leaked

Meta anticipated earning about 10% of its total annual revenue, or $16 billion, from advertising for scams and banned items, according to internal documents reviewed by Reuters. The documents reveal that for at least three years, the company failed to stop a significant number of ads exposing its billions of users on Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp to fraudulent schemes, illegal casinos, and banned medical products. On average, around 15 billion “higher risk” scam ads, showing clear signs of fraud, were displayed daily on these platforms. Meta reportedly generates about $7 billion annually from these scam ads.

Many of these ads were linked to marketers flagged by Meta’s internal systems. However, the company only bans advertisers if fraud is at least 95% certain according to its systems. If less certain but still suspect, Meta imposes higher ad rates as a penalty instead of outright banning them. This approach aims to deter dubious advertisers without fully eliminating them. The company’s ad-personalization system also ensures that users who click on scam ads see more of them based on their interests.

The documents create an image of Meta grappling with the extent of abuse on its platforms while hesitating to take stronger actions that could impact its revenue. The acceptance of revenue from suspicious sources highlights a lack of oversight in the advertising industry, as noted by fraud expert Sandeep Abraham. Meta’s spokesperson, Andy Stone, counters that the documents provide a biased view and argues that the actual share of revenue from scam ads would be lower than estimated. He claimed the plan aimed to validate investments in combating fraud.

Stone mentioned that Meta has significantly reduced user reports of scam ads globally and removed millions of scam ad content in recent efforts. The company aims for major reductions in scam ads in the upcoming year. Despite this, internal research indicates that Meta’s platforms are central to the global fraud economy, with one presentation estimating they contribute to a third of all successful fraud in the U. S. Competitors were noted to have better systems to combat fraud.

As regulators step up pressure for stronger consumer protections, the documents reveal the U. S. Securities and Exchange Commission is investigating Meta for financial scam ads. In Britain, regulators identified Meta as the source of over half of the payment-related scam losses in 2023. The company has acknowledged that addressing illicit advertising may hurt its revenue.

Meta is investing heavily in technology and has plans for extensive capital expenditures in AI. CEO Mark Zuckerberg reassured investors that their advertising revenue can support these projects. The internal documents suggest a careful consideration of the financial impact of increasing measures against scam ads, indicating that while the company intends to reduce illicit revenue, it is wary of the potential business implications.

Despite planning to diminish scam ads’ revenue share, Meta is bracing for regulatory fines, estimating penalties that could reach up to $1 billion. However, these fines are viewed as comparatively minor against the income from scam ads, which already generates significant revenue. The leadership’s strategy shows a tendency to react to regulatory pressure rather than implementing proactive measures to vet advertisers effectively. Stone disputed claims that Meta’s policy is to act only under regulatory threat.

Meta has set limits on how much revenue it can afford to lose from actions against suspect advertisers. In early 2025, a document revealed that the team reviewing questionable ads was restricted to a loss of no more than 0.15% of company revenue, which equated to around $135 million from Meta’s total of $90 billion in the same period. A manager noted that this revenue cap included both scam ads and harmless ads that might be mistakenly blocked, indicating strict financial boundaries in their approach.

Under increasing pressure to manage scams more effectively, Meta’s executives proposed a moderate strategy to CEO Mark Zuckerberg in October 2024. Instead of a drastic approach, they suggested targeting countries where they anticipated regulatory action. Their goal was to reduce the revenue lost to scams, illegal gambling, and prohibited goods from approximately 10.1% in 2024 to 7.3% by the end of 2025, with further reductions planned for subsequent years.

A surge in online fraud was noted in 2022, when Meta uncovered a network of accounts pretending to be U. S. military members trying to scam Facebook users. Other scams, such as sextortion, were also rising. Yet, at that time, Meta invested little in automated systems to detect such scams and categorized them as a low-priority issue. Internal documents showed efforts were mainly focused on fraudsters impersonating celebrities, which threatened to alienate advertisers and users alike. However, layoffs at Meta affected the enforcement team, as many working on advertiser rights were let go, and resources shifted heavily toward virtual reality and AI projects.

Despite layoffs, Meta claimed to have increased its staff handling scam advertising. However, data from 2023 revealed that Meta was ignoring about 96% of valid scam reports filed by users, suggesting a significant gap in their response to customer concerns. The safety staff aimed to improve this by reducing the number of dismissed reports to no more than 75% in the future.

Instances of user frustration were evident, such as a recruiter for the Royal Canadian Air Force who lost access to her account after being hacked. Despite multiple reports to Meta, her account remained active, even sharing false cryptocurrency investment opportunities that defrauded her connections. Reports indicated that she had many people flag her account, but it took about a month before Meta finally removed it.

Meta refers to scams that do not involve paid ads as “organic,” which include free classified ads, fake dating profiles, and fraudulent medical claims. A report from December 2024 stated that users face approximately 22 billion organic scam attempts each day, alongside 15 billion scam ads, highlighting the company’s ongoing struggle to manage fraud effectively. Internal documents suggest that Meta’s efforts to police fraud are not capturing much of the scam activity occurring across its platforms.

In Singapore, police shared a list of 146 scams targeting local users, but Meta staff found that only 23% of these scams broke the platform’s policies. The remaining 77% went against the spirit of the rules but not the exact wording. Examples of unchecked scams included fake offers on designer clothes, false concert tickets, and job ads pretending to be from major tech firms. In one case, Meta discovered scam ads claiming to belong to the Canadian prime minister, yet the existing rules wouldn’t flag the account.

Even when advertisers are found to be scamming, the rules can be lenient. Small advertisers need to be flagged for scams eight times before being blocked, while larger ones can have over 500 complaints without being shut down. Some scams generated significant revenue; for example, four removed ads were linked to $67 million monthly.

