams have been packaged into products on the capital markets and sold and spent upfront, the government’s budget has become rigid, unable to respond to international pressure. The government’s love for fiscal gaming encouraged support for a domestic debt securities market (GFIM) in Ghana.
At its birth in 2015, total trade turnover hovered around cedis 5 billion in local currency units. In the first nine months of this year, trade volumes exceeded cedis170 bn.
Even adjusted for inflation, it has grown ten times, but almost all securities traded are government-issued. This means they reflect more than anything the government’s unrelenting use of the capital markets to fund a degree of fiscal expansion never before witnessed. And not just domestically.
From tripling Eurobond issuances, to opening up domestic debt to foreign investors, Ghana’s government took capital market liberalisation to every possible extreme. At one point, Ghana ranked number five worldwide for foreign ownership of domestic debt.
International capital maestros like Michael Hasenstab, at the height of his “Emerging Markets Bond King” reputation, piled in. In 2017, Ghana rode on the back of such powerbrokers to launch Africa’s largest-ever dollar-denominated domestic bond.
Bills, bills, bills
All this fiscal brinksmanship came at a cost: debt servicing.
Today, Ghana is on course to spend nearly 60% of all government revenue just dealing with debt. This is up from about 10% a decade and a half ago when the international community forgave a chunk of Ghana’s debt pile from previous decades of excesses.
Now, Ghana’s capital market friends have brought out the whips. They have shut her out of the market and are dumping the bonds they bought previously.
Their actions have finally driven Ghana to the IMF for much-needed disciplining. Inflation is hovering around 40% and the cedi has plunged from about 5.8 to the dollar at the beginning of the year to more than 14.5 to the dollar.
It seems that the government’s bubbly enthusiasm for capital market devices, and the massive hoard of fees and commissions (some shared by companies founded by the Finance Minister and his deputy), have not been sufficient to keep the love story going.
These days, far from endearing politicians to the markets, neoliberal fiscal adventurism is a sure way to invite their painful censure.
People are avoiding buying soap and deodorant because they are already struggling to pay their other bills.
Thousands of people are refusing to go to work because they cannot afford basic hygiene products, according to a charity.
A report suggests that 3.2 million adults in Britain are in hygiene poverty and many are ashamed to go to work because they cannot afford items such as soap and deodorant.
The Hygiene Bank, which conducted the research with YouGov, said 12% of people they’d questioned had avoided facing colleagues as a result of this “hidden crisis”.
Chief executive Ruth Brock said: “It’s much more widespread than we feared, it’s increasing, and it’s disproportionately impacting the most vulnerable.
“I think it just doesn’t occur to people in the same way that fuel and food poverty do.
“But the truth is by the time you’re not switching on your heating or you’re going to a food bank for food essentials, you’ve stopped buying essential hygiene products weeks before.”
According to the report, people in hygiene poverty were most likely to go without shaving products, deodorant, washing powder, and other cleaning products.
A quarter of the 2,200 people asked said they had gone without a loo roll or soap, and 30% of women had not bought period products.
Hygiene Bank was set up in 2018 after Lizzy Hall watched the Ken Loach movie I, Daniel Blake, in which a single mother steals sanitary towelsand deodorant. People donate products to charity which are then distributed to organisations such as charities and schools which pass them on to people who need them.
One mother said: “I wash my hair once a week now, used to be every other day… I don’t buy body wash anymore, I use the froth from the shampoo.”
‘A toss-up between toothpaste and heating’
Another said that it was regularly a “toss-up” in her house between buying toothpaste or having the heating on for a few minutes.
Half of the people in hygiene poverty said that it made them feel anxious or depressed and a similar number said they were ashamed and embarrassed.
One person said: “I used to go out and see my friends, but I got anxiety about the way I looked and smelt, so I became a recluse, I was so upset that my life had changed.”
Rising fuel and food prices have exacerbated the problem and new figures show almost half of UK adults are struggling to make ends meet.
Data from the Office for National Statistics released on Tuesday showed that 45% of adults who pay energy bills were finding it very, or somewhat, hard to afford them, up from 40% in June.
Separate data also showed that the price of the lowest-priced supermarket items had risen by 17%.
The controversial Russianban on promoting so-called “gay propaganda” appears to be expanding to include all adults.
The move is a toughening of an existing 2013 law that makes providing LGBT information to children a criminal offense.
Those found guilty face heavy fines for promoting what Russia refers to as “non-traditional sexual relations.”
The initial approval of the extension was voted through by the Russian State Duma unanimously.
Earlier this week, officials had urged politicians in Russia’s lower house of parliament to enact the extension – portraying it as part of a broader battle over civilisational values with the West and linking it to the decision to invade Ukraine.
Under the proposal, information about “non-traditional lifestyles” or “the rejection of family values” would be considered legally the same as pornography, the promotion of violence, or stoking racial, ethnic, and religious tensions.
It also bans the “propaganda of paedophilia” – which the Russian government often conflates with being gay.
Another element of the extensions prohibits information that might “cause minors to desire to change their sex”, a reference to transgender people.
If enacted, the law would allow any information on the internet discussing LGBT topics to be blocked and films deemed to contain positive depictions of being gay to be banned
Human rights campaigners and LGBT groups say the extension means that any act or public mention of same-sex couples is functionally being criminalised.
The wide-ranging ban also extends to advertising and books – both non-fiction and literature – raising censorship concerns from publishers, who have warned of the risk that it could even affect classics of Russian literature.
The law sets out fines of between 50,000 roubles (£705; $815) and 400,000 roubles, while non-Russians who violate the ban face expulsion from the country.
The bill has broad support but will first be approved by the upper house of the Russian parliament, the Federation Council before it is ratified by President Vladimir Putin.
