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Thirlwall Inquiry: NHS-Wide Failures Enabled Letby, Report Says
Health

Thirlwall Inquiry: NHS-Wide Failures Enabled Letby, Report Says

The Thirlwall inquiry's final report finds the Countess of Chester Hospital and the wider NHS failed to stop Lucy Letby, prompting reform pledges from Yvette Cooper. The public inquiry into the Lucy Letby case has concluded that failures ran far beyond a single hospital, finding that the culture of England's health system helped create the conditions that allowed criminality on a neonatal unit to go unchecked. The Thirlwall inquiry's final report, published on 15 September 2026, described a "complete failure" to protect the babies in Letby's care. Lady Justice Thirlwall, the inquiry chair, reserved her sharpest criticism for the Countess of Chester Hospital and its management. But roughly a third of the report examined the role of the wider NHS. Across more than 200 pages, Thirlwall set out how systemic weaknesses in regulation, employment practices and the ability to learn from past scandals left staff unable to raise the alarm effectively. Letby was convicted in 2023 of murdering seven babies and attempting to murder seven more, and is serving 15 whole-life prison terms. She has twice been refused permission to appeal. Responding to the report in the House of Commons, Health Secretary Yvette Cooper said she "will not hesitate" to hold the system to account at every level. "This must be a turning point for the NHS," she told MPs. Cooper promised to establish a hub to monitor progress on the inquiry's recommendations and pointed to a newly created maternity and neonatal commissioner post as evidence of her commitment to raising standards. 'Blame engineering' and an exercise in spin The inquiry found that NHS managers have become preoccupied with avoiding blame, producing what it called an "over-focus on process and reputation management". One witness described the behaviour as "blame engineering". Thirlwall identified this as a defining feature of how senior figures at the Countess of Chester handled concerns about Letby, at one point describing their approach as an "exercise in spin". That culture, the report said, makes it far harder for staff to speak up - a problem repeatedly flagged in inquiries into other health scandals. Over the past decade, the NHS has tried to address the issue through the Freedom to Speak Up programme, which gives each organisation a "guardian" responsible for supporting staff who want to raise concerns. But the inquiry found that in a number of places the scheme had become a "box ticking" exercise. The result, according to Thirlwall, is a "toxic negativity" around whistleblowing, with staff discouraged from voicing problems. That conclusion is echoed by the most recent NHS staff survey, which recorded declining confidence among employees about speaking out. The 'donkey sanctuary' The report also identified a consistent failure within the NHS to deal with poor performance. The inquiry heard that failing managers are often moved to new roles - sometimes with the active help of NHS England - in a process described as "rehabilitation". Tony Chambers, the former chief executive of the Countess of Chester, referred to this practice as "the donkey sanctuary". Thirlwall noted that some managers who fail in their posts receive pay-offs and move elsewhere "with few questions asked", as NHS trusts seek to avoid the threat of employment tribunals. While the report acknowledged that the NHS employs many excellent managers, it concluded that profound change is needed in how the health service handles those who fall short. Cooper framed the government's response as the beginning of a broader effort to rebuild accountability across the health service. The tracking hub and the new commissioner role are intended to ensure that the inquiry's recommendations are implemented rather than shelved - a direct answer to Thirlwall's finding that the NHS and government repeatedly struggle to absorb the lessons of previous failures. The inquiry's verdict places the Letby case within a wider pattern of institutional weakness, arguing that the tragedy at the Countess of Chester was enabled not only by local management but by a health system whose instincts favoured process and reputation over patient safety. Whether the government's reforms mark the turning point Cooper described will depend on how far those systemic habits can be changed. Thirlwall inquiry, Lucy Letby, Countess of Chester Hospital, NHS neonatal care, Yvette Cooper, NHS whistleblowing, maternity commissioner, NHS management failures

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1 month ago
Hyundai Exter CNG: An SUV Take on the Affordable CNG Car
AutoMobiles

