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Published20 minutes agocommentsCommentsShareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingImage source, Getty ImagesBy Michael Race & Zoe KleinmanBusiness reporter & Technology editor, BBC NewsTwitter users have voted in favour of Elon Musk stepping down as the platform’s chief executive after the billionaire ran a poll on his future.A total of 57.5% voted “yes” after Mr Musk asked his 122 million followers whether he should stand down.Mr Musk, who bought Twitter for $44bn (£36bn), said before the poll closed that he would abide by the result.The technology tycoon, who also runs Tesla and Space X, has faced much criticism since taking over the site.Mr Musk is yet to comment since the poll closed. Even if he were to resign as chief executive, he would remain as Twitter’s owner.More than 17.5 million users voted in his poll on Monday, with 42.5% voting no to Mr Musk stepping down.In the past Mr Musk has obeyed Twitter polls. He’s fond of quoting the phrase “vox populi, vox dei”, a Latin phrase which roughly means “the voice of the people is the voice of God”.Should I step down as head of Twitter? I will abide by the results of this poll.— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) December 18, 2022
The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.View original tweet on TwitterA former Twitter member of staff, who left the company recently, told the BBC that Mr Musk was “showing himself to be the incompetent fool we all knew he was”.Speaking on condition of anonymity, they added: “His investors are surely looking at this now and questioning whether he was the right horse to back.”I imagine he’s getting pressure from investors to step down and is using this poll to make it look like he’s following the will of the people instead of the will of those paying his bills.”Minutes before the poll closed, the founder of crypto exchange Binance replied to Mr Musk saying he should “stay the course” and not step down.Changpeng Zhao is thought to be one of several Twitter investors and said in May he had backed Mr Musk taking over by making a $500m investment.Who is Elon Musk?Among the backers are massive firms such as Fidelity, which is known for managing retirement accounts, and Sequoia Capital, which has backed other technology firms Apple, Google and Airbnb.Others are thought to be Oracle co-founder and Mr Musk’s friend, Larry Ellison, sovereign wealth fund Qatar Holding, and Saudi Arabia’s Prince Alwaleed bin Talal.Mr Musk’s private jet appears to be on its way back from the World Cup in Qatar, where he was pictured at the final next to Donald Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner on Sunday.Image source, Getty ImagesDan Ives, senior equity analyst at Wedbush Securities, told the BBC before the poll closed that he believed the vote would ultimately lead to the ending of Mr Musk’s reign as Twitter chief executive, and that he would probably name a new temporary CEO “in the next 24 hours”.There has been a flurry of controversial changes at Twitter since Mr Musk bought the social media site. He has fired about half of its staff and attempted a rollout of Twitter’s paid-for verification feature before putting it on pause. The feature was relaunched last week. He has also been criticised for his approach to content moderation, with some civil liberties groups accusing him of taking steps that will increase hate speech and misinformation.On Friday, Mr Musk was condemned by the United Nations and European Union over Twitter’s decision to suspend some journalists who cover the social media firm.The UN tweeted that media freedom is “not a toy”, while the EU threatened Twitter with sanctions.After starting the poll, Mr Musk tweeted: “As the saying goes, be careful what you wish, as you might get it.”He added later: “Those who want power are the ones who least deserve it.”

Timeline: Musk’s turbulent Twitter takeover

‘Chief Twit’ takes control

27 October 2022

Musk completes his $44bn (£38.1bn) takeover of Twitter, immediately firing a number of the company’s top executives and tweeting “the bird is freed”.

Before officially taking charge of the company, Musk changed his Twitter profile to read “Chief Twit” and turned up to Twitter HQ in San Francisco carrying a sink, saying: “Let that sink in!”

Platform battles ‘trolling campaign’

29 October

After a surge in tweets containing racist language, Twitter’s head of trust and safety says: “Hateful conduct has no place here.” Yoel Roth says the company is taking action against users “involved in this trolling campaign” to make Twitter safe and welcoming for everyone.

Musk shares inaccurate story

30 October

Musk tweets an article containing a number of inaccuracies about an attack on the husband of US House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi by a hammer-wielding intruder. The site has a history of publishing inaccurate stories and Musk later deletes the tweet after a backlash.

Trump return dismissed – for now

31 October

With just over a week to go before the US midterm elections, Musk responds to questions about whether he will reinstate former President Donald Trump’s account on Twitter by tweeting: “If I had a dollar for every time someone asked me if Trump is coming back on this platform, Twitter would be minting money!”

Later that day, Musk attended a halloween party in New York and posed for photographs wearing a “Devil’s champion” costume.

