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Aug 18 2024

British diplomat resigns over claims UK ‘may be complicit in war crimes’ with Israel arms sales | World News

A British diplomat has resigned over claims continued arm sales to Israel could be making the UK “complicit in war crimes”.

Mark Smith, who worked as second secretary in the British embassy in Ireland, shared his resignation letter online.

In it, he says: “Each day we witness clear and unquestionable examples of war crimes and breaches of international humanitarian law in Gaza perpetuated by the state of Israel.”

He adds that “senior members of the Israeli government and military have expressed open genocidal intent” and “Israeli soldiers take videos deliberately burning, destroying and looting civilian property”.

As a result, he writes: “It is with sadness that I resign after a long career in the diplomatic service, however I can no longer carry out my duties in the knowledge that this Department may be complicit in war crimes.”

Israel denies any breach of international law and describes its operations in Gaza as a “just war” in response to Hamas’s 7 October attack.

The International Criminal Court (ICC) has put out an arrest warrant for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu over allegations of war crimes.

Mr Netanyahu, who is facing criticism within Israel for his handling of the remaining hostages in Gaza, said he “rejects with disgust” the accusations.

“No pressure and no decision in any international forum will prevent us from striking those who seek to destroy us,” he has said.

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Mr Smith claims he used to preside over the arms export licensing assessment in the Middle East and North African Department, which he says makes him a “subject matter expert”.

“There is no justification for the UK’s continued arms sales to Israel and yet somehow it continues,” he writes.

“I have raised this at every level in the organisation including through an official whistleblowing investigation and received nothing more than ‘thank you we have noted your concern’.

“Ministers claim the UK has one of the most ‘robust and transparent’ arms export licensing regimes in the world, however this is the opposite of the truth.”

Signing off the letter, he says: “I hope that we can look back on history and be proud.”

Since 2008, the UK has licensed arms worth more than £576m to Israel, according to analysis of government export data by the Campaign Against Arms Trade.

In June, the previous government published data on UK licences granted to Israel since 7 October 2023, revealing 42 between then and 31 May this year.

While still in opposition, now Foreign Secretary David Lammy urged the Foreign Office to publish its legal advice around whether Israel is complying with international law in Gaza.

A Foreign Commonwealth and Development Office spokesperson said: “This government is committed to upholding international law.

“We have made clear that we will not export items if they might be used to commit or facilitate a serious violation of international humanitarian law.

“There is an ongoing review process to assess whether Israel is complying with international humanitarian law, which the foreign secretary initiated on day one in office.”

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Aug 5 2024

Warning over ‘explosion’ of fake weight loss injection sales online | UK News

The National Pharmacy Association (NPA) has urged people not to buy fake weight loss injections – as shortages of Ozempic are expected to continue into next year.

The association warned of a possible “explosion in the unlicensed sale of medication online” and said people were risking their health by purchasing Ozempic and Wegovy (semaglutide) without proper checks.

Ozempic is available on the NHS for people with type two diabetes, while Wegovy can be prescribed for weight loss via specialist weight management services, with strict criteria around who can get the drugs.

But the jabs have exploded in popularity, with social media showing before and after pictures of fat loss, and some celebrities have endorsed their use.

Ozempic, made by Novo Nordisk, helps people with type two diabetes regulate their blood sugar levels but its ability to suppress appetite has also led to people using it to lose weight.

Pharmacists are seeing a shortage of the drug, fuelled by high demand – plus the fact some medics are prescribing it off-label for obese people.

This has led to a shortage for those with diabetes, while also fuelling a rise in counterfeit jabs.

Risk rising due to ‘precarious state of supply’

The NPA, which represents more than 5,000 independently-run community pharmacies, is urging patients to speak to their pharmacist or GP instead of buying medicines online from sellers who are not registered and regulated in the UK.

Nick Kaye, chairman of the NPA, said that pharmacists remain “deeply concerned”.

“Stocks of Ozempic are very depleted in community pharmacies in the UK and it is important that these remain prioritised for those in the most clinical need,” he said.

“Given the precarious state of supply of this and other vital medication, there is a much greater risk of people looking to order in supplies from disreputable online vendors.

“Wegovy stocks aren’t too bad at the moment, it’s Ozempic that is problematic.”

“We’ve been told those stocks aren’t going to come back in in 0.25(mg), 0.5mg or 1mg doses until 27 December,” he added.

“That’s the current projected date from the manufacturers themselves.

“In all of our experience, it’s much less likely to be earlier than that date and much more likely to be later.”

