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Baby among two killed in Russian drone attack on Kyiv, officials say

Ukraine's emergency service DSNS A firefighter looks at a partially destroyed residential house in Kyiv, following a Russian drone attack. Photo: 7 September 2025Ukraine's emergency service DSNS
A firefighter looks at a partially destroyed residential house in Kyiv, following a Russian drone attack

At least two people have been killed and 11 injured in a new Russian overnight drone attack on Ukraine's capital Kyiv, local officials have said.

One of the victims was a one-year-old baby, whose body was pulled from the rubble, Kyiv's military administration head Tymur Tkachenko said Sunday. A young woman is also believed to have been killed.

Russian strikes were also targeted at Kryvyi Rih, President Volodymyr Zelensky's hometown in central Ukraine, where three infrastructure facilities were hit. Air raid warnings were activated overnight for all of the country's regions.

The fresh attack came as Russian President Vladimir Putin has been hardening his warning on the West not to aid Ukraine.

Overnight, several multi-storey residential buildings were partially destroyed and continued to be ablaze after direct hits.

"The Russians are deliberately hitting civilian facilities," Tkachenko said, urging Kyiv residents to remain in shelters.

City authorities said residential buildings were hit in the western Svyatoshynkyi and south-eastern Darnytskyi districts.

There were multiple explosions in Kyiv in the early morning, including at least one in the city centre, seen by the BBC. Several cruise missiles also targeted the capital.

Russia's military has not commented on the reported drone strikes.

Earlier this week, Putin rejected Western proposals for a "reassurance force" in Ukraine the day after any ceasefire comes into place, following a Paris summit aimed at finalising plans for security guarantees.

French President Emmanuel Macron said 26 of Ukraine's allies had formally committed to deploying troops "by land, sea or air" to help provide security the moment fighting was brought to a halt. He gave no further details.

Putin sought to quash the allies' initiative, warning that any troops deployed to Ukraine would be "legitimate targets".

Russia launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, and Moscow currently controls about 20% of Ukrainian territory - including the southern Crimea peninsula illegally annexed in 2014.

罗智强称国民党中央已确认他的参选资格

国民党立委罗智强说,国民党中央已确认他的参选资格。

罗智强星期天(9月7日)在脸书称,党中央已确认他的参选资格,恳请支持者动起来替他催票、拉票,并投票给他。

罗智强说,台湾总统赖清德在大罢免中虽然一时受挫,但“台独引战争,独裁想专制”的“双独大梦”并没有醒,只是等待下一个时机再次发动检调清算,用对付柯文哲的方式,对付台湾所有人。

罗智强表示,他若当国民党主席,一定让赖清德下台,全力平反被民进党政治迫害的人,让台湾民主重回正轨。

国民党主席将在10月18日进行改选,目前表态有意角逐的,包括罗智强、孙文学校总校长张亚中、前彰化县长卓伯源、前立委郑丽文、前国民党副秘书长张雅屏、国民党中央委员孙健萍、彰化县议长谢典林、海基会前顾问蔡志弘等。另外,前中广董事长赵少康说,如果台中市长卢秀燕、现任主席朱立伦、前台北市长郝龙斌都不选,他会考虑参选。

8月中国新开国际货运航线15条

中国非营利社团组织星期六(9月6日)发布数据,显示今年8月全中国共新开15条国际货运航线,每周增加超过30个往返航班。

中新社引述中国物流与采购联合会下属的航空物流分会星期六发布数据,显示8月新开的国际货运航线,航向结构以亚洲和欧洲为主。

其中,亚洲航线11条,欧洲航线三条,北美洲航线一条。这些航线共涉及10家航空公司,其中包括四家国内航空公司。

货物结构则以跨境电商货物、高附加值货物、汽车零部件、电子产品、生鲜产品、特色农产品等为主。

据悉,今年前八个月,全中国共新开国际航空货运航线152条,每周增加超过300个往返航班。

国际航空运输协会此前发布的全球航空货运定期数据显示,7月全球航空货运需求同比增长5.5%。其中亚太航空公司航空货运需求同比增长11.1%,在所有地区中增长最快。

李鸿忠会普京:愿推动中俄关系向更高更广更深发展

中共中央政治局委员、全国人大常委会副委员长李鸿忠(左)星期四(9月4日)在俄罗斯远东城市符拉迪沃斯托克,与俄罗斯总统普京会面。 (视频截图)

中共中央政治局委员、全国人大常委会副委员长李鸿忠星期四(9月4日)与俄罗斯总统普京举行会见,表示北京愿同莫斯科一道,推动中俄关系向更高水平、更广领域、更深层次发展。

普京星期四(9月4日)在俄罗斯远东城市符拉迪沃斯托克会见应邀出席第十届东方经济论坛的李鸿忠。

据中新社报道,李鸿忠会见中指出,中国国家主席习近平两天前(9月2日)同普京在北京举行重要会谈,共同擘画中俄关系长远发展蓝图,就维护二战胜利成果、捍卫正确二战史观达成重要共识,充分彰显大国关系典范。

李鸿忠表示,中国愿同俄罗斯一道,以两国元首重要共识为遵循和引领,坚守世代友好、合作共赢的初心,推动中俄关系向更高水平、更广领域、更深层次发展。

报道引述普京感谢中国对俄公民试行免签政策,并派出高级代表团出席第十届东方经济论坛。他表示,莫斯科将同北京一道,不断推动俄中新时代全面战略协作伙伴关系和各领域合作迈上新台阶。

另一方面,中俄友好、和平与发展委员会第十五次双方全会星期六(9月6日)在符拉迪沃斯托克举行。

习近平向全会致贺辞,强调中俄友好、和平与发展委员会成立28年来,全力服务中俄关系大局,厚植两国关系社会民意根基。他希望委员会以这次会议为契机,积极发挥两国民间交往主渠道作用,“书写新时代两国人民相知相亲、风雨同舟的友好篇章”。

李鸿忠:中俄是维护全球战略稳定的建设性力量

中共中央政治局委员、全国人大常委会副委员长李鸿忠星期五(9月5日)出席在俄罗斯远东城市符拉迪沃斯托克举行的第十届东方经济论坛并致辞。 (视频截图)

中共中央政治局委员、全国人大常委会副委员长李鸿忠星期五(9月5日)在俄罗斯远东城市符拉迪沃斯托克表示,中国和俄罗斯都是具有重要影响力的大国,是维护全球战略稳定、完善全球治理的建设性力量。

第十届东方经济论坛9月3日至6日在俄罗斯符拉迪沃斯托克市的远东联邦大学校园内举行,主题为“远东——为和平与繁荣而合作”。来自70多个国家和地区的代表出席论坛。

据中新社报道,李鸿忠星期五出席东方经济论坛全会并致辞。他强调,当前世界百年变局加速演进,中国国家主席习近平提出全球治理倡议,为有效应对全球性挑战、深入开展全球性合作提供中国方案,展现大国担当,推动构建人类命运共同体。

李鸿忠表示,中国愿同包括俄罗斯在内的东北亚地区各国紧密团结协作,以行动导向推进共商共建共享,共同迈向和平发展、合作共赢的光明未来。

俄罗斯卫星通讯社则引述李鸿忠在会上表示,当前全球性挑战此起彼伏,全球治理赤字日益突出。很多问题不再局限于一国内部,也不再是一国之力能够应对。

李鸿忠说,中国和俄罗斯都是具有重要影响力的大国,是维护全球战略稳定、完善全球治理的建设性力量。

李鸿忠表示,东方经济论坛创立了10年,也是中俄关系大幅发展大跨越的十年。在习近平和俄罗斯总统普京的战略引领下,两国政治互信日益巩固深化,各领域合作不断走深走实,地方交往与合作更是成为中俄全方位各层次高质量合作的缩影。

李鸿忠指出,得益于两国元首的关心和推动,中俄“东北-远东”合作保持积极发展的势头,中国连续多年成为俄罗斯远东地区最大的贸易伙伴和投资来源国。在“东北-远东”机制框架下,中国2024年对俄贸易共计1058亿美元(1357亿新元),占双边贸易总额达43%,在中俄贸易中的排头兵作用愈发凸显。

中国央行连续第10个月增持黄金

中国人民银行连续第10个月购买黄金,黄金储备截至8月底为7402万盎司,高于7月底的7396万盎司。

据路透社报道,中国央行星期天(9月7日)发布最新数据,显示中国黄金储备截至8月底价值2538.4亿美元(3256.7亿新元),高于7月底的2439.9亿美元。

外汇储备方面,国家外汇管理局同日发布统计数据,显示中国8月外汇储备截至8月底超过33221.5亿美元,较7月底上升299亿美元,升幅为0.91%。

中国外汇管理局表示,8月受主要经济体货币政策预期、宏观经济数据等因素影响,美元指数下跌,全球金融资产价格总体上涨。汇率折算和资产价格变化等因素综合作用,当月外汇储备规模上升。

国家外汇管理局也指出,中国经济运行稳中有进,展现出强大韧性和活力,为外汇储备规模保持基本稳定提供支撑。

联合国副秘书长刚果(金)促和平

07/09/2025 - 05:26

主管维和行动的联合国副秘书长让-皮埃尔·拉克鲁瓦(Jean-Pierre Lacroix)已于2025年09月03日星期三再次飞抵刚果民主共和国(RD Congo)。这是他在过去6个月里第二次访问这个非洲国家。联合国副秘书长目前正在刚果(金)东部地区视察。按计划,他会在伊图里省(Ituri)省城布尼亚(Bunia)及其周边要停留大约48小时左右。之后,他预计将于今天(2025年09月07号星期日)在北基伍省省政府临时驻地贝尼(Beni)举行一场新闻发布会。本台法广(RFI)非洲组报道说,联合国副秘书长此行有明确的目标:重申联合国维和部队(Monusco)在刚果危机中的承诺。

