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UK politics: ‘Not clear’ who was behind FCDO hack, says minister, amid reports of China link – as it happened | Politics
‘Not clear’ who was behind cyber-attack
Good morning.
The UK’s Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office was hacked in October, according to trade minister Chris Bryant.
Details of the hack emerged on Friday in a report by the Sun that claimed a Chinese hacker group was behind the cyber-attack.
The Sun named Storm 1849 as the Chinese cyber gang responsible for the breach, which it said was understood to possibly include tens of thousands of visa details.
The group has been “accused of targeting politicians and groups critical of the Chinese government”, the newspaper said.
However, when asked if China was behind the attack, Bryant said: “That’s not entirely clear.”
“There certainly has been a hack at the FCDO and we’ve been aware of that since October,” Bryant told Sky News.
“Some of the reporting has, I think, been a bit more speculation than accurate.”
He added, “We’re fairly confident that there’s a low risk of any individual actually being affected by this.”
A government spokesperson told the Guardian: “We have been working to investigate a cyber incident. We take the security of our systems and data extremely seriously.”
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We are closing this blog soon. For the latest in UK news, follow our coverage here.
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The UK’s Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office was hacked in October. Details of the hack emerged on Friday in a report by the Sun that claimed a Chinese hacker group was behind the cyber-attack. The Sun named Storm 1849 as the Chinese cyber gang responsible for the breach, which it said was understood to possibly include tens of thousands of visa details. However, when asked if China was behind the attack, trade minister Chris Bryant told broadcasters it was “not clear” who perpetrated the attack and cautioned against speculation. The minister also said that risk to “any individual” from this cyber-attack was low.
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A review found that the BBC’s editing guidelines do not need to be altered in the wake of controversy surrounding the edit of a Donald Trump speech. The US president is seeking up to $10bn (£7.5bn) in damages in response to the BBC’s editing of a speech he made before the 2021 attack on the Capitol.
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Russian president Vladimir Putin told his annual end-of-year press conference that US president Donald Trump was right to sue the BBC over edited clips of his speech.
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Rachel Reeves said the UK’s support for Ukraine remains “iron-clad” as she welcomed a European deal to provide billions more in financial support for Kyiv. The chancellor said she was “pleased” a deal had been reached, adding: “The UK’s support for Ukraine remains iron-clad. “We will work with partners to urgently consider options to ensure that Ukraine gets the funding it needs.” Meanwhile, the UK has given its final warning to Roman Abramovich to release £2.5bn from the oligarch’s sale of Chelsea FC to give to Ukraine, telling the billionaire to release the funds within 90 days or face court action.
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Reform UK held on to a seat on Cornwall council in a byelection after a turbulent time for the party in the county. Reform’s Heinz Wolfgang Glanville was elected as the new member for St Columb Minor and Colan with 408 votes despite a flurry of resignations and suspensions as well as public infighting that many said undermined Reform’s authority in the county.
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Reform-run Kent council was accused of trying to block scrutiny after it refused, for more than five months, to produce evidence that it had saved more than £40m by cancelling two environmental projects that did not exist yet.
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The UK government borrowed more than expected in November according to official figures. For more in Business news:
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The Electoral Commission has voiced concern about the prospect of further delays to local elections, saying capacity constraints are not a legitimate reason to postpone long-planned polls.
Some 63 council areas due to hold elections in May could postpone them until 2027 after some told ministers they lack the capacity to reorganise in time, the government said.
It comes as Labour’s plans to scrap two-tier authorities and merge them into single unitary councils by 2028 are implemented.
But Vijay Rangarajan, the Electoral Commission’s chief executive, said the move caused “unprecedented” uncertainty and could damage public confidence. He said:
We are disappointed by both the timing and substance of the statement. Scheduled elections should as a rule go ahead as planned, and only be postponed in exceptional circumstances.”
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BBC editing guidelines can remain unaltered in wake of Trump edit, review says
The BBC’s editing guidelines do not need to be altered in the wake of controversy surrounding the edit of a Donald Trump speech, a review has found.
The US president is seeking up to $10bn (£7.5bn) in damages in response to the BBC’s editing of a speech he made before the 2021 attack on the Capitol.
The scandal unfolded earlier this year after a leaked memo, written by Michael Prescott, a former external adviser to the BBC’s editorial standards committee, highlighted concerns that the speech had been selectively edited.
In the Panorama programme, a clip from Mr Trump’s speech on January 6 2021 was spliced to show him saying: “We’re going to walk down to the Capitol … and I’ll be there with you. And we fight. We fight like hell.”
After an initial review of the Prescott report in October, the BBC’s director of editorial complaints and reviews, Peter Johnston, conducted a more detailed review of the Panorama programme, Trump: A Second Chance?.
General view of Broadcasting House, the BBC headquarters in central London. Photograph: Vuk Valcic/ZUMA Press Wire/Shutterstock
In his report, published on Friday, Mr Johnston said:
I was asked to look at the editorial guidelines on use of editing. I do not believe any changes are required, but we will ensure these lessons are reinforced.
More actions had been taken than acknowledged in Michael Prescott’s document and since this was made public we have also dealt with some remaining issues.
The key unresolved issue in the document was the editing of President Trump’s 6 January speech in the Panorama programme.
This has now been publicly acknowledged as an error of judgment and it has been made clear that the edit unintentionally created the impression that we were showing a single continuous section of the speech, rather than excerpts from different points in the speech, and that this gave the mistaken impression that President Trump had made a direct call for violent action.
A separate review of the Editorial Guidelines and Standards Committee (EGSC) outlined areas the BBC would “fix” including an effort to make the EGSC “more strategic – focused on major areas of current and emerging editorial risk.”
The BBC will also “adopt a new approach so individual editorial queries are dealt with promptly at the right level in the organisation, and to ensure that potential systemic issues are considered for deeper editorial review.”
