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  • Fake Labubu sellers on Border Force’s naughty list this Christmas

    Fake Labubu sellers on Border Force’s naughty list this Christmas

    Dangerous imitations made up 90% of the more than 260,000 counterfeit toys stopped by Border Force in 2025, following a surge in the dolls’ popularity. 

    With three-quarters of counterfeit toys failing safety tests, officers have stepped up shipment searches in the run-up to Christmas to protect children from harm.

    As well as fake Labubus, Border Force seized a range of counterfeit toys and electrical products – including Jellycats, PlayStation controllers, Disney merchandise and Pokémon figurines.

    Dangers to children include banned chemicals linked to cancer, and choking as fake toys break more easily due to their poor quality.

    Organised criminals use counterfeit goods to profit from and prey on families, with no regard for the harm they could cause to children. 

    They also undermine legitimate retailers and toy manufacturers who invest in safe, high-quality products during the crucial Christmas trading period. 

    The seizures, which are usually destroyed following detection, protect honest businesses from criminals undercutting them with dangerous fakes. 

    Adam Chatfield, Border Force Assistant Director said:  

    Preventing cheap knock-off toys entering Britain isn’t about stopping fun at Christmas.

    Serious organised criminals use profits from dangerous counterfeit goods to fund their evil activities – exploiting parents and families.

    Every product seized disrupts criminal networks threatening our border security, spares children from harm and protects legitimate British businesses.

    To tackle the surge of counterfeit toy sales over the Christmas period, Border Force has teamed up with the Intellectual Property Office as part of Operation Foretide, working together to identify and stop counterfeit goods entering the UK. 

    Officers are trained to spot fake products and use intelligence to target high-risk shipments.

    The seizures follow a record-breaking year for Border Force drug seizures, including £1 billion worth of cocaine seized this summer. Officers have also prevented dangerous weapons and firearms from reaching the UK’s streets.  

    This government is relentless in its mission to protect the public and cut off the cash supply of criminal gangs flooding our borders with deadly products.  

    Helen Barnham, Intellectual Property Office Deputy Director of Enforcement Policy said:

    With counterfeit toys, what you see is rarely what you get. These illegal and dangerous goods have bypassed every safety check the law requires, behind the packaging can be hidden choking hazards, toxic chemicals and unsafe electrical wiring that put children in real danger.

    This Christmas, check before you buy. Be wary of unfamiliar sellers and deals that seem too good to be true. If something doesn’t feel right, it probably isn’t. Don’t let your child be the product tester.

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  • Bet365 boss Denise Coates’s pay package rises to £280m

    Bet365 boss Denise Coates’s pay package rises to £280m

    Archie MitchellBusiness reporter

    PA Media Denise Coates, the founder of Bet365, is pictured standing against a grey wall wearing a wide-collared shirt beneath a black suit jacket. PA Media

    Denise Coates, the founder and chief executive of Bet365, received a pay package of at least £280m in 2025, marking another year as one of Britain’s highest-paid bosses.

    Her total earnings jumped by more than two thirds from almost £158m a year earlier, despite profits at the gambling firm tumbling.

    Ms Coates was awarded £104m in salary in the year to March 2025, Companies House filings show.

    In addition, as a majority shareholder in Bet365, she was entitled to at least half of the £354m dividend payment declared by the firm for the year.

    The £280m package means she has earned more than £2bn from Bet365 over the past decade.

    Campaign group the High Pay Centre condemned Ms Coates’s pay as too high.

    Director Andrew Speke said: “Denise Coates is well-liked in Stoke for being self-made and giving back to her community.

    “But the eye-watering sums she earns go far beyond what anyone needs for a life of luxury – and her fortune comes from an industry that has caused real harm to too many people.”

    Bet365 has been approached for comment.

    Her latest pay deal came as Bet365’s pre-tax profit fell to £339m for the year, from £596m previously. Overall revenue rose by 9%, from £3.7bn a year earlier to £4bn.

    Ms Coates founded Bet365 in a portable building in a Stoke-on-Trent car park more than 20 years ago. It is now the biggest private sector employer in the city and offers sports betting, poker, casino games and bingo online to millions of customers worldwide.

    She is one of Britain’s richest women and among the world’s highest-paid executives.

