China has moved to ban one of the most iconic Tesla vehicle features in order to get a handle on vehicle safety.

New safety regulations published by China’s Ministry of Industry and Information Technology state that cars sold in China will be required to have mechanical releases on their door handles, according to TechCrunch. The outlet added that the rules, which go into effect on Jan. 1, 2027, will ban hidden, electronically activated door handles. 

Under the new rules, each vehicle door, except for the tailgate, will need to be equipped with a manually-released external door handle and vehicles will be required to have a mechanical release on the interior, TechCrunch reported.

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China is the first country to implement such a ban. While the feature was made popular with Teslas, Chinese competitors, including Xiaomi, have adopted the design, according to Reuters.

The ruling followed high-profile incidents in which power failures were suspected to have prevented the doors from opening, leaving people trapped and unable to escape or be rescued, Bloomberg reported. The outlet said that two of the incidents included fiery crashes involving Xiaomi Corp. EVs.

“China is shifting from being just the largest EV market to being a rule-setter for how new vehicle technologies are regulated,” Bill Russo, founder of Shanghai-based consultancy Automobility, told Bloomberg. “By moving first, Beijing can use its huge domestic market to lock in safety standards that both Chinese and foreign automakers must follow at home — and that may ultimately travel with Chinese EV exports and influence global norms.”

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In December, the Office of Defects Investigation (ODI), which is under the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), opened a defect probe into the Tesla Model 3 sedan’s emergency door release controls, Reuters reported. The investigation reportedly included approximately 179,071 model year 2022 vehicles.

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Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard No. 206 lays out requirements for vehicle door locks and door retention components to help prevent occupants from being ejected during a crash. 

A representative for NHTSA pointed out to FOX Business that while FMVSS No. 206 does not have specific requirements mandating a manual door release if power is lost, failing to provide a reasonable way for occupants to enter or exit a vehicle could be considered a safety defect and lead to a recall. However, the opening of a defect petition does not automatically mean that a recall will be issued.

FOX Business reached out to Tesla and Xiaomi for comment.

Howard and Aidan Barclay have been given six weeks to reach an agreement with creditors after HSBC launched bankruptcy proceedings over debts linked to the collapse of the family’s logistics empire.

At a High Court hearing on Tuesday, Mr Justice Michael Briggs granted the brothers until 17 March to circulate proposals for individual voluntary arrangements (IVAs), a formal insolvency process allowing debtors to agree repayment terms with creditors and avoid bankruptcy.

The brothers are the eldest sons of the late Sir David Barclay, who, alongside his twin brother Sir Frederick Barclay, built a sprawling business empire through highly leveraged acquisitions. Much of that empire has since unravelled.

HSBC initiated bankruptcy action in December over debts stemming from the collapse of Logistics Group, the parent company of delivery firms Yodel and ArrowXL. The group fell into administration in March 2024 after HSBC called in its loans.

Administrators recovered just £1.1 million of HSBC’s £143.5 million secured lending, representing less than 1p in the pound, according to filings by Teneo at Companies House.

IVAs allow individuals to retain greater control over their assets than bankruptcy, but require the support of creditors representing at least 75 per cent of outstanding debt. It remains unclear whether HSBC will support any proposal from the Barclay brothers or continue to pursue bankruptcy. The bank declined to comment.

The next court hearing is scheduled for 31 March.

The logistics collapse was one of several blows to the Barclay family’s holdings. In recent years, the family has lost control of the Telegraph Media Group and The Very Group.

In 2023, US private equity firm RedBird Capital Partners and Abu Dhabi-backed International Media Investments acquired around £1.2 billion of debt previously held by Lloyds Banking Group that sat behind the family’s businesses.

IMI has since appointed insolvency practitioners at Interpath Advisory to dispose of assets held by Trenport Property Holdings, one of the family’s property vehicles. Filings last year listed Aidan Barclay’s main residence as Monaco.

As part of the Logistics Group administration, ArrowXL was sold in June to Jacky Perrenot Group for an initial £2.2 million, far below a £57.5 million valuation previously put forward by the directors. Yodel was sold in February 2024, shortly before administrators were appointed.

The Barclay family relinquished control of Very in November after US private equity firm Carlyle Group took control, with IMI remaining as a lender.

