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Helene devastated this small Ashe County town. Now its residents are feeding one another

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Raleigh News and Observer

In just a few hours, Big Horse Creek sent a 10-foot wall of water into the tiny mountain town of Lansing, destroying its row of quaint brick art shops, antique stores and cleverly named pizza parlor — Pie on the Mountain.

Hurricane Helene roared through Lansing’s section of the popular Virginia Creeper Trail and left it strewn with mud, tree trunks and a Winnebago-sized camper turned upside-down in the water.

All along Lansing’s main street, the shopkeepers pulled out soaking walls and floorboards already reeking with mildew, and they offered their canned goods and water bottles for all needy comers.

“This area has been devastated,” said Jeff Pierce, a volunteer at the fire department, “Something we’ve not seen since the 1940s. You’re familiar with Carter-Finley Stadium. Two of those, 40 feet high. That’s how much water.”

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As rescue crews cut trees off roads and cleared branches and strips of sheet metal off bridges, the larger world began to see the extent of ruin in North Carolina’s northwest corner.

‘Caskets floating in the river’

While repairing a broken gas line in Boone, Steve Calhoun recalled the worst he’d seen in Ashe County since Friday.

”Caskets floating in the river,” he said. “People in the water and nobody can get to them. Houses in the road. Cars in trees.”

The water has receded, but locals do not expect all the area’s power to be restored for months. The roads to many remote areas, including west of Lansing, are too washed out for crews to reach.

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They worry about those still missing, unaccounted for in the chaos.

In Lansing, the Squirrel and Nut got walloped only four months after it opened. It sold local and vintage art, including pieces made by Lora Young, who spent Saturday, Sunday and Monday grilling donated food.

”A lot of us don’t have power,” she said, “so they’re bringing us stuff out of their freezers. Need some food? We’ve got chicken grilling now.”

Volunteers feeding hundreds

At the fire department, volunteers fed 300 people barbecue though the population of the town 33 miles northeast of Boone is only 128.

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Pierce led a prayer over the pig cooker, giving thanks and asking for guidance.

”One thing you have to understand about mountain people,” he said. “We’re resilient. We keep fighting.”

As he spoke, the shopkeepers moved up and down Lansing’s main street, shoveling mud.

Young smiled at them over her grill.

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”You gave to,” she said. “Once you get a chance to slow down, it’ll all sink in.”

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New holiday warning introduced by Foreign Office for three winter sun hotspots loved by Brits

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New travel warnings are in place for 17 countries, including the UAE

NEW holiday advice has been issued for Brits heading to a number of winter sun hotspots.

The UK Foreign Office has updated the travel advice for destinations such as Egypt and Morocco.

New travel warnings are in place for 17 countries, including the UAE

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New travel warnings are in place for 17 countries, including the UAECredit: Alamy
Morocco and Egypt also have new advice in regards to Lebanon

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Morocco and Egypt also have new advice in regards to LebanonCredit: Alamy

Updated on September 29, more than 17 countries have a new warning in place following Israel’s bombing of Lebanon.

The current travel advice states: “Ongoing hostilities between Israel and Lebanon could escalate quickly and pose risks for the wider region.

“Monitor this travel advice and other media as the situation is changing fast.”

Lebanon currently borders Syria and Israel, although is also near to Cyprus and Egypt.

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Read more on travel advice

Along with Egypt and Morocco, the travel advice is also in place for the UAE, where Brits often visit to holiday in Dubai.

Other destinations include Tunisia, Jordan, Oman and Qatar.

Both Egypt and Morocco are popular destinations with Brits seeking some warmer weather in winter.

Egypt’s Hurghada often has affordable deals in November and December as well as temperatures over 25C.

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Morocco is also one of the cheapest places in Africa to visit, while Dubai is one of the hotter destinations to visit to escape the UK’s cold.

The Foreign Office does not currently advise against travel to these countries, apart from a few small areas including the borders.

Why it’s important to buy travel insurance when booking a holiday

Brits should still check the travel advice before they visit any of the countries with the warning in place.

