Homeowners struggling to meet their mortgage repayments have been speaking about their fears for the future.
Mum Wendy says the increases have pushed her and her family to visit food banks
The Bank of England has hiked rates 14 times since December 2021, with the Institute for Fiscal Studies predicting that repayments will soon average an extra £520 a month in London.
The cost of borrowing has gone from 0.1% to 5.25% with the rate potentially set to increase again on Thursday.
Wendy told BBC London almost all her household’s money went on the mortgage.
Wendy, who lives in a flat in Greenwich with her IT worker husband and young son, said being on a variable rate meant almost all of their income went on repayments.
She said they were struggling to afford food and that she collects groceries that are past their best-before date where she can.
“It’s been extremely tight and the focus is to pay the mortgage. That’s because we want to keep our house to give us shelter and then food comes almost second,” she said.
“I never thought in my life that I would have to go to a food bank. We are struggling so much.”
Charlotte Towne said it felt “unfathomable” how quickly rates had risen
Charlotte Towne, who lives on the capital’s Surrey border, said things were going to become “very, very difficult” with her mortgage repayments expected to almost double to £3,100 a month. On top of that her monthly childcare costs are £1,700 a month.
She said it felt “unfathomable” how quickly rates had risen.
If interest rates rise, more than 1.4 million in the UK people on tracker and standard variable rate (SVR) deals will be affected.
Mortgage rates are falling but don’t celebrate yet
Five ways to save money on your mortgage
Renting cheaper than first-time mortgages – Zoopla
Campaign group Positive Money said the interest hikes meant “huge profits” for banks and “massive payouts to shareholders”.
It said “these profits can be considered unearned windfalls from higher interest rates”.
The group said they should be taxed to “help support households through the cost of-living-crisis”.
A Treasury spokesperson said: “We already have two specific taxes for the banking sector – the Bank Levy and the Bank Corporation Tax Surcharge – and the entire UK banking sector generated around £39bn in tax last year, which is almost enough to fund the entire police and justice system.
“The chancellor has been clear, however, that banks must pass on the interest rate increases to savers so they can benefit. The new Consumer Duty – which came into force last week – gives regulators the tools they need to take action where this isn’t happening.”
There are some good deals to Dubai if you are looking for BA tier points. The flights are with Finnair but do require one stop as well as starting from outside the UK.
Flights that are cheap with Finnair are usually light fares that do not include seat selection or baggage, so make sure you know what you are buying before you book. Some of the starting points, like Berlin and Copenhagen don’t have much left, but others, like Stockholm have plenty of availability.
Prices return in business class.
Available November to March
Minimum 6 day stay
From Berlin £1290
From Copenhagen £1134
From Gothenburg £1053
From Oslo £1020
From Stockholm £1055
You can book with Finnair or you may be able to get a lower price through Skyscanner if you don’t mind using an online agent.
If you would rather fly Qatar, there are still decent deals from Oslo to the UAE starting from £1299. They arr available Monday to Thursday over the winter. You can check prices here.
If you would rather start from the UK Swiss has flights to Dubai starting from £1283 in April and LOT (review here) have prices starting from £1180.
HT: Luxury Flight Club
Mandarin Oriental Singapore reopens after refresh
I have always liked the MO Singapore and finally stayed there a year ago but found it very dated. Luckily it has just undergone a refresh and is looking great!
The rooms look completely different from the old 90s dark wood and black marble before. The decor was based on blurring boundaries between indoors and outdoors.
Guestrooms take cues from the views from the windows – dappled batik patterns and a cooler colour palette blend for the Marina Bay-facing rooms, while those looking onto the South China Sea have warmer tones to represent the morning sun. City-facing rooms reflect Singapore’s greenery through botanical prints, bringing the outside in.
If you are interested in booking an MO hotel it is worth checking with our partners GTC as they can offer extra perks
Upgrade based on availability at time of check-in
Continental breakfast for 2 daily
There is also MO Fans, which allows you to choose from a range of perks.