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Rachel Reeves said the UK’s support for Ukraine remains “iron-clad” as she welcomed a European deal to provide billions more in financial support for Kyiv.
The European Council agreed on Thursday to provide an interest-free loan worth 90 billion euros (£78.8bn) to support Ukraine’s military and economic needs over the next two years.
The chancellor said she is “pleased” a deal had been reached, adding: “The UK’s support for Ukraine remains iron-clad.
“We will work with partners to urgently consider options to ensure that Ukraine gets the funding it needs.”
Meanwhile, the UK has given its final warning to Roman Abramovich to release £2.5bn from the oligarch’s sale of Chelsea FC to give to Ukraine, telling the billionaire to release the funds within 90 days or face court action.
Prime minister Keir Starmer told the House of Commons the funds from Abramovich, who is subject to UK sanctions, would be converted into a new foundation for humanitarian causes in Ukraine and that the issuing of a licence for the transfer was the last chance Abramovich would have to comply.
A general view outside Stamford Bridge, home of Chelsea FC, on 19 December 2025 in London, England. Photograph: Dan Kitwood/Getty ImagesShare
Updated at 13.34 CET
Putin says Trump is right to sue BBC over speech edit
Russian president Vladimir Putin told his annual end-of-year press conference on Friday that US president Donald Trump was right to sue the BBC over edited clips of his speech.
Trump sued Britain’s publicly owned broadcaster for at least $10bn in damages over edited clips of a speech that made it appear he directed supporters to storm the US Capitol.
The BBC apologised to him last month, but rejected his demands for compensation and disagreed there was a “basis for a defamation claim”.
Trump’s legal team accused the BBC of defaming him by “intentionally, maliciously, and deceptively doctoring his speech”.
A BBC spokesperson said: “As we have made clear previously, we will be defending this case.”
They added: “We are not going to make further comment on ongoing legal proceedings.”
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UK imposes sanctions on perpetrators of violence against Syrian civilians
The UK government imposed sanctions on Friday on individuals and organisations it said were “linked to violence perpetrated against civilians in Syria”, including some who financially supported former president Bashar al-Assad’s government.
The government measures were targeted at individuals involved in coastal violence in Syria in March, as well as historic violence committed during the country’s civil war, the statement said.
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WH Smith will try to take back as much as £7m in bonuses from former executives after it said the UK’s financial watchdog had launched a formal investigation into a devastating accounting error linked to its US business.
Almost £600m was wiped off the books to paperclips retailer’s stock market value overnight in August after it identified errors with accounting for supplier income and provision for lost stock going back to 2023 in its North American arm.
Last month its chief executive, Carl Cowling, stepped down in the wake of the scandal.
On Friday the company said it would be “applying malus and clawback to recover overpaid bonuses” from Cowling, and its former finance director Robert Moorhead, after the restatement of profits in its 2023 and 2024 financial year.
It confirmed the UK’s Financial Conduct Authority had launched a formal investigation into the company’s compliance with UK listing, disclosure and transparency rules.
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Updated at 12.15 CET
Responding to news of the FCDO hack, Conservative shadow foreign secretary Priti Patel shared a Telegraph report that said the hack was Chinese and wrote on X:
“China undermines our security, institutions and democracy but Labour is failing to protect Britain from China’s foreign interference in our country.
“Starmer kowtows to China at every opportunity and cannot be trusted to protect our national interest.”
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Updated at 12.00 CET
Reform accused of blocking scrutiny of claim it saved £40m
Reform-run Kent council has been accused of trying to block scrutiny after it refused, for more than five months, to produce evidence that it had saved more than £40m by cancelling two environmental projects that did not exist yet.
Polly Billington, a Labour MP in Kent, first requested background to the claim via a freedom of information (FoI) request in July. She said the subsequent delay had not been explained and seemed to show the council was embarrassed at what the documents would show.
Kent county council said it rejected any suggestion of a cover-up, and that it planned to release the information to Billington, the East Thanet MP, later this week.
Read more of the exclusive report:
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UK borrowed more than expected in November amid pre-budget pressure
Richard Partington
The UK government borrowed more than expected in November, official figures show, amid pressure on the economy before chancellor Rachel Reeves’s autumn budget.
Figures from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) showed public sector net borrowing – the difference between spending and income – was £11.7bn last month, £1.9bn less than in the same month a year earlier.
In the first snapshot since the November budget, the reading was above City predictions of a £10bn deficit.
The figures come a day after the Bank of England cut interest rates for a sixth time since August last year, easing some of the pressure on borrowers, in a pre-Christmas boost for the UK’s struggling economy.
Elliott Jordan-Doak, a senior UK economist at the consultancy Capital Economics, said the higher-than-expected November borrowing figure showed it was “only a matter of time before fiscal worries begin to dominate the news flow again” after Reeves’s budget.
“The public finances remain weak. Reeves has staked much fiscal credibility on chunky tax increases in the back end of the forecast period. But we think today’s figures further illustrate the shaky foundations of that gamble.”
For all the latest updates on Business news, follow our liveblog:
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Reform holds on to seat in byelection
Jamie Grierson
Reform UK have held on to a seat on Cornwall council in a byelection after a turbulent time for the party in the county.
The result shows support remains for Nigel Farage’s party in Cornwall despite a flurry of resignations and suspensions as well as public infighting that many said undermined Reform’s authority in the county.
Reform’s Heinz Wolfgang Glanville was elected as the new member for St Columb Minor and Colan with 408 votes, beating independent candidate John Fitter with 325 votes.
The byelection was called after Reform UK member for the division, Christine Parsonage, resigned for medical reasons. She had come under heavy criticism for living more than 40 miles away from the division.
After May’s local elections, Reform had the most seats in the county but was unable to form an administration. However, following several resignations the party no longer holds that title and is now the second biggest party by seats on the council to the Liberal Democrats, who rule in a coalition with independents.
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‘Not clear’ who was behind cyber-attack
Good morning.
The UK’s Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office was hacked in October, according to trade minister Chris Bryant.