If the advice updates to advising against all travel, tour operators will issue full refunds for anyone with holidays booked.

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If you cancel a trip yourself without a travel warning in place, you are unlikely to get any money back.

Here’s everything you need to know about travelling to Cyprus as well, regarding the Israel-Lebanon conflict.

Airlines have already been forced to divert their routes to avoid flying over the Middle East.

Both British Airways and Virgin Atlantic are now flying over Egypt to avoid flying over Israel.

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This means flights to Asia and Australia are now taking longer.

Flight compensation rules

A look at your rights if a flight is delayed or cancelled, when your entitled to compensation and if your travel insurance can cover the costs.

What are my rights if my flight is cancelled or delayed?

Under UK law, airlines have to provide compensation if your flight arrives at its destination more than three hours late.

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If you’re flying to or from the UK, your airline must let you choose a refund or an alternative flight.

You will be able to get your money back for the part of your ticket that you haven’t used yet.

So if you booked a return flight and the outbound leg is cancelled, you can get the full cost of the return ticket refunded.

But if travelling is essential, then your airline has to find you an alternative flight. This could even be with another airline.

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When am I not entitled to compensation?

The airline doesn’t have to give you a refund if the flight was cancelled due to reasons beyond their control, such as extreme weather.

Disruptions caused by things like extreme weather, airport or air traffic control employee strikes or other ‘extraordinary circumstances’ are not eligible for compensation.

Some airlines may stretch the definition of “extraordinary circumstances” but you can challenge them through the aviation regulator the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA).

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Will my insurance cover me if my flight is cancelled?

If you can’t claim compensation directly through the airline, your travel insurance may refund you.

Policies vary so you should check the small print, but a delay of eight to 12 hours will normally mean you qualify for some money from your insurer.

Remember to get written confirmation of your delay from the airport as your insurer will need proof.

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If your flight is cancelled entirely, you’re unlikely to be covered by your insurance.

And Qantas has been forced to suspend its Perth-London direct route – one of the longest in the world – due to the situation in the Middle Wast.

Passengers now have to change at Changi Airport in Singapore.

Egypt is close to Lebanon, with borders with Israel and Gaza as well

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Egypt is close to Lebanon, with borders with Israel and Gaza as wellCredit: Alamy

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Ford Shifts Gears With New Promise: No More “Boring” Cars

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Ford Shifts Gears With New Promise: No More "Boring" Cars

Changing It Up

Ford is shifting its focus to models like the Mustang, Bronco, and Raptor—vehicles that CEO Jim Farley sees as central to the company’s future.

The Puma, currently a small petrol car, will also be transformed into a fully electric vehicle, despite Ford scaling back its commitment to sell only electric cars in Europe.

Ford’s new electric vehicles, including the Capri and Explorer, will use the same platform as Volkswagen’s ID series, with the company hoping customers will embrace the transition.

Farley also hinted that Ford is setting its sights high, aiming to compete with brands like Porsche, with the Mustang playing a more aggressive role in the sports car market.

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Declining Sales

Despite these bold moves, Ford has been experiencing declining sales.

The company’s sales dropped nearly 17% in July 2023 compared to the previous year, and Ford has already exited certain markets, such as Denmark.

This decision to invest heavily in SUVs for Europe may be risky, especially since hatchbacks like the Dacia Sandero and Volkswagen Golf continue to dominate the sales charts.

However, Ford remains committed to reshaping its image and focusing on cars that make a lasting impact.

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23andMe’s Anne Wojcicki rules out third-party takeover offers

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23andMe’s Anne Wojcicki rules out third-party takeover offers

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Get two tickets to The Dungeons, and save up to £53

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Russian ship packed with 20,000 tons of explosives spotted off UK coast days after it was refused entry in Norway

JUST in time for Halloween you can get two tickets to The Dungeons and save up to £53, thanks to Sun Superdays! Take your pick from London, Blackpool, York or Edinburgh Dungeons.

The Dungeons are a group of thrilling attractions. Scream and laugh your way through an immersive journey through a city’s darkest past.