An employee initiated reports highlighting the “Scammiest Scammer” each week to raise awareness, but some flagged accounts remained active for months. Meta tried to deter scammers by charging them more in ad auctions, labeling this practice “penalty bids. ” Advertisers suspected of fraud would have to bid higher amounts, thus reducing competition for legitimate advertisers. Meta aimed to decrease scam ads from this approach, which showed some success, resulting in fewer scam reports and a slight dip in overall ad revenue.

With information from Reuters

Yifat Tomer-Yerushalmi has reportedly acknowledged that her office released a video of troops abusing a Palestinian detainee.

Israeli police have arrested a former military prosecutor after she leaked a video appearing to show soldiers abusing a Palestinian detainee.

Major General Yifat Tomer-Yerushalmi was detained overnight on Monday, according to the country’s national security minister, following a scandal that erupted after she leaked a video, resigned and then disappeared.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has called the leaking of the video perhaps the most “severe public relations attack” on Israel since its founding.

Tomer-Yerushalmi disappeared for several hours on Sunday after she announced her resignation, sparking speculation of a possible suicide attempt.

According to a copy of her resignation letter published by Israeli media on Friday, Tomer-Yerushalmi acknowledged that her office had released the video to the media last year. Five reservists were later charged with mistreating prisoners.

National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir said on Monday on Telegram: “It was agreed that in light of last night’s events, the prison service would act with extra vigilance to ensure the detainee’s safety in the detention centre where she has been placed in custody.”

The statement did not indicate what charges she faced.

According to Israeli media, a Tel Aviv court ordered Tomer-Yerushalmi’s remand in custody until noon on Wednesday.

Public broadcaster Kan reported that she was suspected of “fraud and breach of trust, abuse of office, obstruction of justice and disclosure of information by a public servant”.

Former chief military prosecutor Colonel Matan Solomesh was also arrested overnight in connection with the case and was appearing in court Monday, reported Israeli Army Radio.

‘Severe violence’

On Friday, the Israeli military announced that Tomer-Yerushalmi had resigned from her post pending an investigation into leaked footage taken at the Sde Teiman military base in southern Israel last year.

The case began in August 2024 when Israel’s Channel 12 broadcast footage from Sde Teiman, which has been used to hold Palestinians taken during the war in Gaza.

The surveillance camera footage indicated that soldiers had committed illicit acts, without explicitly showing it, as it appeared to take place behind troops holding up shields.

The video was picked up by several media outlets, triggering international outrage and protests within Israel.

The Israeli military said in February that it had filed charges against five reservist soldiers connected with mistreatment at Sde Teiman.

They were charged with “acting against the detainee with severe violence, including stabbing the detainee’s bottom with a sharp object, which had penetrated near the detainee’s rectum”.

It added “the acts of violence have caused severe physical injury to the detainee, including cracked ribs, a punctured lung and an inner rectal tear”.

The indictment said that the abuse took place on July 5, 2024 during a search of the detainee.

Speaking after a cabinet meeting on Sunday, Netanyahu blasted the leak of the video, labelling it as perhaps the most “severe public relations attack” on Israel in the country’s history.

Sept. 26 (UPI) — Russia will train and equip Chinese paratroopers to invade Taiwan, according to leaked documents.

The 800-page cache of documents said that China will buy dozens of military vehicles and parachute systems for its paratroopers, and Russia will provide training to troops on how to operate them.

The documents’ details were verified by the Royal United Services Institute, a British think tank. They appear to show a strengthening alliance between the two countries. They said the deal would give China “expanded air maneuver capability” and “offensive options against Taiwan, the Philippines and other island states in the region.”

“Chinese President Xi Jinping has directed the People’s Liberation Army to be ready to militarily seize Taiwan by 2027,” RUSI said. “A large-scale amphibious operation is highly risky, with the sites suitable for landing craft to deliver troops and equipment ashore constrained by the gradient and load bearing capacity of the beaches. Seizing airfields could allow troops to flow in by air, but as Russia discovered during its invasion of Ukraine, runways can be quickly denied. The PLA is therefore eager to identify ways of diversifying both the methods and locations at which it can move units onto Taiwan.”

“It is a very good example of how the Russians have become an enabler for the Chinese,” making the two countries’ militaries almost impossible to separate, said Jack Watling, senior research fellow for Land Warfare at RUSI, who also wrote the analysis, along with Oleksandr V. Danylyuk.

Russia’s oil and gas, along with its large defense industry, could become a “strategic backup for China,” Watling added.

Taiwan is a self-governing island that China claims as its own. Taiwan also is a U.S. ally.

The leaked documents were found by a hacktivist group, Black Moon. They show Russia agreeing in October 2024 to sell 37 BMD-4M light amphibious vehicles, 11 Sprut-SDM1 self-propelled anti-tank guns, 11 BTR-MDM airborne armored personnel carriers to the People’s Liberation Army Air Force.

The main equipment provision contract had a value of $584 million before it was finalized, The Washington Post reported. It also included several command and observation vehicles and parachute systems designed to airdrop heavy loads from high altitudes.

Other documents in the cache show several rounds of negotiations. There was a meeting in Beijing in April 2024 where the Chinese requested Moscow speed up the delivery timeline for certain vehicles. They also asked Russia to include complete technical documentation and adapt the weaponry to make it compatible with Chinese software, electronic, radio and navigation systems. Russia will also set up a repair-and-maintenance hub in China.

“Military cooperation between China and Russia goes far beyond what has been publicly acknowledged,” a Taiwanese security official commenting on the Russia-China deals told the Washington Post.

Xi and Russian President Vladimir Putin have attended each other’s military parades in the past year. Their two militaries held 14 joint exercises in 2024, which is nearly double what they did 10 years ago, The Post reported.

Last week, Chinese military representatives attended Russia and Belarus’s Zapad-2025 war games where Russia demonstrated the high-altitude airdrops of heavy equipment that China wants to use, according to the documents.

