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Spiking victims ‘let down’ by emergency services

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Spiking victims 'let down' by emergency services
Imogen Turnbow A woman wearing an orange hat and with colourful eye make-up smiles with the sun shining on her faceImogen Turnbow

Imogen Turnbow is one of two women who have complained medical staff did not support them enough when they were spiked

Two victims of spiking have criticised how medical staff handled their cases, saying they felt “blamed” for what happened and were refused tests.

Imogen Turnbow and Saraya Haddad, both former students in Brighton, said they were denied drug tests at A&E, discouraged from contacting the police by staff there, and Ms Turnbow said a 111 operator implied it was her fault.

South East Coast Ambulance Service, which runs the 111 service in Sussex and Kent, said it was “sorry to hear of these concerns” and it took them “seriously”.

In 2022, the Royal College of Emergency Medicine said an A&E’s primary responsibility was to address victim’s medical needs, rather than collect forensic samples.

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Imogen Turnbow A girl with blonde curly hair winks at the camera holding her graduation certificate and wearing black robes and a hatImogen Turnbow

Imogen Turnbow says she still doesn’t know what happened to her

While in a busy Brighton bar in 2021, Ms Turnbow said she went “incredibly quickly” from being fully aware of her surroundings to waking up in a cupboard.

The 24-year-old said she had “no idea” where she was and had “no feeling” in her leg.

“I am constantly questioning what happened, who was I with, where was I? I don’t have the answers.”

The following morning Ms Turnbow said she visited the Royal Sussex County Hospital A&E department but said she was told by staff there was nothing they could do and that she should call 111.

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The non-emergency line then told her they would call back within the next few hours, but did not respond until the next day, according to Ms Turnbow.

‘Complete victim blaming’

Ms Turnbow said she got “quite upset” explaining the incident over the phone to the 111 service, and said the nurse told her she “needed to be more vigilant when going out.”

It was “complete victim blaming,” Ms Turnbow alleged. “I felt very let down by two services which in my head are meant to support you in unsafe situations.

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“I didn’t actually know what to do at that point. I was terrified.”

She decided not to report the incident to police.

A South East Coast Ambulance Service spokesperson said: “We take any concerns raised seriously and would invite Ms Turnbow to contact us with the details of her call so that we can look into the circumstances for her.”

‘So much stigma’

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Despite her experience, Ms Turnbow is urging victims of spiking to come forward.

“If we’re not reporting it, it’s just gonna get swept under the rug,” she said.

Stamp Out Spiking, an anti-spiking charity, estimates nearly 98% of victims do not report the crime.

Ms Turnbow said one of the biggest problems is that there is so much stigma around spiking itself.

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“Either people don’t believe you” or it is considered “something that just happens”, she explained.

Spiking is not a specific offence, but it is illegal under separate laws.

The government says the main legislation relevant to spiking is Section 24 of the Offences against the Person Act 1861, which includes maliciously administering poison with intent to injure, aggrieve or annoy that person.

It carries a maximum penalty of five years imprisonment.

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Bee Wilkes A girl with black curly hairs looks sad under stage lightsBee Wilkes

Saraya Haddad wants others to learn from her experience

Saraya Haddad told the BBC she was spiked while having three drinks and a meal over three hours at a bar in 2019, shortly before she had been due to perform in a street play in central Brighton.

The 27-year-old said she woke up 13 hours later, not remembering anything, only to learn friends had taken her home.

“I was… very discombobulated.”

Wanting to prove what had happened, she visited A&E at the Royal Sussex Hospital the next morning, but was “shocked” when she said they refused to test her for drugs which could have been used to spike her.

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The Metropolitan Police says it may be possible to detect if someone has been spiked in the last seven days through a urine or blood sample. But some drugs leave the body within 12 hours or much sooner.

They said only police can conduct a forensic test, unless a victim has been sexually assaulted, in which case they can be tested at a sexual assault referral centre where they will also get specialist support.

‘Not being reported’

The now-PhD student also claimed hospital staff discouraged her from going to the police saying it was a “waste of time” due to the time that had elapsed since the incident.

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The Royal College of Emergency Medicine says emergency department’s should encourage victims of spiking to contact the police and, where the victim gives consent, they should help facilitate this.

Ms Haddad said she decided not to take further action after her experience.

