The FSB charged that the diplomat had sought to gather “sensitive information” about the Russian economy in “unofficial meetings” with Russian experts, without providing further details. It said he was ordered to leave Russia within two weeks.

A spokesperson for the U.K. Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office said in a statement that “the accusations made today by Russia against our diplomats are complete nonsense.”

“Russia has pursued an increasingly aggressive and coordinated campaign of harassment against British diplomats, pumping out malicious and completely baseless accusations about their work,” the spokesperson said. “The UK does not stand for intimidation of British embassy staff and their families.”

The move marks the second expulsion of a British diplomat by Russia this year, following another such move in January that the U.K. also dismissed as “baseless.” The British government responded in February by revoking the accreditation of a Russian diplomat.

In March 2025, Moscow expelled two British diplomats based in Moscow over spying allegations that the U.K. also dismissed as false.

The post Russia has expelled a British diplomat it accuses of spying appeared first on NEWSMAN.

Newsman: Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor — formerly known as Prince Andrew and the younger brother of King Charles III — was arrested on Thursday on suspicion of misconduct in public office according to multiple news outlets in the United Kingdom.

In a statement, Thames Valley Police said they had “arrested a man in his sixties from Norfolk on suspicion of misconduct in public office and are carrying out searches at addresses in Berkshire and Norfolk.”

“The man remains in police custody at this time. We will not be naming the arrested man, as per national guidance,” the statement said.

In a statement issued on Thursday, Charles said, “I have learned with the deepest concern the news about Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor and suspicion of misconduct in public office.”

“What now follows is the full, fair and proper process by which this issue is investigated in the appropriate manner and by the appropriate authorities. In this, as I have said before, they have our full and wholehearted support and co-operation,” Charles added.

“Let me state clearly: the law must take its course. As this process continues, it would not be right for me to comment further on this matter. Meanwhile, my family and I will continue in our duty and service to you all.”

Photos from Wood Farm on the Sandringham estate in eastern England showed what appeared to be police officers arriving in several unmarked vehicles. Thursday marks Andrew’s 66th birthday.

Andrew’s arrest on Thursday follows the emergence of documents detailing communication between Andrew and the late convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.

Several emails released by the U.S. Justice Department showed Epstein’s correspondence with a Andrew’s aide David Stern and suggest the royal may have planned to use his role as a special U.K. representative for trade and investment to further his own business interests.

Documents suggest former Prince Andrew shared sensitive info with Jeffrey Epstein

The emails in question date back to 2010. Andrew served as a British trade envoy from 2001 until 2011, when Buckingham Palace announced that he would give up the role following criticism over his friendship with controversial figures, including Epstein.

Andrew has previously denied wrongdoing with respect to Epstein.

The U.K.’s Thames Valley Police said in a Feb. 19 statement that they arrested an unnamed man in his 60s and were carrying out searches at addresses in Norfolk and Berkshire, adding that an investigation has been opened. The Daily Telegraph newspaper reported that six unmarked police cars and around eight plain-clothed officers were seen arriving at Wood Farm on the Sandringham estate in Norfolk, England, where Mountbatten-Windsor recently moved.

The BBC was the first to report the development.

The former prince has faced intense scrutiny over his friendship with the late convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. Mountbatten-Windsor, 66, has denied any wrongdoing and said he regrets the friendship. He has not responded to requests for comment following the latest Epstein files published by the U.S. Justice Department.

Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor was stripped of his royal titles last year over his links to Epstein.

British police said earlier this month officers were considering allegations that King Charles III’s younger brother passed confidential government documents to Epstein.

The former Prince Andrew has been arrested on suspicion of misconduct in public life, or misconduct in public office, a U.K. common law offense involving the willful “abuse or neglect of the power or responsibilities of the public office held,” according to the U.K.’s Crown Prosecution Service. It applies to willful misconduct in and of itself, or willful neglect to perform the official’s duty, if either amounts to “an abuse of the public’s trust.”

It can carry a maximum sentence of life imprisonment.

Authorities have said they are considering allegations, suggested in the Epstein files, that Mountbatten-Windsor passed confidential government documents to Epstein.