Criticism over subscription service

1 November

Following reports that Twitter will begin charging users to have verified accounts, Musk responds to criticism from author Stephen King by saying: “We need to pay the bills somehow!”.

Musk moves to cut staff numbers

4 November

Employees at the company begin receiving emails entitled “Your Role at Twitter” informing them whether they have lost their jobs. Responding to news about the layoffs, Musk says “unfortunately there is no choice when the company is losing over $4M/day”.

Yoel Roth, the head of trust and safety, said 50% of the company’s nearly 8,000 employees had been laid off but sought to reassure users and advertisers that the platform’s moderation capacity remained intact.

Twitter founder breaks silence

5 November

Twitter co-founder and ex-CEO Jack Dorsey breaks his silence over the Musk takeover to apologise to staff who have lost their jobs, saying: “I own the responsibility for why everyone is in this situation: I grew the company size too quickly.”

Crackdown on parody accounts

6 November

Musk announces that Twitter accounts impersonating people without being clearly labelled a parody will be permanently suspended – a change to the previous process when accounts were given a warning first.

A number of accounts that changed their name to “Elon Musk” and mocked the billionaire had already been suspended or placed behind a warning sign.

Warnings about Twitter’s survival

9 November

In his first email to Twitter staff, Musk warns that the “economic picture ahead is dire” and adds: “Without significant subscription revenue, there is a good chance Twitter will not survive the upcoming economic downturn.”

Meanwhile, after the launch of the $8-a-month Twitter Blue subscription, which gives paying users a blue tick, a slew of parody accounts that appear to be verified emerge, including a fake George W Bush account that tweets: “I miss killing Iraqis”. Within days, the service is paused.

Key staff leave company

10 November

More high-profile staff quit, including head of trust and safety Yoel Roth and chief security officer Lea Kissner.

Musk cuts down on contractors

12 November

Reports in US media say thousands of contractors who had been working for Twitter have had their contracts terminated. Technology news site Platformer says as many as 80% of its 5,500 contractor workforce were laid off in the move but the company made no official announcement.

Staff told: Be hardcore or leave

16 November

In a late-night email to all Twitter staff, Musk says employees must commit to a “hardcore” culture of working “long hours at high intensity” or leave the company.

Company offices abruptly closed

17 November

In a surprise announcement, Twitter says its company offices will be closed temporarily. The move comes amid reports that large numbers of Twitter staff had resigned.

Responding to fears the platform was about to shut down due to losing key staff, Musk tweeted: “The best people are staying, so I’m not super worried.”

Twitter Blue relaunched

12 December

The paid-for verification feature Twitter Blue is relaunched. It is still $8 per month – but Twitter cranks it up to $11 for those using the app on Apple devices. Musk says he resents the commission fee Apple charges on in-app purchases.

Suspensions for location ‘doxxing’

15 December

Musk says he is taking legal action against the holder of the @ElonJet Twitter account that tracks his private jet, claiming it put his son at risk.

He also suspends the accounts of reporters for the New York Times, CNN and the Washington Post, among others, saying they had shared his location.

After condemnation from the UN, a threat of sanctions from the European Union, and a Twitter poll, Musk lifts the suspension for the journalists’ accounts, saying “the people have spoken”. The @ElonJet account remains suspended.

Twitter users vote for Musk to step down

18 December

Twitter users voted in favour of Musk stepping down as its chief executive after he ran a poll on his future, promising he would “abide by the results”.

Millions voted, with a final total of 57.5% saying “yes”.

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Earlier on Sunday, Twitter said it would shut down accounts solely designed to promote other social media platforms. However, Mr Musk later tweeted that major policy changes for the site would be voted on in the future. The web page detailing the policy towards other social media platforms appears to no longer exist.Twitter ‘distraction’Mr Ives said the last few weeks and months had been a “black eye for Musk and a black eye for Tesla”, which he said was the “golden child” because it is where most of the billionaire’s wealth is.Mr Musk’s electric car firm has fallen sharply in value, with some saying his obsession with Twitter is destroying the brand.Last week, Leo KoGuan, the third largest individual shareholder in Tesla, called for Mr Musk to step down as the boss of the electric car maker.”Elon abandoned Tesla and Tesla has no working CEO. Tesla needs and deserves to have [a] working full time CEO,” he tweeted.As the saying goes, be careful what you wish, as you might get it— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) December 18, 2022
The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.View original tweet on TwitterMr Ives said he believed Mr Musk had realised he “cannot balance” being the boss of Twitter as well as his Tesla and space rocket firm SpaceX.”The biggest problem is the more controversy he creates, advertisers leave and they run for the hills and that’s 90% of revenue for Twitter,” he said.Russ Mould, investment director at AJ Bell, added investors at Tesla would be “closely watching” Mr Musk’s poll.”Given how much of a distraction Musk’s tenure at Twitter has become, shareholders in the electric vehicle manufacturer will be breathing a big sigh of relief if he steps back from Twitter and gets back to the day job at Tesla,” he said.”For someone who sets so much store by work ethic, Musk sure seems to spend a lot of time on social media. With Tesla shares having more than halved year-to-date, Musk needs to roll up his sleeves and get his main business back on the road.”Tesla’s share price rose nearly 3% at around $154 each on US stock markets in early trading on Monday. However, the have lost nearly 60% in value this year.You may also be interested in:This video can not be playedTo play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.More on this storyTwitter reinstates banned journalists’ accounts2 days agoTwitter condemned by UN and EU over reporters’ ban2 days agoTwitter blocks users from sharing links to rival3 days ago

