Ex-CNN chief fronting Abu Dhabi’s Telegraph bid accuses critics of ‘slinging mud’

James Warrington
Fri, 24 November 2023 

Jeff Zucker

The US media executive fronting an Abu Dhabi takeover of The Telegraph has promised he will guarantee editorial independence, even as he accused rivals of “slinging mud” to derail the bid.

Jeff Zucker, the former CNN chief, has emerged as a frontrunner in the race with a swoop backed by Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan, vice-president of the United Arab Emirates.

But the approach, which is funded through a £1.2bn debt deal with the Barclay family, has stoked concerns about the United Arab Emirates’ (UAE’s) record of censorship.


Mr Zucker said he would “make sure that [the Government] understand that we’re prepared to make commitments that should assuage anyone’s concerns”.

Sky News reported that the undertakings would be legally binding and would also apply to The Spectator magazine, which is also part of the planned deal.

However Mr Zucker also appeared to dismiss criticisms of the plans that have been published across Fleet Street. The plan has sparked anger among rival bidders, which include the Daily Mail publisher DMGT. Rupert Murdoch, owner of The Times, has been pursuing The Spectator.

Mr Zucker said: “There’s a reason that people are slinging mud and throwing darts – [it’s] because they want to own these assets. And they have their own media assets to try to hurt us.”

His pledges to guarantee editorial independence highlight efforts by RedBird IMI, the investment fund he leads, to calm mounting concerns over its interest in The Telegraph.

In addition to its non-democratic governance, the UAE has also come under criticism for its track record of media censorship.

Culture Secretary Lucy Frazer has said she is minded to issue a Public Interest Intervention Notice (PIIN), which would trigger regulatory scrutiny of the bid.

This would examine a review of accurate presentation of news and free expression of opinion would be maintained, as well as ensuring there is a plurality of views and owners in the media sector.

Lloyds Banking Group seized control of The Telegraph and The Spectator in June by sending in receivers after the Barclay family failed to repay debts.

Lloyds last month launched an auction run by Goldman Sachs. However, this has since been halted while the bank considers the complicated loan-based offer that would see the Barclay family repay its debt and ownership of The Telegraph immediately transferred to RedBird IMI.

US national security committee investigates Abu Dhabi investors


Michael Bow
Fri, 24 November 2023 

Abu Dhabi

US national security officials are vetting a string of takeovers by Abu Dhabi investors over fears about its close ties to China.

The Committee on Foreign Investments in the United States (CFIUS), a secretive government group which scrutinises foreign takeovers of US companies, has ramped up the number of probes into Gulf sovereign funds in recent months.

Officials are concerned that takeovers of sensitive US assets from funds in the Gulf could harm national scrutiny because of China’s growing influence in the region. China and the UAE in particular have fostered much closer relations in recent months, spooking US officials.

Deals involving Abu Dhabi funds are particularly sensitive because national security and investment decisions are made by a small band of royals, Bloomberg reported.

Takeovers by groups including the Abu Dhabi Investment Authority and Mubadala Investment Company are reportedly at the centre of the investigations.

CFIUS is already scrutinising Mubadala’s proposed $3bn (£2.4bn) takeover of US asset manager Fortress Investment Group.

Washington’s growing scepticism of the UAE has been prompted by a surge of Gulf investment into China. The region has ploughed $2.3bn into the region so far this year, up from just $100m last year, according to figures from Global SWF, cementing the burgeoning relationship.

UAE’s relations with the Biden administration have also been frayed after US spies discovered China was secretly building a suspected military facility at a Abu Dhabi port. The plan was later abandoned after US pressure.

CFIUS has similar powers as the UK’s National Security and Investment Act. It can veto deals considered as a threat to national security.

President Biden last year ordered CFIUS to put a larger emphasis on scrutinising key technologies such as quantum computing and AI.

The Biden administration’s colder approach to UAE acquisitions stands in sharp contrast to previous UK investment policy.

The UK Office for Investment signed a deal with Mubadala Investment Company in 2021 pledging to attract £10bn of UAE investment into the UK until 2026.

Middle Eastern investors were among the most active investors globally last year, with ADIA splurging $26bn and Mubadala splashing out $11bn, according to Global SWF.

Mubadala owns UK companies such as smart metre maker Calisen, Cityfibre and software company Huboo.

The US Treasury, ADIA and Mubadala were contacted for comment.

