fall

High pressure is building across the UK and this means the weather will become more settled with brighter conditions.

After a chilly start on Monday morning, with sunshine and light winds across much of England and Wales, temperatures will climb into the low 20s.

Even with more cloud in Scotland and Northern Ireland, it will turn warmer with highs also reaching 18 to 22C.

It will also start to feel more humid again.

That more humid air combined with light winds across England and Wales into Tuesday means it will start off rather misty and foggy with areas of low cloud for some.

Once the sun has broken through though, it will feel warmer still.

Temperatures could peak at around 24 or 25C in south-east England, but reach the low 20s Celsius in many other parts of England, Wales, Northern Ireland and Eastern Scotland.

The highest temperature though will be determined by how much the cloud breaks allowing the strong September sunshine through.

2026 has already been a record-breaking year for the number of days above 25C, with last week exceeding the record of 89 days set in 1959.

Morocco’s Justice and Development Party (PJD) went from a decade of being the main political beneficiary of the country’s post-2011 reforms to suffering a dramatic electoral defeat in 2021.

The party won 107 of the 395 seats in Parliament in the November 2011 election, after protests that year called for political reform, greater accountability and a more responsive government. Its leader, Abdelilah Benkirane, became head of government.

Morocco’s 2011 constitutional changes expanded the formal powers of Parliament and government while retaining significant authority for the monarchy. The king appoints the head of government from the party that comes first in the House of Representatives, while he chairs the Council of Ministers, where strategic orientations of state policy are considered.

In the 2016 election, the PJD increased its seats to 125, but Benkirane spent months unable to form a governing coalition. In March 2017, King Mohammed VI ended his mandate and appointed Saadeddine Othmani to replace him. The PJD remained in government until its electoral collapse four years later.

In the September 2021 election, the party fell from 125 seats to just 13, losing 112. The National Rally of Independents (RNI) won 102 seats and became the largest party.

How much of the comeback rests on Benkirane?

Benkirane’s return raises another question: How much of the PJD’s comeback is being built around him?

A recent Al Jazeera Studies analysis describes Benkirane as a political “brand” whose long public career, media presence and direct communication style have created a personal profile that can function as electoral capital for the party.

It examines whether his visibility and personal appeal can help the PJD rebuild after its 2021 collapse.

Benkirane remains one of Morocco’s most recognisable political figures. But his return does not by itself show that the PJD has rebuilt its support.

The party lost 112 seats in 2021; its task now is to turn the attention generated by its leader into support for the party itself.

A broader programme

The PJD’s 2026 programme contains 467 measures across five broad areas: identity and family; political and institutional reform; public services and social protection; the economy and employment; and foreign policy.

It calls for greater transparency in public procurement, rules addressing conflicts of interest and illicit enrichment, and improvements to public services. It also highlights housing, social protection, food, water and energy sovereignty.

Its programme foregrounds practical issues such as prices, jobs, schools, hospitals and corruption.

Saad al-Sabahi, 38, who works with the PJD’s regional secretariat in Casablanca-Settat, said the programme was developed through studies, consultation meetings and proposals submitted through an online platform.

“These commitments cover a range of sectors and areas affecting the lives of the Moroccan people,” he told Al Jazeera, pointing to political participation, fighting corruption, public education, healthcare, employment and economic sovereignty.

“These commitments, among others, form the basis of the agreement between the party and voters. We will work to fulfil and implement them with integrity and competence,” al-Sabahi said.

What changed after 2021?

The PJD says one of its main lessons from the 2021 defeat has been the need to reorganise internally and examine more critically its years in government.

“The party was able to overcome its crisis following its extraordinary and regular congresses, and after Secretary-General Abdelilah Benkirane took over the leadership,” al-Sabahi said. “The party also reorganised its internal affairs through communication and the renewal of its structures.”

The party’s own assessment of the 2021 defeat includes criticism of its political and organisational choices. It has also accused unnamed actors of undermining democratic choice and pointed to what it describes as electoral corruption and disinformation.

Those are the PJD’s explanations for the result, rather than independently established findings. But the scale of its losses forced the party to confront how far its record in government had separated it from parts of its former support base.

That matters particularly when it comes to younger voters.

Imane Traifi, 37, of the PJD Youth, said the party needed to create sustained opportunities for young people to take part in political life rather than treating them simply as voters during election campaigns.