Hyundai Exter CNG: An SUV Take on the Affordable CNG Car

Hyundai Exter CNG starts around Rs 7 lakh, offers 27.1 km/kg, 185 mm ground clearance and a twin-cylinder Hy-CNG Duo setup that protects boot space. Hyundai is pitching the Exter compact SUV at buyers who would otherwise shop for an affordable CNG hatchback. The CNG variant of the Exter starts at around Rs 7 lakh (ex-showroom), while petrol versions begin at roughly Rs 5.8 lakh. That places it a step above conventional CNG hatchbacks on price, but with the added space, features and road presence of a small SUV. The Exter CNG runs Hyundai's Hy-CNG Duo system, a twin-cylinder arrangement, paired with a 1.2-litre naturally aspirated four-cylinder petrol engine and a five-speed manual gearbox. Hyundai claims a fuel efficiency of 27.1 km/kg on CNG. With about 9 kg of usable CNG capacity, that points to a theoretical range of close to 240 km on gas alone, though actual figures depend on how the car is driven and how much gas is filled. For a typical city commute of 40 to 50 km on a working day, that range works out to roughly one CNG refill a week. Combined with the relatively accessible purchase price, the low fuel cost is aimed squarely at buyers who drive regular urban routes and want to keep running costs down. Twin Cylinders Under the Boot Floor The Hy-CNG Duo layout is central to Hyundai's pitch. Instead of a single large cylinder taking up the luggage compartment, the Exter uses two smaller cylinders positioned beneath the boot floor. Factory-fitted CNG cars have long been criticised for surrendering most of their boot to the gas tank. By tucking the cylinders below the floor, the Exter keeps a more usable luggage area above them, which matters for families carrying everyday bags or packing for a weekend trip. Ground Clearance and an Upright Stance Where the Exter separates itself from a hatchback is in size and stance. It offers 185 mm of ground clearance, useful on broken roads, awkward speed breakers and the uneven surfaces drivers encounter daily. Its taller body and higher seating position give a different feel from a conventional small car. For someone stepping up from an entry-level hatchback, those SUV traits can weigh as heavily in the decision as fuel economy. A Four-Cylinder Engine The engine choice is another point Hyundai highlights. Three-cylinder units have become common among affordable cars, including several CNG rivals. The Exter's 1.2-litre unit is a four-cylinder, a configuration that generally delivers smoother power and better refinement, especially at idle and low engine speeds. That is most noticeable in stop-and-go traffic. The engine is bi-fuel, so owners can switch between petrol and CNG as needed. Taken together, the Exter CNG asks buyers to spend a little more upfront than a smaller CNG hatchback. In return, it bundles the running-cost advantage of CNG with higher ground clearance, SUV-inspired proportions, a four-cylinder engine and the twin-cylinder packaging that preserves boot space - attributes that cannot easily be retrofitted later. Hyundai Exter CNG, Exter CNG price, Hy-CNG Duo, CNG SUV India, Exter fuel efficiency, compact SUV CNG, affordable CNG car, Hyundai Exter mileage

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1 month ago
Kia Launches Factory-Fitted Carens, Clavis CNG From Rs 12.12 Lakh
AutoMobiles

Kia Launches Factory-Fitted Carens, Clavis CNG From Rs 12.12 Lakh

Kia India rolls out three factory-fitted CNG variants of Carens and Clavis, starting at Rs 12,11,800 ex-showroom, with a 1.5-litre engine and 60-litre cylinder. Kia India has begun selling factory-fitted CNG editions of the Carens and the Carens Clavis, with prices opening at Rs 12,11,800 and Rs 12,38,800 ex-showroom. Three variants join the lineup: a single Premium (O) grade on the Carens, and HTE and HTE (O) grades on the Clavis. The move gives shoppers a third fuel path across the carmaker's three-row MPV range, sitting between the equivalent petrol and diesel models on sticker price. The rollout arrives after the powertrain was first shown on September 4, when Kia displayed the CNG cars next to the Sorento and disclosed the technical details. All three CNG variants run the same drivetrain and gearbox combination, and no automatic version has been confirmed. What the CNG trims cost The Carens Premium (O) CNG carries a tag of Rs 12,11,800. On the Clavis, the HTE CNG is set at Rs 12,38,800, roughly Rs 27,000 more than the Carens equivalent. The Clavis HTE (O) CNG asks Rs 13,34,800, a step of about Rs 96,000 over the HTE grade. Against the petrol range, the gap is close to Rs 1 lakh at either end: the Clavis HTE petrol is listed at Rs 11.39 lakh and the HTE (O) petrol at Rs 12.35 lakh. The comparison with diesel runs the other way. The Clavis HTE (O) diesel opens at Rs 14.37 lakh, so the matching CNG grade undercuts it by around Rs 1.02 lakh, giving buyers who want lower running costs a cheaper way in than the oil-burner. Every figure quoted is ex-showroom. The dual-fuel hardware Both cars use the Smartstream 1.5-litre naturally aspirated petrol engine, which puts out 96 PS and 123 Nm when running on gas. Drive goes through a six-speed manual. The factory setup pairs a 60-litre CNG cylinder with the standard petrol tank, letting the driver move between the two fuels on the go. Kia has placed the cylinder in the boot and kept the spare wheel slung beneath the body. To carry the extra weight and plumbing, the engineers retuned the engine calibration and reworked the suspension. The CNG cars also gain 16-inch wheels and larger front disc brakes. Kia says the third-row seat-back frame has been reshaped to open up the recline angle. Inside, a dedicated switch handles the fuel changeover, and a 4.2-inch colour TFT driver display shows how far the car can travel on the gas that remains. The company draws a line between this integrated system and the dealer-fitted CNG conversion that was offered on the earlier Carens, pitching the new version at households that clock high monthly mileage on regular commutes. A packed September The CNG launch caps a heavy month of activity for Kia India, which opened September with the Sorento. Since then the brand has added Clavis diesel automatic and petrol DCT options, widened its lifetime unlimited-kilometre battery warranty to qualifying Clavis EV owners, and started pre-bookings for both the Clavis CNG and the Carnival Hybrid. With CNG pricing now confirmed, the Carnival Hybrid launch is still to come, as Kia broadens its engine choices heading into the festive season. The company has also signalled that some models and variants could carry higher prices from October 2026. Kia Carens CNG, Kia Clavis CNG, factory-fitted CNG, Kia India MPV, CNG price India, Smartstream 1.5 engine, three-row MPV CNG

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1 month ago
UN Finds Grounds to Believe US Committed War Crimes in Iran
Middle East