‘We really worry about the fakes’

People often start Ozempic on the lowest dose of 0.25mg before moving up through the levels if needed.

In January, the Department of Health and Social Care told healthcare providers not to prescribe the drugs off-label for weight loss, and said existing stock must be reserved for patients with type 2 diabetes.

It said “supply issues have been caused by an increase in demand for these products for licensed and off-label indications” and supply is “not expected to return to normal until at least the end of 2024”.

Mr Kaye added: “We really worry about the fakes within the supply chain.

“People want to access these drugs and when they can’t because they’re out of stock, they can end up going elsewhere.

“In the UK, we do have regulated and safe online supply in places.

“We’re not saying all online [sales] should be banned but we want to make sure it’s the right type of organisation and accredited.”

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Unauthorised sales ‘could be dangerous’

Mr Kaye said people can do checks to see if an online provider is registered and regulated by the General Pharmaceutical Council or Pharmaceutical Society of Northern Ireland.

The NPA also wants to see a reintroduction of rules that make it mandatory for a list of regulated online UK medicine sellers to be publicly available.

In June, the World Health Organisation issued a medical product alert over fake semaglutide stocks detected in Brazil, the UK and the US.

It said there have been increasing reports of false semaglutide since 2022.

Meanwhile, the US Food and Drug Administration has warned against people overdosing on the drugs, with reports of some people suffering severe nausea, vomiting, headache, dehydration, pancreatitis and gallstones.

A Department of Health and Social Care spokesman said: “We strongly advise the public not to buy regulated medicines from unauthorised online retailers or beauty salons as they could be dangerous.

“The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency continuously works to identify those unlawfully trading in medicines and will use its powers to take appropriate enforcement action, including, where necessary, prosecuting those who put people’s health at risk.

“Separately, we are taking action to tackle the obesity crisis head on – shifting our focus from treatment to prevention – which will ease the strain on the NHS and helping people to live well for longer.”

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Apr 4 2024

Civil servants threaten to stop work over arms sales to Israel | Politics News

Civil servants overseeing arms exports to Israel have requested to “cease work immediately” over fears they could be complicit in war crimes in Gaza.

Officials in the Department for Business and Trade (DBT) have raised concerns with senior civil servants that they may be liable if it is deemed Israel has broken international law.

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In correspondence seen by Sky News, the Public and Commercial Services Union (PCS), which represents civil servants, has requested an urgent meeting with the department to discuss “the legal jeopardy faced by civil servants who are continuing to work on this policy”.

The letter, sent on Wednesday, said: “Given the implications for our members we believe there are ample grounds to immediately suspend all such work.

“We therefore request that you meet with us urgently to discuss this matter and cease work immediately.”

The correspondence shows the PCS has been asking the government for its legal advice on arming Israel since January, when a preliminary ruling from the International Court of Justice (ICJ) found Israel’s acts in Gaza could amount to genocide.

A response to the union dated 13 March said “the question of criminal liability for civil servants is very unlikely to arise”.

However, the department said it can’t share the legal advice it is receiving as it is “confidential”.

Labour MP John McDonnell, a founding member of the PCS union group in parliament, said the government must “come clean”.

He told Sky News: “These civil servants should not be put at risk. The Rome Statute covering war crimes is clear that following a superior’s instructions is not a defence when it comes to charges of war crimes. The government must come clean on the legal advice they have.”

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has come under growing pressure to suspend arms sales to Israel after three British aid workers were killed in an airstrike on Monday.

Last night, a letter signed by more than 600 lawyers, including former Supreme Court justices, warned the UK is breaching international law by continuing to arm Israel.

The government does not directly supply Israel with weapons, but does grant export licences for British companies to sell arms to the country.

The US remains by far the largest supplier of weapons to Israel, with Foreign Office minister Andrew Mitchell recently telling MPs that UK exports accounted for just 0.02% of Israel’s military imports.

There has been pressure within the Conservative Party to end exports – with MPs Flick Drummond, David Jones and Paul Bristow urging the government to reconsider.

The Lib Dems, the SNP and dozens of Labour MPs also want arms sales to be suspended, although the Labour leadership’s position is the government should publish its legal advice and suspend arms sales if there is a risk weapons could be used in “a serious breach of international humanitarian law”.

A government spokesperson said: “We keep advice on Israel’s adherence to International Humanitarian Law under review and will act in accordance with that advice.

“All export licence applications are assessed on a case-by-case basis against the Strategic Export Licensing Criteria.”

