• newsinsightplus.com
• 2018Top
• 2023Its
• March 9, 2024
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BBC HomepageSkip to contentAccessibility HelpYour accountLiveNotificationsHomeNewsSportWeatheriPlayerSoundsBitesizeMore menuMore menuSearch BBCHomeNewsSportWeatheriPlayerSoundsBitesizeCBBCCBeebiesFoodClose menuBBC NewsMenuHomeIsrael-Gaza warCost of LivingWar in UkraineClimateUKWorldBusinessPoliticsCultureMoreTechScienceHealthFamily & EducationIn PicturesNewsbeatBBC VerifyDisabilityCultureAmerican Pie stars reunite as Eugene Levy gets star on Walk of FamePublished32 minutes agoShareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingImage source, Getty ImagesImage caption, American Reunion: Eugene Levy was joined by Jason Biggs on Hollywood BoulevardBy Marita MoloneyBBC NewsActor Eugene Levy has been joined by his “second son” to receive a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, 25 years after they starred in American Pie.Levy, who co-created the comedy series Schitt’s Creek with his son Daniel, accepted the honour with his real-life and on screen families.”My son Daniel couldn’t be here today, sadly,” the Canadian actor said.”My second son, Jim, is here, from American Pie, and I love the fact you’re here, Jason,” he added.Levy portrayed Noah Levenstein, the father of Biggs’s character, Jim, in the 1999 hit film and its sequels.Image source, Universal/Getty ImagesImage caption, Levy and Biggs played the father-son duo in the American Pie filmsThe coming of age comedy, with its watch-through-your-fingers moments, became infamous for a scene featuring a freshly baked apple pie.It also starred Jennifer Coolidge, Seann William Scott and Alyson Hannigan.Joining Levy for the star unveiling on Friday was his Schitt’s Creek on-screen wife Catherine O’Hara, and his real-life daughter Sarah Levy, who plays Twyla Sands on the Emmy-winning TV show.Explaining that Daniel was filming in Bulgaria, Levy joked that it sounded like a plot “right out of Schitt’s Creek”. Sarah Levy introduced her father at the ceremony on Hollywood Boulevard in Los Angeles, and recalled visiting him on set when she was a child.Image source, Getty ImagesImage caption, Levy was joined by Catherine O’Hara and his daughter Sarah, who are also his Schitt’s Creek co-starsO’Hara, who also starred in Home Alone, described Levy as “a gentleman in every sense of the word”.”We all know and love Eugene Levy for the wealth of original, thought-provoking, heartfelt, and ridiculously hilarious entertainment he has gifted us for so many years,” she said.Levy, who also appeared in Cheaper By The Dozen 2 and Father Of The Bride Part II, said “getting a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame is about as far from Hamilton, Ontario, Canada, as you can get”.He paid tribute to his wife Deborah Divine, saying: “You can’t have your name put on a star in Hollywood Boulevard without someone having your back and Debs had mine for 47 years, there would be no star without you.””How rewarding was that, a life spent making people laugh?” he added.Image source, Getty ImagesImage caption, Levy was honoured with the 2,773rd star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame on FridayRelated TopicsTelevisionLos AngelesFilmHollywoodMore on this storyHome Alone mum comes back for Kevin on Walk of FamePublished2 December 2023It’s been a great week for Jack BlackPublished19 September 2018Top StoriesGaza aid ship expected to set sail from CyprusPublished2 hours agoFertility clinic licence suspended over concernsPublished7 hours agoNew life springs from rescued Sycamore Gap treePublished3 hours agoFeaturesThe Papers: ‘Camilla to the rescue’ and ‘Budget falls flat’On patrol with the anti-social behaviour squadFF7 actress’s nervous wait for fan reactionsDid State of the Union change how voters see Biden?Why mass abductions have returned to haunt NigeriaWest Bank violence: ‘My child’s destiny was to get killed’Singing, sculpture and a sprint: Photos of the weekWhy does International Women’s Day matter?Weekly quiz: Which billionaire hired Rihanna to celebrate a wedding?Elsewhere on the BBCSeven times cruises have caused commotionFrom the largest ship to disasters on deck…AttributioniPlayerThe mystery of a devastating helicopter crash…A weekend away for those leading the intelligence war in Northern Ireland turns to disasterAttributioniPlayerThe untold story of the first moon landingIt was a journey that changed the way we think about our place in the universeAttributioniPlayerParkinson meets the greatest names in entertainmentHe’s joined by guests Michael Palin, Kate Adie and Ricky GervaisAttributioniPlayerMost Read1New life springs from rescued Sycamore Gap tree2’Camilla to the rescue’ and ‘Budget falls flat’3I was cyberbullied while pregnant, says Meghan4The other Oppenheimer story that won’t win Oscars5Destructive Joshua knocks out Ngannou in second roundAttributionSport6Faisal Islam: The Budget was more radical than it looked7Fertility clinic licence suspended over concerns8The Brit up for three visual effects Oscars9Gaza aid ship expected to set sail from Cyprus10University of Cambridge painting damaged by group

[ad_1] Eugene Levy is joined by his on-screen son Jason Biggs to unveil his star on Hollywood Boulevard.

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• newsinsightplus.com
• 13yearold
• 17yearold
• March 4, 2024
• 0 Comments