“We are keen to ensure that young people move from being recipients to becoming participants, initiators and people who take on responsibility,” she told Al Jazeera.

The ghosts and crocodiles

However, a question for any future PJD government is not only what it would seek to change, but what it could change once in office.

Benkirane repeatedly referred to “ghosts and crocodiles” as a metaphor for powerful or hidden interests that he said had obstructed his government when it was in power.

The clearest example is the party’s position on Israel.

The PJD has campaigned against Morocco’s normalisation with Israel and continues to support the Palestinian cause. Its 2026 programme explicitly calls for opposition to normalisation. Yet Morocco restored diplomatic ties with Israel in 2020 while the PJD was in government and Saadeddine Othmani was head of government.

The PJD opposed the move, while Othmani later defended it as a state decision and said Morocco’s support for the Palestinian cause remained unchanged. The agreement went ahead in December 2020 as part of a US-brokered deal that included Washington’s recognition of Moroccan sovereignty over Western Sahara.

Six years later, the relationship has moved further. On September 16, Morocco and Israel agreed to elevate their diplomatic missions to embassy level and appoint ambassadors, while also expanding air travel and advancing economic and trade agreements.

The PJD reaffirmed its opposition to normalisation and cooperation with Israel the following day, describing its position as longstanding.

But it also leaves a question for the party’s return: If such forces were powerful enough to constrain the government then, what has changed?

Has the PJD developed a different understanding of the limits of government authority or will it find itself once again beset by “ghosts and crocodiles”?

The limits of government power

The PJD has made clear on several occasions that the change it seeks is from within Morocco’s existing political and constitutional system, rather than a challenge to the monarchy itself.

Benkirane has repeatedly reaffirmed his support for the monarchy while arguing that elected institutions should play their role in governing and improving the country.

That distinction is important to understanding the PJD’s return. Its opposition to policies such as normalisation with Israel sits alongside its acceptance of a constitutional and political framework in which the monarchy retains a central role in strategic state decisions.

Under the constitution, the king chairs the Council of Ministers, which considers the strategic orientations of state policy.

That applies not only to Israel but to other areas where major policy decisions remain closely tied to the monarchy.

For the PJD, rebuilding means more than recovering the seats it lost in 2021. It means showing what it learned from a decade in government, what it can deliver and how it would avoid the political costs of its collapse.

Al-Sabahi said the party wanted to regain what he described as the gains citizens had previously enjoyed.

“We will work to restore the gains that citizens previously enjoyed and to restore their dignity and rights,” he told Al Jazeera.

Yassine Elachiri, a member of the National Bureau of PJD Youth and the party’s National Council, said the relationship with younger Moroccans had to be built over time rather than during campaigns.

“Earning the trust of a new generation of young people cannot be reduced to electoral mobilisation or short-term campaigns in the run-up to voting day,” he said. “Rather, it is a cumulative process built on sustained engagement, guidance, training and creating opportunities for young people to participate actively in public affairs.”

“Our goal is not simply to reach young people at the moment of an election, but to build a lasting relationship with them based on trust, training and active participation,” Elachiri said.

Imagine Paris in the 1920s, only it’s Los Feliz today — the Figaro Bistro patio humming with literary gossip from mercurial poets through clouds of cigarette smoke. It’s a proposition that Sammy Ginsberg is willing to explore.

A longtime writer and former high school English teacher, Ginsberg found writer gatherings to be inaccessible — either too large in scope or too exclusive. Luckily, Vermont and Hillhurst avenues are just right. The Los Feliz Writer Festival was born.

“Los Feliz is super artsy and filled with writers. It’s fun to organize one in the neighborhood,” says Ginsberg.

Ginsberg is weary of the well-trodden conversations about the New York literary scene, steeped in endless mythology. We may not have the New Yorker or the Paris Review, but we have each other: “There are 40 million people who live in L.A. County. I’m like, ‘We don’t need New York. We have people.’ ”

Willa Lane writes in a notebook at the closing Los Feliz Writers Festival event that featured journaling and meditation in Barnsdall Art Park.

(Samahra Litte )

That scrappy DIY quality can make Los Angeles’ literary community feel mysterious, even to the people living in it. A San Fernando Valley native, Ginsberg knows there’s plenty happening around the city — you just have to know where to look.