The Peninsula London open
Last week saw the opening of the Peninsula in London finally. The hotel is situated by The Lanesborough at Hyde Park Corner.
The Peninsula London Guest room
I checked prices, and for January, prices start at a bonkers £1300 a night. This is way above even London’s over-inflated prices, where rooms at the top hotels are usually £800-1000 a night. I can only hope that with a number of new London luxury hotels opening, such as two more Mandarin Oriental hotels and Raffles, it will eventually cause prices to drop to more reasonable levels.
Turning left for less
NEWSOFFERS
NEWS & OFFERS: BUSINESS CLASS FROM £1020, MO SINGAPORE REOPENS AND PENINSULA LONDON NOW OPEN
18 September 2023MICHELE
British Airways launches End of Summer sale with extra Holidays discount up to £300 + free helicopter transfer
In this post:
Business class flight deals from £1020
There are some good deals to Dubai if you are looking for BA tier points. The flights are with Finnair but do require one stop as well as starting from outside the UK. Flights that are cheap with Finnair are usually light fares that do not include seat selection or baggage, so make sure you know what you are buying before you book. Some of the starting points, like Berlin and Copenhagen don’t have much left, but others, like Stockholm have plenty of availability.
Prices return in business class.
Available November to March
Minimum 6 day stay
From Berlin £1290
From Copenhagen £1134
From Gothenburg £1053
From Oslo £1020
From Stockholm £1055
You can book with Finnair or you may be able to get a lower price through Skyscanner if you don’t mind using an online agent.
If you would rather fly Qatar, there are still decent deals from Oslo to the UAE starting from £1299. They arr available Monday to Thursday over the winter. You can check prices here.
If you would rather start from the UK Swiss has flights to Dubai starting from £1283 in April and LOT (review here) have prices starting from £1180.
HT: Luxury Flight Club
Mandarin Oriental Singapore reopens after refresh
I have always liked the MO Singapore and finally stayed there a year ago but found it very dated. Luckily it has just undergone a refresh and is looking great!
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The rooms look completely different from the old 90s dark wood and black marble before. The decor was based on blurring boundaries between indoors and outdoors. Guestrooms take cues from the views from the windows – dappled batik patterns and a cooler colour palette blend for the Marina Bay-facing rooms, while those looking onto the South China Sea have warmer tones to represent the morning sun. City-facing rooms reflect Singapore’s greenery through botanical prints, bringing the outside in.
If you are interested in booking an MO hotel it is worth checking with our partners GTC as they can offer extra perks
Upgrade based on availability at time of check-in
Continental breakfast for 2 daily
There is also MO Fans, which allows you to choose from a range of perks.
The Peninsula London open
Last week saw the opening of the Peninsula in London finally. The hotel is situated by The Lanesborough at Hyde Park Corner.
The Peninsula London Guest room
The Peninsula London Guest room
I checked prices, and for January, prices start at a bonkers £1300 a night. This is way above even London’s over-inflated prices, where rooms at the top hotels are usually £800-1000 a night. I can only hope that with a number of new London luxury hotels opening, such as two more Mandarin Oriental hotels and Raffles, it will eventually cause prices to drop to more reasonable levels.
The property is centred around an off-street courtyard with climbing jasmine and wisteria vines and two 120-year-old Japanese maples (the oldest trees of their kind in Europe). This cobble-stoned forecourt allows guests to arrive in style in one of the hotel’s impressive house cars – these include Rolls-Royce Phantom IIs, hybrid Bentley Bentaygas, an electrified 1960 vintage Austin taxi, and a restored 1935 Rolls-Royce Phantom Sedanca de Ville.
