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The Times •

80m sharks killed and sold as ‘mystery meat’

More sharks are being killed and sold as “mystery meat” despite the introduction of rules to protect them, researchers say.

About 80 million sharks were killed worldwide in 2019, up from 76 million in 2012, according a peer-reviewed study by American scientists, despite a ten-fold increase in regulations.

In recent years several countries have brought in rules to curb “finning” — the cutting off of the dorsal fin. The UK banned the import and export of fins last year. Finning often happens whe
The Times •

Post Office inquiry live: Fujitsu ‘truly sorry’ and will compensate postmasters

Former staff and a senior executive at Fujitsu face questions today over the Japanese firm’s role at the centre of the biggest miscarriage of justice in modern British history.

The company’s chief executive in Europe, Paul Patterson, this morning apologised over the Post Office scandal and accepted it had a moral obligation to contribute to compensation for postmasters.

Former members of the company’s fraud and litigation team, meanwhile, are also appearing before the public inquiry into the H
The Times •

Who is responsible for the Post Office scandal?

Since the rollout of the faulty Horizon system, thousands of Post Office branch managers have been wrongly accused of offences including theft and fraud.

Many of those affected have spent the past 15 years pursuing justice, having been left in financial and emotional ruin as they were forced to close the businesses they loved and were dragged through the courts. During their quest to expose the truth, campaigners repeatedly raised concerns with Post Office managers and executives, as well as go
The Times •

Cash-strapped council gave comic Simon Harris £500,000 to run Facebook page

A council paid an internet prankster nearly £500,000 to run a Facebook page during the pandemic in a bid to “engage” the local community.

Simon Harris, a self-professed “anti-Tory”, was contracted by the Conservative-controlled Essex county council to run a Facebook community group in an attempt to reach residents who had ignored previous messaging.

Harris was paid £493,000 in 34 instalments by the cash-strapped council, which announced on Tuesday that council tax was being raised by five per
The Times •

Maxwell papers shine new light on relationship with Prince Andrew

The Duke of York faces renewed questions about his relationship with Jeffrey Epstein following the release of more than ten hours of questioning of their mutual friend, Ghislaine Maxwell.

The legal depositions provide fresh insight into Prince Andrew’s relationship with the daughter of the disgraced newspaper tycoon Robert Maxwell and the paedophile for whom she has been convicted of helping to procure under-age girls.

Maxwell admits recruiting a 17-year-old masseuse at a resort owned by Donal
City News •

British Museum recovered gems to go on display for first time

Ten gems which went missing from the British Museum and recovered are being displayed for the first time in a new exhibition.

In August, the museum announced that around 2,000 artefacts were missing, stolen or damaged, and a member of staff had been sacked.

Since then, it has recovered 357 stolen artefacts from six different collectors.

Tom Harrison, keeper at the British Museum’s Department of Greece and Rome, said the recovery has been “very slow business” and “much more complicated than we
The Times •

Trio cleared of killing … then juror says she made a mistake

Three young men who celebrated being cleared of a knife killing could face a retrial because the jury forewoman accidentally gave the “wrong” verdicts.

Defence lawyers described the case at the Old Bailey as “unprecedented” and are seeking an urgent appeal to the High Court.

Paul Yusuff, 20, Matthew Yusuff, 22, and Moussa Traore, 23, were jubilant on Wednesday after being unanimously cleared of involvement in the death of Adrian Keise, 32, who was stabbed to death outside a bar near Waterloo s
City News •

Judge accused of bias after liking 'Free Palestine' post

A judge who “decided not to punish” three protesters at a pro-Palestinian protest has come under fire after appearing to support a social media post calling for a “free Palestine”.

The three protesters, 29-year-old Heba Alhayek, 26-year-old Pauline Ankunda, and 27-year-old Noimutu Olayinka Taiwo, were found guilty of a terror offence on Tuesday, for displaying paraglider images at a pro-Palestinian march in central London in October 2023.

The protest was held a week after Hamas militants had l
City News •

Cost of going green 'too high' for Londoners

Climate campaigners and activists say that going “green” is currently a “luxury” for Londoners given financial pressures.

Although nine in ten Londoners are motivated to tackle climate change, the cost of climate action is too great for most people in London.

A new poll by London Councils found that for nearly three in four Londoners the cost-of-living crisis has made it more difficult to take action.

Climate activist Mark Shayler said the cost of living crisis “has made everything harder” an
City News •

Attitudes 'must change' to tackle accommodation crisis

Campaigners told the London Assembly that lessons have not been learnt since the Grenfell Tower fire, and attitudes surrounding temporary accommodation must change.

London residents living in temporary housing said they endure rat infested and mould-ridden apartments. This is because they are afraid of being a nuisance to councils.

Kwajo Tweneboa told the Housing Committee on Wednesday that residents had to “put up and shut up” about problems.

“The thing that costs nothing is attitude and cul