TIG Post

Author: Abigail Ampofo

  • CVS and Walgreens have agreed to pay $10 billion to settle opioid-related lawsuits

    Two of the country’s largest pharmacies have agreed to pay more than $10 billion to settle thousands of lawsuits stemming from their roles in the US opioid crisis.

    The proposed deals with CVS and Walgreens are the latest chapter in a long legal saga in which companies have been accused of contributing to the abuse of addictive painkillers.

    Settlements with pharmaceutical companies and distributors have already brought in more than $30 billion.

    The pharmacies deny any wrongdoing.

    But they have lost some high-profile, smaller legal battles recently, with a judge ordering the two firms and Walmart to pay more than $650m (£567m) to two Ohio counties.

    CVS chief executive Karen Lynch said on a call with analysts that the settlement was in the “best interests of all parties and helps put a decades-old issue behind us”.

    Local governments, Native American tribes, and others behind the total of more than 3,000 lawsuits will now decide whether or not to accept the settlement. It would allow them to funnel money to help them address the local costs of a crisis that the US says has claimed more than 560,000 lives since 1999.

    Lawyers for the plaintiffs that helped negotiate the deal called the proposal an “important step” to holding the pharmacies “accountable”.

    “Once effectuated, these agreements will be the first resolutions reached with pharmacy chains and will equip communities across the country with the much-needed tools to fight back against this epidemic and bring about tangible, positive change,” the legal team said in a statement.

    Since former US President Donald Trump declared the opioid epidemic a national emergency in 2017, the situation has worsened.

    Overdoses involving opioids jumped 30% in 2020 and another 15% last year, with illegally manufactured fentanyl driving the recent crisis, according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

    The situation has strained public resources, with the economic toll of the opioid crisis in 2020 alone mounting to $1.5tn, according to a congressional report last month.

    Advocate, author, and recovering addict Ryan Hampton said many are ready for the years of legal fighting to an end, but that the settlements have fallen short of early hopes. He warned that policymakers will need to commit more resources if they hope to do more than make a dent in the crisis.

    “It is my hope that these dollars are put to use immediately on the ground, 100% of them,” he said. “That’s my hope. My fear is that when the dollar is distributed… that yes, it’s nothing but it’s nowhere near enough.”

    While the settlements often outline how the funds should be spent – sending funds to facilities that offer treatment programmes, for example – Mr Hampton said the jury is still out on the overall impact.

    “They’re much needed but are we really just plugging a hole in the dam at this point?” he said. “We’re going to need massive federal investment that goes beyond litigation dollars if we’re going to get anywhere near preventing these tragic overdose deaths.”

    In the lawsuits brought by local communities, Native American tribes, and other parties since 2017, the pharmacy chains were accused of ignoring red flags while handling prescriptions for the drugs.

    CVS said it would pay about $5bn over 10 years to settle the claims, while Walgreens Boots Alliance has agreed to pay $5.7bn over 15 years.

    Walmart has also reached a $3.1bn deal, Reuters reported. Walmart declined to comment.

     

  • United Kingdom sanctions four Russian steel and petrochemical magnates

    In response to the conflict in Ukraine, the United Kingdom has imposed sanctions on four Russian steel and petrochemical tycoons.

    Alexander Abramov and Alexander Frolov were among those who received sanctions; according to the UK, they were known allies of the oligarch Roman Abramovich, who received sanctions of his own earlier this year.

    “Today we are sanctioning an additional four oligarchs who rely on

    Putin for their positions of authority and in turn fund his military machine,” Foreign Secretary James Cleverly said.

    “By targeting these individuals, we are ramping up the economic pressure on Putin and will continue to do so until Ukraine prevails.”

     

     

  • No indications Russia is preparing to use nuclear weapons: White House

    White House spokesman, the US does not perceive any indications that Russia is getting ready to use nuclear weapons.

    Spokesman John Kirby declared: “We have been clear from the beginning that Russia’s comments about the potential use of nuclear weapons are deeply concerning, and we take them seriously.”

    “We continue to monitor this as best we can, and we see no indications that Russia is making preparations for such use.”

    Kirby’s remarks came after the New York Times newspaper reported earlier on Wednesday that senior Russian military leaders had recently held discussions about when and how Moscow might deploy a tactical nuclear weapon in Ukraine, citing multiple unnamed US officials.

     

  • Russia says it is committed to preventing nuclear war

    Russia says it is fully committed to preventing nuclear war, stating that avoiding conflict between the world’s nuclear powers is its first priority.

    “We fully reaffirm our commitment to the joint statement of the five nuclear-weapon states leaders on the prevention of nuclear war and the avoidance of an arms race from January 3, 2022,” the Russian foreign ministry said in a statement.

    That statement by Russia, the United States, China, the United Kingdom, and France said they agreed “a nuclear war cannot be won”.

    Source: Aljazeera.com

     

  •  White House, intelligence suggests North Korea is providing Russia with artillery shells

    White House national security spokesman John Kirby says, the United States has information that suggests North Korea is clandestinely supplying Russia with a “significant” amount of artillery shells for use in Ukraine.

    North Korea was trying to conceal the shipments by routing them through nations in the Middle East and North Africa, Kirby said in a virtual briefing.

    “Our indications are that the DPRK is covertly supplying, and we are going to monitor to see whether the shipments are received,” Kirby said, referring to the country by the acronym of its official name, adding that the US would consult with the United Nations on accountability issues over the shipments.

    “It is not an insignificant number of shells, but we don’t believe they are in such a quantity that they would change the momentum of the war,” he said.

    North Korea said in September that it had never supplied weapons or ammunition to Russia and has no plans to do so.

     

  • Grain deal: Putin warns Russia could withdraw again if Ukraine ‘violates’ guarantees

    President Vladimir Putin has threatened to walk away from the Ukraine grain deal again if Kyiv breaches the security guarantees that Moscow claims it has provided.

    “Russia retains the right to leave these agreements if these guarantees from Ukraine are violated,” Putin said in televised comments hours after Russia announced it was rejoining the deal.

    Moscow said it had received assurances from Kyiv that it would not use the secure shipping corridor or its designated Ukrainian ports for attacks against Russia.

    Putin affirmed the receipt of those commitments and said that if Russia withdrew once more because of Ukrainian breaches, it would substitute the entire volume of grain destined for the “poorest countries” for free from its own stocks.

    But, in a nod to Turkey’s influence, as well as what he called its “neutrality” in Russia’s conflict with Ukraine, Putin added: “In any case, we will not in the future impede deliveries of grain from Ukrainian territory to the Turkish Republic.”

     

  • Report reveals scale of police misconduct across England, Wales

    Poor vetting leads to abuse, says the report, as watchdog cites cases where officers have raped children.

    Warning: This story contains details of child sexual assault.

    A culture of misogyny and predatory behavior, fuelled by poor vetting standards, is “prevalent” in police forces across England and Wales, according to a police watchdog.

    Wednesday’s report by the HM Inspectorate of Constabulary comes more than a year after the March 2021 death of Sarah Everard, who was killed by Metropolitan Police officer Wayne Couzens.

    He was last year jailed for life for the kidnapping, rape, and murder of the 33-year-old in a case that exposed the failings of the police force.

    Police were criticised for neglecting to take any action after Couzens allegedly exposed himself in 2015 and was involved in another incident in 2002.

    Sarah Everard
    Sarah Everard [File: Metropolitan Police/AFP]

    The interior minister at the time, Priti Patel, ordered the police watchdog to investigate misogynistic and predatory behaviour within forces.

    In some of the most concerning cases Wednesday’s report cited, police officers who had been hired without thorough checks had gone on to sexually abuse children.

    A force in Cheshire, for instance, failed to properly vet a candidate who was accused of rape.

    In October 2017, months after Ian Naude had been hired, the then 30-year-old answered a call to a domestic abuse emergency where he ended up meeting a 13-year-old girl.

    Three days later, while “her mother was out, he drove the child to a secluded country lane and raped her, filming the offense on his mobile phone” the report said.

    “Over the last decade, there have been many warning signs that these systems aren’t working well enough. Some police officers have used their unique position to commit appalling crimes, especially against women,” the report said.

    Female officers were surveyed and the report found that an “alarming number” of women reported “appalling behavior by male colleagues”.

    This included allegations of sexual harassment and “serious sexual assault”.

    “We concluded that far too many women had, at some stage in their career, experienced unwanted sexual behavior towards them,” the report added.

    The watchdog looked at 11,277 police officers and staff and examined 725 vetting files.

    Inspectors called for minimum standards for pre-employment checks and for changes to the law dealing with police complaints and disciplinary procedures.

    ‘Too easy’

    Lead inspector Matt Parr found that “it is too easy for the wrong people to both join and stay in the police” and that there were “significant questions” over the recruitment of “thousands” of officers.

    While most police officers and staff meet the required standards of behaviour, the report found “systemic failings, missed opportunities, and a generally inadequate approach to setting and maintaining standards in the police service.

    “It is too easy for the wrong people to both join and stay in the police. If the police are to rebuild public trust and protect their own female officers and staff vetting must be much more rigorous and sexual misconduct taken more seriously,” said Parr.

    The London force tweeted in response that it would be “ruthless in ridding the Met of those who corrupt our integrity”.

    Inspectors also found cases where incidents such as indecent exposure were dismissed as a “one-off” and where applicants with links to “extensive criminality” in their families had been hired.

    The report said that “over the last three or four years, the number of people recruited over whom we would raise significant questions is certainly in the hundreds, if not low thousands”.

    Patel’s successor Suella Braverman said the report shines a “stark light” on problems within the police, adding it was “unacceptable” that women “continue to experience misogynistic and sexist behaviour”.

    Source: Aljazeera.com

     

  • Nigerians are struggling after the government closes camps and reduces aid

    Human rights organizations say that authorities are “harming hundreds of thousands… to advance a dubious government development agenda.”

    According to Human Rights Watch, more than 200,000 Nigerians displaced by long-running violence are struggling for food and shelter after authorities in the northeast closed some of the camps they were living in and stopped aid.

    Borno state, the epicenter of the Boko Haram conflict, announced in October 2021 that it would close all camps housing thousands of internally displaced people and return some of them to their communities. It cited increased security and the need to wean displaced people off humanitarian aid.

    In a report released on Wednesday, Human Rights Watch said people removed from the camps were struggling to meet their most basic needs, including food and shelter, in the places where they had returned or resettled.

    More than 140,000 people had been removed from eight camps in Borno while food aid to two more camps had been stopped as of August this year, Human Rights Watch said. Those two camps hold more than 74,000 people and will close this year.

    “The Borno state government is harming hundreds of thousands of displaced people already living in precarious conditions to advance a dubious government development agenda to wean people off humanitarian aid,” Anietie Ewang, Nigeria researcher at Human Rights Watch, said in the report.

    “By forcing people from camps without creating viable alternatives for support, the government is worsening their suffering and deepening their vulnerability,” she said.

    Borno state commissioner for information Babakura Abba Jato told Reuters he could not immediately comment on the report.

    The state government says some areas formerly occupied by Boko Haram fighters are now safe for citizens to return to, and it has rebuilt some communities although aid groups say they remain vulnerable to attacks.