On Monday, politicians in the Duma heard claims from one of the law’s key backers that the information about LGBT people being shared with Russians was part of a “hybrid war” being waged by the West against the country.
Alexander Khinshtein, the head of the parliament’s information committee, said Russian soldiers fighting as part of the invasion of Ukraine were there to protect traditional Christian values.
But he saved some of his most trenchant criticism of the West for railing against the cartoons South Park and Peppa Pig.
He presented his colleagues with screenshots of the TV programmes that he claimed were part of a war being “waged against our society”, directing his ire at the episode of Peppa Pig in which Penny the Polar Bear appears with two mothers as a particularly egregious example of this so-called propaganda.
Khinshtein, an MP from Mr. Putin’s United Russia Party, told the Duma that the “special operation” – what the Russian government insists on calling its war in Ukraine – is happening “not only on the battlefield but also in the minds and souls of people”.
His rhetoric follows that of the Russian president, who has made being anti-gay a cornerstone of his domestic agenda and authoritarian rule.
In a speech annexing four Ukrainian territories last month, Mr Putin ranted about families with a “parent number one and a parent number two” – in what has been interpreted as a criticism of same-sex families.
The head of Russia’s Orthodox Church, Patriarch Kirill,has also backed the new legislation. He has portrayed Russia’s war in Ukraine as a battle between those who support pro-Western gay pride events, and those who reject them.
A transgender Thai celebrity media tycoon has paid $20 million (£17.1 million) for the company that runs the Miss Universe beauty pageants.
JKN Global Group, which produces television shows in Thailand, is led by Anne Jakapong Jakrajutatip.
She has appeared in Thai versions of reality shows such as Project Runway and Shark Tank.
Her purchase of the company, which was once co-owned by Donald Trump, comes as the pageant becomes more inclusive.
Ms Jakrajutatip has been outspoken about her experiences as a transgender woman.
She said in a statement that the Miss Universe Organizationwas a “strong, strategic addition” to her company’s portfolio.
“We seek not only to continue its legacy of providing a platform to passionate individuals from diverse backgrounds, cultures, and traditions but also to evolve the brand for the next generation,” she added.
“Our relationships with global partners and brands have never been stronger, and our progressive approach continues to position us at the forefront of our industry,” Miss Universe Organization chief executive Amy Emmerich and president Paula Shugart said.
IMAGE SOURCE,GETTY IMAGES Image caption, Donald Trump sold the Miss Universe Organization in 2015
The Miss Universe Organization was co-owned by Mr Trump from 1996 to 2015.
The former US president sold the company after two television partners said they would not broadcast the pageant, over comments Mr Trump made about illegal immigrants on his 2016 presidential campaign.
The remarks were made when she put on weight after winning contest in 1996, the Venezuela-born model said.
“When I purchased the pageants many years ago, they were in serious trouble,” Mr Trump said in a statement following the company’s sale to US talent agency WME-IMG in 2015.
“It has been a great honour making them so successful. The pageants are now in the hands of a great company that will shepherd them to even greater levels of success.”
Push for diversity
Ms Jakrajutatip’s purchase came as the Miss Universe pageant has moved towards being more inclusive.
From next year, organisers have said that married women and mothers will be allowed to compete for the title.
The competition was previously only open to women who had never been married and had no children.
The pageant has been held annually for 71 years and is broadcast in more than 160 countries.
Sir Jeffrey Donaldson, the DUP leader, has stated that his party does not believe any progress has been made to alleviate concerns about the Northern Ireland Protocol, and thus will not support the nomination of ministers to the executive.
Speaking to reporters today, Sir Jeffrey said: “We were given a clear mandate in the assembly elections that we would not nominate ministers to an executive until decisive action is taken on the protocol to remove the barriers to trade within our own country and to restore our place within the United Kingdom internal market.
“That remains our position.
“And so today we will not be supporting the nomination of ministers to the executive.”
He went on to say he would “not rest” until the issue was resolved.
In a money dispute, a woman was found guilty of murdering and decapitating her friend.
Jemma Mitchell, 38, was charged with murdering devout Christian Mee Kuen Chong and disposing of her headless body more than 200 miles away in order to inherit hundreds of thousands of pounds.
Mitchell, an alternative therapist, hit the 67-year-old over the head with a weapon at her London home and left her decapitated and badly decomposed body in woods in Salcombe, Devon, two weeks later.
The prosecution claimed Mitchell had planned to murder the divorcee and fake her will to inherit the majority of her estate which was worth more than £700,000.
Jurors were told that Mitchell came up with the plan to murder her friend, known as Deborah after she backed out of giving her £200,000 to pay for repairs for Mitchell’s £4 million dilapidated family home.
Mitchell denied having anything to do with her friend’s death and declined to give evidence at her trial.
A jury at the Old Bailey deliberated for seven hours before finding Mitchell guilty of murder.
Detective Chief Inspector Jim Eastwood, who led the investigation, described it as a “truly despicable crime”.
With the proceeds from his book sales, Prince Harry hopes to support British charities such as Sentebale and WellChild.
The title and details of Prince Harry’s memoir have been revealed.
The Duke of Sussex’s story, SPARE, is set to be released on January 10, 2023.
SPARE appears to be a reference to the phrase ‘heir and a spare – suggesting his attitude toward his place in the Royal Family.
Details of Princess Diana’s funeral are mentioned in the book, with the publishers saying: “SPARE takes readers immediately back to one of the most searing images of the twentieth century: two young boys, two princes, walking behind their mother’s coffin as the world watched in sorrow-and horror.
“As Diana, Princess of Wales was laid to rest, billions wondered what the princes must be thinking and feeling and how their lives would play out from that point on.”
