Month: October 2021

EPA US officials have met Afghanistan’s ruling Taliban for their first face-to-face talks since Washington pulled its troops from the country in August. The talks in Qatar are focusing on issues including containing extremist groups, the evacuation of US citizens and humanitarian aid, officials say. The US insists the meeting does not amount to recognition

Getty Images The government is under increasing pressure to support industries struggling with rising energy bills, as several Conservative MPs have joined Labour and industry calling for action. Business Secretary Kwasi Kwarteng met leaders from heavy industry on Friday but they failed to find any solutions. Labour has accused the government of being in denial

Liberty Steel The government has failed to find solutions to halt soaring energy prices, UK Steel boss Gareth Stace has said. He was speaking after leaders of energy-intensive industries met with Business Secretary Kwasi Kwarteng. “We can’t wait until Christmas and beyond. Or even a few weeks. We need action now, it needs to be

Getty Images Journalists Maria Ressa and Dmitry Muratov have won the Nobel Peace Prize for their “courageous fight” to defend freedom of expression in the Philippines and Russia. The committee called the pair “representatives of all journalists who stand up for this ideal”. The winners of the prestigious prize, worth 10m Swedish krona (£836,000; $1.1m),

Getty Images The number of countries on the UK Covid travel red list will be cut from 54 to seven, the government says. South Africa, Brazil and Mexico come off the red list, which requires travellers to quarantine in an approved hotel at their cost for 10 full days. Transport Secretary Grant Shapps said the

Getty Images Energy bills could rise by hundreds of pounds next year, analysts have warned. Consumers should be prepared for further volatile gas prices and more suppliers collapsing, analysts from Cornwall Insight said. The firm predicted that the energy price cap will soar by £400 in the spring. Energy regulator Ofgem said the price cap

Promoting opportunity across the UK is “our mission as Conservatives”, Boris Johnson has told his party conference. He told the audience the UK was heading towards a higher wage, higher productivity and lower tax economy. In an upbeat leader’s speech peppered with jokes, he said reducing regional inequality was the “greatest project that any government

PA Media Boris Johnson is to promise that his government will show more “guts” than any before as it works to deal with issues facing society and the economy. In his Conservative Party conference speech, the prime minister will pledge to move the entire UK towards high-wage, high-skill employment. And he will accuse previous Labour

Getty Images A former Facebook employee has told US lawmakers that the company’s sites and apps “harm children, stoke division and weaken our democracy”. Frances Haugen, a 37-year-old former product manager turned whistleblower, heavily criticised the company at a hearing on Capitol Hill. Facebook however said Ms Haugen spoke about areas she has no knowledge

The secret owners of more than 1,500 UK properties bought using offshore firms have been uncovered by a BBC investigation. The details are featured in the Pandora Papers leak of offshore financial documents and list property with an estimated value in excess of £4bn. The owners include high-profile foreign politicians, individuals accused of corruption and

The Conservative Party is facing fresh questions about donations made by the wife of a former Russian minister. Lubov Chernukhin is one of the biggest donors to the Tories, giving more than £1.8m since 2012. Leaked documents reveal her personal wealth comes from her husband Vladimir. He has been financially linked to people who were

A prominent Tory donor who contributed to Boris Johnson’s leadership campaign was involved in one of Europe’s biggest corruption scandals, a BBC investigation has discovered. Mohamed Amersi has given nearly £525,000 to the party since 2018. Leaked documents reveal how he worked on a series of controversial deals for a Swedish telecoms company that was

The secret wealth and dealings of world leaders, politicians and billionaires has been exposed in one of the biggest leaks of financial documents. Some 35 current and former leaders and more than 300 public officials are featured in the files from offshore companies, dubbed the Pandora Papers. They reveal the King of Jordan secretly amassed

EPA Boris Johnson has pledged the Conservatives will “change and improve” the economy after Covid, as the party opens its annual conference later. The PM said the country cannot “go back to how things were” before the pandemic. It comes after he accused the haulage industry of being too reliant on low-paid immigration, amid shortages

Reuters Temporary visas are to be issued to 300 overseas fuel drivers “immediately”, the government has announced. Under the bespoke scheme, those foreign drivers will be able to work in the UK from now until the end of March. Additionally, some 4,700 visas intended for foreign food haulage drivers will be extended by two months,