Published1 hour agoShareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingImage source, Getty ImagesBy Kathryn ArmstrongBBC NewsA top Chinese health official says he believes China is experiencing the first of three expected waves of Covid infections this winter. The country is seeing a surge in cases since the lifting of its most severe restrictions earlier this month. The latest official figures appear to show a relatively low number of new daily cases. However, there are concerns that these numbers are an underestimate due to a recent reduction in Covid testing. The government reported only 2,097 new daily cases on Sunday. Epidemiologist Wu Zunyou has said he believes the current spike in infections would run until mid-January, while the second wave would then be triggered by mass travel in January around the week-long Lunar New Year celebrations which begin on 21 January. Millions of people usually travel at this time to spend the holiday with family.The third surge in cases would run from late February to mid-March as people return to work after the holiday, Dr Wu said.He told a conference on Saturday that current vaccinations levels offered a certain level of protection against the surges and had resulted in a drop in the number of severe cases. Overall, China says more than 90% of its population has been fully vaccinated. However, less than half of people aged 80 and over have received three doses of vaccine. Elderly people are more likely to suffer severe Covid symptoms.China has developed and produced its own vaccines, which have been shown to be less effective at protecting people against serious Covid illness and death than the mRNA vaccines used in much of the rest of the world. Dr Wu’s comments come after a reputable US-based research institute reported earlier this week that it believed China could see over a million people die from Covid in 2023 following an explosion of cases. The government hasn’t officially reported any Covid deaths since 7 December, when restrictions were lifted following mass protests against its zero-Covid policy. That included an end to mass testing. However, there are anecdotal reports of deaths linked to Covid appearing in Beijing. Hospitals there and in other cities are struggling to cope with a surge, which has also hit postal and catering services hard.Meanwhile, China’s largest city, Shanghai, has ordered most of its schools to take classes online as cases soar.More on this storyHow is China tackling Covid?4 days agoChina abandons key parts of zero-Covid strategy7 December

Published1 hour agoShareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingImage source, Getty ImagesBy Kathryn ArmstrongBBC NewsA top Chinese health official says he believes China is experiencing the first of three expected waves of Covid infections this winter. The country is seeing a surge in cases since the lifting of its most severe restrictions earlier this month. The latest official figures appear to show a relatively low number of new daily cases. However, there are concerns that these numbers are an underestimate due to a recent reduction in Covid testing. The government reported only 2,097 new daily cases on Sunday. Epidemiologist Wu Zunyou has said he believes the current spike in infections would run until mid-January, while the second wave would then be triggered by mass travel in January around the week-long Lunar New Year celebrations which begin on 21 January. Millions of people usually travel at this time to spend the holiday with family.The third surge in cases would run from late February to mid-March as people return to work after the holiday, Dr Wu said.He told a conference on Saturday that current vaccinations levels offered a certain level of protection against the surges and had resulted in a drop in the number of severe cases. Overall, China says more than 90% of its population has been fully vaccinated. However, less than half of people aged 80 and over have received three doses of vaccine. Elderly people are more likely to suffer severe Covid symptoms.China has developed and produced its own vaccines, which have been shown to be less effective at protecting people against serious Covid illness and death than the mRNA vaccines used in much of the rest of the world. Dr Wu’s comments come after a reputable US-based research institute reported earlier this week that it believed China could see over a million people die from Covid in 2023 following an explosion of cases. The government hasn’t officially reported any Covid deaths since 7 December, when restrictions were lifted following mass protests against its zero-Covid policy. That included an end to mass testing. However, there are anecdotal reports of deaths linked to Covid appearing in Beijing. Hospitals there and in other cities are struggling to cope with a surge, which has also hit postal and catering services hard.Meanwhile, China’s largest city, Shanghai, has ordered most of its schools to take classes online as cases soar.More on this storyHow is China tackling Covid?4 days agoChina abandons key parts of zero-Covid strategy7 December