据本台法广非洲组(RFI Afrique)的追踪报道,联合国负责维和事务的副秘书长让-皮埃尔·拉克鲁瓦(Jean-Pierre Lacroix)于2025年09月03日星期三抵达刚果民主共和国(RD Congo)。这是他在过去六个月里第二次访问这个非洲国家。一名联合国官员解释说,这表明联合国有意愿把刚果(金)的危机纳入国际社会的议程

-- 联合国副秘书长在金沙萨会晤刚果(金)朝野领袖 --

本台法广(RFI Afrique)非洲通讯员宝琳娜(Paulina)发自金沙萨(Kinshasa)的消息说,联合国副秘书长让-皮埃尔·拉克鲁瓦(Jean-Pierre Lacroix)周四在刚果(金)首都忙碌了一整天。

存档图片 / 联合国主管维和行动的副秘书长让-皮埃尔·拉克鲁瓦(Jean-Pierre Lacroix)。
Image d'archive / Le secrétaire général adjoint de l'ONU, chargé des opérations de maintien de la paix, Jean-Pierre Lacroix.
存档图片 / 联合国主管维和行动的副秘书长让-皮埃尔·拉克鲁瓦(Jean-Pierre Lacroix)。 Image d'archive / Le secrétaire général adjoint de l'ONU, chargé des opérations de maintien de la paix, Jean-Pierre Lacroix. AP - Mary Altaffer / RFI Image Archive

他首先在联合国维和部队-驻刚果(金)稳定特派团(Monusco)的总部与多位知名的反对派人士举行了会晤。其中有政治领袖、2023年总统大选时得票数量第三位的马丁·法尤鲁(Martin Fayulu)和刚刚在半年前出狱的让-马克·卡邦德(Jean-Marc Kabund),另外还有前加丹加省长莫伊兹·卡通比(Moïse Katumbi)、前政府总理马塔塔•蓬约•马蓬(Matata Ponyo Mapon)和前计划部长德力•塞桑加(Delly Sesanga)等人的政党代表。双方的话题围绕刚果(金)的国内对话(le dialogue national )。就此,有与会人士提出,这一对话应该包含流亡在外的刚果人。

Kinshasa - 21 mars 2015. Le personnel de la MONUSCO s’unit dans sa diversité lors de la Journée internationale pour l'élimination de la discrimination raciale.
联合国重申维和部队(Monusco)在刚果危机中的承诺。 L'ONU réaffirme l’engagement de la Monusco face aux crises congolaises. MONUSCO/Abel Kavanagh

2025年09月04日星期四,联合国副秘书长在刚果(金),还先后拜会了该国政府女总理朱迪丝·苏米努瓦夫人(Mme Judith Suminwa)与国民议会议长维达尔·卡梅雷(Vital Kamerhe)。刚果(金)总统费利克斯·齐塞克迪(président Félix Tshisekedi)则在周四晚会晤了让-皮埃尔·拉克鲁瓦(Jean-Pierre Lacroix)。刚果(金)东部地区的局势是这次会晤的核心议题。

-- 联合国副秘书长暂时不打算进入反叛武装控制区 --

同一消息指出,联合国副秘书长在金沙萨与刚果(金)朝野要员们之间的系列会晤结束后,依照行程安排,前往动荡的刚果(金)东部地区视察。他在伊图里省(Ituri)省城布尼亚(Bunia)及其周边地区预计停留大约48小时。他预计将于今天(2025年09月07号星期日)在北基伍省省政府临时驻地贝尼(Beni)举行一场新闻发布会。

RFI Data / Afrique : Carte de la République démocratique du Congo.
存档地图 / 非洲:刚果民主共和国东部地区的北基伍省贝尼城(Beni)。 carte archive / Afrique : carte de la République démocratique du Congo. © carte archive RFI

本台法广(RFI)非洲通讯员最后介绍说,如同半年前时那样,联合国副秘书长这次在刚果(金),还是不安排前往戈马(Goma)或被反叛武装团体[刚果河联盟/03月23日运动](AFC/M23)控制的地区。就此,联合国代表团的一名成员声称,那是因为不希望加剧混乱。

( 翻译和编辑:法广 RFI 电台 尼古拉 

~. Fin .~ 

Market ructions and cabinet reshuffles will help shape Reeves' Budget

WPA Pool/Getty Images Chancellor Rachel Reeves, wearing a powder blue suit, standing with her hand over some model houses which are just seen in front of herWPA Pool/Getty Images

It's been a bruising first week back for the government, full of resignations, reshuffles, and ructions in markets.

All of this will have an impact on what ends up in the chancellor's famous red box outside No 11 in 11 weeks' time.

The first thing to note is that it will be Rachel Reeves holding that briefcase for the second time on 26 November.

Whatever occurred with the deputy prime minister, the security of Reeves' position was apparent in her conversation with me in Birmingham to announce the date of the Budget.

In Downing Street, the message received from the market reaction to the chancellor's summer tears in the Commons was that the cost of borrowing went up when it was thought she was leaving office.

When I saw her, brandishing a hard hat and trowel at a housebuilding site, there seemed no question of her going anywhere.

"We need you to get qualified and get more flats and houses up," she told two bricklaying apprentices, while not entirely convincing with her own trowel technique.

She rather robustly dismissed speculation about Budget measures, large black hole forecasts, and had some sharpish words even for the Office for Budget Responsibility, which we will come back to.

The chancellor spent the summer travelling the country "listening to business" and taking some time off on the Cornish coast.

During that same period global bond markets have been looking fragile. Some economists have even floated the idea there is a £50bn black hole that could lead to the need for loans from the IMF.

As politicians returned to work this week, and US traders returned on Tuesday from a national holiday, the 30-year gilt rate - the effective interest rate facing the UK government for very long-term borrowing - was heading for highs not seen since the early days of Tony Blair and Gordon Brown.

There was some significance to the unwanted landmark: the gains from nearly three decades of relative macroeconomic stability since the Bank of England became independent were being unwound.

I put to the chancellor that fragile bond markets were a reflection of the government's, and her own, personal credibility issue. I have had similar interactions with previous chancellors, including Kwasi Kwarteng.

Reeves was adamant that this was not the case, that the move in bond markets since the beginning of the year had been in line with global trends. "Serious economists" were not talking about the IMF or a UK-specific challenge, she said.

By the end of the week, her bullishness was being proven accurate. The 30-year yield had fallen back, not just to where it was on Monday, but significantly lower, mainly off the back of weaker-than-expected US jobs data.

This was in common with many major economies. In other words, this week's bond markets rollercoaster was not a verdict on UK domestic, economic or political developments.

Leon Neal/Getty Images Chancellor Rachel Reeves, wearing a dark blue suit, holding the red Budget box, standing in front of the black railings on Downing Street, looking to the side and straight into the cameraLeon Neal/Getty Images
Despite a cabinet reshuffle around her, Rachel Reeves remains as chancellor and will deliver her second Budget this autumn

Indeed, by Wednesday the Bank of England governor Andrew Bailey was playing down the entire focus on this measure, saying, "It is quite a high number but it is not what is being used for funding at all at the moment actually."

He was referring to the fact that such long-term borrowing only makes up a small fraction of overall government debt.

And in terms of demand, there was no sign of a lack of appetite in actual sales of UK debt last week, with record demand on some measures.

The bigger picture though is that these forms of debt do not directly affect, for example, five-year fixed mortgage rates.

So the gilt markets are not fundamentally showing a mini-budget style UK-specific problem. At the same time, there is a clear warning signal here.

Fragile global bond markets do keep an eye on any unattractive economic or political factors. In this case the UK's high inflation, and any doubt after the summer U-turns about the government's control over events, could quickly turn problematic.

Indeed, expect the chancellor's team to use the bond market rollercoaster to make the case that the answer to the autumn's tricky Budget balancing act is not more debt through watering down her borrowing limits. Any gap, they will argue, will have to be filled by higher taxes or lower spending.

The amount of that adjustment depends on markets and the judgement of the OBR on the long-term performance of the economy. There was some substance to the chancellor's off-the-cuff comments to me suggesting the forecasters stick to their primary role rather than giving a "running commentary on policy".

The OBR judgement on UK productivity could be the single biggest determinant of how much of a gap there is, and therefore how much Budget pain the chancellor needs to administer.

Expect some haggling, with the Downing Street team of economists adamant that the OBR's forecast should reflect their reforms, especially on planning. The first take of that critical independent judgement is expected to be delivered to the chancellor in the final days of this month, around the time of her conference speech in Liverpool.

At that point the long list of potential Budget revenue raisers will start to populate the Treasury spreadsheet known as the "scorecard". Rumours will fly around. Indeed ministers are amazed at some of the speculation so far. For example, bank shares fell on suggestions the chancellor would enact a think tank report on windfall taxes, published when she was on holiday, that she has never even read.

Departmental budgets have already been set in the Spending Review, and there is no plan to reopen that process, which must mean that any restraint will have to come from the wider Welfare Bill.

The chancellor did not rule that out to me, but said there was "more to do" on reforms that helped people back into work. The new cabinet, without the former deputy PM, author of a leaked letter on wealth taxes, might be more amenable.

All in all this is the chancellor's chance to author some long-term, pro-growth reforms to the tax system. She still hopes to do that.