However, she decided to channel the incident into a solo play that aims to raise awareness of spiking, which she performed at Edinburgh Fringe.

There needs to be “much more education” for young people, Ms Haddad said.

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She is urging emergency departments to also test for spiking substances.

According to the Metropolitan Police, symptoms of spiking include:

  • Confusion
  • Nausea or vomiting
  • Hallucinations and paranoia
  • Disorientation or poor coordination
  • Loss of ability to communicate properly
  • Memory loss
  • Feeling sick or throwing up
  • Lowered inhibitions
  • Loss of balance
  • Unconsciousness
  • Problems with vision

More advice about how spiking can make you feel and what to do if you get spiked is available here.

Det Supt Andrew Harbour from Sussex Police said the force took the issue “incredibly seriously” and would “bring offenders to justice”.

Although he said the county had seen a “downward trend” of spiking offences, Mr Harbour said some incidents were not being reported.

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Vapes containing the drug spice or other illicit substances, food and even chewing gum could be used for spiking, according to the force.

A spokesperson for the University Hospitals Sussex NHS Foundation Trust said patients are treated based on presenting symptoms. A&E can only treat a person if they are ill, there are no screening tests routinely used.

They said that since neither women received treatment at A&E they would not comment further.

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Historic English market town that sounds like something from a fairytale – with huge castle and a very scenic train line

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Arundel sounds like the fictional Kingdom in Frozen

ARUNDEL is an historic market town in West Sussex that’s home to an 950-year-old castle, riverside pubs and independent shops and boutiques.

And while we know that the fictional town in the Disney movie Frozen was inspired by the Austrian town of Hallstatt.. we’re going to go out on a limb and say there are an awful lot of similarities with this southern English location.

Arundel sounds like the fictional Kingdom in Frozen

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Arundel sounds like the fictional Kingdom in FrozenCredit: Alamy
Arundel Castle is nearly 1,000 years old

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Arundel Castle is nearly 1,000 years oldCredit: Alamy
Arundel sounds like Arendelle, the fictional kingdom in Frozen (pictured)

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Arundel sounds like Arendelle, the fictional kingdom in Frozen (pictured)Credit: Disney

For starters, Arendelle – the town in Frozen – sunds an awful lot like Arundel.

Secondly, the big focal point of Arundel is the imposing castle, much like in Frozen, where the castle is the home of the princesses Elsa and Anna.

Built by Roger de Montgomery in 1067, Arundel Castle is the historic home of the Duke of Norfolk, with it being occupied by that family line for more than 850 years

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The castle is currently home to Edward William Fitzalan-Howard, 18th Duke of Norfolk and his wife Francesca Herbet.

Despite being a family home of the Duke of Norfolk, Arundel Castle has been the backdrop for huge blockbuster films like 2017’s Wonder Woman, starring Gal Gadot.

Helen Mirren also filmed the Madness of King George alongside Nigel Hawthorne in Arundel Castle.

Arundel Castle is open to the public, with the historic building being named the Historic Park & Garden of the Year in 2024.

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Visitors can explore rooms like the Regency Library, the Baron’s Hall, the Drawing Room and several Victorian and Edwardian bedrooms.

There are also plenty of buildings located within the grounds of the castle, including Fitzalan Chapel, a Gatehouse and a Chapel.

Events also take place at Arundel Castle throughout the year like the Household Cavalry Exhibition, which showcases twelve large-scale portraits of the Household Cavalry by the photographic artist Ripley

Jousting shows and walking tours will take place throughout the castle in October.

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Inside the UK’s best castle with live jousting shows and a brand-new knight-themed hotel

Entry tickets to Arundel Castle cost £29 for a full-paying adult and £12 for children, with family tickets coming in at £70.

You can also get an excellent view of the castle if you choose to take the train to the town’s station, Arundel Castle.

The Arun Valley railway line runs right past the foot of the grounds.

There are plenty of other tourist attractions in the historic market, including Arundel Cathedral.

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The Gothic cathedral is free to visit, with one of its most beautiful features considered to be the rose window that sits directly behind the organ gallery.

Arundel Town Centre is packed with independent shops like Kim’s Bookshop, Lavender House, and the Tea and Biscuit Club.

Another attraction is Arundel Lido, which has two outdoor swimming pools.

While the pools are heated from April to September, they become cold water swimming spots throughout the winter when the heat is turned off in the colder months.

