Issued on: 10/10/2024 – 13:03Modified: 10/10/2024 – 13:22

1 min

Mats Malm, permanent secretary of the Swedish Academy’s Nobel Committee, announced the prize in Stockholm.

Kang, 53, won the International Booker Prize in 2016 for “The Vegetarian,” an unsettling novel in which a woman’s decision to stop eating meat has devastating consequences.

Her novel “Human Acts” was an International Booker Prize finalist in 2018. 

“She has a unique awareness of the connections between body and soul, the living and the dead, and in her poetic and experimental style has become an innovator in contemporary prose,” Anders Olsson, chairman of the academy’s Nobel Committee, said in a statement.

The literature prize has long faced criticism that it is too focused on European and North American writers of style-heavy, story-light prose. It has also been male-dominated, with just 17 women among its 119 laureates so far. The last woman to win was Annie Ernaux of France, in 2022.

The prize is awarded by the Swedish Academy and is worth 11 million Swedish crowns ($1.1 million).

The prizes, for achievements in science, literature and peace, were created through a bequest in the will of Swedish dynamite inventor and businessman Alfred Nobel. They have been awarded since 1901.

After peace, the literature award tends to garner the most attention, thrusting authors into the global spotlight and yielding a spike in book sales that can, however, be relatively short-lived for authors who are not household names.

Even so, the prize money and a place on a list that includes luminaries such as Irish poet W.B. Yeats, who won in 1923, American novelist Ernest Hemingway, who took the award in 1954, and Colombia’s Gabriel Garcia Marquez, winner in 1982, is an appealing proposition.

Norwegian author and dramatist Jon Fosse won in 2023.

The fourth award to be handed out every year, the literature prize follows those for medicine, physics and chemistry announced earlier this week.

(FRANCE 24 with AP and Reuters)

• Brookfield believes the deal ‘fits well with its diverse global logistics portfolio’ 
• Tritax’s trading enjoyed a significant uplift during the early part of the pandemic

By Harry Wise

Updated: 11:42 BST, 10 October 2024

Tritax EuroBox has agreed a new takeover proposal from Canada’s Brookfield, trumping a previous offer from London-listed Segro.

It sets the stage for a potential bidding war for real estate portfolio, which includes highly sought after warehousing and distribution centre assets. 

The real estate investment trust said it had accepted a £1.1billion deal from Titanium Ruth, a company indirectly owned by the Canadian investment giant.

This new approach values each Tritax EuroBox share at 69p, a 6 per cent rise on the 65.1p-per-share proposal agreed with Segro last month, and a 28 per cent premium to its share price on 31 May before the offer period began.

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Different approach: Tritax EuroBox has struck a new takeover proposal with Brookfield that trumps a previous offer from property developer Segro

Brookfield believes the acquisition ‘fits well with its diverse global logistics portfolio’, which currently encompasses 85 million square feet of space.

It also said taking Tritax private would ‘better position’ the FTSE 250 business for additional investment in existing assets.

Since listing on the London Stock Exchange in 2018, Tritax’s has been hampered by its share trading at persistent discount to their net asset value – a familiar issue for UK-listed trusts targeting illiquid assets like property.  

The firm’s trading enjoyed a significant uplift during the early part of the Covid-19 pandemic as soaring online commerce growth boosted demand for warehouses.

However, its assets have shrunk in value over the past two years amid interest rate hikes and loosening lockdown restrictions driving people back to shopping in stores.

Robert Orr, chairman of Tritax EuroBox, said the group’s shareholders ‘will benefit from a significant uplift over the undisturbed value of their investment with flexibility to reinvest as they see fit’.

Headquartered on London’s Old Bond Street, Tritax is a specialist investor in logistics hubs and distribution centres across continental Europe.

It holds 1.5 million square metres of space with a total value of around €1.5billion in countries like Germany, Italy and Sweden, and counts retail giants Amazon and Wayfair, as well as medical devices maker Abbott Laboratories among its clients. 