Prince William, Princess Kate stand behind King Charles statement

Newsman:   King Charles III, who stripped Andrew of his royal title in October, is speaking out on his brother’s arrest.

He said he has “learned with the deepest concern” about the arrest, adding: “What now follows is the full, fair and proper process by which this issue is investigated in the appropriate manner and by the appropriate authorities. In this, as I have said before, they have our full and wholehearted support and co-operation.”

He continued: “Let me state clearly: the law must take its course. As this process continues, it would not be right for me to comment further on this matter.”

British Prince William, Mountbatten-Windsor’s nephew, and Princess Kate are in support of King Charles III’s earlier statement, over Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor arrest as understood.

Charles has shared his “deepest concern,” according to a statement from Buckingham Palace, adding that law enforcement has their “full and wholehearted support and co-operation.”

“The law must take its course,” he continued.

The Prince and Princess of Wales have previously spoken out, saying in early February that they have been “deeply concerned by the continuing revelations” and “their thoughts remain focused on the victims.”

Sarah Ferguson, the former Duchess of York and ex-wife of Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, has been caught in the Epstein fallout.

Ferguson’s name has apparently come up in the Epstein files, per the BBC and Sky News. In one email, she seemingly asks the financial advisor for advice on her £6m debt while he was in jail for soliciting prostitution from a minor. Other supposed emails from Ferguson see the former duchess described Epstein as a “supreme friend” and “legend,” as well as a 2010 email in which she tells him, “I am at your service. Please marry me.”

The emails are dated after Epstein’s conviction on prostitution charges. Ferguson has not been accused of any wrongdoing tied to Epstein.

Statement from Virginia Roberts Giuffre’s family

Virginia Roberts Giuffre first filed a sex-abuse lawsuit against Mountbatten-Windsor in 2021, alleging that she had been trafficked to him by Epstein three times around 2001, when she was 17. The former British royal family member settled the lawsuit in 2022, though he has vehemently denied the allegations and denied cooperating with the convicted sex offender.

Giuffre, one of the most outspoken victims of financier Jeffrey Epstein and his partner Ghislaine Maxwell, alleged she was trafficked to engage in sex with the former Prince Andrew when she was a teenager.

She died by suicide in April 2025. Her memoir “Nobody’s Girl” was released six months later.

“At last. Today, our broken hearts have been lifted at the news that no one is above the law, not even royalty,” her brothers said in a statement attributed to them and their wives.

When she first shared her story publicly to a British tabloid reporter in 2011 about how Epstein and Maxwell sexually assaulted her and trafficked her to the then Prince Andrew, politicians and businessmen, she was dismissed along with their other victims.

The full statement from Virginia Roberts Giuffre’s family reads:

“At last.

“Today, our broken hearts have been lifted at the news that no one is above the law, not even royalty.

“On behalf of our sister, Virginia Roberts Giuffre, we extend our gratitude to the UK’s Thames Valley Police for their investigation and arrest of Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor.

“He was never a prince.

“For survivors everywhere, Virginia did this for you.”

Buckingham Palace said in an Oct. 30 statement that the Andrew would be stripped of his royal style, titles and honors. He is no longer a prince and is now known as Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor.

The palace also said he would be leaving his royal residence at the Royal Lodge, instead taking residence at a property on the private Sandringham estate. The move comes three years after he was ousted as a senior royal following allegations over his connections to Epstein.

“These censures are deemed necessary, notwithstanding the fact that he continues to deny the allegations against him,” Buckingham Palace said, adding the king and queen’s “thoughts and utmost sympathies” remain with victims and survivors of abuse.

Mountbatten-Windsor reportedly got to keep one royal distinction, however. He was allowed to hang on to his Falklands War campaign medal, according to The Guardian and The Telegraph.

Newsman:Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor — formerly known as Prince Andrew and the younger brother of King Charles III — was arrested on Thursday on suspicion of misconduct in public office according to multiple news outlets in the United Kingdom.

In a statement, Thames Valley Police said they had “arrested a man in his sixties from Norfolk on suspicion of misconduct in public office and are carrying out searches at addresses in Berkshire and Norfolk.”