BBC HomepageSkip to contentAccessibility HelpYour accountLiveNotificationsHomeNewsSportWeatheriPlayerSoundsBitesizeMore menuMore menuSearch BBCHomeNewsSportWeatheriPlayerSoundsBitesizeCBBCCBeebiesFoodClose menuBBC NewsMenuHomeIsrael-Gaza warCost of LivingWar in UkraineClimateUKWorldBusinessPoliticsCultureMoreTechScienceHealthFamily & EducationIn PicturesNewsbeatBBC VerifyDisabilityCultureThe Ukrainian teenagers who returned to a war zone for their school promPublished9 minutes agoShareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingRelated TopicsWar in UkraineImage source, POLLY BRADENImage caption, Sofiia (second left), Aliesia (third left) and Yuliia (front) with their friends at Lyceum No 2 school in Mykolaiv before the warBy Katie RazzallCulture and media editorSofiia, Yuliia and Aliesia, three school friends from Mykolaiv in Ukraine, were 16 years old when war broke out. They were regular teenagers looking forward to sleepovers and trips to the beach near their home city.But after 24 February 2022, the girls and their families scattered across Europe.For two years, they have connected almost entirely online, using Telegram and Snapchat. “Many of us feel overwhelmed by the loss of friends and the inability to meet them,” Yuliia says.Incredibly, though, they did see each other again in person last summer, in their bombed-out hometown for a school prom.Now, their stories, and those of other Ukrainian women, are being told in a photography exhibition in London.Image source, POLLY BRADENImage caption, Yuliia, Sofia and Aliesia talking over Zoom from Warsaw, Mykolaiv and Gipf-Oberfrick, SwitzerlandWhen they fled Ukraine, the teenagers hoped it would be temporary, as Yuliia tells me they thought “it would take just a few months and we would all go back to Ukraine and back to our lives”.She originally moved with her mother and grandparents to Bulgaria, where a friend lent them a holiday flat. They later moved to Poland.Aliesia’s journey was more intense. She spent weeks travelling by bus and train, staying in tents and hostels, moving from Romania to Switzerland, then France and Spain, before arriving in Krakow, Poland, in May 2022.The whole experience “was not as physically stressful as it was emotionally”, Aliesia says.With her mother, 13-year-old brother, 17-year-old cousin and aunt, they moved into a one-room dormitory. Image source, POLLY BRADENImage caption, Aliesia (second left) with her mum, brother, cousin and aunt, sharing a room in KrakowThe children did online schooling on their bunks, with teachers who had remained in Mykolaiv. Sofiia left Ukraine for Katowice in Poland first. The journey took several days. “There wasn’t a place to stay for the night, my mum wasn’t sleeping for three days, there was no food at the gas stations.”Seven of them, including her mother and her cousin, lived in one bedroom.”It was really difficult.”Image source, POLLY BRADENImage caption, Left-right: Sofiia with her new friends in Katowice in April 2022Sofiia loves dancing and music. She would practise on the outdoor public piano on a street in Katowice. “I didn’t have one at home. I’m really very extroverted, so it was great.”The family have since moved to Switzerland, where she is studying 10 subjects at a prestigious school.Her father died of Covid during the pandemic. Aliesia and Yuliia had to leave their dads behind in Ukraine because men over the age of 18 are banned from emigrating.Aliesia and her father were reunited when the family moved back to Ukraine at the end of 2022. Six months into the war, her mother and aunt found that the hotel cleaning jobs they had in Poland didn’t pay enough to cover rent and other bills.Teenage dreamsPhotographer Polly Braden has tracked the families’ experiences over two years and is about to tell their stories in an exhibition, Leaving Ukraine, at the Foundling Museum in London. After watching reports from inside Ukraine about the men going to war and what they faced, “it felt really important to see what the women were doing and what was happening outside Ukraine”, she says.So she followed the young people as they have built new lives to find out, “what would that be like for them?”They have had to grow up fast.Image source, POLLY BRADENImage caption, Sofiia putting on make-up after school in Katowice in April 2022Sofiia says “very quickly we stopped being teenagers and had to start our life as adults”.Aliesia tells me the “teenage dream”, the one you see “in American movies”, has been taken from them. “I have sometimes had pretty bad mental breakdowns… It was not fair that I can’t enjoy life the same way as people my age from other countries do.”Yuliia says it has “felt very isolating, especially as everyone else in the world is still living their lives like nothing happened”.Image source, POLLY BRADENImage caption, Yuliia at Poland’s Independence Day in Warsaw in November 2023But none of the girls come across as self-pitying. As Sofiia puts it: “It’s not only difficult for us.”Aliesia adds: “We have to sometimes just accept some things we cannot change.”With school friends spread far and wide, last year they began to talk about wanting to have a school prom when their Ukrainian schooling ended.”For such a long while, our friend group was separated, our whole class was separated,” Yuliia says. “So seeing everyone, almost everyone, was really important to all of us.”‘We all felt beautiful’Sofiia began planning her outfit. “If you want to get a prom dress in Switzerland or Italy, it’s very expensive.” She and her mum decided “it would be cheaper to go to Ukraine”. So after school one Friday, Sofiia took a 20-hour bus trip to Lviv, in western Ukraine. She found a gold dress that “was really perfect”, bought it, and took the long journey back to Switzerland.The prom couldn’t be held at their school, which had been bombed.Instead, they hired a local hall. Bombs fell on Mykolaiv a couple of days before the reunion, which made the decision to return difficult because they were “a bit scared”, Sofiia says.Image source, ReutersImage caption, The aftermath of a Russian missile strike in Mykolaiv in July 2023But about 20 teenagers went back for the prom, from new homes as far away as the UK, Austria, Poland, Germany, Belgium and Switzerland. They came to dance, party and try to be normal teenagers for just one night.”It was actually much more special than just being a normal teenager, because a prom is quite a special day in anyone’s life,” Yuliia says. “We all felt beautiful and it was kind of magical.”She spent two days getting to Mykolaiv from Poland. “I was very excited.”She also got to see her father for the first time since she had left Ukraine.Sofiia’s mother drove for three days to get them back home, sleeping by the roadside when she felt tired. Everyone understood why it meant so much.Image source, Abramov SergeyImage caption, Left-right: Sofiia, Aliesia, their teacher Svetlana, Iryna and Yuliia at their prom in Mykolaiv in July 2023″The war wasn’t planned and so our lives stopped in one moment,” Sofiia says. “I think it was really very important to have the ending of our school lives, of our teenage lives.”It was an emotional evening, according to Aliesia. “Especially by the end, when we had to say goodbye to each other and realise that we won’t see each other for a long time again.”But for one night, they drank punch (“mildly alcoholic” and “so tasty”, according to Yuliia), danced and sang to Maneskin (Alesia’s “favourite band”), listened to speeches, and as the sun rose in the early hours, went out for a walk.”In the morning, we all felt sad,” Sofiia says, “because it was totally the end of school life.”Polly Braden’s exhibition Leaving Ukraine is at the Foundling Museum in London from 15 March.Related TopicsWar in UkrainePhotographyUkraineTop StoriesUS urges more aid for starving people in GazaPublished1 hour agoI will only cut taxes in responsible way – HuntPublished12 hours agoPolice to return Mia Janin’s lost phone to familyPublished8 hours agoFeaturesDid the last Budget deliver what was promised?Nadiya Hussain: A letter to my teenage daughterBrit Awards 2024: The real winners and losers’I embrace my alopecia, but I’d love my old hair back’ Video’I embrace my alopecia, but I’d love my old hair back’Kate, the King and three other big challenges for royalsJeremy on the Hunt for Tax Cuts. AudioJeremy on the Hunt for Tax CutsAttributionSoundsCan green ‘super powders’ really make you healthy?How Israel-Gaza war is spilling into cultural lifeThe ‘banned’ Star Trek episode that promised a united IrelandElsewhere on the BBCFrom the seizure of Crimea to the war in UkraineThe story of a decade of clashes, told by the Western leaders who traded blows with PutinAttributioniPlayerFrom the largest ship to disasters on deck…A closer look at times when cruise ships have caused commotionAttributioniPlayer’I never tried to be famous…it was accidental’Michael Parkinson with guests Ricky Gervais, Michael Palin and Kate AdieAttributioniPlayerIt’s make or break timeAnother set of eager entrepreneurs hope to impress the fearsome panelAttributioniPlayerMost Read1’No option of life on benefits for young’ – Labour2Police to return Mia Janin’s lost phone to family3Israel agrees to change Eurovision song lyrics4Warning cost of living fund closure ‘catastrophic’5Haiti gangs free 4,000 inmates in mass jailbreak6Tributes to ‘one-in-a-million’ woman as murder arrest made7Kate, the King and three other big challenges for royals8Girl, 7, dies in English Channel crossing attempt9Horner situation can’t continue – Jos VerstappenAttributionSport10US urges more aid for starving people in Gaza

[ad_1] Three friends who were separated by the war talk about going back home for a special school reunion.

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• 1.9m
• 2023Zambian
• February 26, 2024
• 0 Comments

