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Sep 11 2024

New York Sun owner weighs takeover bid for The Daily Telegraph | Business News

The owner of The New York Sun, a right-leaning American newspaper, is weighing a surprise bid to become the new owner of The Daily Telegraph.

Sky News has learnt that Dovid Efune, who acquired the former daily broadsheet in 2021, has expressed an interest in acquiring one of Britain’s most influential daily newspapers and its Sunday sister title.

Mr Efune, who is also chairman of The Algemeiner, a Jewish newspaper originally published in Yiddish but which now appears in English.

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Mr Efune is being advised by the boutique investment bank Liontree while on Wednesday evening, Semafor, a US news outlet, reported that he had financial backing from Oaktree and Hudson Bay Capital, as well as the family office of hedge fund manager Michael Lefell.

The Daily and Sunday Telegraph are expected to change hands for between £400m and £500m.

A deadline for formal bids has been set for September 27, with National World, the London-listed vehicle headed by David Montgomery, and Sir Paul Marshall – who this week paid £100m for The Spectator – also among the likely bidders.

Mr Efune has not been publicly linked to the process until now, although industry sources said he first began exploring an offer when the original auction of the Telegraph titles kicked off last year.

One source said a management presentation had been scheduled for him with Telegraph executives.

In an opinion article published earlier this year, Mr Efune wrote: “At the Sun, we hold the view that the opportunity remains greater than ever for any newspaper that is compiled with a view to serve the reader above all.

“In the words of Charles Dana, a newspaper “must correspond to the wants of the people. It must furnish that sort of information which the people demand, or else it can never be successful.”

The Telegraph auction is being orchestrated by advisers to RedBird IMI, the Abu Dhabi-backed entity which was thwarted in its efforts to buy the media titles by a change in ownership law.

A separate bid orchestrated by Nadhim Zahawi, the former chancellor, is the subject of bilateral discussions with IMI, the Abu Dhabi-based venture which wanted to take a controlling stake in the British media assets before being blocked by the government.

Sky News revealed exclusively last month that Sir Paul was the frontrunner to buy The Spectator, which along with the Telegraph titles was owned by the Barclay family until their respective holding companies were forced into liquidation last year.

RedBird IMI, a joint venture between IMI and the American investor RedBird, paid £600m last year to acquire a call option that was intended to convert into equity ownership.

A sale of The Spectator for £100m would leave it needing to sell the Telegraph titles for £500m to recoup that outlay in full – or more than that once RedBird IMI’s fees and costs associated with the process are taken into account.

Of the unsuccessful bidders for the Telegraph, Lord Saatchi, the former advertising mogul, offered £350m, while Mediahuis, the Belgian publisher, also failed to make it through to the next round of the auction.

Lord Rothermere, the Daily Mail proprietor, pulled out of the bidding earlier in the summer amid concerns that he would be blocked on competition grounds.

Sky News recently revealed that Mr Zahawi had sounded out Boris Johnson, the former prime minister, about an executive role with The Daily Telegraph if he succeeded in buying the newspapers.

IMI is controlled by the UAE’s deputy prime minister and ultimate owner of Manchester City Football Club, Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan.

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The Lloyds debt, which totalled more than £1.15bn, was repaid by RedBird IMI on behalf of the family.

RedBird IMI’s attempt to take ownership of the Telegraph titles and The Spectator was thwarted by the last Conservative government’s decision to change media law to prevent foreign states exerting influence over national newspapers.

RedBird IMI declined to comment, while Mr Efune has been contacted for comment.

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Sep 11 2024

Glasgow’s Gallery of Modern Art closed after man falls from balcony | UK News

An art gallery has closed its doors after a member of the public plunged from a balcony.

Emergency crews were called to Glasgow’s Gallery of Modern Art (GoMA) at around 12.30pm on Wednesday.

The Scottish Ambulance Service dispatched an ambulance, a paramedic response unit and a single trauma team to the scene after the alarm was raised.

Police Scotland said officers remain at the scene at Royal Exchange Square.

A force spokesperson added: “Enquiries are ongoing.”

The gallery closed its doors following the incident.

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Glasgow Life, which runs the city’s cultural and sports services, said the visitor attraction will reopen as normal at 10am on Thursday.

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Sep 11 2024

UK economy continued to flatline in July recording no growth as Labour came to power – ONS | Business News

There was no growth in the UK economy in July, official figures show.

It’s the second month of stagnation, the Office for National Statistics (ONS) said as GDP – the measure of everything produced in the UK – flatlined in the weeks following the election of the Labour government.