“There’s a lot of things going on, but you have to be in the know,” she says. “It’s happening in someone’s living room because it costs so much money to book a venue.”

In late August, Ginsberg organized the second annual Los Feliz Writer Festival, a sprawling collection of readings, workshops, parties and other literary miscellany. “Last year we did it, and it went really well,” she says. “This year, it’s even bigger and crazier and magical.”

The festival is, in some ways, an extension of the community Ginsberg has been quietly building all year. Since October, she’s hosted a weekly “Shut Up & Write” at Los Feliz watering hole the Big Bar at Alcove. “We have dinner and then write next to each other quietly,” says Ginsberg. “You can see each other every week, and it’s a natural, slow way to get to know people.”

The Los Feliz Writer Festival kicked off with Poets Are the New Popstars, a reading-meets-house-party at a private home in Los Feliz. Over the course of the festival’s 13 events, writers could attend personal essay workshops, receive tarot readings, and celebrate the 100th birthdays of Frank O’Hara, Allen Ginsberg and Harper Lee at East Hollywood bar Tabula Rasa. “I made these limited-edition official after-party zines with a poem and quote from the authors,” says Ginsberg.

Alex Moreno reads from her poetry collection “Sticky Time” at Poets Are the New Popstars.

(Toby Shapiro)

Ginsberg imagines the literary scene as a collaborative project. “For me, this is kind of like hipster ‘Dungeons & Dragons.’ I’m playing with my friends,” she says of the festival, which she plans to organize annually. In the future, the festival hopes to include more diverse voices. “In the second year, we’re trying to open up the conversation,” she says. “We, too, believe that L.A. is for everyone and want it to be a writers festival for everyone.”

Christina Catherine Martinez, a critic, writer and comedian, has a more pointed take on the Los Angeles literary world.

“A lot of parties and readings, but not a lot of bylines,” she muses. “Substack IRL but still gunning for the traditional publishing deal — kind of an old world is dying, a new world is not yet born.”

Yet, Martinez welcomes the proliferation of readings that have emerged throughout the city. “I love that there are so many readings,” she says. “Fifteen years ago the only time I mingled with other writers was at the yearly Artforum dinner, when the lit scene was barnacled to the art scene.”

This fall, Los Angeles will host an eclectic mix of literary events, from readings by acclaimed novelists to intimate gatherings for emerging writers and readers. For those looking to immerse themselves in the city’s burgeoning literary scene, here are 16 readings and literary events taking place across Los Angeles.

RIYADH: Egypt’s annual nationwide inflation rate eased to 12.7 percent in August from 13 percent in the previous month, as lower food prices offset increases in electricity, housing and other household costs.

The nationwide consumer price index was unchanged from July at 289.8 points, according to data from the Central Agency for Public Mobilization and Statistics. Annual urban inflation also eased to 14.5 percent from 14.9 percent in July. 

Egypt continued to experience faster price growth than several regional peers, although the latest available comparative readings are for July rather than August. 

Saudi Arabia’s annual inflation was 1.8 percent in July, while Jordan’s was 2.7 percent, according to official data from the respective countries. Morocco recorded a 0.6 percent annual decline in consumer prices.  

The International Monetary Fund expects Egypt’s inflation to rise to 16.7 percent in the second half of 2026, reflecting higher energy prices, exchange-rate depreciation and unfavorable base effects. 

In its latest report, CAPMAS stated: “The food and beverages division recorded a decrease of 1.2 percent due to a 0.1 percent decrease in the prices of cereals and bread, a 1.5 percent decrease in the prices of meat and poultry, a 0.1 percent decrease in the prices of fish and seafood, and a 7 percent decrease in the prices of vegetables.”  

Housing costs climb  

Housing, water, electricity, gas and other fuels rose 1.9 percent during the month. Electricity, gas and fuel prices increased 4.3 percent, while actual rents rose 0.8 percent and housing maintenance costs increased 0.5 percent.  

Prices for furnishings and household equipment rose 0.7 percent, while clothing increased 0.5 percent, healthcare 0.4 percent, transport 0.2 percent, and restaurants and hotels 0.5 percent. 

On an annual basis, housing, water, electricity, gas and other fuels recorded the largest increase, at 33 percent, with actual rents up 28 percent and electricity, gas and fuels rising 22.4 percent. 