UN Finds Grounds to Believe US Committed War Crimes in Iran

A UN fact-finding mission says US strikes on a school in Minab and a sports hall in Lamerd killed at least 177 civilians in February. United Nations human rights investigators have concluded there are reasonable grounds to believe the United States carried out war crimes in two February attacks in Iran that left at least 177 civilians dead. The findings, released Thursday by the Independent International Fact-Finding Mission on Iran, centre on missile strikes that hit a primary school in the town of Minab and a sports complex in Lamerd. The mission's three independent experts told the UN Human Rights Council that both attacks amounted to indiscriminate strikes that killed civilians and wrecked civilian buildings. Washington has previously denied hitting Lamerd and said it was still looking into what happened at Minab. A State Department official said the United States placed no credibility in the report's conclusions. Both strikes took place on 28 February, the day the mission says the United States and Israel opened their war against Iran. Tomahawk missiles slammed into Shajareh Tayyebeh Primary School in the southern town of Minab, killing at least 156 people, among them 120 children, according to local officials. Hours of the same day, Precision Strike Missiles scattered clouds of tungsten pellets across a sports complex and nearby homes in Lamerd, leaving at least 21 civilians dead, seven of them children. Why the experts point to the US The school sat next to an Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps naval facility that was also struck that day. But the investigators said the school building was easy to distinguish and that they found nothing to suggest it served any military function. They drew on media accounts describing a preliminary US military inquiry that reportedly attributed responsibility to American forces, and noted that the United States is the only participant in the conflict armed with Tomahawk missiles. Those two threads led the experts to their central judgement: that American forces most likely launched the missiles that destroyed the classroom block. They went further, ruling that the school itself was the deliberate aim point rather than a stray hit or accidental damage from the assault on the neighbouring IRGC compound. Survivors, they said, reported that the building was hit a second time. The US military has not yet published the outcome of its own examination of the Minab attack. Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth has stated that American forces would "never target civilian targets." Iran accused of crimes against humanity The report did not confine its criticism to the United States. The same experts determined that Iranian authorities committed crimes against humanity while suppressing mass anti-government demonstrations in January. Security forces, they said, carried out killings on "a staggering and unprecedented scale," reaching into every one of the country's 31 provinces. Tehran has not responded to the latest conclusions. In the past it has dismissed claims that it commits systematic human rights abuses. The mission framed its work around the plight of ordinary Iranians squeezed on two sides. "Civilians in Iran are caught between gross human rights violations and crimes against humanity committed by their own government and the nation's deadly conflict with the United States and Israel," the panel said in its Thursday statement. For this submission to the Human Rights Council, the experts chose to examine two of the bloodiest episodes of the war against Iran's civilian population. The scale of the loss at Minab - more than a hundred children killed in a single school - has made it one of the defining images of the conflict. The Lamerd strike, delivered by a different class of weapon designed to spread lethal fragments over a wide area, struck a residential district alongside the sports venue. The report leaves several questions unresolved, chief among them the still-unreleased results of the American investigation into the Minab deaths. Until those findings appear, the fact-finding mission's account stands as the most detailed public reckoning of who was responsible and what was hit. Its authors have laid out a case that the school was chosen, not caught by accident - a conclusion the United States rejects but has yet to counter with evidence of its own. US Iran strikes, war crimes Iran, Minab school strike, Lamerd sports complex, UN Fact-Finding Mission Iran, Tomahawk missiles Iran, Iran civilian casualties, UN Human Rights Council

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1 month ago
Israeli Strike on Motorcycle Kills Palestinian in Gaza City
Middle East

Israeli Strike on Motorcycle Kills Palestinian in Gaza City

A Friday air strike in Sheikh Radwan killed one Palestinian and left a child critical, as Gaza officials warned the health system is near collapse. One Palestinian was killed and several others were wounded on Friday when an Israeli air strike hit a motorcycle in the Sheikh Radwan neighbourhood, west of Gaza City, according to the Palestinian Wafa news agency. A child caught in the blast was left in critical condition. The same day, Israeli forces opened fire on the Nuseirat and al-Bureij refugee camps in the central Gaza Strip, Wafa reported. Gunfire struck tents housing displaced families in both camps, leaving multiple people injured. Strikes have continued across the sealed-off territory despite a ceasefire announced in October 2025. At least 1,381 Palestinians have been killed in the period since that announcement. The wider death toll from the war that began in October 2023 stands at a minimum of 73,795 people killed and 174,869 wounded. The Friday attacks followed a series of deadly incidents earlier in the week. In one, an Israeli "double-tap" air strike - a tactic that hits the same site twice - killed a paramedic and a 15-year-old schoolboy in Gaza City. The Israeli military said it had been aiming at Hamas fighters. Collapsed building in Gaza City On Wednesday, a building in Gaza City that had already been damaged caved in, killing at least 21 people. Twelve of the dead were children. Rescue teams from the Palestinian Civil Defence agency have been unable to pull all the bodies from beneath the debris, hampered by tight Israeli limits on the heavy machinery allowed into the enclave. The difficulty of clearing collapsed structures reflects a broader breakdown in basic services. Families across Gaza are now packed into roughly a third of the territory, according to UNICEF, living among wrecked buildings, piles of rubble and waste that has not been removed. The UN children's agency reported last month that, on average, one child was being killed every day. Those still alive are sheltering in what remains of neighbourhoods reduced to ruins. Health sector near breaking point Gaza's Health Ministry issued a stark warning on Wednesday, saying the territory's medical system was close to "total collapse." Officials tied the crisis to restrictions on how much medical aid and fuel Israel permits to cross into the enclave. With supplies squeezed and infrastructure in ruins, hospitals and clinics have struggled to treat the steady flow of wounded arriving from strikes like the one in Sheikh Radwan. The shortage of fuel threatens the equipment and generators that keep emergency care running. The combination of continued strikes, blocked equipment and dwindling medical resources has left rescue workers and medics with fewer means to respond to each new attack. The child injured on Friday joins a long list of young casualties recorded across Gaza since the fighting began. Gaza City strike, Sheikh Radwan, Palestinian casualties, Gaza ceasefire, Nuseirat refugee camp, al-Bureij, Gaza health system, UNICEF Gaza children

