The spokesperson confirmed that the EU had received France’s letter urging action, adding that a platform allowing pornographic content or selling weapons violate EU law
International News via Reuters:
The European Commission is in touch with French authorities as well as with Chinese online retailer Shein following a French complaint about Shein allowing pornographic content or weapons sales on its platform, an EU spokesperson said on Thursday.
The spokesperson confirmed that the EU had received France’s letter urging action, adding that a platform allowing pornographic content or selling weapons violate EU law and that this will drive potential next steps from the EU commission.
The spokesperson said he was not aware of similar concerns raised by other member states and that the EU does not have the intention to suspend any platforms EU-wide.
Reporting by Charlotte Van Campenhout; editing by GV De Clercq
Retail trade fell by 0.1% on the month in September, coming short of expectations for a 0.2% rise, while sales were up 1.0% compared to a year earlier, in line with expectations
International News via Reuters:
Euro zone retail sales unexpectedly fell in September, challenging expectations for a consumption-led recovery and offsetting other mildly positive news from the 20-nation currency bloc, data from Eurostat showed on Thursday.
Retail trade fell by 0.1% on the month in September, coming short of expectations for a 0.2% rise, while sales were up 1.0% compared to a year earlier, in line with expectations.
Euro zone households are sitting on ample savings and the European Central Bank has long expected them to start running these down in a boost to growth, but uncertainty keeps consumers cautious and actual figures continue to be disappointing.
Retail sales expanded by 0.2% on the month in Germany, the bloc’s biggest economy and 0.4% in Spain, but there were falls in Italy, France and the Netherlands, among the bloc’s bigger nations.
Still, other data, including sentiment readings and PMI data, show that the economy is holding up and ECB Vice President Luis de Guindos said policymakers were now marginally more optimistic on growth.
Non-food products sales dropped by 0.2% on the month, fuel sales were down 1% and food sales were stagnant, Eurostat added.
Reporting by Balazs Koranyi; Editing by Alex Richardson
The 35-year-old suspect is a French resident of Oleron, and was previously known to police for petty crimes including drink driving and drug-related offences
International News via Reuters:
The driver who rammed his car into a crowd in western France is suspected of “self-radicalisation” and had “explicit religious references” at home, the country’s Interior Minister Laurent Nunez said on Thursday.
“Based on a number of factors that exist with this individual, and the fact that he actually shouted ‘Allahu Akbar’, there are religious references in his case that are quite clear and quite explicit”, Nunez said. “Allahu Akbar” is Arabic for “God is Greatest”.
However, Nunez added that it wasn’t clear at this stage if Wednesday’s attack, which injured five people on Oleron island off France’s Atlantic coast, was religiously motivated.
“It is the national anti-terrorism prosecutor’s office that will determine through a psychiatric evaluation – which took place yesterday after two searches – and a review of telephone records, whether these elements were the trigger for the violent action we have seen”, Nunez said.
Contacted by Reuters, the national anti-terrorism prosecutor’s office said it remained in an observation role at this stage. For now, the inquiry is being handled by the local prosecutor’s office in La Rochelle.
The 35-year-old suspect is a French resident of Oleron, and was previously known to police for petty crimes including drink driving and drug-related offences, officials have said.
Two of those injured in the attack remain in critical condition, Nunez said.
Reporting by Inti Landauro, Dominique Vidalon and Alessandro Parodi, editing by Aidan Lewis
In the Philippines’ hardest-hit province of Cebu, the scale of the destruction became clearer as floodwaters receded to reveal flattened homes
International News via Reuters:
The death toll in the Philippines from Typhoon Kalmaegi rose to 114 with another 127 people still missing, the disaster agency said on Thursday, as the storm that devastated the country’s central regions regained strength as it headed towards Vietnam.
In Vietnam’s Gia Lai province, some 350,000 people were expected to have been evacuated by the middle of the day as authorities warned of heavy rains and damaging winds that could cause flooding in low-lying areas and disrupt agricultural activity.
In the Philippines’ hardest-hit province of Cebu, the scale of the destruction became clearer as floodwaters receded to reveal flattened homes, overturned vehicles and streets choked with debris.
More than 200,000 people were evacuated in the Philippines ahead of Kalmaegi hitting on Tuesday. Some have returned to find their homes destroyed, while others have begun the arduous cleanup, scraping mud from their houses and streets.
