Philip Barton says there was pressure over pace of vetting from No 10, which he says was ‘uninterested’ in processUK politics live – latest updatesThe former Foreign Office chief has said he was concerned about Peter Mandelson’s links to Jeffery Epstein – and said there was “absolutely” pressure from Downing Street over the pace of vetting.Giving evidence to the foreign affairs select committee, the former Foreign Office permanent secretary Sir Philip Barton said Number 10 seemed “uninterested” in the vetting process around Mandelson’s appointment as US ambassador, and said there were no avenues for him to express his concerns. Continue reading...
Extra social media checks brought in amid growing threat to politicians from extremistsThe security company that provides bodyguards for MPs has tightened its vetting processes after it sent a bodyguard with far-right links to protect a politician who was under threat from extremists.Mitie, which has a £31m contract for the work, is updating its CPO (Close Protection Operative) vetting processes to include regular social media checks. There will also be random checks on the social media activity of those already taken on. Continue reading...
Jose Ramos-Horta urged by opposition to explain diplomatic passport given to businessman behind resort project, who denies any involvement with organised crimeTimor-Leste’s opposition has questioned how foreign investors in a proposed cryptocurrency resort obtained prime beachfront real estate in the country’s capital, and has called on the president to explain why he issued a diplomatic passport to a Chinese businessman involved in the project.Speaking in parliament in Dili on Monday, Fretilin opposition party MP Florentino Ximenes da Costa “Sinarai” raised concerns about the proposed AB Digital Technology Resort, which was the subject of a months-long investigation by the Guardian and Organised Crime and Corruption Reporting Project (OCCRP). Continue reading...
• FDA ties multistate E. coli outbreak sickening multiple individuals to cheese made with unpasteurized raw milk.
• Highlights risks of raw dairy products in public health alerts.
• Investigation ongoing to prevent further cases amid rising food safety concerns.
Three arrested by federal agents had family ties to Iranian military general, regime spokesperson or security chiefUnited States federal agents arrested three Iranian nationals – including the son of a revolutionary at the center of the 1979 Iran hostage crisis – after the US state department terminated their green cards, the department announced on Saturday.State department officials revoked the green card status of Seyed Eissa Hashemi, whose mother was an Iranian revolutionary who served as the spokesperson for Iran’s regime during the hostage crisis that defined the late Jimmy Carter’s presidency. The state department also revoked the green card – or legal permanent resident – statuses of Hashemi’s wife and son. Continue reading...
Crown Prosecution Service confirms support on inquiries after arrests on suspicion of misconduct in public officePolice are receiving advice from prosecutors as part of their inquiries into Peter Mandelson and Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor’s links to Jeffrey Epstein.The former duke of York and the former UK ambassador to the US were both arrested in February on suspicion of misconduct in public office over their connections with the late financier. They have since been released under investigation. Continue reading...
Nigel Farage has called Tate an ‘important voice’ for young men and held back from criticising his misogynistic viewsReform insiders are becoming increasingly irritated by the party’s association with Andrew Tate and other extreme online celebrities whose views are too toxic for the mainstream voters Nigel Farage needs to win over.Insiders have revealed that as Reform prepare for power they are trying to end their association with more controversial figures on the right such as Tate, whose extreme and misogynistic content could taint the party’s credibility. Continue reading...
• A new American College of Cardiology study of over 6,800 U.S. adults shows consuming more than nine daily servings of ultra-processed foods raises heart attack, stroke, or death risk by 67% compared to one serving.
• Each additional serving increases risk by over 5% overall and more than 6% among Black Americans, with findings presented at the ACC Annual Scientific Session in New Orleans on March 28-30.
• Dr. Michele Arthurs of Kaiser Permanente advises checking labels and strategies like pre-eating healthy meals or pairing chips with oranges to cut intake.
• Research analyzing U.S. Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System data found that 31.9% of adults reported social isolation and 8.2% reported physical isolation, with both often overlapping.
• Isolation was strongly associated with material deprivation including food insecurity and trouble paying bills, with 82.1% of physically isolated adults experiencing financial hardship compared to 30.9% of those not physically isolated.
• Both types of isolation were linked to lower odds of receiving preventive health services including COVID-19, flu, and pneumococcal vaccinations, as well as cancer screenings, though financial hardship partly explained these associations.