BBC HomepageSkip to contentAccessibility HelpYour accountLiveNotificationsHomeNewsSportWeatheriPlayerSoundsBitesizeMore menuMore menuSearch BBCHomeNewsSportWeatheriPlayerSoundsBitesizeCBBCCBeebiesFoodClose menuBBC NewsMenuHomeIsrael-Gaza warCost of LivingWar in UkraineClimateUKWorldBusinessPoliticsCultureMoreTechScienceHealthFamily & EducationIn PicturesNewsbeatBBC VerifyDisabilityWorldAfricaAsiaAustraliaEuropeLatin AmericaMiddle EastUS & CanadaNorwegian Dawn: Mauritius blocks cruise ship over cholera fearsPublished24 minutes agoShareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingImage source, Getty ImagesImage caption, Some of the passengers fell sick during a voyage to South AfricaDanai Nesta KupembaBBC NewsMauritius has denied a Norwegian cruise ship permission to dock at the capital Port Louis over fears of a potential cholera outbreak on board.At least 15 people on the Norwegian Dawn have been in isolation over suspected illness.Mauritian authorities said the decision to block the ship was “taken in order to avoid any health risks”.Samples were taken for testing on Sunday, with results expected to be known on Tuesday.The passengers developed mild symptoms of a stomach illness during a trip to South Africa, a representative of Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings said. Mary Francovilla Dees, 69, a passenger on the Norwegian Dawn told the BBC that despite the delay the atmosphere on the ship has been “fairly calm”.”The passengers on this ship have appeared to take this in their stride,” she said. Ms Francovilla says passengers have entertained themselves by sitting by the pool, attending shows and going to the bar.A Dutch passenger on board told BN DeStem they were told there could be a cholera outbreak on board by the captain.There have been cholera outbreaks in southern Africa over the last few months, with Zambia being hardest hit. Zambian families grieve as cholera kills loved onesWorld’s largest cruise ship sets sail from MiamiSince January 2023, at least 188,000 people have been infected with cholera across seven countries in southern Africa, according to the UN. More than 3,000 people have died.”The health and safety of passengers as well as that of the country as a whole are of the utmost to the authorities,” the Mauritius Ports Authority said.The ship arrived in Mauritius on Saturday evening after arriving a day early because it did not stop in Réunion Island.There are 2,184 passengers and 1,026 crew members on the ship. About 2,000 planned to disembark in Port Louis, with another 2,000 expected to board at the same time.Those who were disembarking or joining the cruise will now do so on 27 February, the Norwegian Cruise Line spokesperson said.Related TopicsCruise shipsMauritiusMore on this storyZimbabwe capital declares emergency over choleraPublished17 November 2023Zambian families grieve as cholera kills loved onesPublished31 JanuaryAround the BBCFocus on Africa podcastTop StoriesLive. Anderson refuses to apologise after PM calls ‘Islamist’ comments ‘wrong’Navalny was to be freed in prisoner swap before death – allyPublished33 minutes agoGaza children search for food to keep families alivePublished12 hours agoFeaturesGaza children search for food to keep families alive’Fewer children will be born’: Alabama embryo ruling divides devout ChristiansWill global energy prices fall this year?In pictures: Celebrating the Lantern Festival’My bank manager stole $1.9m from my account’The winners and nominees at the SAG Awards’Undelivered letters meant my son missed his surgery’Inside the long-abandoned tunnel beneath the ClydeThe converted landmark buildings given new lifeElsewhere on the BBCThe powerful emotional impact of Pink Floyd’s musicShine On You Crazy Diamond has helped people through their hardest timesAttributionSoundsNine out-of-this-world moments from space explorationFrom the new generation of mega rockets to mini helicopters on Mars…AttributioniPlayerThe good, the bad and the bafflingWhen the British public leave a review, they almost always write something hilariousAttributionSoundsFrom a stair-climbing chair to special apartmentsDiscover the projects that make life easier for older people AttributionSoundsMost Read1Amy Schumer reveals she has Cushing’s Syndrome2Thousands stuck on cruise ship over cholera fears3Navalny was to be freed in prisoner swap before death – ally4’I wish I had never touched leasehold flats’5Zendaya says Dune desert costumes ‘like a Doc Marten’6Japan Moon lander survives lunar night7Airman sets himself on fire at US Israeli embassy8Denmark closes investigation into Nord Stream blast9More young people out of work due to health, study says10’My bank manager stole $1.9m from my account’

[ad_1] Some passengers are believed to have developed mild symptoms of a stomach illness in South Africa.

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• newsinsightplus.com
• 120bn
• 2023Top
• February 11, 2024
• 0 Comments

BBC HomepageSkip to contentAccessibility HelpYour accountLiveNotificationsHomeNewsSportWeatheriPlayerSoundsBitesizeMore menuMore menuSearch BBCHomeNewsSportWeatheriPlayerSoundsBitesizeCBBCCBeebiesFoodClose menuBBC NewsMenuHomeIsrael-Gaza warCost of LivingWar in UkraineClimateUKWorldBusinessPoliticsCultureMoreTechScienceHealthFamily & EducationIn PicturesNewsbeatBBC VerifyDisabilityAsiaChinaIndiaBad economy, nosy relatives: Young Chinese put off by Lunar New YearPublished55 minutes agoShareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingRelated TopicsLunar New YearImage source, ReutersImage caption, China’s Spring Festival travel rush is the world’s largest mass migration every yearBy Lok LeeBBC Chinese”If I had the choice, I definitely wouldn’t go back home,” says Yuwen, a 33-year-old who has been unemployed for more than six months, days ahead of the Chinese New Year.Many of China’s nearly 380 million internal migrants only go home once a year – and the Lunar New Year, the most important festival for family reunion, is usually the time to do it. That is why the Spring Festival travel rush, known as “chunyun”, is the world’s largest annual mass migration. Authorities are expecting a record nine billion trips this time for the Year of the Dragon. But Yuwen dreads the homecoming trip because he says he will be grilled by relatives over every aspect of his life, particularly his work situation including salaries and benefits. His parents know he has lost his job and have been understanding about it. They have agreed with Yuwen that the best course of action is to lie to relatives that he still has his old job.Yuwen will also spend just three days with his relatives – usually it would be more than a week. “It will be over soon,” he says. Watch: Crowds roar in Lunar New YearHundreds of young people have taken to popular social media platforms such as Xiaohongshu and Weibo to say that they will not go home for the festival. Like Yuwen, some of them are recently unemployed.Official data released in June 2023 revealed more than one in five city-dwellers aged between 16 and 24 in China were unemployed. China then suspended the release of youth unemployment data until last month. The figure now stands at 14.9% – but the data excludes students. After decades of breakneck growth, the Chinese economy is losing steam and the anticipated post-Covid recovery has not materialised. Its real estate market has crashed, and local government debts are mounting. But the confidence crisis is perhaps the thorniest issue – investors are worried that the Chinese leadership will prioritise party control over economic development. Under China’s leader Xi Jinping, there have been crackdowns on private enterprises from tech to private tutoring. Relations with the West have also deteriorated over the last few years. Image source, HandoutImage caption, Yuwen is cutting short his homecoming tripYuwen is a victim of the clampdowns on private enterprises. In 2014, he decided to pursue a graduate degree in Chinese language education in Beijing, about 185 miles (300km) away from his hometown in Hebei province. It was to “ride the wave of a national policy” – because Mr Xi had launched the Belt and Road Initiative a year before to spread greater influence overseas. After he graduated, he quickly found a job at a private tutoring company and was tasked with managing and training foreign tutors for Chinese students. But in July 2021, the Chinese government banned private, for-profit tutoring in the name of easing the burden on students. This was a death knell for the $120bn (£95bn) tutoring industry. Yuwen was forced to change careers. He got a job at a big tech company in January 2023. He was responsible for formulating live-streaming rules for its overseas platforms and supervising the work of prominent influencers. But it only lasted five months.A regulatory crackdown on big tech since late 2020 had already wiped off more than $1 trillion in its value, according to Reuters. Then the US threatened sanctions against Chinese tech companies over concerns with Beijing’s national security legislation. That proved to be the last straw for Yuwen’s company, which decided to move its overseas operations outside China.Yuwen says he has sent out his CV over 1,000 times in the last six months alone. He has not received any job offers even though he has already lowered his salary expectations. “At the beginning, I felt quite calm but then I became increasingly anxious. I didn’t expect it to be this difficult,” he says. Image source, HandoutImage caption, Qingfeng moved to Shenzhen to be closer to his girlfriend, who is studying in Hong KongIn the southern city of Shenzhen, fitness trainer Qingfeng has decided to go travelling by himself for the Chinese New Year. He will lie to his parents, telling them he cannot buy the tickets to come home. “Who doesn’t want to go home to celebrate the new year? But I just feel embarrassed.” After leaving the military in 2019, Qingfeng started working as a fitness instructor and says he was able to make about 20,000 yuan ($2,800; £2,200) per month in Shanghai. Last year, he moved to Shenzhen to be closer to his girlfriend who is studying in neighbouring Hong Kong. The 28-year-old found a job with a foreign trading company as he wanted more job stability. But the pay was only 4,500 yuan a month. This was unsustainable as monthly rent in Shenzhen is at least 1,500 yuan.Qingfeng left his job after two months and has now got a position at a new gym that will open after the holidays. But he does not want to see his family, because he says he lost almost all his savings last year. He does not want to divulge details, but he says: “You can say that I have failed in the stock market.” In early February, Chinese stocks plunged into a five-year low. The Weibo account of the US embassy became an outlet for the frustrations of Chinese investors, with some even calling on the Americans to help. Some criticised the current leadership. All such posts have since been taken down. Image source, EPAImage caption, Not everyone is looking forward to the Year of the DragonQingfeng is not sure he will be able to build a customer base at the new gym due to the economic downturn. “Many large gyms have shut down lately because of their high debts.” But is is not just the economy that has prevented some young Chinese from wanting to go home for the festival.Some single women – like Xiaoba – say they do not want to be pressurised by their families to get married and settle down. “I have been working across the country. Whenever I go to a city, my mother will find a man out of the blue and tell me to go on a blind date. It’s outrageous,” says the 35-year-old project manager. China’s population has shrunk for two years in a row. Its low birth rate has caused fears that the country will lose young workers, who are a key force in propelling its economy. Young people are increasingly reluctant to get married and have children, and the number of registered marriages has been declining for nine consecutive years, according to official data. In October, Mr Xi said women played a “unique role” in promoting traditional virtues and there was a need to cultivate a “new marriage and childbearing culture” to tackle the ageing population. But the government’s efforts to boost marriage and birth rate so far have been ineffective. Xiaoba no longer panics about getting married and is enjoying her life. She is planning to spend the Lunar New Year with her cat and watch the huge CCTV New Year’s Gala – which is aired every Spring Festival Eve – at her rented flat in Shenzhen. Yuwen, for his part, hopes that the next Lunar New Year will be better. “I believe I will make it because I am determined. I have never considered giving up.”But there are things out of his control. “I am not too optimistic about the economy in 2024.” Interviewees have been given pseudonyms. Related TopicsLunar New YearAsiaChinaMore on this storyIn pictures: Welcoming the Lunar New YearPublished3 hours agoSnowstorms disrupt Lunar New Year travel in ChinaPublished3 days agoA restless Gen Z is reshaping the Chinese DreamPublished3 JanuaryBurnt out or jobless – meet China’s ‘full-time children’Published17 July 2023Top StoriesKing thanks public for support after cancer newsPublished3 hours agoSix-year-old Gazan girl found dead days after plea for helpPublished14 hours agoAre politicians cooling on tackling climate change?Published10 hours agoFeaturesRussia’s war economy can’t last but has bought timeTeens fight back against online skincare trendsThe Papers: ‘Democracy in danger’ and King’s heartfelt thanksAre politicians cooling on tackling climate change?‘We had to bury our baby in a stranger’s coffin’Will King’s diagnosis bring Harry and William closer?’There is no right or wrong way to have alopecia’Bad economy, nosy relatives: Young Chinese put off by Lunar New YearYour pictures on the theme of ‘towers’Elsewhere on the BBCIt’s make or break timeAnother set of eager entrepreneurs hope to impress the fearsome panelAttributioniPlayerHow are jelly beans made?Gregg Wallace visits a Dublin factory that makes over ten million of the sweets per day!AttributioniPlayerIs this the greatest Jurassic predator that ever lived?Sir David Attenborough investigates a unique discovery: the skull of a giant, prehistoric sea monsterAttributioniPlayerThe sound effect that became the ultimate movie in-jokeIt’s used in everything from Toy Story to Reservoir Dogs, but what is the Wilhelm Scream?AttributioniPlayerMost Read1‘We had to bury our baby in a stranger’s coffin’2’Democracy in danger’ and King’s heartfelt thanks3King thanks public for support after cancer news4Hungary president resigns over child abuse pardon5I’d be an eejit not to enjoy Oscars – Cillian Murphy6Teens fight back against online skincare trends7Six-year-old Gazan girl found dead days after plea for help8Fujitsu bosses paid £26m during Horizon contract9Faisal Islam: Russia’s war economy cannot last but has bought time10Are politicians cooling on tackling climate change?