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Because Arundel is backed by the South Downs National Park, walking routes and hiking trails are another popular pastime in the area.

Arundel is home to a string of independent shops

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Arundel is home to a string of independent shopsCredit: Alamy
Arundel Lido is also the only lido in West Sussex

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Arundel Lido is also the only lido in West SussexCredit: Alamy

One of those is the five-kilometre walk around Swanbourne Lake, which takes visitors past Hiorne Tower and back into Arundel Town Centre.

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There’s also Arundel Park Walk that stretches for nine kilometres passing places like Monarch’s Way, the village of South Stoke and the River Arun.

Arundel isn’t short on pubs, with The Black Rabbit Pub highly-rated.

The riverside boozer offers views across the Wetlands towards Arundel Castle and serves a range of traditional grub like Sunday Roasts.

Other pubs in Arundel include the Lamb Inn, the Red Lion and the Kings Arms.

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Holidaymakers can book to stay overnight at the Norfolk Arms Hotel, a Georgian Coaching Inn was built over 200 years ago by the 10th Duke of Norfolk.

Stays start from £70 per person per room, based on two people sharing a room.

Arundel is an hour’s drive from Brighton.

Three fascinating castles to visit in the UK

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THE UK is home to some amazing castles – here are some of the best:

Bamburgh Castle

This medieval fortress is built overlooking the stunning Northumberland coast, offering a wonderfully picturesque place to explore some of England’s history.

The castle itself is incredibly well preserved and dates all the way back to the 11th century.

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Kenilworth Castle

Brits can find out about sieges and royal scandals at Kenilworth Castle, one of the most famous forts in the country.

The medieval castle has had a fascinating history and was even transformed into an Elizabethan palace.

Today its keep, its Tudor towers and Elizabethan garden are among the sites people can explore.

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Edinburgh Castle

Dominating the skyline of the Scottish capital, Edinburgh Castle has been dubbed “defender of the nation” by locals.

Today, the castle is still an active military base, with the Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo remaining a highlight among visitors.

It’s also home to Scotland’s Crown Jewels as well as other national treasures. 

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Earlier this month, we revealed our favourite towns and villages to visit across the UK.

Another tiny village in the UK has been compared to a retro 1940s film set.

Arundel is an hour's drive from Brighton

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Arundel is an hour’s drive from BrightonCredit: Alamy

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Trump’s Pennsylvania Return For Rally With Vance and Musk

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Trump's Pennsylvania Return For Rally With Vance and Musk

BUTLER, Pa. — Donald Trump plans to return Saturday to the site where a gunman tried to assassinate him in July, as the former president sets aside what are now near-constant worries for his physical safety in order to fulfill a promise — “really an obligation,” he said recently — to the people of Butler, Pennsylvania.

“I’ll probably start off by saying, ‘As I was saying …’” the Republican presidential nominee has joked, in a bit of black humor about a speech cut short when a bullet struck Trump’s ear and he was whisked off stage — fist aloft — with blood dripping across his face.

Trump’s running mate, Ohio Sen. JD Vance, also will be on hand at the Butler Farm Show grounds, and billionaire Elon Musk said he will be speaking as the campaign elevates the headline-generating potential of his return with just 30 days to go in their tight campaign against Democratics Kamala Harris and Tim Walz. A billboard on the way into the rally said, “IN MUSK WE TRUST,” and showed his photo.

The Trump campaign predicted tens of thousands of people would the event, billed as a “tribute to the American spirit.” Area hotels, motels and inns were said to be full and some rallygoers arrived Friday.

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Hundreds of people were lined up as the sun rose Saturday. A memorial for firefighter Corey Comperatore, who died as he shielded family members from gunfire, was set up in the bleachers, his fireman’s jacket set up on display surrounded by flowers. There was a very visible heightened security presence, with armed law enforcers in camouflage uniforms on roofs.

“President Trump looks forward to returning to Butler, Pennsylvania to honor the victims from that tragic day,” said Trump campaign spokesperson Karoline Leavitt. “The willingness of Pennsylvanians to join President Trump in his return to Butler represents the strength and resiliency of the American people.”