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Bringing together an amazing cast of theatrical actors, special effects, stages, scenes and thrilling rides.

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Each showcasing hysterically horrible history across a series of immersive shows, including the Torturer, sinister witch trials and up to 11 other spine-chilling shows.

The London Dungeon
Featuring 1000 years of London’s perilous past, come face-to-face with the Plague Doctor, Mrs Lovett, Sweeny Todd and much more across 13 immersive shows.

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The York Dungeon
Walk through ten actor-led live shows, telling the story of 2000 years of York’s dark history. Meet famous characters from York’s chilling past including Isabelle Billington and the Vikings. But will you survive the witch in the York Castle Dungeon? The scariest show in Dungeon history.

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The Blackpool Tower Dungeon
And so your journey begins, descend into the heart of the Blackpool Tower Dungeon and scream and laugh your way through the darkest times from Lancashire’s past. Discover the grueling history of Meg Shelton, the infamous witch of Woodplumpton, step into the eerie darkness of the chapel at Lytham Priory and hear the monk tell tales of the history of the Fyle Coast and much more.

The Edinburgh Dungeon
With eight chilling shows and a sinister drop ride, the Edinburgh Dungeon is the ultimate underground journey through Edinburgh’s darkest history… Will you survive Edinburgh’s serial killers, Burke & Hare? They would kill for a body like yours.

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Get the UK’s lowest price guaranteed and pick your perfect day with over 28,000 weekend and holiday tickets available exclusively for Sun readers.

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To do this, we have introduced a ticket price to allow you to get the dates you really want, but we promise that with our price guarantee you will not find cheaper tickets anywhere else!

And we still have thousands of NO COST tickets available, saving you up to £53, but these will be limited to quieter days.

How do I book my tickets to The Dungeons?

1. It’s so easy! All you need to do is download the free Sun Savers app or sign up at sunsavers.co.uk.

2. Next pick up The Sun newspaper and collect FIVE out of 13 Sun Savers codes. We will print one Sun Savers code daily in the newspaper from Saturday, October 5 to Thursday, October 17.

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3.Once you have collected FIVE Sun Savers codes, scan or enter them on the Sun Savers app or website to unlock booking. Booking will open at 11:00am on Wednesday, October 9.

4.Once you hit Book, a unique booking code will appear on the Sun Savers app or website. Copy your unique booking code and click the book button again, this will direct you to the Sun Superdays The Dungeons website where you can book your tickets. You must claim your unique code by Wednesday, October 30. And book your tickets by midnight on Wednesday, November 20, 2024.

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What is Sun Savers?

Sun Savers is our amazing rewards club and home of Britain’s brightest competitions, offers and exclusive deals – as well as saving you hundreds of pounds a year.

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Your Sun Savers codes are also your entries into the fantastic Sun Raffle, where 250 readers will win £100 cash every month!

NEW FOR 2024 – Book with The Sun Digital Newspaper

The Sun Digital Newspaper

The Sun Digital Newspaper edition gives you every page of The Sun newspaper, as printed including supplements, magazines and puzzles direct to your device every day for just £6.99 per month or £54.99 annually.

And now it includes access to all our great Sun Superdays offers, without the need to collect any Sun Savers codes. Head to thesun.co.uk/newspaper to find out more and subscribe.

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18+ Terms & Conditions apply, see thesun.co.uk/newspaper.

Terms and Conditions:

18+ UK only (exc. IoM & CI). Multiple code collect 05/10/24-17/10/24. 2 tickets per household, all bookings to be made in pairs. Non-transferable & non refundable. Subject to availability, daily allocation limits apply (53,410 total tickets available, incl. 7,100 no cost tickets, remaining tickets from £5 (based on an adult ticket to The Blackpool Tower Dungeon) – £25 per ticket). Online access required. Saving against advanced adult online prices and varies per date. Dates and periods are subject to change without notice until 31/03/25. Saving correct at time of send. The Dungeon experience varies across locations. Savings, pricing and allocation vary by attraction. For full T&Cs see sunsavers.co.uk.

