Author: WTX News

Gold peaks, Bitcoin surge and consumer confidence drops are the highlights from Monday’s market analysis. A long-running measure of how consumers feel about their finances and the economy has fallen sharply, raising concerns that the government’s warning that the Budget will be “painful” has shaken people’s confidence. Prices of the safe-haven asset have climbed 27% in 2024, their biggest annual rise since 2010, as investors also sought to hedge uncertainties spurred by the Israel’s invasion Palestine and war with Lebanon. The Bank of England has kept interest rates on hold at 5%, but a further cut is expected later in…

Is Labour gaslighting us or following Amazon on productivity? After Amazon announced that it would be time for its employees to return to working from the office full time, the new government is weighing in on the debate of productivity. Productivity is a problem for the UK, since COVID-19 we have more doctors and nurses, but longer waiting lists, similarly, we have more civil servants but longer immigration processing times and passport application delays. But alongside productivity there is a very important commercial element to it, office space in premier locations will lose its value, especially in cities and if…

Donations a feature of our politics – pay to get your way Donations a feature of our politics a brasin remark by Rayner, speaking ahead of the opening of the Labour Party conference in Liverpool, said she understood why people were angry, but added donations were “a feature of our politics”. Labour is in damage control mode, with the Chancellor under pressure to deliver some optimism to take a bit of pressure off Keir Starmer. What that means is, that Labour politicians are courted in this way to the bidding of Lobby groups and individuals. Just like The Tories rewarded…

On Monday morning, and its rain for Denmark as a wet Autumn arrives for many who woke up to fog and a visibility of less than 100 metres. At the end of the morning, the sun will break through and some areas will see the the last beautiful sunsets of a late summer day this round. Rain for Denmark This is what Trine Pedersen, meteorologist on duty at Denmark’s Meteorological Institute (DMI), tells us. “The temperatures will be around 18 to 22 degrees with some or a lot of sun,” she says. If you stay on the coasts towards the…

Israel carries out 80 airstrikes in Lebanon in half an hour killing lebanese civilians and injuring scores in a onslaught of war against Lebanon. With attacks were aimed at towns in eastern and southern Lebanon. Israel carries out 80 airstrikes in Lebanon in half an hour The attacks targeted the towns of al-Tayri, Bint Jbeil, Hanine, Zawtar and the Nabatieh region in southern Lebanon, as well as the areas around the Shaara, Harbata and Hermel regions and the areas around the towns of Shamstar, Taria and Bouday in eastern Lebanon. The Israelis are warned that a day of fierce fighting…

Israel and Hezbollah urged to avoid full-scale war as UN fears catastrophe Israel and Hezbollah both escalated their threats on Sunday, vowing to intensify cross-border attacks despite calls from the international community to avoid full-scale war. The Israeli military reported that roughly 150 rockets, missiles, and other projectiles were fired from Lebanon into Israel overnight on Saturday and into Sunday. Some of the rockets reached farther than previous strikes, prompting thousands of Israelis to seek shelter and causing damage to homes near Haifa. In response, Israel conducted airstrikes on southern Lebanon, targeting what it claimed were Hezbollah’s rocket launchers, reportedly…

Israel bombs Gaza school killing 22 people mostly women and children An Israeli air strike on a school in Gaza City has killed at least 22 Palestinians, most of whom were women and children, according to reports from Gaza’s Hamas-run health ministry. The school, which was not operating due to the ongoing conflict, was being used as a shelter for displaced families, the health ministry confirmed. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said that the strike targeted a Hamas command centre, which they claim was being used to plan and execute attacks. Hamas, however, has denied any military use of the…

At least 51 dead in Iran coal mine explosion A gas explosion at a coal mine in eastern Iran has claimed the lives of at least 51 workers, according to state media reports on Sunday. The blast, which occurred in South Khorasan province, left more than 20 others injured. The explosion, believed to have been triggered by methane gas, took place in two sections of the Madanjoo mine located in Tabas, roughly 540 kilometres southeast of Tehran.  South Khorasan’s governor, Javad Ghenaatzadeh, revealed that 69 miners were working at the time of the explosion, with 22 in block C and…

