Pandemic drives 15-fold rise in online scams, say UK cyber spooks May 10, 2021 UK spooks took down more online scams last year than in the previous three years combined as the Covid-19 pandemic fuelled an increase in cyber crime. Experts oversaw a huge 15-fold increase in the number of scams removed from the internet, the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) said today. It comes as unscrupulous hackers tried [...]
Scotland election: Boris Johnson must face down the threat of independence with the spirit of Northern Conservatives May 10, 2021 Two things were confirmed by last week’s election result in Scotland: the country is split down the middle on the question of independence and Scots want to keep the prospect of a second independence referendum on the horizon, but no closer than that. More than two and half million voters took part in the election, [...]
Refugee nurses channelled into the NHS through new scheme May 10, 2021 Refugee nurses are being channelled into the NHS as part of a Liverpool-based scheme, giving asylum seekers the opportunity to use their qualifications to live an independent life in the UK. Palestinian national from Lebanon, Walid Jarad, had lived in just two t-shirts and two pairs of jeans for a whole year, until last month. [...]
Malaysia’s 1MDB launches legal bid to recover $23bn in assets after fraud scandal May 10, 2021 Malaysian state fund 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB) has launched a legal bid to recover $23bn (£16.3bn) in assets following a fraud scandal that rocked the southeast Asian country. Malaysia and US state investigators estimate at least $4.5bn was stolen from 1MDB between 2009 and 2014 in a corruption scandal that has implicated former prime minister [...]
Standard Chartered to face shareholder action over climate change policies May 10, 2021 Shareholders are set to eye Standard Chartered bank’s climate policies, according to environmental organisation Market Forces, revealing it has pumped $31.4bn into fossil fuels since the Paris Agreement. The scrutiny comes as the bank confirmed its participation in a $400m five year loan for global coal giant Adaro Indonesia, as part of a syndicate of [...]
Travelodge’s interim chief executive Craig Bonnar secures permanent role May 10, 2021 Travelodge has appointed Craig Bonnar as its new chief executive, six months after former boss Peter Gowers stepped down. Bonnar took the reins as interim boss at the start of the year having previously served as Travelodge’s chief operating officer since January 2017. Gowers resigned last November following the conclusion of a dispute with its [...]
UK house prices hit new record high after growing at fastest rate in five years May 10, 2021 UK house prices grew at the fastest pace in five years last month as the stamp duty holiday continued to buoy the market. Average house prices in April reached a new record high of £258,204, an annual increase of 8.2 per cent and a monthly rise of 1.4 per cent. Almost £20,000 has been added [...]
Countdown to COP26 – how 2021 is a “make or break” year in the fight against climate change May 10, 2021 This year will be “make or break” in the fight against climate change, the UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has warned. The next United Nations climate summit, COP26 – or to give it its full title, the 26th Climate Change Conference of the Parties – is due to take place in Glasgow in November. Postponed from last [...]
More restrictions to be ditched as PM to make announcement later today May 10, 2021 Boris Johnson will hold a press conference later today about how the UK will move into the next phase of reopening the country, Health Minister Nadine Dorries said this morning. “It does look as if the roadmap is on course,” Dorries told Sky News. “The prime minister will be making an announcement later this afternoon [...]
Former Serco boss calls for abolition of Serious Fraud Office May 10, 2021 A former Serco executive who was cleared of defrauding taxpayers by hiding millions of pounds in profits has called for the abolition of the white collar crime agency that pursued him. Simon Marshall, who was acquitted last month, said the Serious Fraud Office (SFO) did not have “anything to do with justice” and should be [...]