ROFLMAO

UK

Police to hand out leaflets to pro-Palestinian demonstrators spelling out what they cannot chant

FINE THE COPPERS FOR LITTERING

Martin Evans
Fri, 24 November 2023 

Pro-Palestinian supporters will be warned how to avoid breaking the law when chanting - Paul Grover

Police will hand out thousands of leaflets to pro-Palestinian marchers this weekend, warning them what phrases and slogans they are not allowed to use.

More than 100,000 people are expected to gather in central London on Saturday in the latest demonstration against Israel’s response to the Hamas terrorist attacks.

Previous marches have been marred by criminal behaviour, with some participants seen glorifying terrorism and showing support for Hamas.


But Scotland Yard has promised a “swift and robust” response to any forms of racism, anti-Semitism, incitement to violence or support for terrorism this weekend.

Deputy Assistant Commissioner Ade Adelekan said Met officers would be lining the route of the march – which will travel from Park Lane to Whitehall – to remind people what offences “would land them in the cells”.

He said this would involve handing out leaflets which set out clearly the boundaries of what is unacceptable and illegal.

“Anyone who is racist or incites hatred against any group should expect to be arrested,” he said.
‘We will not tolerate promoting terrorism’

Mr Adelekan also said anyone who was seen to show support for Hamas or any other banned organisation should expect to be arrested.

“We will not tolerate anyone who promotes or celebrates acts of terrorism such as the killing or kidnap of innocent people,” he said.

He urged anyone taking part in the march who witnessed any form of criminality to report it to any of the police officers along the route.

“In a huge march officers cannot see everything that is going but others do. So if they do report it we will act as quickly as possible. You will see robust intervention from our officers in the event of any criminal activity this weekend.”
Police will guard the Cenotaph

Scotland Yard will have trained spotters along the route as well as Arabic translators mingling among the marchers and in the operations room to look out for any criminal acts, including hate placards, banners and clothing.

Police officers will also guard a physical barrier around the Cenotaph in Whitehall and will protect other monuments along the route.

Police will keep guard at the Cenotaph during the protest march - Shutterstock

Mr Adelekan said: “We will not tolerate criminal behaviour that disturbs the sanctity of these national monuments.”

As well as the main march organised by the Palestinian Solidarity Campaign, there will be a static protest being held at the Egyptian embassy by Hizb ut-Tahrir at which several hundred people are expected.

The police leaflets, headlined Keep On The Right Side Of The Law, advise people on conducting a peaceful protest.

They state: “To avoid ending up in our cells DON’T use words or images:

“That are racist or incite hatred against any faith.

“That support Hamas or any other banned organisation, it is illegal under UK law to support such terrorist organisations.

“That celebrate or promote acts of terrorism - such as the killing or kidnap of innocent people.”
Warning not to use flares or fireworks

The leaflet also warns protesters not to use flares or fireworks or use words or behaviour that could be considered intimidating

Protesters are told not to deface or damage monuments or statues.

The first national march against anti-Semitism is due to take place on Sunday with with concern that it might be targeted by pro-Palestinian groups.

Asked about reports that Tommy Robinson, the founder and former leader of the far-Right English Defence League, could attend the protest, Mr Adelekan said he was “not welcome” at the march and would be engaged with by officers.

Around 1,500 officers will be deployed for the protests with several hundred drafted in from other forces through mutual aid.

RED TORY

Starmer wants to water down Labour’s £28bn green pledge even more

Daniel Martin
Fri, 24 November 2023 

Sir Keir Starmer and Rachel Reeves, who was was forced to scale back the green plans in June - Stefan Rousseau/PA

Sir Keir Starmer is considering watering down Labour’s £28 billion green borrowing pledge even further as the party aims to prove to the public that it can be trusted with the economy.

Aides of the Labour leader have urged Rachel Reeves, the shadow chancellor, to cut back the green prosperity fund, under which Labour would borrow billions a year to invest in environmental jobs and industries as part of a bid to go for growth.

But in June, she was forced to scale back the plans, saying that instead of coming in at the start of a first Labour term in office, the policy would “ramp up” by the middle of the first Parliament.

Now a party source has said there is growing pressure from Sir Keir’s office to go further to reduce the cost and impact of the scheme.

Another source said it was more important to fulfil Labour’s fiscal rule that debt must be falling as a share of national income after five years. “The fiscal rule matters more, and that will dictate how much is in the green prosperity fund,” the source added.

It comes after Jeremy Hunt’s Autumn Statement projected that many key public services would face real-terms cuts after the next election – leaving Ms Reeves with difficult choices.

The Conservatives have said the fund is a key dividing line at the next election, proving that Labour is unfit to be trusted with the economy. They have called it a “debt bombshell”, with Rishi Sunak raising the issue frequently at Prime Minister’s Questions.

