by Rob Evans, David Pegg and Felicity Lawrence on (#61V6H)
Commons public accounts committee issues damning report into £777m spent with firm that employed Owen Paterson as lobbyistMinisters and government officials played “fast and loose” when awarding £777m in Covid contracts to a healthcare firm that employed the Conservative MP Owen Paterson as a lobbyist, the head of parliament’s spending watchdog has said.In a damning report, the House of Commons public accounts committee (PAC) concluded that the government made a series of failures, making it impossible to know if the contracts had been awarded properly to Randox. Continue reading...
by Kalyeena Makortoff Banking correspondent on (#61V6F)
FCA’s new rules are expected to help reduce call wait times, end rip-off charges and make it easier to change investmentsSenior bosses at City firms could face fines and have their bonuses docked if they fail to put consumer needs first, in one of the biggest overhauls of financial regulation in a decade.Rules being rolled out by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) will force financial firms – including banks, insurers and investment firms – to focus on delivering “good outcomes” for customers, in a move expected to reduce call wait times, end rip-off charges and fees through clearer promotions, and make it easier to cancel or switch investments. Continue reading...
Plan to publish league tables for forces in England and Wales if she becomes PM condemned as ‘failed approach’Liz Truss would return to national crime targets – pledging a 20% reduction in murders, other violence and burglaries within two years if she became prime minister – under a plan immediately condemned as a “failed approach” and political meddling.In another example of the policy arms race with Rishi Sunak as they vie for the Conservative leadership, with limited detail on implementation or costs, Truss said her government would publish league tables for police forces in England and Wales. Continue reading...
by Dan Sabbagh Defence and security editor on (#61V0C)
Emails disclosed by lawyers for two families of victims suggested police told to ignore role of senior officers“Political pressure” was applied in 2016 to narrow the focus of a military police investigation into allegations of summary killings by SAS soldiers in Afghanistan, according to a legal claim made in the high court on Tuesday.An email disclosed to lawyers representing two families of Afghans killed by the SAS showed that the second in charge of the unit investigating the alleged war crimes, had told colleagues about demands being made from higher up.An SAS officer, discussing the Saifullah family case in an email dated May 2011, asked whether there was an opportunity “to ‘nip’ this allegation before it becomes an official allegation and is fed into either the national or Isaf chain of commands in Kabul, attracting lots of scrutiny”.Concern about the SAS tactics, techniques and procedures in Afghanistan were raised in 2011 by an external organisation, whose identity the MoD wants to keep secret, which warned that the British soldiers were using unlawful techniques to kill Afghans in cold blood.Neil Sheldon QC, for the MoD, told the court that the government wanted disclosure of the organisation’s full evidence and name to be prevented by a public interest immunity certificate. The application, he said, was being made on “international relations grounds”.The chief MoD lawyer acknowledged in an email sent in the run up to a previous hearing in early 2020 that the SAS explanations for the summary killings in 2011 “appear highly questionable, if not implausible, not helped by the practice of post-mission ‘cut and paste’ statements” and that the MoD should “review all incidents involving fatalities”.His deputy suggested in another email that the UK should investigate “the conduct” of UK armed forces in Afghanistan and “the investigative and prosecutorial response of the RMP [Royal Military Police] and the SPA [Service Prosecuting Authority]”. Continue reading...
TalkTV show goes off air after Kate McCann’s collapse, cutting short a bitter clash over NHS and tax cutsThe second TV debate between the Conservative leadership candidates Liz Truss and Rishi Sunak was halted dramatically after the presenter Kate McCann fainted, cutting short a bitter clash over funding for the NHS and tax cuts.The event, hosted by TalkTV, had the Tory leadership hopefuls quizzed by one audience member with cancer, who said he had not received proper support from the health service and asked: “Why is the NHS broken?” Continue reading...