Meanwhile, the long-running saga over the Telegraph titles continues. A proposed £500 million sale to RedBird collapsed in November after regulatory intervention, prolonging uncertainty since Lloyds seized the papers in 2023. The owner of the Daily Mail is now poised to acquire the Telegraph, a deal expected to face scrutiny from competition regulators.

The Barclay brothers were approached for comment.

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Gold and silver futures opened higher for a second consecutive session on Wednesday, pushing commodity-based ETFs up by as much as 9% during the period. Prices were supported by rising geopolitical tensions after the US military reported shooting down an Iranian drone near one of its aircraft carriers. Bargain buying at lower levels and a softer US dollar also lent support to gold prices.

Edelweiss Silver ETF, Kotak Silver ETF, Mirae Asset Silver ETF, Zerodha Silver ETF and Tata Silver ETF gained up to 9% on Wednesday.

The Wealth Company Gold ETF surged up to 8%, followed by Kotak Gold ETF, Mirae Asset Gold ETF, and Bandhan Gold ETF, which rallied upto 7%. Nippon India Gold ETF, the largest fund in the category based on the assets managed, gained 5% in the mentioned time frame to a day’s high of Rs 132.

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Sandip Raichura, CEO of Retail Broking and Distribution & Director, PL Capital, shared with ETMutual Funds that gold should form 10% of client portfolios at all points in tim,e and silver, being a very volatile commodity, should ideally be accumulated via the SIP route and with a 5-year timeframe

On Wednesday, MCX silver futures for March 5, 2026, rose 4%, up Rs 10,648 to Rs 2,78,663 per kg. Gold futures for April 2, 2026 delivery rebounded Rs 4,611, or 3%, to Rs 1,58,420 per 10 grams.
In the international market, spot gold climbed 2.2% to $5,044.74 per ounce after surging 5.9% on Tuesday — its biggest single-day gain since November 2008. The metal had hit a record high of $5,594.82 last Thursday. Spot silver rose 2.1% to $86.92 an ounce, after touching a record high of $121.64 on Thursday.According to a report by ETMarkets, the dollar slipped against most major currencies, barring the yen, on Tuesday as traders consolidated recent gains driven by strong US economic data and expectations of a less-dovish Federal Reserve. A softer dollar tends to support bullion prices by making dollar-denominated metals cheap.

On February 3, 2026, these ETFs saw rebounds of up to 13% following a sharp three-day sell-off.

Abhishek Bhilwaria, BhilwariaMF ( AMFI registered MFD) shared with ETMutualFunds that in the evolving financial landscape of 2026, gold and silver Exchange-Traded Funds (ETFs) have emerged as the preferred vehicle for investors seeking exposure to precious metals without the logistical burdens of physical storage or purity verification.

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“This shift is particularly evident in the success of global giants like the SPDR Gold Trust (GLD) and iShares Silver Trust (SLV), alongside cost-efficient Indian domestic options such as Nippon India Gold BeES and the Zerodha Gold ETF.”

For Indian investors, these digital assets also offer a streamlined fiscal structure, with long-term capital gains (held for over a year) taxed at a flat 12.5%, making them a highly competitive alternative to traditional bullion, Bhilwaria said.

A vacant strip of land in Northbridge has been earmarked for an eight-storey office and apartment building.

Skypacts Property Resources has submitted a $10 million plan to build a mixed-use development on 441 William Street.

The 508-square metre lot, currently an unoccupied infill site, sits next to the Perth Mosque and is bound by William Street and Brisbane Place.

According to Skypacts’ application filed with the City of Vincent, the proposed development comprises offices and associated parking from the first to the fourth floor, and nine apartments across the upper levels.

Lateral Planning, on behalf of Skypacts, said the project would be a high-quality development on an underutilised infill site.

“Overall, the proposed development will not detract from the amenity of the area rather, it will significantly enhance it,” the application said. 

“It represents a positive, forward-looking contribution to the locality, by supporting strategic planning goals, and promoting sustainable urban growth.”

RP data shows Skypacts bought the site for about $2.5 million in 2022.

Skypacts Property Resources is owned by Kian Kiong Lee and has a registered address in Nedlands, according to an Australian Securities and Investments Commission document.

About 600 metres away, another vacant Northbridge lot was flagged for development.

A 480-square metre site at 195 Beaufort Street, next to the Ellington Jazz Club, has been vacant for about 20 years.

In May 2024, a development assessment panel approved a $2.4 million proposal to build a four-storey apartment and retail project on the site.

However, the site, with the attached development application approval, was recently listed on the market.