    After training as an accountant, Ms Coates helped build Bet365 into one of the biggest online gambling companies from her father’s bookmaking business. Her brother, John Coates, is a co-chief executive of the company.

    As well as being one of the UK’s best-paid bosses, Ms Coates is reportedly among the country’s biggest taxpayers. Her £104m salary would see her pay tens of millions in income tax and national insurance.

    Bet365 also said the company paid £482m of tax in the year to March, up from £364m a year earlier, including tax on dividend payments.

    During the year, Bet365 donated £130m to the Denise Coates Foundation, which donates to charities covering education, arts and culture and health.

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  • A large-scale comparison of divergent creativity in humans and large language models

    A large-scale comparison of divergent creativity in humans and large language models

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  • ESB launches New High Power EV Charging Hub at Frascati Centre, Blackrock

    Tuesday, 23 December 2025

    ESB, Ireland’s largest EV charge point operator, has unveiled a new high power EV charging hub at the Frascati Centre in Blackrock, Co. Dublin, providing drivers with a convenient and ultra fast charging option during the busy festive season. 

    Key Features of the New ESB high power bub: 

    • Ultra-Fast Charging: Four 360kW high power chargers capable of delivering up to up to 220km of range in as little as ten minutes, enabling quick top-ups for EV drivers. 
    • Contactless Payment: Seamless, hassle-free charging with contactless payment options. 
    • Strategic Location: Capacity to charge eight EVs simultaneously, reducing wait times and ensuring maximum convenience for drivers locally and those travelling further afield. 

    Located in the heart of Blackrock village, the Frascati Centre is home to over 41 retail brands, offering fashion, beauty, and dining experiences. It’s modern facilities, high footfall, and ample parking make it an ideal stop for drivers looking to recharge while enjoying Christmas shopping or preparing for longer journeys on the road.  

    ESB has over 1,600 public charge points in place across the island of Ireland, providing a reliable and extensive network for EV drivers, who maybe be on the road over the festive period.  

    Welcoming this announcement, ESB Chairman, Terence O’Rourke, said:  “The new high power charging hub at Frascati Centre reflects ESB’s commitment to a cleaner, more sustainable transport future. ESB remains dedicated to investing in the charging network and supporting EV drivers with the continued rollout of high power hubs across the island.” 

    Viv Gaine, Frascati Centre Director, has welcomed this new community utility which further enhances the customer experience whilst visiting Frascati: “Our commitment to ensuring we offer high quality retail & destination brands is now greatly enhanced with this latest service installation.” 

    Whether you’re shopping for last-minute gifts or setting off on a Christmas road trip, ESB’s new high power charging hub at Frascati Centre ensures you can stay charged and keep moving this festive season. 

    For more information visit: www.esb.ie/ecars     

    ENDS/ 

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  • Workshop on the Authorisation of ESG Rating Providers

    Hybrid event: ESMA (201-203 rue de Bercy, 75012 Paris, France) and online

    Register by 26 March 2026 at 23:59 CET. Details will be shared with the registered participant after the registration closes.

    ESMA will host a workshop on the authorisation process for ESG Rating Agencies under the ESG Rating Regulation (2024/3005).

    The session will outline ESMA’s approach to processing applications for authorisation and provide insights into the key regulatory requirements and their implementation.

    The workshop will take place on 31 March 2026 and is primarily intended for firms planning to apply for authorisation as an ESG Rating Provider. The event will be held at ESMA’s offices in Paris, and we encourage participants to attend in person. In case more than one person by firm wishes to attend or when physical attendance surpasses the venue’s capacity, we will offer the possibility to dial-in to the event.

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  • Broad majority of Wisconsin bank CEOs believe economy is ‘good’ — but none say it’s ‘excellent’

    Broad majority of Wisconsin bank CEOs believe economy is ‘good’ — but none say it’s ‘excellent’

    A broad majority of Wisconsin banking executives believe the state economy is strong, but enthusiasm is down compared to past surveys.

    That’s according to a new end-of-the-year survey from the Wisconsin Bankers Association, conducted between Nov. 19 and Dec. 12. It showed zero percent of banking CEOs believe the economy is “excellent” and 79 percent say it’s “good.”

    The same share of executives said the economy was good in the middle of the year, but 7 percent said it was “excellent” at that time, the survey shows. For comparison, 7 percent said the economy was “excellent: and 76 percent said it was “good” at the end of 2024. At least 5 percent of bankers have been describing the economy as “excellent” in each survey since at least the end of 2022.