    Some of the camps and settlements for displaced people have been hit by a cholera outbreak, and children have been the worst hit.

    Last month, about 2,000 people started moving into a new residential complex in Ngarannam that had been rebuilt by the United Nations and the state government.

    Ngarannam, 50km (31 miles) south of Borno’s capital, Maiduguri, was overrun by Boko Haram in 2015.

     

  • AU: Ethiopia’s warring parties reach a “cessation of hostilities” agreement

    The African Union has announced that Ethiopia’s government and Tigrayan forces have formally agreed to end fighting following talks in South Africa.

    The parties in the conflict in Ethiopia’s northern region of Tigray have agreed on a “permanent cessation of hostilities”, the African Union mediator said, just over a week after formal peace talks began in South Africa.

    Former Nigerian President Olesegun Obasanjo, in the first briefing on the peace talks, also said Ethiopia’s government and Tigray authorities have agreed on “orderly, smooth and coordinated disarmament” along with “restoration of law and order,” “restoration of services” and “unhindered access to humanitarian supplies.”

    The agreement marked a new “dawn” for Ethiopia, he said, speaking at a press conference.

    The war, which broke out in November 2020, pits regional forces from Tigray against Ethiopia’s federal army and its allies, who include forces from other regions and from neighbouring Eritrea.

    “It is now for all of us to honor this agreement,” said the lead negotiator for Ethiopia’s government, Redwan Hussein.

    Tigray’s rebels hailed the deal and said they had made “concessions.”

    “We are ready to implement and expedite this agreement,” said the head of their delegation, Getachew Reda.

    “In order to address the pains of our people, we have made concessions because we have to build trust.”

    “Ultimately, the fact that we have reached a point where we have now signed an agreement speaks volumes about the readiness on the part of the two sides to lay the past behind them to chart a new path of peace,” said Reda.

    The conflict, which has at times spilled out of Tigray into the neighbouring regions of Amhara and Afar, has killed thousands of people, displaced millions from their homes and left hundreds of thousands on the brink of famine.

    Urgent need for aid

    Neither Eritrea nor regional forces allied with the Ethiopian army took part in the talks in South Africa and it was unclear whether they would abide by the agreement reached there.

    Eritrean forces have been blamed for some of the conflict’s worst abuses, including gang rapes, and witnesses have described killings and lootings by Eritrean forces even during the peace talks.

    Obasanjo, who has been leading the African Union’s mediation team, said the implementation of the agreement would be supervised and monitored by a high-level African Union panel. He praised the process as an African solution to an African problem and said the agreement would allow humanitarian supplies to Tigray to be restored.

    A critical question is how soon aid can return to Tigray, whose communications and transport links have been largely severed since the conflict began. Doctors have described running out of basic medicines like vaccines, insulin, and therapeutic food while people die of easily preventable diseases and starvation.

    United Nations human rights investigators have said the Ethiopian government was using “starvation of civilians” as a weapon of war.

    “We’re back to 18th-century surgery,” a surgeon at the region’s flagship hospital, Fasika Amdeslasie, told health experts at an online event Wednesday. “It’s like an open-air prison.”

    A humanitarian source said their organization could resume operations almost immediately if unfettered aid access to Tigray is granted.

    “It entirely depends on what the government agrees to … If they genuinely give us access, we can start moving very quickly, in hours, not weeks,” said the source, who spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorised to speak publicly.

     

     

  • Halloween: Nadia Buari, mother and siblings thrill fans with Halloween costumes

    Nadia Buari and her family celebrated Halloween in grand style, wearing costumes as part of the worldwide celebrations.

    The actress her mother, and her siblings dressed up in scary outfits and masks to participate in the international celebration.

    Nadia Buari donned a nurse-inspired outfit and smokey makeup for the Halloween occasion.

    Hajia Buari, her mother, wore a blonde wig and a black gown. Her makeup was simple, with two scars on both sides of her cheeks.

    Her bother, Jameel Buari, wore a black and white skeleton mask and didn’t have any unusual makeup on.

    Also, Nadia Buari’s sister, who recently tied the knot, Samera Buari, stole the moment as her makeup and outfit truly represented the theme of the occasion.

  • High cost of living: Kasapreko to pay its employees twice as much their salary

    Kasapreko Company Ltd, an indigenous beverage manufacturer, has announced that all categories of workers will receive double pay in November 2022.

    The decision was informed by current economic uncertainties and price volatility in the country, which are affecting the well-being of staff, according to a memo from Kasapreko management to staff, contractors, and casual employees.

    “In addition to other measures taken to cushion staff and their families in the face of these challenges, management is announcing the payment of Double Salary to all permanent, contract and casual employees in November, 2022.

    “It is Management’s expectation that this payment would bring relief to all staff and their families as we all weather these challenges,” the memo signed by Managing Director, Richard Adjei, said.

    Kasapreko-double-salary
    The memo to staff has been trending on social media. Source: UGC. Source: UGC

    Kasapreko is a leading manufacturer of alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages in the country and a member of the prestigious Ghana Club 100 Company.

     

  • Kenya has sent hundreds of troops to join a regional force in eastern DRC

    President Ruto has dispatched over 900 military personnel to combat armed groups in eastern DRC.Kenyan President William Ruto has announced that his country will send over 900 military personnel to the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) to join a new regional force tasked with attempting to defuse deadly tensions fueled by armed groups.

    Ruto on Wednesday called the mission “necessary and urgent” for regional security and said he and the DRC’s president had agreed on how Kenyan forces would work with Congolese and other forces on disarming rebels and peacekeeping in the country’s troubled east.

    The Kenyan forces will be based in Goma, eastern DRC’s largest city. The East African Community regional force, agreed upon by heads of state in June and led by a Kenyan commander, also has two battalions from Uganda, two from Burundi, and one from South Sudan.

    Nairobi made its troop commitment a day after angry crowds set fire to United Nations vehicles in Goma as frustrations mount over the advance of M23 rebels and the deteriorating security situation in the eastern DRC.

    Violence by armed groups has led to a diplomatic crisis between the DRC and neighboring Rwanda. The DRC has accused Rwanda of supporting the rebels, which Rwanda denies. Meanwhile, it has accused the DRC of backing another rebel group hostile to Rwanda.

    In October, Kinshasa expelled Rwanda’s ambassador to the DRC.

    The UN vehicles were targeted in Goma over false rumors that the peacekeeping mission known as MONUSCO had transported rebels, adding to the dissatisfaction many people in eastern DRC have towards the troops.

    “Because of these rebels, we have fled our homes in Rugari, Kibumba,” protester Kasereka Munyafura said, standing next to a truck on fire. “That is why we are angry, and we have just burnt the vehicles of MONUSCO because it makes us suffer.”

    Earlier on Tuesday, the UN peacekeeping mission had announced a “strategic and tactical withdrawal” from embattled Rumangabo. The M23 rebels have been trying to advance on the town, where a military base is located.

    The M23 rose to prominence more than a decade ago when its fighters seized Goma, which sits along the border with Rwanda. After a peace deal, many of the M23′s fighters were integrated into the national military.

    The group took up arms again in November last year, saying the government had failed to live up to its promises. Over the weekend, the rebels doubled the territory they hold, seizing control of two major towns.

     

  • Third of Brits going back into the office to save money – as monthly bills named biggest financial concern for everyone

    Nearly a third of Britons are going back to the office more because of the cost of living crisis, in a bid to save money on energy bills.

    Some 71% of those now working from the office have noticed a change in the price of their energy bills, according to research from Brother (who surveyed 500 people).

    Additional research from money.co.uk found monthly bills were the biggest financial concern for people in the UK – regardless of what salary they earned.

    One in eight of those earning under £15,000 were concerned about having enough money for food.

    Those earning about £55,000 were most worried about their mortgage payments.

    What do you do if you cannot pay a bill?

    James Andrews, a financial expert at Money.co.uk, says: “As ever more people are becoming concerned with how they’re going to pay their bills every month, it’s important to know what steps you can take if you do find yourself unable to make a payment.

    “Don’t ignore the problem. Being unable to pay a bill is stressful, but the problem can escalate if you don’t tackle it sooner rather than later. Rather than bury your head in the sand, make contact with the company that sent the bill – they’re likely to be more understanding if you’re upfront and honest about your circumstances.

    “Prioritise housing and council tax. No one wants to miss a bill, but failing to keep up with your rent, mortgage or other debt payments secured on your home can see you evicted. That makes these bills a priority. Council tax is the only bill you can be imprisoned for failing to pay – so that’s another bill you need to pay attention to.

    “Keep paying what you can, if you can. Even if you can’t pay off the entire bill, paying what you can demonstrates that you are committed to clearing the balance eventually. This will also reduce the amount you owe, and therefore mitigate any increases on the bill if interest builds on the outstanding balance.

    “Get help. If you’re struggling to control your finances, there are several not-for-profit organisations that can consider your personal circumstances and offer you free, bespoke advice. StepChange, National Debtline, or CCCS are all dependable examples.”

     

  • Revealed: How much British people spend on takeaways

    Many of us are guilty of feeling too lazy to cook some nights, or needing a pick-me-up to cure a hangover – but how much are our takeaway meals costing us?

    The average person in the UK on an annual salary of £25,971 spends £641 a year on takeaways, according to KPMG data.

    Raisin UK has calculated the average person spends roughly £1,508 a year on food shops, breaking down to £29 a week – meaning the average percentage spent on takeaways is a huge 42.51%.

    It also calculated the top 20 takeaway hotspots in the UK – as in, the areas with the most options – and their favourite cuisine.

    But why are people still ordering takeaways even as money is tight?

    Chris Tompkins, a life coach and associate therapist for Theara, says that “even in financially sticky situations, there is an omnipresence of tempting social and food cues”.

    “This means the individual is fuelled by their emotional desire to eat takeaway and they push their financial logic to the side and revisit that logic after the meal has been consumed. Financial strain is no match for emotional self-control (or lack thereof),” he said.

    Plus, he added, takeaways are easy – there are no dishes to be washed or preparation to be done.

    So how can you cut down on costs?

    • Plan your meals ahead and make sure you have the ingredients in
    • Make sure you always have some basic ingredients in your cupboard
    • Try “fakeaways” – recreating your favourite takeaway meal
    • Have a list of reliable recipes that you enjoy making

     Source: Skynews.com

     

     

  • Saudis tell US that Iran may attack the kingdom: Officials

    The United States says threats are concerning, and that it will defend Saudi Arabia and other Middle East allies.

    The United States has responded to reports of threats from Iran against Saudi Arabia by saying it is concerned and will not hesitate to respond if necessary.

    “We are concerned about the threat picture, and we remain in constant contact through military and intelligence channels with the Saudis,” the National Security Council said in a statement on Tuesday. “We will not hesitate to act in the defence of our interests and partners in the region.”

    The Wall Street Journal newspaper first reported on Saudi Arabia sharing the intelligence with the US earlier on Tuesday.

    Neither Saudi Arabia nor Iran has commented on the matter publicly.

    Iran has alleged, without providing evidence, that Saudi Arabia and other rivals have been behind anti-government protests that have been ongoing in the country since mid-September.