“The man remains in police custody at this time. We will not be naming the arrested man, as per national guidance,” the statement said.

In a statement issued on Thursday, Charles said, “I have learned with the deepest concern the news about Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor and suspicion of misconduct in public office.”

“What now follows is the full, fair and proper process by which this issue is investigated in the appropriate manner and by the appropriate authorities. In this, as I have said before, they have our full and wholehearted support and co-operation,” Charles added.

“Let me state clearly: the law must take its course. As this process continues, it would not be right for me to comment further on this matter. Meanwhile, my family and I will continue in our duty and service to you all.”

Photos from Wood Farm on the Sandringham estate in eastern England showed what appeared to be police officers arriving in several unmarked vehicles. Thursday marks Andrew’s 66th birthday.

Andrew’s arrest on Thursday follows the emergence of documents detailing communication between Andrew and the late convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.

Several emails released by the U.S. Justice Department showed Epstein’s correspondence with a Andrew’s aide David Stern and suggest the royal may have planned to use his role as a special U.K. representative for trade and investment to further his own business interests.

Documents suggest former Prince Andrew shared sensitive info with Jeffrey Epstein

The emails in question date back to 2010. Andrew served as a British trade envoy from 2001 until 2011, when Buckingham Palace announced that he would give up the role following criticism over his friendship with controversial figures, including Epstein.

Andrew has previously denied wrongdoing with respect to Epstein.

The U.K.’s Thames Valley Police said in a Feb. 19 statement that they arrested an unnamed man in his 60s and were carrying out searches at addresses in Norfolk and Berkshire, adding that an investigation has been opened. The Daily Telegraph newspaper reported that six unmarked police cars and around eight plain-clothed officers were seen arriving at Wood Farm on the Sandringham estate in Norfolk, England, where Mountbatten-Windsor recently moved.

The BBC was the first to report the development.

The former prince has faced intense scrutiny over his friendship with the late convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. Mountbatten-Windsor, 66, has denied any wrongdoing and said he regrets the friendship. He has not responded to requests for comment following the latest Epstein files published by the U.S. Justice Department.

Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor was stripped of his royal titles last year over his links to Epstein.

British police said earlier this month officers were considering allegations that King Charles III’s younger brother passed confidential government documents to Epstein.

The former Prince Andrew has been arrested on suspicion of misconduct in public life, or misconduct in public office, a U.K. common law offense involving the willful “abuse or neglect of the power or responsibilities of the public office held,” according to the U.K.’s Crown Prosecution Service. It applies to willful misconduct in and of itself, or willful neglect to perform the official’s duty, if either amounts to “an abuse of the public’s trust.”

It can carry a maximum sentence of life imprisonment.

Authorities have said they are considering allegations, suggested in the Epstein files, that Mountbatten-Windsor passed confidential government documents to Epstein.

Prince William, Princess Kate stand behind King Charles statement

Newsman:   King Charles III, who stripped Andrew of his royal title in October, is speaking out on his brother’s arrest.

He said he has “learned with the deepest concern” about the arrest, adding: “What now follows is the full, fair and proper process by which this issue is investigated in the appropriate manner and by the appropriate authorities. In this, as I have said before, they have our full and wholehearted support and co-operation.”

He continued: “Let me state clearly: the law must take its course. As this process continues, it would not be right for me to comment further on this matter.”

British Prince William, Mountbatten-Windsor’s nephew, and Princess Kate are in support of King Charles III’s earlier statement, over Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor arrest as understood.

Charles has shared his “deepest concern,” according to a statement from Buckingham Palace, adding that law enforcement has their “full and wholehearted support and co-operation.”

“The law must take its course,” he continued.

The Prince and Princess of Wales have previously spoken out, saying in early February that they have been “deeply concerned by the continuing revelations” and “their thoughts remain focused on the victims.”

Sarah Ferguson, the former Duchess of York and ex-wife of Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, has been caught in the Epstein fallout.

Ferguson’s name has apparently come up in the Epstein files, per the BBC and Sky News. In one email, she seemingly asks the financial advisor for advice on her £6m debt while he was in jail for soliciting prostitution from a minor. Other supposed emails from Ferguson see the former duchess described Epstein as a “supreme friend” and “legend,” as well as a 2010 email in which she tells him, “I am at your service. Please marry me.”