Details of the hack emerged on Friday in a report by the Sun that claimed a Chinese hacker group was behind the cyber-attack.
The Sun named Storm 1849 as the Chinese cyber gang responsible for the breach, which it said was understood to possibly include tens of thousands of visa details.
The group has been “accused of targeting politicians and groups critical of the Chinese government”, the newspaper said.
However, when asked if China was behind the attack, Bryant said: “That’s not entirely clear.”
“There certainly has been a hack at the FCDO and we’ve been aware of that since October,” Bryant told Sky News.
“Some of the reporting has, I think, been a bit more speculation than accurate.”
He added, “We’re fairly confident that there’s a low risk of any individual actually being affected by this.”
A government spokesperson told the Guardian: “We have been working to investigate a cyber incident. We take the security of our systems and data extremely seriously.”
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Nick Reiner was schizophrenic and became ‘erratic and dangerous’ after doctors changed his psych meds weeks before parents were slain
Nick Reiner was suffering with worsening schizophrenia and became ‘erratic and dangerous’ when doctors changed his psych medication weeks before allegedly murdering his parents, insiders say.
Sources told TMZ that the accused killer was seeing a psychiatrist for his spiraling mental illness in the months before his Hollywood icon father Rob Reiner and his mother Michelle were found stabbed to death on Sunday.
According to the outlet, insiders said that Nick’s behavior had become ‘alarming’ in recent times.
He had been attending a Los Angeles rehab facility that specializes in substance abuse, and charges a staggering $70,000 a month, the report said.
In the weeks before the alleged murders, doctors reportedly changed Nick’s medication which made him more erratic, as one source said Nick was ‘out of his head.’
On Saturday night, Nick was brought by his parents to a star-studded holiday party hosted by Conan O’Brien, as his concerned parents reportedly wanted to ‘keep an eye on him.’
Guests at the A-list packed holiday party said Nick displayed ‘antisocial behavior’ including staring at attendees, and he and Reiner reportedly had a loud argument at the bash.
Insiders told Rolling Stone that Reiner and his wife Michele Singer asked if they could bring Nick to the party due to fears over his mental state, and at one point witnesses said Nick got into a heated moment with comedian Bill Hader.
Nick Reiner was suffering with worsening schizophrenia and became ‘erratic and dangerous’ when doctors changed his psych medication, insiders say
Hollywood legend Rob Reiner and his wife Michelle Singer were found stabbed to death in their mansion on Sunday
Nick attended Conan’s star-studded party with his parents on Saturday night, before Reiner and Singer were found dead in their $13 million California mansion on Sunday.
At the time of Nick’s arrest, his sister Romy, 28, who discovered their parents bodies, told investigators her brother ‘should be a suspect’ because he was ‘dangerous.’
The Daily Mail exclusively revealed following the alleged murders that those around Nick saw him as a ‘ticking time bomb.’
Sources said that Nick’s drug use spiraled out of control after his parents threatened to kick him out of their home.
The troubled 32-year-old had been living in his parents’ guesthouse in Los Angeles for the past five years – where his behavior had become increasingly erratic and frightening, insiders claimed.
‘Nick had been living in their guesthouse, the same one he destroyed more than once, but it had been like a revolving door all his adult life,’ a source close to Reiner told the Daily Mail on Monday.
‘He would do meth and not sleep for days and then have outbursts, breaking things, punching walls.
‘He was a ticking time bomb. His drug use was getting worse and his parents wanted him out,’ claimed the friend.
Reiner was arrested by the LAPD’s robbery homicide division with the help of US Marshals on Sunday night (pictured)
Nick, seen in September 2025, has long struggled with mental health issues and substance abuse and had been open about his numerous trips to rehab
Romy Reiner, seen with her brother Nick, discovered their parents bodies, and told investigators her brother ‘should be a suspect’ because he was ‘dangerous’
According to the source, Nick, who was one of three children, frequently laughed off the destruction he caused during drug-fueled episodes.
‘He used to brag how he could get away with anything and took money from his parents for drugs and prostitutes.
‘He would talk about this stuff in meetings, but then stopped going because he said it was too cultish,’ the source claimed. ‘He laughed about destroying his parents’ guesthouse more than once. He was so nonchalant about it.’
Nick appeared in court for the first time on Wednesday, and was formally charged with the murders of his parents.
He waived his right to enter a plea, and his next hearing will be on January 7.
Investigators are still piecing together the whereabouts of Nick following the death of his parents – whose slain bodies were found in the master bedroom of their Brentwood mansion.
The BBC has lost the rights to broadcast the Commonwealth Games in a bidding process, which will instead be shown by TNT Sports when they head to Glasgow in the summer of 2026
17:36, 19 Dec 2025
The Commonwealth Games in Glasgow will be on TNT Sports(Image: David Ramos/Getty Images)
The BBC has lost the rights to show the Commonwealth Games after TNT Sports outbid the corporation. The BBC has shown the Commonwealth Games since 1954, but will not broadcast next year’s event in Glasgow.
The Commonwealth Games has been on the BBC for 18 games in a row, but the corporation admitted it “was unable to match” TNT Sport’s bid. TNT Sports is best known for showing the Champions League and will now dip a toe into athletics.
A BBC spokesperson said: “The BBC has been proud to broadcast the Commonwealth Games over many years, but our bid was unable to match the financial offer from the market. We wish them every success for next year.”
Scott Young, executive vice-president at Warner Bros. Discovery Sports Europe, said: “As a premium multi-sport broadcaster, we have a proven ability to connect sports fans and audiences with the world ’s biggest sports events and their athletes.
“We will bring this storytelling heritage and production expertise to the Commonwealth Games where our coverage of Glasgow 2026 will be comprehensive, immersive and accessible.
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“With coverage of every sport and athlete on our streaming platforms, we are confident our approach will celebrate the history of the Commonwealth Games while telling new stories of its competitors with unmatched energy and excitement.”
