Domestic abuse specialists to be added to police call centres
According to the Home Office, police in England and Wales recorded nearly 100 domestic abuse-related offences every hour over the past year.
Home Secretary Yvette Cooper (front left) and safeguarding minister Jess Phillips (back right) with counsellor and campaigner Nour Norris (back left) meet 999 control handlers during a visit to Kent Police's Coldharbour police complex. (Photo: Getty Images)
By EasternEyeSep 20, 2024
DOMESTIC abuse specialists will join the police emergency call centres from early next year to help protect women and girls, the Home Office announced on Friday.
This initiative is part of the Raneem's Law pilot scheme, named after Raneem Oudeh and her mother Khaola Saleem, who were murdered by Raneem's ex-husband in 2018.
Raneem had called 999 four times on the night of the incident, but officers failed to reach the scene in time. An inquest found that police shortcomings "materially contributed" to their deaths. The new scheme aims to ensure victims receive a "fast response" by having officers on the ground advised by domestic abuse specialists.
According to the Home Office, police in England and Wales recorded nearly 100 domestic abuse-related offences every hour over the past year. Keir Starmer's government has committed to reducing violence against women and girls by half within the next decade.
"Victims of appalling domestic abuse need to know that the police will be there for them," said Home Secretary Yvette Cooper. She stressed the importance of understanding the severity of domestic abuse, saying, "Failure to understand the seriousness of domestic abuse costs lives and far too many have already been lost."
Jess Phillips, the inister for Safeguarding and Violence Against Women and Girls, emphasised that the government intends to do more than just improve police response times. "I don't want to just give somebody who's taken a beating a good call. I want them not to take that beating in the first place," said Phillips, who previously worked with domestic abuse victims before entering politics.
In November, another scheme will be introduced to enhance police orders requiring abusers to stay away from their victims. Under the new orders, perpetrators must inform the police of any change in name or address and may be electronically tagged, without a maximum duration. Currently, victims are protected for up to 28 days.
The strengthened Domestic Abuse Protection Orders will initially be tested by police units in London, Manchester, and the British Transport Police. Crime statistics show that 2.3 million people experienced domestic abuse in England and Wales in the year ending March 2024.
Recent high-profile cases of violence against women, including domestic incidents, have drawn attention to the issue. Refuge, the UK's largest charity for domestic violence victims, described the situation as a "national emergency" and stated that violence against women and girls was at "unprecedented levels."
This week, a man was charged with the murder of a mother and her two daughters north of London. British media reported that the suspect was the ex-partner of one of the daughters.
While Refuge expressed general support for the new measures, interim chief executive Abigail Ampofo called for "far more detail on how these plans will be implemented and how staff will be safely recruited, vetted and most importantly trained."
Instagram post by Gemma Collins promoting Yazen weight-loss service banned
ASA rules it breached regulations on promoting prescription-only medication
Eight other weight-loss ads also banned in regulatory crackdown
ASA bans Collins' Instagram advert
An Instagram post by TV personality Gemma Collins promoting a weight-loss drug and digital service has been banned by the UK’s advertising watchdog for breaching regulations around prescription-only medicines.
Collins had shared a promotional video on 6 January 2025, stating: “I’m starting this year two sizes down, thanks to Yazen’s weight loss app and medication.” The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) ruled that the post unlawfully promoted prescription-only medication to the public.
Prescription medication references breached rules
Yazen, a Swedish digital healthcare company, provides a doctor-supervised weight-loss programme which includes prescription drugs alongside lifestyle coaching. While Collins did not name a specific drug in the advert, she referenced the medication being “prescribed on the NHS”.
The ASA said it consulted the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA), which concluded that viewers were likely to interpret the advert as encouragement to seek prescription weight-loss medication.
As a result, the ASA found that the advert breached its code by promoting prescription-only treatments directly to the public. This type of promotion is prohibited under UK advertising regulations.
Collins accepted the findings of the ASA’s investigation and confirmed that she would follow the relevant guidance in future social media promotions.
Eight other ads also banned
Collins’ post was one of nine adverts banned in the ASA’s latest enforcement action targeting weight-loss drug promotions. The watchdog stated that all of the adverts promoted prescription-only treatments to consumers, a practice not allowed under UK law.
The other banned adverts included:
A Meta ad by CheqUp Health stating: “Take the first step to sustainable weight loss with CheqUp.”
A Meta ad by HealthExpress.co.uk, featuring an injection pen image and rule-breaching claims.
A Google ad for Juniper UK describing “GLP-1 Weekly Weight Loss Injection” with an injection pen image.
Two Google ads for Phlo Clinic, one offering “35% off Weight Loss Order” and another promoting “Weight loss Injections.”
A Google ad for SemaPen claiming, “SemaPen Makes Weight Loss Easier.”