Transport costs increased 21.7 percent annually, while education rose 20 percent and recreation and culture increased 15.3 percent. Food and beverages prices rose 6.5 percent, with vegetable prices up 27.7 percent.  

Monetary policy  

The inflation data comes after the Central Bank of Egypt kept its key interest rates unchanged last month, with the overnight deposit rate at 19 percent and the lending rate at 20 percent. The main operation and discount rates were maintained at 19.5 percent. 

The CBE expects headline inflation to accelerate through the third quarter because of unfavorable base effects before gradually declining from the first quarter of 2027. It expects inflation to converge toward its 7 percent target, plus or minus 2 percentage points, during the second half of 2027.  

The central bank has warned that the inflation outlook remains exposed to risks from regional hostilities and a stronger-than-expected pass-through from fiscal consolidation measures. 

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1. Palm Canyon Drive. (Christopher Reynolds / Los Angeles Times) 2. A metal sculpture of a serpent by artist Richard Breceda. (Luis Sinco / Los Angeles Times)

This lonely San Diego County desert town, about 50 miles from the nearest Starbucks, deserves the attention of anyone who really wants peace and quiet. It’s home to perhaps 4,000 year-round residents, star-struck by night, startling at dawn, surrounded by the largest state park in California, Anza-Borrego Desert State Park.

Dark skies, aimless days and spring wildflowers draw many people. But fall visitors can hike the park’s Borrego Palm Canyon Trail (3 miles round trip) or the narrow canyon known as The Slot. Keep an eye out for bighorn sheep and dozens of metal artworks by sculptor Ricardo Breceda scattered around town, especially the 350-foot-long sea serpent (along Borrego Springs Road), which has become a community mascot.

Check out: The town’s biggest party of the year, Borrego Days, is coming Oct. 17-18. And its seasonal Farmers Market returns to Christmas Circle Community Park on Nov. 6.

Distance: A 4-hour drive from L.A. (154 miles from L.A. City Hall, via Google Maps).

After two of his children fell ill on an all-inclusive Jet2 trip to Turkey, Blake Chapman decided to abandon the holiday and fly home – but says he was left £10,000 out of pocket

A furious dad says he was left £2,000 out of pocket after a holiday nightmare – despite having paid for travel insurance. Blake Chapman flew out with his 29-year-old partner Abbey Andrews and their three children Keeton, 11, Tobias, 3, and Vienna 1, on August 6. They had paid for 10-day £8,000 all-inclusive Jet2 holiday in the Turkish resort of Alanya.

But the family’s holiday started to go wrong just two days after they landed in Turkey, when Blake and Abbey’s youngest child, Vienna, fell ill with symptoms of severe food poisoning. “It started happening with my one-year-old two days in,” Blake said. “She was completely fine then it got to about 11:15pm and she started projectile vomiting, really bad diarrhoea, temperature.

“Because we were in a different country we panicked. I ran down to reception, they told me that they’d call an ambulance. They got to the hospital, they put an IV drip in Vienna.”

Soon after arriving at the hospital, Blake was presented with a £2,000 bill. “I argued it because I said that we’ve got insurance and I paid for the higher insurance,” he said. “In the end I just paid it.”

But things went from bad to worse when the couple’s three-year-old son Tobias began to show the same symptoms.

Blake said: “The following day around 1.00pm we all got out of the pool just about to get some dinner and it happened to my three-year-old Tobias. We kind of knew what to expect this time. Tobias was being sick in the hospital.”

Faced with the prospect of a second massive bill, Blake refused hospital treatment for Tobias and consulted a pharmacist instead.

Meanwhile, although Blake had been given an explanation for Vienna’s symptoms, he didn’t entirely believe it. He continued: ”We got the doctor’s report and they put it down to dehydration but I’m like a helicopter dad, I took the kids all over the world, we’ve never had a problem.

“When Vienna went to hospital she had a blood test and they said she’s got high white blood cells so that indicated an infection. I don’t believe it is dehydration because I’m not going to sit with a one-year-old in the beaming sun.”

With two of his children seriously unwell, Blake made the decision to abandon the holiday: “My plan was ‘let’s get out of here, let’s fly home’,” he says.

