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Pro-Palestine activist who spray-painted ‘Zionist war criminal’ on statue of Sir Winston Churchill is found not guilty of criminal damage
A pro-Palestine activist who spray-painted slogans including “Zionist war criminal” on the statue of Sir Winston Churchill in Parliament Square has been cleared of criminal damage by a jury. Olax Outis, also known as Caspar San Giorgi, 39, a Dutch national, had argued he did not believe he had committed a crime because he was…
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Colombian ex-foreign minister charged over nanny’s lie detector test
Colombian prosecutors have charged former foreign minister Laura Sarabia with abusing her power after she had her nanny subjected to a lie detector test over allegedly missing cash. The case, which first emerged in 2023 when Sarabia was chief of staff to President Gustavo Petro, has followed her through a series of senior government roles…
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Gov.uk still struggling with IT contractor tax rules
UK government departments continue to struggle with applying IR35 tax rules for contractors, with the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) still working through a lengthy review of its off-payroll worker assessments for a second consecutive year. The persistent difficulties highlight ongoing weaknesses in how central government implements tax legislation it expects private businesses to…
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US war with Iran has caused a ‘munitions shortfall’ despite Trump’s claims and cost $33.4billion by June 30, defence officials confirm
The Pentagon has acknowledged a “munitions shortfall” resulting from the US-Israeli war against Iran, contradicting President Trump’s repeated claims that American weapons stockpiles remain fully replenished. A report presented to Congress found the campaign, codenamed Operation Epic Fury, had cost an estimated $33.4billion by 30 June, with officials warning of inventory gaps and bottlenecks in…
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Burnham faces Trump clash as ministers vow to ‘heed’ AI threat warnings… but President brands them a ‘hoax’
Andy Burnham’s Labour colleagues face a diplomatic clash with Donald Trump after ministers pledged to take AI safety warnings seriously, directly contradicting the US president’s dismissal of such concerns as a “hoax”. Business Secretary Jonathan Reynolds and de facto deputy PM Louise Haigh have signalled the UK will heed expert warnings on AI risks and…
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Denmark says Russian warship fired flares at military helicopter
Denmark has accused a Russian warship of firing two emergency flares at one of its military helicopters in the Baltic Sea, summoning the Russian ambassador and prompting Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen to condemn the “reckless” act as an attempt to “intimidate and divide”. The incident occurred as tensions remain elevated on Nato’s eastern flank, coinciding…
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Democrats say supreme court rejection of Trump mail ballot restrictions will ensure ‘safe, secure and accurate elections’ – US politics live
The US Supreme Court has rejected Donald Trump’s executive order seeking to restrict mail-in voting ahead of the midterm elections, prompting Democrats to say the ruling protects “safe, secure and accurate elections.” Trump reacted furiously, branding mail-in voting “a laughing stock” globally and accusing the justices he appointed—Neil Gorsuch, Brett Kavanaugh and Amy Coney Barrett—of…
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China’s spy chief warns AI could bring an end to Communist party rule
China’s Minister of State Security, Chen Yixin, has issued a stark warning that artificial intelligence poses a serious threat to national security and could ultimately endanger Communist Party rule. In an article for state-run magazine China Cyberspace, he accused “hostile forces” of using generative AI to spread political rumours and wage “cognitive warfare” against China,…
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Louise Haigh: UK must heed warnings from AI experts
The UK’s first secretary, Louise Haigh, has told ministers to “heed the warnings” from AI industry leaders about potential threats, as pressure builds on the prime minister to use next year’s UK-hosted G20 summit to drive global regulation of the technology. Speaking at the TUC conference, Haigh said AI had huge potential to improve public…
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Farage says a Reform UK government would stop unions funding Labour if they block £72m donations – UK politics live
Nigel Farage has warned that a future Reform UK government would prevent trade unions from funding the Labour Party if unions succeed in pushing through a cap on political donations, after his own party received an unprecedented £72m from two donors. Trade unions responded with a joint statement stopping short of backing an outright cap…