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The dream of turning empty office blocks into apartments appears over. What went wrong?

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Strict planning rules and soaring refit costs are deterring landlords and developers, amid calls for government intervention to alleviate housing crunch Two years ago, state and local governments pushed to fast-track conversions of near-empty offices into much-needed apartments to alleviate a housing crunch. The promised panacea never eventuated. Momentum to create homes out of empty … Read more

‘It’s a question of humanity’: how a small Spanish town made headlines over its immigration stance

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Mayor explains why Villamalea unanimously backed call to regularise undocumented migrants – across party lines Flanked by farmland and nestled among the deep valleys of central Spain, few in Villamalea, a town of 4,200 people, expected to find their tranquil home splashed across Spanish media this summer. “I’ve never been contacted by so many media … Read more

Restitution row: how Nigeria’s new home for the Benin bronzes ended up with clay replicas Philip Oltermann in Berlin and Eromo Egbejule in Abidjan

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The public display of artefacts looted by British colonial forces at the new Museum of West African Art was supposed to be the crowning glory of a decades-long restitution effort. What went wrong? In a corner of the new Museum of West African Art, visitors can marvel at a sample display of the cultural treasures … Read more

Maga figures back Bukele’s call for Trump to crack down on US judges

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Experts say El Salvador president’s intervention comes as Trump is employing tactics used by autocrats abroad Donald Trump is not known for taking advice, especially from foreign leaders who often seek to flatter and compliment the US president. But El Salvador’s authoritarian leader Nayib Bukele has followed a different tack by calling on the Trump … Read more

Heavy clashes erupt along Pakistan-Afghanistan border

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Escalation comes after Pakistani airstrike in Kabul, with Taliban launching reprisals against military posts Intense clashes erupted along the Pakistan-Afghanistan border on Saturday night, after an attack by the Afghan Taliban on Pakistani military posts led to a heavy exchange of fire and reportedly left dozens of soldiers dead. According to officials, Afghan troops opened … Read more

Meta AI adviser spreads disinformation about shootings, vaccines and trans people

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Critics condemn Robby Starbuck, appointed in lawsuit settlement, for ‘peddling lies and pushing extremism’ A prominent anti-DEI campaigner appointed by Meta in August as an adviser on AI bias has spent the weeks since his appointment spreading disinformation about shootings, transgender people, vaccines, crime, and protests. Robby Starbuck, 36, of Nashville, was appointed in August … Read more

Urgent calls for debt relief as study shows health and education cuts in developing world

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Influential economists want replenishment of funds and new ways to define countries in need before this week’s IMF and World Bank meetings Top economists are demanding urgent action on debt relief in Washington this week, as analysis from the campaign group Debt Justice shows struggling governments are cutting back on health and education. As finance … Read more