“The challenge now is debris clearing… These need to be cleared immediately, not only to account for the missing who may be among the debris or may have reached safe areas but also to allow relief operations to move forward,” Raffy Alejandro, a senior civil defence official, told DZBB radio.
NEW STORM DEVELOPING
Even as Typhoon Kalmaegi, locally named Tino, exited the Philippine monitoring zone, weather forecasters were tracking a brewing storm east of Mindanao that could strengthen into a typhoon, raising concerns for potential impacts early next week.
The devastation from Kalmaegi, the 20th storm to hit the Philippines this year, comes just over a month after a magnitude 6.9 earthquake struck northern Cebu, killing dozens and displacing thousands.
As Kalmaegi moved over the South China Sea ahead of its landfall in Vietnam, it was regaining strength. It is forecast to impact several central provinces, including key coffee-growing areas, where the harvest season is currently underway.
Authorities were mobilising thousands of soldiers to assist with potential evacuations, rescue operations, and recovery efforts.
Vietnam’s aviation authorities said operations at eight airports, including the international airport in Da Nang, are likely to be affected. Airlines and local authorities have been urged to closely monitor the storm’s progress to ensure passenger safety.
Reporting by Karen Lema in Manila and Phuong Nguyen in Vietnam; Editing by John Mair
The accidental release of Ethiopian asylum seeker Hadush Gerberslasie Kebatu last month compounded the pressure on the government which is struggling with overcrowded prisons
An undated handout image shows Hadush Gerberslasie Kebatu, an Ethiopian asylum seeker who sexually assaulted a teenage girl and another woman in Britain, and who according to the government has been accidentally released from jail. Essex Police/Handout via REUTERS THIS IMAGE HAS BEEN SUPPLIED BY A THIRD PARTY. NO RESALES. NO ARCHIVES.
International News via Reuters:
Several prisoners are mistakenly released from British prisons each week, a minister said on Thursday, revealing the scale of a problem that came to light with the wrongful release of a migrant sex offender whose offences sparked weeks of protests.
The accidental release of Ethiopian asylum seeker Hadush Gerberslasie Kebatu last month compounded the pressure on the government which is struggling with overcrowded prisons and a broken immigration system.
His arrest in July already triggered protests outside a hotel housing asylum seekers in Epping, north of London, which then became a touch-paper for wider anti-immigration demonstrations. He was deported following a three-day manhunt.
This week, two more mistaken prisoner releases – including an Algerian national on the sex offenders register who had overstayed his visa – have raised further concerns about the prison system, which has been grappling with overcrowding after the number of inmates in England and Wales doubled in the last 30 years.
The government estimates that 262 prisoners were released mistakenly in the 12 months to March 2025 – marking the fourth consecutive year of increase and more than double the 115 reported the previous year.
“The system is in utter chaos,” Alex Davies-Jones, a minister in the justice department, told Times Radio.
“We are deporting more foreign prisoners than ever before,” she said. “We’re also going to be deporting them on sentencing, rather than waiting for them to serve time in our prisons.”
The accidental releases have also increased pressure on David Lammy, Britain’s justice minister and deputy prime minister, who told parliament on Wednesday that he had toughened the rules to fix the problem, without revealing that he had known about the recent mistakes.
Davies-Jones blamed the crisis on 14 years of “chronic austerity and underfunding in our public services”, as well as the failure to build more prisons, under the previous Conservative government.
Reporting by Muvija M; Editing by Sharon Singleton
The daylight robbery raised doubts over the credibility of the world’s most-visited museum as a guardian for its myriad works
International News via Reuters:
France’s Louvre Museum began a security audit a decade ago but the recommended upgrades will not be completed until 2032, the state auditor said in a report on Thursday compiled before a spectacular heist there last month.
The daylight robbery, in which four robbers made off with jewels worth $102 million, raised doubts over the credibility of the world’s most-visited museum as a guardian for its myriad works. Officials have admitted security was not up to scratch.
While investigators have charged four suspects for involvement in the raid, the treasures have yet to be recovered.
Excerpts from the report, which was published on Thursday by the national audit office, known as the Cour des Comptes, had already leaked in the media days after the raid.
Only 39% of the museum’s rooms had cameras as of 2024, the report said, and a security audit begun in 2015, which found the museum was not sufficiently monitored or prepared for a crisis, only led to a tender for security works at the end of last year.
