Electoral Commission reviewing whether Reform UK leader should have declared billionaireās gift before entering parliamentAnalysis: Farageās bid to get ahead of story only raises more questionsFarage referred to standards watchdog over undisclosed Ā£5m giftThe UK elections watchdog is considering whether to investigate an undisclosed Ā£5m donation received by Nigel Farage before he announced his candidacy at the last general election.The move comes after the Guardian revealed this week that the Reform UK leader was given the money by the crypto billionaire Christopher Harborne. Continue reading...
Rival parties demand investigation as Tory party chair refers Reform UK leader to commissioner over gift from crypto tycoonExclusive: Farage given undisclosed Ā£5m by crypto tyoonAnalysis: Farageās attempt to get ahead of story raises more questionsNigel Farage has been referred to parliamentās standards watchdog after the Guardian revealed he received an undeclared Ā£5m gift from a party donor.The referral was made by the Conservative party citing rules that require MPs to declare any āpersonal benefitā they have received in the 12 months before taking office, and to do so within a month of being elected. Continue reading...
An internal watchdog will review the agencyās handling of records related to Jeffrey Epstein, including whether relevant documents were properly redactedSign up for the Breaking News US email to get newsletter alerts in your inboxA majority of Americans blame Donald Trump for surging gasoline prices, which is weighing on his Republican party ahead of Novemberās congressional midterm elections, according to a Reuters/Ipsos poll.Some 77% of registered voters in the poll, which concluded early this week, said Trump bears at least a fair amount of responsibility for the recent rise in gas prices, which was sparked by his decision to launch a war on Iran along with US ally Israel.Our preliminary objective is to evaluate the DOJās processes for identifying, redacting, and releasing records in its possession as required by the Act.Alleged victims of sexual abuse by Epstein have complained that DOJ repeatedly failed to redact photos and other details that could reveal their identities and did not make public all the information prosecutors have about Epstein associates who were allegedly aware of his crimes or conspired with him but were never charged.Lawmakers have made similar complaints and have said they suspect DOJ has not released some relevant documents.The Trump administration has moved to reclassify marijuana, more than four months after Trump signed an executive order directing the attorney general to move it from schedule I to schedule III under the Controlled Substances Act.Trump, apparently abandoning his attempt to frighten Iranās leaders into negotiating by channeling Richard Nixonās āmadmanā theory, ruled out the use of nuclear weapons in his conflict with Iran.Trump has decided to invite wanted war criminal Vladimir Putin to the G20 summit in December at Trumpās Doral golf resort, the Washington Post reports.Trump confirmed that the government is considering a plan to bail out or āājust buyā Spirit Airlines, but confused Barack Obama with Joe Biden, and Jet Blue with People Express, which has been defunct since 1987.Indiaās foreign ministry denounced comments from the rightwing US commentator Michael Savage, posted on social media by Trump, which argued against awarding birthright citizenship to the US-born children of immigrants āfrom China or India or some other hellhole on the planetā. Continue reading...
Britainās cybersecurity agency says companies must step up vigilance to prevent espionage attacksBusiness live ā latest updatesBritish businesses are being urged to step up their vigilance against a China-linked hacking ploy that uses everyday devices for espionage.The UKās National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) and agencies in nine other countries have warned of persistent attempts by Beijing-backed groups to hack equipment such as wifi routers to launch cyber-attacks. Continue reading...
Exclusive: Report finds Natural England has created no new SSSIs, which protect areas from development, since 2023The governmentās wildlife watchdog for England is failing to save nature because it has stopped giving protection to rare wildlife and habitats, according to a new report.No new sites of special scientific interest (SSSIs) have been designated by Natural England since 2023. SSSIs are nationally or internationally important places for rare wildlife and habitats. Without the designation, endangered species can be at risk of being lost to development. Continue reading...
The trial between the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission and the supermarket giant began in the federal court in Sydney on TuesdayFollow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastWoolworths engaged in āmarketing magicā to trick customers into thinking they were getting genuine discounts as part of the supermarketās āPrices Droppedā promotion, the consumer regulator has told a court.The landmark trial between the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) and Woolworths began in the federal court in Sydney on Tuesday, almost two months after hearings ended in its very similar case against Coles. Continue reading...
Vinegar, Tim Tams and baby rice are among the products to be scrutinised in the Australian Competition and Consumer Commissionās caseGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastThe consumer watchdog is back in court and taking on Australiaās largest supermarket chain, alleging Woolworths deliberately misled shoppers with fake discounts.The Australian Competition and Consumer Commissionās (ACCC) case against Woolworths begins in the federal court in Sydney on Tuesday, almost two months after hearings wrapped up in its very similar case against Coles. Continue reading...
Pyongyang making āvery seriousā progress on producing weapons, with rapid rise in activity at main nuclear complexNorth Korea has made āvery seriousā progress in its ability to produce more nuclear weapons, the head of the UNās nuclear watchdog has warned, in another sign that the regime is seeking to use its nuclear arsenal to ensure its survival.North Korea is thought to have assembled about 50 nuclear warheads, although some experts are sceptical of its claims that it is able to miniaturise them so they can be attached to long-range ballistic missiles. Continue reading...
Independent Office for Police Conduct examines allegations that the race of victimāsā families influenced conduct of officersThe police watchdog is investigating complaints made against 11 officers over their handling of an inquiry into a road crash that killed two schoolgirls.The Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) has confirmed that the officers, including a serving commander and a detective inspector, are being investigated over alleged gross misconduct. Continue reading...
Chief inspector for England and Wales says prison remains in āprecarious stateā more than year after urgent notificationThe Prison Service has made āvery little progressā in enforcing a formal demand to stop drones from delivering drugs into one of its worst performing jails, a watchdog has concluded.Charlie Taylor, the chief inspector of prisons for England and Wales, said HMP Manchester remained in a āprecarious stateā after a failure to fix broken windows and install security to stop contraband being delivered to gangs. Continue reading...
