UNITED KINGDOM

Imran Ahmed and Clare Melford among five Europeans hit with visa bans over claims they wish to ‘suppress American viewpoints they oppose’This is what Sarah Rogers, the under secretary of state for public diplomacy at the US state department, said on her social media thread last night about why Imran Ahmed is being sanctioned.WE’VE SANCTIONED: Imran Ahmed, key collaborator with the Biden Administration’s effort to weaponize the government against U.S. citizens. Ahmed’s group, Center for Countering Digital Hate (CCDH), created the infamous “disinformation dozen” report, which called for platforms to deplatform twelve American “anti-vaxxers”, including now-HHS Secretary @SecKennedy. Leaked documents

Big brands such as Sainsbury’s and M&S also selling directly in app through links in videos and livestreamsIt is better known for its viral dances and for making hits out of forgotten songs, but the social media site TikTok is becoming a force to be reckoned with as a shopping platform.Major retailers such as Marks & Spencer, Samsung, QVC, Clarks, and Sainsbury’s are now selling their wares on the site’s e-commerce service, TikTok Shop, alongside more than 200,000 UK small and medium businesses. Continue reading... Source link : https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2025/dec/24/uk-small-businesses-sign-up-to-tiktok-shop Author : Sarah Marsh Consumer affairs correspondent Publish date : 2025-12-24

Introduced in response to the Bondi beach terror attack, the laws give police powers to ban on protests for up to three months after a terrorist eventTen minutes of terror: how the Bondi mass shooting unfolded in real time – videoFollow the latest live updatesThe New South Wales premier, Chris Minns, has said it is up to the state’s police commissioner, Mal Lanyon, when to activate controversial new powers to ban protests – although he made it clear he would like them triggered quickly.The new laws, were assented to on Wednesday after being passed in a late-night sitting of the

Blackstone says it has agreed to buy popular Whitsundays island from Australian winemaking familyFollow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastHamilton Island, a popular tropical holiday destination on the Great Barrier Reef, has been sold to a US private equity firm, reportedly for $1.2bn.New York-headquartered Blackstone – which owns the casino-hotel chain Crown Resorts – released a statement on Tuesday night announcing it had entered into an agreement to acquire the Hamilton Island resort from the Oatley family, subject to customary regulatory approvals. Continue reading... Source link : https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2025/dec/24/hamilton-island-great-barrier-reef-sold-blackstone