Some shadow cabinet members are known to have concerns about the green prosperity fund, believing Labour has not done enough to articulate what it will do with the money. Earlier this month, one was quoted as saying: “My worry is that we are going to get all the downside of this without any of the upside.”

Critics claim Labour has not said enough about what schemes the money will be spent on, and has not thought enough about how to sell the plan to the electorate.

The party had promised to spend £28 billion a year on green investment until 2030 from the first year after coming to power. In June, Ms Reeves said she had taken the decision to scale back the green prosperity fund as a result of the poor state of the economy.

She announced her decision on BBC Radio 4’s Today programme, saying Labour would “ramp up” to the annual £28 billion plan by halfway through a first Parliament. However, she said she could not have predicted the market crash caused by Liz Truss’s plans for unfunded borrowing for tax cuts last autumn.

“No plan can be built that is not a rock of economic and fiscal responsibility,” she added. “I will never play fast and loose with the public finances.”

The shadow chancellor said she was “on the same page” as Keir and Ed Miliband, the shadow energy secretary, about the need to scale back the ambition of the plan.

Mr Miliband said the delay was partly a matter of practicality because it could take some time to get supply chains ready for the £28billion of spending. He added that the party is “100 per cent not abandoning our plan”.

Energy minister says hydrogen will 'not play a major role' in heating homes in the UK

Sky News
Updated Fri, 24 November 2023 



The government has given one of its strongest indications yet that it is going cold on hydrogen for home heating.

The energy minister Lord Callanan told The Climate Show with Tom Heap: "It will not play a major role in home heating.

"There's no way that could be practically achieved".


When hydrogen burns, it gives off no carbon dioxide as it is pure h2 - there is no carbon in the molecule.

This has led to considerable interest in using it as a domestic fuel for home heating and cooking to replace natural gas which is methane, a fossil fuel that worsens climate change when it burns.

Natural gas is still the workhorse of domestic energy with roughly three-quarters of UK homes on the gas grid and many supply companies are hoping hydrogen might be close to a 'drop-in replacement' for their current fuel.

But opposition has been mounting.

Many scientists point out that it takes enormous amounts of electricity to make clean green hydrogen, and it would be much more efficient to use that electricity directly in our homes to run heat pumps.

Read more from Sky News:
Investigation launched into Worcester Bosch over hydrogen marketing concerns
Potentially misleading boiler marketing over the use of hydrogen removed

The National Infrastructure Commission, the body created by the government to advise on critical fabric for the nation's economy, has said there is "no public policy case for hydrogen" in domestic heating.

Lord Martin Callanan said: "It is clear that the vast majority of decarbonisation of home heating in the UK will be electrification.

"If we have hydrogen production locally it might play a small role in some localised areas".

One of those areas could be the Yorkshire coastal town of Redcar, where a pilot project is proposed to swap natural gas for hydrogen and force people to choose between that or a heat pump.

But there is considerable local opposition, with residents questioning the safety of hydrogen and resenting the imposition of a change to their home heating.

Locals have already rejected a similar hydrogen village idea close to Ellesmere Port in Cheshire.

However, some gas companies are still insisting there is a role for hydrogen.

Click to subscribe to ClimateCast with Tom Heap wherever you get your podcasts

Tim Harwood is Hydrogen Programme Director for the supply company Northern Gas, and they are backing the Redcar trial.

"We're doing this project to demonstrate we can convert the gas network over to hydrogen.

"We can do it safely and we can provide resilience…and customers like it as it doesn't change their lifestyle very much as it is similar to using natural gas."

Whether the Redcar hydrogen trial will go ahead is still up in the air, with the government promising a decision before the end of the year.

But overall they seem to be pushing new hydrogen towards industry and away from our homes.

Texas Republicans take aim at climate change -- in textbooks


Moises AVILA with Ulysse BELLIER in Washington
Fri, 24 November 2023 

The oil well in this 2015 file photo from Garden City, Texas, produces about 55-70 barrels of oil per day (SPENCER PLATT)

The scorching summer in Texas this year was the second hottest on record -- but students in the southwestern US state might have a hard time understanding why.

That's because a slew of science textbooks submitted to the state Board of Education (BOE) were rejected last week, as the Republican-dominated body moves to curtail education materials deemed too "one-sided" on climate change.

Many of the rejected books taught that "humans are negatively impacting the environment. And the scare tactics that come with that, that is my main issue," Evelyn Brooks, a Republican board member, told AFP.


She claimed, counter to scientists and the federal government, that "the science is not settled on global warming."

