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A multibillion-dollar money laundering network run by two Russian millionaires and used by UK drug dealers to hide criminal cash has been brought down in an international sting. The system was used by Russian-speaking hackers with millions in cryptocurrency that they needed to turn into cash and assets, as well as street gangs in Britain who had physical money they needed to launder. Irish cartel the Kinahans are also accused […]

The Prime Minister faces pressure to raise human rights issues as he meets the Emir of Qatar to agree a £1 billion investment in climate technology on Wednesday. Sir Keir Starmer is set to host Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani in Downing Street as the Emir concludes his state visit to the UK. The pair will hail a “significant milestone” in the relationship between the UK and Qatar, as […]

Up to 300,000 children in England could be missing from education, a report has suggested. Teenagers are more likely to leave the English education system, especially in Year 10 when pupils are leading up to their GCSE exams, according to the Education Policy Institute (EPI). The analysis, which compared GP registrations with school registrations and pupils registered in elective home education, estimates that up to 300,000 children may be missing […]

Drivers are set to enjoy the cheapest Christmas fuel prices since the pandemic, despite a slight rise in November, figures suggest. Petrol went up by a penny to 136.5p in November – but is still 10.5p cheaper than a year ago, according to latest data from RAC Fuel Watch. Diesel went up by 1.8p to 142.25p, but remained 12p cheaper than the same time last year. The prices take the […]

Donald Trump’s threatened tariffs could hit UK trade with the US as badly as Brexit affected trade with the EU, a leading think tank has said. In a report published on Wednesday, the Resolution Foundation said British trade since Brexit had been “a tale of two sectors”, with service exports growing strongly but goods exports stagnating. But authors Emily Fry and Sophie Hale warned that British firms faced another major […]

Government plans to boost prison capacity could fall short by thousands of cell spaces within two years and cost the taxpayer billions of pounds more than anticipated, Whitehall’s spending watchdog has warned. The National Audit Office (NAO) said current expansion plans are “insufficient to meet future demand” amid a projected shortage of 12,400 prison places by the end of 2027, with costs expected to be at least £4 billion higher […]

The Princess of Wales joined the King and her husband in welcoming the Emir of Qatar to the UK during a rare public appearance since completing her cancer treatment. Kate looked relaxed as she greeted the Gulf state leader during a ceremony of pomp and pageantry in central London, but missed a glittering state banquet held in his honour as she continues her gradual return to full duties after recovering […]

Rachel Reeves has again declined to repeat her promise not to raise taxes or borrowing in future budgets, but insisted she would not have to top up her spending plans either. Appearing at the Great Northern Conference in Hull on Tuesday, Rachel Reeves again faced pressure to repeat her pledge, given to the Confederation of British Industry last month, that there would be no repeat of the £40 billion tax […]

Two MasterChef celebrity Christmas specials have been pulled from the BBC’s schedule after Gregg Wallace stepped away from hosting the cooking show, a BBC spokesperson said. The broadcaster previously announced a Celebrity MasterChef Christmas Cook Off and a Strictly Festive Extravaganza as part of its festive schedule, both billed as hour-long programmes for BBC One and BBC iPlayer. A BBC spokesperson said: “As we have said, MasterChef is an amazing […]