Trump planned to use the 5 p.m. Eastern time event to remember Comperatore, a volunteer firefighter struck and killed at the July 13 rally, and to recognize the two other rallygoers injured, David Dutch and James Copenhaver. They and Trump were struck when 20-year-old shooter Thomas Matthew Crooks of Bethel Park, Pennsylvania, opened fire from an unsecured rooftop nearby before he was fatally shot by sharpshooters.

The building from which Crooks fired was completely obscured by tractor trailers, a large grassy perimeter and a fence. Most bleachers were now at the sides, rather than behind Trump.

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How Crooks managed to outmaneuver law enforcement that day and scramble on top of a building within easy shooting distance of the ex-president is among many questions that remain unanswered about the worst Secret Service security failure in decades. Another is his motive.

Butler County District Attorney Rich Goldinger told WPXI-TV this week that “everyone is doubling down on their efforts to make sure this is done safely and correctly.”

Mike Slupe, the county sheriff, told the station he estimates the Secret Service, was deploying ”quadruple the assets” it did in July. The agency has undergone a painful reckoning over its handling of two attempts on Trump’s life.

Butler County, on the western edge of a coveted presidential swing state, is a Trump stronghold. He won the county with about 66% of the vote in both 2016 and 2020. About 57% of the county’s 139,000 registered voters are Republicans, compared with about 29% who are Democrats and 14% something else.

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Chris Harpster, 30, of Tyrone, Pennsylvania, was accompanied by his girlfriend on Saturday as he returned to the scene. Of July 13, he said, “I was afraid” — as were his parents, watching at home, who texted him immediately after the shots rang out.

Heightened security measures were making him feel better now, as well as the presence of his girlfriend, a first-time rallygoer. Harpster said he will be a third-time Trump voter in November, based on the Republican nominee’s stances on immigration, guns, abortion and energy. Harpster said he hopes Pennsylvania will go Republican, particularly out of concern over gas and oil industry jobs.

Other townspeople were divided over the value of Trump’s return. Heidi Priest, a Butler resident who started a Facebook group supporting Harris, said Trump’s last visit fanned political tensions in the city.

“Whenever you see people supporting him and getting excited about him being here, it scares the people who don’t want to see him reelected,” she said.

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Terri Palmquist came from Bakersfield, California, and said her 18-year old daughter tried to dissuade her. “I just figure we need to not let fear control us. That’s what the other side wants is fear. If fear controls us, we lose,” she said.

She said she was not worried about her own safety.

“Honesty, I believe God’s got Trump, for some reason. I do. So we’re rooting for him.”

But Trump needs to drive up voter turnout in conservative strongholds like Butler County, an overwhelmingly white, rural-suburban community, if he wants to win Pennsylvania in November. Harris, too, has targeted her campaign efforts at Pennsylvania, rallying there repeatedly as part of her aggressive outreach in critical swing states.

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The case for office pettiness

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Unlock the Editor’s Digest for free

The other week, an economist at the University of Chicago named Chris Blattman posted 10 pieces of advice on X about how to email a professor or another senior member of the professional classes.

A greeting consisting of, “Hi!” is inadvisable, he said, as are emojis, emoticons and an abundance of exclamation marks. I especially liked his tip to use capital letters and punctuation, “otherwise we will lol at yr sad attempts”. Quite so.

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But another thing about his guidance that got my attention was the response it sparked from another professor about how arcane professional email etiquette can be.

“I got yelled at multiple times at Cravath for not listing the partners’ names in order of seniority on emails,” wrote Berkeley Law School’s Andrew Baker. “Gotta know the rules.” 

This sounded quite something, even for a place as redoubtable as Cravath, which has represented some of the best known names in US business in its illustrious 205-year history.

When I called Baker to investigate further he said he was not technically yelled at while working as a summer associate at Cravath about eight years ago. 

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But senior associates had made it clear that, when emailing multiple attorneys at the firm, it was “a bad look” not to list their names in order of seniority. 

I asked Cravath if this message was ever formally conveyed to new joiners at the firm and whether it was still in place, but sadly heard nothing back.

Still, Baker is not the only person to report being admonished for not taking seniority into account when emailing legal firm colleagues.

This strikes me as a low point in corporate life. It is hard to imagine why such fussy hierarchic protocols make any sort of sense.

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Saying that, I am inclined to defend other forms of office pettiness about name ordering on the grounds that a lot of white collar office work is poorly measured and recognised.

In the absence of quantitative signs of performance, the urge for recognition can make people obsess about what appear to be deeply trivial signs of success.