America's decentralized education system leaves curriculum management mostly up to individual states, with local school districts also having a degree of autonomy.

That has led to fraught battles across the country as each jurisdiction debates how to teach climate change and other politically charged issues, such as racism and sexuality.

It also leaves room for officials like Brooks in Texas, which produces 42 percent of the nation's crude oil, to push back against the "political ideology" of climate change -- a concept she considers "a blatant lie."

- Increasingly polarized -

Science textbooks from publisher Green Ninja were among those voted down by the Texas BOE.

"It was because of our inclusion of climate change," director Eugene Cordero told AFP in an email, adding that one board member took particular issue with a prompt asking students to "create a story warning friends and family about possible future weather and climate extremes."

Textbooks from eight of 22 publishers that submitted materials to the board were rejected last week, according to a count from Glenn Branch, deputy director of the National Center for Science Education (NCSE), a nonprofit which promotes the teaching of climate change.

Some were eventually accepted, after revisions to sections on climate change and evolution -- another controversial subject in the largely Christian Texas.

The rejected books are not necessarily banned from classrooms, but using approved books is typically tied to getting government funding.

As broiling summers are supercharged by climate change, some fear that students won't see the bigger picture.

"If kids don't understand what all of that means, and they're just going to continue to perpetuate the problem," said Marisa Perez-Dias, one of five Democratic members of the board.

Staci Childs, another Democratic board member, charged that some of her colleagues "felt like some of the materials negatively reflected how oil and gas impacts our society."

In a show of just how powerful the industry is in Texas -- even as the state becomes a growing hub for renewables -- two of the 10 Republican members work directly for the sector.

Though the state has long been conservative, debate seems to have gotten more polarized recently, Perez-Diaz told AFP.

Where previously a consensus "could be met across party lines before, we don't see that as much anymore."

- Getting better? -

In neighboring Oklahoma, the state's Energy Resources Board -- which is entirely funded by the oil and gas industry -- has distributed free education materials aligned with the sector's interests, often to underfunded schools.

Former governor Mike Huckabee, of neighboring Arkansas, has created a "Kids Guide to the Truth About Climate Change."

The monthly series of lessons, available for sale online, promises to counter an agenda on climate change "that promotes fear and panic" pushed by "teachers and the media."

Like other conservative complaints about climate change, the guides try to thread a needle -- avoiding outright climate denialism, while at the same time rejecting the leading scientific consensus.

"Everyone agrees that the Earth's climate is always changing and that industrial development has negatively impacted the environment," the curriculum reads.

"But that does not mean the planet is doomed," it says. "Some very smart people have not been able (to) predict what will happen with the earth. So we really don't know."

Earlier this year, the free-market think tank the Heartland Institute sent its own climate change-skeptical book -- which AFP factcheckers found to be misleading -- to 8,000 teachers.

Despite the setbacks in Texas, Branch, of the NCSE, says climate change education across the country "is generally improving."

"That's partly because it's starting from a very low level."

ube/nro/des

World stands on frontline of disaster at Cop28, says UN climate chief


Fiona Harvey Environment editor
Fri, 24 November 2023

Photograph: Spyros Bakalis/AFP/Getty Images

World leaders must “stop dawdling and start doing” on carbon emission cuts, as rapidly rising temperatures this year have put everyone on the frontline of disaster, the UN’s top climate official has warned.

No country could think itself immune from catastrophe, said Simon Stiell, who will oversee the crucial Cop28 climate summit that begins next week. Scores of world leaders will arrive in Dubai for tense talks on how to tackle the crisis.

“We’re used to talking about protecting people on the far-flung frontlines. We’re now at the point where we’re all on the frontline,” said Stiell, speaking exclusively to the Guardian before the summit. “Yet most governments are still strolling when they need to be sprinting.”

Global temperatures have broken new records in recent months, making this year the hottest on record, and perilously close to the threshold of 1.5C above pre-industrial levels that countries have agreed to hold to. Temperatures are now heading for a “hellish” 3C increase, unless urgent and drastic action is taken, but greenhouse gas emissions have continued to rise.

Stiell said it was still possible to cut greenhouse gas emissions enough to stay within the crucial limit, but that further delay would be dangerous.

“Every year of the baby steps we’ve been taking up to this point means that we need to be taking … bigger leaps with each following year if we are to stay in this race,” he said. “The science is absolutely clear.”

The fortnight-long Cop28 talks will start this Thursday in Dubai, hosted by the United Arab Emirates, a major oil and gas-producing country. Scores of world leaders, senior ministers and officials from 198 countries will be in attendance, along with an estimated 70,000 delegates, making it the biggest annual conference of the parties (Cop) yet held under the 1992 UN framework convention on climate change.