    In October, the commander of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps warned Saudi Arabia to tone down coverage of the protests in Iran by Farsi-language satellite news channels, including Iran International, a Saudi-backed satellite television channel based in London.

    “This is our last warning because you are interfering in our internal affairs through these media,” Major-General Hossein Salami said. “You are involved in this matter and know that you are vulnerable.”

    The heightened concerns about a potential attack on Riyadh come as the Biden administration criticises Tehran for its crackdown on the protests and condemned it for sending hundreds of drones – as well as technical support – to Russia for use in its war in Ukraine.

    One of the officials who confirmed the intelligence sharing to the Wall Street Journal described it as a credible threat of an attack “soon or within 48 hours”. No US embassy or consulate in the region has issued alerts or guidance to Americans in Saudi Arabia or elsewhere in the Middle East based on the intelligence. The officials were not authorised to comment publicly and spoke on condition of anonymity.

    Asked about reports of the intelligence shared by the Saudis, Brigadier General Pat Ryder, the Pentagon press secretary, said US military officials “are concerned about the threat situation in the region”.

    “We’re in regular contact with our Saudi partners, in terms of what information they may have to provide on that front,” Ryder said. “But what we’ve said before, and I’ll repeat it, is that we will reserve the right to protect and defend ourselves no matter where our forces are serving, whether in Iraq or elsewhere.”

    US State Department spokesperson Ned Price said America was “concerned about the threat picture,” without elaborating.

    Strained relations

    The latest concerns come at a time of strained relations between Riyadh and Washington after the Saudi-led OPEC+ alliance last month decided to cut oil output targets, which raised fears of a gasoline price spike in the US.

    The US and Saudi Arabia blamed Iran in 2019 for being behind a big attack in eastern Saudi Arabia, which halved the oil-rich kingdom’s production and caused energy prices to spike. The Iranians denied they were behind the attack.

    The Saudis have also been hit repeatedly in recent years by drones, missiles, and mortars launched by the Iran-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen. Saudi Arabia formed a coalition to battle the Houthis in 2015 and has been internationally criticised for its air attacks in the war, which have killed thousands of civilians.

    In recent weeks, the Biden administration has imposed sanctions on Iranian officials for the brutal crackdown on demonstrators after the death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini in September after her arrest by Iran’s morality police. The administration has also hit Iran with sanctions for supplying drones to Russia for use in its war in Ukraine.

    At least 288 people have been killed and 14,160 arrested during the protests, according to the group Human Rights Activists in Iran. Demonstrations have continued, even as the feared paramilitary Revolutionary Guard has warned Iranians to stop.

    Source: Aljazeera

     

  • Iranian police launch an investigation after a video shows a man being beaten, shot

    Central command says offenders will face legal consequences according to the rules.

    Police in Iran has launched an investigation after a video showed riot police repeatedly kicking and then shooting a man.

    The two-minute clip was posted on social media on Tuesday, in the seventh week of the protests that erupted across Iran after the death of a young woman in custody.

    It shows policemen walking in an alley at night and using their batons to beat a man lying on the ground. The man, whose lower body and feet are visible in the angle of the video, tries to protect his head and body from the hits and kicks.

    The officers in riot gear then leave him on the ground but moments later, another police member arrives and starts beating him with a baton. The final moments of the video, which was shot on a mobile phone from an overlooking building, show a policeman shooting the man at point-blank range with what appears to be a pellet shotgun.

    On Wednesday, the central command of the Iranian police said in a short statement carried by state media that it had launched an investigation to determine the exact time and place of the incident and identify violating officers.

    “The police in no way condones violence and unconventional behaviour and offenders will certainly face legal measures according to the rules,” it said.

    British-based rights group Amnesty International also posted the video on Twitter, calling it “another horrific reminder that the cruelty of Iran’s security forces knows no bounds” and urging the United Nations Human Rights Council to investigate.

    The release of the video comes amid the protests that broke out shortly after the death of Mahsa Amini on September 16.

    The 22-year-old woman died in a hospital in Tehran after collapsing in a “re-education” centre that she had been taken to by the country’s so-called “morality police” following her arrest due to alleged non-compliance with a mandatory dress code. Her family has challenged an official investigation that found she was not beaten and died of pre-existing conditions.

    Dozens of people, including security forces, are believed to have been killed during the protests, but authorities have not published an official tally. Many more have been wounded or arrested, and Iran this week began holding the first court cases for “rioters”.

    The UN has expressed “concern” about developments in Iran, while the United States and Albania are due to hold an informal Security Council meeting on the protests on Wednesday that can be attended by all UN members.

    Iranian officials have denounced the meeting as politically motivated and criticised the special UN rapporteur on human rights in the country for agreeing to brief it.

    In a speech delivered on Wednesday, Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, repeated once again his claim that the United States, Israel, and others have been behind unrest across Iran.

    The events of the past few weeks constitute not only “street riots” but also a “hybrid war”, Khamenei said.

    “Enemies, meaning the US, the Zionist regime (Israel), some insidious and treacherous European powers, and some groups came to the field with everything at their disposal and tried to hurt the nation using their intelligence and media organisations and social media and employing past experiences in Iran,” he added.

    The supreme leader for the first time said some of the many young people who have taken to the streets in the protests were “our own children”, but had been misled and acted as a result of “excitement and feelings, and some carelessness”.

     

  • Xi Jinping assures Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif of China’s support

    During a two-day visit to Beijing, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif met with top Chinese leaders.

    President Xi Jinping stated that China will continue to assist Pakistan in stabilising its economy while hosting Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif for talks.

    On Wednesday, the leaders met at Beijing’s Great Hall of the People, the final day of Sharif’s two-day visit to China, his first since taking office in April.

    Xi said the two neighbours should boost collaboration in the development of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), a $60bn infrastructure project, as well as speed up work on building the Gwadar seaport in Pakistan’s Balochistan province, according to Chinese state media.

    For his part, Sharif thanked Xi for China’s “invaluable assistance to Pakistan’s relief and rehabilitation work” in the aftermath of recent floods, which killed more than 1,700 people and affected some 33 million.

    A statement released by his office said the leaders spoke about various projects of “strategic importance”, including work on the CPEC and the construction of a railway line.

    Sharif said Pakistan drew inspiration from China’s socioeconomic development and national resolve for progress and prosperity, the statement added, noting that the prime minister had extended an invitation to Xi for a visit to Pakistan, which was accepted.

    Later on Wednesday, Sharif also met his Chinese counterpart, Li Keqiang.

    The relationship between historical allies Pakistan and China have only grown stronger during the past decade, a period in which Islamabad’s ties with Washington gradually cooled.

    Balanced approach

    Muhammad Faisal, an Islamabad-based foreign policy analyst and a close observer of Pakistan-China ties, said Sharif’s visit was an important marker for Pakistan as it seeks to maintain a balanced approach in the face of the escalating strategic competition between China and the United States, which has direct implications for the regional order in South Asia.

    He said he expected issues related to Afghanistan and India, which has emerged as Pakistan and China’s biggest regional rival, to have topped the agenda in the leaders’ talks.

    Andrew Small, the author of The China-Pakistan Axis, says that Islamabad needed to tread carefully while maintaining stable relations with both Beijing and Washington.

    “It is trying to reconcile the deepening of ties with China with the opportunity to reset relations with the US after the withdrawal from Afghanistan, all in the context of intensifying Sino-US rivalry. Normally US-Pakistan and China-Pakistan relations have been able to coexist happily – now there are pressures from both sides,” he told Al Jazeera.

    Pakistan’s dependence on China for its financial and defence needs has increased over the years – but this has come at a cost.

    Pakistan owes nearly $30bn – or 23 percent of its total external debt – to China.

    US Secretary of State Antony Blinken raised the issue during a meeting with Pakistani foreign minister Bilawal Bhutto in September, urging Islamabad to discuss debt relief and payment restructuring with Beijing.

    “The visit is taking place at a time when Pakistan is facing serious economic challenges, multiplied by the recent flooding in the country. If Pakistan manages to achieve guarantees of rescheduling of debt and rolling over of deposits, it could be a landmark achievement of this visit,” Fazal ur Rahman, director of the Pakistan Institute of China Studies at the University of Sargodha, told Al Jazeera.

    Small also said the issue of debt would be closely watched in the US.

    “The real question in Washington [is] about whether Pakistan will fix some of its debt issues directly with China, or expect other actors to do the heavy lifting,” he added.

    Security incidents

    China’s growing presence in Pakistan has coincided with an increase in the number of attacks against Chinese nationals and installations, especially in the country’s restive southern region.

    Many of the Chinese infrastructure projects are situated in the resource-rich province of Balochistan, which is also Pakistan’s most impoverished region and home to a long-running armed campaign by fighters.

    Three Chinese citizens were killed in a suicide attack in Karachi in April. Pakistan’s largest city saw another attack in September in which three more Chinese-Pakistani citizens, who worked as dentists and had lived in the country for decades, were killed.

    Rahman said a stable and secure Pakistan was in China’s strategic and regional interests.

    “However, one should keep in mind that Pakistan will be going for elections, so the Chinese may not agree to any long-term commitments with the incumbent regime,” he added.

    Small noted that China was “uncertain about the political landscape in Pakistan – and there’s not much the visit can do on that front.

    “The Chinese government likes Shehbaz Sharif and this government generally, but they will be waiting to see whether things settle before making any really major new commitments.”

     

  • Paul Pelosi: Online, unsubstantiated claims about attack circulate

    Within hours of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi‘s husband being attacked by a hammer-wielding intruder at the couple’s home, a slew of unsubstantiated claims began to circulate in fringe far-right circles, contradicting the official police account of what happened.

    One of the most widely circulated myths about the attack is that Pelosi and his attacker, David DePape, were in a relationship and had a drunken brawl.

    There is also an online claim that both DePape and Pelosi were in their underwear when police arrived, or that the two men knew each other and were friends prior to the attack.

    But the FBI complaint against DePape quotes a witness as saying he was dressed “in all black” carrying a large black bag on his back, and, according to the complaint, Pelosi did not know DePape.

    Another claim circulating is that two blogs and a Facebook account, which show signs that DePape was radicalised, were fake and only created on the day of the attack to support the narrative that he believed in far-right conspiracy theories.

    But the BBC has screenshots of the blogs which show he had made posts as early as August, weeks before the attack.

    Many of these misleading claims have since gone viral after being amplified by new Twitter chief Elon Musk and a number of conservative influencers.

     

  • Democracy is on the ballot – Biden

    With less than a week until the US midterms, President Joe Biden has warned voters that “democracy is on the ballot”.

    Biden was speaking at a fundraising event for Charlie Crist, the Florida Democratic candidate for governor, who is running against Ron DeSantis, the state’s incumbent Republican governor.

    “You’ve got 350-so-election deniers on the ballot, on the Republican ticket … democracy is on the ballot this year,” Biden said.

    He was referring to Republican candidates who back Donald Trump’s false assertion that he won the 2020 presidential election.

    Biden also took aim at DeSantis.

    “Charlie is running against Donald Trump incarnate,” he said.

    DeSantis is widely believed to be considering a presidential run in 2024, along with former President Trump.