A Meta ad by Cloud Pharmacy using text message imagery referencing new weight-loss medication.
A Google ad for pharmacyonline.co.uk stating “Obesity Treatment Jab” with an image of a medication vial.
The ASA ruled that none of these adverts should appear again in their current form. The regulator said it will continue to monitor the promotion of weight-loss services involving prescription medication, particularly on digital platforms.
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Ranbir Kapoor will play Lord Rama in Nitesh Tiwari’s upcoming Ramayana
Ranbir Kapoor is reportedly earning £14 million (₹150 crore) for playing Lord Rama in both parts of Ramayana.
Yash, cast as Raavan and also producing, is expected to receive £9.3 million (₹100 crore).
Sai Pallavi will reportedly take home £1.1 million (₹12 crore) as Sita.
Sunny Deol is said to be charging £3.7 million (₹40 crore) for portraying Hanuman.
The upcoming two-part film Ramayana, directed by Nitesh Tiwari, is shaping up to be one of the most expensive projects in Indian cinema history. With its Diwali 2026 and 2027 releases already confirmed, all eyes are now on the cast’s sky-high fees.
Though the production house hasn’t officially confirmed individual earnings, multiple media reports, including those from Siasat.com and Republic, have provided a breakdown of what the film's leading stars are reportedly taking home, and the numbers are staggering.
Fans await Ramayana teaser as early reviews spark buzz online Instagram/iamnamitmalhotra
Ranbir Kapoor to pocket £14 million (₹150 crore) for playing Lord Rama
Ranbir Kapoor, who will headline the saga as Lord Rama, is said to be the highest-paid actor in the film. According to multiple industry reports, he will earn £7.5 million (₹75 crore) per instalment, totalling £14 million (₹150 crore) for both parts.
This is the biggest payday of Kapoor's career, far surpassing the £2.5–3 million (₹25–30 crore) he reportedly earned for Brahmastra. His casting as the noble prince has already stirred major buzz online, particularly after the first-look visuals surfaced.
Producer Namit Malhotra reveals how AI will make Ramayana resonate globally with native-language realism IMDB/Reddit
Yash as Raavan: £9.3 million (₹100 crore) plus producer credit
Kannada superstar Yash, best known for his role in the KGF franchise, is stepping into the role of Raavan. Reports claim he is earning £4.65 million (₹50 crore) for each instalment, a total of £9.3 million (₹100 crore). In addition to acting, Yash is producing Ramayana under his own banner, Monster Mind Creations, giving him a dual stake in the project’s success.
His previous remuneration for KGF 2 was reportedly around £3–3.5 million (₹30–35 crore), making Ramayana his most lucrative role yet.
Yash undergoes intense physical training to play Ravana in Ramayana Instagram/thenameisyash
Sai Pallavi’s biggest pay cheque as Sita
Acclaimed South Indian actress Sai Pallavi is playing Sita, and reports say she is earning £1.1 million (₹12 crore) for the project.
This is a significant jump from her usual range of £250,000–300,000 (₹2.5–3 crore), with her earlier highest-known salary being £500,000 (₹5 crore) for the upcoming Telugu thriller Thandel. With Ramayana, she steps firmly into pan-Indian cinema territory.
Producer Namit Malhotra reveals how AI will make Ramayana resonate globally with native-language realism IMDB/Reddit
Sunny Deol and Ravie Dubey add weight to the ensemble
Veteran actor Sunny Deol has been cast as Hanuman and is reportedly earning £3.7 million (₹40 crore) in total. This figure mirrors what he made for Gadar 2, reinforcing his continued demand in action-heavy roles.
Meanwhile, TV star Ravie Dubey, who will play Laxman, is reportedly being paid between £200,000–400,000 (₹2–4 crore). It’s still unclear whether this is his total fee or per-film amount, but even the lower end marks a substantial step forward in his film career.
Supporting cast and colossal budget
The film will also feature Arun Govil as King Dashrath, Lara Dutta as Kaikeyi, Sheeba Chaddha as Manthara, and Rakul Preet Singh as Shurpanakha. Kajal Aggarwal will play Mandodari, while Amitabh Bachchan and Kunal Kapoor are expected to make guest appearances as Jatayu and Indradeva respectively.
Ranbir Kapoor hugs Ravi Dubey after wrap speech on Ramayana set Twitter/Raymond/Cinegeek
Jointly produced by Namit Malhotra (DNEG/Prime Focus Studios) and Yash, Ramayana is being made on a reported budget of £77 million (₹835 crore), though some estimates push that figure past £160 million (₹1,600 crore) when marketing and VFX are included. The background score and soundtrack are being composed by AR Rahman and Hans Zimmer, again a rare India-Hollywood collaboration.
Programs and infrastructure supporting small businesses and the development of digital skills in European countries are highly effective.
