Author: 5hspx
China held a live-fire exercise from its territory closest to Taiwan a week after launching a large-scale exercise encircling the island.Chinese military exercises off Taiwan's coast have intensified in recent years as its claims to the self-governing island have grown.Beijing announced late Monday that an area around Niushan – an island 105 km (66 miles) from Taiwan – would be closed to exercises for four hours starting at 9 a.m. local time (0100 GMT) on Tuesday.Taiwanese Prime Minister Cho Jung-tai said on Tuesday that China should not conduct such exercises given their threat to regional stability.“No matter how large the…
Getty ImagesGovernment borrowing rose last month, marking the third highest September since records began in January 1993.Official figures show borrowing – the difference between spending and tax receipts – reached £16.6 billion last month.The Office for National Statistics (ONS) said the figure was £2.1 billion more than in September last year.These are the last official public finance figures before next week's budget, as the Treasury is expected to change its self-imposed rules on debt.The monthly figure was lower than the expectations of economists, who collectively forecast borrowing of £17.5 billion for September.“Although tax revenues increased, they were offset by increased…
BBC hindiJyoti Yadav was among those cheated by scammersA few weeks ago, Indian police discovered that scammers had opened a fake bank branch – complete with a logo, office furniture and even a few employees – in a village in the state of Chhattisgarh. BBC Hindi pieced together what happened.Jyoti Yadav was elated when she got a job as an office assistant at a newly opened bank branch near her village.She had been looking for work for four years, facing increasing financial pressure.Bank officials asked her to join immediately, and she agreed because it was State Bank of India (SBI),…
Tesla/YouTubeAn image shown during Tesla's We, Robot eventThe director of the film Blade Runner 2049 has sued Tesla, Elon Musk and Warner Bros. Discovery, alleging they used footage from the film without permission.Production company Alcon Entertainment says it specifically rejected a request from Warner Bros to use material from the film at the launch event for Tesla's long-awaited robotaxi.Alcon claims that despite his refusal, Tesla and other organizers of the October 10 event used artificial intelligence (AI) to create promotional images based on the film.Tesla and Warner Bros did not immediately respond to BBC News' requests for comment.“The financial magnitude…
An Aboriginal protester was arrested at the Sydney Opera House as crowds waited to see the King and Queen on the final day of their tour of Australia.Crowds of people gathered on the port square, where the royal couple is due to go on Tuesday afternoon.Wayne Wharton, a prominent Brisbane indigenous activist, was arrested after shouting anti-monarchist slogans and refusing a police order to move on.It comes as backlash following an Indigenous senator's heckling of King Charles in Canberra on Monday mounts, with politicians and some Indigenous leaders condemning Lidia Thorpe's behavior.Mr Wharton had shouted “he is not my king”,…
“You are not my king”: moment when King Charles is heckled by an Australian politicianSome Indigenous leaders have criticized an Australian senator's heckling of King Charles, as she faces backlash over a violent image of the monarch briefly posted on her social media account.Lidia Thorpe, an Indigenous woman, made headlines around the world when she shouted “you are not my king” and “this is not your land” before being escorted away from an event royal in Canberra on Monday.The independent senator's protest was hailed by some activists as courageous, but condemned by other prominent Aboriginal Australians as “embarrassing” and disrespectful.Thorpe…
Getty ImagesWater bills will rise more than expected over the next five years, to finance higher costs and more investment, according to the BBC.The regulator, Ofwat, is in the process of deciding how much customer bills can be increased.In July, Ofwat provisionally agreed to allow bills to rise by 21% above inflation over the period 2025 to 2030.But bills are now expected to rise further after Ofwat makes its final decision at the end of the year.Later this week the government will also announce plans which are expected to lead to the biggest overhaul of the water sector since its…
Getty ImagesMost of India's 1.4 billion people live in villagesSmall villages in the state of Haryana, in India's rural northwest, find themselves in the spotlight these days.Farmers' houses in hamlets around the industrial town of Rohtak are suddenly in high demand and are also used as movie sets. Alongside the mooing of cows, it is not uncommon to hear a director shouting “lights, camera, action”. A new start-up, called STAGE, has given birth to a burgeoning film industry in this hinterland.“Batta,” a high-octane drama about power and injustice, is just the latest of half a dozen films in production in…
Getty ImagesThe Peace Bridge between Port Erie, Ontario, and Buffalo, New York, carries more than a million trucks and more than five million cars each year.As Americans prepare to vote for their next president, Canadians and Mexicans are watching nervously.For some Canadians living near the U.S. border, politics is not a topic often discussed.“You don't talk about politics and you don't talk about religion,” says Ernie, 85, who lives in the Canadian town of Fort Erie, just across the Niagara River from Buffalo, New York.Yet for others in Fort Erie, Ontario, politics can arise, especially after a few beers, and…
The Serious Fraud Office is investigating the construction of a hotel and conference center owned by one of the UK's biggest unions, the BBC can reveal.Unite the Union spent a total of £112 million of its members' money on the Birmingham project.The building has since been valued at just £29million, suggesting £83million was wasted.An investigation by KC and commissioned by Unite general secretary Sharon Graham also identified a missing £14 million, described as a “mystery” and not included in the project’s final accounts.Unite told the BBC that the matter was “now with the Serious Fraud Office” and that Ms Graham,…