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Brad Hyler, head of real estate in Europe at Brookfield, said: ‘Tritax EuroBox has a high-quality portfolio of logistics assets in strategic locations across Europe.

‘These assets are complementary to our existing portfolio and, using our global real estate expertise, we will actively manage these assets, provide access to capital, help build new relationships with our network of tenants and support the overall growth of the platform.’

Brookfield, whose chairman is former Bank of England chairman Mark Carney, first revealed it was considering an offer for Tritax in May.

The Toronto-based firm holds a 50 per cent stake in Canary Wharf Group, alongside the Qatari Investment Authority, and owns Center Parcs UK and Ireland, payments firm Network International, and property repair services provider Homeserve.

Tritax EuroBox shares were 0.6 per cent lower at 152.1p on Thursday morning.

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Issued on: 10/10/2024 – 11:32Modified: 10/10/2024 – 11:53

1 min

Spain’s Rafael Nadal, who won 22 Grand Slam singles titles, said on Thursday he was putting an end to his professional tennis career, a decision effective after the Davis Cup final.

“It has been some difficult years, these last two especially,” the 38-year-old, who won a record 14 French Open titles, said in a video.

“I am very excited that my last tournament will be the Davis Cup representing my country. It’s closing the circle because one of my first joys was the final in Sevilla in 2004.”

The Davis Cup knockout phase will be played from Nov. 19-24.

Nadal’s career has been hampered by injuries and he missed the 2023 French Open and was beaten in the first round by German Alexander Zverev this year.

He won his last Roland Garros title in 2022 and left the Paris clay on a jaw-dropping 112-4 win-loss record.

(Reuters)

It sounds like a dream that’s too good to be true for today’s modern businessmen and women.

But commuter trips across the Atlantic could be shortened eight-fold, thanks to a new ‘hypersonic’ liner in the works. 

A Texas aerospace company called Venus Aerospace is working on a jet plane called Stargazer, along with the engine that will power it. 

Stargazer will be ‘hypersonic’ – meaning it can travel at more than five times the speed of sound – and will also fly higher than other aircraft. 

If cleared for commercial travel, the $33 million jet could complete the 3,459-mile trip from London to New York in less than one hour – around three times as fast as Concorde (1,354mph) and five times that of NASA’s upcoming plane that’s being dubbed ‘Son of Concorde’ (937mph). 

Commuter trips across the Atlantic could be shortened eight-fold, thanks to a new ‘hypersonic’ liner in the works (concept image)

Venus’s advanced propulsion system (pictured during testing) is engineered to power high-speed vehicles, including drones and aircraft

At the Up Summit event in Bentonville, Arkansas last week, Venus Aerospace debuted the engine that will power its Stargazer plane through the skies. 

It’s called the Venus Detonation Ramjet 2000 lb Thrust Engine, also known as ‘VDR2’.

Andrew Duggleby, Venus Aerospace co-founder, said the engine will enable a ‘revolution in high-speed flight’. 

‘This engine makes the hypersonic economy a reality,’ said Duggleby, who founded the company in 2020. 

According to Venus Aerospace, VDR2 can reach speeds of Mach 6 or six times the speed of sound – so around 4,600mph. 

That would make it officially ‘hypersonic’, which is the level above ‘supersonic’ (exceeding the speed of sound – Mach 1 or 767mph). 

Venus Aerospace has already released concept images of Stargazer, but it’s unclear how close it is to building a prototype of equivalent size

It will take off using traditional jet engines, but once it reaches a high enough altitude it will transition to the VDR2 (concept image)

Venus Aerospace says: ‘The VDR2 combines the high thrust and efficiency of the Rotating Detonation Rocket Engine (RDRE) with the high efficiency cruise of a Ramjet’ 

When ready, VDR2 will power high-speed drones as well as Stargazer, which the company has raised $33 million to build. 