Haiti takes steps to holding first elections since 2016 Haiti’s government has taken a significant step toward holding long-overdue elections with the establishment of a new electoral body. On Wednesday, a nine-member provisional electoral council (CEP) was created and tasked with organising elections by February 2026. This marks the first major movement toward a national vote since 2016, the last time Haitians elected a leader. Since then, widespread violence has engulfed the nation, with armed gangs controlling much of the capital, Port-au-Prince, and large parts of the countryside. So far, seven members of the CEP have been appointed, representing diverse…

Israel says 100 Hezbollah rocket launchers hit in Lebanon Israel has launched a series of intense air strikes on southern Lebanon, targeting over 100 Hezbollah rocket launchers and what it described as “terrorist sites,” including a weapons storage facility, according to the Israel Defense Forces (IDF). The IDF stated that the rocket launchers were poised to strike Israel, although there were no immediate reports of casualties. Lebanon’s state-run National News Agency reported that Israel conducted at least 52 air strikes in southern Lebanon on Thursday evening, while Lebanese forces retaliated with strikes on military positions in northern Israel. Hezbollah leader…

The trial of Marieha Hussain is a deeply shameful chapter in the state’s ongoing attempted suppression of pro-Palestinian peace activists. A grave injustice has been avoided with her not guilty verdict. Marieha Hussain, 37, a teacher from High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire denied the charge at Westminster Magistrates’ Court on Friday. She carried a picture showing the faces of the then Prime Minister and Home Secretary superimposed on coconuts under a palm tree in November 2023. Her defence said the placard was not racist, but satirical and humorous. A major blow for the Government Ms Hussain’s defence described the decision to bring…

Child at Japanese school dies after stabbing in China A 10-year-old boy attending the Shenzhen Japanese School in southern China, died on Thursday, one day after being stabbed.  The young boy succumbed to his injuries early in the morning, according to Japanese officials. Local police reported that the attacker, a 44-year-old man identified by the surname Zhong, was arrested at the scene. Japanese Foreign Minister Yoko Kamikawa condemned the attack, calling it “despicable” and urging Beijing to provide an explanation “as soon as possible.” She emphasised that such an event “should never happen in any country.” Although the nationality of…

Lebanon on the brink after second day of deadly device explosions Lebanon is on high alert following two days of devastating electronic device explosions that have left the country shaken. On Tuesday, thousands of pagers suddenly detonated, followed by hundreds of walkie-talkies exploding on Wednesday, targeting members of the Hezbollah group, according to multiple reports. Sources suggest Israel’s Mossad spy agency was behind the attacks. The walkie-talkie blasts resulted in 20 deaths and over 450 injuries, while the pager explosions a day earlier killed 12 and left more than 2,000 wounded. While Israel has not officially commented on the explosions,…

Venezuelan opposition leader claims he was forced to accept Maduro’s election win Edmundo González, an opposition candidate in Venezuela, has stated that he was “forced” to acknowledge President Nicolás Maduro’s controversial victory in the July election before being granted asylum in Spain. In a video message from Madrid, González claimed that Maduro’s aides coerced him into signing a letter while he was hiding in the Spanish embassy in Caracas earlier this month. He said he was given an ultimatum: sign the document or face severe consequences. “There were very tense hours of coercion, blackmail and pressure. “At that point I…

Sadiq Khan deflects the real issue by announcing plans to pedestrianise Oxford Street Sadiq Khan deflects the real issue as The Mayor of London has announced plans to pedestrianise Oxford Street in a bid to reinvigorate the nation’s “most famous high street” and attract more shoppers. The Mayor of London has announced the proposals to turn the road into a traffic-free avenue, alongside a wider regeneration of the shopping destination. The retail area has seen a huge fall of sales, which Labour are trying to cover with this scheme. The main reason why the are has seen a drop in sales…

Astrazeneca paves the way to develop AI GP AstraZeneca outlines AI-enabled TROP2 biomarker strategy for Daiichi ADC after limited lung cancer showing. AstraZeneca has used artificial intelligence to devise a unique biomarker for its Daiichi Sankyo-partnered datopotamab deruxtecan (Dato-DXd), hoping to differentiate the antibody-drug conjugate (ADC) from competitors while offering an explanation why the TROP2-directed therapy appears to work only in some non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients. What this means for you is, although algorithms have been used in data by the NHS for decades, this has opened a new path for AI tech which as it it developed will…

Some of the big European newspapers cover the latest from the EU as European Commissioner Von der Leyen has unveiled her new EU executive team that will help the bloc in facing challenges including wars in Gaza and Ukraine, migration, climate change, and economic competitiveness.