Only certain room types and facilities are open at the moment:
Dining
Available from 12 September 2023:
• The Lobby
• Canton Blue and Little Blue
• The Peninsula Boutique & Café
• In-room dining
Available from late September 2023:
I’m keen to try the hotel’s signature rooftop restaurant and bar when they ope., Brooklands, which will showcaseModern British cuisine from Michelin-starred Chef Director Claude Bosi in a collection of spaces inspired by classic British aviation and motorsports by architects Archer Humphreys. Also on the eighth floor, Brooklands Bar overlooks the London skyline with a panoramic vista from St Pauls to Battersea.
A Dutch woman with biceps bigger than Arnold Schwarzenegger has hit back at her haters after dedicating two years to bodybuilding.
Jackie Koorn, 33, has 24-inch biceps, outsizing the famous bodybuilder Arnie. She is a self-proclaimed “She-Hulk”. It was not until she had to take a hiatus from kickboxing in 2020 because of COVID restrictions that she began taking bodybuildling seriously.
But the security company owner has always been into fitness and spent much of her youth participating in judo, football, swimming, and kickboxing. Since then Jackie has more than doubled her body weight she is now a strong 25 stone with 70% of that being pure muscle.
Jackie has Bigger Arms than Arnie ( Image: MDWFeatures/Jackie Koorn)
Jackie has biceps measuirng 24 inches, with legendary bodybuilder and actor Arnold Swarzanegger’s biceps measuring 22 inches in his prime, with a 46 inch chest, 53 inch hip and 41 inch quads. The response Jackie gets from posting her pictures online varies from being called “fat” and “a feminine man” to having proposals of marriage for her perfect body.
Jackie is determined to rise above her online hate. She said: “I am one of six children, our family has a background of playing sports. At a young age I was taking part in judo, football and swimming. I come from a good family, we were always taught if you want something you have to work for it. I think that has carried through into my fitness, I work very hard for my body.
She added: “What led me to build my curvy girl muscle was my temporary hiatus from kickboxing, I always had an interest in fitness but having to take a hiatus allowed me to focus on a different way of using my body, which led me here.”
“Before I got so strong I still felt good, but often tired due to continuous dieting. Now I feel strong, huge, and pretty good. I have built myself up through continuing a good diet and exercise regime. Good food and lifting weights that what you need if you want to grow muscle.
“I’m now cutting so its now so my diet is eight cooked eggs a day, two at breakfast with some cottage cheese and granola, one hour later two cooked eggs again, for lunch it will be two cooked eggs with some chicken breast on a cracker, at dinner I’ll have the last two cooked eggs with some vegetables, spinach, beans or broccoli.
“As I am cutting right now I am taking in 2,200 calories a day, when I am just building it is more like 3,200. My exercise now is starting the day with 100 push ups and 250 sit ups. Then I will do two hours of strength training seven days a week.”
Jackie shares her journey on Instagram and encourages others to embrace their strength and also their curves. Body positivity is a key element of her platform but that doesn’t stop the trolls. Jackie said: “You are called fat, ugly, stupid, transsexual, feminine man, accused of using synthol, anything but nothing stops me. This is curvy muscle the natural way and I do it my way, my unique self.”
She added: “What I do when someone calls me names like that is I delete the comment and then I block the person, I put no weight on negative mindsets, there will always be people that think they know better or can do it better, but this journey is mine and I will do it my way without the negative comments. Honestly, if people are saying nasty things to you on your journey just ignore the negative thoughts or comments.
“I want to bring some new thing to the market, I call it curvy muscle, because I want to have my female curves but also want to have the muscles in a healthy good way. I also get plenty of compliments on my physique, reactions like I want to marry you because you have the perfect body, or you are the perfect woman.
“I am very proud of my body and what it can do, some of my personal bests are 150kg deadlift, I bench press 200kg, I squat 100kg and my leg press push is at 450kg. Go get experience in the gym, don’t be afraid to ask people, everybody starts at the bottom, workout with some friends or family.”
A dog disease that can jump from canines to humans is now spreading between dogs in Britain for the first time, the Telegraph understands.