[ad_1] Many of China’s nearly 380 million internal migrants only go home once a year – and the Lunar New Year, the most important festival for family reunion, is usually…

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• newsinsightplus.com
• 2023China
• 2023Evergrande
• January 29, 2024
• 0 Comments

BBC HomepageSkip to contentAccessibility HelpYour accountLiveNotificationsHomeNewsSportWeatheriPlayerSoundsBitesizeMore menuMore menuSearch BBCHomeNewsSportWeatheriPlayerSoundsBitesizeCBBCCBeebiesFoodClose menuBBC NewsMenuHomeIsrael-Gaza warCost of LivingWar in UkraineClimateUKWorldBusinessPoliticsCultureMoreTechScienceHealthFamily & EducationIn PicturesNewsbeatBBC VerifyDisabilityBusinessMarket DataEconomyYour MoneyCompaniesTechnology of BusinessCEO SecretsArtificial IntelligenceEvergrande: Hong Kong judge orders property giant’s liquidationPublished29 minutes agoShareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingImage source, Getty ImagesImage caption, Millions of people in China bought an unfinished home from Evergrande and other developersBy Mariko OiBusiness reporterChina’s debt-ridden property giant Evergrande has been ordered to liquidate by a court in Hong Kong.Judge Linda Chan said “enough is enough” after the property giant failed to come up with a restructuring proposal.Evergrande has been the poster child of China’s real estate crisis with over $325bn (£256bn) of liabilities.When Evergrande defaulted two years ago it sent shockwaves through global financial markets.The decision is likely to send ripples through China’s financial markets at a time when authorities are trying to curb a stock market sell-off.Evergrande shares fell by more than 20% in Hong Kong after the announcement.China’s property sector contributes roughly a quarter of the world’s second biggest economy.Liquidation is a process where a company’s assets are seized and sold off. The proceeds can then be used to repay outstanding debts.However, whether this process is followed may depend on the Chinese government and the liquidation order does not necessarily mean that Evergrande will go bust and collapse.The case was brought by one of its investors, Hong Kong-based Top Shine Global, in June 2022 which said that Evergrande had not honoured an agreement to buy back shares.But what they owed is a fraction of Evergrande’s total debts.The vast majority of the money it owes is to lenders in mainland China who have limited legal avenues to demand their money.Foreign creditors, in contrast, are free to bring cases to court outside mainland China and some have chosen Hong Kong, where Evergrande and other developers are listed, to bring lawsuits against them.Following the making of a winding up order, the companies’ directors will cease to have control.A provisional liquidator – either a government employee or a partner from a professional firm – will likely be appointed by the court, according to Derek Lai, the global insolvency leader at Deloitte.After meetings with creditors, the formal liquidator will be appointed within several months.But most of Evergrande’s assets are in mainland China and despite the “one country, two systems” slogan, there are thorny jurisdictional issues.There is an agreement between the courts of China and Hong Kong to recognise the appointment of liquidators but Mr Lai says that as far as he is aware, “only two out of six applications” have been recognised by courts of three pilot areas in mainland China. The Chinese Communist Party also seems eager to keep developers afloat to make sure that ordinary homebuyers who bought property even before building work began get what they paid for.That means Beijing could choose to shrug off the Hong Kong court order.”Even if the appointed liquidator is mutually recognised in Hong Kong and mainland China, he or she would need to follow the laws of mainland China when conducting approved liquidation-related matters there,” Mr Lai adds.The liquidation order against the parent company does not mean an immediate suspension of Evergrande’s construction work, either.”This does not place all of the subsidiaries into liquidation,” says Nigel Trayers, managing director of restructuring at Grant Thornton, adding that liquidators may seek to take control of certain subsidiaries after conducting investigations.”But they would need to do this by either seeking to place the subsidiaries into liquidation or by appointing themselves as directors of those subsidiaries,” he adds. “In doing this, they will need to move through the corporate structure layer by layer and there may be certain challenges in doing this in practice.”Mr Lai points out that despite the liquidation order, “if a company is insolvent, it is not likely that unsecured creditors would recover the full amount of their claims”.Foreign creditors would also unlikely get their hands on their money before mainland creditors do.Even if Judge Chan’s orders are not carried out in China, it would send a strong message and give us a clue on what other developers and creditors may face.She presides over not just Evergrande, but also other defaulted developers such as Sunac China, Jiayuan and Kaisa.Last May, she ordered the liquidation of Jiayuan after its lawyers failed to explain why they needed more time to iron out their debt restructuring proposal.”How an offshore liquidator would be treated by onshore stakeholders when there are significant local creditors and considerations at play remains to be seen,” says Daniel Margulies, a partner at Dechert in Hong Kong who specialises in restructuring matters in Asia.Evergrande has been working on a new repayment plan but in August last year, it filed for bankruptcy in the US in a bid to protect its American assets as it worked on a deal. The following month, its chairman Hui Ka Yan was put under police surveillance.Related TopicsChinaMore on this storyWhy should I care if Evergrande collapses?Published29 September 2023Evergrande chairman put under police surveillancePublished28 September 2023The rise and fall of Evergrande’s billionaire founderPublished29 September 2023China Evergrande files for US bankruptcy protectionPublished18 August 2023Top StoriesThree US troops killed in Middle East drone attackPublished3 hours agoDisposable vapes to be banned over fears for children’s healthPublished4 hours agoBoys, 15 and 16, killed in stabbing attack namedPublished13 minutes agoFeaturesDeath of US troops ratchets up pressure on BidenThe bus route that costs £124 per passengerWhen will the Bank start to cut interest rates?The Papers: ‘Iran war’ fears and ‘two more teens killed’ BBC confronts man who abused boy in secretive Christian churchKey UN Gaza aid agency runs into diplomatic stormCould the UK’s ‘pre-war generation’ become a citizen army?What is Ofsted and how do inspections work?Elsewhere on the BBCHow are jelly beans made?Gregg Wallace visits a factory in Dublin that makes over ten million of the sweets per day!AttributioniPlayerIs this the greatest Jurassic predator that ever lived?Sir David Attenborough investigates a unique discovery: the skull of a giant, prehistoric sea monsterAttributioniPlayer’I smashed all my trophies’Bradley Wiggins opens up about his mental health and imposter syndromeAttributioniPlayerA Royle Family reunion and the best of the North!Ricky Tomlinson and Ralf Little set off on an epic camper van adventure across Northern EnglandAttributioniPlayerMost Read1Three US troops killed in Middle East drone attack2Disposable vapes to be banned for child health3Young drivers risk fraud to save on insurance cost4British base jumper dies after parachute fails5Boys, 15 and 16, killed in stabbing attack named6The bus route that costs £124 per passenger7Special review into NHS trust which treated killer8’It’s a dream come true to work with Zayn Malik’9’Iran war’ fears and ‘two more teens killed’1049ers set up Super Bowl rematch with champions ChiefsAttributionSport