Katie Sadleir, chief executive of Commonwealth Sport said: “This is another landmark moment as we continue to re-imagine what a Commonwealth Games looks and feels like for athletes and fans alike. With a heavyweight broadcast partner like Warner Bros. Discovery onboard across the UK and Europe for Glasgow 2026 and the recent decision to award the 2030 Commonwealth Games to India, alongside strong interest for 2034, the future of our Movement has never been more secure.
“Our partnership with Warner Bros. Discovery opens up exciting new ways for fans to connect with the action. With more events available live and a strong focus on athlete storytelling, fans will be closer to the Games than ever before.”
The Commonwealth Games will be held in Glasgow next summer(Image: Euan Cherry/Getty Images)
Phil Batty OBE, chief executive of Glasgow 2026 said: “It is great to welcome Warner Bros. Discovery to the Glasgow 2026 family of broadcasters as the new home for the Commonwealth Games in the UK and Europe. In Scotland, we committed to a bold re-imagining of the Games, innovative, future focused and with sports fans at the centre of the action. The partnership with Warner Bros. Discovery will celebrate our athletes, embrace new content formats, and drive more hours of sport coverage for the Commonwealth Games than ever before.
“This broadcast partnership, secured by Commonwealth Sport, reflects our shared ambition to take coverage of the Games to new and growing audiences.
“With significant investment into the breadth and depth of content to be platformed for Glasgow 2026, we are hugely excited by the opportunity to collaborate with the talented team at Warner Bros. Discovery. This is a Games for a new era of Commonwealth Sport, and this partnership sets us up for an incredible showcase of sport in Glasgow next summer.”
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Officials say suspect, who died after falling from a building during police chase, carried out ‘indiscriminate attacks’.
Published On 19 Dec 2025
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At least three people have been killed and five injured after a knife-wielding attacker went on a rampage in central Taipei, before dying during a police chase, local authorities say.
Taiwan’s Premier Cho Jung-tai said in a statement on Friday that the suspect had let off smoke bombs at Taipei’s main train station, and then ran to a nearby subway station in a busy shopping district, attacking people on the way.
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The attacks were “a deliberate act”, although the motive was not immediately clear, Cho said.
“He deliberately threw smoke bombs and wielded a long knife to carry out indiscriminate attacks on the public,” the premier added.
The suspect then died during a police chase after falling from a building, according to local officials.
Mayor Chiang Wan-an told reporters that the attacker had apparently jumped off the building “to evade arrest and has been confirmed dead”.
This picture taken and released by Taiwan’s Central News Agency (CNA) on December 19 shows police patrolling at a metro station in Taipei, after attacks at two stations in the city [AFP]
Images released by Taiwan’s Central News Agency showed a canister on the ground at the Main Station, with officers examining potential evidence at the scene.
Identifying the deceased suspect only by his last name, Chang, Premier Cho told reporters that he had a prior criminal record and outstanding warrants and said his house has been searched.
“We will investigate his background and associated relationships to understand his motives and determine if there are other connected factors,” he added.
Taiwan police ramped up security across the island in response to the attacks.
“All important locations … including railway stations, highways, subway stations and airports are maintaining a high level of alert and vigilance,” Cho said.
Meanwhile, President William Lai Ching-te told reporters that the Taiwanese authorities would “quickly clarify the details of the case”.
“There will be no leniency and we will do everything in our power to ensure the safety of our citizens,” he said.
Violent crime is rare in Taiwan, though an attack in 2014 horrified residents when a man went on a stabbing spree on Taipei’s metro, killing four people. He was executed for the killings in 2016.
Colombia’s ELN guerrilla group has attacked a military base near Venezuela with drones and explosives, killing seven soldiers and wounding 30.
Founded in 1964 and inspired by the Cuban revolution, the ELN is the oldest surviving guerrilla group in the Americas, and controls key drug-producing regions of Colombia. Efforts to negotiate a peace settlement have repeatedly stalled.
The Thursday night attack on the rural military outpost in Aguachica, near the border with Venezuela, was the second deadly clash with security forces in a week. Two police officers were killed on Tuesday in
Cali.
“I categorically reject the ELN’s terrorist action using drones and launching of explosive devices against a Military Base … with the regrettable loss of 6 of our soldiers and at least about 28 soldiers wounded,” Pedro Sánchez, Colombia’s defense minister, wrote on social media early on Friday.
Videos circulating on social media showed wounded soldiers being brought into a local medical center on stretchers and in wheelchairs, and a fire reportedly caused by explosions at the military outpost.
In October, the United States imposed sanctions on Gustavo Petro, Colombia’s president, for his alleged reluctance to target armed cocaine-trafficking factions.
After taking power in 2022, Petro, himself a former guerrilla, attempted to engage well-armed cocaine-producing groups in talks, rather than conduct open warfare. But negotiations faltered.
Washington, conducting a campaign against alleged narco-trafficking off the coast of Venezuela, has warned Petro that he could “be next” over his country’s cocaine production.
Colombia is the world’s top cocaine producer, according to the UN.
The ELN, which is present in over a fifth of Colombia’s 1,100-plus municipalities, vowed last week to fight for Colombia’s “defense” in the face of US “threats of imperialist intervention”.
The group has also built a growing presence in neighbouring Venezuela, where it is present in eight of the country’s 24 states, expanding its finances, territorial control and political influence, according to the Insight Crime research center.
While professing to be driven by leftist, nationalist ideology, the ELN is deeply involved in the drug trade and has become one of the region’s most powerful organized crime groups.
Watch: “It’s finally happening” – Trump supporters on the potential release of the Epstein files
The US justice department will begin releasing long-awaited files related to Jeffrey Epstein as mandated by a new law, though not all documents would be made public on Friday, a top official says.
Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche said the department expects to publish “several hundred thousand pages” initially, followed by more over the coming weeks.