But OBR spreadsheets, market ructions, and backbench unhappiness on cuts will ultimately determine just how big the extra tax demand in the red box is on 26 November.

Much can change between now and then.

'When I left the military I felt quite alone': Female veterans call for more support

Bex Bennett Two photos show Bex in combat fatigues (on the left) and as a civilian now (on the right)Bex Bennett
Dr Bex Bennett is the co-founder of Sisters in Service

A former soldier who came under mortar fire in Iraq says women who performed dangerous front-line roles need more recognition and support.

Dr Bex Bennett, from Derbyshire, co-founded community interest company Sisters in Service, which has recruited 160 members across the UK since it began in May last year.

The group helps female military veterans, who now work in healthcare, to support each other through meetings and activities.

Dr Bennett, now an NHS forensic psychiatrist in Nottinghamshire, says women face additional challenges because so few people understand their military experience.

Dr Bennett trained at Sandhurst with the Duke of Sussex and spent several years as a British Army officer with the Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers.

A separate deployment in southern Afghanistan involved travelling to remote bases and interacting with local communities.

She believes many people still have a "very outdated idea" that only men deploy to the front line in modern conflicts.

"Often women go out alongside their male counterparts and do female searching and engage with female civilians," Dr Bennett says.

Supplied Queen Elizabeth II is inspecting troops in ceremonial uniformSupplied
Dr Bennett and her comrades were inspected by Queen Elizabeth II at her commissioning parade in April 2006

Dr Bennett jokes about close shaves when mortars landed within metres of where she was sleeping in Iraq.

"I managed to avoid anything particularly catastrophic... although my laundry did get blown up one time," she says.

"When anyone has served in Iraq and Afghanistan, it will always leave some scars, it can sometimes be really difficult to talk about.

"When I left the military, I did feel quite isolated, I felt quite alone. I don't think anyone really understood my journey."

Bex Bennett Bex is wearing combat gear and holding a rifle and helmetBex Bennett
Dr Bennett was deployed to southern Afghanistan in 2010

Dr Bennett believes female veterans often avoid traditional spaces, such as local Royal British Legion clubs, because of people's misconceptions about the military.

"Women can find it quite daunting," she says. "Sometimes people presume that they haven't served, or they are the wife of someone who has served, and that can be off-putting."

A spokesperson for the Royal British Legion says its clubs are open to everyone.

"As the country's largest military charity, we're proud to be at the heart of a national network that supports our whole Armed Forces community," they added.

Three members of Sisters in Service are chatting over drinks in a cafe
Gemma Saunders, Dr Bennett and Mel Dyke meeting for coffee and a chat

But Dr Bennett says Sisters in Service provides "cathartic" support and connection that women can struggle to find after leaving the Armed Forces.

"It's about meeting people that have done similar things, trodden similar paths, and being able to discuss that, and laugh and joke about things that have been happening," Dr Bennett says.

The women meet for meals or coffee, and dog walks in Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire.

They also run online meetings for Sisters in Service members who live further afield, and they are looking at organising fitness activities and residential retreats.

Mel is holding a large frame containing a display of her military cap badges and other items
Mrs Dyke shows a display of her cap badges and other Army memorabilia

Mel Dyke, who lives in Staffordshire, says the network is a "vital community" for women who leave the military.

"I found my transition quite difficult because I left when I had my eldest daughter," she says.

"One day I was in a supportive Army environment, then the next I was on maternity leave and became a civilian."

Mel Dyke Mel is in combat gear and posing with three comrades in front of a tank Mel Dyke
Mrs Dyke was an Army engineer on this training exercise in Canada in 2006

Mrs Dyke laughs as she describes her deployment to Iraq as a clerk with the Royal Engineers.

"You often hear the term 'pen-pusher' as clerks out there, but particularly in Iraq I was used for female searches so I would go out on search patrols," she says.

"Going out in a vehicle as 'top cover', so standing on a vehicle with my rifle, providing cover for the driver."

Mel Dyke Mel is wearing her wedding dress and holding hands with her husband, Chris, who is in full ceremonial military dress.Mel Dyke
Mrs Dyke married her husband Chris five years after they met on active service in 2006

Mrs Dyke says the most difficult time came after she transferred to the Queen Alexandra's Royal Army Nursing Corps, and treated battle casualties at the former national military rehabilitation centre Headley Court, in Surrey.

"I was having to look after friends as patients," she says. "It was really personal because my husband was still out on operations in Afghanistan, but members of his regiment were coming back to Headley Court."

One of those patients suffered a traumatic brain injury in an explosion that killed his comrade. They were both close friends of Mrs Dyke's husband, Chris.

"It was really difficult trying to live life as normal knowing what's going on in Afghanistan... it was emotionally draining, and I [was] also pregnant," Mrs Dyke adds.

Gemma is smiling and has spectacles resting on top of her head
Miss Saunders founded Sisters in Service with Dr Bennett in May 2024

Gemma Saunders, a psychotherapist who also worked at Headley Court, co-founded Sisters in Service with Dr Bennett.

Miss Saunders says women who leave the service may have "scars" that compound the challenges they face after moving into demanding healthcare roles.

"They are trained to not show any weakness," she says. "They have to be as good as the men, their counterparts, if not better.

"When they leave service, that doesn't leave them, so sometimes it's much harder for them to reach out and access support.

"Women will carry on and keep going, to carry that mental load more than men. They can come across as a hard shell to crack.

"It's trying to break those barriers that it is OK to ask for help."

Supplied Dr Bennett is wearing graduation robes and a mortar boardSupplied
Dr Bennett received an honorary degree for her work with female veterans

Dr Bennett was awarded an honorary master's degree by the University of Derby this summer, for supporting female veterans and for her mental health work.

She recently spent six months working with HMP Nottingham inmates, which included male veterans with mental health conditions.

But Dr Bennett says Sisters in Service needs to "spread the word" about women's front-line role in recent conflicts.

"You are seen, and your experiences matter. There is strength in community, and you are not alone," she adds.

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Reform UK's new faces seek to share spotlight with Farage

BBC Laila Cunningham, a Reform UK councillor in WestminsterBBC
Laila Cunningham defected from the Conservatives to Reform earlier this year

For a party that makes a lot of noise in British politics, Reform UK has relatively few senior elected politicians.

And one man, its leader Nigel Farage, who's a true household name.

That was evident at this week's conference, where the party's four MPs had a busy schedule of prominent speaking slots, alongside lesser-known figures the party wants to promote.

The party is keen to get away from the idea that it is a one-man-band - or "the Nigel show", as long-time Farage ally Gawain Towler puts it.

That was fair criticism a year ago, says Towler, but not now as more of its new recruits are getting out into "Tellyland".

Reform wants to gain significantly more seats in councils and parliaments across the country in the coming years, and its lead in national opinion polls suggest that ambition is not unrealistic.

But to increase Reform UK's electoral footprint, the party will need a lot more candidates willing to join its ranks.

The party conference is good opportunity to thrust some of these hopefuls into the spotlight to see how they perform.

'The people's army'

Westminster councillor Laila Cunningham is one such hopeful. She seems to be everywhere you turn in Birmingham, popping up on three panels, including two appearances on the main stage.

A lawyer and former prosecutor, who defected from the Conservatives to Reform UK in June, she says she entered politics to improve outcomes for the victims of crime.

A Conservative supporter since a teenager, Cunningham says she was a "huge fan" of former Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher.

"But the Tory party changed," she says, accusing the Conservatives of failures over home ownership, taxation and crime over many years.

She has been tipped to be Reform's candidate for the London mayoral election in 2028, although she's coy about that prospect and stresses the party hasn't even started the selection process yet.

"I'll help the party in any way they need me," she says.

Stephen Atkinson is the Reform UK leader of Lancashire County Council - another name party bosses have high hopes for.

A self-taught engineer who set up a business that makes school furniture, Atkinson rose through the ranks of local politics with the Conservative Party in north-west England.

Then the Brexit years came, and like an increasing number of Reform UK's new joiners, Atkinson quit the Conservatives after becoming disillusioned with the party.

Since becoming council leader in Lancashire in May, Atkinson says he has focused on the "huge financial challenges" facing his Reform UK administration, alongside bread-and-butter issues such as fixing potholes.

In the future, he says, it would be a "great honour" to be a parliamentary candidate for the party where he lives in the Ribble Valley, if he was selected.

"But that's a decision for other people," he adds.

If Reform does manage to get into government, and four years out from a general election it is still a very big "if", some of the party's would-be MPs may find fewer opportunities to rise to the highest levels of politics.

Farage and Zia Yusuf, the party's new head of policy, have talked about appointing dozens of new peers to take up roles in a Reform UK cabinet.

Could former Conservative cabinet minister Nadine Dorries - unveiled this week to much fanfare as Reform UK's latest Tory defector - be drafted into the Lords?

Former Conservative Party chairman Jake Berry was also doing the media rounds in Birmingham, and was seen walking into Friday night's afterparty in the main hall, where US pop legends the Jacksons made a surprise appearance on stage.

Like one of the back-up singers, Berry may be one of those called upon to make up the numbers in one of the many elections Reform UK wants to win.

In his conference speech, Farage said the party was taking the London mayoral election "seriously", as well as polls in Wales and Scotland next year.

He said Reform needed 5,000 vetted candidates to fight those polls, which he called "an essential building block as we head towards a general election".

As he closed the Birmingham conference, he called for volunteers in the audience to get to their feet if they wanted to stand in next year's elections.

"This is the people's army in operation," Farage said.