Published1 hour agoShareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingImage source, Getty ImagesBy Kathryn ArmstrongBBC NewsA top Chinese health official says he believes China is experiencing the first of three expected waves of Covid infections this winter. The country is seeing a surge in cases since the lifting of its most severe restrictions earlier this month. The latest official figures appear to show a relatively low number of new daily cases. However, there are concerns that these numbers are an underestimate due to a recent reduction in Covid testing. The government reported only 2,097 new daily cases on Sunday. Epidemiologist Wu Zunyou has said he believes the current spike in infections would run until mid-January, while the second wave would then be triggered by mass travel in January around the week-long Lunar New Year celebrations which begin on 21 January. Millions of people usually travel at this time to spend the holiday with family.The third surge in cases would run from late February to mid-March as people return to work after the holiday, Dr Wu said.He told a conference on Saturday that current vaccinations levels offered a certain level of protection against the surges and had resulted in a drop in the number of severe cases. Overall, China says more than 90% of its population has been fully vaccinated. However, less than half of people aged 80 and over have received three doses of vaccine. Elderly people are more likely to suffer severe Covid symptoms.China has developed and produced its own vaccines, which have been shown to be less effective at protecting people against serious Covid illness and death than the mRNA vaccines used in much of the rest of the world. Dr Wu’s comments come after a reputable US-based research institute reported earlier this week that it believed China could see over a million people die from Covid in 2023 following an explosion of cases. The government hasn’t officially reported any Covid deaths since 7 December, when restrictions were lifted following mass protests against its zero-Covid policy. That included an end to mass testing. However, there are anecdotal reports of deaths linked to Covid appearing in Beijing. Hospitals there and in other cities are struggling to cope with a surge, which has also hit postal and catering services hard.Meanwhile, China’s largest city, Shanghai, has ordered most of its schools to take classes online as cases soar.More on this storyHow is China tackling Covid?4 days agoChina abandons key parts of zero-Covid strategy7 December

The A-League Melbourne derby has been abandoned after a player and the referee were injured by a spectator during a pitch invasion.Fans ran on to the pitch in the 22nd minute of the match between between Melbourne City and Melbourne Victory.Referee Alex King was trying to shield City goalkeeper Tom Glover when both suffered cuts to their faces after being hit by a metal bucket.Glover had several stitches before being taken to hospital for scans.A City statement saidexternal-link Glover, 24, went for “further follow up checks” after being assessed by the club doctor.A TV cameraman was also injured by a flare.In a statement,external-link Victory said the club was “devastated” and “unequivocally condemns” the “appalling behaviour” of fans at Saturday’s game at AAMI Park, which the two clubs share.”The actions that occurred, that saw spectators enter the pitch and injure a Melbourne City FC player, an official and a Network 10 cameraman, are not acceptable under any circumstance and have no place in football,” it continued.Supporters had been protesting before and during the game, which was initially suspended then abandoned on player safety grounds.Protests after Grand Finals moved to SydneyThe Australian Professional Leagues (APL) announced last week that it had sold the A-League Grand Final rights to Sydney for the next three yearsexternal-link, and protests were planned at several A-League games this weekend as a result.Fans of both Victory and City planned a walk-out on the 20-minute mark but the protest escalated after flares were thrown on to the pitch by both sets of supporters.City were leading 1-0 when Glover appeared to throw a flare back towards the crowd, according to Melbourne newspaper The Age.external-linkVictoria Police said approximately 150-200 Victory fans then ran on to the pitch, and Glover and referee King were struck by a bucket used to dispose of flares, covering them both in powder and smoke.The players, including former Portugal and Manchester United winger Nani, were immediately ushered from the field and Football Australia said the game was called off “to protect the integrity of the match”.A Football Australia statement said “strong sanctions” would be handed down after the “shocking scenes”.”Such behaviour has no place in Australian football, with a full Football Australia investigation to commence immediately,” it added.An APL statement said: “The Australian Professional League is co-ordinating with Football Australia regarding the ramifications of these events.”‘An absolute disgrace’ – social media reactionVictoria Police are also investigating the incident, which has been widely criticised on social media.”I can’t believe what has happened,” said former Australia midfielder Robbie Slater. “Not the way to protest. Very sad that it has come to this.”Former Australia goalkeeper Clint Bolton added that “I’ve never felt as embarrassed and as empty as I feel right now.””That is an absolute disgrace from the Melbourne Victory fans,” wrote Western United left-back Ben Garuccio.external-link”Not what football in this country needs and I hope whoever threw that bucket is banned from ever attending another A-League match.”Newcastle Jets supporters also staged a walk-out protest 20 minutes into Friday’s home game with Brisbane Roar.Central Coast Mariners fans did the same during Saturday’s match against Sydney FC, while a group of Sydney FC fans boycotted the game in Gosford altogether.