[ad_1] A liquidation order may have little impact in mainland China where most of Evergrande’s assets are held.

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BBC HomepageSkip to contentAccessibility HelpYour accountLiveNotificationsHomeNewsSportWeatheriPlayerSoundsBitesizeMore menuMore menuSearch BBCHomeNewsSportWeatheriPlayerSoundsBitesizeCBBCCBeebiesFoodClose menuBBC NewsMenuHomeIsrael-Gaza warCost of LivingWar in UkraineClimateUKWorldBusinessPoliticsCultureMoreTechScienceHealthFamily & EducationIn PicturesNewsbeatBBC VerifyDisabilityWorldAfricaAsiaAustraliaEuropeLatin AmericaMiddle EastUS & CanadaIs Canada vulnerable to foreign interference?Published1 hour agoShareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingImage source, Toronto Star via Getty ImageImage caption, Canadian member of parliament Michael Chong learned through media reports that China allegedly targeted himBy Nadine YousifBBC News, TorontoThe allegations kept mounting in Canada: Election-meddling by China, an Indian-backed assassination on home soil, and a campaign to harass Iranian dissidents. Is Canada especially vulnerable to foreign interference?Michael Chong said it did not take long for him to become a target of Beijing.In testimony before US lawmakers on Capitol Hill last year, the Canadian Conservative politician described how an alleged intimidation campaign against him was born after he spoke out against China’s human rights record in parliament.He said that a Chinese official in Canada began gathering details about his relatives living in Hong Kong shortly after, and that a smear campaign against him was launched on China’s most-popular social media platform, WeChat.”My experience is but one case of Beijing’s interference in Canada,” he said. “Many, many other cases go unreported and unnoticed, and the victims suffer in silence.”Canada launches inquiry into foreign interferenceThe alleged targeting of Mr Chong, which first became public when intelligence reports were leaked to Canadian media, unleashed a fierce debate in the country around its vulnerability to foreign interference and the safety of its citizens.On Monday, he and others will begin testifying before a public inquiry that will look into Beijing’s meddling in Canada, especially its alleged efforts to sway the country’s last two federal elections by backing certain candidates.China has denied any interference and the allegations have soured relations between Beijing and Ottawa. While the inquiry will focus on claims of election interference by China, Russia, India “and other foreign actors”, experts say the problem of foreign meddling in Canada is much more complex and widespread. Solving it, they say, demands a restructuring of the political and social DNA of the country, which has long-failed to prioritise matters of national security. “Generally speaking, we have been neglecting national security, intelligence, law enforcement, defence, and so on,” Thomas Juneau, a political analyst and professor at the University of Ottawa, told the BBC.While it is tough to determine whether Canada is uniquely vulnerable compared to its allies, Mr Juneau argued that other countries have done a far better job in addressing the issue.An outdated system that is slow to adaptOne glaring problem, Mr Juneau said, is the out-of-date act governing the Canadian Security Intelligence Service (csis). It is almost 40 years old, designed with the Cold War in mind, “when the fax machine was the new thing”, he said. Because of this, he said, the nation’s primary intelligence agency has been limited in its operations, focused on sharing information solely with the federal government.This means possible targets are often left in the dark. That was spotlighted by Mr Chong’s story. He only discovered that he had been an alleged target of Beijing through the media, despite csis having monitored threats against him for at least two years.Canada has since launched public consultations into how the law governing csis can be amended to better inform and protect individuals who could be a target.The source of Canada’s security complacency, argued Richard Fadden, a former csis director and national security advisor to two prime ministers, is that Canada has lived in relative safety, largely protected from foreign threats by its geography: the US to the south, and surrounded by three oceans.”I mean, nobody is going to invade Canada,” he said. Canada’s allies – like the US and Australia – have been quicker to adopt certain tools to help catch bad actors, such as establishing a registry of foreign agents and criminalising acts that can be classified as interference.In December, Australia convicted a Vietnamese refugee who was found to be working for the Chinese Communist Party, thanks to a law it passed in 2018 that made industrial espionage for a foreign power a crime.Such laws are not only important for charging and convicting culprits, but can also help educate the public and deter other nations from interfering, said Wesley Wark, a leading Canadian historian with expertise in national security.Diaspora groups are especially vulnerableMr Wark said the country’s diverse population has also made it a convenient target for foreign states.”We are a multicultural society and we have gone to great lengths over decades to preserve and protect that,” he said.But diaspora groups, especially those vocally opposed to the government of their country of origin, have naturally become a target.British Columbia lawyer Ram Joubin has had a first-hand look at the threats facing dissidents in Canada, particularly those from Iran. While investigating people with ties to the Iranian regime who call Canada home, Mr Joubin said he has heard from Iranian-Canadians who say they have been followed and harassed by regime agents in their own communities.”We’ve had death threats, knock-on-the-door type of death threats,” he said. “And then we have a lot of people with their families in Iran being threatened because they engaged in some sort of activism.”Csis has previously said it is aware of alleged intimidation attempts. The Iranian government has not commented publicly on these allegations. In Mr Joubin’s experience, reporting these incidents to officials like the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) has been a challenge, especially when additional work is needed to establish a credible criminal or civil case.Both the RCMP and csis were criticised after the murder of Hardeep Singh Nijjar, a Sikh separatist that was killed in June in British Columbia, which Canada has alleged was done with the involvement of Indian government agents – something India denies. Prior to his death, Mr Nijjar had said that police were aware he was a target of an assassination plot. Questions were raised about whether something could have been done to stop his killing after the FBI said it was able to foil a similar assassination plot in November against another Sikh separatist leader in New York City. Image source, Bloomberg via Getty ImagesImage caption, Richard Fadden says Canada is only now coming to terms with its vulnerability to foreign meddlingMr Fadden said the events of 2023 represented a seismic shift in Canada’s psyche, forcing the country to finally confront the issue of foreign interference.”Despite a deep reluctance on the part of the government to hold a foreign inquiry, they were compelled to do it,” Mr Fadden said. “I think if there hadn’t been that shift, we wouldn’t have an inquiry.”The inquiry, led by Quebec appellate judge Marie-Josée Hogue, will be conducted in two phases, ending with a final report in December that will include recommendations on what Canada can do to deter future interference.Some have expressed concern about the inquiry’s short mandate, and whether its recommendations will be wide-ranging enough and implemented as Canada inches closer to an election year that could see a change in government.But in the meantime, Mr Fadden and others said they believe urgent action is needed.”There are two big issues: there’s interference in our elections,” Mr Fadden said. “But there’s also interfering and scaring members of the diaspora in this country, which is a very serious matter.””We have a responsibility to protect people who are in Canada, and I don’t think we’re doing as good of a job on this as we could be.”Related TopicsChinaCanadaMore on this storyCanada launches inquiry into foreign interferencePublished7 September 2023US must work with Canada to stop China meddling – MPPublished13 September 2023The long fight for justice over downed plane in IranPublished8 January 2023Top StoriesThree US troops killed in Middle East drone attackPublished4 hours agoDisposable vapes to be banned over fears for children’s healthPublished8 minutes agoPost Office chairman had to go – BadenochPublished3 hours agoFeaturesBBC confronts man who abused boy in secretive Christian churchKey UN Gaza aid agency runs into diplomatic stormWho invented butter chicken? Creamy dish centre of court battleWhen Louis Vuitton tries to make you change your brand nameAuschwitz film was ‘like Big Brother’ in house next to campKuenssberg: What do voters think of party leaders? Not a lotWould it bother you if you only got mail three days a week?Net closes in on vigilante destroyer of Italy’s speed camerasCould the UK’s ‘pre-war generation’ become a citizen army?Elsewhere on the BBCHow are jelly beans made?Gregg Wallace visits a factory in Dublin that makes over ten million of the sweets per day!AttributioniPlayerIs this the greatest Jurassic predator that ever lived?Sir David Attenborough investigates a unique discovery: the skull of a giant, prehistoric sea monsterAttributioniPlayer’I smashed all my trophies’Bradley Wiggins opens up about his mental health and imposter syndromeAttributioniPlayerA Royle Family reunion and the best of the North!Ricky Tomlinson and Ralf Little set off on an epic camper van adventure across Northern EnglandAttributioniPlayerMost Read1Disposable vapes to be banned for child health2British base jumper dies after parachute fails3Boys aged 15 and 16 killed in stabbing attack4Record UK January temperature in Scottish Highlands5Protesters throw soup at Mona Lisa painting6Three US troops killed in Middle East drone attack7When Louis Vuitton tries to make you change your brand name8I’ll repay mistaken £17K exit payout, says Dorries9UK navy ship shoots down Houthi drone in Red Sea10Post Office chairman had to go – Badenoch