Spanish court documents, including the toxicology report for Jay Slater, were fraudulently leaked and shared on social media – despite being highly confidential

Jay Slater’s Spanish toxicology reports were fraudulently leaked online following the teen’s death. The teen, 19, from Oswaldtwistle, Lancashire, was found dead in July last year after a month-long search for him.

Just weeks before Jay’s death, the teen had been attending a festival with friends Lucy Law, Brad Hargreaves and Brandon Hodgson. Jay was found dead in a ravine in Tenerife’s Parque Rural de Teno on July 15, 2024, following a month-long search. After leaving the RG music festival in Playa de las Americas on June 17, he travelled with two men to an Airbnb in the national park area, 22 miles from where he had been staying with his friends.

But following his disappearance, social media was flooded with conspiracy theories relating to his vanishing, including people claiming Jay was actually alive and his disappearance was a “scam”. But a new Channel 4 documentary reveals that the toxicology report from the Spanish courts was also fraudulently leaked.

It was revealed by Preston Coroner’s officer Alice Swarbrick that Jay’s body had traces of MDMA and cocaine in the hours prior to his death, but while there was evidence of the drugs in his system, this didn’t mean they formed part of the cause of his death. Jay’s mum explained that while it was a shock to her. “He’s a young adult and that’s what they do when they go to festivals, it’s not a shock, it’s just upsetting,” she said, adding that it was “upsetting the way he died.”

However, Jay’s heartbroken mum was informed that the toxicology report had only been disclosed to her and wouldn’t be shared anywhere else. But the documentary instantly cut to a string of YouTube videos, which shared screenshots of the toxicology report, stating Jay’s full name – Jay Dean Slater.

“25th March 2025. In Tenerife, Spanish court documents are fraudulently leaked and published on YouTube,” the caption says, adding: “Including Jay’s Spanish toxicology reports.”

Speaking on the documentary, Jay’s mum, Debbie Duncan, said: “It’s just another kick in the teeth, but how is it even allowed? Official court documents, talking about our son, it’s lawless, ain’t it? There’s nothing we can do, we’re just powerless.”

Later on, pathologist, Dr Richard Shepherd, explained that ruling out injuries inflicted by a third party was “a very, very important part of this investigation, as Jay had “not been shot, he’s not been stabbed, he’s not been strangled.”

“A major head injury at the side, how do we explain that?” before going on to state that Jay’s injuries are consistent with severe trauma to the head, which could have been a result of falling down a slope. He also stated that he couldn’t rule out the possibility of Jay being pushed, as the push would leave no marks.

Dr James Adeley, Senior Coroner for Lancashire and Blackburn with Darwen explained that the case had become complicated due to social media coverage, as witnesses had expressed fear over giving evidence, due to the social media commentary from online slueths. “Social media has made obtaining answers more difficult,” he said.

Only three of five witnesses were able to be located: Ayub Qassim and Lucy Law both gave virtual evidence, while Bradley Geoghegan gave evidence in person. Jay was found dead in a ravine in Tenerife’s Parque Rural de Teno on July 15, 2024. After leaving a festival in Playa de las Americas on June 17, he travelled with two men to an Airbnb, 22 miles from where the friends were staying.

The Channel 4 film also reveals previously unheard audio, as well as unsent messages, as well as access to the Slater family as they continue to search for answers about what had happened to him.

The Disappearance of Jay Slater airs on Channel 4 on Sunday, September 28, at 9pm.

Like this story? For more of the latest showbiz news and gossip, follow Mirror Celebs on TikTok, Snapchat, Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, YouTube and Threads.

Getty Images/ Carlos Barquero

Misogynists ‘rank’ leaked selfies

A rift between men and women?

A ONE Direction fan caught up in a Zayn Malik ‘cheating’ scandal has finally spoken out after keeping quiet in 2012.

13 years after a “leaked call” circulated social media, an American fan – who is now a married mother ans successful makeup artist – has claimed that she is the woman who was caught up in the scandal that took place at the height of the band’s popularity.

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In 2012, an audio clip of a man inviting a group of women up to his hotel room went viral.

At the time, fans claimed the man was Zayn, who was dating Perrie Edwards.

Due to the man on the call having a Northern accent and Zayn being from Bradford, fans were convinced it was him.

Another “clue” that left fans thinking the man on the other end of the call was Zayn was because he mentioned a friend called Harry who wanted “booty”.

At the time of the rumours swirling, Zayn did not address them.

But 13 years on, Tricia Corona has claimed she was the woman on the phone and detailed her version of events.

Taking to TikTok to describe meeting Zayn and the rest of the boys at a One Direction event at a Walmart store, she recalled: “We’re standing in line and Zayn’s making eyes at me.”

She then explained how her pals told her to give Zayn her number.

“Like the hoochie that I am – or that I was I should say because I’m a happily married woman now – I wrote my number down and I stuck it right in my bra,” she recalled.

She then claimed that as she reached the front the queue, Zayn said: “I like your jubblies [breasts].”

Tricia then recalled: “I pulled my number right out of my dress, slid it across the table and said ‘if you wanna hang out later – call me’.”

She the alleged that Zayn told bandmate Harry to put the note “in his pocket”.

Tricia then recalled how when she and her pals were driving home, she received a call.

“I answer and you can hear all of them yelling and giggling and talking,” she alleged.

“I say hello and they don’t say anything and hang up,” she went on.

Tricia then claimed that the prank call happened an “absurd amount of times”.

But then she allegedly got a call from Zayn at midnight asking her to join him at his hotel in Philadelphia. 

She agreed and her and her pals drove back.

“He’s calling me every two minutes ‘where are you? How far away are you? You have to be quicker – you have to get here fast because we do have to leave.’

“We finally get to Philly and he calls and he’s like ‘we left, we had to go, I told you. We’re going to New York City why don’t you come meet us there?’.”