According to Eurostat data, Germany is the leader in terms of small business development indicators such as the number of people employed in small and medium-sized businesses and the total turnover of SMEs.
At the same time, Italy ranks first in terms of the total number of companies, surpassing Germany by more than 1.5 times (3.7 million companies compared to 2.4 million in Germany).
France, which ranks third in Europe in terms of small business turnover and second after Italy in terms of the number of companies, shows a similar model of small business development to Italy. The UK, like Germany, is characterised by a smaller number of companies but high turnover.
The characteristics of the national economy play an important role. The European leaders in terms of small and medium-sized business turnover in mineral extraction are Italy (many small deposits, often depleted and unprofitable for large-scale industry) and Norway (oil, gas, polymetals).
The UK is the leader in terms of turnover of small and medium-sized businesses in the construction industry, as well as in high-tech industries: information and telecommunications services, research and development services.
Overall, the key industry in which small and medium-sized businesses have the greatest potential for development is trade. But it is also important to support such promising areas as manufacturing, construction, and, especially, science and engineering.
Micro-enterprises with up to 10 employees are the main employers in European small and medium-sized businesses. The number of people employed in these companies is close to the number of employees in large companies.
Economic efficiency is an important factor determining the significant share of micro-enterprises with up to 10 employees in the European economy. In terms of gross profitability before personnel costs (the ratio of value added at factor cost to turnover), micro-enterprises with up to 10 employees are in the lead.
Given that a significant proportion of these micro-enterprises are, in fact, the workplaces of their owners, the positive role of small and medium-sized businesses for the economies of European countries as a whole is obvious.
FORMER prime minister Rishi Sunak has returned to the banking world as senior adviser at Goldman Sachs group, with plans to donate his salary to the education charity he recently established with his wife Akshata Murty.
The US-headquartered multinational investment bank, where Sunak worked before entering politics, made the announcement on Tuesday (8) after the requisite 12-month period elapsed since the British Indian leader's ministerial term concluded following defeat in the general election on July 4 last year.
The UK Advisory Committee on Business Appointments, which must approve jobs taken by former ministers for at least two years after leaving office, gave its approval with conditions "to mitigate the potential risks to the government" regarding privileged information Sunak would have as a former prime minister.
The committee noted that the salary from his new role would go towards the Richmond Project, a charity announced earlier this year as a joint initiative with Murty focused on improving mathematics and numeracy skills among children and young people in England.
"Goldman Sachs has a significant interest in UK government policy. As the former Prime Minister, there is reasonable concern that your appointment could be seen to offer unfair access and influence within the UK government," the committee stated in its advice published this week.
"You and Goldman Sachs have confirmed to the committee that the role will not involve lobbying the government, which all former ministers are prevented from doing for two years after leaving office. The committee considered that it would be difficult to mitigate the risk of perceived lobbying if you initiated engagement of any kind with the UK government in this role, noting this is not your stated intention."
Under the stipulations, Sunak must not draw on any privileged information available to him from his time in ministerial office.
Rishi Sunak and Akshata Murty. (Photo by HENRY NICHOLLS/AFP via Getty Images)
"For two years from your last day in ministerial office, your role with Goldman Sachs Group Inc should be limited to providing advice on strategy, macroeconomic and geopolitical matters that do not conflict with your time as prime minister (including where you are working with parent companies, subsidiaries, partners and clients of Goldman Sachs)," the committee added.
It also stressed that the advice was not an "endorsement" of Sunak's new role but aimed at protecting the integrity of government.
The publication of the committee's decision coincided with Goldman Sachs issuing a statement welcoming the British Indian politician, who continues as a backbench Tory MP for Richmond and Northallerton.
"In his role, he will work with leaders across the firm to advise our clients globally on a range of important topics, sharing his unique perspectives and insights on the macroeconomic and geopolitical landscape. He will also spend time with our people around the world, contributing to our culture of ongoing learning and development," said Goldman Sachs chairman and CEO David Solomon.
Sunak previously worked at Goldman Sachs as a summer intern in Investment Banking in 2000 and later as an analyst between 2001 and 2004.
His political career began when he was elected Tory MP in 2015 and went on to be appointed a junior minister, then chancellor before becoming Britain's first prime minister of Indian heritage in October 2022.
(with inputs from PTI)
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Gregg Wallace dropped from MasterChef after over 50 sexual misconduct claims surface
Gregg Wallace has been dropped from MasterChef following a misconduct probe.
BBC was approached by over 50 individuals with new allegations, including sexual misconduct.
Wallace says an independent investigation cleared him of “serious” claims but found him guilty of inappropriate language.
He has hit back at the BBC, accusing them of betrayal and failing to support his autism diagnosis.