The UK prime minister, Rishi Sunak, is expected to attend, and King Charles will give the opening speech, along with the UN secretary general, António Guterres, and the UAE president, Mohammed bin Zayed al-Nahyan. The pope will also be there, the European Commission president, Ursula von der Leyen, and an invitation has been extended to Bashar al-Assad, the president of Syria.

The presidents of the world’s two biggest greenhouse gas emitters, Joe Biden of the US and Xi Jinping of China, are not expected to attend, but their envoys John Kerry and Xie Zhenhua have signalled their close cooperation before the talks.

Sultan Al Jaber, the chief of the UAE national oil company, Adnoc, will preside over the talks. Al Jaber has come under fierce criticism from green campaigners for his dual role, but Stiell said this was “a distraction”.

Simon Stiell. Photograph: Simon Maina/AFP/Getty Images

“This is not the first Cop to be hosted by a fossil fuel producing nation and it certainly won’t be the last. Every country, even those that are major oil producers, have their role to play,” he said. “What’s important are the messages and the signals that the incoming president is giving, and they speak to the need for urgent action and a focus on the how – how do we speed up the transition to a new decarbonised world.”

Fossil fuel executives are likely to be out in force at the summit, as they have been an increasing presence at Cops in recent years.

Stiell said: “It’s important that we recognise that the fossil fuel industry has to be part of the solution. We know where the problems lie. But in order to progress the conversation from what needs to be done to how it needs to be done, the fossil fuel industry has to be part of the conversation.”

But he insisted these companies had to show they were serious about shifting the world to a zero-carbon economy. “Their engagement in the process has to be legitimate, has to be speaking to the necessary actions that are taking the transition away from our current dependence on fossil fuels to a new decarbonised business model,” he said.

One of the key issues at Cop28 will be the provision of finance for the rescue and rehabilitation of the poorest and most vulnerable communities when they are stricken with climate disaster. The absence of this loss and damage funding has been a longstanding grievance for developing countries, but earlier this month countries agreed a blueprint for the fund.

Rich countries have yet to pledge contributions to the fund, however. Stiell called on world leaders to come with pledges. “A fund that is established without the resources capitalised won’t get us to where we need to be. That opportunity, for donors to send strong signals as to how the fund will be capitalised, and the scale of that capitalisation, is on offer at this Cop,” he said.

Governments will be presented with a global assessment of how little progress has been made on emissions cuts since the 2015 Paris agreement, and how far off track the world is to meet the Paris goal of limiting global heating to 1.5C, beyond which scientists warn the impacts of the climate crisis will rapidly become catastrophic and irreversible.

Stiell said governments must list and deploy the “solutions, solutions, solutions” that they know will be effective, such as renewable energy, electrifying transport and decarbonising the global economy. “People everywhere expect governments to put these tools at work at Cop28. Public attention will be on us, and the expectations that this Cop will speak to those solutions and the urgency of action.”

He said: “We keep talking about hope, but hope can only be established if there are signs of delivery, of action. I believe that is the signal that ordinary people struggling to deal with the consequences of climate change are expecting of world leaders here at Cop28.”

‘Any foreigner, just kill them’: How far-Right hooligans used WhatsApp to organise Dublin riots


Nick Squires
Fri, 24 November 2023

A Dublin man told members of an anti-immigration WhatsApp group to unleash violent attack 'that gets on the news'

Hours after a lone knifeman plunged his weapon into three young schoolchildren on the streets of Dublin, a call to arms was made.

A small but vocal minority took to social media to instigate the worst night of rioting the Irish capital has witnessed in decades.

Their fury was stoked by unsubstantiated online reports that the man who attacked the children was from Algeria.

The chilling aim of the riots for one so-called “patriot”: “kill all foreigners”.

“At seven o’clock, be in town. Everybody bally [balaclava] up, towel up, and any f---ing gypo, foreigner, anyone, just kill them. Just f---ing kill them. Let’s get this on the f---ing news,” a Dublin man said in a voice message to an anti-immigration WhatsApp group titled “Enough is enough”.

Over the next few hours on Thursday evening, chaos unfolded.

Riot police were attacked, vehicles set on fire and shops looted along one of Dublin’s most famous thoroughfares, O’Connell Street.

In one video clip, a group of young men wearing balaclavas and branded tracksuits entered a McDonalds and emerged moments later declaring they had stolen one of the restaurant’s charity boxes, used to collect money for a children’s hospital in the city.