VDR2 was already successfully tested in a small drone earlier this year, and now the company is eyeing a second drone test in 2025. 

Venus Aerospace has already released concept images of Stargazer, but it’s unclear how close it is to building a prototype of equivalent size. 

If Stargazer comes to fruition, it will be the first passenger-carrying commercial airplane to go faster than the speed of sound since Concorde. 

Retired more than 20 years ago, Concorde flew at a maximum altitude of 60,000 feet. 

According to Venus Aerospace, its upcoming plane will not only be faster but will fly higher – up to 110,000 feet. 

It will take off using traditional jet engines, but once it reaches a high enough altitude it will transition to the VDR2, which uses rockets and a ‘ramjet’. 

Ramjets are a type of ‘airbreathing’ jet engine that uses the engine’s forward motion to compress the incoming air. 

Just like Concorde passengers almost a quarter of a century ago, Stargazer passengers will be high enough to see the curvature of Earth.

This is where the horizon is a slight curve rather than a straight line, normally seen from 50,000 feet. 

According to Venus Aerospace, VDR2 can reach speeds of Mach 6 or six times the speed of sound – so around 4,600mph – which would make it officially ‘hypersonic’

According to Venus Aerospace, its upcoming plane Stargazer will not only be faster than Concore but will fly higher – up to 110,000 feet

Retired more than 20 years ago, Concorde flew at a maximum altitude of 60,000 feet. Pictured, the the curvature of Earth as seen from Concorde

Concorde was the first supersonic airliner and operated for 27 years, but it was grounded in October 2003. Pictured is British Airways Concorde G-BOAB taking off over the Cotswolds

Venus Aerospace is working with Ohio company Velontra, which provides hypersonic weapon technologies, to bring the plane to life.

‘We can’t wait to dig in, make the first one fly, and ultimately perfect an engine concept that has lived mostly in textbooks but never as a production unit in the air,’ said Eric Briggs, Velontra’s chief operating officer. 

Stargazer may not be ready before NASA’s new 100-foot-long plane, called X-59, which exists as a prototype.

X-59 is capable of cruising at 937 miles per hour, which is faster than the speed of sound but not as fast as Stargazer. 

Another new supersonic craft also being dubbed the son of Concorde – Boom Supersonic’s Overture – is also gearing up for its debut flight. 

Largely due to the noise it made, Concorde was largely restricted to flights over the Atlantic – namely Paris to New York and London to New York. 

The legendary plane was the world’s first supersonic airliner and operated for 27 years, but it was grounded in October 2003. 

No government or manufacturer has since been able to release a commercial plane that can travel faster than the speed of sound.

Many of the reasons for the demise of Concorde were high fuel costs, concern over its noise and a preference for lower fares over speed.

It wasn’t the first plane to break the sound barrier, however; that achievement was managed by the Bell X-1, piloted by Chuck Yeager, in October 1947. 

The rocket engine-powered aircraft, designed and built in 1945, achieved a speed of 700 miles (1,127 kilometers) per hour.

By Shaun Wooller, Health Editor For The Daily Mail

Published: 22:37 BST, 9 October 2024 | Updated: 00:53 BST, 10 October 2024

Patients should be assessed by a GP before being seen by a physician associate to reduce their risk of harm, according to new guidelines.

PAs are also advised to explain that they are not doctors when introducing themselves, and wear clear name badges.

The recommendations from the Royal College of General Practitioners (RCGP) follow a vote by its council to oppose the role of PAs in general practice over fears for patients’ safety.

PAs have to do only a two-year postgraduate healthcare course, rather than a medical degree. Their role is to ‘support doctors in the diagnosis and management of patients’ in GP surgeries and hospitals. However, they have come under scrutiny following the death of Emily Chesterton, from Salford, who was misdiagnosed by a PA who she thought was a doctor and suffered a pulmonary embolism in 2022 aged 30.