The emails are dated after Epstein’s conviction on prostitution charges. Ferguson has not been accused of any wrongdoing tied to Epstein.

Statement from Virginia Roberts Giuffre’s family

Virginia Roberts Giuffre first filed a sex-abuse lawsuit against Mountbatten-Windsor in 2021, alleging that she had been trafficked to him by Epstein three times around 2001, when she was 17. The former British royal family member settled the lawsuit in 2022, though he has vehemently denied the allegations and denied cooperating with the convicted sex offender.

Giuffre, one of the most outspoken victims of financier Jeffrey Epstein and his partner Ghislaine Maxwell, alleged she was trafficked to engage in sex with the former Prince Andrew when she was a teenager.

She died by suicide in April 2025. Her memoir “Nobody’s Girl” was released six months later.

“At last. Today, our broken hearts have been lifted at the news that no one is above the law, not even royalty,” her brothers said in a statement attributed to them and their wives.

When she first shared her story publicly to a British tabloid reporter in 2011 about how Epstein and Maxwell sexually assaulted her and trafficked her to the then Prince Andrew, politicians and businessmen, she was dismissed along with their other victims.

The full statement from Virginia Roberts Giuffre’s family reads:

“At last.

“Today, our broken hearts have been lifted at the news that no one is above the law, not even royalty.

“On behalf of our sister, Virginia Roberts Giuffre, we extend our gratitude to the UK’s Thames Valley Police for their investigation and arrest of Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor.

“He was never a prince.

“For survivors everywhere, Virginia did this for you.”

Buckingham Palace said in an Oct. 30 statement that the Andrew would be stripped of his royal style, titles and honors. He is no longer a prince and is now known as Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor.

The palace also said he would be leaving his royal residence at the Royal Lodge, instead taking residence at a property on the private Sandringham estate. The move comes three years after he was ousted as a senior royal following allegations over his connections to Epstein.

“These censures are deemed necessary, notwithstanding the fact that he continues to deny the allegations against him,” Buckingham Palace said, adding the king and queen’s “thoughts and utmost sympathies” remain with victims and survivors of abuse.

Mountbatten-Windsor reportedly got to keep one royal distinction, however. He was allowed to hang on to his Falklands War campaign medal, according to The Guardian and The Telegraph.

The post Former Prince Andrew arrested; ‘law must take its course-‘King Charles appeared first on NEWSMAN.

The raid is linked to a yearlong investigation into suspected abuse of algorithms and fraudulent data extraction by X or its executives.

However, in a statement the Paris prosecutor’s office said it was widening that investigation following complaints over the functioning of X’s artificial intelligence chatbot Grok. “At this stage, the conduct of this investigation is part of a constructive approach, with the aim of ultimately ensuring that the X platform complies with French laws, insofar as it operates on national territory,” the prosecutor’s office said.

The prosecutor’s cybercrime unit is conducting the investigation together with the French police’s own cybercrime unit and Europol, the European Union Agency for Law Enforcement Cooperation.

The Paris prosecutor’s office said it launched the investigation after being contacted by a lawmaker alleging that biased algorithms in X were likely to have distorted the operation of an automated data processing system.

The prosecutor’s office also said it was leaving the X social media platform and would communicate on LinkedIn and Instagram from now on. LinkedIn belongs to Microsoft and Instagram to Meta.

The probe will now also investigate alleged complicity in the detention and diffusion of images of a child‑pornographic nature and the violation of a person’s image rights with sexually explicit deepfakes, among other potential crimes.

Musk, and former CEO Linda Yaccarino, are summoned to a hearing on April 20. Other X staff are also summoned as witnesses.

In July, Musk denied the initial accusations and said French prosecutors were launching a “politically-motivated criminal investigation”.

The post Elon Musk summoned to Paris after cybercrime unit raids X office appeared first on NEWSMAN.

Trump, who last week ratcheted up threats to take over the self-ruling Danish territory in the Arctic, should be taken “seriously when he says that he wants Greenland,” Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen said in an interview with broadcaster TV2. 

