Magnitsky Act: Dominic Raab unveils first foreign citizens facing visa restrictions July 6, 2020 Foreign secretary Dominic Raab has unveiled the first 49 foreign citizens facing sanctions for alleged human rights abuses under the UK’s new Magnitsky Act. Speaking in the Commons today, the foreign secretary said the UK was taking action against the “thugs of despots and henchmen of dictators” and those trying to launder their “blood-stained ill-gotten [...]
‘Serious concerns’ raised over government’s export credit agency July 6, 2020 The government’s export credit agency could be “cutting corners” as it races to finance the post-coronavirus and post-Brexit trade drive, raising “serious concerns” about the UK’s future trading relations, according to a new report. A report released today by anti-corruption campaign group Spotlight on Corruption found that UK Export Finance (UKEF), the UK’s export credit [...]
Hong Kong man charged with terrorism in first use of new security law July 3, 2020 A man carrying a sign reading “Liberate Hong Kong” as he drove a motorbike into police at a protest has become the first person charged with inciting separatism and terrorism under a new security law. Beijing imposed the legislation on the former British colony earlier this week despite protests from Hong Kongers and Western nations, [...]
‘Liberate Hong Kong, revolution of our times’ slogan deemed illegal July 3, 2020 The popular protest slogan “Liberate Hong Kong, revolution of our times” has been deemed illegal by the city’s government. Hong Kong has said the slogan is separatist, becoming a crime covered under the new national security law imposed by Beijing. The saying is plastered over placards at rallies, clothes and accessories and written on post-it [...]
Cracked encryption app leads to hundreds of arrests July 2, 2020 Efforts by police to crack an encrypted messaging app used by criminals has led to the arrests of “iconic” figures of the British underworld. The National Crime Agency (NCA) today said it had “successfully penetrated” Encrochat, a secure smartphone instant messaging app that was used by criminals to coordinate their activities. The move has allowed [...]
Why is linking Israel to George Floyd’s murder an antisemitic conspiracy theory? July 2, 2020 Last week, shadow education secretary Rebecca Long-Bailey tweeted public support for a newspaper interview given by the actor Maxine Peake. The article, in which Peake said that anyone who couldn’t vote for Labour because of Jeremy Corbyn had “voted Tory”, included this line: “The tactics used by the police in America, kneeling on George Floyd’s [...]
Schroders takes majority stake in Asian real estate firm July 1, 2020 Schroders has reached an agreement to acquire a majority stake in Asian real estate investment firm Pamfleet, which currently has $1.1bn in assets under management. The asset manager said the deal strengthened its private assets and real estate capabilities. It comes after the recent acquisition of the German real estate specialist, Blue Asset Management, and [...]
British Land boosted by reopening of retail stores July 1, 2020 Real estate firm British Land has reported strong sales as lockdown restrictions on non-essential retail started to ease earlier this month. The pandemic seems to have had little effect on consumer confidence. In the week commencing 14 June, when restrictions started to ease, British Land reported footfall at its English assets was 64 per cent [...]
Airbus to axe 15,000 jobs as pandemic hammers aviation industry June 30, 2020 Aviation giant Airbus has announced it will shed 15,000 jobs, adding that its future was at stake as the coronavirus crisis continues to batter the aviation industry. Europe’s biggest aerospace group said it would cut around 1,700 posts in the UK, 5,000 in France, 5,100 in Germany, 900 in Spain and 1,300 elsewhere. The company [...]
Furious Theresa May attacks PM’s political choice for national security adviser June 30, 2020 Former Prime Minister Theresa May has lashed out at Boris Johnson and his allies for appointing loyalist Brexit adviser David Frost as the country’s new national security adviser. May said Frost, who is a close ally to the Prime Minister, was a political appointment and undermined the impartial role of national security adviser. Frost was [...]