In a symbolic gesture, some in the audience did stand, but the actual process for selection is designed to be far more rigorous.

Candidate selection has always been a thorny issue for Farage's various electoral vehicles, with election campaigns blown off course by scandals.

Party insiders like to describe Reform's rapid expansion - while ensuring candidates are properly vetted - as being like assembling a jumbo jet while flying it.

They insist they have improved their vetting system since last year's general election, after some candidates were ditched or suspended over offensive comments on social media ahead of the general election.

The party now has assessment centres, where candidates are put through their paces, and a centre for excellence, where activists are caught how to campaign effectively.

Stephen Atkinson, the Reform UK leader of Lancashire County Council
Council leader Stephen Atkinson says it would be an honour to be selected to fight a seat in a forthcoming general election

Thomas Kerr, the former group leader of the Scottish Conservatives, who defected to Reform in January, was also doing the rounds of the fringe panels in Birmingham, and says he hopes to stand in next year's Holyrood elections.

Asked if Reform UK is one-man band, Kerr says: "I don't think that if Farage was to fall under a bus that Reform wouldn't be polling where we are, because of the momentum behind the party."

Is the party getting more recognisable spokespeople though?

"I think they are slowly starting to do that," Kerr says.

"You see people like me and others appearing on panels at fringe events at conferences. You'll be seeing people speaking at conferences.

"We are four years from a general election, Nigel is the man we are hoping will be prime minister but there will be a team behind him."

And with that, Kerr is interrupted by a Tannoy announcement that "Nigel Farage will be on the main stage at 1pm", and a mad rush to the main stage ensues.

Minutes before, Farage told his team he had wanted to rip up the conference schedule and deliver his main speech early, to react to Angela Rayner resigning as deputy prime minister and other roles.

Reform UK's new faces do their best to put themselves in the frame.

But for now, this is a picture that's very much dominated by one big figure.

美媒:特朗普下月或赴韩国与习近平会晤

白宫消息人士披露,美国总统特朗普(左)10月可能赴韩国出席亚太经合组织(APEC)领导人峰会,期间与中国国家主席习近平举行会晤。 (法新社)

白宫消息人士披露,美国总统特朗普10月可能赴韩国出席亚太经合组织(APEC)领导人峰会,期间与中国国家主席习近平举行会晤。如若属实,意味着特朗普今年1月重返白宫后的首场“习特会”将在韩举行。

APEC峰会10月31日至11月1日在韩国庆州市举行。

美国有线电视新闻网(CNN)星期天(9月7日)引述三名特朗普政府官员称,特朗普和他的核心幕僚正低调筹备10月访韩事宜。

此次峰会被视为特朗普与习近平会晤的重要契机。白宫官员表示,双方已就APEC会议期间举行双边会晤进行了认真的讨论,但目前尚无具体计划。习近平上个月在电话中邀请特朗普夫妇访华,美国总统也接受了邀请,但具体日期尚未敲定。

报道也指出,特朗普还可能与朝鲜最高领导人金正恩会面,但目前尚不清楚朝鲜领导人是否会出席峰会。

中国星期三(3日)举行的纪念抗日战争胜利80周年大阅兵上,中国、俄罗斯、朝鲜三国领导人在天安门齐看阅兵,形成历史性同框画面,也让中美关系再度出现新的微妙变化。

特朗普同日在自己的社媒平台Truth Social发文,祝愿中国国家主席习近平与中国人民度过一个盛大的庆祝日,但接着话锋一转,写道:“在你们密谋对抗美国的时候,请代我向普京和金正恩致以最热烈的问候。”

美国总统特朗普星期三也在白宫总统办公室告诉记者,他观看了阅兵式:“我认为这是一场精彩的仪式,非常、非常震撼。”

不过,他不满美国在帮助中国获得自由一事上未得到应有的承认,敦促北京缅怀并铭记美国在二战期间对中国的支援。

特朗普说:“我昨晚观看了演讲。习近平主席是我的朋友,但我认为昨晚的讲话本应提到美国,因为我们曾经给予中国巨大帮助。”

针对特朗普指中俄朝三国领导人“密谋对付美国”,中国外交部郭嘉昆星期四(9月4日)在例行记者会上回应说,中国发展同任何国家的外交关系,从来不针对第三方。

Immigration Raid Exposes Tensions From Seoul to Washington to Rural Georgia

The raid at a Georgia plant being built with heavy investment from South Korea reveals strain as a rush to expand manufacturing in the United States clashes with an immigration crackdown.

© Mike Stewart/Associated Press

Vehicles move on the line at the Hyundai Motor Group plant in Ellabell, Ga. in March. Another part of that complex, still under construction, was raided on Thursday.

特朗普加码对华施压 俄副总理:准备好对华供应飞机零部件

美国总统特朗普提醒中国、华盛顿在飞机零件等方面对北京掌握强大筹码之际,俄罗斯第一副总理曼图罗夫表示,俄罗斯已准备好向中国宽体飞机供应零部件,包括复合材料机翼和重型发动机。

曼图罗夫(Denis Manturov)星期六(9月6日)被问到,是否计划为中国宽体机供应零部件。

俄罗斯卫星通讯社引述曼图罗夫回应说:“我们已准备好做这样的供应,首先是在我们擅长的范围,包括在MS-21(俄罗斯航空工业公司伊尔库特生产的中程喷气客机)项目下。我们所说的是一款复合材料机翼,以及一款基于PD-35燃气发生器、推力达26吨的重型发动机。“

他续称:“这款发动机现在应用于伊尔-100(军事运输机)的研发,也可能是MS-21-500和MS-21-600飞机未来选择的发动机——这两种型号的飞机也将使用PD-26发动机。”

曼图罗夫还指出,存在供应备选方案,但决定将由中国伙伴做出。

此前,特朗普8月25日向记者表示,在两国贸易争端中,中国必须向美国提供稀土磁铁,否则“我们就得对他们征收200%的关税或类似税率”。

特朗普续称:“我们现在高度关注(稀土)磁铁问题,这完全是出于国家安全的考虑……但我们也掌握着强大的筹码,那就是飞机零件和许多波音飞机。”

特朗普称,由于中国在稀土磁铁问题上的政策,美国停止向中国供应波音零部件,导致中国有200架飞机无法投入使用。“我把所有零件都送给他们了,这样他们的飞机才能飞起来……我本来可以卡住不放,但我没有,因为我和他们关系很好。现在他们的飞机都在飞。”

毛泽东孙子毛新宇一家四口观看九三阅兵 话题登热搜

已故中共开国领导人毛泽东的孙子毛新宇(中)星期三(9月3日)到北京天安门,观看中国纪念抗日战争胜利80周年大阅兵。毛新宇和儿子毛东东(右)当天都身着军装,女儿毛甜懿(左)则穿着一身运动装。 (视频截图)

已故中共开国领导人毛泽东的孙子毛新宇星期三(9月3日)到北京天安门,观看中国纪念抗日战争胜利80周年大阅兵。相关短视频出现中国网络后,星期六(9月6日)深夜冲上新浪微博、百度搜寻引擎等平台的热搜榜。

据香港商报网、中新网等报道,短视频显示,毛新宇和儿子毛东东当天都身着军装,妻子刘滨则身穿浅蓝色上衣,搭白色裤子,女儿毛甜懿则穿着一身运动装。

毛新宇夫人刘滨则身穿浅蓝色上衣,搭白色裤子。(视频截图)
毛新宇夫人刘滨则身穿浅蓝色上衣,搭白色裤子。(视频截图)

毛新宇见到记者,也握手问好,说许久未见,但没有接受采访。

在等待期间,毛新宇一家人不时互动闲聊,毛甜懿与父亲耳语,父女都面带笑容,毛东东则是主动帮父亲整理衣服皮带。

在等待期间,毛新宇一家人不时互动闲聊,毛甜懿与父亲耳语,父女都面带笑容。(视频截图)
在等待期间,毛新宇一家人不时互动闲聊,毛甜懿与父亲耳语,父女都面带笑容。(视频截图)

毛新宇今年4月5日清明节期间曾携妻子和儿女回到湖南韶山祭祖。毛新宇当时在毛泽东祖父坟前说,“毛氏后人一定会清正廉洁”,并表示永远严格要求自己,不断为中共和中国作出新的贡献。

祭祖结束后,毛新宇还到滴水洞杜鹃花谷,朗诵了由父亲毛岸青、母亲邵华共同创作的著名散文《我们爱韶山的红杜鹃》。

索马里青年党对袭击美军承责

07/09/2025 - 03:01

[非洲之角](La Corne de l'Afrique)的青年党团体宣称,对索马里境内发生的遇袭美国军人的事件承责。这是本台法广非洲组(RFI Afrique)2025年09月06日星期六的最新法文消息之一。青年党组织在一份声明中表示,发动这起袭击是为了表达与巴勒斯坦人民之间的互助(solidarité)。美国非洲司令部(Africom)新任指挥官于日前在首次正式访问摩加迪沙(Mogadiscio)时,强调索马里作为“全球战略十字路口”(carrefour stratégique mondial)的重要性。青年党的这一承责声明则揭示了美军在这个东非国家的存在。 

据本台法广(RFI)2025年09月06日周六的法文报道,在索马里,青年党团体(al-Shebab)于本周四对南部港口城市基斯马尤(Kismayo)机场附近的一个军事基地发起了一次袭击。美国非洲司令部(Africom)对外通报了这起事件,并表示没有人员死亡。这起袭击事件发生在美国非洲司令部(Africom)新指挥官访问摩加迪沙(Mogadiscio)之后,尤其揭示了美国军队在当地的存在。