“But I will also make it clear that if the U.S. chooses to attack another NATO country militarily, then everything stops, including NATO and thus the security that has been established since the end of the Second World War,” Frederiksen added.

Trump has long pushed for the mineral-rich island, which is largely autonomous but part of Denmark and therefore belongs to the NATO military alliance, to join the U.S., calling it a strategic necessity and refusing to rule out using force or economic coercion. 

“We need Greenland from a national security situation,” he told reporters on Air Force One on Sunday.

“We will deal with Greenland in about two months. Let’s talk about Greenland in 20 days,” he added, without giving more information about what would happen then. 

Trump’s latest remarks came after the U.S. launched strikes on Venezuela and arrested its leader, Nicolás Maduro.

The dramatic raid has raised fears in Europe that Washington could feel encouraged to annex Greenland next, with leaders from the Nordic nations to the United Kingdom pledging their support for Copenhagen and Greenland’s right to self-determination.

The post NATO is done if Trump invades Greenland, Danish PM warns appeared first on NEWSMAN.

“The Kingdom of Denmark – and thus Greenland – is part of NATO and is therefore covered by the alliance’s security guarantee,” Frederiksen said. “We already have a defense agreement between the Kingdom and the United States today that gives the United States wide access to Greenland. And we, on the part of the Kingdom, have invested significantly in security in the Arctic.”

The U.K. prime minister told broadcasters he stood with Danish PM Mette Frederiksen, who warned Sunday the United States has no right to annex the self-ruling Danish territory.

“The future of Greenland is for Greenland and the Kingdom of Denmark,” Starmer told Sky News Monday. “Denmark is a close European ally, a close NATO ally, and the future therefore has to be for Greenland [and] for the Kingdom of Denmark, and only for Greenland and the Kingdom of Denmark.”

Pushed explicitly on Frederiksen’s warning that the U.S. has no right to take over the territory, Starmer said: “I stand with her, and she’s right about the future of Greenland.”

The PM also responded “yes” to the BBC when asked if he would join the Danes in saying “hands off Greenland.”

Starmer refused to say whether Trump’s actions broke international law, arguing “it’s a complicated situation.” The “peaceful transition to democracy” should be prioritized, he said.

“I want to establish the facts first. I want to speak to President Trump. I want to speak to allies,” British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said in a statement. “I always say and believe we should all uphold international law.”

Trump has long advocated for the mineral-rich territory to become part of the United States, and on Sunday told reporters on Air Force One: “We need Greenland from a national security situation.”

The post UK backs Danish PM on Greenland appeared first on NEWSMAN.

“The Federal Council wants to ensure that any illicitly acquired assets cannot be transferred out of Switzerland in the current situation,” the government said in a press release.

The freeze does not affect members of the current Venezuelan government, the Swiss government said.

The post Switzerland freezes any assets tied to Maduro appeared first on NEWSMAN.

The Motion text said,

“That this House notes with concern that many former MPs, journalists and judges have been imprisoned without charge for over a year in Bangladesh; recalls that justice delayed is justice denied; expresses its concern that there has been a resurgence of human rights abuses by state institutions, including over 40 extrajudicial killings in the 15 months since the resignation of the previous government, as documented by the human rights organization Odhikar; and urges the interim government led by Muhammad Yunus to ensure that the rights of minorities are respected and that proper judicial process is followed.”

This motion has been signed by 13 Members. It has not yet had any amendments submitted. The signatories span Labour, Liberal Democrat, Green Party, Plaid Cymru, Conservative, SNP, and Independent MPs.

For global rights organizations, the EDM is a signal that Westminster is prepared to escalate scrutiny, and that Bangladesh’s interim government will face sustained pressure from multiple democratic capitals.

The Bangladesh interim government has often framed these abuses as “isolated incidents” or the inevitable friction of revolution. However, the data tells a different story. The US letter cites UN estimates that 1,400 people were killed during the 2024 protests.

The post UK MPs sound alarm on Yunus  govt, signed a cross-party Early Day Motion appeared first on NEWSMAN.