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    Rose Oswald Poels, president and CEO of the Wisconsin Bankers Association, said the survey results show a “steady economic outlook” but “not an overwhelmingly great economic outlook.” She said some sectors of the economy are doing well, while others are struggling. 

    “I think that’s true whether we’re talking about businesses or whether we’re talking about individuals,” Oswald Poels said. 

    A slimmer majority of banking CEOs, 55 percent, expect Wisconsin’s economy to stay roughly the same over the next six months — while 28 percent believe the economy is going to grow over the next six months and 17 percent believe it will shrink, the survey shows.

    Oswald Poels said the positive factors in Wisconsin’s economy — like low unemployment, a strong manufacturing sector and strong consumer spending — helped contribute to most bankers feeling the economy will remain steady in the next six months. 

    But concerns around housing affordability, particularly for low-income individuals, and uncertainty around tariffs have contributed to less than one-third of bankers believing the economy will grow in the next six months, she said.

    “I think that uncertainty will continue into next year, which gives, I think, the bankers a little bit of pause,” she said. “But at the same time, 28 percent are expecting the economy to grow, which is certainly a little higher than what we’ve seen in the last couple of survey responses six and 12 months ago.”

    At the same time, 72 percent of bank CEOs believe interest rates will fall over the next six months, the survey shows. 

    While most of the responses came in before the Federal Reserve announced a rate cut on Dec. 10, Oswald Poels said bankers, anecdotally, expect two more rate decreases next year.

    Over the next six months, residential real estate loans were the only loan category most CEOs, 59 percent, predicted would see demand grow, according to the survey. For business, commercial real estate and agricultural loans, a majority of bankers said demand would stay the same.

    Oswald Poels said residential real estate lending has been lagging behind the last couple of years due to high interest rates combined with the high costs of building new homes. That’s made home buying, especially for new homes, more expensive.

    She said expectations that interest rates will come down over the next year, along with rate cuts earlier in 2025, have helped “lead to the optimism that we’re going to see pretty nice growth in residential real estate lending.”

    She also said banks are seeing consumers use credit cards a little more this year than they have in the past few years, but deposit levels at banks have remained strong.

    Heading into 2026, Oswald Poels said financial fraud is one of the biggest things banks are trying to keep an eye out for. 

    Last week, the Wisconsin Bankers Association, citing data from the Federal Trade Commission, said Wisconsin consumers and businesses lost more than $107 million to fraud in 2025, including $32.8 million in losses in the third quarter of the year.

    Oswald Poels said technological advancements, including in artificial intelligence, have helped make fraudster phone calls more believable, often posing as police, IRS agents, bank employees or family members.

    “When someone’s calling or texting you and demanding you to act instantly, everybody should just pause at that point,” she said. “Then hang up the phone and contact people, whether it is the bank separately with a number you would normally use, or contact family members if that’s the urgent situation that the bad actor is trying to get you to act.”

    Wisconsin Public Radio, © Copyright 2025, Board of Regents of the University of Wisconsin System and Wisconsin Educational Communications Board.

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  • Peguis First Nation sues former chief, alleging ‘kickbacks,’ diversion of funds and other ‘corrupt practices’

    Peguis First Nation sues former chief, alleging ‘kickbacks,’ diversion of funds and other ‘corrupt practices’

    Peguis First Nation is suing former chief Glenn Hudson over allegations he failed to act in the best interest of the band and financially benefitted from breaches of duty — including claims that he enriched himself, his family and supporters.

    In a 29-page statement of claim filed Friday with Manitoba’s Court of King’s Bench, the First Nation alleges Hudson “engaged in corrupt practices,” made unauthorized transfers of funds, awarded contracts to companies he benefitted from, treated the First Nation’s assets “as if they were his own” and engaged in “risky financing and real estate transactions” during his 14 years as the chief as well as a shareholder and director of several Peguis corporations.

    The allegations have not been proven in court. No statement of defence has been filed.

    Hudson served as chief of Peguis, Manitoba’s most populous First Nation, from 2007 to 2015 and again from 2017 to 2023, when he lost to current Chief Stan Bird in an election Hudson continues to contest before the courts.

    Hudson said the claims in the lawsuit are frivolous and intended to influence the outcome of the next Peguis election.