The A-League Melbourne derby has been abandoned after a player and the referee were injured by a spectator during a pitch invasion.Fans ran on to the pitch in the 22nd minute of the match between between Melbourne City and Melbourne Victory.Referee Alex King was trying to shield City goalkeeper Tom Glover when both suffered cuts to their faces after being hit by a metal bucket.Glover had several stitches before being taken to hospital for scans.A City statement saidexternal-link Glover, 24, went for “further follow up checks” after being assessed by the club doctor.A TV cameraman was also injured by a flare.In a statement,external-link Victory said the club was “devastated” and “unequivocally condemns” the “appalling behaviour” of fans at Saturday’s game at AAMI Park, which the two clubs share.”The actions that occurred, that saw spectators enter the pitch and injure a Melbourne City FC player, an official and a Network 10 cameraman, are not acceptable under any circumstance and have no place in football,” it continued.Supporters had been protesting before and during the game, which was initially suspended then abandoned on player safety grounds.Protests after Grand Finals moved to SydneyThe Australian Professional Leagues (APL) announced last week that it had sold the A-League Grand Final rights to Sydney for the next three yearsexternal-link, and protests were planned at several A-League games this weekend as a result.Fans of both Victory and City planned a walk-out on the 20-minute mark but the protest escalated after flares were thrown on to the pitch by both sets of supporters.City were leading 1-0 when Glover appeared to throw a flare back towards the crowd, according to Melbourne newspaper The Age.external-linkVictoria Police said approximately 150-200 Victory fans then ran on to the pitch, and Glover and referee King were struck by a bucket used to dispose of flares, covering them both in powder and smoke.The players, including former Portugal and Manchester United winger Nani, were immediately ushered from the field and Football Australia said the game was called off “to protect the integrity of the match”.A Football Australia statement said “strong sanctions” would be handed down after the “shocking scenes”.”Such behaviour has no place in Australian football, with a full Football Australia investigation to commence immediately,” it added.An APL statement said: “The Australian Professional League is co-ordinating with Football Australia regarding the ramifications of these events.”‘An absolute disgrace’ – social media reactionVictoria Police are also investigating the incident, which has been widely criticised on social media.”I can’t believe what has happened,” said former Australia midfielder Robbie Slater. “Not the way to protest. Very sad that it has come to this.”Former Australia goalkeeper Clint Bolton added that “I’ve never felt as embarrassed and as empty as I feel right now.””That is an absolute disgrace from the Melbourne Victory fans,” wrote Western United left-back Ben Garuccio.external-link”Not what football in this country needs and I hope whoever threw that bucket is banned from ever attending another A-League match.”Newcastle Jets supporters also staged a walk-out protest 20 minutes into Friday’s home game with Brisbane Roar.Central Coast Mariners fans did the same during Saturday’s match against Sydney FC, while a group of Sydney FC fans boycotted the game in Gosford altogether.

Published21 minutes agoShareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingImage source, Getty ImagesBy Lalla SyBBC NewsThe military authorities in Burkina Faso have summoned Ghana’s ambassador after its neighbour alleged it had hired a Russian mercenary group. Wagner Group’s presence was “distressing” said Ghana’s President Nana Akufo-Addo. Burkina Faso has been struggling to contain Islamist militants who operate in many parts of the country.Neighbouring Mali faces a similar challenge and is already widely believed to be working with Wagner.Since Capt Ibrahim Traoré seized power in Burkina Faso in September, there had been widespread speculation that he might follow suit and start working with Russian mercenaries.Both countries have already cut long-standing security ties with France, the former colonial power.While visiting Ghana, the UK’s Minister for Development and Africa Andrew Mitchell said Britain was concerned about the activities of Russian mercenaries in West Africa. Mr Mitchell told the BBC that Russia’s presence in the region was “neither constructive nor helpful.” Africa Live: Updates on this and other stories from the continentCapt Traoré has promised to win back territory from the jihadists, and to hold democratic elections in July 2024.His government has also recalled the Burkinabe ambassador in Accra for a “consultation” over comments made by the Ghanaian president.President Akufo-Addo, speaking on the sidelines of the US-Africa summit in Washington DC on Wednesday, said Ghana’s northern neighbour had made a deal with the mercenary group.”Today, Russian mercenaries are on our northern border. Burkina Faso has now entered into an arrangement to go along with Mali in employing the Wagner forces there,” he said. He also said that Burkina Faso had ceded a mine, reportedly with gold reserves, near the border with Ghana in exchange for the group’s services to deal with the militant insurgency that began in 2015. In recent weeks, hundreds of people fleeing militants attacks in Burkina Faso have crossed the border into northern Ghana.So far, there has not been any official confirmation about an agreement between the Wagner Group and Burkina Faso, even though Prime Minister Apollinaire Kyelem recently visited Russia.The reports that Mali was working with Wagner fighters were one reason why France withdrew its forces from the country in August – after nearly a decade of helping to fight jihadist fighters in the country. The details of any pact between Mali and the mercenary group, which has been accused of committing atrocities in the country, including killing civilians, remains unclear. Jihadists attacks have continued in many parts of the country despite the presence of the Russian mercenaries, described as instructors by Mali’s military authorities.Wagner also has fighters in Libya, Central African Republic and Mozambique.Additional reporting by Thomas Naadi in GhanaMore on this storyHow Russia has outflanked Ukraine in Africa22 JuneHave coups in Burkina Faso and Mali improved security?30 JulyRussian Mercenaries: Inside the Wagner Group11 August 2021

