WeekDay AM: 10 Things you need to know this morning
Labour suspends MP, Japan counts votes, and the world's first 'loneliness-free city'

 
today's politics story

Labour suspends MP filmed hitting constituent

What happened
The Labour Party has suspended Mike Amesbury after CCTV footage appeared to show the MP for Runcorn and Helsby punching a man to the ground and then shouting "you won't ever threaten me again".

Who said what
A Labour spokesperson said the party had "administratively suspended Mr Amesbury's membership of the Labour Party pending an investigation".

Amesbury claimed he was "threatened on the street" during a night out with friends in the early hours of Saturday morning. Cheshire Police said a 55-year-old man had been voluntarily interviewed under caution and that "inquiries are ongoing".

Last year a 56-year-old man was convicted of "stalking and harassing" Amesbury at his constituency office in a shopping centre in Frodsham back in 2022, said The Times. At Warrington Magistrates' Court it was revealed that Stephen Cowell had stared through the office glass, asked about security levels and followed Amesbury to his car. The MP said his staff had felt affected by the "concerning" behaviour, adding that he also felt "that little bit more anxious than before this episode".

What next?
Amesbury becomes the eighth MP to have the Labour whip suspended since the election, though "the first to suffer such a fate because of allegations over their personal behaviour", said The Guardian. Seven others had the whip suspended in July after defying the government in a vote over removing the two-child benefit cap.

 
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today's international story

Japan's ruling party counts losses after snap election

What happened
Japan’s ruling coalition, led by the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), has lost its majority in parliament following a snap election over the weekend. Opposition parties secured 235 seats in the Japan's lower house, the Diet. A party needs a majority of 233 seats to govern alone.

Who said what
"Voters have handed us a harsh verdict and we have to humbly accept this result," said LDP leader Shigeru Ishiba (pictured above).

The election, announced by Ishiba just three days after he was selected as new leader and before he had been officially sworn in as prime minister, was a "political gamble", said Shaimaa Khalil on the BBC, "and it backfired".

The LDP's popularity has slumped in recent months, with voters "rankled by rising prices" and the "fallout from a party slush fund scandal that helped sink previous premier Fumio Kishida", said Fortune.

What next?
Japan is now "heading for a time of political instability", said Shimada Yukiko on Japan's public broadcaster NHK. The LDP will now need to look for new coalition partners, which will involve "a lot of tricky relationships to juggle".

 
 
Today's brexit story

French school trips to Britain scheme 'at risk'

What happened
A plan to boost the number of trips taken by French school students to the UK is in danger of not going ahead due to an overhaul of entry requirements to the UK.

Who said what
In what The Guardian called an "attempt to address a decline in visits after Brexit", Emmanuel Macron and Rishi Sunak agreed to introduce new rules last year to allow French pupils to travel to Britain using national identity cards, and for their non-EU classmates to enter without the need for a visa.

But the Financial Times reported that the plan was now "at risk" due to the UK's new electronic travel authorisation (ETA) scheme, which will require all EU visitors to register before travelling to Britain. Once it comes into force next April, the scheme will require all travellers to have a passport.

What next?
In a letter to Home Secretary Yvette Cooper, Valérie Boned, the president of France's main travel trade body Les Entreprises du Voyage, has requested clarity on the rule change. "The sooner we manage to clear the situation, the less impact it will have on the number of school trips for 2025," she said.

 
 

It's not all bad

Sirish Subash, a US high school student from Snellville, Georgia, has won the 3M Young Scientist Challenge and a $25,000 (£19,000) prize for inventing a handheld device that detects pesticide residues on produce. Using spectrophotometry and AI, PestiSCAND identifies pesticide wavelengths, achieving better than 85% accuracy. Sirish says he hopes to market the device for about $20 (£15). Passionate about physics and engineering, he plans to use his prizemoney to help pay for his university studies.

 
 
under the radar

Seoul's plan to become a 'loneliness-free city'

In 2016 Seoul was ranked as the happiest city in the world. But now so-called "lonely deaths" are such a problem that authorities plan to forge a "city where no one is lonely".

The "lonely deaths", which reached 3,661 last year (up from 3,559 in 2022) are part of a "larger problem" of isolation in South Korea, said CNN. The issue is "so pressing" that the government is "pulling out all the stops to fight it", investing the equivalent of £250 million over the next five years. But the problem is "tied to certain unique parts of Korean culture" that are "difficult to change".

A recent study found that Korean culture "emphasises relational orientation", or people defining themselves in relation to others. South Koreans may suffer from intense loneliness if they feel they're not "making a significant impact on others or society". The researchers found that South Korea's intensely competitive, "achievement-oriented" culture further encouraged those feelings.

Seoul will take a "proactive approach" to support individuals who need help, said The Korea Herald. Authorities will work with food delivery platforms to identify isolated customers because single-person households are more likely to order through delivery services.

New community spaces will "offer lonely people a spot to enjoy simple meals", said The Independent. Residents will be also offered a checklist to assess their isolation levels and the chance to speak to counsellors.

The 365 Seoul Challenge will connect big events in the city to a points system so that participants are rewarded with tickets to attractions. Seoul also plans to launch local networking options for elderly residents, such as cooking classes.

 
 
on this day

28 October 1886

The Statue of Liberty was officially dedicated after being shipped over from France and assembled on New York City's Liberty Island (formerly Bedloe's Island). Emma Lazarus's sonnet "The New Colossus", in which the statue welcomes "huddled masses yearning to breathe free", was added to the pedestal in 1903. In October 2022, New York City Mayor Eric Adams declared a state of emergency over the influx of migrants arriving in the city.

 
 
Today's newspapers

Voters are set to be hit with £35 billion in extra taxes in the forthcoming Budget, says The Times. Keir Starmer will mount a defence of Labour's approach to the economy in a speech today, says The Guardian. The Financial Times leads on warnings about the dangers of countries retreating into economic protectionism and the effect this could have on the global outlook.

See the newspaper front pages

 
 
tall tale

Jumbo decision looms

Five elephants in a Colorado zoo could sue for their freedom if the state's Supreme Court votes to declare them "persons" under the law. The Nonhuman Rights Project argues that the female African elephants – Missy, Kimba, Lucky, LouLou, and Jambo – are prisoners at Cheyenne Mountain Zoo and should be able to dispute their detention. If the group wins the case the elephants will be released to a sanctuary. Colorado justices will make their final ruling in the coming months.

 
 

Morning Report was written and edited by Arion McNicoll, Tess Foley-Cox and Chas Newkey-Burden, with illustrations by Julia Wytrazek.

Image credits, from top: Vuk Valcic / SOPA Images / LightRocket / Getty Images; Toru Hanai / Bloomberg / Getty Images; Daniel Leal / AFP / Getty Images.