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It comes as the British Medical Association (BMA) yesterday demanded that GP practices are given an additional 35 per cent of funding per patient in order to call off industrial action. The strikes have involved some family doctors halving the number of appointments they offer.

Physician associate are also advised to explain that they are not doctors when introducing themselves, and wear clear name badges (file image)

The recommendations from the Royal College of General Practitioners (RCGP) follow a vote by its council to oppose the role of PAs in general practice over fears for patients’ safety 

It comes as the British Medical Association (BMA) yesterday demanded that GP practices are given an additional 35 per cent of funding per patient in order to call off industrial action (file image)

The extra £40 per patient, per year, would cost up to £2.5billion and could be used to boost practice profits. The BMA admitted this alone would not be enough to end the dispute. It has also called for a new GP contract that reduces members’ workloads.

The RCGP said its new guidance on PAs is intended as a ‘practical resource’ for GPs and practices, which employ around 2,000 of them.

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RCGP chairman Professor Kamila Hawthorne said: ‘There are too many PAs we feel are not being supervised and not trained to identify who’s got something seriously wrong and who hasn’t.’

The guidelines suggest PAs should only see patients who have been triaged by a GP first and should always work under the supervision of a doctor. PAs should wear ‘clearly visible name badges’ and ensure patients understand they are not a doctor. And when booking appointments, the guidelines say patients must be able to discuss who they would like to see.

In June, a survey of RCGP members found 81 per cent thought that using PAs in general practice could negatively effect patient safety. They recommend PAs going into general practice prepare with an additional one-year transition programme.

An NHS spokesman said: ‘We have always been clear about the role medical associates play. They are not replacements for doctors, but support teams with specific tasks they are trained to do, under supervision.’

A Department of Health and Social Care spokesman said: ‘We have already begun hiring an extra 1,000 GPs into the NHS and put £311million into GP practices.’

Issued on: 09/10/2024 – 22:05Modified: 09/10/2024 – 22:04

3 min

Industrialist Ratan Tata, who has died aged 86, was credited with transforming India’s Tata Group into a globally renowned conglomerate with a portfolio ranging from software to sports cars.

A painfully shy student, he planned to be an architect and was working in the United States when his grandmother, who raised him, asked him to return home and join the sprawling family business.

He started out in 1962, staying in a hostel for apprentices and working on the shop floor near blast furnaces.

“It was terrible at that time but if I look back at it, it’s been a very worthwhile experience because I have spent years hand-in-hand with the workers,” he recounted in a rare interview.

Tata took over the family empire in 1991, riding the wave of the radical free-market reforms that the Indian government unleashed that year.

His 21 years in charge saw the salt-to-steel conglomerate expand its global footprint to include British luxury brands such as Jaguar and Land Rover.

His vaulted ambitions for the group, founded under British colonial rule, were not initially welcomed by older board members, he said, prompting him to institute a company retirement age policy.

Risk appetite

Born in Bombay, now Mumbai, in 1937, the Cornell University-educated Tata was known for his willingness to take risks.

In 2004, he took the conglomerate’s software outsourcing arm Tata Consultancy Services public at a time when many were nervous about investing in technology stocks.

That same year, he declared he wanted Tata Group to “spread its wings far beyond India” and become “at home in the world” — prompting a world tour to buy up major brands, including Britain’s Tetley Tea and Anglo-Dutch steel firm Corus.

Tata’s 2008 decision to purchase the loss-making Jaguar and Land Rover brands for $2.3 billion put him on the map.

He had less success with the $13.7 billion Corus acquisition as demand for European steel plummeted due to Chinese competition.

And his pet project Tata Nano, billed as the world’s cheapest car, stuttered to a halt after finding few takers in status-conscious India, where consumers flinched at owning a so-called “poor man’s car”.