Long-running feud between family members however cost businessman and his daughter £7.5m in legal feesSir Frederick Barclay received £800,000 from his nephews for settling a legal battle over alleged “commercial espionage on a vast scale” that included bugging of thousands of his private conversations at the five-star Ritz hotel, a court was told.It also emerged in the high court on Tuesday that the feud played out between two sides of the Barclay family, which own the Telegraph media group as well as Yodel and Shop Direct, cost the billionaire businessman and his daughter Amanda £7.5m in legal fees. Continue reading...
Support will be available to those who want to transition off the card that ‘often makes participants’ lives more difficult’, social services minister says
Three arrested after Jack Fenton hit by rear rotor while reportedly trying to take a selfie at heliport in AthensA Greek prosecutor has ordered an inquiry into the death of a 21-year-old British man killed by a spinning rotor blade after disembarking in Athens from a helicopter chartered from Mykonos.Instructing the probe in the wake of Monday’s tragedy, the magistrate allowed two ground engineers and the aircraft’s pilot to walk free pending the results of the investigation. The trio had been detained after the incident. Continue reading...
by Jessica Murray Midlands correspondent on (#61TQN)
City council admits up to 20 families sent to Coventry to make space for visitors to the gamesHomeless families being housed in Birmingham hotels have been moved out of the city at short notice to make way for Commonwealth Games visitors.The city council confirmed up to 20 families have been moved to nearby Coventry for the duration of the sporting event, which starts on Thursday and runs for 12 days. Continue reading...
Russian branch of charity with close ties to Israeli government shut down after Israeli criticism of Ukraine warThe Kremlin has insisted its decision to shut down the agency that processes Jewish migration to Israel should not be “politicised”, amid a widening rift between the two countries over Moscow’s actions in Ukraine.Last week Russia’s justice ministry requested the liquidation of the Russian branch of the Jewish Agency, a private charity closely affiliated with the Israeli government that promotes migration to Israel. Continue reading...
Pandemic and climate crisis account for most new entries in authoritative Le Robert and Larousse dictionariesFrom covidé (infected with coronavirus) to confinement (lockdown) and éco-anxiété (climate anxiety) to verdissement d’image (greenwashing), the pandemic and the climate crisis account for most new French words, Le Monde has concluded.But if 28% of recent additions are essentially English, according to an analysis by the paper, nearly half are French coinages, demonstrating what it called the language’s “great suppleness, as well as the creativity and humour of its users”. Continue reading...
Most energy ministers back plan to reduce winter usage by 15%, although some argue uniform target unfairEU member states have agreed to ration gas this winter, in an attempt to avoid an energy crisis generated by further Russian cuts to supply.Energy ministers from the 27 member states mostly backed a plan for a voluntary 15% reduction in gas usage over the winter, but added in several opt-outs for island nations and countries unconnected or little connected to the European gas network, which will blunt the overall effect. Continue reading...
by Lisa O'Carroll Brexit correspondent on (#61TCJ)
Daniel Lambert, who supplies M&S, Waitrose and 300 independent retailers, to set up business in FranceA British wine wholesaler who last year criticised Brexit as the biggest threat to his business in 30 years has decided to leave the UK after post-Brexit paperwork left him with a £150,000 hole in revenue.Daniel Lambert, who supplies Marks & Spencer, Waitrose and 300 independent retailers, is moving to Montpelier in France later this week with his wife and two teenage children. Continue reading...
Death of Northern Ireland’s inaugural first minister inspires rare solidarity as role in ending the Troubles is hailedDavid Trimble has accomplished in death a feat that eluded him in life: he has united Northern Ireland unionists, with one leader after another lining up to laud him.The region’s inaugural first minister inspired a rare solidarity across the fractured ranks of unionism on Tuesday when even his bitterest foes paid tribute to his role in ending the Troubles. Continue reading...
Company, which owns sites such as Lookfantastic and Zavvi, blames ‘global macroeconomic conditions’The online shopping group THG has ended an agreement under which the Japanese conglomerate SoftBank had agreed to invest in it, blaming “global macroeconomic conditions”.The company formerly known as The Hut Group, which owns a range of internet health and beauty retailers, secured $730m (£610m) of new investment from a division of SoftBank to help fund expansion of its technology platform a few months before it listed in London. Continue reading...