Tricia then claimed Louis Tomlinson called her and said: “Don’t shoot the messenger, our tour manager has put his foot down and he says no girls back to the hotel tonight.”

Tricia then explained how she sent Zayn a text saying: “If you want to rebel against your babysitter tonight, let me know and we’ll still come.”

She then alleged that he replied saying: “F**k the babysitter, come anyway.”

Tricia and her friends then drove to New York and arrived at gone 2am.

Zayn allegedly then told hotel staff hat she was their makeup artist so she was allowed to their room.

Tricia claimed that no NDA [nondisclosure agreement] was involved but said her mother had heard the leaked audio and was upset – which is why she never spoke out at the time.

“It was not funny at the time,” she said, adding how Zayn had “his own stuff going on”.

Tricia added: “And yes he is a celebrity and all that but he is still very much a person and I didn’t want to throw him under the bus like that. 

“So you can use your imagination I guess about what happened when I got up there. 

“That’s the story of Crystabel Riley,” she concluded.

The Sun has reached out to Zayn Malik’s representatives for a comment.

Fans of the band, who were familiar with the leaked call from 13 years ago, were quick to react.

One person said: “I’VE BEEN WAITING YEARS TO HEAR STORIES LIKE THIS.”

Another added: “I have been waiting 13 years for this story.”

And a third wrote: “I never thought i’d ever be given this information. what a gift.”

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Barcelona reportedly in talks with DR Congo over football sponsorship deal with war-hit central African country.

The Democratic Republic of the Congo (DR Congo) has agreed to pay more than $46.37m in a sponsorship deal with Spanish football club Barcelona that would see a logo promoting tourism appear on some team apparel, according to a contract seen by Reuters.

The contract with Barcelona, seen on Thursday by the news agency, is dated June 29 and stipulates that a logo branding the war-hit Central African country as the “heart of Africa” will appear on the backs of training and warm-up jerseys for the men’s and women’s teams.

The logo will also appear in advertising for the club and in the club magazine and annual report, the contract says.

DR Congo will pay the club between $11.6m and $13.3m annually over the next four seasons, it says.

Details of the deal between DR Congo and Barcelona have not been announced.

AS Monaco and AC Milan last month also announced sponsorship deals with DR Congo without disclosing the amounts.

DR Congo’s Sports Minister Didier Budimbu told Reuters the contract with AS Monaco is worth $1.85m per season. He did not disclose the amounts for the contracts with AC Milan or Barcelona.

A government source said the contract with AC Milan was worth $16.2m per season.

DR Congo’s Ministry of Tourism did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Thursday, while Barcelona told Reuters they had no comment at this time.

In February, DR Congo’s Foreign Minister Therese Kayikwamba Wagner urged football clubs Arsenal, Bayern Munich and Paris Saint-Germain to end their “blood-stained” sponsorship agreements with “Visit Rwanda”.

The appeal came less than a week after M23 rebels seized eastern DR Congo’s biggest city, Goma, as part of a lightning advance.

Rwanda denies backing M23, saying it is defending itself.

A report by a group of United Nations experts obtained by Reuters this month said Kigali exercised command and control over the rebels during their advance, gaining political influence and access to mineral-rich territory.

The British government has secretly resettled thousands of Afghans in the United Kingdom for fear they might be targeted by the Taliban after their personal details were leaked, Defence Secretary John Healey revealed on Tuesday.

Details about the accidental data breach by a British soldier and the secret relocation programme for Afghans were made public after a rare court order known as a “superinjuction”, which barred the media from even disclosing its existence, was lifted on Tuesday.

Here is what we know about what happened and how the government responded:

Whose data was leaked and how did it happen?

A spreadsheet containing the personal information of about 18,700 Afghans and their relatives – a total of about 33,000 people – was accidentally forwarded to the wrong recipients by email in February 2022, Healey told lawmakers in the House of Commons.

These were people who had applied for relocation to the UK between August 2021 and January 7, 2022. That was the six-month period following the Taliban takeover of Afghanistan after the US and allied forces withdrew from the country. Most had worked as translators, assistants or in other capacities for the British military in Afghanistan.

They had applied for the UK’s Afghan Relocations and Assistance Policy (ARAP) scheme, which, like its predecessor, the Ex-Gratia Scheme (EGS), had been set up for Afghans who had worked for the British forces.

The EGS was originally established in 2013 following a long campaign by activists and media in support of people who had assisted the British military in Afghanistan and who were considered likely to face reprisals from the Taliban.

The British soldier at the centre of the leak, who had been tasked with verifying applications for relocation, is understood to have mistakenly believed the database contained the names of 150 applicants, when it actually contained personal information linked to some 18,714 people.

The soldier was under the command of General Sir Gwyn Jenkins, who was director of special forces at the time and now heads the British Navy. His name had also been suppressed by the court order until this week.

The UK’s Ministry of Defence (MoD) became aware of the leak when someone else posted parts of the data on Facebook on August 14, 2023. The Facebook post was first spotted by an activist who was assisting Afghans who had worked with UK forces.

The activist contacted the MoD, saying: “The Taliban may now have a 33,000-long kill list – essentially provided to them by the British government. If any of these families are murdered, the government will be liable,” The Guardian newspaper reported.

How did the government respond to the leak?

The MoD told Facebook to take down the post with the leaked information, citing security threats from the Taliban. It also warned some 1,800 ARAP applicants who had fled to Pakistan that they or their families could be in danger.

The UK government, led by former Conservative Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, then sought a court order barring any media disclosure of the data breach.

On September 1, 2023, a High Court judge in London issued a “superinjunction”, which not only prohibits the disclosure of any details but also forbids revealing that the order exists at all. That superinjunction was lifted on Tuesday following a campaign led by The Times newspaper in London.