Blake says he tried to get hold of the Jet2 rep without success, so he called the company direct. Despite being told that his insurance claims could potentially take months to process, Blake and Abbey decided to leave the hotel before anyone else fell ill, spending another £950 on flights, arriving back in the UK on August 11.

“It’s put me off all-inclusives,” Blake says. “I would never go to Turkey again in my life from this experience.

He stressed that he wasn’t holding anyone responsible, but was frustrated by the slow process of his insurance claim. ”I’m not blaming the hotel, I’m not blaming the hospital for us being ill but it was how we were left in the dark,” he said.

“It’s very frustrating, very emotional. What I want to do is spread awareness because people think if you go all inclusive with the full travel insurance too then you’ll be OK if anything happens – but we were asked to pay thousands.”

A spokesperson for Jet2holidays said: “We were very sorry to hear that members of the Chapman family became unwell during their holiday. Our in-resort team made attempts to contact the family to offer support, but they had already departed before we were able to speak to them.

“Our teams on the ground work tirelessly to support customers throughout their holidays, and we remain committed to providing help whenever it is needed.”

JAKARTA, Indonesia: Nearly 2,000 people, most of them students, fell ill in suspected food poisoning outbreaks linked to President Prabowo Subianto ‘s flagship Free Nutritious Meals program this week, raising fresh concerns about food safety as the government rapidly expands the multibillion-dollar initiative nationwide, officials said Saturday.

The incidents, reported between Tuesday and Thursday in East Java, Central Java, West Sumatra, Aceh and South Sulawesi, affected about 1,950 students, teachers and Islamic boarding school pupils who became sick after consuming meals distributed under the government program, known by its Indonesian acronym MBG.

The outbreaks are the latest setback for Prabowo’s signature free meals program, which has been rolled out across the archipelago despite repeated food poisoning incidents and corruption allegations.

The largest outbreak was reported in Central Java’s Rembang regency, where 752 students and 25 teachers at State Senior High School 1 Lasem, suffered diarrhea, nausea, vomiting and stomach pain after eating meals provided through the program, according to Rembang Health Office head Ali Syofi’i.

In Sidoarjo, East Java, 730 people, most of them students at the Manbaul Hikam Islamic boarding school, were affected in another suspected food poisoning incident linked to the program. Sidoarjo health office chief Lakhsmie Herawati Yuwantina said 706 victims had been discharged and were recovering at home.

Authorities also reported 276 suspected cases involving students and teachers in Agam regency, West Sumatra, where food distribution from the local nutrition service center was suspended pending an investigation. In Aceh’s Bener Meriah regency, 15 elementary school students and a school principal were treated after experiencing dizziness, nausea and other symptoms following a school meal.

Another 152 students from two junior high schools in Tana Toraja, South Sulawesi, were treated at three hospitals after developing symptoms consistent with food poisoning. Regent Zadrak Tombeq ordered hospitals and health centers to prioritize treatment for the victims.

No deaths have been reported, and authorities are investigating the causes of the outbreaks.

The latest incidents add to a growing number of food poisoning cases linked to the program since its launch in January 2025. According to Health Ministry surveillance data as of Sept. 2, food poisoning incidents associated with MBG have affected 50,059 people in 560 cases across 245 districts and cities in 36 provinces.

In a hearing with the House’s Commission IX overseeing health issues, National Nutrition Agency chief Sudaryono said internal reviews found that roughly 80 percent to 90 percent of previous food poisoning incidents were linked to failures to follow food safety procedures, including rules governing food storage, receipt of ingredients, temperature control and consumption deadlines.

“The recent incidents in Sidoarjo, Agam, Rembang and other areas have been a major blow for us,” said Sudaryono, who like many Indonesians uses a single name.

He said the agency was tightening oversight of meal providers and reviewing about 27,000 meal distribution centers nationwide. Inspectors have found hundreds of allegedly fictitious facilities, while at least 833 kitchens have been shut down for failing to meet hygiene and sanitation standards.

The free meals program aims to combat malnutrition and reduce childhood stunting by providing meals to nearly 90 million students, toddlers and pregnant women. The initiative, expected to cost about $28 billion through 2029, is a cornerstone of Prabowo’s administration and one of his key campaign promises.

A HAPPY Mondays star has been forced to cancel work and an Ibiza holiday – as they revealed their mother is in hospital after a fall.

The singer, 60, performed with the iconic alternative dance band across two stints.