-- 美军在索马里遭遇袭击 --

本台法广(RFI)法语通讯员卡艾乐(Gaëlle)发自非洲的消息显示,美国非洲司令部(Africom)通过社交媒体宣布消息说:“美国及其合作伙伴方在基斯马尤(Kismayo)附近遭遇了间接火力袭击”。美国方面的这一声明没有给出有关本次本次袭击的详情细节。

存档地图 / 非洲之角:索马里(la Somalie)及在1991年5月自行宣布独立的索马里兰位于北部。
RFI Carte / Dans la Corne de l’Afrique, le Somaliland est la région séparatiste. Le Somaliland a unilatéralement déclaré son indépendance de la Somalie en mai 1991. (illustration)
存档地图 / 非洲之角:索马里(la Somalie)及在1991年5月自行宣布独立的索马里兰位于北部。 RFI Carte / Dans la Corne de l’Afrique, le Somaliland est la région séparatiste. Le Somaliland a unilatéralement déclaré son indépendance de la Somalie en mai 1991. (illustration) © Studio FMM

同一消息指出,(索马里)青年党在其诉求中表明,发动这次袭击是为了表达与巴勒斯坦人民之间的互助(solidarité)。中东研究所(Institut Moyen-Orient)的一名研究员Guled Ahmed解释说,通过这一声明,索马里青年党“尤其对外披露了索马里领土上存在美军。”

-- 美军培训索马里特种部队 --

据介绍,十多年来,美国在基斯马尤(Kismayo)训练索马里特种部队Danab。当地安全事务的一个消息渠道解释说,但也有可能从这一基地发起军事行动,并尽量减少美军士兵的人数。同一消息来源还做出如下结论:“合作培训的伙伴关系将始终为他们(美军)的存在提供正当理由”。

Imagem do porto de Kismayo, cidade onde ocorreu o ataque na Somália
存档图片 / 非洲 - 索马里 :港口城市基斯马尤(Kismayo) Image d'archive / Afrique - Somalie : le groupe al-Shebab revendique une attaque contre des soldats américains. Ici, le port de Kismayo, la ville où l'attaque a eu lieu. (illustration) (Foto: Reuters)

本台法广(RFI)非洲通讯员在这篇报道的最后一个段落里提到,这次袭击发生在美国非洲司令部(Africom)新任指挥官安德森将军(Gal Dagvin Anderson)访问索马里几天之后。在摩加迪沙(Mogadiscio),他强调了索马里作为“全球战略十字路口”的重要性(carrefour stratégique mondial),并重申了美国对反恐斗争的不懈支持(un soutien indéfectible)。

"Urusi inajaribu kuchochea vita nchini Libya kwa maslahi yake binafsi," mkuu wa majeshi ya Marekani barani Afrika, Stephen J. Townsend amesema katika taarifa kutoka makao yake makuu huko Stuttgart, Uj
存档图片 / 美国非洲司令部 Image d'archive / Africom, le Commandement américain pour l’Afrique www.africom.mil

~. Fin .~

Carlo Acutis: From a baptism in London to the first millennial saint

BBC A boy with dark curly hair in a red polo shit stands, smiling at the camera, with his hands on his hips, in front of a field and hillsBBC
Carlo Acutis will become the first millennial saint

A London-born boy is set to become the first millennial saint, in a ceremony steeped in an ancient ritual presided over by Pope Leo on Sunday.

In his short life, Carlo Acutis created websites documenting "miracles" as a means of spreading Catholic teaching, leading some to nickname him God's influencer.

His canonisation had been due in late April, but was postponed following the death of Pope Francis.

More than a million people are estimated to have made a pilgrimage to the Italian hilltop town of Assisi where Carlo's body lies, preserved in wax.

But there is another pilgrimage site associated with Carlo Acutis that has seen an increase in visitors since it was announced that he was to be made a saint - Our Lady of Dolours Church in London.

The font at the back of the Roman Catholic church in the Chelsea area was where Carlo was baptised as a baby in 1991.

To the side of the church an old confession booth has been converted into a shrine to him. In it, a relic holder contains a single strand of Carlo's hair.

"His family were in finance and they were working really temporarily in London," says Father Paul Addison, a friar at the church.

"Although they didn't use the church much, they decided to come and ask to have the child baptised. So Carlo was a flash, a very big flash, in the life of the parish community," he says.

A friar in a dark cloak stands next holding the lid of a font, between a framed picture of a boy in a red top and a framed baptism certificate
Father Paul Addison shows the font where Carlo was baptised in 1991

Carlo was not yet six months old when his parents moved back to their home country of Italy, and he spent the rest of his life in Milan.

There, he was known for a love of technology and is said to have enjoyed playing video games.

While some who knew Carlo Acutis say he did not appear to be especially devout, as a teenager he did create a website – pages of which are now framed at the church in Chelsea – in which miracles were documented.

A shot of a corridor with pillars and chairs lined up, with the focus of the camera on a series of printed and framed webpages
Pages of Carlo's website are now framed at Our Lady of Dolours Church in Chelsea

But he died of leukaemia aged just 15.

In the years after his death, Carlo's mother, Antonia Salzano, visited churches around the world to advocate for him to be a saint.

As part of the process, it had to be proved her son had performed "miracles".

"The first miracle, he did the day of the funeral," says Carlo's mother.

"A woman with breast cancer prayed (for) Carlo and she had to start chemotherapy and the cancer disappeared completely," she explains.

A woman in brown glasses, a brown coat and orange scarf looks to the side of the camera, stood in front of a hedge
Antonia Salzano has spent years advocating for her son to be made a saint

Pope Francis attributed two miracles to Carlo Acutis and so the test was passed and he was due to be made a saint on 27 April.

But Pope Francis died during the preceding week.

Some followers who had travelled to Rome for the canonisation instead found themselves among the tens of thousands of mourners at the late pontiff's funeral - Diego Sarkissian, a young Catholic from London, was one of them.

He says he feels a connection to Carlo Acutis and is excited by his canonisation.

"He used to play Super Mario video games on the old Nintendo consoles and I've always loved video games," Mr Sarkissian says.

"The fact that you can think of a saint doing the same things [as you], wearing jeans, it feels so much closer than what other saints have felt like in the past," he says.

Approval for someone to become a saint can take decades or even centuries, but there is a sense that the Vatican fast-tracked Carlo Acutis' canonisation as a means of energising and inspiring faith in young people.

The Catholic Church will be hoping Sunday's events do just that.

Charity visit on the cards as Harry returns to UK

Getty Images Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex, pictured in a dark suit against a black backdrop
Getty Images

The Duke of Sussex will announce a substantial donation to Children in Need on Tuesday when he attends a charity event in Nottingham.

The donation is intended to help support work tackling violence and its effect on young people.

It is one of several engagements for Prince Harry during a visit to the UK, which has also prompted speculation on whether he might meet his father, King Charles.

The duke, who lives in the US with his wife Meghan Markle, was last in the UK in April for a court hearing over the level of security protection he receives from the government while here.

Getty Images Meghan, Duchess of Sussex and Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex attend the 2022 Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights Ripple of Hope Gala at New York Hilton
Getty Images
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex moved to the US in 2020

Harry will arrive in London on Monday to attend an awards ceremony for WellChild, which supports seriously ill children and their families. The prince has been a patron for 17 years.

"I am always privileged to attend the WellChild Awards and meet the incredible children, families and professionals who inspire us all with their strength and spirit," he said announcing his return to the UK.

Tuesday's event in Nottingham will be held held at the Community Recording Studio (CRS) in Nottingham, a charity that teaches film and video skills as well as music.

Harry's visit to Nottingham is to build support and funding for community organisations.

He will hold a private briefing with Children in Need, the Police and Crime Commission, CRS and Epic Partners, and will have informal meetings with some of the young people he has met previously.

The duke will also watch live performances from artists, and make a short speech.

Buckingham Palace has not commented on the possibility of a meeting between the King and the duke during this trip. Nor has Harry and Meghan's team.

But recently, there have been signs that tensions between father and son are easing, and that a reconciliation could be within reach.

His father was in Italy on a state visit during the prince's April trip to London.

This time, the King will be in the UK. He has spent most of the summer in Scotland at his Balmoral Estate but is regularly travelling south for cancer treatment and some royal engagements. It leaves open the real possibility of father and son meeting in person.

Anna Wintour was Vogue. Now she's gone, can the magazine stay relevant?

Ron Galella Collection via Getty Images Anna WintourRon Galella Collection via Getty Images

In May 1989, Dame Anna Wintour did something that would become a hallmark of her time as editor-in-chief of US Vogue: She put a pop star on the cover.

Just a year into her tenure as the top of the magazine's masthead, Dame Anna had already made a name for herself as an editor who instinctively understood the zeitgeist. She was the first to put a model in jeans on Vogue's front, and now, Madonna.

"If it was edgy to do jeans for November 1988, I think it was even edgier for her to do Madonna," says Amy Odell, author of Anna: The Biography.

For Marian Kwei, a stylist and Vogue contributor, this move speaks to Dame Anna's ability to make Vogue "relevant to our times, make it contemporary, make it accessible".

"Before, it was women who could buy couture who were interested in what Vogue had to say," she says. "But Dame Anna realised the need to reach out to the kids listening to Madonna."

Now almost 40 years later, Dame Anna is preparing to hang up her Manolo Blahnik's, sort of – while she will no longer be editor-in-chief, she will remain on as global editorial director. Down the hall will sit her heir, the 39-year-old Chloe Malle, who is stepping in as head of editorial content.

