Russia hit with 25 new UK sanctions as Cleverly warns Putin there’s ‘nowhere to hide’ August 8, 2023 Britain said it is targeting Russian President Vladimir Putin’s access to foreign military supplies by imposing 25 new sanctions on individuals and businesses. Foreign Secretary James Cleverly said the action will “further diminish” Russia’s arsenal and shows there is “nowhere to hide” for those assisting the illegal invasion of Ukraine. Those sanctioned include companies based [...]
Electoral Commission hacked: Watchdog sorry for cyber breach amid concern over accessed data August 8, 2023 The elections watchdog has been targeted by a cyber attack which allowed “hostile actors” to access electoral registers. The Electoral Commission revealed it had been hacked but was “not able to know conclusively” what information was accessed. But it said the largely paper-based process of elections meant it would be “very hard” for hackers to [...]
City minister slams British investors ‘defunding’ UK defence giants like BAE August 7, 2023 City minister Andrew Griffith has slammed UK investors’ decision to move away from the country’s top defence firms such as BAE Systems. According to data from the London Stock Exchange, reported by the Financial Times, fund managers based in the UK have cut their holdings in defence firms, including BAE Systems and Qinetiq, by around [...]
Ofcom: Jacob Rees-Mogg in focus as GB News shows probed over impartiality claims August 7, 2023 Ofcom has launched four investigations into GB News’s compliance with due impartiality rules, including one by Conservative politician Jacob Rees-Mogg. The UK media watchdog said it is looking at three programmes, including an episode of Rees-Mogg’s show State Of The Nation. This in relation to the regulator’s rule that politicians must not act as newsreaders, interviewers [...]
Treasury Minister says businesses have woke ‘checklist’ – and tells them to stay out of politics August 7, 2023 A SENIOR Treasury minister has said he is “uncomfortable” with businesses “appropriating the views of their customers to make a political point” in a broadside against corporate woke culture. John Glen told the think-tank Bright Blue’s Centre Write magazine that “the mainstream majority of this country want businesses to provide value for money and quality [...]
Greta Thunberg pulls out of Edinburgh book festival over investment sponsor’s ‘greenwashing’ August 4, 2023 Climate activist Greta Thunberg has pulled out of an appearance at the Edinburgh International Book Festival, accusing one of the event’s sponsors of “greenwashing”. Ms Thunberg, 20, was due to speak at an event on August 13, but has pulled out in protest over sponsors Baillie Gifford, an investment management firm she claims invests “heavily” [...]
Ukraine sea drones attack Russia port damaging ship as Kyiv fightback continues August 4, 2023 Ukrainian sea drones have attacked a major Russian port on the Black Sea, damaging a naval ship, according to a Ukrainian official. It is the latest in a series of strikes inside Russia as Kyiv vowed to bring the fight home to them. Moscow claimed it repelled the attack. The strike on Novorossiysk marks the [...]
City regulator responds to Hunt’s de-banking letter and will report back by September August 4, 2023 The City regulator will outline the scale of the so-called ‘de-banking’ scandal next month, in response to a letter from the Chancellor last night. Writing to Jeremy Hunt, the Financial Conduct Authority acknowledged his “request of areas to cover” in an investigation into the row, and that it was “in line with our plans”. The [...]
Reeves: Latest interest rate hike is a ‘hammer blow’ which did not need to happen August 4, 2023 Shadow chancellor Rachel Reeves has labelled the latest rise in interest rates as a “hammer blow for working people” which did not need to happen. The Bank of England raised the base rate for the 14th time in a row on Thursday, taking it to 5.25% in a bid to bring inflation under control. The [...]
Sadiq Khan expands London ULEZ scrappage scheme in wake of Uxbridge by-election loss August 4, 2023 The Mayor of London has announced a major expansion of financial support designed to ease the impact of the capital’s ultra low emission zone (Ulez) on people’s pockets. Sadiq Khan said every Londoner with a polluting car facing charges under Ulez will now be able to receive a grant of up to £2,000 to support [...]