[ad_1] A public inquiry launching on Monday could be a reckoning in the country on national security matters.

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BBC HomepageSkip to contentAccessibility HelpYour accountLiveNotificationsHomeNewsSportWeatheriPlayerSoundsBitesizeMore menuMore menuSearch BBCHomeNewsSportWeatheriPlayerSoundsBitesizeCBBCCBeebiesFoodClose menuBBC NewsMenuHomeIsrael-Gaza warCost of LivingWar in UkraineClimateUKWorldBusinessPoliticsCultureMoreTechScienceHealthFamily & EducationIn PicturesNewsbeatBBC VerifyDisabilityWorldAfricaAsiaAustraliaEuropeLatin AmericaMiddle EastUS & CanadaX blocks searches for Taylor Swift after explicit AI images of her go viralPublished2 hours agoShareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingImage source, Getty ImagesBy Nadine YousifBBC NewsSocial media platform X has blocked searches for Taylor Swift after explicit AI-generated images of the singer began circulating on the site.In a statement to the BBC, X’s head of business operations Joe Benarroch said it was a “temporary action” to prioritise safety.When searching for Swift on the site, a message appears that says: “Something went wrong. Try reloading.” Fake graphic images of the singer appeared on the site earlier this week.Some went viral and were viewed millions of times, prompting alarm from US officials and fans of the singer.Posts and accounts sharing the fake images were flagged by her fans, who populated the platform with real images and videos of her, using the words “protect Taylor Swift”. The photos prompted X, formerly Twitter, to release a statement on Friday, saying that posting non-consensual nudity on the platform is “strictly prohibited”. “We have a zero-tolerance policy towards such content,” the statement said. “Our teams are actively removing all identified images and taking appropriate actions against the accounts responsible for posting them.” It is unclear when X began blocking searches for Swift on the site, or whether the site has blocked searches for other public figures or terms in the past.In his email to the BBC, Mr Benarroch said the action is done “with an abundance of caution as we prioritise safety on this issue”.The issue caught the attention of the White House, who on Friday called the spread of the AI-generated photos “alarming”. “We know that lax enforcement disproportionately impacts women and they also impact girls, sadly, who are the overwhelming targets,” said White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre during a briefing. She added that there should be legislation to tackle the misuse of AI technology on social media, and that platforms should also take their own steps to ban such content on their sites.”We believe they have an important role to play in enforcing their own rules to prevent the spread of misinformation and non-consensual, intimate imagery of real people,” Ms Jean-Pierre said.US politicians have also called for new laws to criminalise the creation of deepfake images. Deepfakes use artificial intelligence to make a video of someone by manipulating their face or body. A study in 2023 found that there has been a 550% rise in the creation of doctored images since 2019, fuelled by the emergence of AI.There are currently no federal laws against the sharing or creation of deepfake images, though there have been moves at state level to tackle the issue.In the UK, the sharing of deepfake pornography became illegal as part of its Online Safety Act in 2023.Related TopicsTaylor SwiftArtificial intelligenceDeepfakesMore on this storyTaylor Swift deepfakes spark calls for US legislationPublished1 day agoMan charged with stalking near Taylor Swift’s homePublished5 days agoTop StoriesLive. Three US troops killed in drone attack in MideastPost Office chairman had to go – BadenochPublished4 minutes agoBoys aged 15 and 16 killed in stabbing attackPublished52 minutes agoFeaturesBBC confronts man who abused boy in secretive Christian churchKey UN Gaza aid agency runs into diplomatic stormWho invented butter chicken? Creamy dish centre of court battleWhen Louis Vuitton tries to make you change your brand nameAuschwitz film was ‘like Big Brother’ in house next to campKuenssberg: What do voters think of party leaders? Not a lotWould it bother you if you only got mail three days a week?Net closes in on vigilante destroyer of Italy’s speed camerasCould the UK’s ‘pre-war generation’ become a citizen army?Elsewhere on the BBCHow are jelly beans made?Gregg Wallace visits a factory in Dublin that makes over ten million of the sweets per day!AttributioniPlayerIs this the greatest Jurassic predator that ever lived?Sir David Attenborough investigates a unique discovery: the skull of a giant, prehistoric sea monsterAttributioniPlayer’I smashed all my trophies’Bradley Wiggins opens up about his mental health and imposter syndromeAttributioniPlayerA Royle Family reunion and the best of the North!Ricky Tomlinson and Ralf Little set off on an epic camper van adventure across Northern EnglandAttributioniPlayerMost Read1British base jumper dies after parachute fails2Record UK January temperature in Scottish Highlands3Boys aged 15 and 16 killed in stabbing attack4Protesters throw soup at Mona Lisa painting5Escaped monkey on the loose in Highland village6I’ll repay mistaken £17K exit payout, says Dorries7Jamie Dornan ‘hid’ after reviews of Fifty Shades8When Louis Vuitton tries to make you change your brand name9UK navy ship shoots down Houthi drone in Red Sea10Wolves FA Cup win at West Brom marred by disgraceful crowd scenesAttributionSport