While some have attributed her continued presence as a sign of unwillingness to cede total control, one could also see it as a recognition of her unmatched place in the fashion industry, and the fear that should she go entirely, this print magazine – already a relic to some – will lose its remaining clout.

Mark Peterson/redux/eyevine Anna Wintour in her office at VogueMark Peterson/redux/eyevine
Anna Wintour in her office at Vogue

Once, fashion magazines like Vogue ruled the industry. They didn't have to fight for attention so much as just decree from on high what was and wasn't "chic".

Whether you still see – or ever saw – Vogue as an arbiter of good taste, or reflection of our times, depends on who you talk to.

"I think it's more relevant than people want to admit honestly," Odell says.

For Anja Aronowsky Cronberg, the founder and editor-in-chief of academic fashion publication Vestoj, less so. When she was a teenager growing up in Sweden, "Vogue represented the world out there, something glamorous and different and the wide horizons that I was striving for."

But she stopped reading it 25 years ago.

Today, print magazines are fighting for survival in an increasingly crowded, fast-paced landscape – a monthly publication loses a lot of relevance in a by-the-minute digital world.

"There's no one magazine that is relevant in the way Vogue might have been relevant in the 80s," says Cronberg.

"There are so many other vehicles for culture today," she adds, like TikTok and Instagram.

All this will be factoring into Malle's thinking as she takes on the job of head of editorial content. She reportedly plans to put out issues less frequently, centred around themes or cultural events rather than months. She says she wants to lean into the idea of Vogue in print as something to collect and cherish.

David Turnley/Corbis/VCG via Getty Images Woman Looking at Vogue Magazine   David Turnley/Corbis/VCG via Getty Images

One of the ways that Dame Anna has kept Vogue a part of the conversation is by expanding the people she invited onto the cover.

Since Maddona's debut, Dame Anna has placed royalty, politicians, pop stars, writers and gymnasts on the cover.

"She definitely bridged fashion and entertainment as editor-in-chief of Vogue," says Odell.

It wasn't always well received. When Dame Anna put Kanye West and Kim Kardashian on the cover in 2014, "it sparked so much debate", says Kwei.

"Nobody really wanted to dress [her] because she was a reality star."

Looking at the almost mythological position the Kardashians have gone on to occupy, the cover spoke to Dame Anna's uncanny ability to anticipate culture – as well, arguably, as drive it.

But whether Dame Anna remains the right person to be at the helm, and whether the magazine can withstand increasing financial pressures, remains to be seen.

Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images for adidas Kim Kardashian, Anna Wintour, and Kanye West pose backstage at the adidas Originals x Kanye West YEEZY SEASON 1 fashion show during New York Fashion Week Fall 2015 at Skylight Clarkson Sq on February 12, 2015 in New York City.  Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images for adidas

It is a far more corporate world than it once was.

Her decision to spotlight Lauren Sanchez, the now-wife of Jeff Bezos, also sparked accusations that the magazine was selling out. It was read by some as more about celebrating wealth and luxury than style. Interestingly, it was Malle who apparently organised the story on the power couple's wedding and was dispatched to write it.

Vanessa Friedman, chief fashion critic of The New York Times pointed out in a recent article that "while elite weddings are a hallmark of Vogue, they almost never made its cover, and Ms Sánchez Bezos seemingly had neither the celebrity nor modelling credentials that usually merited cover treatment." The couple's presence at Donald Trump's inauguration also drew criticism from some - and contributed to the cover's backlash, especially on social media.

Dame Anna, who has supported Democratic candidates in the past, has over the years featured Hillary Clinton, Michelle Obama, Jill Biden and, most recently, Kamala Harris. It feels pertinent that whether or not she will invite Melania Trump to be on the cover has been the subject of much discussion – and continues to be, even as Malle steps into the role.

But Vogue can arguably withstand more of this kind of criticism than most because of its fabled history. As Lauren Sherman, the fashion journalist who broke the news of Malle's appointment, tells the BBC: "The Vogue brand stands apart, and is one of the most important fashion brands in the world."

Eric Thayer/REUTERS Vogue editor Anna Wintour speaks on a cell phone before the J. Mendel Spring 2008 collection during New York Fashion Week September 7, 2007. Eric Thayer/REUTERS

A large part of Vogue's standing in the world is wrapped up in Dame Anna's own - the enigmatic editor-in-chief of fashion, with her instantly recognisable bob and her unknowability.

She has maintained a certain relevancy for the title almost by being the relevancy.

"Anna has been able to stay relevant despite all the various eras we've lived through simply by being as synonymous with culture, fashion and beauty as possible," says Kwei.

This, despite being criticised for being late to make Vogue more diverse compared to other sections of the industry.

"She's a mainstream celebrity figure," says Odell. "What other editor has had a book and an iconic movie made about them? You know, she's been played by Meryl Streep!"

For Cronberg, she is "a brand in and of herself at this point".

So what next?

"I think we're about to see how much of the relevance of Vogue comes from Dame Anna," says Odell.

While Malle may have inherited the magazine's prestige, "it'll be up to Chloe and her team to see if they can use it wisely to influence the way the culture moves," says Sherman.

Ellie Violet Bramley is a freelance writer and former Guardian fashion and lifestyle editor.

One of America's most wanted evaded the FBI for 21 years - only to be found in Wales

FBI Two images of the same white man. On the left how he looked like when he was younger with brown hair, on the right wearing glasses and smiling at the camera.FBI
Daniel Andreas San Diego was arrested in November 2024, 21 years after the bombings in San Francisco

A suspected double bomber on the FBI's most wanted list who vanished for 21 years is due in court this week to decide if he will be sent back to the United States to face trial.

The FBI believe Daniel Andreas San Diego has links to animal rights extremist groups and is their prime suspect for a series of bombings in the San Francisco Bay Area in 2003.

Former FBI agents have said there were "missed opportunities" to arrest the 47-year-old before he vanished and claim they found a suspected "bomb-making factory" in his abandoned car after what detectives called a 65-mile (104km) rush-hour chase in California.

Mr San Diego was found 5,000 miles (8,000km) away in a cottage in north Wales last year.

Mr San Diego, who had a $250,000 (£199,000) bounty on his head, faces a five-day extradition hearing at Westminster Magistrates Court in London on Monday to find out if the UK will hand him over to the United States to answer a federal arrest warrant.

The former fugitive, the first born-and-raised American on the FBI's most wanted terrorist list, has been indicted by US prosecutors for maliciously damaging and destroying by means of an explosive after two separate attacks in 2003.

Getty Images A poster of the FBI's most wanted terrorists. It is a black poster and at the top it reads "Most wanted terrorists" and there are mug shots of all the most wanted terrorists according to the FBI. Their names are underneath their images in white script. Getty Images
Daniel Andreas San Diego (top right) was featured on the FBI's most wanted terrorists list, alongside the likes of Osama Bin Laden

Animal rights extremist group Revolutionary Cells - Animal Liberation Brigade claimed responsibility for the attacks on firms they believed had links with organisations that tested products on animals.

Former FBI Special Agent David Smith was part of a special operations group that had been watching Mr San Diego.

"He was remarkable by being unremarkable," Mr Smith, one of the bureau's top surveillance experts, told the BBC.

"He was relatively young and normal, there was nothing to suggest this guy was starting to look violent. We never got any indication he was aware of us."

Chrion Security A silhouette of a person in the dark is on CCTV walking in a dimly light area of the former Chiron Life Science Center in Emeryville, near Oakland, in California on 28 August 2003 Chrion Security
CCTV footage captures the silhouette of a man who the FBI believe is Daniel Andreas San Diego walking around the Chiron Life Science Center in Emeryville around the time of an explosion at the biotechnology firm

The FBI felt it had enough intelligence to suggest Mr San Diego was its prime suspect and thought it was him that planted the devices that detonated a month apart.

But supervisory special agent Andrew Black, part of the FBI's counter-terrorism media team, recalled: "The US Attorney's Office and case agents were making a decision whether to arrest him now or develop more information.

"The hope was he'd lead us to other members of this animal rights group that were using violence to promote their agenda."

Two bombs exploded at a biotechnology corporation in Emeryville, near Oakland, USA, on 28 August 2003, with investigators believing the second bomb was planted to target first responders.

Then a bomb strapped with nails exploded at a nutritional products company in Pleasanton, 30 miles (48km) east of the first blast, on 26 September 2003. No-one was injured in either bombing.

Getty Images Police vans and detectives patrol a street near to where two bombs went off in California. There are cones on the road, which is lined by trees  Getty Images
Police and FBI officers at the scene of two explosions at the old Chiron biotechnology research center in Emeryville in the San Francisco Bay Area in 2003

The FBI's former surveillance specialists were told Mr San Diego was developed as a firm suspect and were asked to watch him with an "arrest being imminent".

"We were looking at someone who we think has done multiple bombings and a domestic terrorist," recalled Mr Smith.

Mr Smith and his former colleague Clyde Foreman, a former supervisory special agent, recall urging their colleagues to make the arrest once he had been identified as the main suspect.

Mr Black, an agent of 27 years, added: "As good as you can be, the longer you maintain surveillance eventually they're going to notice something unusual and get spooked.

"There was frustration they weren't given the green light to arrest him as they said there is potential if he leaves, he's going to be able to detonate additional bombs."