Brucella canis is a disease that leads to infertility in dogs and is incurable and was previously only seen in imported animals.
But Dr Christine Middlemiss, chief veterinary officer at the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, told the Telegraph there is now evidence some dogs are catching the infection in the UK.
It is not considered endemic due to low numbers and all the British dogs that caught Brucella canis had either mated with an imported dog, had contact with a pregnant imported dog, or are the offspring of an import.
“We have had spread of a case in the UK to another dog in the UK. It is through breeding in kennels,” she said.
“There is not a lot – there is very little. But that is new for us.”
A Human Animal Infection and Risk Surveillance Group report, published on Monday will reveal the risk to the public to be very low, and low for breeders.
However, there is growing concern around the disease as two people caught it this year from dogs and the number of human tests by the NHS has doubled.
Government scientists are understood to be gathering information on the possibility of implementing a screening protocol at the border to stop infected animals making their way to Britain.
Brucella canis is endemic in some parts of the world, including Eastern Europe, with Romania a hotspot for infected animals coming to the UK.
“There is no statutory requirements on import testing at the moment. We are gathering the evidence, various risk assessments are contributing to that evidence and we will consider it,” Dr Middlemiss said.
‘I do advise pre-import testing’
“I do advise at the moment that voluntary testing, pre-import testing, is a really sensible thing to do. If you’re bringing dogs in to breed then it would absolutely make sense to pre-import screen those dogs.”
The report’s advice to people with affected dogs has not changed, with euthanasia still the only option available to definitely stop the spread of onward transmission. The decision also still lies with the owner, a bone of contention for vets and owners who were hoping for more clarity.
Dr Middlemiss said euthanasia is still the only reliable way to ensure there is no risk of spread as antibiotics, even multiple courses for long periods, are not guaranteed to eradicate all the infection.
But a Brucella canis positive result is not a definite death sentence, with hope for infected dogs such as Albus and Spencer, the potentially infected guide dogs who were put in quarantine despite concerns their tests were false positives.
She suggested owners, vets and doctors should look at a range of factors to determine the best course of action.
“It is very difficult to set blanket black and white advice,” she said.
“For some people [euthanasia] might not be the right advice and they’ve got to take into account their personal circumstances.
“For me, I don’t have a dog at the moment, but the last dog I had was a UK dog, not in contact with others, if it was in contact it was under controlled conditions. I don’t have children. I’m not breeding dogs. There is a low risk of spread.
“But if you were a breeder of dogs and you end up having [a case] and you have multiple kennels, maybe lots of people have to look after them, then I think their circumstances are different.
High rate of false positives
“People’s risk appetite around that may be different, and it’s acceptable for it to be different. It would not be right for us to dictate an acceptable risk level to them. They have to work through that as an owner with their vet.”
There has been concern over a high rate of false positives, with as many as one in 50 positive cases erroneously deemed to be infected.
Dr Middlemiss said the issues were with some of the components used in the assay not being up to scratch, not the test itself, which is done at the Animal and Plant Health Agency headquarters in Weybridge.
“My advice would be for the vet, in cases where people are still concerned [about false positives], to speak directly to the disease and testing experts at Weybridge. They’re the best people to speak to in order to get advice on cases,” she said.
“For lots of tests you do not necessarily get a black and white answer, it is on a spectrum. We take into account the circumstances of the animals, the epidemiology and so on.
“And so, where people have any doubt I would advise vets to speak directly to disease colleagues at Weybridge.”
“Your worth is not measured by the size of your waist” – Ameni Esseibi
“I like to be the voice of the voiceless”, says Tunisian model Ameni Esseibi. Known as the first curvy model of the Middle East and North African region, Esseibi is regenerating the way the region views and caters for curves. Alongside this, she is also determined to help others like herself, who struggle with self-love to find their true inner confidence.