“It will take several years to complete the project, which, according to the museum, is not expected to be finished until 2032,” the report said.
It said the museum’s inability to update its infrastructure was exacerbated by excessive spending to buy artwork, only a quarter of which is exposed to the public, and post-pandemic relaunch projects, as well as inefficiencies and ticket fraud.
Even the development initiatives it announced this year were not based on feasibility studies, whether technical or financial, and did not consider staffing needs, the report said.
The report provided 10 recommendations including a drop in the number of acquisitions by the museum, an increase in its ticket prices and a refurbishment of its digital infrastructure and governance.
In the face of a “chronic under-investment in information systems”, the auditor said, “the museum must strengthen its internal control function, which remains underdeveloped for an institution the size of the Louvre”.
The theft only reinforces some of the considerations made in the report, the auditor’s head Pierre Moscovici told journalists on Thursday.
“The theft of the crown jewels was without a doubt a deafening alarm bell: this pace [of security upgrades] is far from sufficient,” Moscovici said. “The authorities are now realising that they have heard these alarm bells.”
He said the Louvre has sufficient funds for the upgrades needed, and “now it must do so without fail”.
After the robbery, French officials said the Louvre would introduce extra security, including anti-intrusion devices and anti-vehicle ramming barriers on nearby public roads, by the end of the year.
In January, amid growing complaints about disarray at the museum, France launched an ambitious development project involving a new space dedicated to Leonardo’s Mona Lisa, the world’s most famous painting, and new security steps to protect its visitors and precious exhibits.
In written remarks published by the audit office, Culture Minister Rachida Dati said she agreed on the urgency of the technical work and reiterated calls for swift corrective measures.
Louvre director Laurence des Cars said in the same document she supported most of the auditor’s recommendations but insisted the museum’s long-term transformation plan is essential to address its structural challenges.
Reporting by Alessandro ParodiEditing by Gabriel Stargardter and Philippa Fletcher
S&P Global’s monthly purchasing managers’ index for the construction industry fell to 44.1 in October from 46.2 in September, extending its longest downturn since the global financial crisis
International News via Reuters:
Britain’s construction sector contracted in October at the fastest pace in over five years, with civil engineering activity declining at the fastest pace since the pandemic, due to weak demand and uncertainty ahead of finance minister Rachel Reeves’ budget, a survey showed on Thursday.
S&P Global’s monthly purchasing managers’ index for the construction industry fell to 44.1 in October from 46.2 in September, extending its longest downturn since the global financial crisis.
Last month’s PMI remained well below the 50 mark that divides growth from contraction, and a Reuters poll forecast of 46.7.
Civil engineering activity was at its weakest since May 2020, when lockdowns during the COVID pandemic halted construction work.
Activity in the residential building sector last month slowed at the sharpest pace since February, with its subindex at 43.6, while commercial building fell marginally.
“Reduced workloads were again widely attributed to risk aversion and delayed decision-making among clients, which contributed to a slower-than-expected release of new projects,” said Tim Moore, economics director at S&P Global Market Intelligence.
“Subdued demand in the wake of heightened political and economic uncertainty also led to the steepest drop in input buying since May 2020.”
The decline in total new orders accelerated in October. Survey respondents cited weak demand due to political and economic uncertainty, and delays in new project starts.
Recent business surveys have also shown similar concerns about investment, hiring and demand due to concerns about Reeves’ annual budget on November 26, which is widely expected to include further tax rises.
The pace of job-shedding also accelerated in October, with the employment index at its lowest since August 2020, with firms citing less work and higher payroll costs.
But input inflation costs were the weakest in a year and the outlook for the coming 12 months was the highest since July, partly due to the prospect of lower borrowing costs. While the Bank of England is expected to hold interest rates at 4% on Thursday, financial markets on Wednesday were still pricing in a 62% chance of a 25 basis-point rate cut by the end of the year.
The all-sector PMI, which combines the services, manufacturing and construction sectors, rose to 51.4 in October from 49.7 in September.
Reporting by Suban Abdulla; Editing by Hugh Lawson
The dollar edged lower as a recovery in appetite for riskier assets pulled the U.S. currency off its recent peaks
International News via Reuters:
Sterling nudged higher but stayed near multiple-month lows on Thursday ahead of a Bank of England rate decision, with markets expecting a one-in-three chance of a cut, while Norway’s crown recovered some ground after its central bank held rates.