Chrion Security CCTV footage from the inside of an office reception of an explosion with smoke and sparks flying.  Chrion Security
CCTV footage of the explosion from the inside of the Chiron Life Science Center in Emeryville, and the FBI believe Daniel Andreas San Diego is the prime suspect

The day before Mr San Diego went off the FBI's radar, Mr Smith was hiding in camouflage outside his home.

Hours after Mr Smith and the FBI's surveillance specialists went off shift, he said Mr San Diego made a run for it with detectives in pursuit.

"Almost from the time he came out of his house, he was acting frantically," recalled Mr Smith.

"His driving patterns changed. Where he was going, he was driving erratically which is typical of someone trying to evade surveillance."

Agents said he drove south from his home in Sebastopol, Sonoma County, weaved past commuters, through tunnels and over toll bridges in an hour-long motorway chase that ended in downtown San Francisco.

Getty Images Members of the FBI dressed in green all-in-one clothes and black FBI bullet proof vests move towards the buildng that was bombed in the Hacienda Business Park in the Pleasanton area of the San Francisco Bay Area in CaliforniaGetty Images
FBI agents at the site of the second device they suspect Daniel Andreas San Diego planted at the Shaklee Corporate Headquarters in Pleasanton in September 2003

Not even the FBI's spy planes could keep eyes on their target as San Francisco's infamous fog blocked their view as Mr San Diego slipped the net.

Mr San Diego left his car with the engine still running, at a busy city centre junction next to a subway station, and wasn't seen again.

"The team that followed him were thinking he parked the car and went a few blocks up the street to a location nearby, either known to the animal rights group or he had a connection with," recalled Mr Smith, an FBI agent of 33 years.

"I asked 'did anyone see him go in or is anyone watching that place right now?' They didn't.

"The car was parked in a bus zone next to the subway and we said 'we think he's gone'."

A graphic map of Daniel Andreas San Diego's key locations in California
A map of the key locations in the FBI's pursuit of Daniel Andreas San Diego in 2003

Mr Foreman felt the same.

"We knew he was in the wind and it'll be really difficult to find him," he recalled.

"The case squad was operating under the assumption that San Diego was using a residence for his bomb making.

"When he abandoned his car, we found out his bomb-making lab was in the trunk of his car."

Getty Images A man dressed in a suit stands at a lectern in a run with wooden paneling and low series and talks into a microphone at a press conference with two colleagues also dressed in suits behind him. There is a American flag between them and there's a frame paper board next to them with the latest additions to the FBI's most wanted terrorist list Getty Images
The FBI's assistant director of counter-terrorism Michael J. Heimbach tells a press conference why Daniel Andreas San Diego was being placed on the FBI's most wanted terrorist list

Mr Smith watched as the boot opened and admitted for a detective, it was "everything you ever wanted".

"Had we known that, he'd have certainly been arrested days prior," he added.

"It was validating to say there it was. We felt confident that this was the guy right away. We were very experienced agents and knew a suspect when we saw one.

"It was definitely a missed opportunity."

FBI FBI poster announcing that Daniel Andreas San Diego has been caught, featuring two pictures of him, one with glasses, one without, with the word "Captured" beneath each. At the top it says most wanted terrorist, with the logo of the FBI on the left. Underneath it says Daniel Andreas San Diego. And under that it says, in black script, Maliciously Damaging and Destroying, and Attempting to Destroy and Damage, by Means of Explosives, Buildings and Other Property; Possession of a Destructive Device During, in Relation to, and in Furtherance of a Crime of Violence.FBI
Mr San Diego was the first suspected domestic terrorist placed on the FBI's most wanted list

The double bombing came two years after the 9/11 attacks and the US was on high alert, so department chief Mr Foreman was of the view: "Once you have somebody identified, arrest him."

Mr San Diego was a computer network specialist born in Berkeley, California, and brought up in an upper middle-class area of the San Francisco Bay Area. His father was a city manager.

Former Scotland Yard undercover detective and Hunted TV show expert Peter Bleksley feels that fugitive Daniel Andreas San Diego must have had help to get to the UK

The FBI worked on tracking Mr San Diego for years after his disappearance, watching family and friends to see if they could lead agents to him. But the scent went cold. They believed he had probably fled to central or South America.

Mr San Diego was indicted in the US District Court in 2004 and the FBI considered him armed and dangerous.

Then, after 21 years of nothing and both Mr Smith and Mr Foreman retiring from the bureau, they heard one of their most notorious fugitives had been detained in the UK after being found in an isolated cottage on a north Wales hillside.

Aled Evans A white villa with a balcony offering striking views of rolling hills and a well-manicured gardenAled Evans
Daniel Andreas San Diego lived at Llidiart y Coed, a remote cottage near the village of Maenan in the Conwy valley, which is the only house up a narrow woodland trail

The UK's National Crime Agency (NCA) and counter-terror police swooped in November 2024, arresting Mr San Diego who had been using the alias Danny Webb in the Conwy valley, near the market town of Llanrwst.

"I believe he had some support - you're not chasing Jason Bourne," said Mr Foreman.

"He was not a skilled intelligence officer. He had to have support."

PA Media A sketch drawing of a man wearing a grey jumper, with grey hair, a beard and glasses.PA Media
Daniel Andreas San Diego was arrested in north Wales on 21 November 2024

The FBI said it would not comment about the possible missed opportunities to arrest Mr San Diego.

But at the time of his arrest, FBI Director Christopher Wray said: "Daniel San Diego's arrest after more than 20 years as a fugitive for two bombings in the San Francisco area shows that no matter how long it takes, the FBI will find you and hold you accountable."

Mr San Diego, who is being held at the high security Belmarsh Prison in London, has declined to comment.

Inflatable tanks and flat-pack guns - inside Ukraine's decoy war

Na Chasi Decoys of an M777 Howitzer, a Himars missile launcher and a Humvee vehicle used by UkraineNa Chasi
From the air, these look just like an M777 Howitzer, a Himars missile launcher and a Humvee vehicle used by Ukraine

In June 2023, a video started spreading on pro-war Russian social media channels, apparently showing a drone destroying a Ukrainian tank in a massive explosion.

But not everything is what it seems in the Russia-Ukraine war.

That video was followed by Ukrainian footage showing a laughing soldier pointing at the burning wreckage and exclaiming: "They've hit my wooden tank!"

The tank in question appears to be a plywood decoy used by the Ukrainian forces to deceive the Russians.

It is one of many thousands of full-scale models of military equipment used by both Ukraine and Russia to trick the enemy into wasting valuable ammunition, time and effort.

Almost anything seen on the frontline - from small radars and grenade launchers to jeeps, trucks, tanks and actual soldiers - may be fake.

These imitations can come in flat-packs, be inflatable, 2D or create a radar illusion of a tank by reflecting radio waves in a special way.

In the case of some weapon types deployed in Ukraine, at least half of them are actually decoy imitations.

Flat-pack artillery

Among the most popular decoys used by the Ukrainian army are models of the British-made M777 howitzers. Western allies are understood to have supplied Kyiv with more than 150 of these highly manoeuvrable and accurate artillery pieces, nicknamed "Three Axes" by Ukrainian soldiers.

As with many other types of equipment used by the Ukrainian army, volunteers play an important role in supplying decoy mock-ups.

Ruslan Klimenko says his volunteer group Na Chasi alone has made and supplied to Ukrainian forces about 160 models of M777s. What makes them particularly popular is the fact that they take three minutes, two people and no tools to assemble on the front line, Mr Klimenko says. "No matter how many are delivered, all will be put to good use," he tells the BBC.

Pavlo Narozhny from another group of volunteers, called Reaktyvna Poshta, says that at any given time 10-15 M777 decoys are in production.

Reaktyvna Poshta's decoys are made of plywood, come in flat packs and cost about $500 - $600.

Apate Imitation M777 howitzersApate
Imitation M777 howitzers are particularly popular with Ukrainian troops

Russia often targets them with Lancet kamikaze drones costing about $35,000. "You do the math", Mr Narozhny says.

One of his M777 decoys, nicknamed Tolya, has spent more than a year on the frontline, surviving hits with at least 14 Lancets, he claims.

Troops "keep putting it back together with some sticky tape and screws, and back off to the frontline it goes", Mr Narozhny says.

Wheel ruts and toilets

Much depends on how decoys are deployed. To successfully draw enemy fire, it helps to faithfully recreate a real position complete with wheel ruts, ammunition crates and toilets. When properly done, this can deceive not just the enemy, but visiting officers too.

"We had an instance in one brigade where a visiting commander was fooled by a decoy: He asked: 'Who gave the order to deploy artillery? Where did the M777s come from?'" says an officer from Ukraine's 33rd Detached Mechanised Brigade, who uses the callsign Charisma.

According to him, another tactic is to quickly remove real cannons such as mortars after use and replace them with decoys.

"They're ideal for deceiving the enemy and making them waste expensive resources on nothing. They work, we need more of them," he says.

Back and Alive An inflatable Ukrainian imitation of the Acacia howitzerBack and Alive
Inflatable decoys - such as this Ukrainian imitation of the Acacia howitzer - are light, quick and simple to install, but can be easily destroyed

Russia's arsenal of decoys is also rich and varied.

About half of the drones involved in any of Russia's recent aerial attacks are actually cheap imitations, the Ukrainian military says.

"It's fifty-fifty these days. Fifty per cent are real Shahed drones, and fifty per cent are imitation drones. Their job is to overload our air defences and ideally get us to use a missile against a drone that costs peanuts," says Ukrainian air force spokesman Yuri Ihnat. "Sometimes it's a plywood thing that looks as though it was knocked together by some schoolchildren."

While up in the air, however, it looks the same as a lethal Shahed drone to Ukrainian radars, Col Ihnat says.