In life, we all have those metamorphic moments which redirect our journey and purpose into a direction that perhaps you don’t always just want but need. For most, these moments don’t come early on but for Esseibi, her life-changing moment came at the young age of 16 years old. “I wanted to be different. I was being bullied in high school and I knew if I didn’t do something about it, it would ruin my life.”
Esseibi made a choice, she changed her life complexly by deciding to take control over what was happening to her, “I forced myself to learn to love myself and build this confidence where no matter what happened, I had this barrier to protect me”.
After she first began to feel the difference it was making to her day-to-day, she felt obligated to teach others the tools of self-love and confidence. “Initially my goal was to start an anti-bullying movement, It then went from that to a stereotype breaker, and then to a self-love and body-positive speaker. It just all developed within time.”
Throughout history, in Arabic culture curves were once idolised and considered a sign of womanhood, however, in many countries over the years, there has been a clear cultural and economic shift which has immersed the Western ways of living and being – including their physical appearance.
This change through the decades has influenced the younger generation of Arabs and their own idea of beauty ideals connecting more to the Western standards.
Some feel that the evolution of ideals has affected all ages, Esseibi tells us “we live, unfortunately, in a very judgmental society, so it’s very hard to be an Arab especially if you have a very weak personality as you will get eaten by the judgments very easily. it gets to you sometimes as body image in the region is judged by so many people, they have so many crazy opinions.”
She says, “I’m sure that most Arabs can relate going back to their country for the summer and there are people like ‘oh my you have gained so much weight’ or ‘don’t eat that you’re going to gain so much weight’, there’s just so much pressure from society whether it comes from family, friends, or even co-workers – people always get involved.”
Esseibi making her dreams come true by walking her first ever Paris Fashion Week show Image Credit: Instagram/ameniesseibi
How to handle the societal pressures comes from within and can only be fixed by yourself, Esseibi’s main message is simple, “you need to learn to love yourself, its hard and it won’t happen overnight, it takes time and baby steps, maybe you will need guidance from professionals or watching videos on Tik Tok from other people’s journeys or advice”, the importance is often overlooked, as not loving oneself can lead to a life trajectory that is less favorable.
“Low self-esteem, no self-love or confidence comes from trauma, and this trauma could be from your childhood up until any age. Maybe someone bullied you about something you’re insecure about – whatever it is, it’s made you feel broken in some way.
The only way to deal with this is to heal the trauma, if you don’t want people to view you a certain way, you must not view yourself that way. How do you expect a person to not see you how you see yourself?”
Esseibi feels that everyone deserves a place in the fashion world, whether you’re plus size, petite, handicap – anyone and everyone should be represented.
It’s important for people to remember that although the fashion industry doesn’t always provide clothes for plus-sized bodies or show plus-size models wearing clothes that make you feel gorgeous and fashionable, you still can.
You can wear whatever makes you feel good. God has created you right and you must respect and appreciate it.”
Understanding how hard it is in the beginning, Esseibi still feels the difficulties to this day with people slating her whole career, “they tell me I’m teaching the young generation that obesity and diabetes are normal and that I’m pushing people to not be healthy.
This is just completely wrong, you can be extra-small and have diabetes, or you can be a size medium and have health issues. Size does not define your health. People always tend to think the bigger your size the more health issues you have, and that’s not true.”
These opinions are unhealthy for all sizes and people focusing on the larger sizes the majority of the time can also have harrowing effects on those who are going through their own battles with weight as Esseibi points out, “people have eating disorders and anorexia, you can have your own issues that you have to deal with no matter what size you are, people can’t look at weight one-sided”.
From a young age, Esseibi felt that to be a proper and proficient Arab woman, one must always look pretty, be respectful, don’t talk too much but don’t talk too little, be classy and never complain but always smile.
“It’s like society expects us to be robots and that’s just impossible, I think I express my voice a lot and have a loud voice that says the things our society thinks but feel they can’t say and push some buttons. The conversation needs to be open for change to happen”, Esseibi is unlocking the door to it all.