    Crist said DeSantis “is tearing us apart”.

    He accused his opponent of “attacking anyone who doesn’t look like him, doesn’t act like him, doesn’t think like him and they are women, people of colour, LGTBQ community, teachers, doctors, scientists.

    “He punishes businesses like Disney World because they disagree with him on a bill. It’s unconscionable.”

    “Governor DeSantis only cares about the White House. He doesn’t give a damn about your house,” he added.

    Source: BBC.com 

     

  • Mike Pence urges voters to turn out in Georgia, a key state

    While Biden was in Florida, former Vice President Mike Pence travelled to Georgia, another crucial battleground state, to campaign for the Republican candidate for governor there.

    Pence told supporters at a rally in the Atlanta suburbs last night that Georgia must “lead the way to a great American comeback” by re-electing Governor Brian Kemp.

    Kemp is ahead of his Democratic opponent Stacey Abrams in most polls, but that did not stop him or Pence from emphasising the need to get people out in support – whatever the data suggests.

    Pence, who was elected alongside Donald Trump in 2016, emphasized what he called Kemp’s credentials as a “champion for the Conservative Agenda”.

    After the rally, Pence said: “No one has done more to create jobs, cut taxes, restore sanity to our schools, put criminals behind bars, protect the unborn, secure our elections, and defend our God-given rights enshrined in the United States Constitution.”

  • Attacks on democracy are weakening – Republican official

    Stephen Richer is a one-man embodiment of the anguish and despair that lies at the heart of traditional Republicanism.

    Long a GOP supporter and elected official in charge of running the voting process in Maricopa County, Arizona’s largest county, he now finds himself very much out of step with the direction his party has taken.

    The Republican slate here is dominated by election deniers in a state where the conspiracy has really taken root.

    “One of the most preposterous allegations that still has people believe in it is that we took ballots from the 2020 election, we fed them to chickens, and then we incinerated the chickens,” Richer tells me.

    With key positions – including the job of administering Arizona’s vote in the 2024 presidential election – being contested by candidates who claim Donald Trump won in 2020, Richer says he’s deeply worried about the future health of US democracy.

    While he believes many of the candidates don’t actually believe the last election was stolen and are instead supporting the theory purely for “pecuniary of political gain” he sees little comfort in that.

     

  • Israel elections: Netanyahu planning a comeback with the help of the far right – partial results

    Former Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is on the verge of a dramatic comeback after preliminary results showed he was on track to win a parliamentary majority with the help of the far right.

    With 84% of general election votes counted, Mr Netanyahu’s bloc is on track to win 65 of 120 seats.

    “We are close to a big victory,” he told jubilant supporters in Jerusalem.

    However, he will be dependent on the support of the ultra-nationalist Religious Zionism party.

    Its leaders, Itamar Ben-Gvir and Bezalel Smotrich, have gained notoriety for using anti-Arab rhetoric and advocating the deportation of “disloyal” Arab politicians or civilians.

    Mr Ben-Gvir was a follower of the late, explicitly racist, ultra-nationalist Meir Kahane, whose organisation was banned in Israel and designated as a terrorist group by the United States. Mr Ben-Gvir himself has been convicted of incitement to racism and supporting a terrorist organisation.

    Last month, Mr Ben-Gvir hit the headlines when he was filmed pulling out a gun after being targeted with a stone thrown by Palestinians while visiting a predominantly Arab area of occupied East Jerusalem, and calling for police to shoot the culprits.

    Speaking to reporters on Wednesday, Mr Ben Gvir promised to “work for all of Israel, even those who hate me”.

    Mr Netanyahu, accompanied by his wife Sara, appeared at his Likud party’s election night venue at 03:00 local time (01:00 GMT) on Wednesday to thunderous applause.

    “We have won a huge vote of confidence from the people of Israel,” he told his cheering supporters.

    Hours earlier, when exit polls predicted that Mr Netanyahu’s bloc would win 61 or 62 seats, the room had been a scene of celebration as people jumped up and down, waved flags, and chanted his nickname, Bibi. One man repeatedly blew a shofar, or ram’s horn, a ritual instrument used by some Jewish people at times of special significance.

    At his party’s camp in Tel Aviv however, current Prime Minister Yair Lapid told his supporters that “nothing” was yet decided and his center-left Yesh Atid party would wait for the final results.

    Mr Netanyahu, 73, is one of Israel’s most controversial political figures, loathed by many on the centre and left but adored by Likud’s grassroots supporters.

    He is a firm supporter of Israel’s settlement-building in the West Bank, occupied since the 1967 Middle East war. Settlements there are considered illegal under international law, though Israel disputes this.

    He opposes the creation of a Palestinian state in the West Bank and Gaza Strip as a solution to the Israel-Palestinian conflict – a formula supported by most of the international community, including the Biden administration in the US.

    Mr Netanyahu is also currently on trial for alleged bribery, fraud, and breach of trust – charges he fiercely denies. His possible partners in a Likud-led coalition government have said they would reform the law, in a move that would bring a halt to his trial.

    According to the partial results, Likud stands to be the biggest party, with 31 seats, commanding a majority with the support of nationalist and religious parties.

    Yesh Atid, which led the coalition which brought down Mr Netanyahu in elections last year, is projected to win 24 seats.

    Religious Zionism appears to have won 14 seats, which would make it the third-largest party.

    “It will be better now,” said Religious Zionism supporter, Julian, at the party’s venue in Jerusalem.

    “When [Religious Zionism politician Itamar Ben-Gvir] will be a minister of public security, it will be even better – he’ll bring back security to the people of Israel. That’s very important.”

    However, political scientist Gayil Talshir, from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, warned that if the exit polls “reflect the real results, Israel is on its way to becoming Orban’s Hungary”, recently branded an “electoral autocracy” by the EU.

    If Mr Netanyahu can secure a majority, it will stave off the prospect of a sixth election in just four years after analysts predicted deadlock.

    It would mark a remarkable turnaround for Mr Netanyahu, whose political future was widely written off after Mr Lapid formed an unlikely alliance of ideologically diverse parties to take power in June 2021, with the uniting aim of making it impossible for Mr Netanyahu to form a government.

    At the time, Mr Netanyahu vowed to bring it down as quickly as possible and one year later the coalition government concluded it could not survive and collapsed after resignations meant it no longer had a majority.

  • Hammer attack: Paul Pelosi attack suspect ‘was on suicide mission’

    Court documents indicate that a man accused of hammering the husband of senior US politician Nancy Pelosi told police he was on a “suicide mission.”

    David DePape, 42, pleaded not guilty in a San Francisco court on Tuesday to attempted murder and assault with a deadly weapon against Paul Pelosi, 82.

    He allegedly broke into the couple’s house early Friday morning.

    Court documents say he had planned to hold Nancy Pelosi hostage and break “her kneecaps” if she “lied” to him.

    Mrs Pelosi, who is second in line for the presidency, was on the other side of the country at the time.

    According to court papers cited by US media, Mr DePape told police at the scene that he was sick of the “lies coming out of Washington DC”.

    “I didn’t really want to hurt him, but you know this was a suicide mission,” he allegedly said. “I’m not going to stand here and do nothing, even if it cost me my life.”

    Mr DePape also told police he planned to target several state and federal politicians and members of their families, as well as a local professor, according to the filing.

    No potential targets were named in the court papers.

    Judge Diane Northway of the Superior Court in San Francisco denied Mr DePape bail at Tuesday’s hearing.

    The defendant’s lawyer, Adam Lipson, said his client – who appeared in court with his right arm in a sling – had his shoulder dislocated during his arrest. He has since been moved from the hospital to county jail.

    Mr Pelosi remains in the hospital. Mrs Pelosi has said her husband is “making steady progress on what will be a long recovery process”.

    The charges filed against Mr DePape are being brought by the state of California, but he also faces federal counts of assault and attempting to kidnap Mrs Pelosi. No court date has yet been set for that case.

    The suspect’s lawyer also pleaded not guilty on Tuesday on his client’s behalf to the other charges he faces:

    • Elder abuse
    • Burglary
    • False imprisonment
    • Threatening a public official

    The accused would face 13 years to life in prison if convicted on the state charges and a maximum of 50 years on the federal charges.

    The justice department said the suspect had a roll of tape, white rope, a second hammer, and zip ties in his possession when he was arrested.

    He had been searching for the top Democrat and reportedly shouted “Where is Nancy?” while inside the property.

    According to the authorities, he also told police that if Mrs Pelosi was injured, she would have had to use a wheelchair to enter Congress, which would send a message to other politicians.

    Mrs Pelosi, 82, was in Washington DC but flew back to see her husband in the hospital, where he underwent successful surgery for a skull fracture and injuries to his hands and right arm. The venture capitalist has been married to Mrs Pelosi since 1963.

    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”.

    A blog, website and social media accounts under the name of the suspect seen by the BBC contained anti-Semitic memes, Holocaust denial, references to far-right websites, and conspiracy theories such as QAnon.

  • Bolsonaro breaks his silence without publicly admitting defeat

    Jair Bolsonaro, Brazil’s far-right president, has broken his silence since losing the presidential election on Sunday.

    He expressed gratitude to those who voted for him but refused to admit defeat.

    But, contrary to popular belief, he did not challenge the outcome.

    Ciro Nogueira, his chief of staff, spoke after Mr Bolsonaro’s brief statement, saying that the “transition of power” would begin.

    Even though Mr Bolsonaro did not himself acknowledge defeat in his own words, Brazil’s Supreme Court released a statement shortly after his speech saying that by authorising the transition of power, he had recognised the result of the election.

    Combative statements from the president in the past – such as that “only God” could remove him from office – meant that there had been a tense wait for him to appear in public.

    Before the election, he had also repeatedly cast unfounded doubts about the voting system.

    When he finally appeared in public, 44 hours after the election result was announced, Mr Bolsonaro’s statement lasted only two minutes and he did not take any questions from the assembled reporters.

    In the message aimed at his supporters, Mr Bolsonaro said that “our dreams continue as alive as ever”.

    He repeated the values he says he and his party stand for – “God, fatherland, family, and freedom” – and insisted that he would continue to strive for “order and progress”, the words emblazoned on Brazil’s flag.

    He did not mention Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, his arch-rival who narrowly beat him on Sunday, at all. In a break with tradition, Mr Bolsonaro has still not called the man who defeated him in the election.

    Hardcore supporters of Mr Bolsonaro – who refuse to accept that he lost – have erected hundreds of roadblocks in all but two states of Brazil.

    In his speech, Mr Bolsonaro referred to them as “current popular movements” and said they were “the fruit of indignation and a sense of injustice of how the electoral process unfolded”.

    He added that “peaceful demonstrations” would always be welcome, but that “our methods can’t be the same as those used by the left, which always harmed the population, such as invasion of lands, disrespecting property and impeding the right to come and go”.

    Supporters of Brazil's President Jair Bolsonaro holds protests on the highway Helio Smidt, near the International Airport, against President-elect Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva who won a third term following the presidential election run-off, in Guarulhos, Brazil, November 1, 2022.
    IMAGE SOURCE, REUTERS Image caption, Kneeling protesters disrupted the access to the airport in São Paulo

    The top electoral judge, Alexandre de Moraes, had said earlier on Tuesday that the roadblocks posed “a risk to national security” and ordered that they be cleared.