I say this as someone who has witnessed blistering quarrels, and the occasional tears, about the order of bylines on stories written by multiple journalists.

Readers may not give a fig who has written what, let alone the order in which names appear. But reporters and their bosses know the first byline generally goes to whoever is deemed to have done the most work, which means the order of names is far from piffling.

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Journalism is by no means the only occupation where such things matter.

The order of authors’ names on academic papers is so critical that entire academic papers have been devoted to the topic.

Economists pay a lot of attention to this because, unlike those in other fields, their names traditionally appear in alphabetical order.

The research shows that people with second names starting with a letter early in the alphabet are likely to get more citations than those whose names come later, as well as fancier jobs.

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One 2006 paper that analysed data from the top 35 US economics departments said having an earlier surname meant you were more likely to get tenure at a top 10 department, become a fellow of the Econometric Society and receive a Nobel Prize. It also boosted your chances of receiving the John Bates Clark Medal awarded to an American economist under the age of 40 — and named after a man I note has two enviably early-alphabet names.

No wonder there’s a fightback against alphabetical discrimination.

Two North American economists, Debraj Ray and Arthur Robson, argued in a 2017 paper that it would be fairer to choose name order randomly, perhaps by flipping a coin, and make it clear this has been done by inserting the symbol ⓡ between authors’ names.

Ray tells me several journals have published papers using the symbol and the influential American Economic Association of professional economists has a page explaining random name ordering on its website, with a link to a tool authors can use to do the randomising.

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Ray says use of the symbol is growing, especially among younger authors who work in larger teams.

That makes sense in a world where global collaboration is increasingly common and while the ethos may never catch on in upscale law firm email practices, I suspect it probably should. 

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Kais Saied seeks new presidential term with one candidate in jail

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Kais Saied seeks new presidential term with one candidate in jail
Getty Images An image of President SaiedGetty Images

Tunisia’s President Kais Saied, seen as a saviour by supporters and an autocrat by critics, is running for re-election on Sunday in a vote that he is all but certain to win.

More than a dozen politicians had hoped to challenge him, but the electoral commission approved only two additional names for the ballot paper.

And one of those, Ayachi Zammel, was sentenced to 12 years in prison for falsifying documents just five days before the poll.

Tunisia was where the Arab Spring, a series of uprisings against autocratic rulers in North Africa and the Middle East, began in late 2010. The country was seen as a beacon of democracy for the Arab world.

But since President Saied was elected on a wave of optimism in 2019, the 66-year-old has suspended parliament, rewritten the constitution and concentrated power into his hands.

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This is Tunisia’s third presidential election since Zine al-Abidine Ben Ali was overthrown in 2011. He had been in power for over two decades before he was forced to flee to Saudi Arabia following months of massive protests.

Sarah Yerkes, a senior fellow at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace with an expertise in the Middle East, told the BBC, that the president had “manipulated the political and legal situation to such an extent that there is no contest – he is the only viable candidate”.

There have been no campaign rallies or public debates, and nearly all the campaign posters in the streets have been of the president.

Tunisia’s election was “really a referendum on Kais Saied”, Ms Yerkes added.

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The North African country’s largest opposition party, Ennahda, said its senior members had been arrested at a level it had not seen before.

New York-based group Human Rights Watch reported that the authorities had excluded eight other prospective candidates from the election through prosecution and imprisonment.

EPA An image of protestors carrying banners and flags demanding that elections be free and fair - 27 September 2024EPA

There have been several protests in Tunis in the run-up to the election

In recent weeks, people have taken to the streets of the capital, Tunis, to protest against President Saied and demand free-and-fair elections.

Although Zammel, who heads the small liberal Azimoun party, was jailed for falsifying voter signatures on his candidacy paperwork, his name will still appear on the ballot paper.

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He has denied the charges, the Reuters news agency reports.

The other candidate, former lawmaker Zouhair Maghzaoui, had been a supporter of the president’s 2021 power grab but later became a critic.

“Tunisian authorities are waging a clear pre-election assault on the pillars of human rights,” said Agnès Callamard, the secretary-general of rights group Amnesty International.

Ms Yerkes told the BBC that Tunisia’s leader had “steadily dismantled a decade-worth of democratic progress”.

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But he was initially seen in a very different light.