But the losses paled before his triumphs, which saw the Tata Group’s revenues rise from around $6 billion to $100 billion, as the company’s reach grew to more than 100 countries.

A highly respected figure in India’s often turbulent corporate world, Tata could not entirely escape controversy.

He was questioned in 2011 by a parliamentary watchdog probing a multi-billion-dollar telecom licensing scam. The group was later cleared of any wrongdoing.

When he stepped down the next year on his 75th birthday, praise poured in with fellow industrialist Rahul Bajaj lauding his reign as “outstanding”.

For his part, the media-shy mogul said, “I have devoted my life, as best I could, to the welfare of the group.”

Surprise comeback

His retirement in 2012 was to prove short-lived however, with Tata briefly retaking the reins barely four years later as India’s largest group endured its worst crisis in decades over the acrimonious sacking of his young successor Cyrus Mistry.

The first chief appointed from outside the immediate Tata family, Mistry faced multiple challenges with lacklustre performance at several of the group’s firms.

His focus on divestments to shrink the conglomerate’s $30 billion debt was said to have frustrated Tata, who believed the group should hold on to its assets and not reduce its global reach.

Few anticipated Mistry’s ouster and the bitterness it unleashed, with the two men engaging in furious public mudslinging, including accusations of corporate malfeasance.

Mistry also dragged the holding company Tata Sons to court over claims that he was unfairly sacked, as the feud hit the group’s global reputation and hammered its stocks.

The conglomerate stayed strong after his second departure, with Tata in 2021 welcoming debt-laden Air India back into the family fold decades after it was nationalised.

The lifelong bachelor later devoted his time to running the group’s charitable arm and funding some of India’s hottest start-ups.

A pillar of India’s proud but dwindling Zoroastrian Parsi community, Tata also joined Instagram at the age of 81, winning over followers with posts sharing his passion for cars, flying and dogs.

(AFP)

The Oleksandr Usyk vs Tyson Fury rematch poster has been corrected after fans questioned the decision to name the Gypsy King as the A-side despite his loss in the first fight.  

Usyk became the first undisputed world champion of the four-belt era in May, stripping Fury of his WBC title to write his name into the history books as one of boxing’s all-time greats.

The pair will go toe-to-toe for a second time in Saudi Arabia on December 21 – with  Turki Alalshikh taking to social media to announced the undercard earlier this week. 

However, fans were surprised to see the rematch poster had Fury named as the A-side despite losing his belt to the Ukrainian via split decision with the scores reading 115-112, 113-114, and 114-113 in Usyk’s favour. 

Boxing fans commented on the post claiming the poster should be changed to reflect Usyk’s achievements in the first bout and it wasn’t long before a new poster was shared. 

The Oleksandr Usyk vs Tyson Fury rematch poster has been corrected amid fan questions

Usyk became the first undisputed world champion of the four-belt era in May when he stripped Fury of his WBC title

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Fans were surprised to see the rematch poster had Fury named as the A-side (left) despite losing his belt to the Ukrainian

Usyk has now been named as the A-side for the highly-anticipated bout – due to take place in Saudi Arabia on December 21 as part of the ongoing Riyadh Season spectacle.  

The undercard for the rematch has also been announced, with Alalshikh sharing the line-up ahead of Artur Beterbiev’s undisputed title fight with Dmitry Bivol this weekend. 

The co-main event will be a thrilling match-up between Ukraine’s Serhii Bohachuk (24-2, 23 KOs) and Uzbekistan’s Israil Madrimov (9-0-1, 6 KOs). 

Both men are known for their power and aggressive styles, with Bohachuk boasting an astounding knockout rate – having KO’d 23 of his opponents. 

The Ukrainian puncher, trained by Manny Robles, is looking to bounce back from his defeat to Vergil Ortiz Jr and make a statement on the world stage. 

Madrimov, a former amateur standout and Olympic alternate for Uzbekistan, has been on the fast track since turning professional. 