Published1 hour agoShareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingImage source, ReutersBy Laura GozziBBC NewsDenmark’s new coalition government is set to scrap a bank holiday to boost defence spending.It is one of the first measures agreed by the unusual coalition between centre-left and centre-right parties – the first since the 1970s.The centre-left Social Democrat party, the centre-right Liberal Party and the centrist Moderate party are all part of the new government. Incumbent Social Democrat PM Mette Frederiksen will carry on in the job.In October, Ms Frederiksen called a snap election following outrage after a highly critical report of her government’s handling of a country-wide mink cull at fur farms at the height of the pandemic was released over the summer. After last month’s vote, Ms Frederiksen handed in her government’s resignation to Queen Margrethe despite her party winning the most votes, as she said she wanted to form a broader coalition.An agreement with her historical rivals was found when the Liberals and the Moderates agreed to drop calls for an independent legal inquiry into the mink cull. The result was the Social Democrat-Liberal-Moderate coalition unveiled on Thursday, as the handover of power from the previous government took place.Former prime minister and Moderates leader Lars Lokke Rasmussen has been appointed foreign minister and Liberal leader Jakob Ellemann-Jensen becomes deputy prime minister and defence minister. One of the coalition’s priorities is to reach Nato’s target of 2% of GDP for defence spending three years ahead of schedule. The issue of defence has been at the forefront of Danish political debate since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine earlier this year. To this end, Ms Frederiksen has announced the government will scrap one of Denmark’s 11 public holidays, in the hope of boosting productivity and economic activity. The axe is likely to fall on Store Bededag (the “Great Prayer Day”), which falls every year on the Friday before the fourth Sunday after Easter and was introduced as a public holiday in 1686.The measure has sparked some criticism, starting with Denmark’s religious community. The president of the clergy association, Pernille Vigso Bagge, told Danish newspaper Berlingske that she was “saddened” by the prospect of losing the day, and said that scrapping it left both priests and people waiting to be confirmed “in a logistical nightmare” as the Store Bededag is traditionally a big confirmation day.The Dean of Roskilde Cathedral, Sophie Olander, told TV2: “We need holidays, as gathering times to get down to speed and have time for prayer and reflection. It is a shame to have a society where you think it is not important.”Business owners are concerned too: baker Iver Hansen told outlet TV SYD the day was a large source of income for his business, and he stood to lose around 20,000-30,000 Danish kroner (£2,300-£3,460) in revenue if the holiday was scrapped.Asked about the decision to scrap the holiday, Ms Frederiksen said: “There is war in Europe, and we need to strengthen our defences… And that will require everyone to contribute a little more.”More on this storyCentre-left comes out top in Danish election2 NovemberMink and TV drama: Five things in Danish election1 NovemberDanish PM and colleagues criticised over mink cull30 June

Foreign secretary James Cleverley has said that six Chinese officials have been removed from the UK, by China.The move comes after a pro-democracy demonstration turned violent outside of the Chinese consulate on 16 October, where Greater Manchester Police said a number of assaults and public order offences had been identified.