Gregg Wallace has been officially removed from MasterChef after more than 50 new individuals came forward with misconduct allegations spanning his two-decade television career. The move follows an ongoing investigation led by law firm Lewis Silkin, commissioned by the show’s production company, Banijay UK, into Wallace’s behaviour.
While Wallace claims he has been cleared of the “most serious and sensational” accusations, he was reportedly found responsible for inappropriate language and comments dating back as far as 2005. The BBC, which aired MasterChef, is now facing renewed scrutiny over how long-standing concerns about Wallace’s behaviour were handled internally.
BBC under fire after 50 women share new allegations against Gregg WallaceGetty Images
Allegations span 20 years and multiple shows
BBC News reports that the broadcaster received over 50 new testimonies after its initial exposé in 2023, which documented complaints from 13 individuals. Among the most disturbing claims were accounts from women alleging Wallace groped them, touched them inappropriately, or undressed in their presence without consent.
One woman who worked on MasterChef between 2011 and 2013 said Wallace pulled down his trousers in front of her in a dressing room. A 19-year-old employee claimed she was subjected to comments about her body and discouraged from filing a formal complaint. Others described incidents on BBC shows such as Saturday Kitchen and Eat Well for Less, as well as incidents that occurred at industry events and even during a book tour.
Despite some complaints reportedly dating back to 2017, Wallace continued to appear on-screen until stepping away from MasterChef in late 2024 when the first round of allegations emerged.
Wallace hits back, says autism diagnosis was ignored
In a five-slide Instagram statement, Wallace defended himself, claiming he had been “hung out to dry” by the BBC and MasterChef producers despite years of service. He also revealed a recent diagnosis of autism, alleging that his neurodiversity was known by colleagues but never acknowledged or accommodated.
“I will not go quietly,” Wallace wrote. “I was tried by media and hung out to dry well before the facts were established… That failure is now being quietly buried.”
Wallace accused BBC News of planning to “platform legally unsafe accusations” and condemned the broadcaster’s coverage as “sensationalised gossip masquerading as journalism.” He stated that the only misconduct confirmed in the Silkin report related to language used between 2005 and 2018, for which he offered an unreserved apology.
Gregg Wallace seen filming prior to being removed from the showYoutube Screengrab
BBC and Banijay face scrutiny over safeguarding failures
The scandal is not just about Wallace. The revelations have raised significant questions about workplace culture within the BBC and its production partners. Many of the women who spoke to the BBC said they felt unable to report Wallace’s conduct at the time for fear of career backlash.
A production worker told BBC News that when she complained about Wallace dropping his trousers in a dressing room, she was dismissed with the response: “You’re over 16. You’re not being Jimmy Saviled.”
Another producer said her warnings to the BBC were ignored even after submitting a formal letter supported by an industry union in 2022. A 2023 report into BBC workplace culture already revealed that “a small number of stars and managers behave unacceptably,” with action often delayed or avoided entirely.
The BBC logo is seen at BBC Broadcasting House Getty Images
Banijay boss responds to scandal, promises safer industry practices
Just two hours after the latest BBC report on Wallace dropped, Banijay UK CEO Patrick Holland addressed the controversy during a press dinner in London’s Covent Garden. Speaking to a room filled with journalists, producers, and talent, Holland confirmed that an executive summary of the Lewis Silkin investigation will be released publicly “soon,” though the full report will remain confidential.
While he declined to comment on whether Wallace had been formally sacked, Holland acknowledged the broader implications of the case. “We need to do all we can to ensure that everyone in production, especially in the most junior roles, feels confident to call out bad behaviour,” he said.
He also noted that television culture had changed dramatically over the last two decades and pointed to “hotlines, welfare officers, and anonymous reporting systems” now available to workers as an apparent response to the many who said they feared career damage if they spoke up.
Gregg Wallace attends the Channel 5 2020 Upfront photocallGetty Images
Public reckoning and industry fallout
As the summary of the Silkin report is expected in the coming days, pressure is mounting on the BBC and Banijay to address the broader systemic issues that enabled Wallace to remain on air for so long. Calls are growing for resignations among senior figures who had oversight of Wallace’s productions.
Baroness Helena Kennedy, who leads a creative industry watchdog, warned that “freelancers often feel unable to speak out” and that there have been “multiple missed opportunities” to prevent harm.
Philippa Childs, head of the Bectu union, added: “Misogyny, intimidation, ageism, and sexual harassment should have no place in modern workplaces. Yet time and again we have seen issues running rampant, propped up by inadequate reporting mechanisms and a culture of untouchable talent.”
Bectu Union Story Instagram Screengrab/ bectuunion
She welcomed the UK government’s latest move to ban NDAs that silence victims of workplace abuse, a step many say is long overdue in cleaning up the British entertainment industry.
Wallace, meanwhile, continues to deny engaging in any sexually harassing behaviour. A spokesperson said he is fully cooperating with the ongoing investigation.