The Dungeons may not be suitable for people of a nervous disposition. Recommended child age is 12+ and under 5’s are not permitted

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Israel confirms launch of ‘limited’ ground operation in Lebanon

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Smoke rises from the site of an Israeli airstrike that targeted a neighborhood in Beirut's southern suburb early on October 1, 2024. (Photo by Fadel ITANI / AFP) (Photo by FADEL ITANI/AFP via Getty Images)

The Israeli military said it had begun a “limited, localised” operation against Hezbollah targets in southern Lebanon, opening a new front in its war against the militant group.

In a brief announcement released Tuesday, it said it was striking Hezbollah targets in areas close to the Israeli border, and that air force and artillery units were carrying out attacks to support the ground forces.

It gave no details on how long the operation would last but said the army had been training and preparing for months.

“A few hours ago, the IDF began limited, localised and targeted ground raids,” it said. “These targets are located in villages close to the border and pose an immediate threat to Israeli communities in northern Israel.”

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Earlier, US officials said Israel had launched small ground raids against Hezbollah and sealed off communities along its northern border on Monday as Israeli artillery pounded southern Lebanon.

MARJAYOUN, LEBANON - SEPTEMBER 30: Smoke rises at the Marjayoun plain as the Israeli attacks continue at Abu al-Saki, Hiyam and Kafr Kila regions in Lebanon on September 30, 2024. (Photo by Ramiz Dallah/Anadolu via Getty Images)
Smoke rises at the Marjayoun plain, near Lebanon’s southern border with Israel, as air strikes continue (Photo: Anadolu via Getty Images)

State Department spokesman Matthew Miller said Israel informed the US about the raids, which he said were described as “limited operations focused on Hezbollah infrastructure near the border”.

Israel declared the areas around the communities of Metula, Misgav Am, and Kfar Giladi in its north, near the border with Lebanon, as a closed military zone.

Meanwhile, Lebanese army troops withdrew from positions along the country’s border with Israel by 5km, a security source told Reuters.

The army has historically stayed on the sidelines of major conflicts with Israel. In the last year of hostilities, it has not joined Hezbollah in firing over the southern border.

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Heavy shelling was reported in the Lebanese towns of Marjayoun, Khiam and Wazzani, near the southern border.

At least two Israeli strikes also hit Beirut’s southern suburbs, with a Reuters reporter seeing a flash of light and hearing a loud blast about an hour after the IDF had warned residents to evacuate areas near buildings it said contained Hezbollah infrastructure.

ISRAEL - LEBANESE BORDER, UPPER GALILEE, - SEPTEMBER 30: Israeli tanks and APC's gather by the Israeli - Lebanese border on September 30, 2024. Amid Israel's escalating campaign against Hezbollah in Lebanon, speculation continues over a possible ground offensive. Last week, Israeli Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Herzi Halevi said Israel's recent airstrikes were designed to "prepare the ground for your possible entry and to continue degrading Hezbollah." (Photo by Erik Marmor/Getty Images)
Israeli tanks gather near the border with Lebanon amid Israel’s escalating campaign against Hezbollah (Photo: Erik Marmor/Getty Images)

At least 95 people were killed and 172 wounded in Israeli strikes on Lebanon’s southern regions, the eastern Bekaa Valley, and Beirut in the past 24 hours, Lebanon’s health ministry said early on Tuesday.

The IDF and Hezbollah – an ally of Hamas – have exchanged fire almost every day since the war in Gaza began, displacing tens of thousands of people in both Israel and Lebanon.

Israel says it will continue to strike Hezbollah until it is safe for about 60,000 evacuated Israelis to return to their homes near the border, while Hezbollah has promised to keep firing rockets into Israel until there is a ceasefire in Gaza.

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Hezbollah vowed on Monday to keep fighting after its longtime leader Hassan Nasrallah and a series of other top officials were recently wiped out by Israeli strikes.

In the first address by a senior commander since Nasrallah’s death on Friday, the militia’s deputy chief Naim Kassem said the “resistance forces are ready for a ground engagement”.

He said Hezbollah had continued to fire rockets as deep as 150km (93 miles) into Israeli territory.