The Friday deadline was mandated by a bill that got near-unanimous support in Congress, and was later signed into law by President Donald Trump, after he reversed his earlier opposition to its release.
The files relate to investigations into the disgraced late sex offender, but it’s likely that much of the content will be heavily redacted.
“We are looking at every single piece of paper that we are going to produce making sure every victim — their name, their identity, their story, to the extent that it needs to be protected — is completely protected,” Blanche told Fox & Friends.
He said that the justice department will release more material in the coming weeks.
“So, today, several hundred thousand, and then over the next couple of weeks, I expect several hundred thousand more,” Blanche said. “There’s a lot of eyes looking at these, so we want to make sure that when we do produce the materials that we’re producing, we’re protecting every single victim.”
Under the Epstein Files Transparency Act, the DOJ was given until 19 December to release the files.
The bill specifically mentions the government must release all unclassified records, documents, communications, and investigative materials in the DOJ’s possession that relate to the investigation and prosecution of Jeffrey Epstein.
Reuters
Leading up to its release, Democrats in the House have been releasing batches of documents and photos from Epstein’s estate without context.
Lawmakers say they have been sorting through a trove of 20,000 documents and 95,000 photos from Epstein’s estate.
Democratic Congressman Robert Garcia said in a press release that most of the documents arrived without context, and they have been working to redact potential victims.
The documents and images have featured several high-profile figures, including Trump, former US President Bill Clinton, Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates, Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, and others.
But appearing in the photos or documents is not evidence of any wrongdoing, and many of the pictured men have said they were never involved in Epstein’s illegal activity.
A Paris court on Friday rejected the French government’s request to suspend Chinese online platform Shein.
The government made the request for a three-month suspension after public outcry sparked by the presence on the platform of child-like sex dolls and other illicit items.
What did the court rule on the request to suspend Shein?
Besides child-like sex dolls, illegal weapons and banned medications were also found on the platform.
The court said in its Friday ruling that suspending Shein would have been “disproportionate,” as the offending products had been removed from the platform.
While acknowledging a “serious harm to public order” by the platform, it stressed that the sale of the illicit products had been “sporadic.”
“Only certain products on the marketplace were identified in these proceedings as manifestly illegal and harmful, while the [Shein] platform offers several hundred thousand items for sale,” the court said.
The court nonetheless ordered Shein to implement age-verification measures before resuming selling “sexual products that could constitute pornographic content.”
The firm welcomed the ruling, saying it was committed to improving its control processes.
French authorities launched an investigation into Shein after listings for illicit items were found on the platformImage: Gaspard Lamouret/SIPA/picture alliance
What are the proceedings against Shein?
France’s consumer watchdog and Finance Ministry began proceedings to suspend Shein on November 5.
The firm then responded by suspending third-party listings found on its marketplace, but continued selling Shein clothing through its website.
Late last month, the European Union used its “digital acquis” mechanism to demand more information on what the firm is doing to protect children after Paris urged EU sanctions.
France’s consumer regulator also found that illicit products had been sold through five other platforms — AliExpress, Amazon, eBay, Joom and Temu.
Shein was founded in China in 2012 and is now based in Singapore. It maintains a large portion of its manufacturing and production in China.
Edited by: Wesley Dockery
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Australian authorities have released seven men who were detained over concerns that they were planning an act of violence. The men are not currently facing any charges.
On Thursday, New South Wales (NSW) Police said Tactical Operations officers carried out an operation in Sydney over information indicating “that a violent act was possibly being planned.” Officers intercepted two cars and detained seven men.
“Police acted quickly to prevent the advancement of any plan. There is no immediate safety risk to the community,” NSW Police said, according to the Sydney Morning Herald. “Investigations will continue to review all available evidence and an investigation into the matter remains ongoing.”
FAMILIES MOURN LOVED ONES LOST IN BONDI BEACH TERROR ATTACK: ‘NO WORDS CAN DESCRIBE THE PAIN’
Police inspect at the scene of a shooting at Bondi Beach in Sydney on Dec. 15, 2025. (David Gray/AFP via Getty Images)
NSW Police Deputy Commissioner Dave Hudson, who alleged on Friday that the men were inspired by the same ideology as the suspected Bondi Beach gunmen, defended officers’ tactics, saying they were “the most appropriate for the circumstances,” according to the Sydney Morning Herald.
“It’s a balance when you investigate, for investigators and for the counter-terrorism police, as to interdicting at a point in time where you mitigate all risk and threat, which we did yesterday, or waiting until you can get a brief of evidence against individuals with a bow on it that you can present to court,” Hudson said.
Some reports indicated that the men were traveling from Melbourne to Bondi Beach, the site of a deadly mass shooting at a Hanukkah celebration. However, when speaking to reporters after the group’s release, one of the men refuted the claims, according to the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC).
“No, why would we go there? Too much headache… it was too far from where we were anyway,” he said.
Police walk on a street after a shooting incident at Bondi Beach in Sydney on December 14, 2025. (DAVID GRAY / AFP via Getty Images)
ISRAELI INTELLIGENCE WARNED AUSTRALIA OF IRANIAN TERROR NETWORKS
NSW Police Commissioner Mal Lanyon said that the men, whose ages range from 19 to 24 and are from Victoria, will continue to be monitored while in New South Wales. Lanyon also said that NSW Police would be working with their law enforcement counterparts in Victoria.
One of the men in the group was under investigation by the Australian Security Intelligence Organization (ASIO), intelligence sources confirmed to the ABC.
Victorian Premier Jacinta Allan said it was too early to speculate on why the group was traveling in the area.
“We’ve all seen the footage and the images of what has occurred and thank [NSW police] for their swift action,” she said, according to The Guardian. “But at this stage, there was just not enough information to speculate on why these people were traveling in this vehicle in this vicinity.”
A woman kneels and prays at a flower memorial to shooting victims outside the Bondi Pavilion at Sydney’s Bondi Beach, Monday, Dec. 15, 2025, a day after a shooting. (Mark Baker/AP Photo)
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Australian outlets reported that one of the men chalked the incident up to a “misunderstanding.” He also said the group told police that they were “here for a holiday.”