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1 month ago
New Taipei Council Candidate Indicted Over Cash-and-Cake Gifts
World

New Taipei Council Candidate Indicted Over Cash-and-Cake Gifts

Prosecutors have charged New Taipei City Council candidate Chang Chao-long with election law violations over red envelopes and radish cakes given to voters. The New Taipei District Prosecutors' Office has indicted city council candidate Chang Chao-long (張昭隆), accusing him of breaking election law by handing cash-filled red envelopes and radish cakes to voters ahead of Taiwan's November polls. Chang is running as an independent for a seat on the New Taipei City Council and previously served as a deputy spokesperson for the Taiwan People's Party's New Taipei chapter. According to prosecutors, Chang turned up at dinners organised for elderly residents between July 7 and Aug. 5, appearing at five community development associations within the district he hopes to represent. The gatherings were spread across the Linkou (林口), Wugu (五股) and Taishan (泰山) districts and two further locations. At those events, investigators say, Chang gave out red envelopes each holding US$1 along with Hong Kong-style radish cakes worth NT$120 apiece. Prosecutors argue the combined worth of the money and the food went beyond what would pass as an ordinary social courtesy or standard campaign giveaway, and could instead amount to buying votes. The case moved quickly this month. On Sept. 10, prosecutors joined police and investigators to carry out searches, and they called in Chang together with 74 other people for questioning. Chang was then held in detention and barred from contact with the outside. Prosecutors say the alleged conduct may breach the Public Officials Election and Recall Act (公職人員選舉罷免法), the statute that governs how candidates campaign and prohibits offering benefits in return for support at the ballot box. The indictment sets the stage for a trial as the district heads toward its November council vote. Chang Chao-long, New Taipei City Council, Taiwan election law, vote buying Taiwan, Public Officials Election and Recall Act, Taiwan People's Party, November elections Taiwan, New Taipei prosecutors

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1 month ago
Chelsea Collapse 3-0 at Brentford as Joao Pedro Injury Bites
Sports

Chelsea Collapse 3-0 at Brentford as Joao Pedro Injury Bites

Chelsea lost 3-0 at Brentford on Friday with striker Joao Pedro sidelined by a knee injury, extending Xabi Alonso's defensive troubles. Chelsea slumped to a 3-0 defeat at Brentford on Friday, undone by both a leaky defence and an attack that misfired without injured striker Joao Pedro. The result, at the Brentford Community Stadium, left Xabi Alonso still searching for answers in his opening weeks as manager. Joao Pedro, the Brazilian forward, missed the match with a knee injury. His absence stripped Alonso's side of its main creative spark up front, a role he had shared with Cole Palmer and Morgan Rogers, the midfielder who arrived in the summer as a club-record £117m signing from Aston Villa. Danny Welbeck came in for the injured striker but struggled to shape the game. The contest stayed level until the 61st minute, when Jaidon Anthony put the hosts in front. Chelsea then fell apart, shipping three goals in all as Brentford extended their unbeaten start to the season. A defence that keeps leaking Chelsea have now conceded 12 goals, more than any other team in the Premier League, though they have played one match more than the rest of the division. The pattern has become a defining feature of Alonso's tenure. He is only the sixth manager in Premier League history to let in two or more goals in each of his first five games in charge. Early in the campaign, Chelsea had papered over those problems by simply outscoring opponents, relying on the flair of their forwards. At Brentford, that safety net vanished. Some of the defensive frailties were inherited, but Alonso has yet to impose a settled tactical shape on the team. The manager has kept changing his approach, trying different systems and handing out 11 debuts so far. Two more came on Friday. Mahdi Nicoll-Jazuli became the first 16-year-old to feature for Chelsea in the Premier League, while 36-year-old Jordan Henderson, a summer signing, made his debut against a club he once played for. Welbeck struggles for service Chelsea turned to the transfer market for a Brighton forward for the second summer running, signing Welbeck to link up again with Joao Pedro and add depth in attack. But the 35-year-old saw little of the ball. He was neat when he did receive it, yet managed just 17 touches before being withdrawn in the 71st minute. The difference between the two forwards was stark. Joao Pedro can carve out chances on his own, while Welbeck found it hard to influence proceedings with so little supply. The Brazilian had gone into the weekend leading the Premier League for goal involvements, with three goals and three assists in four appearances. Beyond the numbers, he had knitted the front line together, dovetailing with Palmer and Rogers. Rogers, by contrast, turned in what was arguably his flattest display since joining from Villa. He was eventually pushed into a central striking role, a switch forced by the absence of Emmanuel Emegha, who is also injured and has still not made his Chelsea debut. The evening followed a familiar script: the attack failed to click, and once Brentford edged ahead, the rest of the team unravelled behind them. What had been a tight, even match tilted sharply the moment the hosts scored. Chelsea now face an enforced pause. The extended international break gives Alonso and his players three weeks to reflect on the loss before their next fixture. For the manager, the priority is clear enough. Stopping the flow of goals against his side has become the most pressing task of his young Chelsea reign. Chelsea, Brentford, Xabi Alonso, Joao Pedro, Premier League, Jordan Henderson, Morgan Rogers, Cole Palmer