Ireland’s oldest department store, Arnotts on Henry Street, was also attacked, with a gang breaking in and ransacking its shelves shortly after it had closed.

Shoplifters laughed and shouted as they carried mannequins out of the 180-year-old establishment.

The store’s chief executive said on Friday the scenes had left his staff, some of whom were reportedly still in the store at the time, “shaken”.

A FootLocker outlet on O’Connell Street was looted and remained closed yesterday, after some of its stock was stolen and its front windows were smashed.

The violent anti-immigration rioters quickly turned their ire on police, one of whom was seriously injured.

A lone, unarmed policeman was filmed being encircled and tackled by a group of young men on O’Connell Bridge.

At one point, a young man set alight a cardboard box, throwing it inside an unoccupied, parked police car, as onlookers cheered and the vehicle caught fire. Rioters fired flares and fireworks at police officers, several of whom were injured, one seriously.

As the night unfolded, images resembling a war zone emerged, as a tram and double-decker bus were set alight in the city centre.

The driver of the bus, who is from Mauritius but has lived in the country for 15 years, told Irish media that rioters had stopped the bus at traffic lights and started banging on the windscreen, telling him: “Get out of the bus or we will kill you”.

The rioting appeared to be well planned. Protesters told each other to spread out to make it harder for police to stop the rampage.

“They can’t control us all. Let’s have little groups splintering off, doing what we have to do,” said the man on the Whatsapp group.

“Let’s show the f---ing media that we are not a pushover and that no more foreigners are allowed into this poxy country. Enough is enough. This is it, the straw that broke the camel’s back. You touch our f---ing kids and these are the repercussions.”

On X, people were urged to flood the centre of Dublin to vent their fury at the attack on the schoolchildren.

“Get the train, get the bus, but most importantly, get to Dublin and stand with your fellow Irish people,” one person wrote.

Such was the extent of the violence, the Rotunda, a maternity hospital on Parnell Street, near the scene of Thursday’s stabbing, was forced to tell patients not to travel there “unless necessary”.

Protesters’ fury came even before the police had revealed the motivation of the attacker or his ethnicity. They clashed with police, yelling “get them out, get the f--- out” in apparent reference to migrants.

The hashtag #enoughisenough was trending on social media, with one man writing: “I think Ireland has had a gutful of diversity and cultural enrichment which has led to the attempted murder of three young girls in the heart of Dublin.”

The National Party, a tiny, far-Right, anti-immigration party which has no MPs in parliament, put out a message on X in which men were ordered to “man up” to “make Ireland safe for women and children”.

The message, which was viewed more than 22,000 times, said: “Are you happy to sit and watch Irish children stabbed or will you man up and fight back?”

The violence unfolded on the streets of the city as a reaction to the stabbing attack in which a man attacked three young children with a knife as they came out of their school in the heart of Dublin in the early afternoon.

One witness described the scene as “absolute bedlam”.

Another said: “The kids were out walking. All of a sudden, one of them fell to the ground, then another fell to the ground, then another falls to the ground. Then this guy started running past.”

Police initially said there was no political or terrorist motivation to the attack, but at a later briefing, the commissioner of police said that could not be ruled out.

There is speculation that the man may have suffered a psychotic episode. He is not believed to have a link to the school.

Drew Harris, the police commissioner, described the rioting as “disgraceful” and called the protesters a “complete lunatic faction driven by far-Right ideology”.

“We have seen a group of people who take literally a thimble full of facts and make a bathtub of hateful assumptions and then conduct themselves in a way which is riotous and disruptive to our society,” he added.

Thousands raised for Deliveroo driver who helped halt Dublin knife attack

Sky News
Updated Sat, 25 November 2023 



More than €285,000 (£250,000) has been raised for a Deliveroo driver who helped halt a knife attack outside a primary school in Dublin.

Brazilian delivery man Caio Benicio has been hailed a hero after he subdued the knifeman by hitting him on the head with his motorbike helmet.

Three young children and a creche worker, believed to be in her 30s, were injured in the attack in the Irish capital just after 1.30pm on Thursday.


Read more: What's going on in Dublin?

A five-year-old girl and woman remain in a serious condition in hospital, police said earlier.

Riots later broke out in the city on Thursday night in a rampage which officers blamed on a "lunatic faction driven by far-right ideology".

Police have not revealed any further details about the attacker or his motivation, but have said the incident did not appear to be terror-related.

But, in an apparent rebuff to anti-immigrant commentary online and from some rioters, an online fundraising page called "Buy Caio Benicio a pint" has gone viral and had already raised more than €280,000 (£240,000) by late on Friday night.