Known for his slick boxing skills and ability to switch between orthodox and southpaw stances, Madrimov boats a 10-1-1 record. 

Madrimov became a world champion at the age of 29 after 10 professional fights, but, lost his most recent fight against Terence Crawford. 

In the heavyweight division, 19-year-old Moses Itauma (pictured) is set to face his toughest test yet against Australia’s Demsey McKean

Itauma, widely regarded as one of the brightest prospects in the sport, has been demolishing opponents with ease

Madrimov’s latest fight was a unanimous decision loss to Crawford, in which he lost his WBA super-welterweight title. 

In the heavyweight division, 19-year-old British phenom Moses Itauma (10-0, 8 KOs) is set to face his toughest test yet against Australia’s Demsey McKean (22-1, 14 KOs).

Itauma, widely regarded as one of the brightest prospects in the sport, has been demolishing opponents with ease, knocking eight of his opponents out. 

Standing at 6ft4′ with an imposing frame, the young fighter has already drawn comparisons to a young Mike Tyson for his fearsome power and relentless pressure.

McKean, a 6ft6′ southpaw, will experience and durability to the contest set to take place on December 21. 

A former rugby league player turned boxer, McKean has fought internationally, including on high-profile cards in the UK and the US. 

While coming off a recent loss to Filip Hrgović, McKean remains a credible gatekeeper in the heavyweight division. 

For Itauma, a win over an opponent of McKean’s calibre would further cement his reputation as a future title contender.

In another heavyweight bout, Johnny Fisher (12-0, 11 KOs), also known as ‘The Romford Bull,’ will take on British journeyman and Dave Allen (21-6-2, 18 KOs). 

In another heavyweight bout, Johnny Fisher (pictured) will take on journeyman Dave Allen

This will be Fisher’s first fight since his surgery – which ruled him out of his scheduled fight with Andrii Rudenko on the Catterall-Prograis undercard.

Dave Allen, a seasoned and colourful veteran, has become a cult figure in British boxing – fighting the likes of Dillian Whyte and Luis Ortiz.

After a brief retirement, Allen returned to the ring in 2023 and remains a dangerous opponent, capable of upsetting less experienced fighters.    

Dennis McCann and Peter McGrail have also been pitted against each other, while Isaac Lowe and Lee McGregor will also go toe-to-toe on the undercard. 

Issued on: 10/10/2024 – 08:37

2 min

France’s government is to deliver its 2025 budget on Thursday with plans for 60 billion euros ($65.68 billion) worth of tax hikes and spending cuts to tackle a spiralling fiscal deficit.

Prime Minister Michel Barnier’s new government is under increasing pressure from financial markets and France’s European Union partners to take action after tax revenues fell far short of expectations this year and spending exceeded them.

But the budget squeeze, equivalent to two points of national output, has to be carefully calibrated to placate opposition parties, who could not only veto the budget bill but also band together and topple the government with a no-confidence motion.

Lacking a majority by a sizeable margin, Barnier and his allies in President Emmanuel Macron’s camp will have little choice but to accept numerous concessions to get the budget bill passed, which is unlikely before mid to late December.

The far-right National Rally, whose tacit support Barnier needs to survive any no-confidence motion, has already helped derail a government proposal to postpone a pension increase by six months to save 4 billion euros.

Members of Macron’s party are also loathe to see the president’s legacy of tax-cutting go up in smoke, with his former prime minister Gabriel Attal saying on Wednesday: “The budget is light on reforms and too heavy on taxes.”

Barnier has said he will spare the middle class and instead target big companies with a temporary surtax and people earning over half a million euros per year.

All taxpayers will nonetheless be hit by plans to restore a levy on electricity consumption to where it was before an emergency reduction during the 2022-2023 energy price crisis.

The government has said the budget bill will reduce the public deficit to 5% of gross domestic product (GDP) next year from 6.1% this year – higher than almost all other European countries – as a first step towards bringing the shortfall into line with an EU limit of 3% in 2029.