[ad_1] Twitter says the move is to prioritise safety, after fake explicit images of the singer went viral.

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BBC HomepageSkip to contentAccessibility HelpYour accountLiveNotificationsHomeNewsSportWeatheriPlayerSoundsBitesizeMore menuMore menuSearch BBCHomeNewsSportWeatheriPlayerSoundsBitesizeCBBCCBeebiesFoodClose menuBBC NewsMenuHomeIsrael-Gaza warCost of LivingWar in UkraineClimateUKWorldBusinessPoliticsCultureMoreTechScienceHealthFamily & EducationIn PicturesNewsbeatBBC VerifyDisabilityWorldAfricaAsiaAustraliaEuropeLatin AmericaMiddle EastUS & CanadaEcowas: Niger, Mali and Burkina Faso quit West African blocPublished17 minutes agoShareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingImage source, ReutersBy Vicky WongBBC NewsNiger, Mali and Burkina Faso have announced they are leaving the Economic Community of West African States (Ecowas).The junta-led countries had already been suspended from the bloc, which has been urging them to return to democratic rule.The three governments said it was a “sovereign decision” to withdraw from Ecowas.They were also founding members of the bloc, first established in 1975.In a joint statement – that was read out on state broadcasters in the three countries – they said Ecowas had ” drifted from the ideals of its founding fathers and the spirit of Pan-Africanism.”It goes on to say that Ecowas “under the influence of foreign powers, betraying its founding principles, has become a threat to member states and peoples,” adding that the bloc had failed to help them tackle the jihadist insurgencies in their countries.Tensions between the bloc and the three countries have been tense after military coups took place in Niger in July, Burkina Faso in 2022 and Mali in 2020.Ecowas has called on all three countries to return to civilian rule.And in a response to Sunday’s announcement it said the three countries were “important members of the Community” and the bloc “remains committed to finding a negotiated solution to the political impasse”.It also said it had not yet received formal notification from the countries about their withdrawal from the bloc.According to the Ecowas treaty, member states wishing to withdraw must give written notice a year in advance, and continue to abide by its provisions during that year. It is unclear whether the three states have already done this.Image source, ReutersImage caption, Burkina Faso’s interim President Ibrahim Traore meeting Russia’s president Vladimir Putin in July 2023Despite suspension from the bloc, sanctions, negotiations and threats of military intervention, the military leaders have hardened their stance, accusing the bloc of being influenced by external powers.In September, the three countries formed a mutual defence pact called The Alliance of Sahel States, distanced themselves from former colonial power France and strengthened ties to Russia.The three military leaders have argued that they want to restore security before organising elections as they struggle to contain insurgencies linked to al Qaeda and Islamic State.Niger’s military leaders have said they want up to three years for a transition back to civilian rule.The military government in Mali had pledged to hold elections in February, but that has now been pushed back to an unknown date.Meanwhile, Burkina Faso has set elections for this summer, but authorities there say the fight against the insurgents remains the top priority. A delegation from Ecowas was due to travel to Niamey for a meeting with the junta in Niger on Thursday to discuss sanctions on the country.However, the aircraft that was meant to take the delegation there developed “technical problems” in Abuja and the meeting was postponed.Related TopicsEcowasBurkina FasoMaliNigerMore on this storyBurkina Faso thanks Russia for ‘priceless’ wheat giftPublished1 day agoNiger junta rejects deal to free ousted presidentPublished11 December 2023Ecowas sanctions on Niger are ‘unjust and inhumane’Published26 October 2023Fear and anger in Niger at prospect of military forcePublished12 August 2023Top StoriesLive. Three US troops killed in drone attack in MideastPost Office chair had to go as ‘it wasn’t working’ – BadenochPublished2 hours agoBoys aged 15 and 16 killed in stabbing attackPublished59 minutes agoFeaturesBBC confronts man who abused boy in secretive Christian churchKey UN Gaza aid agency runs into diplomatic stormWho invented butter chicken? Creamy dish centre of court battleWhen Louis Vuitton tries to make you change your brand nameAuschwitz film was ‘like Big Brother’ in house next to campKuenssberg: What do voters think of party leaders? Not a lotWould it bother you if you only got mail three days a week?Net closes in on vigilante destroyer of Italy’s speed camerasCould the UK’s ‘pre-war generation’ become a citizen army?Elsewhere on the BBCHow are jelly beans made?Gregg Wallace visits a factory in Dublin that makes over ten million of the sweets per day!AttributioniPlayerIs this the greatest Jurassic predator that ever lived?Sir David Attenborough investigates a unique discovery: the skull of a giant, prehistoric sea monsterAttributioniPlayer’I smashed all my trophies’Bradley Wiggins opens up about his mental health and imposter syndromeAttributioniPlayerA Royle Family reunion and the best of the North!Ricky Tomlinson and Ralf Little set off on an epic camper van adventure across Northern EnglandAttributioniPlayerMost Read1British base jumper dies after parachute fails2Boys aged 15 and 16 killed in stabbing attack3Protesters throw soup at Mona Lisa painting4Record UK January temperature in Scottish Highlands5I’ll repay mistaken £17K exit payout, says Dorries6Jamie Dornan ‘hid’ after reviews of Fifty Shades7When Louis Vuitton tries to make you change your brand name8UK navy ship shoots down Houthi drone in Red Sea9Three US troops killed in Middle East drone attack10Escaped monkey on the loose in Highland village

[ad_1] The three junta-led countries were suspended from the bloc amid calls to return to democratic rule.