Russian President Vladimir Putin said Wednesday that the Oreshnik will enter combat duty this month but didn’t give any other details. Putin made the statement at a meeting with top Russian military officers, where he warned that Moscow will seek to extend its gains in Ukraine if Kyiv and its Western allies reject the Kremlin’s demands in peace talks.

President Alexander Lukashenko said the Oreshnik, an intermediate range ballistic missile system, arrived in the country on Wednesday and is entering combat duty. He didn’t say how many missiles have been deployed or give any other details. Lukashenko has earlier said that his country has several dozen Russian tactical nuclear weapons.

Russia previously has deployed tactical nuclear weapons to the territory of Belarus, whose territory it used to launch a full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. Intermediate-range missiles can fly between 500 to 5,500 kilometers (310 to 3,400 miles). Such weapons were banned under a Soviet-era treaty that Washington and Moscow abandoned in 2019.

The Russian leader has said  that Oreshnik’s multiple warheads plunge at speeds of up to Mach 10 and can’t be intercepted, and that several of them used in a conventional strike could be as devastating as a nuclear attack.

Russian state media boasted that it would take the missile only 11 minutes to reach an air base in Poland and 17 minutes to reach NATO headquarters in Brussels. There’s no way to know whether it’s carrying a nuclear or a conventional warhead before it hits the target.

Putin and Lukashenko have previously said that the Oreshnik will be deployed to Ukraine before the year’s end.

Russia first tested a conventionally armed version of the Oreshnik — Russian for hazelnut tree in November 2024, and Putin have boasted that it’s impossible to intercept.

Putin has warned   the West that Russia could use it next against allies of Kyiv that allowed it to strike inside Russia with their longer-range missiles.

While signing a security pact with Lukashenko in December 2024, Putin said that even with Russia controlling the Oreshniks, Moscow would allow Minsk to select the targets. He noted that if the missiles are used against targets closer to Belarus, they could carry a significantly heavier payload.

The post Russia deployed its latest nuclear-capable Oreshnik missile to the Belarus appeared first on NEWSMAN.

The trial in Bangladesh of the former UK City minister Tulip Siddiq has been “contrived and unfair”, leading lawyers including a former Conservative justice secretary have told Bangladesh’s ambassador before Thursday’s verdict ,’The Guardian’ said. Tulip Siddiq  denies the allegations, which she says are politically motivated.

The Labour MP for Hampstead and Highgate is the niece of Sheikh Hasina, the former prime minister of Bangladesh, who was given a death sentence last week over charges of crimes against humanity relating to last year’s crackdown on student-led protests.

Tulip Siddiq, resigned from the UK government in January, is due to receive her verdict and sentence in absentia, with the prosecution seeking a maximum life sentence term. Tulip Siddiq and tens of other individuals, including her aunt, mother, brother and sister, have been on trial in Dhaka since the start of August.

In a letter to Abida Islam, Bangladesh’s high commissioner in the UK, a group of high-profile lawyers including Robert Buckland KC, who was justice secretary under Boris Johnson, and the former Tory attorney general Dominic Grieve, suggest Siddiq has not enjoyed basic rights during her trial, including knowledge of the charges against her or access to legal representation, according to’ The Guardian.’

The group of lawyers, which also includes Cherie Blair KC, Philippe Sands KC and Geoffrey Robertson KC, further claim that a lawyer she instructed to represent her was put under house arrest and faced threats to his daughter report says.

“Such a process is artificial and a contrived and unfair way of pursuing a prosecution,” they write.

The Labour MP is accused of influencing Hasina, who was ousted as Bangladesh’s prime minister last year, to secure a plot of land in a suburb of Dhaka for her mother, who is the sister of the former prime minister.

‘The guardian’ reports, The lawyers write of their “profound concern regarding the current criminal proceedings in Bangladesh” at a time when “the leader of the interim government, chief adviser Prof Muhammad Yunus, has repeatedly espoused the importance of the rule of law and justice in Bangladesh”.

They say of Siddiq: “As she lives in the UK and is a UK national, she is plainly not a fugitive. She is an elected member of parliament, who can be contacted at the House of Commons, and indeed extradited to Bangladesh to face charges if there are proper grounds for seeking her extradition.