Billed as “his story at last”, the book also delves into his “personal journey from trauma to healing”.
“With its raw, unflinching honesty, SPARE is a landmark publication full of insight, revelation, self-examination, and hard-won wisdom about the eternal power of love over grief,” a description of the book reads.
Prince Harry is hoping to support British charities, including Sentebale and WellChild, with donations from the proceeds of his book sales.
“Penguin Random House is honoured to be publishing Prince Harry’s candid and emotionally powerful story for readers everywhere,” said the publisher’s chief executive, Markus Dohle.
“He shares a remarkably moving personal journey from trauma to healing, one that speaks to the power of love and will inspire and encourage millions of people around the world.”
The memoir will be available in English in the UK, Ireland, Australia, New Zealand, India, South Africa, and Canada, and it will also be published in 15 additional languages, including Spanish, Italian, German, and Chinese.
Rishi Sunaktold Australia’s Prime Minister Anthony Albanese that he is “excited” about the two countries relationship.
During a phone call today, the new Tory leader told Mr Albanese that the free trade agreement, Aukus, and the UK’s potential accession to a comprehensive and progressive Trans-Pacific Partnership agreement were all examples of the two countries’ strong relationship.
A Downing Street spokeswoman said: “The prime minister said he was excited by the relationship between the UK and Australia, which was built on deep friendship and a shared approach to global challenges.”
The new prime minister also “welcomed” Australia’s strong support to Ukraine, including the decision to deploy the Australian military to the UK to train Ukrainian forces.
“Both looked forward to meeting in person at the G20 next month,” the spokeswoman added.
In his first week in office, the PM is fighting a battle on two fronts: over his home secretary and the widely anticipated government spending squeeze.
The latter has already stirred Tory unrest, with former minister Maria Caulfield suggesting the government should stick to the 2019 manifesto and saying indecision over pensions means “people start to worry”.
The PM notably hasn’t ruled out that the pensions triple lock could be on the chopping board, unlike his predecessor Liz Truss, as speculation mounts over a new age of austerity when the chancellor unveils his budget plans next month.
Rishi Sunak has repeatedly said “difficult decisions” are on the horizon.
The more immediate threat, though, is Suella Braverman.
The home secretary, whose backing boosted Mr Sunak’s leadership bid, broke the minister code “multiple times”, Tory MP Jake Berry said last night.
The former party chairman’s comments were seized on by Labour this morning – and they show backbench MPs are already able to make Mr Sunak’s life difficult.
This morning another Tory MP, Caroline Nokes, said there are “big questions hanging over this whole issue”.
There are indeed questions: Was the PM warned by the cabinet secretary when he appointed Mrs Braverman (as one source told political editor Beth Rigby)?
Why did he not heed that warning? And what were the exact circumstances of her breach of the ministerial code?
For a new prime minister who says he wants to do things differently, Mr Sunak may well need to address these questions directly.
One cabinet source told me the PM would not risk losing his home secretary, sacking her would certainly be a bold move that would rumble the carefully balanced semblance of party unity.
The government says she admitted her mistake and is allowed a second chance, but it is clear Mr Sunak’s decision to appoint Mrs Braverman has come at a political cost.
DISCLAIMER: Independentghana.com will not be liable for any inaccuracies contained in this article. The views expressed in the article are solely those of the author and do not reflect those of The Independent Ghana
After surviving drone attacks and bombing in their first few months of life, four lion cubs and a black leopard cub from war-torn Ukraine have found refuge in a Polish zoo, according to the International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW).
The cubs were transferred to animal rescue organisations in Kyiv and Odesa after a crackdown on the exotic pet trade in Ukraine, and are now in Poznan zoo in western Poland awaiting onward travel.
IFAW said it had partnered with a sanctuary in the United States and one in Europe to care for the cubs, who were bred in captivity and cannot be released into the wild.
We look at how the Southampton-born banker made his way to the top job in Downing Street.
Just seven weeks ago, Rishi Sunakwas licking his wounds after losing the Tory leadership race to Liz Truss.
Now, he has become the youngest prime minister of the modern era.
As he settles into his tenure in Number 10 as the third PM of 2022, let’s look back at how he made it to the top job.
First-class Oxford degree
Born in 1980 in Southampton, he is the eldest of three children to his parents of Punjabi descent.
Mr Sunak’s father was a family doctor and his mother ran a pharmacy, where he helped her with the books.
He attended England’s oldest public school, Winchester College, where he became the first Indian-origin head boy and was editor of the school paper.
He has since said his experience at the boarding school was “intellectually transforming” and put him “on a different trajectory”.
Mr Sunak went on to study philosophy, politics and economics at Lincoln College at Oxford University, where he obtained a first-class degree.
After completing an MBA at Stanford University, where he met his future wife, Akshata Murthy, Mr Sunak worked for the investment bank Goldman Sachs as an analyst.
He was said to have already had job offers from investment banks under his belt while still in his second year at Oxford.
He moved to work for hedge funds in 2006 when he joined TCI, known as a very aggressive fund, and left three years later to cofound a new hedge fund.
Mr Sunak then turned his attention to politics.
Replacing a Tory grandee
In 2014, Mr Sunak was selected as the Conservative Party candidate in the Yorkshire seat of Richmond – previously held by former Tory leader William Hague – before the following year’s general election.
Nicknamed the “maharajah of the Yorkshire Dales”, he recalled being introduced as “the new William Hague” to his constituents after winningthe ballot, to which a Yorkshire farmer replied: “Ah yes Haguey!
“Good bloke. I like him. Bit pale, though. This one’s got a nice tan.”
Soon after his entry into the Commons – where, as a Hindu, he took his oath on the Bhagavad Gita – the first big political fight of his career came along in Brexit.
