Former Foreign Office official to give evidence in Mandelson vetting row

1 hour ago Chris Mason, Political editor and Nick Eardley, Political correspondent Getty The former lead civil servant at the Foreign Office, sacked by the prime minister and foreign secretary last week, will give his side of the story in Parliament this morning. Sir Olly Robbins, who had been the permanent under secretary at the

Madagascar arrests deepen Gen Z mistrust of regime

The arrest of several protesters in Madagascar has increased fears among young people that the military regime that took power last year after huge Gen Z demonstrations will be no better than the government it overthrew. Four Gen Z activists, Herizo Andriamanantena, Miora Rakotomalala, Dina Randrianarisoa and Nomena Ratsihorimanana, were arrested on 12 April, one

Iran Insists It Will Keep Control of Strait of Hormuz

10 hours ago Lyse Doucet Chief international correspondent, Tehran BBC "Never." That's when a senior Iranian lawmaker says they'll be ready to give up their control of the Strait of Hormuz. "It's our inalienable right," Ebrahim Azizi, a former commander in Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC), tells the BBC in Tehran. "Iran will decide

Over 1,000 Kenyan Workers Sacked After Meta Ends Contract

More than 1,000 low-paid workers in Kenya have been abruptly sacked by an outsourcing company contracted by Meta, in what activists said was a shocking move exposing the precariousness of tech jobs in the global south. Sama, a company based in Nairobi to which Meta outsourced content moderation and AI training work, announced on Thursday

Delay in Mandelson vetting disclosure alarms ministers

Reuters Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper has said she is "extremely concerned" ministers were not told sooner about issues raised in the vetting process to appoint Lord Mandelson as US ambassador. Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer is facing calls to resign from opposition parties and is due to answer questions on the scandal in Parliament on

Kenyan Outsourcer Lays Off Over 1,000 After Meta Deal Ends

More than 1,000 low-paid workers in Kenya have been abruptly sacked by an outsourcing company contracted by Meta, in what activists said was a shocking move exposing the precariousness of tech jobs in the global south. Sama, a company based in Nairobi to which Meta outsourced content moderation and AI training work, announced on Thursday

Starmer: ‘Staggering’ I Wasn’t Told Mandelson Failed Vetting

7 hours ago Jennifer McKiernan, Political reporter and Jack Fenwick, Political correspondent BBC Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer is in Paris for talks on the Iran war Sir Keir Starmer has said it's "staggering" that he, as prime minister, was not told about Lord Peter Mandelson failing to pass initial security vetting checks. The prime

Julius Malema sentenced to five years over 2018 gun firing

The South African leftwing politician Julius Malema has been sentenced to five years in prison for firing a rifle in the air at a political rally in 2018. Lawyers for the leader of the Economic Freedom Fighters, South Africa’s fourth largest political party, immediately appealed, and Malema will remain free while the appeal proceedings are

Mandelson vetting row haunts Starmer

6 hours ago Chris Mason Political editor AFP via Getty Images Sir Keir Starmer (left) and Lord Peter Mandelson The prime minister's decision to send Lord Mandelson to Washington is like a horror film for Sir Keir Starmer, stuck on repeat. The whole saga has now cost another person their job – Sir Olly Robbins

Over £1bn Pledged for Sudan as Crisis Intensifies

More than £1bn (€1.15bn) has been pledged for war-ravaged Sudan at a conference in Berlin, eclipsing the funding target organisers had set to help mitigate the world’s largest humanitarian crisis. The financial commitments made on Wednesday will also help offset a chronic humanitarian funding shortfall in a country devastated by three years of conflict, where
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