    In its statement of claim, Peguis is seeking unspecified compensation for Hudson’s alleged breaches of trust and duty and asked the court to trace any money, property or other benefits that were received as a result.

    “The Nation suffered substantial financial losses, reputational harm and erosion of governance integrity,” reads the statement of claim.

    “The corruption that the defendant engaged in … continues to have lasting negative impacts on the Nation.”

    Band alleges it was invoiced for furniture, vehicles

    Peguis alleges in its claim Hudson used his band-issued credit card to make “numerous cash gifts” to band members and encouraged members to charge the band for gas purchased at the Mi Ki Nak Gas Station. The gas purchases amounted to $700,000 in the 2021-22 fiscal year, the claim states.

    According to the claim, Hudson repeatedly invoiced Peguis for “home furniture, vehicles, personal telecommunications and personal legal fees” for himself, his family and associates.

    The band also states in its claim that Hudson received honoraria for attending third-party events without disclosing the income to the band, diverted a $30,000 grant — intended to build a monument for residential school survivors — to himself “in or around 2023,” and diverted at least $250,000 from the Percy E. Moore Hospital “to cover the Nation’s cashflow shortages” on at least three occasions in 2022 or 2023.

    The sign at Peguis First Nation is shown in this file photo from spring flooding in 2022. Peguis is Manitoba’s most populous First Nation. (Jaison Empson/CBC)

    According to the claim, Hudson directed, influenced or caused the band to approve the use of $22 million in treaty land entitlement funds in 2013 to invest in property at Assiniboia Downs in Winnipeg without disclosing he was a director of a company that was paid $935,000 “for purportedly arranging financing” for the purchase.

    The claim also states Hudson did not act in the band’s best interest when Peguis First Nation’s real estate trust used $10 million of treaty land entitlement funds in 2021 to purchase the Meadows Golf Course in East St. Paul, placed band adviser Andrew Marquess “in total control of the development” and then sold most of the land to Marquess in 2024.

    Peguis also alleges in its claim Hudson did not act in the band’s best interest when the Peguis real estate trust purchased land on Wellington Crescent in Winnipeg for $350,000 “for addition to reserve” and then sold it to a third party for profit.

    According to the statement of claim, Hudson breached his duty to the band “by unilaterally awarding, or causing the Nation to award, construction contracts to companies in which he had a financial or business interest.” The statement alleges Peguis contracted Ayshkum Engineering Inc., which Hudson co-founded and served as a director, “for at least $20 million” during his tenure as chief.

    The statement of claim alleges Hudson received “kickbacks” as part of this and other contracts, through cash “in the guise of ‘consulting fees,’ lavish dinners, gift cards, hockey tickets and other forms of compensation.”

    The claim also alleges Hudson did not act in the band’s best interest when Peguis took $95 million worth of loans with private lender Bridging Finance Inc. at a rate of prime plus 11 per cent in 2017 and directed $10 million from those loans in 2018 to a cannabis venture without disclosing his interest in the venture.

    Overall, Peguis alleges in its claim that Hudson “fostered an environment in which loyalty was rewarded, and procedures and independent oversight were discouraged and disregarded.

    “Individuals who raised concerns were either fired, constructively dismissed or shuffled to different positions.”

    The band alleges that Hudson’s conduct “was not isolated or inadvertent but formed part of a sustained pattern of governance failure, misuse of authority, and disregard for fiduciary obligations, resulting in foreseeable and substantial harm to the Nation.”

    Lawsuit part of ‘negative campaign,’ Hudson says

    In a Facebook post on Saturday, Hudson said he will defend himself and his family against what he called “frivolous claims” from current Peguis Chief Stan Bird.

    Hudson said via text message on Monday the claims are part “a negative campaign” against him focused on the outcome of the next Peguis First Nation election.

    “As First Nations leadership, we need to focus on the positive outcomes for our people rather [than] tearing opportunities down and pursuing defamation of character,” Hudson said via text.

    In a Facebook video address on Friday, Bird said Peguis’s council did not take the decision to launch a claim against a former band chief lightly.

    Man in suit
    Current Peguis Chief Stan Bird, shown here in a file photo, said the First Nation’s council did not take the decision to launch a claim against a former chief lightly. (Ron Boileau/Radio-Canada)

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