Chinese experts, Russian drones: What the drone case reveals about supply chain blind spots
A Reuters exclusive investigation has revealed that Chinese drone specialists have been working side by side with sanctioned Russian arms manufacturer IEMZ Kupol to improve its drone fleet. The Russian company, long blacklisted by the West, has played a critical role in supplying drones for the war in Ukraine, despite supposedly being cut off from […]
Xinjiang imports: The £800m supply chain scandal Britain cannot ignore
Handbags, bras, T-shirts, tomatoes, lawn mowers: what do they have in common? All are everyday items on British shelves that might very likely trace back to forced labour camps in Xinjiang. Almost £1bn worth of goods from Xinjiang, the Chinese region synonymous with forced labour and mass human rights abuses, have entered the UK […]
Care home director fined for ignoring subject access request
It’s one of the clearest rules in data protection: when someone makes a subject access request, you respond. You don’t block, erase, or conceal the records. Yet that’s exactly what a Yorkshire care home director did, and now he’s been fined. The Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) has successfully prosecuted a care home director who […]
HMRC deals the first CCO prosecution just as ‘Failure to Prevent Fraud’ kicks in
HMRC has charged Bennett Verby Ltd, a Stockport accountancy firm, with failure to prevent the facilitation of UK tax evasion under s.45 Criminal Finances Act 2017. Six individuals, including a former director, were also charged in connection with alleged R&D tax credit repayment fraud. The defendants appeared at Manchester Crown Court on 7 August 2025; […]
Spain fights back against corruption: Will the new reforms work?
Corruption has once again been front-page news in Spain this summer. The scandals involving senior figures such as Koldo García, José Luis Ábalos and Santos Cerdán have sparked fierce debate about the state of public procurement, the role of political appointees, and whether Spain needs a new Public Integrity Agency. Will the reforms stick? […]
Britain’s big sick-out: What does record sick leave tell us about workplace wellbeing?
UK workplaces are facing a silent crisis. A new survey from the CIPD and Simplyhealth reveals that the average employee took 9.4 sick days in the past year – nearly two full working weeks. That’s a 62% increase on pre-pandemic levels, when the average was just 5.8 days. It’s the highest rate of sickness absence […]
Car giant brought to its knees: Cyberattack halts Jaguar Land Rover production
Britain’s biggest carmaker, Jaguar Land Rover (JLR), has been hit by a major cyberattack that forced it to shut down production at several UK plants and take IT systems offline worldwide. The incident, which occurred over the weekend, has “severely disrupted” JLR’s manufacturing and retail operations. The company took the precaution of pulling key […]
The FCA is tightening its grip on payment firms. What does this mean for compliance in 2026?
The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) has announced a significant shake-up to the regulations governing payment firms, aimed at improving consumer protection and safeguarding customer funds. This change comes as part of the regulator’s ongoing efforts to strengthen the financial system and ensure that businesses in the payments industry are fully accountable for how they manage […]
The Product Regulation and Metrology Act 2025 is now in force. Is your business prepared for the upcoming changes?
The Product Regulation and Metrology Act 2025 (PRMA) received Royal Assent on 21 July 2025, marking a significant shift in the UK’s approach to product safety, measurement standards, and consumer protection. This legislation provides the government with the authority to introduce detailed regulations through secondary legislation, enabling a more adaptable and responsive regulatory framework. […]
£149,000 awarded to woman after faulty LG phone battery causes fire
The Edinburgh Sheriff Court has awarded £149,000 in damages to Denise Parks after a faulty LG K8 smartphone battery caused a fire in her home, leading to injuries and property damage. The incident occurred on October 31, 2018, while Ms. Parks and her husband were asleep. The fire was traced to the LG phone, which […]