“They have their job to do, I don’t blame them for nothing, it was a misunderstanding,” the man said. He also rejected the idea that the group held extremist beliefs.
Rachel Wolf is a breaking news writer for Fox News Digital and FOX Business.
WORLD NEWS
Angry Russians turn on Putin over poverty and stagnant economy during marathon press conference
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Russian frustrations cut through a meticulously controlled marathon press conference delivered by President Vladimir Putin on Friday, revealing the hardships facing ordinary people.
The 73-year-old leader delivered his customary end-of-year address, fielding questions from a public grappling with a stagnant economy, squeezed by international sanctions after almost four years of relentless war with Ukraine.
It comes after European leaders agreed to offer Ukraine a massive €90bn interest-free loan to fund most of President Volodymyr Zelensky’s military needs for the next two years.
The European Union were unable to agree on a plan to use £185bn of Russian assets, a plan that Putin lashed out as being akin to “daylight robbery” and the work of “burglars”.
But tensions were palpable within Russia with the state of the economy top of the agenda.
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Putin’s ‘rigidity’ displays a rare glimpse at the unease beneath a usually meticulously crafted persona, say experts (CNN)
One medical student expressed her concerns about starting a family when the “salaries of young experts is not great and that does not allow you to create a family properly”. “We are losing young experts,” she said.
Putin responded with a description of state-funded options and student loans available to young people, adding: “Getting an education or starting your career should not be the basis for postponing getting married or having children,” appearing out-of-touch with the realities of his citizens.
A soldier’s widow asked about delays in paying out a pension, for which the president apologised, vowing that the issue would be solved quickly.
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Meanwhile Zelensky met with Polish president Karol Nawrocki on Friday (AP)
One mother-of-six and kindergarten assistant married to a driver, described “working a lot” and several “additional jobs” alongside her husband to keep up with living costs and inflation. She said the family had exceeded the welfare threshold by 249 roubles (£2.49) and had “lost all the benefits”. “We want some more help from the government,” she said.
Despite censorship and the highly choreographed nature of the event, global media picked up on several sarcastic comments and criticism that broke through.
Text messages to a “direct line” to Putin were dubbed “not a direct line, but a circus” in one comment. Two messages complained about internet outages and rust-coloured water in the city of Saransk.
Another took aim at Russian communications watchdog Roskomnadzor, responsible for limiting access to platforms including WhatsApp, YouTube, Snapchat and Roblox. “Block Roskomnadzor itself!” the person wrote. One person asked: “Why do ordinary people live worse than Papuans? [citizens of Papua New Guinea]?”
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European leaders issued a massive interest-free loan to Ukraine in lieu of using frozen Russian assets
Comments on a live stream seen by The Independent called out Putin and other Russian leaders for living in “mansions” while people struggled through rising costs and poverty. He later addressed a pre-written question about the simplicity of his living style, stating he lived in a basic flat.
”Vladimir Vladimirovich, it’s Friday already, can we break out the booze?” said one irreverent viewer.
Putin’s discomfort was apparent to analysts who noticed an increased rigidity of tone.
“Putin’s obvious discomfort in the face of these questions illustrates perfectly the pressure that the regime is under as its economic problems intensify,” said Dr Lee Cooper, director of PeaceRep’s Ukraine programme at the London School of Economics foreign policy think tank, LSE IDEAS.
“For all his apparent intransigence in the talks to end the war, it is proving enormously costly to Russia and its position in the global economy. The question is whether the regime – and Russian society more broadly – has the ability to correct course in the face of these growing hardships on the ‘home front’.”
Russia’s populace is nervous about living standards, however Putin “downplayed concerns about Russia’s slowing economy” that has “prioritised defence over all other sectors” according to Dr Bulent Gokay, professor of international relations at Keele University.
“We know that Russia’s economy is suffering; inflation is 8 per cent, interest rates are 16 per cent, growth is slowing, budget deficits are soaring, real incomes are plunging, and consumer taxes are rising.”
But Dr Gokay says that Putin was able to reframe this as a positive: “He stated that the Russian economy was stable and contrasted it positively with slow growth in Europe.
“He acknowledged that growth was slow, but framed it as a strategic choice to preserve the economy’s quality and macroeconomic stability. However, I doubt this explanation fully convinces the Russian people.”
Putin has been dominating politics in Russia since 1999 but has isolated the country with several policies, most notably its war with Ukraine.
Throughout the four and a half hour media session, the Russian leader provided advice on loving one’s mother, starting a family young, God, aliens, and the similarities and differences between religions.
“Putin’s demeanor during the press conference did not suggest visible nervousness in a conventional sense,” says Irina Tsukerman, a geopolitical analyst and president of Scarab Rising.
“His delivery was controlled, deliberate, and consistent with the practiced style he has adopted since the conflict escalated. However, there was a noticeable rigidity compared to prewar performances, where humour, improvisation, and long exchanges with journalists were more common.
“The absence of spontaneity can be interpreted less as anxiety and more as strategic caution. The Kremlin appears acutely aware that messaging discipline now carries higher stakes, both domestically and internationally, and Putin’s presentation reflected that priority.”
Negotiations for a ceasefire and peace agreement between Russia and Ukraine remain ongoing with President Volodymyr Zelensky meeting with Polish president Karol Nawrocki on Friday.
NEED TO KNOW
- New security footage shows the moment that a Cessna C550 carrying NASCAR champion Greg Biffle and six others crashed
- The plane crashed and exploded in a fireball while attempting to land at Statesville Regional Airport
- The plane was headed to Sarasota, Fla. for a “birthday trip,” the mother of Biffle’s wife, Cristina Grossu, told PEOPLE
New security footage shows the moment the plane carrying Greg Biffle, his family and three others burst into flames at a North Carolina airport on Thursday morning.