When Saied, an acclaimed legal scholar, won more than 70% of the presidential vote in 2019, he promised “a new Tunisia”.

He represented “the non-elite in Tunisia” and tried “to be a voice for the more marginalised populations”, said Ms Yerkes.

A rejuvenated economy and curbing corruption were a few of the promises he made after his victory.

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When asked what he would do about the economy, he told a local newspaper, he would “empower the people with tools”. He did not specify what these tools would be.

Nicknamed “the professor”, he had immense support, especially among young people disillusioned by the endless bickering of the political classes.

But in 2021, he initiated what experts describe as a “self-coup” when he dismissed parliament and assumed all executive power.

He justified his actions by saying he needed new powers to break the cycle of political paralysis and economic decay.

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That same year he denied having any autocratic aspirations in an interview with the New York Times when he quoted the former French President Charles de Gaulle saying: “‘Why do you think that, at 67, I would start a career as a dictator?’”

Under Saied’s rule, Tunisia has dropped from 53rd place to 82nd on the Economist Intelligence Unit’s democracy index, which measures political freedoms and pluralism.

“He has already returned Tunisia to autocracy,” said Ms Yerkes.

Getty Images An image of a poster of President Saied Getty Images

Most of the election posters seen on the streets in Tunisia are for President Saied

In addition to Tunisia’s faltering democracy, the lack of jobs is another hot topic. Unemployment is at 16%, according to the World Bank.

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The country’s troubled economy has forced many young people to emigrate.

Tunisia is a key departure point for migrants who want to reach Europe.

UN figures show that at least 12,000 migrants who landed on Italy’s shores last year left from Tunisia.

Fearing a further influx of migrants, the European Union made a deal with Tunisia, giving the country $118m (£90m) to stop smuggling, strengthen borders and return migrants.

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Saied has also taken a populist approach to stoke support and blamed migrants for the country’s economic problems.

He accused black sub-Saharan migrants of partaking in a “plot” to change the country’s demographic profile, blaming “traitors who are working for foreign countries”.

This led to a spate of racist attacks against black people living in Tunisia.

While his rhetoric has garnered him some support, there are those who have been turned off by the remarks.

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Groups in the country organised anti-racist protests in response to his comments.

He has attempted to shift blame but has “shown no signs that he can turn the economy around”, said Ms Yerkes.

In his first electoral statement, published just after official campaigning began, Saied pledged to strengthen health services, transport and social security after decades of efforts to “eliminate” public institutions.

Saied’s consolidation of power has led to an apathetic mood ahead of the elections.

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Last year, only 11% of the electorate turned up to vote for new members of parliament.

It is “likely that the turnout this time around will be similarly abysmal”, said Ms Yerkes.

The official results will be announced within three days of the election but the outcome is hardly in doubt.

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Indian companies move in as US cuts China out of its solar industry

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Indian companies are moving to fill the gap left by the exclusion of Chinese exports from the fast-growing US solar industry, as Washington steps up its crackdown on manufacturers with ties to Beijing.

Sumant Sinha, chief executive of ReNew, among India’s largest renewables companies, told the Financial Times that there “will be demand” for solar components from India as Washington reduces reliance on Chinese supplies for its energy transition.

“​​There is a need for some diversification, and India can actually become that plus one to China as far as the green tech supply chain is concerned,” Sinha said.

He added that ReNew was considering exporting to the US from its solar factories in India pending US tariff rules. “[India] will fill the gap.”

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Washington is weighing additional tariffs on solar imports to protect the domestic industry after a flood of Chinese-produced panels drove global prices to record lows.

Last week, the Department of Commerce released preliminary estimates of duties as high as 293 per cent for solar cell exporters in four countries in south-east Asia, where the US sources the bulk of its solar supplies, often from Chinese companies.

The looming decision has driven developers and manufacturers to look beyond the region to markets not subject to tariffs. Wood Mackenzie expects cell manufacturing in countries outside of the main hubs of China and south-east Asia to more than double over the next couple of years, with India making up 40 per cent of new capacity.

“There’s no modular manufacturer in India who is not thinking of exporting,” said Subrahmanyam Pulipaka, chief executive of the National Solar Energy Federation of India, a lobbying group that counts big developers such as Adani Group, Tata Power and ReNew among its members.

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US imports of Indian panels and cells surpassed $1.8bn last year, up from about $250mn the year before, according to BloombergNEF.