In April 2024, the government created the Afghanistan Response Route (ARR) to support Afghans who were not eligible for ARAP but were considered at high risk of reprisals from the Taliban as a result of the data leak.

This scheme, which was kept secret, has now been closed, Healey told the House of Commons. However, he added that hundreds of invitations were issued to Afghans and their families under the scheme and these invitations “will be honoured”.

The government also launched the secret Operation Rubific to evacuate those Afghans deemed to be at risk directly to the UK.

How many Afghans have been relocated to the UK under the secret scheme?

As a direct result of the leak, the government says 900 people and about 3,000 relatives have already been flown to the UK under the secret relocation scheme and put up in hotels or military bases. In total, about 24,000 Afghans affected by the breach have either been brought to the UK already or will be in the near future, according to UK media reports.

Through broader resettlement schemes, 35,245 Afghans have so far been relocated to the UK, official data suggests.

Why is this information being disclosed now?

The court order barring the details about the leak from being disclosed was lifted at noon (11:00 GMT) on Tuesday.

Following several private hearings, a High Court judge ruled in May that the injunction should be lifted, citing, among other reasons, the inability of the public or parliament to scrutinise the government’s decisions.

British news outlet The Times reported it had spearheaded the two-year legal battle which resulted in the injunction being lifted.

That decision was, however, overturned by the Court of Appeal in July 2024, due to concerns about the potential risks to individuals whose information had been leaked.

Then came the “Rimmer review”.

Healey, a member of current Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s ruling Labour party, said he was briefed about the leak when it happened as he was serving as shadow defence secretary at the time. However, he added that other cabinet members were only informed about the leak when Starmer’s party was elected to power in the general election of July 2024.

“As Parliamentarians – and as Government Ministers – it has been deeply uncomfortable to be constrained in reporting to this House. And I am grateful today to be able to disclose the details to Parliament,” Healey said on Tuesday.

Healey said that at the beginning of this year, he commissioned former senior civil servant and former Deputy Chief of Defence Intelligence Paul Rimmer to conduct an independent review.

Quoting the “Rimmer review” in Parliament on Tuesday, Healey said that four years since the Taliban’s takeover in Afghanistan, “there is little evidence of intent by the Taleban [sic] to conduct a campaign of retribution against former officials.”

He added that the information the Taliban inherited from the former Afghan government would have already allowed them to target individuals if they had wished. Therefore, Rimmer concluded it was “highly unlikely” that someone’s information being on the leaked spreadsheet would be a key piece of information enabling or prompting the Taliban to take action.

“However, Rimmer is clear – he stresses the uncertainty in any judgements … and he does not rule out any risk,” Healey said.

How safe are the people named in the leak now?

The Times reported that after the superinjunction had been lifted, a new temporary court order was issued, barring the media from publishing specific sensitive details about what exactly was in the database.

The Times said the government cited reasons of confidentiality and national security, arguing that the leaked list still poses a threat to the safety of the Afghans.

In a webpage published on Tuesday, the MoD states: “At present, there is no evidence to suggest that the spreadsheet has been seen or used by others who might seek to exploit the information; however, the UK Government cannot rule out that possibility.”

It now advises those who applied for the ARAP or EGS programmes before January 7, 2022, to exercise caution, avoid phone calls or messages from unknown numbers, limit their social media profiles and use a Virtual Private Network (VPN) where possible.

UK-based media outlets have reported that a law firm is suing the MoD on behalf of at least 1,000 Afghans affected by the data leak.

How much has the leak cost the UK government?

Healey said on Tuesday that it had already cost 400 million pounds ($540m) to bring an initial 900 Afghans and their 3,600 family members to the UK under the ARR.

However, this does not account for the expenditures by other government schemes to relocate Afghans to the UK. Healey estimated that the total cost of relocating Afghans to the UK was between 5.5 billion and 6 billion pounds ($7.4bn to $8bn).

Different figures for how much the leak cost the UK have emerged. An unnamed government official told Reuters that the leak cost the UK about 2 billion pounds ($2.7bn). Other outlets have reported that ARR is expected to cost the UK government a total of 850 million pounds ($1.1bn).

Democrats in the United States Senate have released a string of text messages and email correspondences that they say raises questions about the executive branch’s commitment to complying with court orders.

On Thursday, Senator Dick Durbin of Illinois, the ranking member on the Senate Judiciary Committee, released what he described as “whistleblower” evidence about government lawyer Emil Bove.

In his role as acting deputy attorney general for the Department of Justice (DOJ), Bove directed his colleagues to ignore or mislead courts about President Donald Trump’s deportation efforts, according to Durbin.

“Text messages, email exchanges, and documents show that the Department of Justice misled a federal court and disregarded a court order,” Durbin wrote on social media.

“Mr Bove spearheaded this effort, which demanded attorneys violate their ethical duty of candor to the court.”

Bove – formerly a personal lawyer to President Trump during his criminal trials – was recently nominated to serve in a lifetime position as a judge on the US Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit. But the Senate must first vote to confirm him to the role.

“Emil Bove belongs nowhere near the federal bench,” Durbin wrote. “This vote will be a litmus test for Senate Judiciary Republicans.”

Durbin indicated the emails and texts he released come from a Justice Department source: Most of the names in the correspondences have been redacted.

But they appear to corroborate allegations made in a complaint in June by Erez Reuveni, a Justice Department lawyer who worked under Bove until his dismissal in April.

In his complaint, Reuveni alleged that Bove told Justice Department lawyers that they “would need to consider telling the courts ‘f*** you’” if they interfered with President Trump’s deportation plans.

The expletive came up in the context of Trump’s controversial use of the Alien Enemies Act of 1798, a law that, until recently, had only been used in the context of war.

Trump, however, has argued that undocumented immigration constituted an “invasion” and has attempted to deport people under the law’s authority, without allowing them to appeal their removal.