The flatline was not expected by economists, who had anticipated growth.

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Economists polled by the Reuters news agency forecast the economy would expand by 0.2%.

Some signs of growth

But there’s “longer-term strength” in the services sector meaning there was growth over the last three months as a whole and 0.5% expansion in the three months up to July.

Among the G7 group of industrialised nations, the UK had the highest growth rate for the first six months of 2024.

Why stagnation?

While there was growth in the services sector, led by computer programmers and the end of strikes in health, these gains were offset by falls for advertising companies, architects and engineers.

Manufacturing output fell overall due to “a particularly poor month for car and machinery firms”, the ONS said, while construction also declined.

What will it mean for interest rates?

Market expectations are for interest rates to remain unchanged by the Bank of England when they meet next week to consider their next move in the fight against inflation.

The central bank had raised the rate and made borrowing more expensive to reduce inflation.

A cut in November, at the next meeting of rate-setters, is expected. Rates are forecast to be brought down to 4.75% at that point.

Political reaction

In response to the figures Chancellor Rachel Reeves said:

“I am under no illusion about the scale of the challenge we face and I will be honest with the British people that change will not happen overnight. Two-quarters of positive economic growth does not make up for 14 years of stagnation.

“That is why we are taking the long-term decisions now to fix the foundations of our economy.”

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Sep 11 2024

Joint mortgages being used as ‘weapons’ for domestic abuse in ‘hidden crime’, charity warns | UK News

Joint mortgages can be used as a “weapon” by domestic abusers against their current or former partners, a charity has warned.

A report by Surviving Economic Abuse (SEA) said survivors of domestic abuse have been left with mortgage arrears, low credit ratings, and housing and economic insecurity.

At times, they said abusers have made their victims homeless by refusing to pay, agreeing to new terms, or selling up a joint mortgage.

One woman told the charity she is still in a joint mortgage with her former husband despite leaving him a decade ago.

“I can’t sell the property without his permission and, at any point, he can use his position to stop me from making mortgage repayments by withholding child support payments,” she said.

“Me and my children remain trapped in a mortgage prison with no way out.”

Sam Smethers, interim chief executive of SEA, has now called for new laws to protect victims and for financial services firms to make it harder for perpetrators to use joint mortgages to cause harm.

“Mortgage abuse is a hidden crime that’s destroying the lives of hundreds of thousands of survivors,” he said.

“Right now, banks are limited in what they can do to stop abusers from causing a lifetime of debt and homelessness for survivors.

“While banks can do more to support survivors within current rules, only an urgent law change can stop abusers from destroying lives.

“We urge the government to set up an economic abuse task force to prevent abusers from weaponising joint mortgages.”

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The report – called Locked into a Mortgage, Locked out of my Home – referenced a survey by Opinium of more than 1,000 women who had a joint mortgage, carried out in the last two years.

It found 78% of women who experienced mortgage abuse from a partner felt unable to leave for fear of an unsafe living arrangement.

One in eight women – or 12% – said they experienced at least one aspect of abuse, and nearly half – 49% – said they had to cut back on essentials to cover their mortgage repayments.

Nine in 10 said their mental health suffered as a result of mortgage abuse, with 89% of respondents saying they experienced anxiety, depression, panic attacks or suicidal thoughts.

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Fiona Turner, head of vulnerability policy at UK Finance, said: “We know that more needs to be done with support from regulators and government.”

She added UK Finance has recommended mortgage lenders “review their policies to allow more flexibility when a victim-survivor is dealing with issues around an existing joint mortgage as lenders must currently show an equal responsibility to both borrowers”, and said a government task force is needed to address legal issues for lenders.

A government spokesperson said: “We recognise the devastating impact financial and economic abuse can have on victims, which is why this year we are providing £200,000 to Surviving Economic Abuse to raise awareness and support victims.

“The numbers in this report, which we are now considering, are stark and show how vital our mission to halve violence against women and girls in a decade is.”

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Sep 10 2024

King and Queen to visit Australia and Samoa – but not New Zealand | UK News

Buckingham Palace has released details of King and Queen’s tour of Australia and Samoa, but the trip will not include New Zealand.

An earlier plan to include a visit to New Zealand had to be cancelled “on doctor’s advice”, with “tough decisions” taken on the remainder of the programme for the trip, which will take place from 18-26 October.

With the King‘s ongoing cancer treatment, “subtle adjustments” have been made to the busy schedule to allow time for rest.