While tax hikes will make up one third of the 60 billion euro budget squeeze, the rest will come from spending cuts, with 20 billion cutting across France’s ministries and the rest hitting separate spending on welfare, health, pension and local government budgets.

France’s borrowing costs surged after Macron called a snap parliamentary election and his centrist party then lost to a left-wing alliance. Financial markets are likely to pay close attention to whether the budget can get through parliament without being watered down too much.

The budget will also face scrutiny from the European Commission, which has subjected France to an excessive deficit procedure for falling foul of the EU’s fiscal rules.

(Reuters)

British YouTuber and BBC star Yung Filly has been arrested on suspicion of raping a woman in a hotel in Australia.

Andres Felipe Valencia Barrientos, 29, was detained in Brisbane on Tuesday and extradited interstate to Perth on Wednesday.

The YouTube star is accused of sexually assaulting a woman in her 20s in his hotel on September 28 after a performance at Bar1 Nightclub in Hillarys, Perth. 

The rapper, whose rapid rise to fame saw him land his own BBC show called Hot Property in 2019, had performed at Havana Nightclub on the Gold Coast two days prior to his arrest.

He has been charged with four counts of sexual penetration without consent, three counts of assault, and one count of impede a person’s normal breathing or circulation by applying pressure to their neck.

Mr Barrientos, who was born in Colombia but moved to the UK as a refugee when he was a child, appeared at Perth Magistrates Court on Thursday, where his bail application was adjourned until later in the day. He remains in custody.

Sex assault squad detectives arrested 29-year-old Andres Felipe Valencia Barrientos, known as Yung Filly, in Brisbane on Tuesday

Sex assault squad detectives extradited Barrientos (right) from Brisbane to Perth on Wednesday

Yung Filly often hangs around big stars, including here where is pictured with England striker Ivan Toney (second from left)

The event at Bar1, where Mr Barrientos performed prior to the alleged attack, marketed the UK rapper’s performance as the ‘ultimate evening escapade’.

‘The event promises to be a seamless blend of spontaneity, humour and music that’ll have you talking for weeks!’ MoshTix said. 

Yung Filly, who started his YouTube channel in 2013, first shot to fame in collaboration with Beta Squad, a group which included his best friend Chunkz. In 2022, he teamed up with Chunkz again to host the MOBO Awards.

Filly has also appeared in videos with the Sidemen, which YouTube sensation KSI is part of, and later delved into the music industry. 

He recently collaborated with fellow British rapper Aitch on the song Grey, which gained more than 2.5-million views on YouTube and 10-million streams on Spotify.

The 29-year-old has also hosted several shows on the BBC – including Hot Property and Yung Filly’s Celeb Lock-In – and appeared on Channel 4’s The Great Celebrity Bake Off. 

As he has become more of a high-profile figure, Yung Filly has played in Soccer Aid and featured on Would I Lie to You?

Mr Barrientos has also worked with several fashion brands, including recent collaborations with ASOS and Perplex, as well as many major companies, including McDonald’s, Heinz, British fashion chain Primark and Captain Morgan rum.

His Australian tour had kicked off in Perth before he headed to Melbourne, Sydney and the Gold Coast, where he played four shows.

Yung Filly has racked up more than three-million followers on Instagram and 1.84million subscribers on YouTube.

Earlier this year, Yung Filly appeared on the Jonathan Ross show where he spoke about being able to retire his mother

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He collaborated with fellow British rapper Aitch (pictured) on the song Grey, which gained more than 2.5-million views on YouTube and 10-million streams on Spotify

His 85 videos have been watched nearly 120million times since he joined YouTube in November 2013.

It is estimated that Yung Filly’s net worth is between $1million to $2million.

He first turned to making videos after a video about his ex cheating on him went viral with millions of views on Facebook. 