Mr Sunak supported leaving the EU, claiming the UK would be “freer, fairer and more prosperous” outside the bloc.
His side won, and he bided his time on the backbenches, supporting Theresa May’s negotiations and writing papers on the benefits of freeports, before being appointed to government in January 2018 as a junior minister at the housing ministry.
After Mrs May’s demise, he joined with colleagues Oliver Dowden and Robert Jenrick to write an article in The Telegraph, backing Boris Johnson as the only person who could “save” the Tory party.
His support paid off, as when Mr Johnson became prime minister in July 2019, Mr Sunak secured a promotion to become chief secretary to the Treasury, becoming the right-hand man to Mr Javid as chancellor.
Sunak won praise throughout the pandemic for rapidly introducing support schemes worth billions of pounds to keep jobs and businesses afloat during 18 months of lockdowns.
The likes of furlough and the “Eat Out to Help Out” scheme led to “dishy Rishi” becoming a household name, and a popular one with the public.
At the height of this popularity, he was seen by many Tory MPs as the sure-fire favourite to succeed Mr Johnson when the time came.
Image:The then-chancellor’s Eat Out to Help Out plan made him a household name.
But he seemed to fall from grace as quickly as he rose to fame.
Mr Sunak introduced a number of policies that went down badly with Tory MPs, especially the rise in national insurance to fund more money for the NHS and social care.
He was also fined for attending the prime minister’s birthday party during lockdown in 2020, compromising his ability to separate himself from the partygate scandal.
But it was revelations about his wife that really damaged his standing with the public.
Wife’s non-dom status damages leadership hopes
Ms Murty is a multimillionaire and the daughter of billionaire NR Narayana Murthy, the co-founder of the Indian technology giant Infosys.
In April, it was revealed she held non-dom status, meaning she did not have to pay UK tax on her sizeable international income, and it led to an uproar.
Image:Akshata Murthy’s tax affairs brought his position as chancellor into question.
She later confirmed she would begin to pay tax on her international earnings as it had “become clear that many do not feel [the non-dom status] is compatible with my husband’s role as chancellor”.
The row led to opposition parties highlighting his family’s wealth, with Mr Sunak facingaccusations that his personal circumstances made him an unsuitable candidate to take over and tackle the cost of living crisis.
Although he remained as chancellor, many wrote off his chances of becoming the next Tory leader.
But his resignation in July sparked a ministerial exodus and Mr Johnson’s resignation, paving the way for his first attempt at Downing Street.
In the ensuing leadership race, Mr Sunak came out on top in each of the five parliamentary rounds of the contest, making it to the final two along with Ms Truss.
But as the campaign hit its stride and widened to the party membership, Mr Sunak found himself transformed from favourite to underdog.
While he warned of “tough choices ahead” to tackle record levels of national debt incurred during the pandemic, Ms Truss promised tax cuts as a priority.
He accused his competitor of “fairy-tale” economics and peddling “something-for-nothing” plans that even Jeremy Corbyn would baulk at.
But Ms Truss doubled down, landing blows on Mr Sunak for putting taxes up to the highest level in 70 years.
Staying in the background
She went on to win the party leadership after securing 57% of valid votes cast, compared to 43% for Mr Sunak.
While Ms Truss embarked on a path of economic turmoil thanks to her tax-slashing mini-budget, the former chancellor kept a low profile, only appearing in the Commons for a few backbench debates and staying away from the cameras.
And after her resignation following a historically short tenure, all eyes were back on Mr Sunak as the candidate to bring back stability to the markets and, perhaps, the party.
He announced he was running to replace Ms Truss on Twitter three days later, having already reached the 100+ nominations needed to get a place on the ballot.
But that was all we saw of the favourite for PM as he again kept out of the spotlight, despite going for the highest-profile job in the land.
The United Kingdom is a great country but we face a profound economic crisis.
That’s why I am standing to be Leader of the Conservative Party and your next Prime Minister.
A Conservative MPhas demanded an investigation into Suella Braverman’s appointment as Home Secretary.
Ms Braverman resigned on Wednesday last week after using a private email to share government information with a backbench MP. This week, she was rescheduled for Tuesday.
Speaking to the BBC this morning, Caroline Nokes said there are “big questions hanging over this whole issue”.
“And to be frank I would like to see them cleared up so that the home secretary can get on with her job,” she added.
“If that means a full inquiry then I think that’s the right thing to do.”
Meanwhile, the government confirmed Rishi Sunak “sought assurances” from Ms Braverman that she would not breach the ministerial code again when he re-appointed her home secretary.
Oliver Dowden, the chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster was asked in the House of Commons by Labour about the claims Ms Braverman breached the ministerial code “multiple” times (6.31 am post).
Mr Dowden said the home secretary had accepted she made “errors of judgment” – and that the prime minister had “sought assurances to ensure that would not happen again”.
He once again refused to share any private communications between the cabinet secretary and prime minister about the appointment of Ms Braverman, saying this was never done in government.
Mr Dowden repeated what was being said by Downing Street yesterday, in that an independent ethics adviser is set to be appointed soon.
Ukraine has increased the number of forces deployed in northern regions near Belarus to counter any potential renewed Russian attack across the border, according to the country’s general staff.
“At the current time, the creation of a strike force [in Belarus] is not observable. [But] there are and will be threats. We are reacting, we have already increased our troops in the northern direction,” Oleksii Hromov, deputy head of the general staff’s main operations directorate, told a regular news briefing.
Belarus is a close ally of Russia and has previously allowed Moscow’s forces to use its territory as a springboard to attack Ukraine.