The King and Queen’s nine-day trip will take in Sydney, Canberra and Apia to “celebrate the best” of both Australia and Samoa.

It will be the King’s 17th official trip to Australia and his first to Samoa.

Australia will also be the first Commonwealth realm he has visited as monarch.

The couple will carry out a number of engagements, many of which will reflect their personal interests.

In Canberra, they will be welcomed to the Australian parliament by Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, who has long-standing republican views.

They will also lay a wreath at the Australian War Memorial, and visit the “For our Country” memorial, dedicated to the service of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders.

The royal couple will attend a barbeque in Sydney and visit the iconic opera house perched on the harbour.

And perhaps most poignantly the King, who revealed he had cancer in February, will meet two cancer doctors. Both are Australians of the Year who were recognised for their work on skin cancer.

Australia currently has the world’s highest rates of melanoma.

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After the Australian leg of the tour, the couple will travel to Samoa for the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting.

This will be the first time the King has attended as head of the Commonwealth, a role he took over from the late Queen Elizabeth II.

Some had questioned whether this trip would take place after the King announced his cancer diagnosis in February.

His only overseas visit since then was to Normandy in June for the D-Day commemorations.

A state banquet isn’t part of the schedule, but the King will host a black-tie and traditional dress dinner for Commonwealth leaders.

Although the King and Queen will meet members of the public, palace officials have been advised against using the term “walkabout” which has a very different meaning for indigenous Australians.

For indigenous people, a “walkabout” is a rite of passage to mark one’s shift from adolescence to adulthood.

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Sep 10 2024

Jeremy Kyle Show death: No clear link between Steve Dymond’s appearance on the show and his suicide – coroner | Ents & Arts News

There is “no clear link” between the appearance of a guest on The Jeremy Kyle Show and his suicide, a coroner has concluded.

Steve Dymond, 63, was found dead at his home in Portsmouth, Hampshire, in May 2019, seven days after taking part in the show.

Hampshire coroner Jason Pegg said there was “an absence of reliable evidence” that the events on the show directly led to his death.

He said: “Having considered the evidence carefully there is an absence of reliable evidence that demonstrates that Steven Dymond’s appearance on the Jeremy Kyle Show probably caused or contributed to his death. To do so would be speculative.

“I am not satisfied that events on Jeremy Kyle Show gave rise to a clear link that caused or contributed to the death of Steven Dymond such that I should be recording this as a contributing factor.

“Steven Dymond had a history of a diagnosed personality disorder and mental illness which presented on a number of occasions before any appearance of the Jemery Kyle Show and resulted in Steve Dymond self-harming or displaying thoughts of suicide.”

Mr Pegg also concluded there was “insufficient evidence” that Jeremy Kyle contributed to Mr Dymond’s adverse mental state.

A coroner found he had died of a combination of a morphine overdose and a heart condition.

Mr Dymond took a lie detector test for the ITV programme after being accused of cheating on his ex-fiancee Jane Callaghan. Clips from the unaired show were played during the Winchester inquest.

The Winchester inquest was told that Mr Dymond had been “booed” by the audience at the reveal of the test results, and told a researcher after filming had finished: “I wish I was dead.”

Mr Dymond was later described to the court as being left “broken” and “distraught” after appearing on the show.

Giving evidence earlier in the week, presenter Jeremy Kyle defended both his chat show and his presenting style, telling the court he neither “humiliated” or “belittled” Mr Dymond, insisting he had “de-escalated” the situation and “calmed it down”.

Clips played in court including Mr Kyle telling Mr Dymond: “Be a man, grow a pair of balls and tell her the goddam truth.”

Another featured the 59-year-old presenter asking: “Has anyone got a shovel?” as Mr Dymond attempted to explain why he had been messaging another woman.

A further clip showed Kyle saying: “The studio thought you were telling the truth, I wouldn’t trust you with a chocolate button, mate.”

Anyone feeling emotionally distressed or suicidal can call Samaritans for help on 116 123 or email jo@samaritans.org in the UK. In the US, call the Samaritans branch in your area or 1 (800) 273-TALK

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Sep 10 2024

Voter ID rules ‘discouraged’ some people from voting in general election, watchdog finds | Politics News

The requirement to bring photo identification to vote in the general election “discouraged some people” from casting their ballot, a watchdog has said.

The rule came into force in 2023 after Boris Johnson’s Conservative government introduced the new law to parliament.

But the first time the impact was tested at a general election came in July this year.