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1 month ago
GM Unveils Two New V-8 Engines for 2027 Silverado, Sierra Trucks
Business

GM Unveils Two New V-8 Engines for 2027 Silverado, Sierra Trucks

General Motors detailed the engine lineup for its 2027 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 and GMC Sierra 1500, adding two new V-8s as V-8 pickups make a comeback. General Motors on Thursday detailed the engine lineup for its upcoming 2027 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 and GMC Sierra 1500 pickup trucks, adding two new V-8 engines as the Detroit automaker doubles down on its most profitable business. The redesigned trucks will also offer a carryover inline-six-cylinder diesel engine and an enhanced four-cylinder turbocharged option. The announcement, made public a week after Ford Motor updated its own engine offerings for the 2027 model year, revives what the industry calls the "truck wars" among Detroit's biggest automakers. GM said the lineup includes a class-exclusive diesel option and is designed to extend the company's six consecutive years of full-size pickup sales leadership over rivals Ford and Chrysler parent Stellantis. GM President Mark Reuss laid out the stakes bluntly at a media event Wednesday at the automaker's Flint Engine plant near Detroit. "If we don't stomp the competition with these trucks, then I'd be very sad and questioning myself. That's the goal," Reuss said. "That's what success looks like: continued truck leadership." The new V-8s are part of GM's sixth generation of small-block engines, a design the company first produced in 1955. "This is history today and we don't take that lightly," Reuss said of the launch. GM said development of the Gen 6 small-block began in 2018. Chevrolet and GMC vs. Ford's F-Series Ford remains the single top-selling full-size truck brand with its F-Series lineup. But Chevrolet and GMC, GM's two truck brands, have outsold Ford on a combined basis since 2020. The competition is about far more than bragging rights. The full-size pickup segment is heavily profitable for the Detroit automakers, and Ford has previously said its F-Series business generated more revenue than many Fortune 100 companies. Those trucks effectively fund the rest of the business, paying the bills and giving U.S. automakers the cash to invest in new markets and technologies. That role has taken on added weight as electric vehicles, a major focus for the industry this decade, continue to post weak demand and losses that the truck business helps offset. Regulatory shift under Trump The renewed emphasis on large gas engines comes as the Trump administration rolls back federal support for EVs. The administration has moved to eliminate the federal incentive of up to $7,500 for buying an electric vehicle and to reduce or remove federal fuel economy rules and the penalties tied to them. GM said its decision to build a new generation of V-8 engines predated those regulatory changes, noting that such products take years to develop. The company pointed to the 2018 start of Gen 6 development as evidence the plan was set well before the current policy shift. The 2027 model year marks the latest round of the truck rivalry. "Full-size pickup trucks are crucial for the three companies, without any doubt," said Stephanie Brinley, associate director of Mobility Global's AutoIntelligence. "Part of the reason that we have the truck wars cadence that we do is simply because products get refreshed so often." The fresh battle has put V-8 engines back at the center of the fight. Ford is expanding the availability of trucks equipped with the engines, while Ram is promoting the return of its Hemi V-8, including new performance "muscle trucks." GM is countering with its two new V-8 offerings. Many vehicle segments and automakers have dropped V-8 options in recent years as fuel economy standards tightened and smaller engines improved. In pickups, though, the larger engines continue to sell well because of their ability to tow and haul heavy loads, keeping the V-8 alive where it has fallen out of favor elsewhere. GM V-8 engines, 2027 Chevrolet Silverado 1500, GMC Sierra 1500, truck wars, Mark Reuss, full-size pickup trucks, Ford F-Series, Ram Hemi V-8

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1 month ago
Shots Fired as Police Move Ceuta Migrants to Port Camp
World