Earlier this month, Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko said Belarus and Russia would deploy a joint military task force near Ukraine in response to what he claimed was a clear threat to his country from Kyiv and its backers in the West, without providing evidence for the assertion.
The victim has not been named, but his next of kin have been informed and are now being supported by officers.
Detective Superintendent Neil Jones said that officers are “working round the clock” to work out what happened and catch the killer.
“This was a terrible crime that has robbed a young man of his life, and my thoughts are with his family at this devastating time,” he added.
“We are actively pursuing leads and will relentlessly pursue the offender to ensure they are brought to justice.”
Since the stabbing, more officers have been sent to patrol student areas.
The additional forces will be sent to Fallowfield and the surrounding area on Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday nights.
It is hoped the patrols will help “gather intelligence and reassure the community”, Det Supt Jones said.
“I hope this goes some way to reassure the community, and if anyone has any information about this incident or has any concerns, I urge you to speak to these officers,” he added.
Anyone with information about the attack has been asked to contact the police.
Samsung has appointed convicted heir and de facto CEO Lee Jae-yong to the position ofexecutive chairman.
The symbolic move means that the world’s largest smartphone manufacturer will now be led by the third generation of its founding family.
Mr Lee was granted a special presidential pardon in August after being convicted of bribery and embezzlement in 2017.
He was imprisoned twice for bribing a former president.
“The Board cited the current uncertain global business environment and the pressing need for stronger accountability and business stability in approving the recommendation,” the company said in a statement.
The announcement formalises the role Mr Lee – who is also known as Jay Y Lee – has held since 2014. He took over after his father, the late Samsung Group chairman Lee Kun-hee, was hospitalised. He died in 2020.
The 54-year-old has been vice chairman of Samsung Electronics, the crown jewel of South Korea’s biggest business conglomerate, since 2012.
In August last year, Mr Lee was released from a South Korean prison on parole after serving 207 days in jail.
It was just over half the sentence he received after being convicted in January.
In a statement, then-President Moon Jae-in’s office said his release was made in the national interest and asked for understanding.
“We are well aware that there are supporting and opposing views on Vice-Chairman Jay Y Lee’s parole. The views of the people who are opposed are also right,” it said.
At the time, the country’s Justice Ministry said it made the decision to release Mr Lee after considering the effects of the pandemic on South Korea’s economy and global markets.
A year later, he was pardoned by new President Yoon Suk-yeol.
IMAGE SOURCE,GETTY IMAGES Image caption, Mr Lee has largely resumed his public duties as a Samsung executive, meeting with the US leader in Seoul in May
Mr Lee was found guilty of bribery, embezzlement, and concealment of criminal proceeds worth about 8.6 billion won ($6m; £5.2m).
The case involved the country’s former President Park Guen-hye, who was also jailed for bribery and corruption.
Samsung Electronics was founded by Mr Lee’s grandfather and he has been the de facto head of the company since 2014.
Global headwinds
Today’s announcement came as Samsung Electronics faces mounting problems as demand for its products falls due to soaring inflation, rising interest rates, and the gloomy economic outlook.
On Thursday, the world’s top maker of memory chips and smartphones reported a 31% drop in its third-quarter profit.
It also warned that uncertainties around the world are likely to dampen demand until early next year, as the global economic downturn hits the market for electronic devices.
The Federal High Court sitting in Umuahia, Abia State capitalon Wednesday denied the Nigerian government’s application to transfer the suit filed against it by the detained leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu, to the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja.
Recall that Kanu through his Special Counsel, Aloy Ejimakor, had sued the Nigerian government, challenging his abduction and extraordinary rendition from Kenya.
The IPOB leader in the suit among other things is praying for the court to order his return to Kenya where he was abducted or UK where he resides.
The Nigerian government had through its counsel, Simon Enoch of the Federal Ministry of Justice, in adopting his written addresses on Tuesday had prayed the court to dismiss the suit claiming that it is an abuse of court processes.
He further argued that the matter had already been decided by the Abia State High Court, and further claimed that Kanu had earlier jumped bail before his re-arrest in Kenya.
The federal government also applied that the case be transferred to Abuja.
But on Wednesday morning, the presiding Judge, Justice Evelyn Anyadike, denied the Federal government’s application to transfer the suit to Abuja. The judge ruled that “Umuahia has the jurisdiction to hear and determine the suit”.
Confirming the court’s decision on his Twitter page, Kanu’s lawyer, Aloy Ejimakor stated that “Federal High Court, Umuahia denies Federal government’s application to transfer the ‘extraordinary rendition’ suit to Abuja, and rules that “Umuahia has the jurisdiction to hear and determine the suit”. Reading of the rest of the judgment continues.”
He added that “Court denies federal govt’s second preliminary objection to its jurisdiction based on Res Judicata. The Court rules that the Abia State High Court judgment of Jan 19, 2022 was specific to the 2017 military invasion, not the 2021 extraordinary rendition.”
When asked why his company is focused on experimental bets, Zuckerberg said: “It would be a mistake for us to not focus on any of these areas that will be fundamentally important to our future.”
Facebook’s parent company is metaverse under pressure to focus less on the metaverse – as investors say it is an experimental bet causing “supersized and terrifying losses”.
The tech giant changed its name to Meta last year under plans to build a virtual world that would be used by millions of people.
But Mark Zuckerberg’s metaverse has been beset by technical problems, with user numbers far below the targets set by executives.
The latest figures show Reality Labs, the division building the metaverse, lost £3.16bn between July and September, compared with £2.27bn in the same period a year earlier.
Investors rushed to dump Meta’s stock after the company warned that losses linked to the metaverse “will grow significantly” next year.
When asked why his company is focused on experimental bets, Zuckerberg said: “It would be a mistake for us to not focus on any of these areas that will be fundamentally important to our future.”