    But police have struggled to remove all of them, with more than 250 still in place.

    The blockages are causing considerable disruption and affecting food supply chains.

    They started shortly after Brazil’s electoral authorities announced a narrow win for Lula in the run-off of the presidential election. With all the votes counted, Lula had 50.9% of the valid votes against Mr Bolsonaro’s 49.1%.

    Congratulations immediately started pouring in for Lula from across the world, with US President Biden saying the win came “following free, fair, and credible elections”.

    Mr Bolsonaro, who is normally a keen user of social media, stayed silent and out of the public eye. But he started to look more and more isolated as even his close allies congratulated Lula.

    The powerful speaker of the lower house of Congress, Arthur Lira, sent a strong message when he said that “the will of the majority, as it is expressed in the polls, can never be contested”.

    But some supporters of Bolsonaro appeared emboldened by his silence.

    “We will not accept losing what we have gained, we want what is written on our flag, ‘order and progress,” one protester in Rio de Janeiro told AFP news agency. “We will not accept the situation as it is,” the man added.

  • Ecuador gang violence: Repression in two states following police killings

    Following a series of attacks that killed five police officers, two Ecuadorian provinces have declared a state of emergency and curfews.

    President Guillermo Lasso declared war on the attacks by increasingly powerful drug gangs.

    They had threatened retaliation after the government enacted tougher measures to limit their power inside prisons.

    More than 400 people have died in gang violence in prisons since 2020.

    Officials said nine separate attacks were launched in the coastal provinces of Guayas and Esmeraldas on Tuesday, apparently in response to transfers of prisoners from overcrowded and violent jails.

    Six explosions were reported in the western city of Guayaquil, police said, while two police officers were killed in an attack on a patrol car in the suburbs.

    Three others were shot dead in the city and nearby later in the day, they added.

    Three blasts were reported in Esmeraldas province, where seven prison officers were taken hostage by inmates. They were later released after negotiations, officials said.

    Police cordon off crime scene in Guayaquil - 1 November
    IMAGE SOURCE, REUTERS Image caption, The attacks came in response to prisoner transfers

    President Lasso introduced emergency measures in the two states for 45 days, restricting freedom of assembly and movement. Similar measures were taken in several provinces last year and in April this year.

    Violence in Ecuador has grown sharply in recent years, including decapitations and prison riots, similar to scenes previously associated with Mexico.

    It is thought this is because Mexican cartels have been recruiting local gangs to smuggle cocaine.

    The latest violence comes nearly a month after clashes between prisoners in one of Ecuador’s largest jails – in Latacunga – left at least 15 inmates dead.

    The national prisons agency Snai said prisoners had fought with guns and knives before guards managed to regain control of the facility just south of the capital Quito.

    The turf wars between gangs fighting for control of lucrative cocaine networks have put a huge strain on the under-resourced and overcrowded prison system.

    The worst prison clash was in the port city of Guayaquil in September last year, when more than 120 inmates died.

    Last year Ecuador’s police seized a record 190 tonnes of drugs, mostly cocaine.

  • Couple in their 70s who are facing a ‘freezing’ winter are given a free boiler by a ‘angel in disguise’

    An anonymous public donation provided a brand new boiler to a couple in their 70s who were facing a freezing cold winter.

    Ann and Keith Hartley, 71 and 74, have had a broken boiler in their Burnley, Lancashire, home for almost a decade, but it stopped working completely this year, just in time for a winter of skyrocketing living costs.

    Faced with a “freezing” home and unable to afford a costly replacement with their monthly pension earnings of around £1,000, the couple reached out to Disabled and Elderly Plumbing and Heating Emergency Response (Depher).

    The charity provides free plumbing and heating services to those in financial need and was founded in 2017 by James Anderson, 55, from Burnley, who assessed their boiler.

    In a tweet posted after visiting the couple’s home, Mr Anderson said he was brought to tears by the couple’s situation and asked for donations.

    Within hours an anonymous member of the public had donated enough money to cover the cost of the unit.

    Mr Anderson also helped the couple to apply for a £400 rebate from Burnley Council and said he would install the boiler for free, meaning they would not have to pay anything.

    “We were both dumbfounded, we were stuck for words… (Mr Anderson) was like an angel in disguise to be quite honest, we were both very emotional about it,” Mrs Hartley said.

    “I cried, my husband, cried. We didn’t think it was possible for somebody to help us, it doesn’t normally happen to us.”

    Mrs Hartley added they “couldn’t thank” the person who donated £695 “enough”.

    Actor Hugh Grant has previously donated tens of thousands of pounds to Depher, most recently giving £10,000 in June 2022.

  • Your stories: Soon-to-be mum of triplets facing £40,000 a year childcare bill

    A soon-to-be mum of triplets facing a £40,000 a year childcare bill said working mothers are being penalised during the cost of living crisis.

    Vicki Sevgili, from Andover in Hampshire, is currently 28 weeks pregnant and has been told by the government and Citizen’s Advice Bureau she is better off “giving up work and living off the government” than returning to work once her maternity leave ends.

    She calculated the impending cost of childcare by researching how much it would cost for one child and then multiplying it by three.

    “The lowest figure I got was £38,000, and the highest was £54,000,” she told Sky News.

    This amount, she said, would swallow her entire wage: “I would be better off giving up work and living off the government.”

    She added: “I was told I would get support returning to the workplace.

    “But I enjoy my job and I want to keep it – not find a new one. Why can’t they support me to help me keep my job?”

    She is calling on the government to do more to support working mothers, to help them keep their jobs.

    Meanwhile, her mortgage has increased by £200 a month, as well as her energy bills rising and she is facing growing costs for groceries – all while needing to buy three of everything.

    Ms Sevgili said that while it would make more financial sense for her husband to stay home, he is in the UK on a spouse’s visa and would receive no monetary support.

    “When we first were told this, I went home and I said to my husband, let’s just move. The system just doesn’t work.

    “But I know the UK is the best place for our family to be, so we will make it work one way or another.”

    Source: Skynews.com

     

     

     

  • Rishi Sunak to attend COP27, reversing his decision to skip it in order to focus on the economy

    Rishi Sunak has said he will attend the COP27 climate summit in Egypt in a U-turn from his previous snub.

    Rishi Sunak has said he will go to COP27 in Egypt, in a reversal of his previous snub.

    In a statement on Twitter, the prime minister said: “There is no long-term prosperity without action on climate change.

    “There is no energy security without investing in renewables. That is why I will attend COP27 next week: to deliver on Glasgow’s legacy of building a secure and sustainable future.”

    The pressure was growing on the PM after Boris Johnson confirmed to Sky News yesterday that he would be going to the climate summit.

    Labour’s deputy leader, Angela Rayner, said Mr Sunak had to be “dragged kicking and screaming into doing the right thing”, and called the U-turn “embarrassing”.

    Ed Miliband, the shadow climate secretary, said: “The prime minister has been shamed into going to COP27 by the torrent of disbelief that he would fail to turn up.

    “He is going to avoid embarrassment not to provide leadership.”

    Caroline Lucas, the Green Party’s only MP, said: “Glad to see Sunak’s screeching U-turn on COP27, but what an embarrassing mis-step on the world stage.

    “Let this be a lesson to him – climate leadership matters.

    “Now he urgently needs to increase UK ambition on emission reduction targets & pay what we owe to global climate funds.”

    Mr Sunak initially said he was not going to head to the conference in Sharm El-Sheikh due to “other pressing domestic commitments”.

    But the PM faced a raft of criticism, with Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer accusing him of displaying a “failure of leadership” and Greenpeace UK saying he was not taking climate change “seriously enough”.

    Within days, Downing Street changed course, saying the PM’s attendance was “under review”, depending on progress around preparation for the economic statement, set for 17 November.

    A No 10 source told Sky News that Mr Sunak and Chancellor Jeremy Hunt have made “good progress” on the autumn statement after working on it over the weekend and this week.

     

  • North Korean missile lands near South Korean waters for the first time

    North Korea has launched the most missiles in a single day, and a ballistic missile has landed near South Korean waters for the first time since the countries’ division in 1948.

    North Korea launched at least 17 missiles off its eastern and western coasts on Wednesday morning, with one landing near the rivals’ tense sea border, according to South Korea’s military.

    Seoul responded quickly by launching missiles.

    It was the most missiles fired by the North in a single day – and the first time a ballistic missile had landed near the South’s waters since the countries’ division in 1948.

    “This is unprecedented and we will never tolerate it,” South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff said.

    The missile landed outside South Korea’s territorial waters, but south of the Northern Limit Line (NLL), a disputed inter-Korean maritime border.

    It landed 35 miles from the South Korean city of Sokcho, on the east coast, and 100 miles from the island of Ulleung, where air raid warnings were issued.

    “We heard the siren at around 8.55 am and all of us in the building went down to the evacuation place in the basement,” an Ulleung county official said.

    “We stayed there until we came upstairs at around 9.15 am after hearing that the projectile fell into the high seas.”

    Yoon Suk-yeol, the South Korean president, said it was an “effective act of territorial encroachment”.

    South Korean warplanes fired three air-to-ground missiles into the sea across the NLL after Mr Yoon’s office pledged a “swift and firm response” so Pyongyang “pays the price for provocation”.

    South Korea is in a period of national mourning after more than 150 people were killed in a deadly crowd crush in the capital, Seoul.

    Hours before the missiles were launched, the North threatened to use nuclear weapons to get the US and South Korea to “pay the most horrible price in history” in protest over the two nations’ ongoing military drills that it views as an invasion rehearsal.

    Washington said the drills were “purely defensive in nature” and that the US had made clear to North Korea that it harbored no hostile intent towards the country.

    Today’s ballistic missile launches mark another step in what feels like an incremental but steady increase of tensions in the Korean Peninsula.

    Not only was this the closest a North Korean missile has come to the South Korean shore since the countries’ division in 1948, but it also comes shortly after its longest known missile flight yet over Japan in early October.

     

  • The EU is ‘exploring’ ways to increase assistance to Ukraine’s energy sector

    The European Union is looking into ways to help Ukraine’s energy sector, which has been harmed by Russian attacks for weeks.

    During a visit to the Ukrainian capital of Kyiv on Tuesday, Energy Commissioner Kadri Simson confirmed the move.

    “I am in Kyiv today to help scale up support to the Ukraine energy sector,” she said.

    “I have witnessed the scale of destruction in Ukraine first hand and am making all efforts to increase financial, technical, and practical help.”

    Ms Simson called Russia’s attacks “a cruel and inhumane tactic to cause human suffering as the winter is approaching”.

    The European Union is looking into ways to help Ukraine’s energy sector, which has been harmed by Russian attacks for weeks.

    During a visit to the Ukrainian capital of Kyiv on Tuesday, Energy Commissioner Kadri Simson confirmed the move.

    The additional help will have to come from EU institutions, member states, international partners, and private donors, she said.

    The commissioner travelled to Kyiv following weeks of Russian attacks that focused on Ukrainian civilian infrastructure, in particular power stations.