Just last month, Filly shared a reel of photos on Instagram which included pictures of him hanging out with England striker Ivan Toney and rapper Aitch. 

The YouTuber also appeared on the BBC’s Jonathan Ross show earlier this year alongside Oscar-nominated actress Kirsten Dunst, Industry star Marisa Abela, Lionesses goalkeeper Mary Earps and Madness. 

On the show, he told the audience about how he knew he had made it when he retired his mother from working at Poundland.

He said: ‘She used to work in Poundland and it got to the point where people would see the resemblance between me and her and go, “Are you Filly’s mum?” And some people would ask for pictures and she got really embarrassed. 

Yung Filly has racked up more than three-million followers on Instagram and 1.84million subscribers on YouTube

Mr Barrientos has also worked with several fashion brands, including recent collaborations with ASOS and Perplex

‘I remember I gave her a call once and I told her ‘Mum you can quit your job, I’ve got you now.

‘She didn’t know how to take it. Months went on, she was still working and I said ‘Mum seriously you ain’t got to work again. Then I made her my PA.’

Filly has previously spoken of his pride about being a refugee, when his family left Colombia for UK when he was just two-years-old. They settled in Lewisham, south east London, living above a Morley’s fried chicken shop.

He told Amazon Prime in 2020: ‘I’m most proud of the fact that I was a refugee, I’m proud that I had to struggle. It makes you appreciate all the little stuff a lot more. I don’t think I really took in how poor we were.’ 

He added: ‘I was born in Colombia and sadly enough I don’t know a lot about Colombia. But from what I do know, it’s a happy place… when I think about my culture, I’m proud of the vibe that the country gives off, the people and the food.’

When asked about the impact of working in social media, he once revealed: ‘Has it had a positive impact or a negative impact on my mental health? A bit of both. I suffer with anxiety. 

‘I recently experienced panic attacks. It’s made me known and being known is what gives me anxiety. But then social media has changed my life.’

Earlier this year, he also played football with some of the sport’s former greats, such as David Villa, Kaka and Chelsea legend Drogba, in a star-studded charity match in Qatar.

MailOnline has contacted Yung Filly’s representatives for comment. 

Issued on: 10/10/2024 – 05:16

2 min

Donald Trump ruled out a second US presidential debate with rival Kamala Harris on Wednesday, hours after Fox News offered to host a candidate showdown later this month before election day on November 5.

The Republican ex-president and Democratic vice president, locked in an excruciatingly close White House battle, have faced off just once, in September, and despite suggestions by multiple news outlets, it appears they will not meet again before the vote.

“It is very late in the process, (early) voting has already begun — there will be no rematch!” Trump said in an all-caps post on his Truth Social media platform, nixing the possibility of a follow-up to the candidates’ first debate in Philadelphia. 

“Kamala stated clearly, yesterday, that she would not do anything different than Joe Biden, so there is nothing to debate,” Trump added.

Harris had previously challenged Trump to a debate hosted by CNN on October 23, but the former president declined.

Trump also said that Harris, who became the Democratic nominee after President Biden ended his reelection bid following his disastrous debate with Trump, had backed out of a previous debate offered by Fox, although the Harris campaign had not publicly accepted the proposal.

The candidates did agree to debate on ABC News on September 10, and the vice presidential running mates — Republican J.D. Vance and Democrat Tim Walz — squared off on October 1.

But while Trump said he had agreed to participate in a September 4 debate on Fox, as well as one on September 25 on NBC News, Harris never did. 

The vice president, after positive reviews that she had bested Trump in their encounter, had expressed interest in doing a second debate, but the plans never came to fruition.

Fox for its part sent letters Wednesday to the two campaigns offering “one final pitch for a debate” between Harris and Trump, either on October 24 or October 27.

“This would present an opportunity for each candidate to make his or her closing arguments,” wrote Jay Wallace, president of Fox News Media.

(AFP)