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North Korea fires cruise missiles as Kim underscores nuclear ambitions

North Korea test-fired two strategic cruise missiles as leader Kim Jong Un pledged to continue ‘unlimited’ development of its nuclear stockpile, according to state media.  The launches involved cruise missiles designed to carry nuclear warheads, according to North Korea’s state-run Korean Central News Agency (KCNA). Kim promised to ‘devote all their efforts to the unlimited and sustained development of the state nuclear combat force.’ The weapons flew over the country’s west coast for close to...

Zelenskyy claims Trump said US will consider giving Ukraine decades of security guarantees

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy indicated in a post on X that Ukraine would like to have 30, 40 or even 50 years of security guarantees from the U.S. and that President Donald Trump said the U.S. will consider it. Zelenskyy met with Trump in Florida on Sunday, as his nation remains locked in a deadly, protracted war against Russia, and the U.S. administration aims to help broker peace. In a Monday post on X, the...

Trump targets ISIS in Nigeria amid warnings Sahel region is becoming ‘epicenter of terrorism’

President Donald Trump is taking action against Islamic State militants in northwest Nigeria, following through on previous threats and signing off on airstrikes targeting the group on Thursday.  While the Christmas strikes zeroed in on ISIS militants, there are a number of violent extremist organizations operating in Africa’s Sahel region, where U.S. officials claim they are continuing to grow in influence and strength as violence surges there.  The strikes conducted on Christmas occurred in Nigeria’s...

From Gaza to Iran: What’s at stake in Trump-Netanyahu Mar-a-Lago talks?

President Donald Trump is scheduled to meet with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at Mar-a-Lago on Monday afternoon, with talks expected to focus on renewed tensions with Iran and the possibility of advancing to additional stages of the Gaza peace plan. Before meeting with the president, Netanyahu is slated to meet with Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Monday morning. Dr. Dan Diker, president of the Jerusalem Center for Security and Foreign Affairs, told Fox...

Festive filers sleigh their Self Assessment returns as thousands log on over Christmas

Thousands of taxpayers chose to spend part of their Christmas break tackling their tax affairs, with more than 4,600 people filing their Self Assessment returns on Christmas Day alone, new figures show. Data released by HM Revenue and Customs reveals that 37,435 people submitted their returns between Christmas Eve and Boxing Day, suggesting that for a growing number of taxpayers, festive filing is becoming a seasonal habit. Christmas Eve proved the busiest of the three...

‘Made in Britain’ body challenges Reform UK over alleged unauthorised logo use

The manufacturing trade body Made in Britain has raised concerns over the alleged unauthorised use of a logo closely resembling its own by Reform UK. In a statement, Made in Britain said it had become aware that Reform UK was using a logo it believes to be “substantially similar” to its registered mark across marketing materials and merchandise. The organisation stressed that no authorisation, licence or consent had been granted for such use. Made in...

Workplace sickness scheme branded ‘teaspoon solution’ as experts warn government plan lacks scale

A new government scheme aimed at tackling long-term workplace sickness has been dismissed by business leaders and advisers as woefully inadequate, with critics warning it amounts to “emptying the ocean with a teaspoon”. The initiative, announced this morning by the Department for Work and Pensions, will fund occupational health training for 5,000 line managers working in small and medium-sized enterprises across England. The free training, delivered by the Institution of Occupational Safety and Health, will...

Llinkedin founder bankrolls Labour’s TikTok push against reform

The founder of LinkedIn, Reid Hoffman, is among a group of Silicon Valley investors helping to bankroll Labour’s digital push against Reform UK on TikTok, raising fresh questions about the growing role of social media influencers in British politics. Labour has appointed FourOneOne, a digital marketing agency set up by figures behind the party’s 2024 general election campaign, to provide MPs with social media training and access to influencers. The firm has been tasked with...

Ratcliffe battles to keep Ineos afloat as £18bn debt pile draws in vulture funds

Sir Jim Ratcliffe is once again fighting for survival at Ineos, as the industrial giant grapples with an £18bn debt mountain and an increasingly hostile debt market. Nervous bondholders have begun dumping Ineos debt at distressed prices amid a deep downturn in the global chemicals industry, opening the door for aggressive Wall Street hedge funds that specialise in exploiting corporate distress. Around £5bn of Ineos borrowings are now trading at levels that suggest investors are...

City set to pour billions into defence as Russia threat reshapes investment priorities

The City of London is preparing to channel significantly more capital into defence as rising geopolitical tensions, and the growing threat posed by Vladimir Putin’s Russia, force a rethink of long-held investment priorities. Almost two-thirds of senior financial services leaders expect spending on Britain’s military capabilities to increase over the next year, according to new research from KPMG. More than a quarter of respondents believe defence investment will rise “much more” in the next 12...