Rowetta – ful name Rowetta Idah was part of the group from 1990 to 1993 and again from 2012 to 2024.

Taking to Instagram, she shared a photo of her mother lying in a hospital bed, sipping a drink.

Rowetta captioned her post: “Apologies to friends & family but my mum has had another fall.

“She has 3 broken ribs and her left lung needs to heal, so I won’t be on here much and studio & Ibiza are on hold.

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“She’s in a great place so hopefully back soon.”

One person commented: “Thinking of ye both. I hope she gets better soon.”

Another wrote: “Wishing her a speedy recovery and sending you lots of love, strength and courage.

“Please do get in touch if I can help with anything.”

A third said: “Hope she feels better soon.”

Aside from her work with the Happy Mondays, Rowetta is the vocalist on 1989 track Reach Out.

It has since been sampled by other artists including The Black Eyed Peas and Steve Angello.

Meanwhile, Rowetta competed on The X Factor‘s inaugural 2004 series, placing fourth and being the highest placed female contestant.

Shares in fast-fashion giant Shein fell as much as 10% on their trading debut on Hong Kong’s stock market on Tuesday, before recovering some of their losses, following years of delay to the company’s plans to list publicly and regulatory setbacks in Europe and in the US.

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Shein’s initial public offering opened on 24 August, with the final share price set a week later on 31 August. Trading began the following day, on Tuesday.

The gap reflects standard IPO process, as investors placed their orders over about a week, the banks running the deal then fixed the final price and decided who got shares, and trading opened a few business days later once the exchange gave the final go-ahead.

The listing marks the end of a long search for a stock market willing to take Shein after plans to list in New York and London stalled amid scrutiny over its Chinese supply chains, forcing the company to turn to Hong Kong instead.

New US and EU tariffs on low-cost parcels from China, along with rising shipping costs from the war in Iran, have contributed to Shein’s swing from a $395 million (€340mn) profit to a $99 million (€85mn) loss in the first quarter of this year.

Shein raised about $1.7 billion (€1.46bn), pricing shares at HK$48.56 (€5.33) each, in one of the city’s biggest share sales this year.

“Shein’s Hong Kong listing marks a new starting point,” said Leigh Gui, Shein’s chief financial officer, in a short speech at its listing ceremony.

But in early trading, the shares fell to below HK$44 (€4.83) before losses narrowed.

Tariffs squeeze profits

Shein has built its appeal to customers on ultra-fast, affordable fashion, delivered from China to the West within days.

However, the end of “de minimis” tariff exemptions in the US and the European Union has raised duties on low-value parcels from China, including Shein’s products. Higher logistics costs, driven partly by the war in Iran, have also squeezed the company’s low-price business model and profitability.

Tariff costs have forced Shein to raise prices, “cutting into its main advantage,” said Jacob Cooke, CEO of WPIC Marketing + Technologies.

Back to its roots

Shein, pronounced “she-in,” earlier explored listing its shares in New York and London, and moved its headquarters from China to Singapore in 2021.

But increasingly strict scrutiny by Beijing and by regulators in the US and Europe led it to embrace its Chinese roots and switch to a Hong Kong listing.

Launched in 2012 in China, much of Shein’s operations were in the southern province of Guangdong before it moved its corporate headquarters out of the country.

“Guangdong is Shein’s roots, and the starting point of our journey,” founder Sky Xu said in a speech in February.

Pivoting its focus back to China also highlighted the advantages Shein derives from a supply chain system that “only exists” in Guangdong, said William Ma of GROW Investment Group, referring to its small-batch, fast-response manufacturing model.

Shein has hit other roadblocks in expanding in Europe. In February, the EU launched a probe into the company with a focus on “illegal” products, including alleged child sexual abuse material.

In May, Shein acquired San Francisco-based eco-friendly clothing retailer Everlane, a move some analysts said was not the best fit.

Hong Kong’s IPO boost

The company’s market value was roughly $27 billion (€23.2bn) as it listed in Hong Kong, a fraction of its peak valuation a few years ago.

“Shein has probably missed its golden listing window due to the shift of momentum toward AI and tariffs, which can affect valuations and profitability,” said Gary Ng, a senior economist for Asia Pacific at French bank Natixis.

Still, Shein’s listing is welcome news for Hong Kong, as the Chinese territory makes increasing efforts to hold onto its role as a global financial hub following a downturn in 2023.