Shots Fired as Police Move Ceuta Migrants to Port Camp

Spanish police fired warning shots while relocating thousands of migrants from Ceuta's beaches to a new tented port camp on Friday amid chaotic scenes. Spanish police began transferring hundreds of migrants in Ceuta to a newly built tented camp in the port district of the enclave on Friday, and gunfire was heard as officers tried to hold back crowds fighting for a spot. Reports said police discharged their weapons into the air during the confusion. The move started at around 07:00 local time (05:00 GMT), with more than 3,000 people relocated over the course of the operation, according to the Spanish state news agency Efe. The migrants had spent weeks sleeping on the enclave's beaches before authorities set up the new site, which can hold up to 1,700 people. Several hundred had reached the camp by the time the transfers were under way. More than 170 officers took part in the operation, among them drone specialists, Efe reported. As the migrants were moved along a designated route of about two kilometres (1.2 miles) to the port, some pushed past the police line. Footage from the scene showed young men sprinting through the pre-dawn darkness as officers scrambled to keep order. Efe said the disorder was contained within a short time and the transfer resumed. Ceuta, a Spanish territory bordering Morocco, covers just 18.5 square kilometres (7.2 square miles). It was overwhelmed in late July when 72,000 people crossed from Morocco. Most have since gone back. Local officials put the number still in the enclave at 13,000, though the central government in Madrid says the true figure is lower. Authorities say the camp is meant to bring the migrants together in one place where they can be registered and looked after while officials rule on each person's legal status individually. Anger among Ceuta residents The arrivals have unsettled the local population. Some residents have voiced fears for their safety, torn down makeshift shelters and stopped aid from reaching the migrants. Speaking to members of the European Parliament earlier this month, Ceuta's conservative mayor, Juan Jesus Vivas, said the crisis had turned the enclave into a "pressure cooker". "The city is completely different than it was before this event, Ceutans have lost their joy and their lifestyles have been completely shaken up," he told lawmakers. Political pressure on Sanchez The disorder at the beaches and the port has added to the difficulties facing Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez, who has drawn heavy criticism over his response to the influx. Opposition figures have alleged that his government knew the surge was coming. Sanchez has maintained the events could not have been foreseen. But official documents indicate that Spanish intelligence services flagged online appeals for a mass crossing into Ceuta the day before it took place. Ester Munoz of the conservative People's Party accused the administration of being "directly responsible for the invasion of Ceuta and for those who died". Sanchez has pointed instead at trafficking networks and at false claims and rumours circulating on social media. He described the situation as "a humanitarian crisis and also an administrative challenge within the city itself". The episode has also complicated Spain's foreign relations. Sanchez is in dispute with Italy, and the two governments extended temporary border checks against each other earlier in the week. At the same time, he is working to preserve Spain's bilateral ties with Morocco, whose frontier with Ceuta was the point of the July crossings. Ceuta migrants, Spain migration, Pedro Sanchez, Ceuta port camp, Morocco border crossing, Juan Jesus Vivas, migrant relocation Spain

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1 month ago
Malaysian Diver Dies After Current Splits Group Off Nusa Penida
World

Malaysian Diver Dies After Current Splits Group Off Nusa Penida

Siti Nuraini Binti Rusidi, 40, died on 16 September during a recreational dive at Crystal Bay off Bali after a strong current separated part of the group. A 40-year-old Malaysian woman died during a recreational scuba-diving outing off Nusa Penida in Bali on the morning of 16 September, according to local police and the dive operator. The diver was named as Siti Nuraini Binti Rusidi, who had joined a group boat trip that set out at 8am. Siti Nuraini was staying at Dive Concepts Lembongan in Jungutbatu Village on nearby Nusa Lembongan. Her group ran an opening dive at Manta Bay before moving on to a second location, where conditions changed sharply after the divers went underwater. The guide leading the trip, Eugenius Francisco Ray, later told investigators that Siti Nuraini had been coughing at intervals ahead of the first descent. Asked whether she felt well enough to continue, she confirmed that she was fit to dive. The group reached the second site, Crystal Bay, at around 11am. Guides again checked on Siti Nuraini's condition, and she signalled that she wanted to carry on with the planned dive as scheduled. Current at Crystal Bay Soon after the divers entered the water and began their descent, a powerful current arrived without warning. The pull was strong enough to drag three members of the group away from the others, and the situation worsened quickly. The guide directed Siti Nuraini to hold her position while he went to reach the three divers who had drifted off and bring them back to safety. The current eased roughly 10 minutes into the dive. When attention returned to her, she was no longer responsive. Accounts given to local media by witnesses described Siti Nuraini behaving, during the period she was on her own, as though her air supply had failed. She showed clear signs of panic and pulled the regulator mouthpiece from her mouth. Another guide, identified as Wando Salone, reached her and passed her his backup regulator, known as an octopus, then assisted her back up to the surface. Rushed toward Lembongan Once she was returned to the dive boat, Siti Nuraini still had a faint pulse, but she was foaming at the mouth and nose. The boat's captain set a course for Nusa Lembongan in an effort to get her urgent medical care as fast as possible. Staff from the Nusa Medika Clinic met the boat at Lembongan to take over her care. By that point she was unresponsive, and she was declared dead while being moved toward the medical facility. Law enforcement in the Klungkung district and the regional maritime police have opened an investigation into the death. An official cause has not been established, and authorities said it will depend on the findings of a post-mortem examination. Nusa Penida diving death, Bali scuba accident, Crystal Bay dive, Siti Nuraini Binti Rusidi, Malaysian diver Bali, Nusa Lembongan, diving fatality investigation, Klungkung police

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1 month ago
WhatsApp Tests New Chat Theme Categories, Wallpapers on Android
Technology