“We know that the battle may be long,” he said. “We will win as we won in the liberation of 2006,” he added, referring to the last big conflict between the two foes.

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Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu warned Hezbollah’s main backer, Iran, that “there is nowhere we will not go to protect our people and protect our country”.

In a three-minute video clip in English that he addressed to the Iranian people, he accused their government of plunging the Middle East “deeper into war” at the expense of its own people, whom it was bringing “closer to the abyss”.

Israeli strikes in recent weeks have hit what the military says are thousands of militant targets across large parts of Lebanon.

Over 1,000 people have been killed in Lebanon in the past two weeks, nearly a quarter of them women and children, according to the Health Ministry.

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Earlier on Monday, an airstrike hit a residential building in central Beirut, killing three Palestinian militants, as Israel appeared to send a message that no part of Lebanon is out of bounds.

US President Joe Biden called for a ceasefire once again on Monday.

“I’m more worried than you might know and I’m comfortable with them stopping,” he told reporters when asked if he was comfortable with Israeli plans for a cross-border incursion. “We should have a ceasefire now.”

DAHIEH, LEBANON - OCTOBER 1: Smoke rises fromafter Israeli warplanes target the Dahieh district, located south of the capital Beirut, with a series of airstrikes on October 01, 2024. (Photo by Murat Sengul/Anadolu via Getty Images)
Smoke rises after Israeli warplanes targeted the Dahieh district, located south of the capital Beirut (Photo: Murat Sengul/Anadolu via Getty Images)

Foreign Secretary David Lammy echoed Biden’s call for ceasefire and urged Britons to leave Lebanon, describing the situation as “volatile” and with the “potential to deteriorate quickly”.

The UK Government has chartered a flight out of Lebanon for Britons seeking safety amid fears of a wider conflict.

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British nationals and their spouses, partners and children under 18 are eligible for the flight, and those who are vulnerable will be prioritised.

Mr Lammy chaired a ministerial meeting of the Cobra emergency committee on Monday to discuss the crisis.

There are an estimated 5,000 British citizens in Lebanon and the Government says it is working on “all contingency options”.

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Xi Jinping is worried about the economy

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Xi Jinping is worried about the economy
Getty Images A group of Chinese young people play on their mobile phone as they rest on a bench at a park in Beijing on November 7, 2013Getty Images

Two new pieces of research offer insight into how Chinese people feel about their future

China’s sputtering economy has its worried leaders pulling out all the stops.

They have unveiled stimulus measures, offered rare cash handouts, held a surprise meeting to kickstart growth and tried to shake up an ailing property market with a raft of decisions – they did all of this in the last week.

What is less clear is how the slowdown has affected ordinary Chinese people, whose expectations and frustrations are often heavily censored.

But two new pieces of research offer some insight. The first, a survey of Chinese attitudes towards the economy, found that people were growing pessimistic and disillusioned about their prospects. The second is a record of protests, both physical and online, that noted a rise in incidents driven by economic grievances.

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Although far from complete, the picture neverthless provides a rare glimpse into the current economic climate, and how Chinese people feel about their future.

Beyond the crisis in real estate, steep public debt and rising unemployment have hit savings and spending. The world’s second-largest economy may miss its own growth target – 5% – this year.

That is sobering for the Chinese Communist Party. Explosive growth turned China into a global power, and stable prosperity was the carrot offered by a repressive regime that would never loosen its grip on the stick.

Bullish to bleak

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The slowdown hit as the pandemic ended, partly driven by three years of sudden and complete lockdowns, which strangled economic activity.

And that contrast between the years before and after the pandemic is evident in the research by American professors Martin Whyte of Harvard University and Scott Rozelle of Stanford University’s Center on China’s Economy.

They conducted their surveys in 2004 and 2009, before Xi Jinping became China’s leader, and during his rule in 2014 and 2023. The sample sizes varied, ranging between 3,000 and 7,500.

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In 2004, nearly 60% of the respondents said their families’ economic situation had improved over the past five years – and just as many of them felt optimistic about the next five years.