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While the Electoral Commission said “almost everyone” was able to take part “successfully”, around 16,000 people could not vote because of the ID requirement and others were put off from voting entirely.

Research carried out by the watchdog showed 0.25% of the public were turned away initially due to not having the right documents, with two-thirds of them later returning with the correct ID – but 0.08% were unable to do so.

Its polling also showed 4% of those who chose not to vote said the law was part of their reason for not participating – with those from poorer backgrounds most likely to cite not having accepted ID.

The commission’s chief executive Vijay Rangarajan said: “This was the first time all voters across the UK were required to show photographic ID at a general election, and the data shows almost everyone was able to do so successfully.

“However, our research shows that the need for ID discouraged some people from voting – and we don’t want to see any voters lose their say.

“Public awareness of the need for voter ID is high across the UK, but there are still groups of voters that are less likely to be aware of the need to show ID or that do not have an accepted form.

“Everyone eligible should have the opportunity to vote, which is why we are recommending changes that will support those who do not currently have ID and improve the accessibility of elections, while maintaining the security of the process.”

Among the recommendations suggested by the watchdog was a review of the list of accepted IDs, calling for it to include student Oyster cards and the Veteran card, as well as a review of the free voter authority certificate to see if issuing it digitally could increase take up.

The commission said it would review how its own public campaigns could offer more help to “minimise the barriers to voting”.

Labour voted against the law when it was brought into force by the Tories.

However, it has not committed to revoking it, pledging in its manifesto to instead “address the inconsistencies in voter ID rules that prevent legitimate voters from voting”.

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A spokesperson from the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government said: “The government is committed to strengthening our democracy and making sure every legitimate voter can exercise their democratic right to vote.

“The government will carefully consider the report as part of our thorough evaluation of voter ID rules, to understand how they impacted voters, before bringing forward proposals in due course.”

A Conservative Party spokesperson also defended the law, saying: “Voter identification has been tried and tested in Northern Ireland since it was introduced by the last Labour government.

“In last year’s local elections in England, 99.75% cast their vote successfully, and these new figures for the general election in Great Britain show that 99.92% did so too.

“One would expect these figures to rise further as the practice is embedded, and public awareness increases yet further.”

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Sep 10 2024

Kate’s most personal video yet shows never before seen affection and what really matters to her | UK News

It is the most personal of videos.

The Princess of Wales welcoming us into what is usually the family’s private sanctuary, filmed near their home in Norfolk to share with us another important moment for her and her family.

Her chemotherapy treatment is finished and through the video you can feel the sense of relief.

But set against the relaxed pictures of them running through the woods, playing cards with the children, or laying on the beach, there is a serious message about the personal toll this has all taken on her and the rest of the family.

Like anyone going through a traumatic health scare you get the sense the past nine months have made her re-evaluate what really matters.

We’ve always known that against the pressures to perform their royal duties, and live the most public of lives, they’ve always tried to put the children first.

Through this video you can tell her illness has only made her conviction to do that even stronger.

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And she and William are united in that. Never before have we seen such an affectionate video of the couple, cuddling into each other and William kissing her cheek.

If we were in any doubt about how much this has affected her physically and mentally, her message about returning to work makes it clear.

While she will be working from home, there will only be a handful of public appearances for the rest of 2024.

But remember even through this message she is using her platform to try to make a difference, to increase public understanding of what a cancer diagnosis can mean.

Like the King, you get the sense she feels she owes it to all those who have written to her sharing their stories to continue to share her experiences, too.

Her decision to tell us now isn’t entirely unexpected.

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With William and other members of the Royal Family returning to work last week, it was inevitable that questions would start to be asked about when we may see the princess.

They will be desperate to avoid the speculation that raged about her health in the first half of the year, a dark time for all of them.

That first video in March confirming her diagnosis was a brave move, but one that very quickly made the media trolls back off.

By allowing a camera in now and briefly welcoming us into this side of their lives, she is showing us how precious family time is to them both.

But she is also making a more subtle request – that they still need their privacy and want that to be respected as, in some ways, her recovery is only really beginning.

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Sep 9 2024

Winter fuel cut vote will test Sir Keir Starmer’s authority | Politics News

Sir Keir Starmer warned during the election campaign of the need for “tough decisions”, but carefully avoided setting out where the axe would fall.

Now it’s clear who will be losing out – starting with most pensioners losing winter fuel payments worth up to £300 – unease is bubbling under the surface.

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There is no doubt the government will win Tuesday’s vote as they have a huge majority of 174.