WhatsApp Tests New Chat Theme Categories, Wallpapers on Android

WhatsApp is trialling five chat theme categories, animated wallpapers and automatic bubble colours for Android beta testers on version 2.26.37.6. WhatsApp is testing a redesigned set of chat theme options for Android, giving users more control over how their conversations look. The trial has reached a small group of beta testers running version 2.26.37.6, according to feature tracker WABetaInfo. The update sorts themes into five categories, among them Nature, Live, Minimal and Doodle, and adds a separate set of options dedicated to wallpapers. A Featured section is also expected, gathering picks drawn from across the other categories. The layout mirrors the theme structure WhatsApp already introduced on iOS. Each category points to a different visual style. Nature is said to cover outdoor imagery such as forests, mountains, deserts and coastal scenes, while Minimal leans towards plainer backdrops. Doodle keeps the app's recognisable pattern. The Live category stands out by offering wallpapers with slow, gentle animation rather than still images. A key change is that wallpapers are being split away from full chat themes. Under the new setup, a user could swap the background alone without switching an entire theme. The wallpaper section is expected to carry the same categories as the themes, with two extra choices, Vibrant and Gradient. People may also be able to pull images from their own gallery or generate wallpapers using AI. Because the Live category spans both themes and wallpapers, WhatsApp reportedly plans a small badge on the animated thumbnails so they are easy to tell apart from static ones. The app is also working on picking chat bubble colours automatically. Once a theme and wallpaper are chosen, WhatsApp could propose a bubble shade meant to keep text easy to read against the background. Users would still be free to override the suggestion and set their own colour by hand. The rollout is gradual, so not every beta tester will see the options straight away. WABetaInfo notes that some people on the stable version may also get access, though WhatsApp has given no timeline for a wider release. WhatsApp, WhatsApp Android beta, WhatsApp chat themes, WhatsApp wallpapers, WABetaInfo, animated wallpapers, chat bubble colours, WhatsApp customisation

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1 month ago
Saudi Aramco Halts Next Month's Crude to European Refiners
Business

Saudi Aramco Halts Next Month's Crude to European Refiners

Saudi Aramco told European refiners they will get no crude next month after a drone attack shut its East-West Pipeline to the Red Sea. Saudi Aramco has told at least two of its European refining customers that no crude oil shipments will reach them next month, following an attack that forced the shutdown of a major pipeline linking the kingdom to the Red Sea, Bloomberg News reported on Friday. European buyers usually draw Saudi crude through term contracts that lock in a fixed monthly volume. Those cargoes will not be delivered next month, and the suspension covers every European customer, people with knowledge of the plans said. The disruption stems from damage to Aramco's East-West Pipeline, a 1,200-km (745-mile) line that crosses the Arabian Peninsula. Satellite imagery and three industry sources cited on September 17 showed that three pumping stations were hit in last week's attack - one more than earlier estimates had found. Saudi authorities closed the pipeline after the strike, which the government attributed to drones fired by Iranian-backed militias operating in Iraq. With the route offline, several Aramco clients are racing to line up other sources of crude. Poland's Orlen SA has floated more than 10 tenders since Friday in its search for replacement barrels. The stakes are considerable for Europe. OECD countries on the continent bought 577,000 barrels a day of Saudi crude in June, according to the International Energy Agency's monthly Oil Market Report. The pipeline had grown into the primary substitute channel for Middle Eastern oil over the past six months, a period in which the Strait of Hormuz has stayed largely shut because of the war. It had been moving 4 million to 5 million barrels of crude daily - roughly 4% to 5% of the world's supply - allowing Saudi Arabia to sidestep much of the damage that has hit other Gulf oil and gas exporters. Saudi Aramco, East-West Pipeline, European refiners, crude oil supply, Orlen SA, Strait of Hormuz, Iranian-backed militias, oil market

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1 month ago
Zara Larsson Blasts White House Over Song in Deportation Video
India

Zara Larsson Blasts White House Over Song in Deportation Video

Swedish singer Zara Larsson called the White House "losers" for using her song "Midnight Sun" in an ICE deportation TikTok. By Friday the video had gone silent. A White House TikTok video celebrating ICE-led deportations fell silent on Friday, a day after Swedish singer Zara Larsson publicly condemned the administration for setting the footage to her song "Midnight Sun." By Friday morning the audio in the post was gone, replaced by the message "This sound is unavailable." Larsson, a 28-year-old artist from Stockholm, aired her anger on Thursday in a TikTok addressed to her 12.5 million followers. She flashed an "L" sign with her thumb and index finger and called the White House "losers" for pairing a track she says celebrates the joy of Scandinavian nature with a montage of mass deportations. "It's just so f---ing uncool," she said. "You guys are such f---ing losers." It was not immediately clear who removed the sound from the White House post. TikTok may have acted to protect Larsson's work, or the administration may have muted the video itself. Representatives for the platform and for the White House could not be immediately reached for comment on Friday. Larsson said her objection was not about taking a political side. "If you want to talk about politics and immigration politics, fine," she said. "But that's really not what this is. This video is so dehumanizing." The White House clip appeared to show agents arresting men, presenting them as undocumented immigrants. Larsson said she was struck that several of the detainees were dressed in neon protective clothing of the kind worn on construction sites and highways. "These people in this video, they're real people. There's a f---ing guy in there with construction wear," she said. "He's working and a vast majority of these people who are undocumented are regular people with jobs. They're just trying to have a better future. I don't understand. I don't understand why you would do this video." The singer tied her reaction to her own upbringing, saying she is acutely aware of how much of her success rests on where she was born. "I consider myself so lucky with the life that I've been dealt. The fact that I'm born in Sweden, I have healthcare, I've had an education, I've had all these opportunities just laid out in front of me," she said. "I can travel, I get to do all of these amazing things - that's luck. That's luck." She added that others "are not that lucky, and they want to have a better life for their families or for themselves and their children." The clash fits a pattern for Larsson, who has often used her platform to speak out. She has been a longtime critic of Chris Brown over his history of domestic violence, telling Cosmopolitan earlier this year that she has removed certain artists from her listening. "There are so many artists I have blocked on Spotify, and all of them are, like, abusers," she said. "You certainly wouldn't find, like, a Chris Brown song." Her outspokenness has also carried a cost. Larsson said this year that she lost a $3 million brand deal after making a dark joke to support a fan who revealed she had gotten an abortion following one of the singer's shows. The dispute drew wide attention online, with "zara" ranking among the day's most-searched terms on Google Trends in India, where searches passed 100. As of Friday, neither TikTok nor the White House had explained why the audio was pulled or whether the video would be restored. Zara Larsson, White House TikTok, Midnight Sun song, ICE deportations, immigration, Chris Brown, sound unavailable, TikTok controversy