The dollar edged lower as a recovery in appetite for riskier assets pulled the U.S. currency off its recent peaks.
Sterling traded 0.21% higher at $1.3079 ahead of a 1200 GMT decision on rates after touching a seven-month low of $1.3011 on Wednesday. [GBP/]
Markets show traders are pricing in a roughly 32% chance of a cut, up from virtually zero just weeks ago. Helping reinforce that view, finance minister Rachel Reeves this week hinted at tax hikes that could weigh on the economy.
Reeves paved the way for broad tax rises to avoid a return to “austerity” on Tuesday, framing her second annual budget – due on November 26 – as one of “hard choices” to protect public spending while reducing Britain’s debt.
“The (BoE) meeting is likely to be interesting. We will receive new forecasts that should provide insight into how the BoE assesses the future development of inflation,” said Michael Pfister, FX analyst at Commerzbank, adding that he expected the central bank to hold rates at 4%.
“Even if interest rates remain unchanged, the pound could suffer if a combination of new forecasts, voting behaviour and the subsequent press conference suggest that an interest rate cut has only been postponed,” he added.
NOK RECOVERS AFTER NORGES BANK DECISION
The Norwegian crown currency was 0.2% higher against the euro at 11.71 after Norges Bank’s rate decision on Thursday. Against the dollar, it rose 0.4% to 10.17.
Norway’s central bank kept its policy interest rate on hold at 4.0% to combat inflationary pressure, as unanimously predicted by analysts in a Reuters poll, and reiterated that further easing was likely in the year ahead.
Norges Bank began the current easing cycle in June and cut the policy rate again in September.
Elsewhere, the dollar index, measuring the U.S. currency against six peers, fell 0.15% to 99.97, after climbing on Wednesday to its highest since May 2023.
“The market was a little bit more sensitive to the improvement in risk appetite,” said National Australia Bank’s senior currency strategist Rodrigo Catril in Sydney.
In the United States, data showed services sector activity increased to an eight-month high in October as new orders grew solidly, but subdued employment pointed to lacklustre labour market conditions against the backdrop of economic uncertainty stemming from the Trump administration’s tariffs.
The dollar fell 0.2% against the yen to 153.74 yen and 0.17% against the euro to 1.1513.
Reporting by Joice Alves in London, additional reporting by Tom Westbrook in Singapore; Editing by Gareth Jones
Hyoung Park, a visitor to the island who was stranded at sea for more than 24 hours, was located Wednesday afternoon by a U.S. Coast Guard aircraft
A 58-year-old visitor has survived a grueling ordeal at sea after going missing for more than 24 hours.
Hyoung Park was back in the embrace of his family Wednesday night after a successful rescue mission.
It was around 8pm when Mr. Park, wearing a white jumpsuit, walked unassisted from the pilot boat St. George onto the dock at Ordnance Island, following a coordinated transfer from the M/V Aktoras.
Mr. Park expresssed his gratitude for the crew of M/V Aktoras for saving his life and for all the support from Bermuda: “All the team, they gave me a warm heart – they saved my life. “They gave me a second chance – a second life.”
Mr. Park had been picked up by the tanker approximately 27 nautical miles South of Bermuda after he was spotted by a U.S. Coast Guard aircraft deployed from North Carolina.
The USCG coordinated with theLNG tanker M/V Akoras to collect Mr. Park from the open ocean; he had been stranded in his life vest and two-seater, blue kayak.
Bermuda Broadcasting was told that Mr. Park was seen waving to the aircraft.
He paddled to the vessel and was hoisted onto the ship from a pilot ladder.
Mr. Park received treatment in the ship’s medical bay and was transferred to a rendezvous point three miles off St. David’s Island.
The pilot boat collected Mr. Park from the M/V Aktoras and brought him back to land, to be transferred to King Edward Memorial Hospital VII by ambulance.
Before climbing into the ambulance, he told Bermuda Broadcasting that things might have ended very differently: “I was thinking about the next step, the tide going to South Africa or wherever if I survive. At that moment, God listened to me, and an airplane is coming.”
RCC Bermuda had launched a small boat on Tuesday and requested air support from Coast Guard Air Station at Elizabeth City, North Carolina.
The C-130 aircraft conducted search patterns within the area, through the night, with an RCC Bermuda pilot boat on standby.