    Ms Simson plans to meet Ukrainian energy companies to talk about how the EU, international partners, and the private sector can help.

    She will also discuss the situation at the Russian-occupied Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant, the security of supply, and the future reconstruction of the energy system.

     

  • Ukrainian official has asked people to donate heaters and generators in preparation for winter

    A Ukrainian official has asked people to donate heaters and generators to Ukraine, which is still without power as a result of Russian strikes on energy facilities.

    “Best support for Ukraine today, aside from weapons, is autonomous electricity & heat sources,” said Ministry of Internal Affairs Adviser Anton Gerashchenko on Twitter.

    “If you have a generator you don’t or rarely use – please consider gifting it to Ukraine. We have a difficult winter ahead but we will prevail.”

    In recent weeks, the Kremlin has attacked Ukraine’s critical infrastructure with wave after wave of air strikes – leaving people without electricity, heat, and water.

    On Monday, large parts of Kyiv were cut off from power and water supplies after Russian strikes hit critical infrastructure in the capital, Kharkiv, and other cities.

    The series of attacks appeared to be an apparent retaliation for what Moscow alleged was a Ukrainian attack on its Black Sea Fleet over the weekend.

    Mr Geraschenko added that those who want to donate them should contact their Ukrainian embassy.

     

  • Poll finds 44% of Britons think Braverman’s ‘invasion’ comments were inappropriate

    After Home Secretary Suella Braverman used the word “invasion” to describe the migration crisis in the Commons yesterday, a YouGov survey has found that 44% of Britons felt the word was “inappropriate”.

    The survey of 4,790 adults in the UK also found that 43% felt the word was “appropriate”.

    Meanwhile, 76% of Conservative voters felt the word was “appropriate” and 16% believed using the term was “inappropriate”.

    When it came to Labour voters, 16% said the word was “appropriate” and 74% felt that using the term was “inappropriate”.

     

    Source: Skynews.com

     

  • Ukraine: Iran will supply Russia with over 200 drones this month

    Ukraine’s defence ministry has announced, Iran intends to send over 200 drones to Russia at the start of this month.

    The ministry said the drones include the Iranian-made Shahed-136, dubbed “kamikaze drones” because they fly at a target and detonate, plus the Mohajer-6 and Arash-2s.

    It added: “It is known that the UAVs will be delivered via the Caspian Sea to the port of Astrakhan. Drones will arrive in a disassembled state. In the future, on the territory of the Russian Federation, they will be collected, repainted, and applied with Russian markings, in particular.”

    Shahed-136 drone

    Ukraine claims Russia has already used more than 400 “kamikaze drones” for its war in Ukraine, despite initially denying this was the case.

    It is thought Vladimir Putin may have ordered as many as 2,400.

    While Iran has continuously denied supplying Russia with Iranian-made drones, the UK and other Western allies have condemned their actions.

     

  • Johnson’s words on Ukraine still carry weight

    He may be a former British prime minister, but any comment made by Boris Johnson on the war in Ukraine still carries weight, especially when it comes to nuclear weapons.

    His uniquely close relationship with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and his decision to be a leading voice amongst western allies in supporting Ukraine from the outset of the invasion has made London one of Kyiv’s most trusted and valued partners.

    It also gave Mr Johnson privileged access during his time in office to the private thoughts of Mr Zelenskyy, as well as a deep understanding of Ukraine’s need to defeat Russia’s invasion and the threats it could face – all the way up to Vladimir Putin launching a nuclear strike.

    Having been the leader of a nuclear power, Mr Johnson would have been carefully briefed by officials about the risk of nuclear escalation by Russia and how western allies, led by the United States, might respond.

    NATO allies have a deliberate policy of “strategic ambiguity” when it comes to anything nuclear – refusing to set out in public how they might retaliate should the Kremlin choose to break the nuclear taboo and use an atomic weapon against Ukraine.

    However, Mr Johnson made clear there would have to be a western response, noting in his interview with Sky News’s Mark Austin that there “are all sorts of options”.

    A decision by the UK to send anti-tank weapons to Ukraine, the first of any European nation, in the run-up to the war – followed by a steady flow of increasingly lethal munitions – has made Mr Johnson a legendary figure amongst the Ukrainian public and leadership.

    It will be interesting to see how or if the former prime minister will choose to use this special relationship, especially with President Zelenskyy, going forwards.

    It is a status his latest successor, Rishi Sunak, will find almost impossible to fill given the personal chemistry that the two men enjoyed.

    Mr Johnson was the first foreign leader who Mr Zelenskyy called early on the morning of 24 February, when Russia launched its all-out war.

    Britain’s then prime minister then became one of the first western allies to venture to Kyiv as the war raged and even chose a trip to see Mr Zelenskyy as his swansong on the international stage before stepping down from office.

    Source: Skynews.com, Deborah Haynes

     

     

  • Boris Johnson says Vladimir Putin ‘would be crazy’ to use tactical nuclear weapon in Ukraine

    There have been suggestions that the Russian president could carry out such a military strike as his forces continue to lose territory which they captured earlier in the invasion.

    Boris Johnson has told Sky News that he does not think Vladimir Putin will use a tactical nuclear weapon in his war in Ukraine.

    There have been suggestions that the Russian president could carry out such a military strike as his forces continue to lose territory which they captured earlier in the invasion.

    But in his first interview since leaving Number 10 for Sky News’ Ukraine: A Modern War programme, the ex-prime minister told Sky’s Mark Austin: “I don’t think he will, he’d be crazy to do so.”

    Mr Johnson also said he will be traveling to the COP27 climate summit in Egypt next week, as question marks remain over whether Rishi Sunak will join him.

    The former UK leader said it would be a “total disaster” for Russia, which would be put into a “cryogenic economic freeze” and Mr Putin would “lose a lot of the middle ground of global tacit acquiescence that he’s had”.

    Mentioning sub-Saharan Africa, Latin America, and South Asia, Mr Johnson said: “There’s a lot of willingness to give Putin the benefit of the doubt. That will go, the minute he does anything like that.

    “He would also crucially lose the patronage of the Chinese. And in his own country, I think he would trigger an absolutely hysterical reaction.”

    Mr Johnson said if there was such a military action from Mr Putin, there would have to be a response of some kind.

    “There are all sorts of options” both in NATO and the P3 nations (US, UK, and France), he said.

    What is a tactical nuclear weapon?

    But he added he thought it was “very, very, very, very unlikely that it will come to that (a tactical nuclear attack by Putin)”.

    He also said it was a “critical” and “pivotal moment” for the world.

    Looking ahead to how the conflict could be resolved, the former PM warned about the danger of trying “to comprise and find some sort of deal, some grubby bargain with Putin”, trying to encourage the Ukrainians to trade some of their territory, which Mr Johnson said, “will only encourage Putin to make further aggression”.

    Putin’s only aim is to ‘spread terror’

    He said that it is going to be very difficult for the Ukrainians to accept any deal that stops short of a full return of all the areas taken by Russia since the invasion began on 24 February.

    Mr Johnson also said it was “absolutely inevitable” that the Ukrainians will eventually win the war.

    “We have to show strategic patience and continue to support them,” he added.

    Source: Skynews.com

  • Storm Claudio will bring strong winds throughout the morning

    Storm Claudio brought blustery weather to Britain overnight, with winds reaching 70 mph in some coastal areas of England.

    The Met Office issued a yellow wind warning in the South, warning of potential disruptions until 8 a.m. this morning.

    England and Wales experienced a showery night with strong winds in the early hours of the morning.

    The storm is expected to move eastwards on Tuesday, resulting in a wet day for much of the UK, with Wales and areas in southern and central England predicted to see the most frequent rainfall, the Met Office added.

    Neil Armstrong, the chief meteorologist, said: “The biggest impacts from Storm Claudio are expected in northern France, which is why is has been named as a system by Meteo-France.

    “What it means for us in the UK is for some high winds to be possible along much of the southern coast of England.

    “Some isolated and especially exposed coastal areas could see gusts in excess of 70mph, while much of the warning area will see gusts of between 50 and 60mph.”

    Forecasters say conditions are unlikely to improve by mid-week as low pressure comes in from the west and is predicted to bring in wet and windy weather.

    Irish Sea coastal areas are likely to feel the strongest winds, including western Wales, northwest England, and southwest Scotland, as well as the east coast of Northern Ireland.

    Steven Keates, Deputy chief meteorologist said: “This weather is associated with low pressure moving towards the northwest of the UK, which is bringing with it some heavy rain on Wednesday, especially across parts of southwest Scotland, Cumbria, and western Wales, although much of the UK will see some rain through the day.

    “In addition to high winds in the warning area, many parts of the UK will experience strong and gusty winds, at least for a time, during Wednesday.”

    Storm Claudio comes after the UK enjoyed above-average temperatures in October, with temperatures reaching the low 20s in some parts of the country resulting in mild conditions for this time of the year.

     

     

     

  • Labour MP says Braverman is “totally unfit for the job”

    Labour’s Andy McDonald reiterates the home secretary’s claim that she ignored legal advice on asylum seekers, citing her own admission that she violated security protocols six times by sending government documents to personal accounts.

    “How on earth can she stand at that dispatch box with a straight face and defend cruelty to the most desperate of people?” he asks.

    “Doesn’t she need to take a look in the mirror to see who is a threat to national security and accept she is totally unfit for the job?”

    Ms Braverman refers to her letter again, saying it gives “very fulsome” detail of what happened, and repeated her apologies.

    But she continues to deny she ignored legal advice.

     

  • Charity condemns Braverman’s remarks about migrant “invasion”

    Suella Braverman claimed earlier today that migrants crossing the Channel were “invading” England.

    According to the home secretary, approximately 40,000 people will arrive on England’s south coast in 2022, more than doubling the number of arrivals via the English Channel in 2021.

    “Let’s be clear about what’s going on here: the British people deserve to know which party is serious about stopping the invasion on our southern coast and which party isn’t,” she said.

    “Some 40,000 people have arrived on the south coast this year alone. Many of them are facilitated by criminal gangs, some of them actual members of criminal gangs.

    “So let’s stop pretending that they are all refugees in distress. The whole country knows that is not true. It’s only the honourable members opposite who pretend otherwise.

    “We need to be straight with the public. The system is broken. Illegal migration is out of control and too many people are interested in playing political parlour games, covering up the truth than solving the problem.”

    Now, the Joint Council for the Welfare of Immigrants has condemned Ms Braverman’s comments.

    They said the minister’s “dehumanising language” and decision-making were “putting lives at risk”.

     

  • ‘Rough’ tax rises on the way

    The autumn statement this month will likely encompass “rough” tax rises, Sky News has been told.

    The warning from a source in the Treasury comes after Chancellor Jeremy Hunt and Prime Minister Rishi Sunak met yesterday morning.

    They discussed what is being characterized as an eye-watering black hole, and agreed that tough decisions will be needed on tax rises as well as spending.

    It comes ahead of the 17 November autumn statement.

    It is reported that the pair are eyeing fixing income tax bands, so they can increase receipts as wages grow.

    But they agreed those with the “broadest shoulders” should bear the greatest burden.

    The source said: “It is going to be rough.

