
Tom Hayes verdict is yet another blow to the Serious Fraud Office
Reeling from a string of blunders in the years before Hayes's trial, the successful prosecution of the former trader was a much-needed win for the agency at a time when its very existence was in doubt and it was also arguably the most significant result for the agency's then director, Sir David Green KC.
By the same token, the quashing of Hayes's conviction on Wednesday by the Supreme Court also comes at a difficult moment for the crime-fighting body.
In the decade since Hayes was sent to prison, the SFO's reputation has been marred by another series of setbacks that have once again led to questions about the future of the agency.
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Daily Mail
24 minutes ago
- Daily Mail
Marcus Morris Sr's brother and agent slam NBA star's 'insane' arrest 'real' reasons he was detained
The twin brother of NBA free agent Marcus Morris Sr. and the player's agent are disputing the reason for his shocking arrest in Florida on Sunday. Morris was arrested at Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport. According to arrest records in Broward County, Morris is being held on a charge of Fraud - Writing a Check With Insufficient Funds. But hours after the arrest, Morris' brother Markieff posted an angry statement on X, formerly Twitter: 'The wording is crazy. Damn for that amount of money they'll embarrass you in the airport with your family,' the post read. 'They could have came to the crib for all that. 'When y'all hear the real story on this s**t man. All I can say is Lesson learned. Bro will tell y'all tomorrow. This weird shit gave me a headache. Can't stop nothin!' Nearly half an hour later, Yony Noy - who represents both brothers - posted a statement of his own: 'Just so everyone understands this is zero fraud here or whatever crap outlets have said regarding fake checks or whatever the hell. This is due to an outstanding marker with a casino. Apparently if you have over $1,200 they can issue a warrant for your arrest. Absolute insanity!' A source told Daily Mail that the casino in question is in Las Vegas. According to the websites of multiple law firms, in the state of Nevada, an unpaid marker is treated as the equivalent of writing a bad check. Failing to pay a marker is treated as a class D felony and carries a penalty of fines and up to four years in prison. The Broward County Sheriff's Office did not immediately return a request for comment from Marcus has had a 13-year NBA career, beginning when the Houston Rockets selected him 14th overall in the 2011 NBA Draft. He would go on to play for the Rockets, the Phoenix Suns, the Detroit Pistons, the Boston Celtics, the New York Knicks, and the Los Angeles Clippers. Most recently, he played the 2023-24 season with the Philadelphia 76ers and the Cleveland Cavaliers. This incident is not Marcus' first run-in with the law. In 2012, he was arrested in Lawrence, Kansas on a battery charge after he and another person punched a bar employee while watching a Kansas-Missouri basketball game. Marcus entered a diversion agreement, paid a $300 diversion fee, and $60 in court fees. He also agreed to not come in contact with the victim or the bar for one year. At the time the diversion agreement was made, the prosecutor said that the case would be dismissed if Morris fulfilled the terms and remained 'out of trouble' during the 12 month period. Three years later, Marcus, Markeiff, Baltimore Ravens safety Gerald Bowman, and two other assailants were arrested in connection with the assault of 36-year-old Eric Hood in Arizona. Both Marcus and Markeiff were playing on the Phoenix Suns at the time. Hood, who had mentored the Morris twins, was allegedly 'sending an inappropriate text message' to the twins' mother. After a trial, the twins and Bowman were found not guilty while the other two assailants confessed.


The Guardian
34 minutes ago
- The Guardian
Starmer faces difficult task persuading Trump to take different path on Gaza
Moments after Air Force One touched down at Prestwick on Friday for a trip in which politics will take as big a billing as golf, Donald Trump was asked about his relationship with Keir Starmer. 'I like your prime minister. He's slightly more liberal than I am, as you've probably heard. But he's a good man,' the US president told reporters. At a time when the UK wants Trump's ear on numerous weighty issues, his response to questions about the 'special relationship' will have given Downing Street some reassurance. But it has been hard won. Starmer has been clear since before Trump's re-election that he would work with him if it was in Britain's national interest. There have been uncomfortable moments, but so far his decision to align himself with the US president has broadly paid off. Most notable was the economic deal agreed by the two leaders that slashes some of Trump's tariffs on cars, aluminium and steel, and which – even though it is not yet fully implemented – the UK government hopes will be a first step towards a closer trading relationship. Starmer, along with other western allies, has also helped encourage Trump to shift his position on Ukraine. After initially siding with Vladimir Putin and appearing to blame Volodymyr Zelenskyy for the invasion, the US president has since declared himself 'very unhappy' with his Russian counterpart. The prime minister now faces his toughest diplomatic task of all: trying to persuade Trump to take a different path on the humanitarian crisis in the Middle East. Even getting the issue on the agenda will not have been straightforward, with the White House not regarding Gaza as a priority. Trump is the only international leader whom the Israeli prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, listens to – though even then, not all of the time – so getting the US president's ear at this precise moment is an opportunity not to be squandered. With international fury over the situation on the ground in Gaza growing, Starmer has also been under pressure domestically – from his cabinet, Labour MPs and increasingly the public – to take further action against Israel. Government advisers are defensive – citing what the UK has already done to hold Israel to account since Labour came to power – and promising further action will follow, even if it is not clear what that might constitute. They