But the number of abstentions – or MPs who cannot face voting for it – especially if they number dozens, will test the prime minister’s authority and signal whether his backbenchers have the stomach for more of these cuts.

Over the summer, Labour MPs have seen their inboxes fill up with pensioners and their families angry that those who rely on the payments fear they will face a cold winter in hardship.

The benefit will be restricted, Chancellor Rachel Reeves announced in July, to those who claim pension credit, and no longer given to the 10 million people aged over 66 who don’t.

She told MPs at a meeting tonight that it was a difficult decision, and she “wasn’t immune to the arguments against it”, but that sticking to it was a question of economic credibility.

Government sources claimed she had won the argument that “‘no one likes it, but we have to do it”.

Pensioners, she said, could blame the Conservatives for leaving a financial black hole.

The problem is that 880,000 pensioners who are eligible for this top-up do not claim it, so they will lose out despite being the poorest – including some on just £13,000 a year.

The government has run a campaign aimed at increasing the uptake, but the payments will go straight away.

Campaigners – pensioners have vocal campaign groups on their side – also say the million or so people just above the threshold will also struggle.

Dozens of Labour MPs are weighing up whether they can vote for the measure, which will be a three-line whip. Some feel the £1.5bn saving will have a painful price.

MP for York Central Rachel Maskell, who told Sky News she would abstain, said the swift timing of the vote, and lack of assessment of its impact, has left many concerned – not just those on the left sceptical about Sir Keir’s leadership.

A House of Lords committee which scrutinises secondary legislation said it had been introduced without proper evidence of its impact.

A former member of the shadow cabinet, who will be reluctantly voting for the measure, told me he expected the chancellor to be forced to make changes in the run-up to the budget.

In an interview this weekend, Sir Keir stood firm, saying there would be no change in course – as well as further difficult decisions coming down the track.

He will head to Brighton in the morning in a big moment for an incoming Labour prime minister – addressing the Trades Union Congress (TUC) annual conference.

He will be braced for criticism, with major union leaders including Sharon Graham, general secretary of Unite, and head of the TUC, Paul Novak, piling the pressure on and saying he should U-turn.

Sir Keir knows the cut will get through parliament and has shown he can be ruthless, having withdrawn the party whip from MPs who voted to axe the two-child benefit cap.

But Labour MPs who back the measure through gritted teeth, and feel it’s had too high a price, will be harder to win over next time.

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Sep 9 2024

Steven Ling: Man who admitted rape and murder of woman he stabbed 60 times should be freed, Parole Board says | UK News

A man who admitted the rape and murder of a woman he stabbed 60 times during sex 27 years ago should be freed from prison, the Parole Board has said.

Steven Ling was jailed for life in December 1998 after admitting an attack on Joanne Tulip, 29, in Stamfordham, Northumberland.

He has been recommended for release following his fifth parole hearing.

A charge of rape was left on file during the original court case, so he is not a convicted sex offender, but in its ruling the Parole Board stated: “Mr Ling has always accepted that he raped the victim.”

His vicious murder of Ms Tulip on Christmas Day 1997 was inspired by sadism, the sentencing judge said back in 1998.

Jailing him for life at Newcastle Crown Court, Mr Justice Potts told Ling he “inflicted appalling injuries on (Ms Tulip) while you were having sexual relations with her.

The judge said he was satisfied that Ling was partly motivated by “an aspiration of sadism”, telling him he would “never be released so long as it is thought you constitute a danger to women.”

Ling, who was 23 at the time of the murder, was handed a minimum term of 20 years which was reduced to 18 years by the High Court.

At a parole hearing in July this year, two psychologists agreed that Ling should be freed from prison and spoke of his enduring “shame” about his “monstrous” past.

Ms Tulip’s mother Doreen Soulsby had branded the parole exercise a farce after it was ruled that the killer’s evidence could be given in private.

Two psychologists, identified only as A and B, recommended Ling could be released from prison on a risk management plan.

Psychologist A believed the risk Ling posed was “not imminent” and was “manageable in the community”, adding: “I believe that now means his risk is at a level where he does not need to be kept in prison anymore.”

Psychologist B told the panel: “I believe he meets the test for release and no longer needs to be detained for the protection of the public.”

The panel heard that a past risk assessment identified several factors that led to him attacking Ms Tulip which included preoccupation with sex, sexual interest in indecent exposure, capacity to use force to secure sexual gratification, entitlement towards sex, and a negative attitude towards women.

The assessment also identified issues in Ling’s own self-worth and self-esteem.

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