“Not only has Ms Siddiq not been presented with the charges and evidence against her, she has also not been able to obtain legal representation.

“A lawyer in Bangladesh she appointed to represent her was forced to stand down, reporting that he had been placed under house arrest, further informing Ms Siddiq that his daughter had been threatened.

“This accords with reports of a pattern of interference and intimidation in the legal system since the interim government took office.”

They go on to claim that the anti-corruption commission in Dhaka leading on the prosecution has joined Yunis in making “repeated comments to the media about Ms Siddiq’s culpability”.

The UK lawyers say: “We find it difficult to see how such widespread media engagement by those in power, accusing Ms Siddiq of criminal wrongdoing, can be consistent with a fair and impartial trial free from interference.

“Given all of the circumstances, we have serious concerns that the trial of Ms Siddiq in absentia is unfair, that she does not have a proper opportunity of defending herself, or indeed any opportunity at all, that she is being tried in her absence without justification and that the proceedings fall far short of standards of fairness recognized internationally.”

The lawyers call on the authorities in Bangladesh to “rectify these concerns” to allow a fair trial to proceed.

After the airing of suggestions in the media that she had improperly benefited from her aunt’s rule, Keir Starmer’s independent adviser on the ministerial code, Sir Laurie Magnus, cleared Siddiq of wrongdoing in January.

But Magnus had added that it was “regrettable that she was not more alert to the potential reputational risks” that arose from her familial ties and her Treasury role.

Siddiq resigned from her roles as economic secretary to the Treasury and City minister, saying the allegations from Bangladesh were proving a distraction for the government. Report says, Bangladeshi high commission has been contacted for comment

The post Leading lawyers condemn ‘contrived’ Bangladesh trial of former UK minister appeared first on NEWSMAN.

“I’m thrilled to announce that we have reached a breakthrough trade deal with the United Kingdom,” Trump said May 8 from the Oval Office, noting that the agreement happened to fall on “Victory Day” in celebration of the end of World War II in Europe. “There could be no more perfect morning to reach this historic agreement.”

Final details are still in the works, though U.S. stocks traded higher in the immediate hours of the news spreading of a broad deal between the two longstanding global allies. Surrounded by U.S. and UK officials who helped broker the agreement, Trump promised that their efforts would provide billions of dollars in access for U.S. agricultural products such as beef and ethanol.

“They’re opening up their country,” Trump said. “Their country is a little closed and we appreciate it.”

United Kingdom Prime Minister Keri Starmer was put on a speaker phone for the announcement and called it a “really fantastic, historic day” coinciding with the 80th anniversary of the key moment at the end of World War II.

“This is going to boost trade between and across our countries,” Starmer siad.

Trump had imposed reciprocal tariffs on a slew of countries April 2 but later paused most of them for 90 days, saying those nations’ leaders were eager to negotiate trade deals. Since then administration officials repeatedly have said they are close to making deals.

The UK wasn’t hit with a reciprocal tariff during Trump’s April roll out, but faced a 10% universal tariff and 25% tariffs that Trump imposed on foreign automobiles, steel and aluminum.

President Trump said he made a special exception for the United Kingdom by lowering auto tariffs from 25% to 10% to help high-end vehicles such as Rolls-Royce, Bentley and Jaguar vehicles that are manufactured in Britain.

“It’s a very special car, and it’s very limited number, too,” Trump said. “It’s not one of the monster car companies that makes millions of cars. They make a very small number of cars that are super luxury.”

“That’s really handmade stuff, they’ve been doing it for a long time in the same location,” he said. “So I said, ‘Let’s help the out with that one.’”

Trump said he will “rarely” make the same decision in negotiations with other countries when it comes to other foreign automobiles.

Trump says 10% tariff could still increase for other countries

Trump’s trade deal with the United Kingdom maintained a 10% universal tariff on the country.

Asked if trade deals with other countries also could result in tariffs staying at 10%, rather than the higher reciprocal tariffs the president threatened last month before pausing most of them, Trump said no.

The post Trump announces trade deal with UK appeared first on NEWSMAN.