Many of those who have donated praised the Brazilian for his bravery.

Another appeal in aid of the victims has also raised more than €160,000 (£140,000) - with the combined total raised heading towards half a million Euros.

Read more from Sky News:
Devastated mother pays tribute to son killed in crash
Man caught trying to smuggle cocaine in dog's crate
Watchdog to probe fatal police shooting

Earlier on Friday the delivery driver described how he was travelling past the school when he saw the attacker grab a girl and take out a knife.

"When I saw the knife, I stopped my bike and I just acted by instinct," he told the PA news agency.

Mr Benicio added that he took his helmet off and hit the man in the head "with all of my power".

The father-of-two added: "I didn't even know there was more kids that were (hurt) at that time. I thought it was just one girl but afterwards I (found) out there are more people, more kids.

"I wish the family all the best. I pray for her to survive."

When asked about the riots, Mr Benicio said: "I'm here for about 20 years now, I don't know politics here deeply to have an opinion about it.

"What I can say is I know the protest is against immigrants and for me it doesn't make sense because I'm an immigrant myself and I was the one who helped out."

Taoiseach Leo Varadkar said anyone who risked their lives to save lives are "real Irish heroes, whatever their nationality", while his deputy Micheal Martin said Mr Benicio's part "should not be forgotten".

He added: "We had a horrific, violent attack on children and adults, we think of them and we think of the Deliveroo person who came along to save the situation, perhaps for other children," he said.

Police have arrested 34 people following Thursday night's violence, in which a bus, tram and police vehicles were set on fire.

More than a dozen businesses were also severely damaged or looted.

KPMG freezes pay for 12,000 employees amid market downturn


Adam Mawardi
Fri, 24 November 2023

kpmg office

KPMG has frozen the salaries for 12,000 workers across the UK as “Big Four” firms continue to grapple with the sharp slowdown in the deals market.

The accountant reportedly told staff that it will only give pay rises to those who were promoted this year.

The pay freeze hits thousands of workers who had been eligible for pay rises after moving into a higher seniority rank without receiving an official promotion.


More than half of KPMG’s partners, who were paid an average of £717,000 last year, will avoid the pay freeze as they receive a share of company profits instead of a salary.

The professional services firm, which employs 17,000 in the UK, will also slash bonuses, the Financial Times first reported.

A KPMG spokesman said: “To attract and retain the best talent, we benchmark our salaries each year to remain competitive and we continue to invest in our people. In light of softened market demand this year, any pay increases have prioritised those who have been promoted.

“We will be rewarding eligible colleagues for their efforts this year with a bonus. However, reflecting the challenging economic and market environment, this will be lower than in previous years.”

The cost-cutting measures will reportedly see those in KPMG’s tax and legal division, made up of 2,900 employees, receive only 55pc of their potential bonuses.

Bosses in KPMG’s company’s tax and legal business blamed the pay freeze on ongoing “market uncertainty” in a pre-recorded video message reportedly sent to staff earlier this month, after the division failed to meet revenue expectations for 2023.

It is understood that the pay freeze will not target the 3,000 graduates and apprentices employed by KPMG.

It comes as a slowdown in advisory work has left Big Four accountants overstaffed, with clients cancelling projects and demanding lower fees.

KPMG has already begun cutting hundreds of jobs in its UK deal-making and consulting divisions, and last month internally announced a pay freeze for advisory teams.

Meanwhile, KPMG last month unveiled plans to merge its UK consulting and deal advisory divisions to create a new practice called Advisory.

It follows similar moves by rivals Deloitte, EY and PwC, which have each launched redundancy rounds targeting hundreds of staff in their advisory and consulting businesses.

Amazon hit by 'Black Friday' strikes in Europe

AFP
Fri, 24 November 2023 

More than 1,000 workers went on strike at an Amazon hub in Coventry, England 

(Darren Staples)

Amazon was hit by strikes at various locations in Britain, Germany and Italy during the annual "Black Friday" shopping extravaganza as workers demand higher wages and better working conditions.

UNI Global Union said Amazon would face strikes and protests in more than 30 countries around the world, including the United States, as part of a "Make Amazon Pay" campaign.

"Workers know that it doesn't matter what country you're in or what your job title is. We are all united in the fight for higher wages, an end to unreasonable quotas and a voice on the job," said Christy Hoffman, general secretary of UNI Global Union.


"That's what workers in Coventry are striking for and that is why workers around the world are standing up to Make Amazon Pay," Hoffman said.

