Black Brilliance and the business of belonging - University of Waterloo

In Noah Segan’s new film The Only Living Pickpocket in New York, John Turturro plays Harry, a skilled but grizzled pickpocket, whose old-school approach to petty crime is slowly becoming obsolete as the city and its technologies transform around him. One day, he unknowingly steals from a young man connected to an ultra-rich family, placing Harry and his wife, who suffers from a debilitating degenerative disease, into grave danger. This mistake sends Harry criss-crossing across New York City, travelling via subway between the Bronx, Manhattan, Brooklyn and Queens, where he encounters a variety of colourful characters, including Giancarlo Esposito as a jaded but kindly detective and Steve Buscemi as a loyal pawn shop broker. Taking place across just a few days in the late winter, Segan’s New York City feels gritty and lived-in; its streets dulled but still charming.

Home sellers cut asking prices on more than 3,000 properties a day on average in Britain during September, according to figures from Rightmove shared exclusively with the BBC. The property website said the total was the highest of any month for 15 years and was driven, in part, by a glut of homes on the market and some sellers setting unrealistic expectations. The proportion of listed homes that eventually had a price cut peaked in 2023 and has remained relatively high since. Property portals say buyers are now having to be choosy, with many working to a tight budget as mortgage rates have risen to three-year highs. "Once a home has been on the market for a while and then has a price reduction, some buyers start asking questions, even when there is nothing wrong with the property," said Colleen Babcock of Rightmove. "In a market with so much choice, first impressions matter. "Rightmove data said the average price reduction was nearly 7% - the equivalent of nearly £21,000 cut from a typically valued home. Its data showed that homes that had a price reduction typically took 119 days to find a buyer, compared with 39 days for those listed at one price.

Soaring freight is forcing oil producers into discounts, pushing delivered prices towards $140/bbl in China and prompting producers to absorb more transport costs to secure buyers. India is attracting more Brazilian and West African barrels as shorter voyages improve sellers’ returns, while Chinese refiners hold out for cheaper deliveries.

LivestreamWatchlistSIGN INCreate free account