The architectural attraction ‘Cruise of the Andes’, decorated with symbols of the Tiwanakota and Inca cultures, towers over El Alto, Bolivia, Friday, Sept. 8, 2023. Architect Freddy Mamami is the creator of the building popularly known as a cholet, a term that combines the words cholo and chalet. Image Credit: AP
A photo taken on September 14, 2023 shows the Mont Saint-Michel before the festivities marking the millenium of the monument. Image Credit: AFPRowers scull along the River Seine towards the Ile de la Cité, as they participate in the annual ‘La Traversee de Paris en Aviron’ rowing event, that brings together more than 1000 rowers and 230 boats in Paris, on September 10, 2023.People observe a memorial with the names of the Chilean dictatorship victims, displayed outside the Morande 80 door of La Moneda Presidential Palace from which Salvador Allende’s corpse was taken out after his murder ordered by Augusto Pinochet, during a ceremony to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the Chilean dictatorship in front of La Moneda Presidential Palace in Santiago, on September 11, 2023. The president of Chile, the leftist Gabriel Boric, leads a series of events to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the coup d’état that overthrew the government of Salvador Allende, with the presence of Latin American leaders and Tom Morello, guitarist of Rage Against the Machine. Image Credit: AFPPeople affected by a deadly earthquake stand on a house, in the rural village of Azermoun, Morocco September 14, 2023. Image Credit: ReutersA Giant Indian Urubu named Varapau stands next to a child, Gabriel Pereira, one year and 9 months old, at the Avicultura Gigante, which breeds giant roosters for small-scale meat production and ornamental purposes, in Formosa, Goias State, Brazil September 1, 2023.Men chat by the banks of the Jhelum river in Srinagar, Sept 13, 2023. Image Credit: APA worker operates machines at a texile factory in Nantong, in eastern China’s Jiangsu province on September 14, 2023. Image Credit: AFPA devotee prays as she watches a parade carrying idols of Buddha during the Pancha Dan festival in Bhaktapur, Nepal, Tuesday, Sept. 12, 2023. Pancha Dan, the festival of five summer gifts, is a day when devotees donate five commodities they consider essential for their well being, which are unhusked paddy, rice grains, pulses, salt and moneyIndigenous women from different tribes attend the third March of Indigenous Women, in defence of women’s rights, local indigenous people and the environment in Brasilia, Brazil September 13, 2023.
Thieves stole dozens of items of clothing by the Balmain fashion brand that were due to be unveiled at Paris Fashion Week later in September.
The French fashion house’s creative director Olivier Rousteing said a gang hijacked a delivery truck transporting the company’s latest line from one of the Paris airports to Balmain’s headquarters in the early hours of Saturday.
They made off with more than 50 pieces of clothing along with the truck, Mr Rousteing said, without specifying which airport the clothes were coming from.
Mr Rousteing said the news soured what had begun as a good day preparing for his next show.
“This morning I woke up with a smile,” he told his 9.8 million followers on Instagram.
But then: “Our delivery was hijacked.”
The truck was carrying the final pieces of his women’s wear spring/summer 2024 collection that were due to be unveiled at the designer’s show at Paris Fashion Week on Sept 27 2023.
Mr Rousteing said the driver was found safe but the truck and clothing were gone.
“So many people worked so hard to make this collection happen. We are redoing everything but this is so so disrespectful,” he said.
Attractive to younger generation
Balmain is one of France’s most expensive brands, with its handbags starting at nearly £600.
Mr Rousteing became its creative director in 2011 and is credited with making the brand more attractive to a younger generation by embracing hip-hop and diversity.
Celebrity clients include Kim Kardashian and Beyoncé, who has worn various bespoke Balmain pieces during her 2023 Renaissance tour. Actress Emily Blunt wore a mint-green Balmain dress at the Paris premiere of Chris Nolan’s movie Oppenheimer in July 2023.
Following Sunday’s heist, fellow designers and celebrities took to Instagram to express their support.