According to Reuveni, Bove explained to the Justice Department that Trump planned to start the deportation flights immediately after invoking the Alien Enemies Act. He “stressed to all in attendance that the planes needed to take off no matter what”.

Reuveni understood that interaction as an attempt to circumvent the power of the courts.

In another instance, Reuveni said he was discouraged from asking questions about the return of Kilmar Abrego Garcia, an immigrant wrongfully deported to El Salvador despite a court protection order.

When Reuveni admitted before a Maryland court that he did not have “satisfactory” answers about Abrego Garcia’s return, he said Trump officials pressured him to make assertions against Abrego Garcia that “were not supported by law or the record”. He was fired shortly afterwards.

The documents gathered by Senate Democrats appear to offer a look inside those incidents.

In one series of emails, dated March 15, Reuveni responded to a notification that planes bearing deportees under the Alien Enemies Act were still in the air.

“The judge specifically ordered us not to remove anyone in the class, and to return anyone in the air,” he wrote back.

The emails reflected an injunction from District Judge James Boasberg barring deportations and ordering the planes to turn around.

Nevertheless, the planes landed in El Salvador and delivered their human cargo to a maximum security prison, where many remain to this day.

In another instance, a member of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) replied to an email thread by saying: “My take on these emails is that DOJ leadership and DOJ litigators don’t agree on the strategy. Please keep DHS out of it.”

Text messages also show Reuveni and an unnamed colleague discussing Bove’s request to tell the courts “f*** you”.

“Guess we are going to say f*** you to the court,” one text message reads.

In another, the colleague appears to react to Trump officials lying before the court. “Oh sh**,” they write. “That was just not true.”

In an interview published with The New York Times on Thursday, Reuveni underscored the grave dangers posed by an executive branch that he sees as refusing to comply with judicial authority.

“The Department of Justice is thumbing its nose at the courts, and putting Justice Department attorneys in an impossible position where they have to choose between loyalty to the agenda of the president and their duty to the court,” he told the Times.

The Trump administration, meanwhile, has responded with defiance, repeating its claim that Reuveni is simply a “disgruntled employee” lashing out at the employer who fired him.

“He’s a leaker asserting false claims seeking five minutes of fame, conveniently timed just before a confirmation hearing and a committee vote,” Attorney General Pam Bondi said.

“No one was ever asked to defy a court order. This is another instance of misinformation being spread to serve a narrative that does not align with the facts.”

Bove himself denied ever advising his colleagues to defy a court order. The Senate is set to decide on his confirmation to the circuit court in the coming weeks.

If he passes the Senate Judiciary Committee – in a vote scheduled for July 17 – he will face a full vote on the Senate floor.

Thailand’s top court has suspended Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra pending an ethics investigation over a leaked phone call with Cambodia’s former leader Hun Sen. She accepted the decision, after being accused of violating the constitution with remarks about a deadly May border clash that sparked protests in Bangkok.

A Thai court has accepted a petition from senators that accuse the PM of dishonesty and breaching ethical standards.

Thailand’s Constitutional Court has suspended Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra from office pending an ethics investigation over a leaked phone call with a senior Cambodian official, heaping pressure on Thailand’s governing political dynasty.

The court said in a statement that it had accepted a petition from 36 senators, which accuses Paetongtarn of dishonesty and breaching ethical standards, in violation of the constitution, over a leaked telephone conversation with Cambodia’s influential former leader, Hun Sen.

Deputy Prime Minister Suriya Juangroongruangkit will assume a caretaker role while the court decides the case against Paetongtarn, who has 15 days to respond.

Paetongtarn will remain in the cabinet as the new culture minister following a cabinet reshuffle.

The controversy stems from a June 15 phone call with Cambodia’s influential former leader Hun Sen that was intended to defuse escalating border tensions between the neighbours.

During the call, Paetongtarn, 38, referred to Hun Sen as “uncle” and criticised a Thai army commander, a red line in a country where the military has significant clout. She has apologised and said her remarks were a negotiating tactic.

The leaked call led to domestic outrage and has left Paetongtarn’s coalition with a razor-thin majority, with a key party abandoning the alliance and expected to soon seek a no-confidence vote in parliament, as protest groups demand the premier resign.

Legal perils

Paetongtarn’s battles after only 10 months in power underline the declining strength of the Pheu Thai Party, the populist juggernaut of the billionaire Shinawatra dynasty, which has dominated Thai elections since 2001, enduring military coups and court rulings that have toppled multiple governments and prime ministers.

It has been a baptism of fire for political novice Paetongtarn, who was thrust into power as Thailand’s youngest premier and replacement for Srettha Thavisin, who the Constitutional Court dismissed for violating ethics by appointing a minister who had once been jailed.

Paetongtarn’s government has also been struggling to revive a stuttering economy, and her popularity has declined sharply, with a June 19-25 opinion poll released at the weekend showing her approval rating sinking to 9.2 percent from 30.9 percent in March.

Paetongtarn’s father, Thaksin, the 75-year-old family patriarch and billionaire who was twice elected leader in the early 2000s, is also facing legal hurdles.

Divisive tycoon Thaksin, according to his lawyer, appeared at his first hearing at Bangkok’s Criminal Court on Tuesday on charges that he insulted Thailand’s powerful monarchy, a serious offence punishable by up to 15 years in prison if found guilty.

Thaksin denies the allegations and has repeatedly pledged allegiance to the crown.

The case stems from a 2015 media interview Thaksin gave while in self-imposed exile, from which he returned in 2023 after 15 years abroad to serve a prison sentence for conflicts of interest and abuse of power.

Thaksin dodged jail and spent six months in hospital detention on medical grounds before being released on parole in February last year.

The Supreme Court will this month scrutinise that hospital stay and could potentially send him back to jail.