point to the UK restoring funding to the UN agency Unrwa, sanctioning far-right Israeli ministers and those who committed settler violence, breaking off trade negotiations with Israel, backing the legitimacy of the international criminal court and restricting arms licences to Israel (though not preventing them entirely). Sign up to First Edition Our morning email breaks down the key stories of the day, telling you what's happening and why it matters after newsletter promotion The initial urgency is around humanitarian aid, with mass starvation spreading across Gaza, and Starmer will be hoping to persuade Trump that the situation on the ground will only worsen unless the Israelis fully lift their blockade of almost all aid into the territory. The longer-term prize, however, would be a ceasefire. Starmer will press Trump to revive ceasefire talks between Israel and Hamas, after the US and Israel withdrew their negotiation teams from Qatar last week. Getting them back round the table to agree a 60-day break from fighting is a prerequisite to a more permanent cessation of violence. The window of opportunity is narrow: the Israeli parliament is not sitting until October, which gives Netanyahu the cover he would need to agree a deal. But Starmer knows Trump is the only international figure who can put pressure on him to do so. Only at that point does Starmer feel the UK could follow France and formally recognise a Palestine state. No 10 insiders say it is a 'matter of when, not if' and David Lammy, the foreign secretary, will be at a UN conference this week to establish a pathway to formal recognition. To the deep frustration of many in his party, the prime minister last week rejected a call to follow France in recognising Palestine amid concerns the move would be largely symbolic without a ceasefire in place, and that issue could overshadow the talks with Trump. But that means even more is riding on Monday's meeting with the US president. It will be a test of whether the energy put into maintaining a good relationship with Trump has been worth it. And it will also show how far Starmer really is prepared to push to help bring an end to the catastrophe in Gaza.


The Guardian
an hour ago
- The Guardian
Zero-hours contracts: peers accused of ‘trying to block stronger UK workers' rights'
Conservative and Liberal Democrat peers have been accused of trying to block stronger rights for millions of workers amid a growing campaign by business leaders to water down Labour's zero-hours contract plans. In a blow for the government, the Lords last week voted to curtail the manifesto promise to give workers a right to a guaranteed hours contract and day-one protections against unfair dismissal. Setting up a showdown with the upper chamber, the Lords passed a series of amendments to the employment rights bill that will must be addressed by ministers when MPs return from their summer break. In an angry intervention on Monday, the general secretary of the Trades Union Congress, Paul Nowak, said the Lords was 'doing the bidding of bad bosses' and ought to 'get out of the way' of the plans. 'The sight of hereditary peers voting to block stronger workers' rights belongs in another century. It's plain wrong,' he said. Under the Lords' amendments, a requirement for employers to offer zero-hours workers a contract covering a guaranteed number of hours would be shifted to place the onus on staff to ask for such an arrangement. Protections against unfair dismissal from the first day of employment – which the government plans to reduce from the current level of two years – would be extended to six months, and changes to free up trade unions would be curtailed. The bill will return to the Commons in September for MPs to consider the amendments. The two houses then continue to vote on the changes in a process known as 'ping-pong' until a way forward is agreed. The amendments were put forward by the Lib Dem Lord Goddard, a former leader of Stockport council, and two Tory peers: Lord Hunt, who is a shadow business minister, and Lord Sharpe, a former investment banker. Hunt did not respond to a request for comment. Sharpe said: 'Keir Starmer's unemployment bill is a disaster for employees as much as it is a threat to business. Labour politicians who have never worked in business are destroying the economy. Only the Conservatives are listening to business and making the case for growth.' Goddard said he feared Labour's 'rushed bill' would be bad for workers in small businesses and on family-owned farms. 'They were badly let down by the Conservatives, and Labour seems to have a blind spot when it comes to farms and small businesses, too. 'We support the bill as a whole and have worked constructively to try to improve it. It's a shame to see the government getting upset that we didn't simply give them a blank cheque.' Employers groups welcomed the changes, saying the Lords was responding to business concerns. Helen Dickinson, the chief executive of the British Retail Consortium, said: 'Putting forward positive, practical and pragmatic amendments to the employment rights bill [will] help to protect the availability of valuable, local, part-time and entry level jobs up and down the country.' Sign up to Business Today Get set for the working day – we'll point you to all the business news and analysis you need every morning after newsletter promotion Industry chiefs have stepped up lobbying against the workers' rights changes, warning that companies were already slashing jobs and putting up prices in response to tax rises in chancellor Rachel Reeves's autumn budget. Dickinson said there was 'further to go' to curb the employment rights bill. 'Even with these amendments accepted, retailers remain worried about the consequences for jobs from other areas of the bill.' Union leaders have, though, urged ministers to stand firm. A recent mega poll of 21,000 people commissioned by the TUC found a majority of UK voters – including Conservative, Lib Dem and Reform UK supporters – backed a ban on zero-hours contracts. Nowak said the government plan included 'commonsense protections' that a majority of people wanted to see become law. 'These peers are not just out of touch, they are actively defying their own voters – and the public at large. The government must stand firm in the face of cynical attacks and deliver the employment rights bill in full.'