    “The truth is that everybody will need to contribute more in tax if we are to maintain public services.

    “After borrowing hundreds of billions of pounds through COVID-19 and implementing massive energy bill support, we won’t be able to fill the fiscal black hole through spending cuts alone.”

    The Resolution Foundation thinktank – who we will hear more from shortly – warned that tax cuts were “likely” as the government faces an “unpalatable menu” of ways to fill a black hole in the finances they estimate at £40bn.

    Source: Skynews.com

     

  • Braverman’s back… but will the migrant crisis allow her to stay?

    Suella Braverman’s second term as home secretary has already been fraught with controversy.

    She admitted to breaking the ministerial code six times during her first tenure and is currently dealing with the south coast migrant crisis.

    Chief political correspondent Jon Craig said on the Sky News Daily podcast, “Clearly, there is a concern in Whitehall about her behaviour.”

    “And we know that Priti Patel never cared much for the rules and the protocol and the mandarins in the Home Office who tried to tell her what to do.

    “And it seems that Suella Braverman has even less time for all the protocols and rules about security and how you do business.

    “As a senior cabinet minister, she’s prepared to have a fight.”

    Meanwhile, John Vine, the UK’s first independent chief inspector of borders and immigration, said that “one single policy” will not make a difference.

    He added: “We need to think through the asylum and immigration system, and we need to decide how it’s going to operate.

    “And we need to stick to that.”

    On the Sky News Daily, Sally Lockwood is also joined by Conservative MP Sir Roger Gale, who explains his view of the current Home Office migration policy.

     

  • Briefings about the ‘tough’ tax rises to come show Sunak’s awareness of where Truss went wrong

    When Liz Truss unveiled the now infamous mini-budget, even her cabinet colleagues didn’t know what was coming. Rishi Sunak is taking no such risks.

    Late last night, the Treasury issued a briefing to friendly newspapers – seen by Sky News – setting out the “eyewatering” scale of the fiscal black hole, which means “everyone” will need to pay more tax.

    Following a meeting between the prime minister and Chancellor Jeremy Hunt to discuss the Autumn Statement on 17 November, they “agreed that tough decisions are needed on tax rises, as well as on spending”, the Treasury stated.

    A Treasury source said: “It is going to be rough. The truth is that everybody will need to contribute more in taxes if we are to maintain public services.

    “After borrowing hundreds of billions of pounds through COVID-19 and implementing massive energy bill support, we won’t be able to fill the fiscal black hole through spending cuts alone.”

    They also briefed that while there will be pain all around, those with the broadest shoulders will bear the highest burden – something former chancellor George Osborne, the architect of austerity, also used to say.

    It’s expected income tax thresholds will be frozen – dragging tens of thousands more people into the 20p and 40p tax rates in the coming years, and the windfall tax could be extended.

    But day-to-day spending is also expected to be squeezed, with the possible exceptions of the NHS and defense, on departments already struggling with inflation.

    Some in government say they expect Mr Sunak to raise benefits by inflation as promised in a signal of fairness to the most vulnerable, but no decisions have been made yet.

    This is rolling the pitch – preparing the public and MPs for grim news and setting out priorities.

    It allows interest groups within his party, and external groups and charities, to make their cases in advance and hopefully avoid some of the worst pitfalls.

    But it’s a high-wire act – the last time spending was squeezed like this, under the austerity drive of David Cameron and George Osborne from 2010, they had years to craft a narrative around it.

    This time, Rishi Sunak made clear on the steps of Downing Street that a lot of the economic damage is self-inflicted by his predecessor Liz Truss and her failure to balance the books, although borrowing to tackle COVID is a key driver too.

    Many voters who turned to the Conservatives for the first time in 2019 will have heard Boris Johnson saying austerity was over, indeed that he had always thought it was “just not the right way forward for the UK”.

    The PM does not have long to craft a case that it is now time for everyone to tighten their belts – and to try and ensure the balance looks fair.

    Source: Skynews.com

     

  • Homelessness in London: Mayor of London calls for social housing rent freeze

    The mayor of London has called on the government to impose a rent freeze on social housing after a charity warned that the city has seen a 24% increase in rough sleepers year on year.

    Sadiq Khan stated that he has “repeatedly” pleaded for a rent freeze for private renters in London, but added that “those in social housing and shared ownership also deserve the benefits this would bring.”

    “A social housing rent freeze is the only sensible solution as we continue to build a fairer London for all,” he said.

    It comes after City Hall found there were 5,712 people on the capital’s streets between April and September – an increase of more than a fifth from the same time last year.

    The same research uncovered a steep 24% rise in homelessness between July and September, compared with the same period in 2021.

    The mayor said 3,500 people had been helped off the streets since 2016, with eight in 10 staying housed for good, but progress was being offset by extraordinary financial pressures.

     

     

     

     

     

  • Cost of living: Burger restaurant launches ‘kids eat free’ scheme to help struggling families

    To assist families struggling with the rising cost of living, a burger restaurant is launching a “kids eat free” programme.

    The Beefy Boys in Hereford is offering a free kids’ meal from 3 to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday throughout November with the purchase of an adult burger or fries.

    “So grab the little sprogs and bring them down,” it said as it announced the deal on social media.

     

  • Instagram is investigating the sudden suspension of people’s accounts

    Instagram’s issues come less than a week after another Meta platform, WhatsApp, experienced a significant outage.

    Instagram has stated that it is investigating why thousands of users’ accounts were suddenly suspended.

    Users from all over the world have taken to other social media platforms to inquire as to why they have been locked out of their accounts, after receiving a message stating, “We suspended your account on October 31, 2022.”

    “We’re aware that some of you are having issues accessing your Instagram account,” Instagram said.

    “We’re looking into it and apologize for the inconvenience.”

    Tens of thousands of people have logged problems, according to the website Down Detector.

    The Verge reports that millions of people seem to have been affected, with follower counts dropping on some of the platform’s biggest accounts.

    Those affected are told they have 30 days to disagree with their suspension.

    Why are accounts being suspended?

    Users are being presented with three reasons why their account has been suspended.

    • The account does not meet Instagram’s community guidelines
    • The account cannot be confirmed
    • It is not visible right now and cannot be used

    People first began reporting issues at around lunchtime on Monday.

    “Did anyone else’s Instagram just get suspended for no reason?” tweeted one affected user.

    “And now Instagram won’t even bother to let you appeal it just gives you an error?”

    Another said: “Anyone else facing this issue on Instagram? Or is my account really suspended?”

    Instagram’s troubles come less than a week after another Meta platform, WhatsApp, suffered a major outage.

    Tens of thousands of people reported being unable to send and receive messages last Tuesday morning.

     

     

  • Dover immigration centre: Man suspected of firebombing was 66-year-old man from High Wycombe

    The suspect in the firebombing of the Border Force immigration centre in Dover on Sunday is a 66-year-old man from the High Wycombe area.

    After petrol bombs were thrown at the centre, the suspect was discovered dead.

    Today, Kent Police officers served a warrant at a property in High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire.

    Police said “two to three incendiary devices” were thrown at the centre by “a single suspect who arrived at the scene in a car”.

    Emergency crews were called to the site in Kent shortly after 11.20 am on Sunday after the Reuters news agency – who had a photographer at the scene – reported that a man had thrown petrol bombs attached to fireworks at the centre.

    The photographer captured the moment the man hurled the homemade bomb from the car window. The man was seen with a lighter in his hand as he threw the container toward the centre.

    Members of the military and UK Border Force extinguish a fire from a petrol bomb, targeting the Border Force centre in Dover, Britain, October 30, 2022. REUTERS/Peter Nicholls
    Image: Members of the military and UK Border Force extinguishing the fire from a petrol bomb

    The agency reported that the man took his own life following the incident.

    At least 45 baby deaths could have been avoided at two Kent hospitals, report into maternity care at NHS trust finds.

    One witness named Brian Wood told Sky News he was about 200 metres away from the migrant centre and heard “three bangs” and saw smoke.

    He added: “Then I heard the alarms going and people yelling and shouting.”

    Kent Police said “two to three incendiary devices” were thrown at the centre by “a single suspect who arrived at the scene in a car”, with two people suffering minor injuries.

     

     

  • Iran’s IRGC confiscates a vessel carrying 11 million litres of fuel

    Iran’s elite Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) seized the crew and cargo of a foreign ship carrying 11 million litres (2.9 million gallons) of smuggled fuel reports a local judiciary official.

    Mojtaba Ghahremani, the judiciary chief of Hormozgan’s southern province, announced on Monday that the IRGC’s naval force had confiscated the unnamed vessel in Gulf waters.

    “The captain and crew of this foreign tanker are also detained as investigations and legal procedures are being completed,” he said in a video message released by the semi-official Tasnim news website, while flanked by IRGC and judiciary personnel on the ship’s deck.

    The nationality of the vessel or its crew was not announced, but Ghahremani said the value of its cargo amounted to 2.2 trillion rials (about $6.6m).

    Tasnim also released a clip that showed the smuggled fuel on the tanker.

    “All vessels which have delivered fuel to the violating tanker will also be subject to prosecution,” the judiciary official said.

    Ghahremani said the arrested smugglers will be slapped with a financial penalty of up to 10 times the value of the confiscated cargo in addition to receiving jail sentences, while the vessel will be seized in favour of the Iranian government.

    He also described the bust as a “major blow” to organized fuel

     

     

  • Nuclear power project: Poland, South Korea sign outline accords

    South Korea and Poland are set to evaluate the feasibility of constructing four 1,400-megawatt nuclear reactors in Patnow.

    According to ministries from both countries, Seoul and Warsaw have signed outline agreements to develop nuclear power in Poland, as Poland strives to phase out coal and reduce carbon emissions and South Korea seeks to revitalise its nuclear industry.

    Poland’s ZE PAK and PGE and Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power (KHNP) will assess the viability of building four 1,400-megawatt nuclear reactors in Patnow, central Poland, using South Korean technology, the South Korean Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy said on Monday in a joint statement with the Polish Ministry of State Assets.

    The companies, with government backing, intend to prepare a preliminary development plan for the plant by the end of this year, they said in a statement.

    Since the election this year of President Yoon Suk-yeol, who pledged to revive the country’s nuclear power industry, South Korea has stepped up efforts to win nuclear power plant export orders.

    If a final deal is signed, it will be “an achievement supported by the Korean government’s firm determination and policy to export nuclear plants”, Minister of Trade, Industry and Energy Chang-Yang Lee said.

    Defence partnership

    During his visit to South Korea, Polish State Assets Minister Jacek Sasin also discussed enhancing Poland’s defence partnership with Seoul, he said on Twitter.

    “We welcome the information that ZE PAK and PGE have entered into talks with KHNP, which will further strengthen relations between Poland and South Korea,” Sasin was quoted as saying in a statement.

    ZE PAK, owned by billionaire Zygmunt Solorz, produces energy mainly from lignite but plans to phase out coal by 2030 and produce energy only from renewable sources afterward.

    Monday’s agreements follow an announcement on Friday when Warsaw said US firm Westinghouse Electric Co will build the country’s first nuclear power plant in northern Poland.