Thousands of protesters have gathered in Thailand’s capital to demand the resignation of Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra amid growing anger over a leaked phone call with former Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen.

Demonstrators took to the streets on Saturday, outraged by a June 15 conversation in which Paetongtarn urged Hun Sen – the current Cambodian Senate president who still wields considerable influence in his country – not to listen to “the other side” in Thailand, including an outspoken Thai army general who she said “just wants to look cool”.

The army commander was in charge of an area where a border clash last month led to one Cambodian soldier being killed. The man was killed on May 28 following an armed confrontation in a contested area.

The leaked phone call with Hun Sen was at the heart of Saturday’s protest and has set off a string of investigations in Thailand that could lead to Paetongtarn’s removal.

Protesters held national flags and signs as they occupied parts of the streets around the Victory Monument in central Bangkok. At a huge stage set up at the monument, speakers expressed their love for Thailand following the intensified border dispute.

“It looks like this is going to be a pretty well-attended rally, certainly a loud voice … Lots of speeches, lots of whistles, lots of noise, all calling in full voice for Prime Minister Paetongtarn to resign,” said Al Jazeera’s Tony Cheng, reporting from Bangkok. “They say this conversation has undermined Thailand, has undermined the military, and they are insisting that she step down – it does put her in a very tricky position.”

Many of the leading figures in the protest were familiar faces from a group popularly known as Yellow Shirts, whose clothing colour indicates loyalty to the Thai monarchy. They are longtime foes of Paetongtarn’s father, former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, who reportedly has a close relationship with Hun Sen.

“The political scientists we’ve been speaking to over the last couple of days think it is going to be very difficult for Paetongtarn to survive as prime minister, but the problem then is who would replace her,” Cheng said.

Hun Sen addresses supporters

In Cambodia, Hun Sen on Saturday promised to protect his country’s territory from foreign invaders and condemned what he called an attack by Thai forces last month.

At a 74th anniversary celebration of the foundation of his long-ruling Cambodian People’s Party, Hun Sen claimed the action by the Thai army when it engaged Cambodian forces was illegal.

He said the skirmish inside Cambodian territory was a serious violation of country’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, despite Cambodia’s goodwill in attempting to resolve the border issue.

“This poor Cambodia has suffered from foreign invasion, war, and genocide, been surrounded and isolated and insulted in the past but now Cambodia has risen on an equal face with other countries. We need peace, friendship, cooperation, and development the most, and we have no politics and no unfriendly stance with any nation,” Hun Sen said in an address to thousands of party members at the event in the Cambodian capital, Phnom Penh.

There is a long history of territorial disputes between the countries. Thailand is still rattled by a 1962 International Court of Justice ruling that awarded Cambodia the disputed territory where the historic Preah Vihear temple stands. There were sporadic though serious clashes there in 2011. The ruling from the UN court was reaffirmed in 2013, when Yingluck was prime minister.

The scandal has broken Paetongtarn’s fragile coalition government, costing her Pheu Thai Party the loss of its biggest partner, the Bhumjaithai Party.

The departure of Bhumjaithai left the 10-party coalition with 255 seats, just above the majority of the 500-seat house.

Paetongtarn also faces investigations by the Constitutional Court and the national anticorruption agency. Their decisions could lead to her removal from office.

Sarote Phuengrampan, secretary-general of the Office of the National Anti-Corruption Commission, said on Wednesday that his agency is investigating Paetongtarn for a serious breach of ethics over the Hun Sen phone call. He did not give a possible timeline for a decision.

Reports said the Constitutional Court can suspend Paetongtarn from duty pending the investigation and could decide as early as next week whether it will take the case. The prime minister said on Tuesday she is not worried and is ready to give evidence to support her case.

“It was clear from the phone call that I had nothing to gain from it, and I also didn’t cause any damage to the country,” she said.

The court last year removed her predecessor from Pheu Thai over a breach of ethics.

June 26 (UPI) — President Donald Trump and his administration have come out in force to support his claim that last weekend’s bombing completely destroyed Iranian nuclear facilities after a leaked preliminary U.S. intelligence report found the attack only set back the Islamic regime’s nuclear program by months.

During a NATO summit press conference in The Hague on Wednesday, Trump lashed out at news organizations that reported the leaked classified Defense Intelligence Agency initial assessment, leaked Tuesday, saying the reports “maligned” the pilots of the B-2 bombers that bombed three Iranian nuclear facilities Saturday night.

“It was so bad they ended the war,” Trump said. “Somebody said in a certain way, you know, that it was so devastating, actually, if you look at Hiroshima, if you look at Nagasaki, you know, that ended a war, too, this ended a war in a different way, but it was so devastating.”

Trump quoted a statement purportedly from the International Atomic Energy Agency that stated: “We assess that the American strikes on Iran’s nuclear facilities, combined with Israeli strikes on other elements of Iran’s military nuclear program, has set back Iran’s ability to develop nuclear weapons by many years.”

The White House also released the quote on its website along with comments from Trump, Vice President JD Vance, Israeli officials and others commenting on the status of Iran’s nuclear facilities.

UPI has contacted the IAEA for confirmation.

U.S. B-2 bombers attacked three Iranian nuclear facilities on Saturday night, including the underground Fordo site that was said could only be hit by U.S. bunker-buster bombs.

Following the attack, Trump said the sites were “obliterated” — an assessment undercut by a leaked Defense Intelligence Agency assessment reported by CNN and The New York Times, that found core components of Iran’s nuclear program remained intact and that the attack only set back the Islamic regime’s nuclear program by a matter of months.

Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, during the same press conference, lambasted the news agencies for their reporting while describing the leaked document as having been a low-assessment report, meaning there was low-confidence in the data in the report.

“And why is there low confidence? Because all of the evidence of what was just bombed by 12 30,000 pound bombs is buried under a mountain, devastated and obliterated,” an irate Hegseth said. “So, if you want to make an assessment of what happened at Fordo, you better get a big shovel.”