Hong Kong’s stock exchange has had a strong year for IPOs, raising more than $40 billion (€34.4bn) so far.

There is also a backlog of companies seeking to list there, said Lorraine Tan at investment research firm Morningstar.

After oohing and aahing over “The Odyssey,” it’s time for the hot summer splash to make way for an intriguing fall lineup.

At the movies, Alexander Skarsgård plays a sexy wicker husband. Tom Cruise, a bizarro oil man. Jenna Ortega, a robot friend, and Kendall Roy, ahem, Jeremy Strong, is Mark Zuckerberg. Then we revisit classics of various stripes on the small screen, from a further-future “Blade Runner” to “A Different World” relaunch to “East of Eden” to “Pride and Prejudice.”

For new books, it’s an Emily fest. Emily St. John Mandel’s “Exit Party,” based in Los Angeles, is being called her best work since “Station Eleven.” And Emily Wilson, “The Odyssey” translator who launched 1,000 hot takes, lets us inside her process. As for arts, directors steal the spotlight: the Lucas Museum of Narrative Art opens with 20 inaugural exhibitions and a collection of David Lynch’s L.A. photography fills a local gallery.

Bookmark this page and come back daily this week as we share even more of the best of fall. — Brittany Levine Beckman

A new drama following Nicola Sturgeon and her estranged husband’s fall from grace has been commissioned as television movie for Channel 5 following his embezzlement scandal

Nicola Sturgeon and her estranged husband’s dramatic fall from grace is to be turned into a movie length drama for TV.

Channel 5 announced today they will make a 90 minute factual drama about how Sturgeon’s husband, Peter Murrell, embezzled £400,000 from the SNP over a 12 year period.

Called ‘To Nicola, Love Peter’ it will follow the channel’s success with Power: The Downfall of Huw Edwards. The drama creators say they will draw on an extensive range of factual sources including evidence gathered by Police Scotland, The Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service as well as extensive TV and newspaper interviews with Nicola Sturgeon and interviews with other key protagonists.

Ben Frow, Chief Content Officer, 5 said: “This is an epic tale of Shakespearean proportions. An extraordinary tale of power, envy, deception and greed.

“It’s both a high-stakes political melodrama and bizarre domestic drama that has dominated headlines and gossip columns. We will be pulling together the events and characters involved to create a compelling revealing drama, as well as answering that very important question – why would anyone pay £2,600 for a pair of salt & pepper grinders…?!”

In June, former SNP chief executive Murrell was sentenced to five years and three months in jail after he admitted to embezzling more than £400,000 from the party.

Murrell – the estranged husband of Nicola Sturgeon – used the funds to buy goods ranging from cars and a motorhome to kitchenware and toiletries.

The Glasgow home he shared with Sturgeon was searched as part of the police operation, as was the SNP headquarters in Edinburgh.

Murrell’s largest single purchase, in 2020, was a £124,550 luxury motorhome, paid for entirely with party funds. When it was seized by police three years later, it had only ever been driven four miles.

Murrell also used party funds to buy further items including a £3,223 coffee machine, a £3,000 robotic lawn mower, £2,600 salt and pepper grinders and a £425 gold pendant that Sturgeon was photographed wearing.

Sturgeon has said she was not aware that Murrell had purchased many of the high-value items listed in court documents. The former first minister has consistently insisted that she had no reason to believe that Murrell had not used his own money for the items he was buying.

Sturgeon had stepped down as first minister in March 2023 and was arrested In June 2023. But she was later told she was not being investigated.

Last year Sturgeon announced that the pair were ending their marriage. She appeared at the Edinburgh Fringe earlier this month and in an on stage interview told the audiences she “feels like a mug” for caring about estranged husband Murrell.

She also claimed he “lied right up until he pled guilty”, and said she won’t be visiting him in prison.

Sturgeon also said: “Over the years, he never really levelled with me. The day he pled guilty, I was still learning about some of the detail of what he had done for the first time. I suddenly realised I had been living with somebody that I never really knew properly.”

Casting for ‘To Nicola, Love Peter’ is currently underway with filming likely to begin later this year. it is expected to air on 5 in 2027.

Power: The Downfall of Huw Edwards pulled in almost two million viewers when it aired earlier this year on 5.

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