The figures jumped in 2009 and 2014 – with 72.4% and 76.5% respectively saying things had improved, while 68.8% and 73% were hopeful about the future.

However in 2023, only 38.8% felt life had got better for their families. And less than half – about 47% – believed things would improve over the next five years.

Meanwhile, the proportion of those who felt pessimistic about the future rose, from just 2.3% in 2004 to 16% in 2023.

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Getty Images Buildings in Pudong's Lujiazui Financial District in Shanghai, June 2023Getty Images

China’s sputtering economy is forcing its leaders to pull out all the stops

While the surveys were of a nationally representative sample aged 20 to 60, getting access to a broad range of opinions is a challenge in authoritarian China.

Respondents were from 29 Chinese provinces and administrative regions, but Xinjiang and parts of Tibet were excluded – Mr Whyte said it was “a combination of extra costs due to remote locations and political sensitivity”. Home to ethnic minorities, these tightly controlled areas in the north-west have long bristled under Beijing’s rule.

Those who were not willing to speak their minds did not participate in the survey, the researchers said. Those who did shared their views when they were told it was for academic purposes, and would remain confidential.

Their anxieties are reflected in the choices that are being made by many young Chinese people. With unemployment on the rise, millions of college graduates have been forced to accept low-wage jobs, while others have embraced a “lie flat” attitude, pushing back against relentless work. Still others have opted to be “full-time children”, returning home to their parents because they cannot find a job, or are burnt out.

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Analysts believe China’s iron-fisted management of Covid-19 played a big role in undoing people’s optimism.

“[It] was a turning point for many… It reminded everyone of how authoritarian the state was. People felt policed like never before,” said Alfred Wu, an associate professor at the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy in Singapore.

Many people were depressed and the subsequent pay cuts “reinforced the confidence crisis,” he added.

Moxi, 38, was one of them. He left his job as a psychiatrist and moved to Dali, a lakeside city in southwestern China now popular with young people who want a break from high-pressure jobs.

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“When I was still a psychiatrist, I didn’t even have the time or energy to think about where my life was heading,” he told the BBC. “There was no room for optimism or pessimism. It was just work.”

Does hard work pay off? Chinese people now say ‘no’

Work, however, no longer seems to signal a promising future, according to the survey.

In 2004, 2009 and 2014, more than six in 10 respondents agreed that “effort is always rewarded” in China. Those disagreed hovered around 15%.

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Come 2023, the sentiment flipped. Only 28.3% believed that their hard work would pay off, while a third of them disagreed. The disagreement was strongest among lower-income families, who earned less than 50,000 yuan ($6,989; £5,442) a year.

Chinese people are often told that the years spent studying and chasing degrees will be rewarded with financial success. Part of this expectation has been shaped by a tumultuous history, where people gritted their teeth through the pain of wars and famine, and plodded on.

Chinese leaders, too, have touted such a work ethic. Xi’s Chinese Dream, for example, echoes the American Dream, where hard work and talent pay off. He has urged young people to “eat bitterness”, a Chinese phrase for enduring hardship.

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But in 2023, a majority of the respondents in the Whyte and Rozelle study believed people were rich because of the privilege afforded by their families and connections. A decade earlier, respondents had attributed wealth to ability, talent, a good education and hard work.

This is despite Xi’s signature “common prosperity” policy aimed at narrowing the wealth gap, although critics say it has only resulted in a crackdown on businesses.

There are other indicators of discontent, such as an 18% rise in protests in the second quarter of 2024, compared with the same period last year, according to the China Dissent Monitor (CDM).

The study defines protests as any instance when people voice grievances or advance their interests in ways that are in contention with authority – this could happen physically or online. Such episodes, however small, are still telling in China, where even lone protesters are swiftly tracked down and detained.

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A least three in four cases are due to economic grievances, said Kevin Slaten, one of the CDM study’s four editors.

Starting in June 2022, the group has documented nearly 6,400 such events so far.

They saw a rise in protests led by rural residents and blue-collar workers over land grabs and low wages, but also noted middle-class citizens organising because of the real estate crisis. Protests by homeowners and construction workers made up 44% of the cases across more than 370 cities.

