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November 2: Britain’s China Policy Warning and Belgium’s Budget Crisis
In Britain
A parliamentary committee warns that Labour’s inconsistent China policy is exposing Britain to economic and national security risks. Lawmakers cite the last-minute blocking of Chinese firm Ming Yang’s planned wind turbine factory in Scotland. They want clear limits on Chinese investment, stronger supply chains and a ban on imports made with forced labor. They also recommend preparing tariffs if China continues unfair subsidies or fails to provide reciprocal market access.
Separately, the ban on Palestine Action faces a Supreme Court challenge this week. London’s Metropolitan Police say officers arrested 325 people at Saturday’s protest outside the U.S. embassy.
In Australia
Author Craig Silvey, who wrote Jasper Jones, has been sentenced to seven months in jail after pleading guilty earlier this year to distributing and possessing child exploitation material. The Western Australian District Court heard that he had sent multiple messages expressing sexual desire for young boys.
Spain’s train crash
Officials say four Americans and one Czech citizen are among those killed in a train crash in Spain. It was the country’s second high-speed train collision this year. A January crash in the southern region of Andalusia killed 46 people.
Florida’s plane crash
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy confirmed that all nine people aboard a Learjet 60 died when it crashed beside homes in Palm Beach County on Sunday. Officials said they had received no reports at that point of deaths or injuries on the ground.
In Yemen
Rights experts are calling for international accountability after a United Nations staff member died in custody in Yemen. They describe systematic abuses linked to the Houthis.
Belgium’s budget crisis
Belgium’s prime minister is at the royal palace to offer to resign after budget talks failed. The country’s national debt exceeds 735 billion euros, more than 110 percent of its gross domestic product, compared with the European Union’s 60 percent limit.
Hungary’s informant files
Hungary’s new government is set to release communist-era informant files on Wednesday, revealing tens of thousands of names. State-security services used informants to monitor society and suppress dissent. Some were blackmailed or coerced into reporting on people close to them; others were recruited with promises of benefits.
Bangladesh’s garment workers
Protests have disrupted garment factories in Bangladesh for a third day as workers demand a higher minimum wage amid rising inflation. The garment industry is the country’s largest export sector.
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