But analysts have said that the metaverse “feels like one big gamble” – especially given the current economic crisis – and fear the road ahead will be “long and painful”.
The virtual reality headsets required to get the best experience in Meta’s virtual world are pricy. One costs £1,300 – putting it out of the reach of many consumers.
Paolo Pescatore from PP Foresight said: “People are not rushing out of their seats to buy a VR headset or even watch 360-degree videos … The new device still feels like an expensive toy.”
Earlier this week, a fund that invests in Meta called on the company to cut its yearly investment in the metaverse from $10 billion to $5 billion.
Altimeter Capital’s CEO, Brad Gerstner, warned: “Meta has drifted into the land of excess – too many people, too many ideas, too little urgency.
“This lack of focus and fitness is obscured when growth is easy but deadly when growth slows and technology changes.”
Meanwhile, Insider Intelligence analyst Debra Aho Williamson has warned that Meta needs to turn its business around – focusing less on the metaverse and more on fixing its core business.
“As Facebook Inc, was a revolutionary company that changed the way people communicate and the way marketers interact with consumers. Today it’s no longer that innovative groundbreaker.”
Meta – which owns Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp – has other clouds on the horizon as it battles falling advertising sales and stiff competition from TikTok.
Revenue in the third quarter fell for a second consecutive time to £23.83bn.
Meta’s share price is in danger of falling to its lowest level in six years – and the stock has plunged by 61.6% since the year began.
Chico Rei is believed to have hailed from the West Central African Kingdom of Kongo. He was born in the early 1800s into the royal family. His fortunes took a different twist when some members of his family and himself were captured by slave raiders and shipped to work on the plantations in Europe.
Chico and his family were put in the hilly region of Vila Rica where they worked in the gold mines of Minas Gerais. While working the mines, Chico was determined to attain his freedom from the harsh conditions of the mine pits.
He began hiding the gold he picked from working in the mines. When he had enough, he sold it to buy his freedom. He proceeded to rescue his family after he made enough profits from a goldfield he bought in Vila Rica, shortly after he became a free man.
Oral tradition also states that the gold he used to purchase his freedom came from his former slave owner as a gift for his sterling work output. Historical records posit that when Chico and his family established themselves after their freedom, they initiated steps to have the Church of Saint Iphigenia built which is currently being used by the Brotherhood of Our Lady of Rosary.
Brazilian historian Diogo Luiz de Almeida Pereira de Vasconcelos wrote about the exploits of Chico in his book ‘História antiga de Minas’ published in 1904. Chico has become a folklore legend in Brazilian popular culture with schools and theatres staging drama and plays about his feats. In 1964, Rio de Janeiro’s Salgueiro samba school held a play depicting the heroic deeds of Chico Rei.
The character Chico symbolizes the horrors of Africans captured and placed in the mines and plantations of European states, their trials while under captivity and their eventual freedom. His story has been used by playwrights and local Afro-Brazilian groups to promote the story of resilience and victory by enslaved people.
A discovery of a mine blocked with stones by a local resident in 1946 has been named Chico Rei’s mine. The mother of the teenager who found the gold mine was resolute it was synonymous with what was described in Histórias da terra mineira by Maria Bárbara de Lima. It has been decorated with lights to increase visibility in the one-mile-deep mine shaft.
The authorities have used the place to promote tourism by setting up a small restaurant and opening it to the public. Over half a decade now, there has been a conscious effort to promote the values of Chico Rei in scholarly articles and literature in Portuguese, English, and Spanish.
His story is important because the Afro-Brazilian population, though in the minority, has become a significant pillar in the history and economic growth of Brazilian society.
He is believed to have lived the different sordid experiences many enslaved people endured after being shipped from Africa to work in the gold mines of southeastern Brazil and earn his freedom through his ingenuity.
DISCLAIMER: Independentghana.com will not be liable for any inaccuracies contained in this article. The views expressed in the article are solely those of the author’s, and do not reflect those of The Independent Ghana
Following the lead of Adidas and Gap, the two companies have distanced themselves from the Grammy-winning musician after he made anti-Semitic remarks.
Kanye West was escorted out of Skechers in Los Angeles after he “showed up unannounced and uninvited,” and Madame Tussauds removed its waxwork of the controversial rapper from public view.
An increasing number of companies are distancing themselves from the award-winning musician – who has legally changed his name to Ye – after he made antisemitic remarks.
In a statement, the US footwear company said West had turned up at one of its corporate offices and then engaged in “unauthorised filming”.
Executives ejected him from the building after a “brief conversation”, and a statement added: “Skechers is not considering and has no intention of working with West.
“We condemn his recent divisive remarks and do not tolerate antisemitism or any other form of hate speech.”
It comes days after adidas ended its lucrative partnership with West – and announced that production of the popular Yeezy line would stop immediately.
Meanwhile, a Madame Tussauds spokesperson said: “Ye’s figure has been retired from the attraction floor to our archive.
“Each profile earns its place at Madame Tussauds London and we listen to our guests and the public on who they expect to see at the attraction.”
The figurine was originally launched in the museum in 2015 alongside a waxwork of his then-wife Kim Kardashian.
In the past few days, Kardashian and members of her family have called for an end to the “terrible violence and hateful rhetoric” towards the Jewish community.
Image: Companies are distancing themselves from the West because of antisemitic remarks
West had been ranked at 1,513 on the Forbes rich list earlier this year and was valued at £1.7bn because of his fashion brands and deal with Adidas.
But the sportswear brand’s decision to terminate the partnership means West is no longer a billionaire, with his net worth dwindling to £344m.
