
Mom | Wife | Journalist-Editor-Manager @BBCNews Culture, Royals & Society. Fmr @Marketplace @BloombergTV @CNNi. Born Singapore, raised British Hong Kong
London via SG | HK | ATL | NY
Joined February 2009
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China is on a trajectory to lead the world in science, a development that will reshape technological advancement, innovation and the balance of global power
go.nature.com/4yqb1Oj
Leisha Chi-Santorelli retweeted
Nearly one in six British adults – 6.7 million people – are now claiming out-of-work benefits. In over 3,300 neighbourhoods, claimants make up more than half the working-age population. In almost 19,000 they make up more than a third.
An historic shift from unemployment benefits to health-related claims has hidden this national scandal. In the last six years, the number of working-age adults claiming due to incapacity rose by 61 per cent, even as the prevalence of disability increased by only 16 per cent.
It is not hard to explain. Unlike in other countries, combining multiple cash-based benefits with a mental health claim exempts recipients from onerous work requirements and unlocks support that can deliver a tax-free income of over £27,000.
Throw in the fall in face-to-face assessments and several years of legal judgments lowering the bar for conditions such as anxiety or ADHD and the case seems closed.
✍️ Ben Gregg
Article | spectator.com/article/is-wel…
Leisha Chi-Santorelli retweeted
Pope Leo XIV underwent thoracic surgery at Gemelli Hospital on Tuesday afternoon, as planned, according to a statement from Dr. Luigi Carbone and Professor Stefano Margaritora released by the Holy See Press Office.
The surgeons removed the lower lobe of the Pope’s right lung, and tissue examined during the operation confirmed the diagnosis of “lung adenocarcinoma,” as suspected from tests conducted beforehand.
The Pope was in the operating room approximately three hours, while the operation itself lasted about 90 minutes. The doctors said it was successful and there were no complications.
Pope Leo awoke normally after surgery and, following a brief period of observation, returned to his room on the hospital’s 10th floor, according to the statement.
vaticannews.va/en/pope/news/…
Leisha Chi-Santorelli retweeted
Britain has spent £1.1trillion more on welfare than infrastructure, report finds trib.al/HoAgcnT
Leisha Chi-Santorelli retweeted
Excellent article in the Wall Street Journal on Britain's unsustainable welfare spending:
— 7 million people (over 10% of the UK population) now claim at least one or more sickness or disability benefit. This is up 60% in the past 6 years.
— The UK will spend over £100 billion pound this year on sickness and disability benefits. This is projected to increase to £130 billion a year by 2030.
— No other Western country has seen such a rise in disability claims. In the US, 10.6 million people claim some form of federal disability payment, despite the population being 5x larger.
— 1 in 7 new cars sold in the UK are under the Motability scheme; however, only 10% of cars are modified for a disability. In one dealership, 25 out of 26 cars they sold in August were all under the Motability scheme.
— Charities, consultants, YouTubers and TikTokers have all sprung up, telling people how to maximise benefit access. Some of these videos receive hundreds of thousands of views. Over 1,000 people a day are signing on for PIP.
— According to a Government survey from 2024, 25% of the UK's working age population could theoretically be classed as disabled under the current criteria and access these benefits.
— A minimum wage worker who works 40 hours per week would take home around £1,880 per month after tax; however, if you are classed as too sick to work and claim PIP, you can take home £2,000 tax free per month.
wsj.com/world/uk/united-king…
Leisha Chi-Santorelli retweeted
The trailer for Greta Gerwig’s upcoming movie ‘Narnia: The Magician’s Nephew’ is a psychedelic climb up the stairway to Aslan. vulture.com/article/greta-ge…
Leisha Chi-Santorelli retweeted
Exclusive: Another prestigious award has gone to a writer who seems to have used AI as the crisis of trust in the literary world intensifies, @vauhinivara reports: theatlantic.com/books/2026/1…
Finally!
HBO has given a green light to one-hour original drama series ‘Crazy Rich Asians,’ a follow-up to the blockbuster film that became the highest-grossing Hollywood studio romantic comedy at the North American box office in nearly a decade.