Held the day after the US Thanksgiving holiday, "Black Friday" has been increasingly adopted in Europe and beyond, with stores offering big discounts to kick off shopping for the holiday gift-giving season.

More than 1,000 workers went on strike at an Amazon hub in Coventry, England, which employs 2,300 people and supplies other warehouses, said Stuart Richards, spokesman for the GMB union.

In Germany, the industrial action called by Union Verdi began overnight Thursday, affecting five out of the US e-commerce giant's 20 logistics sites in Europe's biggest economy.

Amazon said the strikes in the UK and Germany would have no impact on customers.

Workers at the Amazon hub in Castel San Giovanni, between Piacenza and Milan, joined the strike.

Citing trade unions, Italy’s Ansa news agency reported that 60 percent of permanent employees and 50 percent of temporary workers at the site took part in Friday’s strike.

"The mood music is souring for Amazon over this important time as industrial action over pay and conditions by warehouse staff could threaten performance," said Sophie Lund-Yates, lead equity analyst at Hargreaves Lansdown.

This "will be something monitored closely by investors," she added.

- 'Turning point' -

In Britain, the GMB union said Amazon has refused to talk to the workers.

"The pressure GMB members have put on the company has led to Amazon offering pay rises across the board but what they offer is still a long way short of what workers want," Richards said.

Workers want their pay to rise from £12 ($15) per hour currently to £15 per hour.

An Amazon UK spokesman said the company regularly reviews its pay "to ensure we offer competitive wages and benefits".

He said starting pay in the UK will rise to between £12.30 and £13 per hour depending on the location, from April -- a 20-percent increase over two years and 50 percent since 2018.

In Germany, Amazon said workers already had a "fair wage and good additional benefits".

Starting wages are at 14 euros ($15.30) and above per hour, the company said, higher than Germany's minimum wage of 12 euros.

But Verdi is pushing for the company to recognise the regional collective agreements of the retail and mail order sector.

In Italy, the union complained about "unacceptable" pay increases as well as a failure by Amazon to raise the amount of meal vouchers and a lack of attention to health issues, among other reasons.

The actions in Italy coincided with a strike called across the whole of northern Italy against Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni’s budget. In Spain, one-hour work stoppages are planned for "Cyber Monday" on November 27 and the following day, according to the CCOO union, which pointed to poor working conditions and "persistent problems" with human resources at the company's Spanish sites. "Today will go down as a turning point in Amazon's history," said GMB official Amanda Gearing.

"With industrial action escalating and workers joining strike action in Europe and the USA, it's clear this strike is inspiring Amazon workers worldwide to fight to force the company to change its ways," Gearing said.

In France, there were no strikes at any Amazon facilities, according to the company.

burs/lth/rl/gv/pvh

Labour loses local London by-election as grassroots anger at Gaza ceasefire continues

Rachael Burford
Fri, 24 November 2023

Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer has attempted to play down splits in the party over Gaza (PA Wire)

Labour has suffered a surprise by-election defeat in east London as grassroots anger at Sir Keir Starmer's stance on a ceasefire in Gaza continued.

Sophia Naqvi, who quit her Labour membership last month, won the Plaistow North ward on Newham council at Thursday night's election.

She gained 46% of the vote to Labour's 27%. There are now four Independents on Newham council.

Ms Naqvi said: "A few weeks ago I was still a Labour Party member desperately trying to get our Mayor and councillors to call for a ceasefire in Gaza. The Labour leader’s disgraceful comments to LBC was for me the final straw...like many others I left the Labour Party and as a result was persuaded by Newham Independents to be their candidate in the Plaistow by-election.

"We fought a campaign on local issues. People are fed up of record council tax bills, crumbling infrastructure and the filthy state of our streets."

Ms Naqvi's win follows Newham councillor Zuber Gulamussen quitting Labour earlier this week to become an Independent.

He joined more than 60 other UK Labour councillors who have resigned over the Sir Keir's comments on the Israel - Hamas war.

Nationwide polls by YouGov show that the row has not changed the party's national vote share, with Labour about 20 points ahead of the Conservatives.

It comes as a temporary ceasefire appears to be holding in the fighting in Gaza.

Hamas pledged to free at least 50 of the estimated 240 hostages that it took on October 7, when they massacred 1,200 people in an attack targeting kibbutzim, a music festival and Israeli border guards.

Israel was expected to free 150 Palestinian prisoners, with women and children the first to come out on both sides.

Foreign Secretary Lord David Cameron will meet with Palestinian leaders and commit a further £30 million in aid for people in Gaza following the announcement.