Clothing company Gap Inc, which terminated its tie-up with West in September, is also taking immediate steps to remove Yeezy Gap products from its stores.
Talent agency CAA and the Balenciaga fashion house have also cut ties with the 45-year-old – and a completed documentary about West has been shelved.
Spotify chief executive Daniel Ek has said West’s comments were “awful” but that his music would stay on the platform.
Some junior personnel of the Nigerian Army has again called on President Muhammadu Buhari to increase their salaries.
They alleged that the Nigerian government and army authorities had impoverished those of them in the lower cadre with no increment in their salaries for years with some enduring about 12 years of stagnant pay.
The soldiers noted that to meet their basic financial needs, they now sold their cars, televisions, housing properties, and others.
They urged President Muhammadu Buhari to increase their salaries and inaugurate a committee to investigate happenings in the military, particularly issues involving and affecting the rank and file.
“We the other ranks in the Army are suffering with this current inflation in Nigeria. Sir, we now find it difficult to pay our children’s school fees,” a soldier told SaharaReporters.
“There is serious hunger all over army barracks. As I’m writing this, our soldiers now sell their housing properties before the end of each month, televisions, fridges, or any item that can bring a little amount of money to buy foodstuffs.
“Some even sold their cars, this life is not easy for us soldiers at all, we are all in debt because our salaries are not enough to pay children’s school fees, let alone feeding the families.”
This is coming a few weeks after a soldier, Sergeant Ismaila Ukwuhcodu, wrote a letter to the President over their “meager” pay.
The sergeant had noted that to meet financial needs, soldiers now got “involved in illegal duties, sabotage, arms and ammunition deal, armed robbery and kidnapping” while calling on the President to attend to their plight.
“As a trustee of the Armed Forces of Nigeria, I humbly wish to address this letter to you who called us to serve the nation. The Nigeria Army (NA)is the land component of the Armed Forces created to defend and maintain its territorial integrity from external aggression and act in aid of civil authorities to restore order when called upon by Mr President,” the letter had read.
“In the face of security challenges bedeviling the nation, men of the armed forces sacrifice their lives. Despite the risks involved, NA fall in their responsibility and duty to meet the benefits and services of soldiers not minding the consequences it will breed with time. Perhaps the concept is that “soldiers are illiterates with no prospect for a successful future”.
“The system preaches patriotism, discipline, loyalty, and dedication to duty, regrettable sir, our meager salary makes it difficult for us to care for our families and own personal house while in active service.
“Painfully, we buy uniforms, boots, and other military kits from the same salary to serve Nigeria. Below is the salary breakdown of your soldering per day/month.
“a. Warrant Officer’s Salary is N95,000/31 days =N3,064 per day (28 yrs in service) b. Staff Sergeant Salary is N84,000/31 days = N2,709 per day(26 yrs in) c. Sergeant Salary is N68,000/31 days =N2,193 per day(21 years in) d. Corporal salary is N62,000/31 days = N2,000 per day (16 yrs in) e. Lance Corporal N57,000/31 days = N1,838 per day (10 yrs in) f. Private salary is N50,000/31 days = N1,612 per day (5 years in service)
“To meet financial needs, soldiers involve in illegal duties, sabotage, arms & ammunition deal, armed robbery, and kidnapping. The insensitive negligence to enhancing the salary and welfare of soldiers is the cause of the mass resignation of trained troops.
“The day soldiers will demand their rights will be a sad day for the Nation, on that day, all moral sanctity would have been lost. With due respect Sir, I need respectfully request Mr President and other action addresses to please stand for the principle of truth and moral sanctity by holistically and reflectively acting on serial 3 above with a view to addressing the salary and welfare package of SOLDIERS of the Nigeria Army.”
Shell reported operating profits of $9.5 billion (£8.19 billion) for the third quarter of this year, which were lower than the previous three months but more than double the same period in 2021.
In the first half of the year, the London-listed energy giant reported two consecutive quarters of record profit despite rising oil and gas prices.
The earnings are lower than expected. Shell had been forecast to report net earnings of $10.5bn in the third quarter, compared with net earnings of $11.5bn in the second quarter.
The profits were lower compared with the second quarter because of lower liquefied natural gas (LNG) trading, lower chemicals, and refining margins, and higher underlying operating expenses.
The total amount paid to shareholders during the three months was $6.8bn. The company paid a dividend of $0.25 for each share held.
But Shell wants that amount to increase. Subject to board approval, it intends to increase the amount per share by 15% for the fourth quarter, which would be paid in March next year.
On Thursday the company also said it is to buy back shares worth $4bn from shareholders by the time fourth-quarter results are announced, it follows a $6bn round of share buybacks announced in the second quarter results statement.
The profits are likely to increase calls for more one-off windfall taxes.
When she was prime minister Liz Truss ruled out any additional windfall tax beyond the one introduced in May. The May energy profits levy taxed profits at 25% and was introduced by current Prime Minister Rishi Sunak when he was chancellor.
The chief executive of Shell had himself called on the government to tax oil and gas companies in order to protect the poorest people in society from soaring energy costs.
Speaking at the Energy Intelligence Forum in London, Ben van Beurden said: “One way or another there needs to be government intervention that somehow results in protecting the poorest.
“That probably may then mean that governments need to tax people in this room to pay for it.”
The government recently announced it is to go ahead with a windfall tax on the renewable sector which has been enjoying bumper profits off the back of high gas prices.
When Susan Wamaitha started feeling sick a year ago, she thought it was the side effects of a contraceptive pill she had started taking a few months earlier – but it turned out that she was eight weeks pregnant.
The 32-year-old is now a mother of three children. Unbeknown to her, the pill that she began using in June 2021 was banned in Kenya.