Published23 minutes agoShareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingImage source, Getty ImagesBy Natalie ShermanBusiness reporter, New YorkThe rapid rise in consumer prices is slowing in the US, as the costs of energy, used cars, medical care and airfare fall.US inflation rose 7.1% over the 12 months to the end of November, dropping from 7.7% in October, figures from the US Labour department show.That was the slowest pace in nearly a year and better than analysts expected.But though the overall picture is improving, the cost of some items such as housing continues to climb.The US central bank has raised interest rates at the fastest pace in decades this year, in an effort to get the inflation problem under control. Earlier this month, Federal Reserve chairman Jerome Powell said that the bank would start to move less aggressively to see how the moves are playing out in the economy.By boosting borrowing costs, the Federal Reserve is expecting to dampen demand for expensive items such as homes and cars, helping to slow the economy and ease the pressures pushing up prices.New York comedian Davis Wesson said he has long been familiar with steep housing costs, but has found the past year particularly hard.The rent on his girlfriend’s one bedroom apartment jumped from $2,100 a month to nearly $3,000, forcing the couple to find a cheaper place. He said even if inflation starts to cool, he will be paying higher rates on the credit card debt he accumulated during the pandemic, when he lost his job.”It used to be only housing prices – now it’s food, its technology,” the 28-year-old said. “It’s so insane …. A burrito is like $14 now.””It seems like everything is more expensive,” he added. “I think it’s only going to get worse.”Seema Shah, chief global strategist at Principal Asset Management, said the Federal Reserve still has work to do to get inflation back to its 2% target, but the slowing inflation rate would raise hopes that it “may actually be tamed within the next 12 months”.The Fed has been helped in its inflation flight by the resolution of many of the supply chain issues that emerged during the pandemic, as well as a sharp decline in the cost of motor fuel.On average, a gallon of gasoline in the US now costs less than it did a year ago, motoring association AAA said last week. That is thanks in part to a drop in oil prices fuelled by investor expectations of reduced demand in the months ahead. “While inflation is moving to a better place, it is not yet in a good place. The month over month changes show inflation pressures are cooling. But compared to a year earlier, prices broadly remain historically high,” said Mark Hamrick, senior economic analyst for Bankrate.com. “Consumers rejoice that the price of gasoline has dropped sharply. But rising prices for other necessities, most notably food and shelter, remain elevated and continue to strain household budgets.”Grocery prices have jumped 12% over the last 12 months, while housing costs are up 7.1%. If food and energy prices, which tend to swing frequently are not included, housing drove nearly half the increase in inflation over the past year, the Labor Department said.US shares jumped on the better-than-expected news, while the dollar fell against a basket of currencies, reflecting investor bets that the interest rate increases that have pushed it higher will slow. More on this storyUS signals shift to slower interest rate increases30 NovemberUS jobs growth signals tough inflation fight ahead2 December

Published21 minutes agoShareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingImage source, Getty ImagesBy Natalie ShermanBusiness reporter, New YorkThe rapid rise in consumer prices is slowing in the US, as the costs of energy, used cars, medical care and airfare fall.US inflation rose 7.1% over the 12 months to the end of November, dropping from 7.7% in October, figures from the US Labour department show.That was the slowest pace in nearly a year and better than analysts expected.But though the overall picture is improving, the cost of some items such as housing continues to climb.The US central bank has raised interest rates at the fastest pace in decades this year, in an effort to get the inflation problem under control. Earlier this month, Federal Reserve chairman Jerome Powell said that the bank would start to move less aggressively to see how the moves are playing out in the economy.By boosting borrowing costs, the Federal Reserve is expecting to dampen demand for expensive items such as homes and cars, helping to slow the economy and ease the pressures pushing up prices.New York comedian Davis Wesson said he has long been familiar with steep housing costs, but has found the past year particularly hard.The rent on his girlfriend’s one bedroom apartment jumped from $2,100 a month to nearly $3,000, forcing the couple to find a cheaper place. He said even if inflation starts to cool, he will be paying higher rates on the credit card debt he accumulated during the pandemic, when he lost his job.”It used to be only housing prices – now it’s food, its technology,” the 28-year-old said. “It’s so insane …. A burrito is like $14 now.””It seems like everything is more expensive,” he added. “I think it’s only going to get worse.”Seema Shah, chief global strategist at Principal Asset Management, said the Federal Reserve still has work to do to get inflation back to its 2% target, but the slowing inflation rate would raise hopes that it “may actually be tamed within the next 12 months”.The Fed has been helped in its inflation flight by the resolution of many of the supply chain issues that emerged during the pandemic, as well as a sharp decline in the cost of motor fuel.On average, a gallon of gasoline in the US now costs less than it did a year ago, motoring association AAA said last week. That is thanks in part to a drop in oil prices fuelled by investor expectations of reduced demand in the months ahead. “While inflation is moving to a better place, it is not yet in a good place. The month over month changes show inflation pressures are cooling. But compared to a year earlier, prices broadly remain historically high,” said Mark Hamrick, senior economic analyst for Bankrate.com. “Consumers rejoice that the price of gasoline has dropped sharply. But rising prices for other necessities, most notably food and shelter, remain elevated and continue to strain household budgets.”Grocery prices have jumped 12% over the last 12 months, while housing costs are up 7.1%. If food and energy prices, which tend to swing frequently are not included, housing drove nearly half the increase in inflation over the past year, the Labor Department said.US shares jumped on the better-than-expected news, while the dollar fell against a basket of currencies, reflecting investor bets that the interest rate increases that have pushed it higher will slow. More on this storyUS signals shift to slower interest rate increases30 NovemberUS jobs growth signals tough inflation fight ahead2 December

