United Kingdom

https://x.com/elonmusk/status/1876174862747930717

cross-posted from: https://beehaw.org/post/17912670

Stop Uyghur Genocide accuses Shein of using forced Uyghur labour in its supply chains. A dossier of evidence has been presented to Shein’s legal team as the company faces scrutiny by the UK's Business and Trade Select Committee. Calls grow to block Shein’s stock market listing in London.

Lawyers representing Stop Uyghur Genocide recently submitted a critical dossier to Shein's legal team, accusing the fashion retailer of complicity in forced labour abuses linked to its supply chains in China's Uyghur region. This move comes as Shein's European legal advisor prepares to face the UK's Business and Trade Select Committee.

The dossier, which aligns with previous evidence submitted to the UK Financial Conduct Authority, suggests a significant likelihood of Shein's supply chains being tainted by forced labour in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region. Concerns have been raised about Shein's pending listing on the London Stock Exchange, reinforcing calls for an investigation into its labour practices.

The allegations highlight potential violations of the UK's Modern Slavery Act, with questions arising about the legality of Shein's profits under proceeds of crime laws. These claims echo similar issues encountered in the United States. Leigh Day solicitor Ricardo Gama stressed the importance of accountability and urged regulatory bodies to prevent Shein's market activities if the allegations are proven.

Graph showing a 30% drop in UK users on Twitter since September 2023, which, the commenter says is on the back of a loss of about a third in the preceding months.

Wasn't sure if this counted as UK politics given his previous job. Decided Clegg Is best left out of politics for the foreseeable.

More than £50,000 of taxpayers’ money was spent on lawyers to try to prevent the release of a safeguarding review ordered after a disabled man starved to death in his own home.

The costs were part of a bill of nearly £1m spent under the last government to prevent the release of various documents under the Freedom of Information (FoI) Act.

cross-posted from: https://lemmy.world/post/23804680

Paywall? https://archive.is/RJYIE

Archived link

As the issue of alleged Chinese spy Yang Tenbo’s relationship with Prince Andrew was raised in Parliament last week, a wide-ranging discussion about the U.K.’s relationship with China landed on a recurring theme: the Britain’s reliance on China for solar panels.

“[W]hy are we still buying from China huge numbers of solar arrays that have demonstrably been made using slave labor?” Member of Parliament Iain Duncan Smith asked. “[F]ar from challenging China on human rights, it now appears that we are turning a blind eye.”

Questions about human rights keep turning up because U.K. industry relies heavily on Chinese materials, and there is evidence of a range of human rights violations in their production, including forced labor.

That presents an apparent dilemma. On the one hand, there is the idea of a fast and cheap green transition. On the other hand, there is the idea of a clean human rights chain

[...]

Two routes

Option one is supply chain diversification — buying solar panels from elsewhere.

A report from Brussels-based economic think tank Bruegel last year proposed developing a partnership of countries that can together supplement China’s solar contribution.

The view there is that no single country can take over China’s role, but in time, a group of like-minded countries could do so.

[...]

“Its a somewhat unique situation,” professor of Environmental Studies at San Jose State University, Dustin Mulvaney told Domino Theory.

“Much of the problems caused to the industry because of the forced labor issues were because the industry did not have traceability and transparency in supply chains. So I break the dichotomy by saying we should be for transparent supply chains so in the event of a forced labor issue, it can be quickly resolved.”

This idea matches the positioning of Solar Energy U.K. — a grouping which advocates for solar developments in the U.K.

[...]

Solar manufacturers in Xinjiang have been implicated in so-called “labor transfer” initiatives that have been revealed to operate within an environment of coercion, backed by the threat of re-education and internment. So this is a key target of any transparency initiatives.

[...]

There are, though, remaining issues with a transparency approach.

“There is also the issue of coal use in the supply chain that means the solar made on forced labor is probably only saving half of the emissions it would otherwise if [built] with no coal electricity/heat. So there are climate benefits from geographical diversification as well,” Mulvaney noted.

Additionally, one industry insider, working on handing out government grants for small-scale solar projects, noted that while they give advice on procurement, it is not legally binding, and essentially responsibility was deferred to the individual stakeholders.

[...]

A multi-million pound theme park proposing to build a new site in Oxfordshire is formally "scoping opinions" and has revealed the earmarked location.

Puy du Fou declared its interest last year in wanting a site to be built in Oxfordshire near Bicester.

It currently has a site in Spain and France and is planning on opening two more locations before 2030, which includes the site in Cherwell.

The multi-award winning theme park has no rides. Instead, it is a unique concept which offers a multitude of live shows and immersive experiences, all set in historical time periods.

Savills submitted a "scoping opinion" report to Cherwell District Council on behalf of Puy du Fou earlier this month.

This follows public exhibitions held in Bicester in July, which gave residents, businesses and officials the opportunity to share their thoughts, raise concerns and to learn more about the theme park.

Cross posted from: https://beehaw.org/post/17749474

Hong Kong police have offered rewards of HK$1m (£103,000; $129,000) for information leading to the arrests of six pro-democracy activists living in the UK and Canada.

Among them is Tony Chung, the former leader of a pro-independence group who fled to the UK last year.

The group - which includes a former district councillor, an actor, and a YouTuber - have been lobbying for more democracy in the territory.

[...]

Also on the wanted list is former district councillor Carmen Lau and activist Chloe Cheung. Both are based in the UK and lobby on behalf of two NGOs calling for more democracy in Hong Kong.

[...]

Ms Lau posted on [social media] that the warrant would not stop her advocacy work. She called on the UK, US and EU governments to impose sanctions on "Hong Kong human rights perpetrators".

She also asked the British Labour government to "seriously reconsider its strategies for tackling transnational repression targeting Hong Kongers" and to look at blocking plans for a new Chinese embassy in Tower Hill.

A man who featured in a viral video of him being hit in the crotch and head by bricks during the Southport riot has been jailed.

Brian Spencer was first hit in the head by a brick thrown by a fellow rioter as he goaded a line of riot police on 30 July.

As he held his head, he was then hit by a second brick directly in the crotch, causing him to stagger in the street.

The 40-year-old, of Lytham Road, Southport, pleaded guilty at Liverpool Crown to violent disorder and was jailed for two years and six months.

...

Spencer also admitted a separate offence of racially aggravated harassment.

Merseyside Police said his injuries were captured on mobile phone footage which was shared widely on social media after "some wayward missiles" hit him during the "appalling scenes" in Southport.

A police spokesperson said Spencer "could be seen acting in an aggressive manner" as part of a large group of people who were standing in front of police officers and throwing bricks.

Spencer was also seen "punching a police vehicle several times and picking up and throwing wheelie bins" at officers, police said.

Merseyside Police said its officers were later called to hospital after injured Spencer racially abused another patient while he was receiving treatment for his head injury.

A police spokesperson said the "officers recognised him from the viral social media footage" and he was arrested.

Previously:

• Instant karma

It is known across Liverpool as the Radio City tower but that moniker may not be around much longer as the structure hosts its final live broadcast on Christmas Eve.

Microphone cables are being bundled up and heaving contacts books packed into boxes, leaving empty what is arguably the most famous building of the city’s skyline – St Johns Beacon, to use its proper name.

Built in 1969, originally as a luxury revolving restaurant that was one visited by Queen Elizabeth II, the tower was listed Grade II in 2020, with Historic England describing it as “embodying the technological bravura and spirit of the space age”.