Its street name in Kenya is “Sofia” but it is manufactured in China and all the details about the product on the packaging are only written in Chinese.
A translation of the first line says it contains “Levonorgestrel Fast Estradiol Tablets“. The pill is a “long-acting oral contraceptive”, according to the second line. Then there is information about the manufacturer on the third: “Zizhu Pharmaceutical Co Ltd”.
The sale of the pill was prohibited by Kenya’s authorities 10 years ago because of high levels of levonorgestrel – more than 40 times the recommended levels.
Levonorgestrel is a hormonal medication used in a number of birth control methods.
The health ministry did not share the full lab results about its findings but said children conceived after the pill failed were found to have developed early puberty.
Headaches and nausea
“I did not know it was banned. Many of my friends were using it and had no side effects,” Ms Wamaitha told the BBC.
Like many other Kenyan women, she was attracted to the pill by its affordability and the convenience of taking it only once a month.
Women tend to buy the Sofia tablet each month – most suppliers will not sell it in bulk. Each pill costs between 300 Kenyan shillings ($2.50; £2.20) and 400 Kenyan shillings.
Other family planning methods available in the country include the daily contraceptive pill. A month’s supply costs about $1.70 from government hospitals but their stock is not always guaranteed so women then have to buy it from pharmacies for considerably more.
This makes the hormonal implant that lasts three months, offered at state clinics at a cost of around $5, and various intrauterine devices, like coils, that last several years and cost up to $9, more common alternatives.
Condoms are offered for free in public offices and toilets but sometimes run out, though they can be bought in shops.
“Because I had a non-hormonal copper T-shaped coil that was giving me back pains, I decided to remove it and use the pill,” Ms Wamaitha told the BBC.
She was also impressed that her friends who recommended Sofia had not gained any weight – a key consideration for her as she says she struggles with keeping the pounds off.
However, right from the beginning she did not feel great on it – though she thought it would just take time for her body to get used to the new medication as she had to take two pills initially followed by one a month.
“I started having headaches and nausea. The first month I missed my period,” Ms Wamaitha said.
But she did not worry as she had her period the following month. It was only when it skipped again in the third month that she began to get concerned.
Her husband then started researching the contraceptive pill and that is when he found out it had been banned.
“We started panicking about using a banned pill and when I realised I was pregnant I was worried about the effects it may have on my baby,” she said.
They now have a healthy three-month-old girl, but the couple are upset by the lack of information and possible implications for their daughter as she grows up.
‘One size does not fit all’
Only 50% of women in sub-Saharan Africa in need of modern contraceptive methods have access to them, according to the World Health Organization (WHO).
Josephine Kibaru
A woman is likely to trust a neighbour and friend more than a healthcare worker who has been posted at the dispensary”
In Kenya, contraception tends to be discussed in hushed tones – mostly because of cultural and religious beliefs in what is a patriarchal society.
Some men do not allow their wives to use contraceptives while some religious sects are against it. The Kavonokya Sect in eastern Kenya, for example, rejects all modern medicine as it believes the Bible only recommends prayer as an intervention.
For population and development expert Dr Josephine Kibaru, a grassroots approach would be best to gain acceptance for modern family planning methods.
“We need community health volunteers to be more empowered with information because a woman is likely to trust a neighbour and friend more than a healthcare worker who has been posted at the dispensary,” Dr Kibaru told the BBC.
She says there is a chasm of ignorance about the birth control methods available, along with many myths and misconceptions that need to be dispelled.
A combination of both is probably what is required as gynaecologist Brigid Monda says women should consult healthcare providers to be able to find a family planning method that works for them.
“One size does not fit all,” she told the BBC.
Yet some women have also been forced to mix different contraceptive methods because of a lack of consistent supply at dispensaries located in rural areas.
Sofia remains easily available despite its ban. The fact that women do not know it is banned is down to poor public health messaging, according to Dr Kibaru.
“Using the media alone is not enough. Intentional public messaging at grassroots level is important to ensure the masses understand well why a drug has been banned,” she says.
Sold to trusted customers
Pharmacists do know it is banned – another warning was issued by the health ministry last month – yet they still sell the pill because of demand.
It is not on display but sold under the counter to trusted customers who come in to buy it each month.
The BBC visited several pharmacies in the capital, Nairobi, to make inquiries about Sofia – most said the drug was not for sale.
One seller – who spoke on condition of anonymity – explained that it was available, just not on display, and pharmacies were able to buy it from suppliers who brought it in from neighbouring countries.
Earlier this month, a Pharmacy and Poisons Board (PPB) official told Kenya’s Standard newspaper a shipment had been intercepted at the Ugandan border.
Ms Wamaitha says she actually bought her pills from a friend who gets them in bulk from one of these suppliers.
She says this friend and others knew the pill was banned when they recommended it to her.
Her pregnancy has not persuaded them to stop using it – nor do any of the complaints on the various Facebook groups for Kenyan mothers.
On at least three of these forums there have been discussions about Sofia, where several women taking it said they had fallen pregnant.
This has convinced Ms Wamaitha to keep on urging her friends and other women to consider a different form of birth control.
“I just know that the mention of that Sofia pill makes me get chills on my body. I don’t know what family planning method I will use to prevent a fourth pregnancy, but I’m done, done with that pill.”
The World Bank has approved a $270 million (£232 million) loan to Zambia to assist it in recovering from the effects of the coronavirus pandemic, the economic impact of the Ukrainian war, and managing its debt crisis.
In late 2020 Zambia became the first African country since the onset of the pandemic to default on its debt.
In August, the International Monetary Fund approved a $1.3bn loan to help Zambia – a major copper producer – restructure its debts.
The president of the World Bank has urged other creditors to help reduce Zambia’s debt.
