AFP UK

London (AFP) – Having sacked her close ally Chancellor Kwasi Kwarteng after a mini-budget which spooked the financial markets as a result of its unfunded tax cuts, United Kingdom Prime Minister Liz Truss confirms that her government will perform a drastic U-turn on its previous commitment not to raise corporation tax. “We need to act now to reassure the markets of our fiscal discipline. I have therefore decided to keep the increase in corporation tax that was planned by the previous government,” the under-fire PM says.

London (AFP) – British Prime Minister Liz Truss insists she would push ahead with her contentious programme to boost sluggish economic growth, despite market turbulence and sacking her finance minister. Truss says she is “absolutely determined to see through what I have promised to deliver, a higher growth, more prosperous United Kingdom”, even after being forced to climb down on key parts of the plan.

Astana (Kazakhstan) (AFP) – The meeting of the CIS Heads of State Council begins in the Kazakh capital of Astana. Leaders of Azerbaijan, Armenia, Belarus, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Turkmenistan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan participate in the event chaired by Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev. IMAGES

Johannesburg (AFP) – Street artist Dbongz Mahlathi puts the finishing touches to one of his murals in Johannesburg. For him, street art like his “has changed the landscape and how people deemed the city, they now see the city as bright because it used to be dull, mundane”, adding that “people start seeing it as a place they can go into.” Street artists, developments, events and pop-up stores have become integral to making the city an attraction for tourists and locals alike.

Lima (AFP) – Dozens of supporters of Peru’s President Pedro Castillo march in Lima to denounce a constitutional complaint filed by the country’s attorney general, accusing Castillo of criminal organisation and corruption.

Pinar del Río (Cuba) (AFP) – Cubans clean up debris in the city of Pinar del Rio after hurricane Ian left widespread damage on the island.

Doha (AFP) – In Qatar, every street corner has its own work of art, a trend that has accelerated with the approach of the World Cup, during which football fans may be looking for something to do between matches. Qatar is gearing up to welcome more than one million people to the football World Cup which starts on November 20.

Melbourne (AFP) – Flooding inundates streets in Melbourne as thousands had been warned to flee their homes to escape surging floodwaters threatening towns across three separate states. The flooding emergency is the worst in Victoria — Australia’s second most populous state — where rapidly rising waters swamps the Maribyrnong suburb of Melbourne, forcing evacuations. IMAGES

Hanoi (AFP) – Fenced off to the public and dotted with plastic waste, Hanoi’s Formula One race circuit lies largely abandoned as hopes fade that Vietnam’s capital will ever host a Grand Prix. The city was due to make its F1 debut in 2020 but the event was shelved due to the Covid-19 pandemic and Hanoi has not appeared on the race calendar since.

Kabul (AFP) – Thousands of Afghan girls and women sat university entrance exams under the guard of Taliban snipers, two weeks after a bomber killed dozens of students preparing for the tests. Since the Taliban returned to power last August, many girls have been banned from secondary education.

New York (AFP) – Sotheby’s unveils a collection of eight blue diamonds that are set to go on auction in New York, Geneva and Hong Kong. “Really, it all is about rarity,” says Frank Everett, senior vice president at Sotheby’s, adding, “to get stones of this quality is absolutely incredible.”

Mogadishu (AFP) – On the five-year anniversary of the two truck bombings in Mogadishu, which killed almost 600 people, two survivors remember the day: “the big truck bombing affected me a lot, but now I thank Allah for my recovery,” says Bile Adam Farah.