“Sending you all my love,” wrote Donatella Versace. “I know that you and your creativity will be able to overcome this.”
“Awful. Sending you love,” wrote supermodel Linda Evangelista.
Paris Fashion Week is one of the most important dates in the calendar for designers.
A 17-12 win over pre-tournament favourites South Africa enabled Kenya to become the ninth men’s team to confirm its participation in next year’s Games.
They will now join France, New Zealand, Argentina, Fiji, Australia, Uruguay, Ireland and the United States as confirmed Olympic attendees.
The final three places will be decided via the Oceania and Asia qualification tournaments and the Olympic repechage tournament.
Kenya’s coach Kevin Wambua told World Rugby he was always confident his team could make it to a third Olympic Games after participating at the Rio 2016 and Tokyo 2020 editions.
Day one victories over Zambia, Namibia, and Nigeria enabled Kenya to top Pool B and reach the quarter-finals, where they beat Burkina Faso 26-0.
A 35-10 semi-final win over the hosts sent them through to meet a South African team that had shown ominous form by scoring 120 points and only conceding 14 en route to the final.
Helped by four tries from former Springbok winger Rosko Specman on his return to the international arena, South Africa defeated their opening opponents Ivory Coast and soon added further victories over Tunisia and Madagascar.
The Blitzboks easily accounted for Nigeria in the quarter-finals, winning 27-0, but they were made to work by Uganda for their place in the final before sealing a 26-14 win.
Kenya took an early lead in the final through Patrick Odongo but trailed 12-7 at the break after conceding tries from Selvyn Davids and Christie Grobbelaar.
Odongo scored again in the second half to level the scores before John Okoth scored the try that sent Kenya to the Olympics.
It was a huge fillip for them following the disappointment of missing out on SVNS qualification after being beaten by Canada in the final of the World Rugby Sevens Series 2024 play-off at Twickenham in May.
For South Africa and Uganda, who finished third after a 24-12 win over Zimbabwe in the bronze medal match, the dream of competing at the Olympics is not over as both have qualified for the Olympic repechage tournament.
Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan asked Tesla CEO Elon Musk to build a Tesla factory in Turkey, the country’s communications directorate said.
It cited Musk as saying that many Turkish suppliers are already working with Tesla and that Turkey was among the most important candidates for its next factory.
Tesla did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
Erdogan and Musk were speaking during a meeting at Turkish House, a skyscraper near the United Nations in New York, Turkey’s state-owned Anadolu news agency reported.
Erdogan is in the U.S. to attend the 78th session of the U.N. General Assembly.
Erdogan also said during the meeting that Turkey was open to cooperation on artificial intelligence and Starlink, the satellite internet venture of Musk’s SpaceX, the communications directorate said.
It cited Musk as saying SpaceX wished to work with Turkish authorities to obtain the necessary licence to offer Starlink satellite services in Turkey.
It also said Erdogan invited Musk to attend Turkish aerospace and technology festival Teknofest in Izmir at the end of September and cited Musk as saying he would gladly attend.
Musk is also set to meet Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in California on Monday. Musk posted on social media platform X that their talks would focus on artificial intelligence technology.
Tesla in August expressed an interest in building a factory in India that would produce a low-cost electric vehicle.
Tesla currently has six factories and is building a seventh in Mexico in northern Nuevo Leon state, part of the automaker’s push to expand its global footprint.
Musk said in May that Tesla would probably pick a location for a new factory by the end of this year.
Tesla shares are up 123% so far this year and the automaker on Saturday said it had produced its 5 millionth car.
In addition to running Tesla, Musk also bought X, formerly known as Twitter, for $44 billion in 2022.
While describing himself as a free speech absolutist, Musk has complied with some demands by the Turkish government to censor content in the country. In other cases, the social media company has objected to orders by the Turkish courts.