One Russian firm, Rusbal, produces imitations that include 2D decoys to mislead intelligence gathering from the air or space, decoys that mimic the heat given out by engines or radio traffic coming from soldiers' walkie-talkies, and reflectors that fool the enemy's radars.

Actual soldiers can be imitated too. Volunteers from the Kremlin-backed People's Front movement in Novosibirsk have made dummies wearing military uniforms. To imitate human heat and thus deceive Ukrainian thermal imaging cameras, their trunks are wrapped with heating wire underneath the jacket.

People's Front Novosibirsk This Russian-made dummy imitates heat given out by a human body People's Front Novosibirsk
This Russian-made dummy imitates heat given out by a human body

But of course, decoys are not a new idea in war.

In preparation for D-Day landings, an entirely fake army group was set up in the UK, equipped with dummy tanks and decoy aircraft.

It was all part of an elaborate trick to hide the reality on the ground and give the Allies the element of surprise they needed to launch their attack.

Military technology has hugely improved since World War Two. Drones and unmanned systems on the battlefield are a major innovation in this war, for instance.

But no matter what new weapons of destruction make it to the battlefield, it just goes to show that subterfuge and trickery – even with something as simple as a blow up doll - will always play a part in warfare.

One of the most sacred places in the world is being turned into a luxury mega-resort

Universal Images Group via Getty Images The St Catherine's Monastery as seen from the outside. It is a walled structure with several buildings inside, with the monastery's gardens attached to one side, which are green with some trees inside. The surrounding area is rocky with the ground sloping up behind the monastery at the foot of a mountain Universal Images Group via Getty Images
The 6th Century St Catherine's is the world's oldest continuously used Christian monastery

For years visitors would venture up Mount Sinai with a Bedouin guide to watch the sunrise over the pristine, rocky landscape or go on other Bedouin-led hikes.

Now one of Egypt's most sacred places - revered by Jews, Christians and Muslims - is at the heart of an unholy row over plans to turn it into a new tourism mega-project.

Known locally as Jabal Musa, Mount Sinai is where Moses is said to have been given the Ten Commandments. Many also believe that this is the place where, according to the Bible and the Quran, God spoke to the prophet from the burning bush.

The 6th century St Catherine's Monastery, run by the Greek Orthodox Church, is also there - and seemingly its monks will stay on now that Egyptian authorities, under Greek pressure, have denied wanting to close it

However, there is still deep concern about how the long-isolated, desert location - a Unesco World Heritage site comprising the monastery, town and mountain - is being transformed. Luxury hotels, villas and shopping bazaars are under construction there.

Ariel view of Mount Sinai pictured before transformation as a long-isolated desert location and pictured mid-transformation with hotels, villas etc under construction.
The long-isolated desert location is being transformed

It is also home to a traditional Bedouin community, the Jebeleya tribe. Already the tribe, known as the Guardians of St Catherine, have had their homes and tourist eco-camps demolished with little or no compensation. They have even been forced to take bodies out of their graves in the local cemetery to make way for a new car park.

The project may have been presented as desperately needed sustainable development which will boost tourism, but it has also been imposed on the Bedouin against their will, says Ben Hoffler, a British travel writer who has worked closely with Sinai tribes.

"This is not development as the Jebeleya see it or asked for it, but how it looks when imposed top-down to serve the interests of outsiders over those of the local community," he told the BBC.

"A new urban world is being built around a Bedouin tribe of nomadic heritage," he added. "It's a world they have always chosen to remain detached from, to whose construction they did not consent, and one that will change their place in their homeland forever."

Locals, who number about 4,000, are unwilling to speak directly about the changes.

Ben Hoffler A view of one of the developments, still under construction Plain of el-Raha. The sun is behind the surrounding mountains, while the development site is in the foreground, with roads connecting different buildings Ben Hoffler
Construction in the Plain of el-Raha in 2024

So far, Greece is the foreign power which has been most vocal about the Egyptian plans, because of its connection to the monastery.

Tensions between Athens and Cairo flared up after an Egyptian court ruled in May that St Catherine's - the world's oldest continuously used Christian monastery - lies on state land.

After a decades-long dispute, judges said that the monastery was only "entitled to use" the land it sits on and the archaeological religious sites which dot its surroundings.

Archbishop Ieronymos II of Athens, head of the Church of Greece, was quick to denounce the ruling.

"The monastery's property is being seized and expropriated. This spiritual beacon of Orthodoxy and Hellenism is now facing an existential threat," he said in a statement.

In a rare interview, St Catherine's longtime Archbishop Damianos told a Greek newspaper the decision was a "grave blow for us... and a disgrace". His handling of the affair led to bitter divisions between the monks and his recent decision to step down.

The Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of Jerusalem pointed out that the holy site - over which it has ecclesiastical jurisdiction - had been granted a letter of protection by the Prophet Muhammad himself.

It said that the Byzantine monastery - which unusually also houses a small mosque built in the Fatimid era - was "an enshrinement of peace between Christians and Muslims and a refuge of hope for a world mired by conflict".

While the controversial court ruling remains in place, a flurry of diplomacy ultimately culminated in a joint declaration between Greece and Egypt ensuring the protection of St Catherine's Greek Orthodox identity and cultural heritage.

Ben Hoffler The peak of Mount Sinai at dusk in 2024. The light catches the top of the rocky mountain, which is standing higher than another mountain in the foregroundBen Hoffler
Mount Sinai, known locally as Jabal Musa, is where Moses is said to have been given the Ten Commandments

'Special gift' or insensitive interference?

Egypt began its state-sponsored Great Transfiguration Project for tourists in 2021. The plan includes opening hotels, eco-lodges and a large visitor centre, as well as expanding the small nearby airport and a cable car to Mount Moses.

The government is promoting the development as "Egypt's gift to the entire world and all religions".

"The project will provide all tourism and recreational services for visitors, promote the development of the town [of St Catherine] and its surrounding areas while preserving the environmental, visual, and heritage character of the pristine nature, and provide accommodation for those working on St Catherine's projects," Housing Minister Sherif el-Sherbiny said last year.

While work does appear to have stalled, at least temporarily, due to funding issues, the Plain of el-Raha - in view of St Catherine's Monastery - has already been transformed. Construction is continuing on new roads.

This is where the followers of Moses, the Israelites, are said to have waited for him during his time on Mount Sinai. And critics say the special natural characteristics of the area are being destroyed.

Detailing the outstanding universal value of the site, Unesco notes how "the rugged mountainous landscape around... forms a perfect backdrop for the Monastery".

It says: "Its siting demonstrates a deliberate attempt to establish an intimate bond between natural beauty and remoteness on the one hand and human spiritual commitment on the other."

Ben Hoffler The mountains at dusk, from Jebel el Ahmar in 2024. Light hits the top of a rocky mountain range, which stretches into the distance Ben Hoffler
The area is known for its natural beauty and rugged mountainous landscape

Back in 2023, Unesco highlighted its concerns and called on Egypt to stop developments, check their impact and produce a conservation plan.

This has not happened.

In July, World Heritage Watch sent an open letter calling on Unesco's World Heritage Committee to place the St Catherine's area on the List of World Heritage Sites in Danger.

Campaigners have also approached King Charles as patron of the St Catherine Foundation, which raises funds to help conserve and study the monastery's heritage with its collection of valuable ancient Christian manuscripts. The King has described the site as "a great spiritual treasure that should be maintained for future generations".

The mega-project is not the first in Egypt to draw criticism for a lack of sensitivity to the country's unique history.

But the government sees its series of grandiose schemes as key to reinvigorating the flagging economy.

Egypt's once-thriving tourism sector had begun to recover from the effects of the Covid-19 pandemic when it was hit by the brutal war in Gaza and a new wave of regional instability. The government has declared an aim of reaching 30 million visitors by 2028.

Under successive Egyptian governments, commercial development of the Sinai has been carried out without consulting the indigenous Bedouin communities.

The peninsula was captured by Israel during the 1967 Middle East War and only returned to Egypt after the two countries signed a peace treaty in 1979. The Bedouin have since complained of being treated like second-class citizens.

The construction of Egypt's popular Red Sea destinations, including Sharm el-Sheikh, began in South Sinai in the 1980s. Many see similarities with what is happening at St Catherine's now.

"The Bedouin were the people of the region, and they were the guides, the workers, the people to rent from," says Egyptian journalist Mohannad Sabry.

"Then industrial tourism came in and they were pushed out - not just pushed out of the business but physically pushed back from the sea into the background."

Ben Hoffler The hotel building still appears to be mostly a shell, and around four storeys high. Smaller buildings, also in the valley and still under construction, can be seen in the background, with the surrounding mountains in the background Ben Hoffler
A hotel under construction in the Plain of el-Raha in 2024

As with the Red Sea locations, it is expected that Egyptians from elsewhere in the country will be brought in to work at the new St Catherine's development. However, the government says it is also "upgrading" Bedouin residential areas.

St Catherine's Monastery has endured many upheavals through the past millennium and a half but, when the oldest of the monks at the site originally moved there, it was still a remote retreat.

That began to change as the expansion of the Red Sea resorts brought thousands of pilgrims on day trips at peak times.

In recent years, large crowds would often be seen filing past what is said to be the remnants of the burning bush or visiting a museum displaying pages from the Codex Sinaiticus - the world's oldest surviving, nearly complete, handwritten copy of the New Testament.

Now, even though the monastery and the deep religious significance of the site will remain, its surroundings and centuries-long ways of life look set to be irreversibly changed.

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