Banks need stricter controls to prevent romance fraud, says City regulator

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FCA cites study showing victims’ ‘red flags’ are often missed and calls for improved monitoring systems

The City regulator has called on banks and payment firms to bring in stricter controls protecting customers from romance fraud after a study showed a number of missed “red flags” that led to people losing huge sums of money.

The review by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) highlighted one case where someone lost £428,000, another where a customer made 403 payments totalling £72,000 to a fraudster and a case where someone wanted money to transfer cryptocurrency to their “partner” in Iraq.

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Ex-Trump adviser John Bolton indicted on charges of mishandling classified information

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Eighteen-count indictment handed down by federal grand jury in Maryland as US president calls former ally a ‘bad guy’

The justice department filed federal charges against John Bolton, the former national security adviser to Donald Trump who turned into one of his biggest critics, accusing him of transmitting and retaining highly classified information under the Espionage Act.

The 18-count indictment was handed up by a grand jury in federal district court in Maryland on Thursday. Bolton has been charged with sending diary entries to two unnamed individuals about his day-to-day activities when he was national security adviser, many of which contained highly classified information.

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Man accused of killing Georgina Ward in 2020 appears in Dudley court

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Daniel Birtwistle, 39, faces trial for manslaughter of 24-year-old tattoo artist and other charges including assault

A man has appeared in court charged with manslaughter, assault and coercive and controlling behaviour.

Daniel Birtwistle, 39, from Tamworth, Staffordshire, appeared by video link at Dudley magistrates court on Thursday morning, where he spoke only to confirm his name and date of birth.

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Very strong mag. 6.1 earthquake – Philippine Sea, 14 km southeast of Siargao Island, Philippines, on Thursday, Oct 16, 2025, at 11:03 pm (Universal Time) – – Volcano Discovery

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  1. Very strong mag. 6.1 earthquake - Philippine Sea, 14 km southeast of Siargao Island, Philippines, on Thursday, Oct 16, 2025, at 11:03 pm (Universal Time) -  Volcano Discovery
  2. Strong 7.4 magnitude earthquake hits southern Philippines  BBC
  3. Series of Earthquakes Strike Philippines Today—Days After Tsunami Warning  Newsweek
  4. M 7.4 - 20 km E of Santiago, Philippines  U.S. Geological Survey (.gov)
  5. Magnitude 6.1 earthquake strikes Siargao Island, Philippines at 69 km depth  Nation Thailand
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As dust settles in Gaza City amid truce, residents return to razed homes – The Times of Israel

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  1. As dust settles in Gaza City amid truce, residents return to razed homes  The Times of Israel
  2. Palestinians return to ruins where homes once stood as Israel awaits remains of hostages  PBS
  3. Photos: Ceasefire in Gaza brings reunions amid devastation : The Picture Show  NPR
  4. 'This is not Gaza': Palestinians return to war-torn neighborhoods amid fragile ceasefire  ABC News - Breaking News, Latest News and Videos
  5. Photos show Gaza’s destruction as families return to what’s left of their homes  AP News
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Sam Fender wins 2025 Mercury prize for his album People Watching

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Geordie singer-songwriter’s album reached No 1 on the UK album chart and led to a series of stadium-sized concerts this summer

Sam Fender is the winner of the 2025 Mercury prize, for his chart-topping album People Watching.

Announcing the award, Sian Eleri, BBC radio DJ and one of the judges on the judging panel, said the album was characterised by “cohesion, character and ambition. It felt like a classic album, one that will take pride of place in record collections for years to come.”

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Trump moves to push employers on IVF coverage and lower fertility drug costs

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President says plans will lead to ‘many more beautiful American children’ but unclear if companies will sign up

The Trump administration announced on Thursday that it is urging US employers to create new fertility benefit options to cover in vitro fertilization (IVF) and other infertility treatments.

In an announcement from the Oval Office, Donald Trump also said his administration had cut a deal with the drug manufacturer EMD Serono to lower the cost of one of its fertility drugs and list the drug on the government website TrumpRx.

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Israel, UK leaders slam decision to bar Maccabi Tel Aviv fans from Aston Villa match – The Times of Israel

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  1. Israel, UK leaders slam decision to bar Maccabi Tel Aviv fans from Aston Villa match  The Times of Israel
  2. No Maccabi Tel Aviv fans allowed at Aston Villa for Europa League tie  BBC
  3. The Gaza independents are showing their true faces  The Telegraph
  4. PM: 'Wrong' to bar Tel Aviv fans from Villa game  ESPN
  5. Israeli Maccabi Tel Aviv football fans barred from Europa League game in UK  Al Jazeera
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Trump says he will meet Putin again after ‘great progress’ during call – BBC

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  1. Trump says he will meet Putin again after 'great progress' during call  BBC
  2. Putin-Trump call a curveball for Zelensky ahead of White House meeting  BBC
  3. Orban to speak with Putin as Zelenskyy prepares for White House talks with Trump – Europe live  The Guardian
  4. Will Putin’s call lure Trump closer to the Kremlin?  CNN
  5. Trump says he and Putin will meet in Hungary to discuss war in Ukraine  CNBC
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Warner Bros Discovery says Israeli film boycott ‘violates our policies’

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In response to pledge, company has claimed in a statement that its policies ‘prohibit discrimination of any kind’

Warner Bros Discovery has rebuked a pledge signed by more than 4,000 film industry figures to not work with Israeli film institutions “implicated in the genocide and apartheid against the Palestinian people”, saying that such a pledge would likely violate its internal policies.

In a statement to Variety, a spokesperson said the company “is committed to fostering an inclusive and respectful environment for its employees, collaborators, and other stakeholders”.

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Russia’s War in Ukraine Is Starting to Show Cracks – National Security Journal

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  1. Russia’s War in Ukraine Is Starting to Show Cracks  National Security Journal
  2. Opinion | What if a Russian victory in Ukraine were only the beginning?  The Washington Post
  3. Why Putin and Russia May Be Running Out of Time in Ukraine  New York Magazine
  4. Putin is losing the war, so prepare for escalation  The Telegraph
  5. Former ambassador to Russia talks about the future of the Russia-Ukraine war  NPR
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