Indian manufacturers are also investing in US factories following President Joe Biden’s landmark Inflation Reduction Act, which included lucrative subsidies for domestic producers, with Waaree and VSK Energy announcing manufacturing commitments worth at least $1bn each last year.

“The main advantage is that they’re not Chinese,” said Martin Pochtaruk, chief executive of Heliene, which operates a solar panel factory in Minnesota.

The company used to source its cells from Vietnam and Malaysia, but now purchases primarily from India to insulate itself from new tariffs. In July, Heliene announced a $150mn joint venture with Premier Energies, India’s second-largest solar cell manufacturer, to build a US factory.

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The Biden administration has raised protections against solar imports with ties to Beijing, doubling the duty rate for Chinese cells, applying anti-circumvention tariffs on Chinese companies in south-east Asia, and banning goods linked to forced labour in Xinjiang. The White House also maintained Trump-era tariffs that applied to solar products from most countries.

Despite the efforts, US imports of panels sit at record highs. Several manufacturers, including VSK Energy, have delayed or scrapped their US manufacturing plans despite the availability of federal tax credits.

“Tariffs haven’t worked,” said Pol Lezcano, a senior analyst at BloombergNEF.

“Manufacturers don’t come to the US. They don’t really find the right business and supply chain environment that they need to scale up manufacturing.”

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Rapidly declining prices for imported panels have helped transform solar into the leading source of new power on the US grid. The Energy Information Administration expects solar installations this year to grow 42 per cent, reaching 127 gigawatts. 

In April, the largest US solar manufacturers, First Solar and Qcells, and others filed a petition for tariffs on cells to be applied to four countries in south-east Asia in order to rescue a struggling domestic industry.

Luigi Resta, president of rPlus Energies, a developer, warned that the tariffs would slow down the pace of deployment and raise prices for consumers. The company has started to source from Indonesia, another emerging solar manufacturing market, to safeguard it against trade impacts. 

“The nature of the industry is that we have to be very flexible,” Resta said. The company now sources about 1GW of panels between Indonesia and Vietnam.

Industry executives and analysts expressed concern that plans to build production lines in tariff-exempt markets may lead the US government to play a game of “Whac-A-Mole” with tariffs and fine those countries in the future, risking billions in capital expenditure.

“If too many people go to one place, it just ruins it for everybody,” said Jim Wood, chief executive of SEG Solar.

Last week the company broke ground on a $500mn factory near Jakarta, which will help supply cells to its panel factory in Texas.

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Four common thermostat errors that can add at least £553 to bills – and how to avoid them

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Four common thermostat errors that can add at least £553 to bills - and how to avoid them

HOUSEHOLDS will start to guzzle through more energy as temperatures drop and the heating goes on but easy mistakes with the thermostat will cost you.

The cost of warming and powering homes is rising with the energy price cap leaping 10% from £1,568 to £1,717 on October 1.

Falling temperatures mean more of us will be putting the heating on

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Falling temperatures mean more of us will be putting the heating onCredit: Getty Images – Getty

However, the exact amount you’ll pay for your energy bill depends on how much you use.

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It means that it’s more important to make sure you are being as efficient as possible with energy.

Heating your home is one of the biggest costs of energy bills over the colder months.

Thermostats control the temperature of your home by linking to your boiler.

Read more on energy bills

The heating is triggered to come on when the temperature dips below that set on the thermostat.

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It’s not surprising that people try many different tricks to try make their home warmer for less.

However, there are some common mistakes that people make with the thermostat that piles the pounds on to annual bills.

Turning up the thermostat to get warm faster – £343

When you come home and it’s freezing cold outside, you just want your pad to be instantly toasty.

Turning up the dial on the thermostat can seem like a good way to hurry things along – but sadly that’s not how it works.

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Nancy Emery, heating expert at online retailer Tap Warehouse, says: “A thermostat works as a limiter and not an accelerator, so turning it up in a bid to quickly heat your home won’t work…

“By turning your thermostat up, you’re essentially asking your heating to reach a higher temperature which could take longer, around an hour or so per degree increase.

“This just means your home will reach its optimal temperature in a set amount of time, and then go beyond costing you more money on your energy bills in the process. “

Martin Lewis issues urgent warning for millions of households set to miss out on up to £600 energy bill help this winter

Setting the thermostat higher than needed means you are more likely to let the home overheat which will hammer your bills.