(REUTERS FEATURE: Reporting by Chandni Shah in Bengaluru and Daren Butler in Istanbul; Additional reporting by Michael Derby in New York; Editing by Lisa Shumaker and Jamie Freed)
On the mantelpiece, a painting by Pierre Bonnefille and to the left of the fireplace, a sculpture by Olga Sabko (both via The Spaceless Gallery). On the coffee table, trays in Negoro lacquer from Japan (Graziella Semerciyan Gallery).Art: Olga Sabko/Spaceless Gallery.
Inspired by the bright and luxurious street where this Paris apartment is located, Marika Dru, the founder of Atelier MKD, gave this home a modern makeover while preserving its authentic French spirit. Dru says she was inspired by the oversized scale—the large doors, grand windows, and high ceilings—to make a space that’s both unique and timeless.
Dru wanted to restore the apartment’s smaller, closed spaces to take advantage of the greater intimacy that they offer compared to open-plan living areas. With this goal in mind, she used pivot doors, which have the advantage of lying flush against walls when they are open, offering a bright living space where circulation is fluid. “I wanted to keep the hallways narrow, so we used a number of pivot doors that disappear completely when you open them, but create intimate spaces when closed,” she says. As well as acting as partitions, these pivot doors are the dominant organizational element of this architectural project. When the space is completely open, the apartment takes on a theatrical and spacious feel, thanks largely to the glowing light that fills the home.
Callisto horizontal pendant lamp by Garnier & Linker, custom table in glossy walnut, floral arrangement by Castor Fleuriste; on the coffee table, Negoro lacquer plates from Japan (Graziella Semerciyan Gallery).
The apartment’s style draws inspiration from Art Deco and minimalism. Some of the details, notably the woodwork, are a deliberate nod to the 1930s while remaining in dialogue with the contemporary furnishings. The choice of materials, from fluted oak in the kitchen to concrete in the bathroom, adds rigidity and solidity to the interior. To bring a softer touch to the apartment, Dru chose to insert alcoves with appealing curves and to play with the delicacy and muted look of fabrics. “I tried to bring roundness to rigor. It was a real challenge for this project,” she explains.
While some of Dru’s choices were intended to add character and give a certain edge to the interior, the overall result is timeless—or perhaps, better put, removed from time. “I try to make sure that the interiors I create can last over time and exist beyond passing trends,” she explains.
On the left, a vase by La Romaine Editions, alongside a vase and box by Garnier & Linker. Carpet via Galerie Diurne.
By choosing enduring materials and opting for a natural color palette, Dru has made this 4,300-square-foot space adaptable and glamorous at once.
She has created an interior that is contemporary and decidedly unique with accessories like cushions and curtains that can easily be replaced. This allows the apartment to respond to today’s lifestyle and design preferences, while moving, apparently effortlessly, through time.
An artwork by Gwen Hardie, via The Spaceless Gallery, hangs above a console table. A Charlotte Biltgen armchair faces the coffee table and two vases by Rémi Bracquemond. Art: Gwen Hardie/ Spaceless Gallery.On the mantle, an artwork by Pierre Bonnefille (The Spaceless Gallery); Garnier & Linker’s Vola plaster vase, Trani travertine coffee table by Stéphane Parmentier. Art: Pierre Bonnefille/Spaceless Gallery.Fluted wood in the kitchen gives the space a sense of solidity and rigor.On the table, a Perlina cup and Piattino saucer, Milk Lapis creamer, and Teiera teapot, all by Natalia Criado.
Floral arrangement by Castor Fleuriste, custom table in glossy walnut designed by Atelier MKD.
Fumoir velvet armchair by Pierre Augustin Rose, curtains by Pierre Frey.The bathroom was designed as a space to be lived in.Alcoves add softness to the bathroom.Windows of Bo Bardi side table by Linda Freya Tangelder via Amélie, Maison d’ArtOn the vanity, a lacquered metal artwork by Luigi Belli (Graziella Semerciyan Gallery).