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Mar 22 2024

Retail sales flatline as wet weather dampens demand | Business News

Retail sales flatlined in February as “extremely” wet weather put off shoppers from heading to the high street.

There was 0% growth in the sector last month, according to new figures from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) on Friday.

It said a good performance for clothes shops and department stores was offset by falls in food and fuel sales, possibly because of rising prices at the pumps.

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However, it appears the weather also had a major impact as consumers also shunned in-person stores in favour of online shopping.

February was one of the wettest since records began, with the south of England experiencing more than twice the level of average rainfall.

Heather Bovill, deputy director for surveys and economic indicators at the ONS, said: “Many shops told us that an extremely wet February reduced in-store sales.

“But, with people staying indoors, we saw a boost of 2.1% in the amount spent online.”

February’s figure was better than the -0.3% growth predicted by economists in a Reuters poll.

It also comes following a surprise, better-than-expected increase in retail sales in January.

The ONS said on Friday it had revised January’s figure from 3.4% to 3.6%.

Shoppers ‘still hesitant’

Kris Hamer, director of insight at the British Retail Consortium (BRC), said the wet weather had “dampened demand and depressed footfall”.

He added: “This was felt most in the more high-ticket categories such as furniture and electricals. Meanwhile, cosmetics and toiletries continued to sell well as popular brands go from strength to strength.

“Retailers are hopeful that with warmer weather and potential interest rate cuts around the corner, consumer confidence will soon spring back.”

The BRC also renewed its call for the “next government” to “address the high and rising cost burdens that retailers face, now and in the future”.

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Lisa Hooker, leader of industry for consumer markets at PwC, said it was “little surprise that retail sales were unable to continue the momentum of the apparent bounceback witnessed in January’s numbers”.

She added: “Overall, February’s retail sales figures confirm that, despite falling inflation, a 2% cut in national insurance at the start of 2024, and improving consumer confidence in their personal finances, shoppers are still hesitant to part with their hard-earned cash.

“With inflation forecast to fall to the Bank of England’s 2% target in April, in addition to a 9.8% rise in national living wage and a further 2% cut to national insurance, retailers will be hoping that the spring brings green shoots after a challenging last 18 months.”

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Feb 7 2024

Mr Bean actor Rowan Atkinson blamed for slow electric car sales | UK News

Rowan Atkinson has been blamed for “damaging” the reputation of electric vehicles (EVs) and contributing to slow sales.

The Mr Bean actor was name-checked in the House of Lords on Tuesday during its environment and climate change committee meeting.

Thinktank Green Alliance gave its views on the main obstacles the government faces in its bid to phase out petrol and diesel cars before 2035, and said a comment piece by the Johnny English star published in June 2023 was damaging to the cause.

The pressure group told peers in a letter that was shared: “One of the most damaging articles was a comment piece written by Rowan Atkinson in The Guardian which has been roundly debunked.

“Unfortunately, fact checks never reach the same breadth of audience as the original false claim, emphasising the need to ensure high editorial standards around the net zero transition.”

The 69-year-old actor’s piece was headlined: “I love electric vehicles – and was an early adopter. But increasingly I feel duped.”

Atkinson wrote that EVs were “a bit soulless” and criticised the use of their lithium-ion batteries.

He suggested solutions like drivers keeping the same car for longer periods of time and increased use of synthetic fuel would negate the need for EVs, saying: “Increasingly, I’m feeling that our honeymoon with electric cars is coming to an end, and that’s no bad thing.”

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The actor, who described himself as a “car person” having got a degree in electrical and electronic engineering, said he advised friends to “hold fire for now” on EVs unless they have an old diesel vehicle.

The Guardian published a response the following week from Simon Evans, deputy editor and senior policy editor of climate news site Carbon Brief, which looked to debunk Atkinson’s claims.

Mr Evans wrote: “Atkinson’s biggest mistake is his failure to recognise that electric vehicles already offer significant global environmental benefits, compared with combustion-engine cars.”

Atkinson’s views were used to make a wider point about “misleading” reports stunting EV sales.

Other challenges highlighted during the committee meeting included insufficient numbers of charging points, higher prices on EVs and “a lack of clear and consistent messaging from the government”.

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Jan 19 2024

Shock fall in retail sales at COVID lockdown levels in key shopping month | Business News

There has been a shock fall in retail sales in the key December shopping period, sharpening the decline seen in recent months, official figures show.