CIA Director John Ratcliffe on Wednesday also released a statement on the attack, saying, “CIA can confirm that a body of credible intelligence indicates Iran’s Nuclear Program has been severely damaged by the recent, targeted attacks.”

Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard similarly released a statement on X, stating, “New intelligence confirms what @POTUS has stated numerous times: Iran’s nuclear facilities have been destroyed.

“If the Iranian chose to rebuild, they would have to rebuild all three facilities (Natanz, Fordow, Esfahan) entirely, which would likely take years to do,” she said.

The United States inserted itself in the Israel-Iran war, which began June 13, when Israel launched a surprise attack on Iranian military and nuclear facilities.

Iran responded by attacking Israel.

Following the U.S. bombing, Iran attacked a U.S. base in Qatar, after which Iran and Israel agreed to a fragile cease-fire, which Trump claims was brought about by his decision to attack Iran.

The IAEA on Tuesday issued a statement saying “we have seen extensive damage at several nuclear sites in Iran.”

“Regarding the additional strikes to Fordow … the IAEA assesses that access roads close to the underground facility and one of its entrances were hit.”

On his Truth Social media platform, Trump on Wednesday said Hegseth is scheduled to hold an 8 a.m. EST press conference at the Pentagon “in order to fight for the Dignity of our Great American Pilots,” whom he claimed were very upset about the reporting of the leaked assessment.

“The News Conference will prove both interesting and irrefutable,” he said “Enjoy!”

A new Netflix documentary has captured the horrors on-board the ship dubbed the ‘poop cruise’

Holidaymakers on a lavish cruise liner were plunged into a real-life horror when a blaze cut off power, leaving them adrift in the Gulf of Mexico.

The ill-fated 2013 journey spiralled into chaos as the fire damaged electrical systems, immobilising the vessel and leaving it without lights, air conditioning, and even working loos.

This ordeal is now the focus of Trainwreck: Poop Cruise, a brand-new Netflix documentary released yesterday (June 24), which gives viewers a harrowing glimpse into the experiences of the Carnival Triumph’s passengers.

The preview hints at the chaos: “Soon raw sewage leaks out all over the ship, food supplies start dwindling and passengers begin to revolt. As the cruise company races to control the fallout, a media frenzy ensues. Soon everyone is talking about ‘The Poop Cruise’.”

Those intrigued by the incident and the boat featured in this new documentary may wonder what became of the ship. Some may even be brave enough to contemplate boarding her for a trip, reports Surrey Live.

But, is it still possible to book a holiday on the Carnival Triumph?

In line with standard practice for high-end cruise ships, the Carnival Triumph experienced a significant refurbishment and, as of 2019, has been navigating the seas with a new identity: Carnival Sunrise.

Still a favourite among cruisers, this celebrated liner remains operational throughout The Bahamas and the Caribbean with a lots of scheduled voyages for this year lined up, including a four-day trip to The Bahamas from Miami in November.

A spot in an inside cabin will cost travellers about $284 each, while those willing to splash out for a fancier space can expect to fork over up to $836 for a sumptuous luxury suite.

TripAdvisor has seen recent guests sharing their experiences on-board. One said: “For an older ship, it’s still a lot of fun – just temper your expectations. We stayed in a balcony cabin on deck 8. Yes, the bathroom looks outdated with its bright blue sink and shower curtain – but it’s part of the charm.”

Another traveller gushed said: “I loved every minute of being on the ship. The food and shows were amazing… It was everything I wanted and more!”.

In the wake of the fire incident aboard Carnival Triumph and the subsequent scrutiny, Gerry Cahill, then the president and CEO of Carnival Cruise Lines, assured holidaymakers that such a calamity would “not happen again”, as he announced an inquiry into the cause of the blaze.

In response to the forthcoming Poop Cruise documentary, Carnival released a statement to Surrey Live’s Screen Time reporters, saying: “The Carnival Triumph incident over 12 years ago was a teachable moment for the entire cruise industry.

“A thorough investigation following the incident revealed a design vulnerability which was corrected and led Carnival Cruise Line to invest more than $500 million across our entire fleet in comprehensive fire prevention and suppression, improved redundancy, and enhanced management systems, all in support of our commitment to robust safety standards.

“This is in addition to our vigorous Health, Environmental, Safety and Security (HESS) protocols that guide the entire Carnival Corporation fleet as we maintain our commitment to industry leadership in this area.

“We are proud of the fact that since 2013 over 53 million guests have enjoyed safe and memorable vacations with us, and we will continue to operate to these high standards.”

Trainwreck: Poop Cruise is now available to stream on Netflix

FANS declared “never fails to deliver” after adidas unveiled next season’s Champions League ball with a zodiac sign-twist.

The German manufacturer is taking charge of the ball for next term’s elite competition once again.

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This term’s design features various colours printed over an all-white ball to produce an almost rainbow-like effect.

But adidas’ new version instead takes a leaf from astrology.

According to Footy Headlines, this time the Champions League ball will be white with blue stars patterned all around.

Each star is trimmed with gold, while the middle will bear the image of each of the 12 zodiac signs.

There is a ram for Aries, a cow for Taurus, twins for Gemini and a crab for Cancer.

Continuing on, there is a lion for Leo, a maiden for Virgo, scales for Libra and a scorpion for Scorpio.

Finally, there is a centaur for Sagittarius, a goal for Capricorn, a water-bearer for Aquarius, and two fish for Pisces.

The eye-catching design is sure to look even more impressive when being knocked around at speed on the pitch.

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And fans were certainly loving it as they reacted to the new ball on social media.

One said: “UCL balls never fail to deliver.”

Another declared: “Beautiful.”

One noted: “Nice.”

Another added: “Winning the UCL with this ball will be great.”