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It’s estimated that you can save around 10% off your bill with every one degree the heating is turned down, according to the Energy Saving Trust.

The average fuel bill is now going to stand at £1,717 from October 1 meaning that if you crank the heating even two degrees higher and forget to put it back down you could add an extra £343 to your bill.

Nancy adds: “With the worry of the new energy price cap that’s looming, the best thing to do is to maintain your thermostat at a regular temperature to help keep costs down.”

Leaving your heating on low all day£150

There is a belief that leaving your heating on low all day is cheaper than having it on for a few hours in the evening or morning at a higher temperature.

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The Energy Saving Trust says that if you have a boiler, this isn’t true.

You will use more energy, which will ultimately cost you more money.

It’s more energy efficient, and better for your bills, to have your boiler come on when you need it.

With the average cost of gas central heating is around £1.68 an hour, according to Check-a-trade.com.

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If you have the heating on for just one extra hour a day over a month that will cost you an extra £50.

And if you were to do it every day during the coldest months December to February, you’re looking at a total added £150.

However, there is an exception to this rule and that is if you have a heat pump.

The Energy Saving Trust says that it can be more beneficial to run a heat pump all day.

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Drying clothes on radiators – £60

Many people try to make the most of having the heating on by drying clothes on radiators.

However, this can trick your thermostat into having the heating on for longer.

This is because when you put clothes on the radiator it blocks the heat coming out making it take longer for the room to reach the desired degree.

The heating will stay on until rooms reach the set temperature.

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It means that if you have the heating on for an extra hour at £1.68 three times a week over 12 weeks when the weather is cold, you’re looking at around an extra £60 added to your bill.

As well as clothes, furniture can block heat from circulating in a room. So make sure there is plenty of space between radiators and sofas or beds, for example.

Putting your thermostat in the wrong place – £hundreds

If your thermostat is in the wrong place you could end up paying hundreds of pounds more in energy bills.

Thermostats monitor when your home has reached the temperature you want, and can be used to turn the heating up or down.

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But if the thermostat is in a colder part of the house, it could be reporting that the temperature is lower than it really is in the rest of the home.

This means your heating is working harder than necessary.

You can read more about how that affects your bills here.

More ways to save on heating your home

It’s not just the thermostat that dictates the cost of heating.

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There are lots of things you can do to help keep your home warm on a budget.

Putting reflective foil behind your radiator helps to reflect heat back into the room. You can get special packs fro around £10 or even using regular aluminium foil can help.

Check your radiators for any cold patches and bleed them if so. This will will help rooms heat evenly and efficiently and avoid overworking your boiler.

Give your radiators a good dust so that heat can move freely through the room.

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Use thermostatic valves to control the heating in each room of your home.

In spare bedrooms or lesser used rooms, turn the heating right down or off to avoid heating spaces with no one in.

Turning down your boiler’s flow temperature can also help cut bills.

Reducing draughts will also help your home to stop losing heat keeping it much toastier – draught excluders cost from around £5 and will help stop cooler air entering through gaps and crevices.

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What energy bill help is available?

THERE’S a number of different ways to get help paying your energy bills if you’re struggling to get by.

If you fall into debt, you can always approach your supplier to see if they can put you on a repayment plan before putting you on a prepayment meter.

This involves paying off what you owe in instalments over a set period.

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If your supplier offers you a repayment plan you don’t think you can afford, speak to them again to see if you can negotiate a better deal.

Several energy firms have grant schemes available to customers struggling to cover their bills.

But eligibility criteria varies depending on the supplier and the amount you can get depends on your financial circumstances.

For example, British Gas or Scottish Gas customers struggling to pay their energy bills can get grants worth up to £2,000.

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British Gas also offers help via its British Gas Energy Trust and Individuals Family Fund.

You don’t need to be a British Gas customer to apply for the second fund.

EDF, E.ON, Octopus Energy and Scottish Power all offer grants to struggling customers too.

Thousands of vulnerable households are missing out on extra help and protections by not signing up to the Priority Services Register (PSR).

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The service helps support vulnerable households, such as those who are elderly or ill, and some of the perks include being given advance warning of blackouts, free gas safety checks and extra support if you’re struggling.

Get in touch with your energy firm to see if you can apply.

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