Deutsche Bank scandal: Courts still chasing billions through tax scams and carbon credits May 7, 2019 Major banks enabled fraudsters to steal billions of pounds of public money through VAT scams, according to documents obtained by the Bureau of Investigative Journalism. A decade later, tax authorities are still chasing the money through the courts. Traders in London facilitated the so-called “carousel” fraud by organised crime gangs in 2009, which involved the trading [...]
The i newspaper could be sold as publisher JPIMedia considers auctioning assets May 4, 2019 The owners of JPIMedia, formerly Johnston Press, are considering auctioning off parts or all of the business, which owns titles including the i newspaper and The Scotsman, after purchasing the publisher just last year. The consortium of hedge funds that own the company are considering a strategic review that could see a number of its [...]
Theresa May defends decision to sack Gavin Williamson as defence secretary May 4, 2019 Theresa May has defended her decision to sack Gavin Williamson from his position as defence secretary this week after an inquiry found "compelling evidence" he leaked information from the National Security Council (NSC). Information regarding the government's decision to complete a deal with Huawei to help build the UK's 5G network was leaked to the media in April. Read [...]
Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile review: A well-intentioned but discomforting exercise in glamourising a serial killer May 3, 2019 Is it possible to make a genuine anti-war film? Francois Truffaut famously thought not; you might set out with the purest of intentions, but the spectacle and grandeur of cinema means that even the most ardently anti-war director will end up glorifying what he seeks to condemn. While watching this new biopic of Ted Bundy, [...]
Rosmersholm review: A gripping revival of Ibsen’s masterpiece political drama May 3, 2019 The suffocating weight of dead generations looms over Henrik Ibsen’s 1886 political drama, in which Rosmer, an enlightened young aristocrat, defies his upper class status and risks alienation to pursue his newfound socialist ideals. Quite literally, the portraits of his ancestors hang over the stage like silent accusers, revealed in a flourish by his companion [...]
Evening Standard set to cut jobs as it merges print and online business May 3, 2019 The Evening Standard is to announce a string of job cuts as it looks to merge its print and online businesses. Read more: Mirror publisher Reach revenues slip amid pressure on print In an email to staff, editor George Osborne said the paper is making the cuts in a bid to counteract rising costs. “We [...]
Tory grandee Boris Johnson accused of pretending to vote in local elections May 3, 2019 Boris Johnson has been ridiculed for allegedly pretending to vote in the local elections on Thursday, despite none being held in his constituency of Uxbridge and South Ruislip. "I just voted Conservative in the local elections. Make sure you do too! You’ve got two hours left to get out and vote!", Johnson tweeted. Read more: Brexit [...]
Hymns fall out of funeral charts as pop hits the right notes May 3, 2019 Traditional hymns have fallen out of the top 10 most popular funeral songs for the first time ever, according to the latest chart figures. The 2019 funeral chart, published by Co-op, shows religious favourites such as The Lord is my Shepherd and Abide with me have been shunned amid stiff competition from pop hits. Read [...]
Corbyn’s past just keeps tripping him up May 2, 2019 The charge sheet is grim. He defended a mural depicting hook-nosed Jewish bankers playing monopoly on the backs of the poor. He claimed Israel exerts “unbelievably high levels of influence” over “the upper echelons of parts of the media”. He presides over a party struggling to deal with complaints of antisemitism among its members and [...]
Marks & Spencer provokes Twitter storm with move to make Percy Pig sweets vegetarian-friendly May 1, 2019 Marks & Spencer customers have reacted with outrage to the British retailer's decision to remove gelatine from the longstanding recipe for its Percy Pig sweets. Although now suitable for vegetarians, the new recipe – introduced this month – has provoked a Twitter storm of anger, with the supermarket being condemned for altering the sweets, which it has sold since [...]