Reach, which also publishes the Star and the Express titles, says Ukraine war has affected advertisingThe rising cost of paper has dented profits at the publishing company Reach, which owns titles including the Mirror, the Express and dozens of local newspapers.Physical newsprint costs have risen by 65% on a like-for-like basis over the last year, forcing the company to reduce the number of pages in its newspapers, increase cover prices and send fewer newspapers to shops. Continue reading...
Consumer goods group reports sales growth despite falling volumes of goods soldUnilever, the owner of brands ranging from Marmite and Ben & Jerry’s to Dove soap and Domestos bleach, has raised its prices by 11.2% in recent months and expects to do so again throughout the year.The increase in prices in the three months to the end of June helped the Anglo-Dutch consumer goods group report sales growth of 8.1% in the first half of 2022, as the rises compensated for falling volumes of goods sold. Continue reading...
Archbishop of Canterbury responds to outcry over declaration that marriage is ‘between a man and a woman’The archbishop of Canterbury has been forced to allow Anglican bishops from all over the world the option of rejecting a statement on sexuality when they meet in Canterbury this week for the Lambeth conference.The U-turn from Justin Welby, the leader of the global Anglican communion and the conference president, came late on Monday night, hours before 650 delegates began arriving for the 12-day meeting. Continue reading...
Theodul Glacier’s retreat means refuge near Testa Grigia peak is split between two countriesA melting glacier in the Alps has shifted the border between Switzerland and Italy, putting the location of an Italian mountain lodge in dispute.The borderline runs along a drainage divide – the point at which meltwater will run down either side of the mountain towards one country or the other. Continue reading...
Former BP executive will take over from outgoing boss Warren East on 1 JanuaryThe engine manufacturer Rolls-Royce has named former BP executive Tufan Erginbilgic as its new chief executive to succeed outgoing boss Warren East.The British group said Erginbilgic will take on the role on 1 January next year. East announced in February that he planned to leave at the end of 2022 after eight years at the helm. Continue reading...
Big Brother Watch says Southern Co-operative’s use of the cameras is ‘Orwellian’ and ‘unlawful’Shoppers at a grocery store chain across southern England are being surveilled with controversial facial recognition cameras, prompting a legal complaint by civil rights campaigners.The privacy group Big Brother Watch has submitted a complaint against Southern Co-operative’s use of the cameras, claiming it is “Orwellian” and “unlawful”. Continue reading...
by Rebecca Ratcliffe South-east Asia correspondent, a on (#61SXZ)
State department says military government in Yangon has not faced enough economic and diplomatic pressure, amid global outrage at killingsA senior US official has urged China to do more to rein in Myanmar’s military after its execution of four people, saying that “it cannot be business as usual with the junta”, as the killings drew widespread international condemnation.State department spokesperson Ned Price told a briefing: “Arguably, no country has the potential to influence the trajectory of Burma’s next steps more so than the PRC [People’s Republic of China]”, noting that the junta “has not faced the level of economic and in some cases diplomatic pressure that we would like to see”. Continue reading...
Justice committee says little progress made on developing alternatives to custodial sentences as female prison population predicted to rise by a thirdMinisters have made little progress developing alternatives to custodial sentences for women, MPs have concluded, amid official predictions that the female prison population may rise by a third in the next three years.The Conservative-led justice select committee said “there is yet to be any clear evidence” that women are being diverted away from jail despite promises to develop other methods of punishment and rehabilitation. Continue reading...
by Jessica Elgot Chief political correspondent on (#61SRY)
Labour dismisses Conservative leadership hopeful’s plan for minimum service levels as unworkableLiz Truss has promised a further crackdown on trade unions, widening restrictions to a significant new number of industries, but her proposals were immediately criticised as the “biggest attack on civil rights” since the 19th century.Truss said she would legislate for minimum service levels on critical national infrastructure in the first 30 days of government under her leadership. The pledge would go further than the Tories’ 2019 policy, which promised a minimum service should operate during transport strikes. Continue reading...