Published1 hour agoShareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingImage source, ReutersBy James GregoryBBC NewsArrests over alleged corruption at the European Parliament are “very, very worrisome”, the EU’s foreign policy chief Josep Borrell has said.And Irish Foreign Affairs minister Simon Coveney said the charges against four people were “very damaging”.Among the arrested was European Parliament Vice President Eva Kaili – believed to be one of those charged.Prosecutors suspect a Gulf state – reportedly Qatar – tried to influence parliament by donating money or gifts. Qatar has denied misconduct.Belgian police seized cash worth about €600,000 ($632,000; £515,000) in 16 searches in Brussels on Friday. Computers and mobile phones were also taken, to examine their contents.Four people have been charged while two have been released, prosecutors said on Sunday. No suspects have been publicly named but Ms Kaili is understood to be among those who have been indicted.”They are charged with participation in a criminal organisation, money laundering and corruption,” the Belgian federal prosecutor’s office said in a statement.’Jaws on the floor’Analysis by Jessica Parker, Brussels correspondentThe details released by Belgian authorities in the last few days left many people’s jaws on the floor. Two MEPs homes have been searched and 600,000 euros seized. The federal prosecutor’s office didn’t mince their words in terms of the allegations either.MEPs I’ve spoken to say they’re shocked by both the scale and blatancy of the accusations, albeit not by the suggestion a foreign power might try to influence EU policy – or seek to improve their country’s reputation through public debates. Qatar has rejected any reports of misconduct – but this story is set to dominate proceedings as MEPs head to Strasbourg for one of their regular plenary sessions. Ms Kaili – an MEP for eight years – was suspended from her duties as one of 14 vice-presidents by president of the European Parliament Roberta Metsola. She has also been suspended from the parliament’s Socialists and Democrats Group, and expelled from the Greek centre-left Pasok party.Prosecutors in Greece have reportedly frozen all of Ms Kaili’s assets.Watchdogs and opposition MEPs said the bribery investigation could represent one of the biggest corruption scandals in European Parliament history.Michiel van Hulten, a former MEP and director of anti-corruption organisation Transparency International EU, said: “While this may be the most egregious case of alleged corruption the European Parliament has seen in many years, it is not an isolated incident. “Over many decades, the parliament has allowed a culture of impunity to develop, with a combination of lax financial rules and controls and a complete lack of independent – or indeed any – ethics oversight. In many ways it has become a law unto itself.” Mr Borrell, speaking to reporters as he arrived at a meeting of EU foreign ministers on Monday, said: “Certainly the news is very, very worrisome.”We are facing some events, some facts, that certainly worries me as a former president of the European Parliament.”Speaking before Monday’s meeting, Mr Coveney said the allegations were “very damaging”, adding that “we need to get to the bottom of it”.Meanwhile Terry Reintke, who co-chairs the Green bloc in parliament, has called for Ms Kaili’s immediate resignation.”We shouldn’t even have to remove her from her vice president position,” the German MEP said. “This should be done by her proactively.”Prosecutors said they suspected a Gulf state had been influencing economic and political decisions of the parliament for several months, especially by targeting aides.Local media has named the state as Qatar, though the Qatari government said any claims of misconduct were “gravely misinformed”.Ms Kaili’s responsibilities as vice-president include the Middle East. She has been a defender of Qatar in the past.Ms Metsola flew from her native Malta to Brussels on Saturday evening to witness the searching of an MEP’s house – as is required by the Belgian constitution.Her spokesman said the European Parliament “stands firmly against corruption” and is “fully cooperating” with investigators.The European Parliament is the EU’s only directly-elected institution. Some 705 members of parliament, elected by voters in the 27 nations which make up the EU, meet to scrutinise proposed legislation and vote through European law. More on this storyFour charged in EU Parliament corruption case20 hours agoTop MEP arrested over alleged bribery by Gulf state1 day ago