The film’s lead cast, Constance Wu, Henry Golding and Emmy winner Ronny Chieng will star in the series, along with Oscar winner Michelle Yeoh recurring
More details here: deadline.com/2026/10/crazy-r…
Skydance’s David Ellison and Ynon Kreiz have sent a memo to employees about the merged Paramount-Warner Bros., acknowledging that layoffs will be part of the process:
• “Integrating two companies will bring change, including difficult decisions that affect our workforce. We are committed to handling this process thoughtfully and respectfully.”
• Paramount execs have said they are targeting more than $6B in annualized cost savings over three years, with some of those savings coming from layoffs.
• The merger could result in the loss of some 4,500 film and TV jobs in L.A. alone over three years, per a Los Angeles County report.
variety.com/2026/film/news/s…
Leisha Chi-Santorelli retweeted
BBC appoints Rachel Jupp as new director of news bbc.in/4zfe0tU
Leisha Chi-Santorelli retweeted
This is very cool
Leisha Chi-Santorelli retweeted
Bill Nighy wins best host at British Podcast Awards bbc.in/47rlIFg
Leisha Chi-Santorelli retweeted
👀 Oxford Street is about to look very different.
From 26 October, almost 1km of the famous shopping street will become traffic-free, with buses, taxis, bikes and other vehicles banned between Orchard Street and Great Portland Street.
The mayor says the changes will transform the area into a pedestrian plaza, but Westminster Council has raised concerns about the impact on nearby streets.
More on this story ➡️ bbc.in/4z6DTvY
#London #OxfordStreet #Westminster #Transport
Under 16s will be banned from using social media from March, culture secretary announces trib.al/fmYgjRE
Leisha Chi-Santorelli retweeted
EXCLUSIVE: Sir Ranulph Fiennes was “unlawfully deprived of his liberty” when his wife placed him in a care home, a watchdog body has concluded.
The retired explorer has not been seen in public for two years, and The Telegraph has learnt that he has been placed in care homes under a false name by his wife Louise Millington-Cotes, who put strict conditions on how he was to be looked after.
Friends have become increasingly concerned for Ranulph's welfare, saying Millington-Cotes is refusing to let them visit him or even tell them where he is.
His inner circle asked The Telegraph to investigate. Find out what we know about the whereabouts of the world's greatest living explorer ⤵️
telegraph.co.uk/news/2026/09…
Leisha Chi-Santorelli retweeted
A six-year-old girl has set a new world record for the fastest solving of a Rubik’s Cube.
Lian Yunzhi, from China, broke the women’s world record for the 3x3x3 Rubik’s Cube twice in three days at competitions in the provinces of Wuhan and Guangzhou.
🔗: telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2…
Leisha Chi-Santorelli retweeted
America’s longest-running paternity dispute has seemingly come to an end: Thomas Jefferson fathered children with Sally Hemings, his enslaved chambermaid, and the Smithsonian has the DNA to prove it.
newyorker.com/news/the-lede/…
Leisha Chi-Santorelli retweeted
Scientists know very little about how TikTok and its copycats affect human cognition, but the signs aren’t good, @hanamkiros reports. theatlantic.com/health/2026/…
It's now being reported that in addition to Xi, Cyril Ramaphosa of South Africa also became ill after attending the BRICS summit in India.
据传,习近平在印度主办的金砖峰会上晕倒,经随行医疗团队的紧急救治后,提前结束对印度的访问,搭乘专机返回中国。飞机抵达北京机场后,北京当局没有安排大批官员接机,也没有组织欢迎仪式,而是用军用直升机,直接将习近平送到了北京301医院,进行急救。
据称,经北京301医院专家团队的诊断,确定习近平患了严重的缺血性中风,也就是短暂的脑梗死。由于习近平怕印度方面获取他的身体健康信息,所以,他拒绝在印度医院进行紧急救治,而是搭乘专机返回北京救治。由于飞行途中,没有手术条件,医疗团队只能痛殴保守型治疗,维持习近平的生命,因此,习近平已经失去了黄金急救和手术时间。在北京301医院,习近平即使能通过手术进行治疗,但很大的可能性,会留下严重的后遗症。
目前,北京当局还无法确认,习近平能否在访美前恢复健康,所以,北京当局还在等待,看是否需要取消9月下旬的访美行程。


