According to a spokesperson for the U.S. Coast Guard, the C-130 conducted first light searches and reported sight of individual approximately 27nm south of Bermuda.
The individual was reported to be alert and onboard the kayak.
The Bermuda Police Service confirmed Mr. Park was located by the C-130 around 1:45pm this afternoon. The U.S. Coast Guard worked alongside the BPS, the Royal Bermuda Regiment and Marine and Ports.
The U.S. Consul General, Anotionette Hurtado expressed relief after the rescue: “We are so pleased for the family that the search resulted in Mr. Park’s safe return.
“This was a wonderful example of the strong collaboration between Bermuda and U.S. maritime entities, and we congratulate all the authorities on their tireless efforts toward this positive resolution.”
The Reefs Resort & Hotel, where Mr. Park is a guest, said in a statement: “We extend our sincere thanks to the first responders for their tireless efforts, professionalism, and care throughout the search operation, and to our guests and the community for their understanding and compassion over the past two days.
“Mr. Park and his family are, and have been, receiving our full support, and we ask that their privacy continue to be respected as they take time to recover.”
WATCH our report about the rescue, the lead story from Wednesday’s evening news:
The Reefs expresses gratitude to local and U.S. authorities for their coordinated efforts and asks for privacy for Hyoung Park and his family
Statement from The Reefs Resort & Club:
We are grateful and relieved that our guest, Mr. Park, has been found safe following the extensive search carried out by the Bermuda Police Service, the Royal Bermuda Regiment, the Bermuda Coast Guard, and the US Coast Guard.
We extend our sincere thanks to the first responders for their tireless efforts, professionalism, and care throughout the search operation, and to our guests and the community for their understanding and compassion over the past two days.
Mr. Park and his family are, and have been, receiving our full support, and we ask that their privacy continue to be respected as they take time to recover.
Planned for Morgan’s Point, the new state-of-the-art care community will replace the aging Lefroy House in Sandys Parish
Images supplied.
Government press release:
The Ministry of Health is pleased to announce that Geoff Parker Architects has been selected as the winner of the design competition for the redevelopment of Lefroy House Care Community.
The design competition was launched earlier this year to find the best concept for a new, state-of-the-art care community that will replace the existing Lefroy House facility in Sandys Parish. After an extensive evaluation process, Geoff Parker Architects was chosen as the winning firm.
The Hon. Kim Wilson, JP, MP, Minister of Health, said: “This announcement marks a milestone in our journey to transform elder care in Bermuda. Geoff Parker Architects presented a design that not only reflects our vision for a care facility, but also for a true community hub where seniors can live in a home-like atmosphere while remaining engaged and connected. Their thoughtful, innovative proposal best captured the values of dignity, independence, and compassion that are central to this project.”
Minister Wilson continued: “It is essential that Lefroy House is redeveloped. Bermuda’s population is aging, and we must expand our long-term care options to meet this growing need. The redevelopment of Lefroy House reflects our commitment to ensuring that every senior can age with dignity, independence, and the highest possible quality of life.”
The competition was a two-phase process launched by the Ministry of Public Works in April 2025. Following a Request for Information, three firms were shortlisted, with two – OBMI Ltd. and Geoff Parker Architects, submitting final designs. Both firms presented their concepts to a nine-member evaluation panel.
The panel included experienced professionals who operate residential care homes, a consultant infrastructure manager from the Ministry of Health, senior representatives from the Ministry of Public Works’ Department of Works and Engineering, a representative from the Bermuda Health Council, and the Ministry Comptroller. This diverse team of evaluators ensured a transparent, thorough, and informed process. After individual scoring and collective discussion, the panel unanimously selected Geoff Parker Architects as the winner.
The new facility will be built at Morgan’s Point, following a rigorous site selection process. Morgan’s Point was chosen only after 12 alternative sites were considered and ruled out. While the current Lefroy House has served Bermuda well, it cannot be repurposed to meet modern care standards or expanded to accommodate future demand. Morgan’s Point offers the space, infrastructure, and setting necessary for a long-term solution.
Minister Wilson concluded: “The development of the Lefroy Care Community Facility is a landmark step in fulfilling our commitment to Bermuda’s seniors. Our Government is dedicated to creating more long-term care beds and establishing additional care homes to ensure that our elders receive the support and services they deserve. This winning design embodies our vision for a facility where seniors can age with dignity, independence, and a high quality of life.”
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