In the video, the Cessna C550 crashes and skids down the runway at Statesville Regional Airport on Thursday, Dec. 18, exploding into a fireball and leaving in its wake plumes of thick, black smoke.
All seven people aboard the business jet registered to Biffle, 55, were killed in the crash, including the NASCAR champion, his wife Cristina Grossu Biffle, 35, their five-year-old son Ryder, and Greg’s 14-year-old daughter Emma.
Craig Wadsworth, a well-known figure in NASCAR circles who once drove former race car driver Kenny Wallace’s motorhome, was also aboard the plane, as was Dennis Dutton and his son Jack.
Footage shows the moment Greg Biffle’s plane crashed on Dec. 18.
Bobby Renwick via Storyful
Dennis Dutton is a commercial airline pilot, but it is unclear who was flying the plane at the time of the accident.
Biffle received certification to fly a multi-engine plane in March of this year, according to NBC affiliate WCNC, but his license would not have allowed him to be the sole pilot.
Greg Biffle, wife Cristina. son Ryder and daughter Emma in July 2022.
Cristina Grossu Biffle/Instagram
Jack Dutton, who graduated from Hough High School in Cornelius, N.C. in 2024, was recently certified as a single-engine pilot, the station reported. Jack was a junior at Auburn University where he studied aviation, Cornelius Today reported.
A team of 16 NTSB investigators left Washington, D.C. for North Carolina late Thursday afternoon and will now piece together the plane’s last moments, the agency shared on X.
NTSB member Michael Graham is expected to hold a media briefing on the investigation on Friday, Dec. 19.
The plane left the regional airport, which does not have a control tower, shortly after 10 a.m. on Thursday morning en route to Sarasota, Fla., FlightAware data shows. It turned back minutes later, and was attempting to land at the time of the crash.
Fog and heavy rain were present in the area, AccuWeather’s Dan DePodwin told PEOPLE in a statement.
Footage from the moment Greg Biffle’s plane crashed on Dec. 18.
Bobby Renwick via Storyful
“Adverse weather conditions were reported in the vicinity of Statesville Regional Airport around the time of the plane crash,” DePodwin, AccuWeather vice president of forecasting operations, said. “Heavy drizzle and a cloud ceiling near 1,200 feet were reported at 10:15 a.m. The cloud ceiling had reportedly lowered to around 400 feet, with heavy rain reducing visibility to less than 2 miles at 10:30 a.m.”
Investigators have not yet determined if weather played a role in the accident.
In the final moments of the plane’s flight, Cristina Biffle sent a harrowing text, her mother told PEOPLE on Thursday.
“She texted me from the plane and she said, ‘We’re in trouble.’ And that was it,” Cathy Grossu recalled. “So we’re devastated. We’re brokenhearted.”
The group was traveling to Florida for a “birthday trip,” Cathy told PEOPLE.
Biffle would have turned 56 on Tuesday, Dec. 23.
WORLD NEWS
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle release a ‘Happy Holidays’ video featuring Archie and Lilibet as they rename charity ‘Archewell Philanthropies’ to mark fifth anniversary
Meghan Markle has today released the clearest image yet of Archie and Lilibet in a new family portrait posted on Instagram.
The Duchess of Sussex, 44, shared the image of herself and Harry with their children with the caption: ‘Happy Holidays! From our family to yours’.
Harry, 41, is shown with his hands cupped protectively around Archie’s head. Father and son are staring at one another lovingly, both with smiles on their faces.
Next to them on a bridge is Meghan and Lilibet. The Duchess is bent down to rest her forehead against her daughter’s while holding both her hands.
In dappled California sunshine, Lilibet’s face is covered by her strawberry blonde hair, which comes down to her shoulder blades. Archie is wearing jeans with a jumper or cardigan. His little sister is in a light blue dress, long white socks and gold shoes.
The photo was one of a number of carefully choreographed new glimpses of the young prince and princess on Friday.
Around two hours earlier the Sussexes published a Happy Holidays video on their website – again featuring the six-year-old and four-year-old.
In the film Archie and Lilibet are shown helping their father push a trolley of food made to feed the poor in California on Thanksgiving this year – but again their faces are hidden.
Meghan follows them and the trays of cookies, while dancing a jig of joy at charity Our Big Kitchen Los Angeles.
The Sussexes also simultaneously released their own ‘holiday card’ – but unlike last year, their children are not featured.
Meghan, 44, and Harry, 41, are shown holding hands and smiling in the snow at the Invictus Games in Canada in February. There is no mention of Christmas in either release, instead they used the more American words: ‘We wish you a very happy holiday season and a joyful new year’.
Meghan has released this new family portrait on Instagram to mark the start of Christmas, although she used the word ‘holidays’
A new glimpse of Archie (left in yellow) and Lilibet (right in tartan) as they push a trolley of food for the poor on Thanksgiving in a Happy Holidays video released by their parents today
The Sussexes have also released their Christmas card
Both King Charles and the Prince and Princess of Wales used the phrase ‘Happy Christmas’ in their 2025 cards, which appeared on Thursday.
The Sussex film and card were revealed as the couple announced that their Archewell Foundation will be renamed Archewell Philanthropies – five years after it was founded following Megxit.
In yet another personal rebrand, the couple say the charity name change marks a moment to expand their mission globally, with Archie and Lilibet.
Their Happy Holidays film, set to upbeat music, stars the couple and their two young children.
It also shows Meghan and Harry on their controversial trip to support victims of the LA fires and their work supporting families whose children have taken their lives due to online hate.
The Sussexes’ pseudo-royal trips abroad to Nigeria and Colombia in 2024 also feature, along with their new logo for Archewell Philanthropies.
It ends with the message: ‘On behalf of the Office of Prince Harry and Meghan, Duke and Duchess of Sussex, and Archewell, we wish you a very happy holiday season and a joyful new year.’
