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Court hears civil servant allegedly held five government jobs simultaneously during pandemic
Kashim Chowdhury, 55, is accused of fraudulently obtaining pay from multiple government jobs held at the same time, a court has heard. Prosecutors say he repeatedly lied to secure the posts, and allege that the scheme went undetected for years. Jurors heard that from February 2020 to September 2023 he held eight jobs in total,…
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US inflation rose to 3.7% in September in blow to Republicans before midterms
US inflation rose to 3.7% in September, up from 3.4% in August, putting cost-of-living pressures back in focus ahead of November’s midterm elections. The report is a political challenge for Republicans, who control Congress and the White House, as voters rank the economy among their leading concerns. Energy costs drove much of the increase: petrol…
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Over 300,000 public sector staff strike across the Republic of Ireland
More than 300,000 public sector workers, including nurses, doctors, teachers and civil servants, are striking across the Republic of Ireland amid a pay dispute with the government. The action is expected to disrupt public services, with schools closed and hospital appointments cancelled, and a further 24-hour strike is planned for 21 October. The dispute follows…
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Former Deputy Prime Minister Sir Nick Clegg under pressure to publicly declare Gibraltar belongs to Britain after wife controversially claims it’s Spanish territory
Sir Nick Clegg faced calls to state his position on Gibraltar after his wife, Spanish politician Miriam González Durántez, said in a television interview that the territory was Spanish. The comments drew criticism from British politicians, who argued that Clegg should affirm Gibraltar’s status as British territory. González Durántez made the remark while promoting her…
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Burnham condemns US sanctions easing as Ukraine meeting looms
Prime Minister Andy Burnham called the US easing of sanctions on Russian diesel a “dark moment” for Ukraine and said he would try to repair relations between Donald Trump and Volodymyr Zelensky. He made the comments as he prepared to meet the Ukrainian president in Downing Street, reaffirming Britain’s support for Kyiv while taking care…
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Emails show Omar’s staff requested a change to her recorded birth year
Emails reportedly show that Ilhan Omar’s congressional staff asked Minnesota’s Legislative Reference Library in May 2019 to change her recorded birth year from 1981 to 1982. The discrepancy matters because Omar has said she obtained US citizenship through her father’s naturalisation before she turned 18; critics say a 1981 birth year would make her too…
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Trump pardons Alaska mechanics as Russia deal draws fire; Saints owner slams poor start
The US president faces bipartisan criticism over a Russian diesel import deal, while New Orleans Saints owner Gayle Benson says the team’s 1–4 start falls short of expectations. Entertainment news includes stories on The Who, Kiefer Sutherland and Isabelle Huppert’s new comedy.
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Minister says closer EU trade links could outweigh separate trade deals
Douglas Alexander said the UK could gain more from much closer trade ties with the EU than from retaining the freedom to negotiate separate trade deals. His comments suggest a shift in the government’s argument about EU relations, as Prime Minister Andy Burnham has called for serious dialogue that includes possible re-entry. Speaking from a…
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Sherrod Brown’s 1971 letter argued against releasing Vietnam War POWs, podcast hosts reveal
Hosts of the Ruthless podcast drew attention to a 1971 letter by Ohio Senate candidate Sherrod Brown opposing the release of American prisoners of war during the Vietnam War. The letter is being used in the current campaign to question Brown’s political sympathies, as Democrats see Ohio as a potential route to gaining Senate seats.…
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How the Internet Changed Everything for Independent Artists | Billboard On The Record
Molly Neuman, president of CD Baby and a former member of the punk band Bratmobile, discusses how the internet reshaped independent music with host Kristin Robinson. Digital distribution and streaming have given artists more ways to release music and greater leverage without a record label, changing how they reach listeners and build careers. Neuman contrasts…