     

     

  • HRW report: Bahrain’s opposition is being marginalized by laws

    Human Rights Watch says laws are used to prevent the opposition from running for office or even serving on civic organisation boards.

    According to a Human Rights Watch report, the Bahraini government is using “political isolation laws” and a variety of other tactics to keep the opposition out of the public office and other aspects of public life.

    The report released on Monday details the alleged use of Bahrain’s 2018 laws to prevent political opponents from running for parliament seats or serving on the boards of governors of civic organisations, describing the practises as “targeted marginalisation of opposition figures from social, political, civil, and economic life.”

    “Bahrain has spent the last decade cracking down on peaceful opposition and the political isolation laws are yet another example of the government’s repression expanding into new spheres,” said Joey Shea, Middle East and North Africa researcher with the rights group, which is based in the United States.

    “These draconian laws have made a mockery of Bahrain’s upcoming parliamentary ‘elections,’ which can neither be free nor fair when you make any political opposition essentially illegal.”

    Parliamentary polls will be held in Bahrain on November 12 to elect the 40 members of the Council of Representatives.

    Human Rights Watch said that it interviewed activists, civil society members, and opposition figures, and reviewed and analysed government statements, laws, and court records.

    The group added the laws in question introduced new punitive consequences by punishing individual members of two major opposition parties, al-Wefaq and Wa’ad, that were dissolved in 2016 and 2017, respectively.

    Shea said the two parties were “hugely popular political parties” before they were dissolved.

    “Not only these groups were dissolved by the judiciary, but the 2018 law also takes the repression further by barring individual members from running for parliament, not even part of these societies,” she told Al Jazeera.

    Al-Wefaq won 18 out of 40 seats in the 2010 parliamentary polls, which is the last election the party joined

    Crackdown

    The report also said that the law targets activists and human rights defenders who were arrested in the government’s large-scale crackdown during the peaceful 2011 pro-democracy and anti-government uprising and in its aftermath.

    The final clause of the political isolation laws, concerning individuals who have “disrupted” constitutional life in Bahrain, has been interpreted by Bahraini lawyers and civil society to prevent former MPs and others from running for office again, Human Rights Watch said.

    In addition to cases of people barred from running for office, the group said it documented three cases of civil society organisations that struggled to form a board and carry on with their activities due to the effect of these laws.

    The report says the group also documented the continued detentions and summons of Bahraini citizens for speech-related offenses.

    “The Bahraini government should repeal the 2018 political isolation laws, end the practice of denying certificates of good behavior to punish perceived opponents and restore full legal, political, and civil rights to all Bahraini citizens,” according to the group.

    Human Right Watch also called on the international community, including close allies like the US, United Kingdom, and European Union member states, to pressure Bahraini authorities to end the “repression of peaceful opposition and civil society”.

     

  • Protests continue as Iran holds its first court sessions for alleged ‘rioters’

    Iranian officials criticise a United Nations rapporteur, while a large number of journalists demand the release of their detained colleagues.

    Protests in Iran that began last month in response to the death of a young woman in police custody have been documented in cities across the country this week, even as protesters’ first court hearings have been held and internet restrictions remain in place.

    More protests were seen on social media at universities, particularly in Tehran and Sanandaj, the capital of Kurdistan’s northwestern province, where Mahsa Amini, 22, was from. She died on September 16 after being detained by Iran’s morality police.

    Social media footage showed clashes breaking out on Sunday at Tehran’s Azad University between students and security forces, who fired tear gas.

    The demonstrations persisted after Hossein Salami, the commander-in-chief of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, said on Saturday, “Today is the last day of the riots,” as he warned people “not to come to the streets”.

    An unknown number of protesting students was suspended from universities this week, reports on social media and foreign-based outlets said. It prompted their fellow students to demonstrate on Monday in their support, according to images on social media, which could not be independently verified.

    Meanwhile, a court in Tehran on Sunday held the first hearings for “rioters” accused, among other things, of intentionally killing police officers and burning public and government property. Several people are charged with “corruption on Earth” and “waging war against God”, which carry the death penalty.

    The Iranian judiciary said more than 1,000 indictments have been issued for people participating in “riots” across the country after a call this month by the judiciary chief to fast-track cases and hand out harsh sentences.

    Iranian media reported that one arrest was of Toomaj Salehi, a dissident rapper who had filmed himself participating in protests and regularly posted his opposition to the Iranian establishment on social media. His friends rejected reports that he was arrested in a border province while trying to flee the country. Salehi had been previously detained in September 2021 after releasing songs with lyrics decrying the establishment but was released on bail.

    ‘Let’s free the journalists’

    Amini died days after being detained by Iran’s morality police and taken to a “re-education centre” for allegedly not fully complying with the country’s mandatory dress code.

    Those arrested since the start of the protests include a slew of reporters and photojournalists. More than 500 local journalists have signed a statement that calls on authorities to release their colleagues. They say the detained journalists have been denied access to lawyers and charged prior to facing public trials and official submission of evidence.

    “Let’s not blind the eyes of the society,” said the statement on Sunday, which was carried on the front page of several newspapers. “Let’s free the journalists.”

    Its publication came two days after Iran’s intelligence community, in a rare joint report, accused two journalists – Niloufar Hamedi and Elaheh Mohammadi – of covering Amini’s death after being trained abroad by the United States spy agency.

    Hamedi had reported on Amini’s death from a hospital in Tehran and posted an image of the woman’s parents holding each other. Mohammadi had travelled to Amini’s hometown of Saqqez to cover her funeral. The editors-in-chief of the two newspapers they work for have said the reporters were on assignment and only did their job.

    Dozens of people are thought to have been killed during the protests and many more injured, but Iranian authorities have yet to release an official tally. Dozens of members of the security forces have also been killed. Several of them died this week, according to authorities, who release their names and hold state funerals for them.

    Speaking with the family of a security officer killed in Tehran, President Ebrahim Raisi promised, “We will under no circumstances allow the enemy’s designs for harming our security.”

    Top Iranian authorities, including Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, have accused the United States and Israel of being behind the unrest.

    Some officials have signalled that they are open to reforms as a result of the protests, provided protests are differentiated from “riots” and efforts to “overthrow the establishment”.

    “The country’s political establishment is a definitive platform for any type of reforms and changes to secure popular interests, and some of this change consists of reforms in governance within the framework of the Islamic Republic’s political establishment that must lead to new governance,” Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf said.

     

    Foreign tensions rising

    The persistent protests and lingering internet restrictions have put the Iranian state at odds with a number of other countries and officials.

    The US and Albania are preparing to hold an informal meeting of the United Nations Security Council on Wednesday to discuss what Washington has called “brutal suppression” of the protests.

    Speaking to reporters on Monday, Iranian foreign ministry spokesman Nasser Kanani criticised Javaid Rehman, the special UN rapporteur on human rights in Iran, for a “deeply anti-Iranian approach” and for agreeing to participate in the Security Council meeting, which Tehran considers to be politically motivated.

    “Unfortunately, human rights have become a tool for pursuing the political goals of some countries, especially the US,” Rehman said.

    On Sunday, a group of prominent women from 14 countries – including Nobel laureates Malala Yousefzai and Nadia Murad, former US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and former US first lady Michelle Obama – published an open letter calling for Iran’s immediate expulsion from the UN Commission on the Status of Women.

    German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock said the European Union was examining whether to classify the Revolutionary Guard as a “terrorist” organisation for its response to the protests, something the Iranian foreign ministry on Monday called “illegal”. The US already designated the elite force as a “terrorist” group in 2019.

    Tehran has responded to human rights sanctions by the US, EU the United Kingdom, and Canada with sanctions of its own and has said new measures on US and Canadian officials and entities would be imposed.

    Iran this week blocked a host of services by Google, including its maps and Android apps store after the store flagged a major state-backed application as being unsafe because of suspicions of “spying” on users’ data. Authorities denounced Google’s move as being politically motivated.

    State-affiliated media showed footage of “large numbers of students and professors” who were reported to be taking part in demonstrations denouncing a “terrorist” attack on a major Shia religious shrine in Shiraz last week. It killed 15 people and wounded dozens.

    Authorities organised rallies in the southern city and elsewhere to denounce the attack. Top Iranian officials have linked the attack to “riots” and pledged to take revenge as a website linked with ISIL (ISIS) claimed responsibility.

     

     

  • Inflation in eurozone has reached a new high of 10.7 percent

    Consumer price growth in the eurozone’s 19 member countries accelerated in October, putting the ECB under pressure.

    Government bond yields in the Eurozone have risen after data showed consumer prices rose at a record pace in October, putting pressure on the European Central Bank to maintain aggressive policy tightening.

    Consumer price growth in the 19 countries that use the euro as their monetary unit accelerated to 10.7 percent in October, up from 9.9 percent the previous month, according to data released on Monday.

    Inflation excluding unprocessed food and energy accelerated to 6.4 percent from 6 percent, while an even narrower measure that also filters out alcohol and tobacco rose to 5 percent from 4.8 percent.

    The data points to further rate increases from the European Central Bank (ECB) in an attempt to bring inflation back down toward its target.

    “The ECB’s goal of pushing the inflation rate back to just under 2 percent on a sustainable basis seems a long way off,” Commerzbank senior economist Christoph Weil said, noting the ECB forecast inflation at 9.2 percent in the final quarter of 2022.

    “This also increases the pressure on the ECB Governing Council to further raise key rates sharply,” Weil added.

    Germany’s 10-year yield

    By 10:27 GMT, Germany’s 10-year yield, the benchmark for the euro area, was up 6 basis points (bps) to 2.147 percent.

    Germany’s two-year yield was up 4 bps to 1.968 percent.

    The ECB policy meeting on Thursday had pushed investors to bet on a slower pace of rate hikes, but policymaker comments since the meeting and elevated price pressures suggest the central bank remains in tightening mode.

    Money markets are pricing in a 50 bps rate hike at the December meeting, with about 140 bps of further tightening priced in for this cycle, according to data from Refinitiv.

    On Sunday, ECB governing council member Klaas Knot helped push back expectations for a slower pace of tightening, saying it was likely the next hike would be a choice of 50 or 75 bps.

    Italy’s 10-year government bond yield rose 9 bps to 4.243 percent, pushing the spread between Italian and German 10-year yields wider by 3.5 bps to about 209 bps.

    Black Sea grain deal

    Eyes were also on the inflationary effect of Russia suspending participation in an UN-brokered Black Sea grain deal.

    Chicago wheat futures jumped almost 6 percent on Monday and corn rose more than 2 percent as Russia’s withdrawal from the agreement raised concerns over global supplies.

    “Food inflation has been a big deal and any decline in grain shipments from Ukraine is not going to help the inflation issue,” said Lyn Graham-Taylor, senior rates strategist at Rabobank.

    “It’s another wrinkle to add to the many inflationary issues out there.”

    Looking further ahead, investor focus looks set to turn to the Federal Reserve policy meeting on Wednesday.

    The Fed is likely to raise rates by 75 bps at the meeting but is seen slowing the pace of hikes from December.

    “We’re of the view that no one is going to be pivoting yet. Any confirmation around that view will be pretty significant,” Rabobank’s Graham-Taylor added.