It was released less than 24 hours after the Prince and Princess of Wales sent out their annual Christmas card featuring a new portrait of the future king and queen with George, Charlotte and Louis.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex have been famously private about their children, Prince Archie, six, and Princess Lilibet, four – obscuring their faces in photos published online or only sharing pictures of them from behind.
Today’s video is more of the same.
Meghan and Harry’s trip to meet those caught up in the LA fires makes the holidays video
The Duchess of Sussex addresses women at an Archewell Foundation event
Meghan and Harry’s trip to Colombia in 2024 also features
The Sussex film and card were revealed as the couple announced that their Archewell Foundation charity will be renamed Archewell Philanthropies. The statement said that the couple ‘and their children’ will broaden their work globally
The Duchess of Sussex had previously shared an insight into her family’s life in California , including a rare peek at Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet’s features at the start of November on Instagram.
While Meghan usually obscures her children’s faces by only photographing them from behind, over Halloween the prince and princess could be seen more clearly in a video taken on an outing to a pumpkin patch.
However, a source claimed recently that Prince Harry is not happy with Meghan’s recent ‘social media displays’.
Harry and Meghan set up the Archewell Foundation, which follows the mission statement ‘Show up, do good’, after stepping down from their royal duties and moving to Los Angeles in 2020.
Now it will be known as Archewell Philanthropies.
This year, the charity has advocated for safer digital spaces and the responsible development of artificial intelligence (AI).
It has also funded support for children affected by conflict in Gaza and Ukraine.
The Archewell Foundation takes its name from ‘arche’, the ancient Greek work meaning ‘source of action’, and ‘well’, symbolising ‘a plentiful source or supply, a place we go to dig deep’.
The Prince and Princess of Wales released a new family photograph for their Christmas card
The 2025 Christmas card for King Charles III and Queen Camilla was released on December 6
A spokesman for Harry and Meghan said: ‘This next chapter allows Prince Harry and Meghan, Duke and Duchess of Sussex, to broaden their global philanthropic efforts as a family, with meaningful reach and maximum impact, grounded in the same values, partnerships, and their commitment to show up and do good.’
Royal commentator Phil Dampier said of the name change: ‘Archewell Philanthropies? Sounds like a chemists. They have truly gone bonkers. Sorry, even more bonkers’.
Founded in 2020, the Archewell Foundation is the hub of the Sussexes’ philanthropic focus.
Last year, it gave a total of £1,026,240 to charitable causes, and received £4,183,892 in grants – largely from one cash injection of £3,947,148, understood to have come from Fidelity Charitable, a US-based fund that also donated £789,415 the previous year.
The remaining income came from five anonymous individuals.
In February 2025 the Mail revealed that Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have donated more than half a million dollars to Democrat-linked gurus, funds and charities.
Their Archewell Foundation handed £502,300 ($632,000) to individuals and groups that would likely frustrate Donald Trump, who has repeatedly criticised the couple and recently called Meghan ‘terrible’.
The largest single payment, $250,000 (£199,000), went to a charity run by Joe Biden’s daughter Ashley, Archewell’s tax documents in the US showed.
Princess Lilibet and Prince Archie helped bake cookies with their parents before Thanksgiving in a social media post last month. Today’s video shows a little more from that event at Our Big Kitchen Los Angeles
Meghan Markle posted a sweet image of Lilibet to her Instagram to celebrate Day Of The Girl in early October
Princess Lilibet and Prince Archie could be both be seen in the back of a video shared by Meghan of Harry carving a pumpkin earlier this year
And multiple six-figure sums were handed to one of the Democratic party’s go-to PRs who claims to be an expert in online ‘integrity’ and countering ‘disinformation’.
While their charitable work echoes their previous royal roles, critics have accused the couple of trading off the family brand for commercial ventures.
In August, the couple’s media company, Archewell Productions, announced it had agreed ‘a multi-year, first-look deal’ for its TV and film projects with Netflix.
The couple have already produced a number of projects for the streaming service including a documentary about their relationship and problems with the royal family, while recently it has broadcast Meghan’s lifestyle show ‘With Love, Meghan’
The charity’s name change was revealed hours after it emerged that Harry and Meghan have quietly auctioned access to themselves to the highest bidder as a way of raising money.
It’s said tickets to attend a dinner with the Sussexes go for around $100,000 (£75,000) a plate, as they use the company CharityBuzz to raise funds for their charity Archewell.
Up to now the charity has relied on anonymous wealthy donors, which has allowed them to make grants to their selected good causes.
Last night, a spokesman for Archewell confirmed: ‘We have partnered with numerous fundraising partners over the years and CharityBuzz has been one of them.’
A source explained that Archewell had used the company to support a fundraising dinner on World Mental Health Day.
CharityBuzz has raised $650 million (£485million) for charity since opening 20 years ago and has run charity events with George Clooney, Beyonce and Sir Paul McCartney.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex’s charity, the Archewell Foundation, will be renamed Archewell Philanthropies as it marks five years since being founded after Megxit
Paying to have dinner with – or access to – a working member of the Royal Family is seen as a no-no and one of Fergie’s many solecisms was to offer access to the then prince Andrew for cash.
However, the Sussexes haven’t been working royals since Megxit.
The access to Harry and Meghan appears not to have been advertised on the company website, so may have been offered privately to ‘high rollers’ who have previously paid to rub shoulders with celebrities.
A source said of their association with CharityBuzz: ‘People will pay hundreds of thousands of dollars to have dinner with them.’
Current offers include having dinner with Better Call Saul actor Bob Odenkirk for $10,000 (£7,500) and platinum tickets to attend the Grammy awards for $50,000 (£37,000).
Meanwhile, sources reveal change is afoot at the Archewell Foundation, with talk of staff ‘restructuring’.
The spokesman commented: ‘Yes, we are making some Archewell changes, and we’ll be sharing exciting developments regarding how we will deliver our philanthropic work moving forward, when we choose to. We look forward to communicating more in due course.’