Another victim remains in critical condition as Royal Canadian Mounted Police say suspect was shot dead by officersCanadian police say two people have been killed in an early morning gun attack in a Vancouver suburb that left two others injured and appeared to target homeless residents. The suspect was shot dead by officers.On Monday morning, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police said most of the shootings were in downtown Langley in southwest British Columbia. There was also a reported shooting in the neighbouring Langley township. Continue reading...
The Brooklyn-bred actor, who played mobster Paulie Cicero in Goodfellas, died of natural causes on MondayPaul Sorvino, the Tony-nominated actor who played mobster Paulie Cicero in Goodfellas, has died at age 83. Sorvino, the father of actor Mira Sorvino, died of natural causes on Monday, his wife Dee Dee announced.“Our hearts are broken, there will never be another Paul Sorvino, he was the love of my life and one of the greatest performers to ever grace the screen and stage,” she said in a statement published by the Hollywood Reporter. Continue reading...
Former first minister of Northern Ireland played crucial role in peace agreement that ended the TroublesDavid Trimble, Northern Ireland’s inaugural first minister and a crucial unionist architect of the Good Friday agreement, has died aged 77.His death on Monday was announced by the Ulster Unionist Party (UUP), the party he led into a historic power-sharing arrangement between nationalists and republicans in Northern Ireland. Continue reading...
Martina Turner, ex-partner of Steven Wood, urges women to look out for warning signs of abusive behaviourA man who stabbed his partner 29 times and left her locked in their house in a pool of blood has been jailed for life.Steven Wood, 54, attacked his girlfriend of two years at their home in Gateshead in May last year – leaving her with extensive and life-changing injuries – when she said she was going out. Continue reading...
Force accused of ‘deferential policing’ after it confirms not seeking details from prime minister over two events before deciding not to fine himAnger over the Partygate scandal has been reignited after Scotland Yard confirmed that it did not send questionnaires to Boris Johnson before deciding against fining him for attending two Downing Street lockdown gatherings.Fines were issued to other attenders at the gatherings in 2020, including one at No 10 on 13 November, where the prime minister gave a leaving speech for his departing director of communications, Lee Cain, and another in the Cabinet Office on 17 December. Continue reading...
by Dan Milmo, Alex Hern and Jasper Jolly on (#61S2H)
Almost 17% fall follows confirmation of discussions with UK satellite firm bailed out by governmentShares in Eutelsat have slumped nearly 17% after the French satellite company confirmed it was in merger talks with OneWeb, a British rival part-owned by the UK government.Eutelsat said it was in discussions with OneWeb, which provides broadband coverage from space, to create a business that would be 50/50 owned by shareholders in both companies. The British government owns nearly 20% of OneWeb, while the French and Chinese governments hold stakes of 20% and 5% respectively in Eutelsat. Continue reading...
Police say four Vietnamese people are reported missing and may have been involved in blaze 10 weeks agoHuman remains have been discovered by workers demolishing a mill in Oldham as police said four Vietnamese people were missing.The finding came 10 weeks after a fire at the property in Bismark House Mill on Bower Street. Continue reading...
British singer, who cancelled previous dates with a day’s notice, will now hit the stage in NovemberAdele has announced new dates for her postponed Las Vegas residency.The singer, who cancelled the original dates at the start of the year, will now begin her Weekends with Adele concerts on 18 November running to 25 March, taking in 32 shows. Continue reading...
Denby’s star is on the rise since its Halo teacup featured in Netflix’s South Korean blockbusterA 200-year-old English pottery has seen its brand enhanced in South Korea thanks to the lockdown hit Squid Game.Denby Pottery, named after the Derbyshire village where it was set up by Joseph Bourne in 1809, has been steadily increasing its business in Asia. It is now on sale with a reported £50m valuation, and seeking new investors to expand ever further. Continue reading...