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1 month ago
Gold Pares Gains as Oil Trims Losses; 'Gold Rate' Trends in India
India

Gold Pares Gains as Oil Trims Losses; 'Gold Rate' Trends in India

Gold gave back some of its gains while oil prices recovered part of earlier losses. 'Gold rate' searches surged in India, topping Google Trends. Gold pared back some of its recent gains as oil prices trimmed earlier losses, a shift in commodity markets that has drawn sharp attention from Indian investors and consumers. Interest in the metal spiked in India on Friday, with "gold rate" ranking among the fastest-rising searches on Google Trends in the country, drawing more than 100,000 queries. The surge points to close public tracking of where prices are heading. Gold, which had been climbing, gave back part of those gains during the session. At the same time, crude oil recovered from earlier declines, trimming the losses it had recorded. The two moves marked a partial reversal from the direction each commodity had taken earlier. Gold holds a particular place in Indian markets. It is bought heavily for weddings, festivals and as a store of value, so movements in the rate are followed by households, jewellers and traders alike. The rush of searches reflects that everyday sensitivity to price changes. Oil prices are equally significant for the Indian economy, which imports the bulk of its crude. Shifts in the market feed through to fuel costs and broader price pressures, making the recovery in oil relevant well beyond trading desks. The latest moves show both commodities settling somewhat from their earlier swings within the session, with gold cooling off its advance and oil steadying after its dip. Further detail on the size of the changes was not available. With "gold rate" trending so strongly, the day underlined how closely price movements in gold and oil are watched in India, where both carry weight for consumers and markets. gold rate, gold price, oil prices, commodities, Google Trends India, gold gains, crude oil, precious metals

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1 month ago
Trump Announces US Security Deal Over Greenland With Denmark
World

Trump Announces US Security Deal Over Greenland With Denmark

Donald Trump says the US, Denmark and Greenland have agreed to give Washington permanent control over the Arctic island's security, at no cost to the US. US President Donald Trump said on Friday that Washington had struck a deal with Denmark and Greenland granting the United States lasting authority over security matters on the Arctic island. He described the arrangement as giving the US "permanent control" over Greenland's defence and related needs while leaving formal sovereignty with Denmark. Trump said the accord lets Washington step in whenever it judges action necessary to protect both American and Greenlandic interests. Crucially, he said, it bars US rivals from setting up military bases or channelling sensitive money into the island without written US consent. "There will be no cost to the United States," he added. The president framed the agreement as open-ended. He called it an "Infinite Life" deal with no expiry, and said he had directed representatives from Denmark and Greenland to secure a guarantee that the US would always retain the ability to do what it deemed needed to defend the territory and itself. Trump also laid out plans to widen the American footprint on the island. He said the US would move quickly to build up a sizeable military presence in a suitable location, and pledged to carry out that construction alongside Greenland's residents. He cast the outcome as something his predecessors had failed to deliver. Presidents had recognised Greenland's strategic value for more than a century, he said, but none had acted on it. He claimed the new deal settled the matter for good and served the interests of the United States, Denmark, Greenland and Washington's allies. Greenland and Denmark said in a statement that they expect to sign the agreement with the US on the margins of the United Nations General Assembly. Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen called the deal beneficial for NATO and Europe and said it bolstered shared security across the Arctic and the North Atlantic. Frederiksen stressed that the arrangement respects the sovereignty and territorial integrity of both Greenland and Denmark, and upholds the right of both peoples to self-determination. Her comments underscored that the island remains an autonomous territory within the Kingdom of Denmark. The announcement follows months of friction. Greenland has sat at the heart of a diplomatic row since Trump began repeatedly pressing for the US to take control of the island. Denmark and Greenland had rebuffed those earlier demands. Trump has justified his push by pointing to American national security and rising Russian and Chinese activity across the Arctic. The US already operates a base on the island, the Pituffik Space Base, under existing defence understandings with Denmark. Trump's latest move would substantially enlarge the military and security role that Washington plays in Greenland. Greenland, Donald Trump, Denmark, US military Greenland, Arctic security, Mette Frederiksen, Pituffik Space Base, NATO

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1 month ago