Data from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) said sales fell an unexpected 3.2%, despite Christmas and reported discounts offered by major chains and some positive reports by major high street outfits.

Not since the middle of the COVID-19 pandemic lockdown, in January 2021, had retail sales fallen at such a level.

It has been a far worse performance than the 0.5% drop expected by economists and a reversal of the 1.3% growth seen in November when discounts got people spending.

Retail sales figures are important as household consumption is the largest expenditure across the UK economy.

The data can be indicative of overall economic growth.

The UK already had a quarter of economic contraction from July to September last year.

A second three-month period of economic decline would mean the UK is technically in recession.

A country is technically in recession after two-quarters of negative growth.

This breaking news story is being updated and more details will be published shortly.

Please refresh the page for the fullest version.

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Jan 3 2024

‘Record’ Christmas sales for supermarkets aided by promotions | Business News

Price cuts to lure shoppers helped supermarkets rake in record revenues ahead of Christmas, according to industry data.

Kantar Worldpanel, which tracks sales and prices among chains, said £13.7bn passed through tills or via websites over the four weeks to 24 December.

It took average household grocery spending to an all-time high of £477 across the month, the report said, an increase of £28 on 2022.

The research noted a 2% rise in sales volumes – a statistic that will be particularly welcomed by chains.

It said that almost a third of all spending over the four-week period was made on items with some kind of offer, up by more than £820m on the same period in 2022.

Sales by value were up 7%.

That reflected, Kantar said, the continuing influence of grocery inflation.

That declined substantially to an annual rate of 6.7% last month from 9.1% seen in November, largely due to the high volume of promotions.

There is a risk that grocery inflation ticks up slightly this month.

That is because supermarkets dramatically reversed many Christmas discounts in January last year, a factor that pushed Kantar’s inflation measure to a then record high.

Chains’ loyalty schemes and supplier pricing is currently the subject of an inquiry by the Competition and Markets Authority.

Fraser McKevitt, head of retail and consumer insight at Kantar, said: “The rate of inflation is coming down at the fastest pace we have ever recorded, but consumers are still facing pretty hefty pressures on their budgets.

“Retailers were clearly working hard during the festive period to offer best value and win over shoppers, and promotions were central to their strategy.”

Kantar, which had warned in advance of Christmas of a slight rise in the cost of a traditional dinner, said demand was strong for most staples but some items did buck the trend.

Volumes of parsnips, sprouts and potatoes were up 12%, 9% and 8% respectively, and chilled gravy up by 11%.

Festive meats including pigs in blankets, sausages, hams and turkeys were also up by 6% collectively.

However, mince pie and Christmas pudding volumes were down by 4% and 7% respectively.

While all the established chains saw sales rise, Kantar reported that Sainsbury’s outperformed in terms of growth.

Discounters Lidl and Aldi, which have already claimed record sales, enjoyed their highest ever market shares for the Christmas period.

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Nov 17 2023

Retail sales ‘at lockdown level’ as poor weather and cost of living pressures weigh | Business News

Retail sales took an unexpected fall last month, according to official figures suggesting a slump to COVID lockdown levels with only online operators seeing growth.

The Office for National Statistics (ONS) reported a 0.3% decline overall in October 2023, following a fall of 1.1% in September.

A rise in volumes of 0.3% had been expected by economists.

Sales fell 1.1% in the three months to October when compared with the previous three months, the ONS added.

Its deputy director for surveys and economic indicators, Heather Bovill, said: “Retail sales fell again in October to their lowest level since February 2021 when widespread lockdown restrictions were in place.

“After rebounding in September, fuel sales dipped with increasing prices discouraging customers, while food sales also dropped as consumers prioritised essential goods.

“It was another poor month for household goods and clothes stores with these retailers reporting that cost-of-living pressures, reduced footfall and poor weather hit them hard.

“However, it was a better month for online retailers, the only main sector to report growth in October.”

Their volumes were 0.8% higher on the previous month, the data showed.

Of the rest, the sharpest decline, of 2%, was felt by fuel retailers.

Households still have good reason to be cautious given the squeeze on their finances from energy, food, mortgages and rents.

Consumer spending accounts for 60% of the UK economy and any declines will make worrying reading for those concerned that the UK economy is at risk of recession – that’s two consecutive quarters of negative growth.

Zero growth for the third quarter of the year, in an initial reading, remains at risk of being revised down.

But there are economists and industry experts who believe that consumers are not widely in bad shape and many have been saving up to allow for greater spending during the festive season.