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BBC HomepageSkip to contentAccessibility HelpYour accountLiveNotificationsHomeNewsSportWeatheriPlayerSoundsBitesizeMore menuMore menuSearch BBCHomeNewsSportWeatheriPlayerSoundsBitesizeCBBCCBeebiesFoodClose menuBBC NewsMenuHomeIsrael-Gaza warCost of LivingWar in UkraineClimateUKWorldBusinessPoliticsCultureMoreTechScienceHealthFamily & EducationIn PicturesNewsbeatBBC VerifyDisabilityWorldAfricaAsiaAustraliaEuropeLatin AmericaMiddle EastUS & CanadaThree US troops killed in drone attack in JordanPublished37 minutes agoShareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingImage source, Getty ImagesThree US troops have been killed and 25 injured in a drone attack on a US base in Jordan, the US military said.US Central Command (Centcom) said in a statement the casualties were caused by a drone attack at a base in northeast Jordan, near the Syria border.US President Joe Biden said that the attack was carried out by “radical Iran-backed militant groups”.This is the first time US soldiers have been killed in the region after Hamas’s 7 October attack on Israel.There have been attacks on US bases in the region but so far there have been no casualties reported by the US army.The White House said Mr Biden was briefed Sunday morning on the attack by US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin and other officials. “While we are still gathering the facts of this attack, we know it was carried out by radical Iran-backed militant groups operating in Syria and Iraq,” Mr Biden said in a statement.”Have no doubt – we will hold all those responsible to account at a time and in a manner our choosing.”Jill and I join the families and friends of our fallen – and Americans across the country – in grieving the loss of these warriors in this despicable and wholly unjust attack,” the statement added.Mr Biden was briefed on Sunday morning about the attack, the White House said. The names of the servicemen killed and injured have not yet been released as officials work to notify their families.Jordan, a close American ally, has housed US military bases for some time. It is estimated that around 3,000 American troops are typically stationed there.Earlier this month, two Navy Seals were presumed dead by the US Army after they went missing during an operation off the coast of Somalia a to seize Iranian-made weapons bound for Houthis in Yemen. This breaking news story is being updated and more details will be published shortly. Please refresh the page for the fullest version.You can receive Breaking News on a smartphone or tablet via the BBC News App. You can also follow @BBCBreaking on Twitter to get the latest alerts.Related TopicsMiddle EastUS Armed ForcesUnited StatesJoe BidenTop StoriesLive. Three US troops killed in drone attack in JordanPost Office chair had to go as ‘it wasn’t working’ – BadenochPublished1 hour agoBoys aged 15 and 16 killed in stabbing attackPublished1 hour agoFeaturesBBC confronts man who abused boy in secretive Christian churchWho invented butter chicken? Creamy dish centre of court battleWhen Louis Vuitton tries to make you change your brand nameAuschwitz film was ‘like Big Brother’ in house next to campKuenssberg: What do voters think of party leaders? Not a lotWould it bother you if you only got mail three days a week?Net closes in on vigilante destroyer of Italy’s speed camerasCould the UK’s ‘pre-war generation’ become a citizen army?OneFour: The rap group dividing AustraliaElsewhere on the BBCHow are jelly beans made?Gregg Wallace visits a factory in Dublin that makes over ten million of the sweets per day!AttributioniPlayerIs this the greatest Jurassic predator that ever lived?Sir David Attenborough investigates a unique discovery: the skull of a giant, prehistoric sea monsterAttributioniPlayer’I smashed all my trophies’Bradley Wiggins opens up about his mental health and imposter syndromeAttributioniPlayerA Royle Family reunion and the best of the North!Ricky Tomlinson and Ralf Little set off on an epic camper van adventure across Northern EnglandAttributioniPlayerMost Read1British base jumper dies after parachute fails2Boys aged 15 and 16 killed in stabbing attack3Protesters throw soup at Mona Lisa painting4Record UK January temperature in Scottish Highlands5I’ll repay mistaken £17K exit payout, says Dorries6Three US troops killed in drone attack in Jordan7Jamie Dornan ‘hid’ after reviews of Fifty Shades8When Louis Vuitton tries to make you change your brand name9Wolves FA Cup win at West Brom marred by disgraceful crowd scenesAttributionSport10UK navy ship shoots down Houthi drone in Red Sea

[ad_1] President Biden said the attack was carried out by “radical Iran-backed militant groups”.

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• January 28, 2024
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BBC HomepageSkip to contentAccessibility HelpYour accountLiveNotificationsHomeNewsSportWeatheriPlayerSoundsBitesizeMore menuMore menuSearch BBCHomeNewsSportWeatheriPlayerSoundsBitesizeCBBCCBeebiesFoodClose menuBBC NewsMenuHomeIsrael-Gaza warCost of LivingWar in UkraineClimateUKWorldBusinessPoliticsCultureMoreTechScienceHealthFamily & EducationIn PicturesNewsbeatBBC VerifyDisabilityWorldAfricaAsiaAustraliaEuropeLatin AmericaMiddle EastUS & CanadaRed Sea: UK navy ship shoots down Houthi dronePublished2 hours agoShareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingImage source, ReutersA British war ship has shot down a Houthi drone targeting the vessel in the Red Sea.The Ministry of Defence (MoD) said in a statement that HMS Diamond had deployed the missile on Saturday, and no injuries or damage were sustained.The Iran-backed Houthis have been targeting ships they say are linked to Israel and the West that travel through the Red Sea trade route.Defence Secretary Grant Shapps said the UK remains “undaunted” by the attacks.Posting on X, he called the latest attack by the Yemen-based group “illegal”, adding: “Our commitment to protect innocent lives and the freedom of navigation is absolutely unwavering.”The MoD said in its statement: “These intolerable and illegal acts are completely unacceptable and it is our duty to protect the freedom of navigation in the Red Sea.”A spokesperson for the MoD confirmed that this is the third incident of this kind with HMS Diamond since December – the first taking place on December 16 and the second on January 10.Who are the Houthis attacking Red Sea ships?Navy Seals presumed dead after anti-Houthi missionWhat do Red Sea assaults mean for global trade?Earlier this week, the US and UK launched joint air strikes against Houthi targets in Yemen. It was the eighth time the US had struck Houthi targets, and the second time the UK was involved. On Friday, the Marlin Luanda – a British-linked oil tanker in the Gulf of Aden – was set on fire for several hours after being hit by a missile fired by the Houthis.The fire was extinguished with no crew injured after French, Indian and US naval ships provided assistance to the vessel.The Houthis said it targeted the vessel in response to “American-British aggression against our country”.The Houthis have targeted foreign ships in the area since the start of the Israel-Hamas war. They have declared support for Hamas and have said they were targeting ships travelling to Israel.Image source, ReutersImage caption, The view from the bridge of HMS Diamond as Sea Viper missiles are fired at incoming Houthi drone.Related TopicsYemenHouthis More on this storyWho are the Houthis attacking Red Sea ships?Published5 days agoFire on ship linked to Britain after Houthi attackPublished18 hours agoUS and UK launch fresh strikes on HouthisPublished5 days agoTop StoriesThree US troops killed in drone attack in JordanPublished4 minutes agoPost Office chair had to go as ‘it wasn’t working’ – BadenochPublished44 minutes agoBoys aged 15 and 16 killed in stabbing attackPublished28 minutes agoFeaturesBBC confronts man who abused boy in secretive Christian churchWho invented butter chicken? Creamy dish centre of court battleWhen Louis Vuitton tries to make you change your brand nameAuschwitz film was ‘like Big Brother’ in house next to campKuenssberg: What do voters think of party leaders? Not a lotWould it bother you if you only got mail three days a week?Net closes in on vigilante destroyer of Italy’s speed camerasCould the UK’s ‘pre-war generation’ become a citizen army?OneFour: The rap group dividing AustraliaElsewhere on the BBCHow are jelly beans made?Gregg Wallace visits a factory in Dublin that makes over ten million of the sweets per day!AttributioniPlayerIs this the greatest Jurassic predator that ever lived?Sir David Attenborough investigates a unique discovery: the skull of a giant, prehistoric sea monsterAttributioniPlayer’I smashed all my trophies’Bradley Wiggins opens up about his mental health and imposter syndromeAttributioniPlayerA Royle Family reunion and the best of the North!Ricky Tomlinson and Ralf Little set off on an epic camper van adventure across Northern EnglandAttributioniPlayerMost Read1Boys aged 15 and 16 killed in stabbing attack2I’ll repay mistaken £17K exit payout, says Dorries3British base jumper dies after parachute fails4Record UK January temperature in Scottish Highlands5Protesters throw soup at Mona Lisa painting6UK navy ship shoots down Houthi drone in Red Sea7When Louis Vuitton tries to make you change your brand name8Post Office chair had to go as ‘it wasn’t working’ – Badenoch9Concerns about Liverpool building before fire10Off-peak Friday fares trial to start in London

[ad_1] The Ministry of Defence says this is the third such incident involving HMS Diamond.

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