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“This does not immediately mean China’s economy is imploding,” Mr Slaten was quick to stress.

Although, he added, “it is difficult to predict” how such “dissent may accelerate if the economy keeps getting worse”.

How worried is the Communist Party?

Chinese leaders are certainly concerned.

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Between August 2023 and Janaury 2024, Beijing stopped releasing youth unemployment figures after they hit a record high. At one point, Chinese officials coined the term “slow employment” to describe those who were taking time to find a job – a separate category, they said, from the jobless.

Censors have been cracking down on any source of financial frustration – vocal online posts are promptly scrubbed, while influencers have been blocked on social media for flaunting luxurious tastes. State media has defended the bans as part of the effort to create a “civilised, healthy and harmonious” environment. More alarming perhaps are reports last week that a top economist, Zhu Hengpeng, has been detained for critcising Xi’s handling of the economy.

The Communist Party tries to control the narrative by “shaping what information people have access to, or what is perceived as negative”, Mr Slaten said.

Moxi  A photo of Moxi taken at a basketball court near where he lives in DaliMoxi

Moxi is relieved to have found a slower pace of life in Dali

CDM’s research shows that, despite the level of state control, discontent has fuelled protests – and that will worry Beijing.

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In November 2022, a deadly fire which killed at least 10 people who were not allowed to leave the building during a Covid lockdown – brought thousands onto the streets in different parts of China to protest against crushing zero-Covid policies.

Professors Whyte and Rozelle don’t think their findings suggest “popular anger about… inequality is likely to explode in a social volcano of protest.”

But the economic slowdown has begun to “undermine” the legitimacy the Party has built up through “decades of sustained economic growth and improved living standards”, they write.

The pandemic still haunts many Chinese people, said Yun Zhou, a sociology professor at the University of Michigan. Beijing’s “stringent yet mercurial responses” during the pandemic have heightened people’s insecurity about the future.

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And this is particularly visceral among marginalised groups, she added, such as women caught in a “severely discriminatory” labour market and rural residents who have long been excluded from welfare coverage.

Under China’s contentious “hukou” system of household registration, migrant workers in cities are not allowed to use public services, such as enrolling their children in government-run schools.

But young people from cities – like Moxi – have flocked to remote towns, drawn by low rents, picturesque landscapes and greater freedom to chase their dreams.

Moxi is relieved to have found a slower pace of life in Dali. “The number of patients who came to me for depression and anxiety disorders only increased as the economy boomed,” he said, recalling his past work as a psychiatrist.

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“There’s a big difference between China doing well, and Chinese people doing well.”

About the data

Whyte, Rozelle and Alisky’s research is based on four sets of academic surveys conducted between 2004 and 2023.

In-person surveys were conducted together with colleagues at Peking University’s Research Center on Contemporary China (RCCC) in 2004, 2009 and 2014. Participants ranged in age from 18-70 and came from 29 provinces. Tibet and Xingiang were excluded.

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In 2023, three rounds of online surveys, at the end of the second, third and fourth quarters, were conducted by the Survey and Research Centre for China Household Finance (CHFS) at Southwestern University of Finance and Economics in Chengdu, China. Participants ranged in age from 20-60.

The same questions were used in all surveys. To make responses comparable across all four years, the researchers excluded participants aged 18-19 and 61-70 and reweighted all answers to be nationally representative. All surveys contain a margin of error.

The study has been accepted for publication by The China Journal and is expected to be published in 2025.

Researchers for the China Dissent Monitor (CDM) have collected data on “dissent events” across China since June 2022 from a variety of non-government sources including news reports, social media platforms operating in the country and civil society organisations.

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Dissent events are defined as instances where a person or persons use public and non-official means of expressing their dissatisfaction. Each event is highly visible and also subject to or at risk of government response, through physical repression or censorship.

These can include viral social media posts, demonstrations, banner drops and strikes, among others. Many events are difficult to independently verify.

Charts by Pilar Tomas of the BBC News Data Journalism Team

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