Pantheon Macroeconomics said of the data: “The further fall in retail sales in October, which left sales 3.9% below their 2022 average level, likely will be reversed in the coming months, due to robust growth in households’ real disposable incomes.”

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The first test of that theory will be Black Friday, which could deliver a boost to growth prospects in the current fourth quarter.

Deann Evans, managing director for Europe at ecommerce platform Shopify, said: “Retailers can be forgiven for anticipating a difficult holiday shopping season, with the latest ONS figures showing a continued slowdown in British retail sales.

“But our data suggest that many shoppers have used recent months tactically to save in preparation for the holiday season.

“In fact, over half (53%) of UK shoppers have been putting aside more money each month than they have in previous years.”

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Nov 2 2023

Glastonbury delays ticket sales after fans report registration problems | Ents & Arts News

Glastonbury ticket sales have been delayed by two weeks after some music fans reported issues with their registration, organisers have said.

The official announcement came just hours before the first batch of tickets for the 2024 festival were due to go on sale at 6pm today for the coach package.

The general admission tickets were expected to go live on Sunday morning.

Tickets will now be available to buy on Thursday 16 November for tickets plus coach and on Sunday 19 November for general admission.

A Glastonbury statement said the postponement was to ensure “everyone who would like to buy a ticket is registered and therefore eligible to purchase one”.

It said some people hoping to buy tickets for next year’s event have found out after Monday’s registration deadline that “they are no longer registered, despite believing they were”.

“Out of fairness to those individuals, we will be re-opening the window for registration at 12 noon on Monday 6 November. It will remain open until 5pm on Monday 13 November.”

Glastonbury apologised for the late change.

The festival says registration is essential to prevent touting as each ticket has the photograph of the registered ticket holder with security checks in place before entering.

Tickets are non-transferable.

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Standard tickets for the festival held at Worthy Farm in Somerset cost £355 (plus a £5 booking fee), £20 more than this year’s event.

An additional fee will be added for the coach transfer.

Next year’s music spectacle will run from 26-30 June, though the line-up is yet to be announced.

This year, the world-famous Pyramid Stage welcomed rock bands Arctic Monkeys and Guns N’ Roses, with Sir Elton John headlining the final day.

Other famous names included Royal Blood, Lil Nas X, Queens of the Stone Age, Lana Del Rey and Fatboy Slim.

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Nov 1 2023

ASOS predicts a second year of falling sales as losses widen | Business News

Shares in ASOS have fallen sharply after it forecast a second year of falling sales while reporting annual losses.

The online fashion retailer’s stock fell by more than 6% following its update to the market, which was delayed by a week due to an auditors’ request for more time.

The company has moved to turn around its fortunes under chief executive Jose Antonio Ramos Calamonte, who has been battling a decline in post-pandemic demand and historic stock woes.

Mr Calamonte, who is aiming to slash costs, reduce excess fashion volumes and refresh ranges, refused to comment when asked about a report by Sky News that ASOS was considering a sale of the Topshop brand.

“We don’t comment on rumours,” he told an analyst call.

ASOS warned historic stock problems would continue to drag on sales and profitability during its current financial year.

It forecast sales declines of between 5% and 15%.

The company reported an annual loss of £29m for the year to 3 September, with revenues down 11%.

On a statutory basis, pre-tax losses widened sharply to £297m from £32m a year earlier.

Its fortunes are in stark contrast to those of rival Next, which revealed on Wednesday morning its fourth profit upgrade in six months following a 4% rise in full price sales during its third quarter to 28 October.

Mr Calamonte told investors: “FY23 was a year of good progress for ASOS in a very challenging environment and I am proud of what the business has achieved.

“We have reduced our stock balance by c.30%, significantly improved the core profitability of the business, strengthened our balance sheet, and refreshed our leadership team.

“Encouragingly, stock that was brought in under our new commercial model over the summer months has performed strongly and this gives us the confidence to accelerate the rollout of our new processes.

“As such, we are taking decisive action in FY24 to clear stock brought in under our old model while substantially improving our speed to market and investing in our brand, reminding our customers what we’re really about: fashion.”

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AJ Bell’s investment director, Russ Mould, said of the performance however: “ASOS is battered and bruised. While the company desperately tries to talk up progress with reshaping the business, the headline numbers for its full-year results tell a different story.

“Sales are down, net debt has ballooned and pre-tax losses have got significantly worse.

“So much for ASOS being a disruptor in the fashion industry – its fifteen minutes of fame have long gone and the business is now having to rethink its strategy.”

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