Canada’s Liberal Party loses long-held seat Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s Liberal Party has suffered a significant blow after losing a key parliamentary seat in a special election in Montreal, raising more pressure on Trudeau to step down as leader. The narrow defeat in LaSalle-Émard-Verdun marks the second loss in three months for Trudeau’s minority government. With all votes counted, Liberal candidate Laura Palestini fell short to Bloc Quebecois’ Louis-Philippe Sauvé. Trudeau, now in his ninth year as prime minister, has seen his approval ratings plummet from 63% when first elected to just 28% in June, according to polls. Many suggest…

Russia region orders evacuation after Ukraine drone attack A partial evacuation has been ordered in Russia’s Tver region following a “massive” Ukrainian drone attack that sparked a fire, according to the local governor. Igor Rudenya, the region’s governor, stated that emergency services in the town of Toropets are working to contain the blaze, which was caused by the wreckage of drones. No information on casualties has been provided. Unverified footage circulating online appears to show a large explosion in the town, with unconfirmed reports suggesting that a weapons depot may have been hit overnight. Toropets, a town of around 13,000…

Ecuador leader proposes lifting ban on foreign military bases Ecuador’s President Daniel Noboa has proposed amending the constitution to allow foreign military bases in the country, 15 years after the last US troops left the Manta base on Ecuador’s Pacific coast. The base, once a hub for US anti-drug operations, was returned to Ecuador’s military in 2008. Noboa, 36, argues that Ecuador needs foreign military assistance to combat powerful transnational crime gangs using the country as a key drug trafficking route between South America, Europe, and the US. Despite declaring war on these gangs in January, violence continues to plague…

Israel planted explosives in thousands of Hezbollah pagers – reports At least nine people have been killed and thousands injured after a series of handheld pager explosions rocked Lebanon on Tuesday afternoon. According to Lebanon’s health ministry, around 3,000 people were wounded, with 200 in critical condition, overwhelming local hospitals. Hezbollah, the powerful Lebanese group backed by Iran, has blamed Israel for what it called a “sinful aggression” and warned that Israel will face “fair punishment.” Israel has yet to respond to the accusation but earlier announced that one of its key goals in the Gaza conflict is to return…

Entire Polish city asked to evacuate as floods wreak havoc The mayor of Nysa, a city in Poland, has urged all 44,000 residents to evacuate as severe flooding continues to ravage central Europe. Kordian Kolbiarz, the city’s mayor, called for people to move to higher ground, warning of the potential for an embankment breach that could release a surge of water from a nearby lake into the town. The death toll from the weekend floods has risen to at least 16, with seven confirmed fatalities in Romania. Other casualties have been reported in Austria, the Czech Republic, and Poland. In…

Floods and mudslides kill more than 200 in Myanmar The death toll in Myanmar from Typhoon Yagi has risen to over 220, with nearly 80 people still missing, according to the country’s military government. The storm, which struck in early September, swept through northern Vietnam, Laos, Thailand, and Myanmar, claiming over 500 lives across the region. Myanmar was hit particularly hard, with severe floods and mudslides devastating entire villages, leaving at least 226 people dead. The UN has warned that over half a million people in the conflict-torn nation urgently need food, clean water, shelter, and clothing, as the storm…

Iran morality police will no longer bother women, new president says Iran’s new president, Masoud Pezeshkian, has stated that the country’s morality police will no longer “bother” women about the mandatory hijab. His statement comes shortly after the UN raised concerns about the violent punishment of women who defy the strict dress code. Pezeshkian made these remarks on the second anniversary of Mahsa Amini’s death, a 22-year-old woman who died in police custody after being arrested for allegedly wearing her hijab improperly. Amini’s death sparked widespread protests across the country. Despite the UN’s warning last week that Iran has increased…

Houthis Hit Central Israel For First Time, Netanyahu Vows ‘Heavy Price’ For Strike Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has vowed that Yemen’s Houthi rebels will pay a “heavy price” after they launched a missile that landed in central Israel on Sunday.  According to the Israeli military, the missile hit an uninhabited area, and shrapnel found nearby suggests that air defence systems failed to intercept it before it entered Israeli airspace. The military is investigating how the missile was able to travel so far, with central Israel being about 2,000km (1,240 miles) from Yemen. This is the first time a missile…