Juliette Garside

Melvin Theuma, a taxi driver who says he acted as an intermediary, testified that businessman Yorgen Fenech ordered the killing of journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia and supplied €150,000 for the hit. Theuma said Fenech repeatedly asked when the murder would occur, helped identify locations in Caruana Galizia’s routine and once said he was preparing champagne to celebrate. Theuma testified that the plan was temporarily delayed during Malta’s 2017 election campaign before proceeding after Joseph Muscat’s reelection. Three alleged hitmen—George and Alfred Degiorgio and Vincent Muscat—have already been convicted. Theuma, who received a pardon and is under witness protection, expressed profound remorse and testified despite previous suicide attempts. Fenech denies complicity in the murder, and the trial continues.

Palantir paid £2.1m in UK corporation tax in 2024 despite declaring more than £25m in UK profits and £247m in revenue, while holding hundreds of millions of pounds in public-sector contracts. A report commissioned by Unison attributes the low tax burden partly to transfer pricing, with revenues booked by Palantir's US parent rather than local subsidiaries, and to deductions linked to employee share options. Palantir says it complies with applicable tax laws and uses standard multinational accounting practices, while noting that it paid $148m in UK employment taxes. The company has since secured a three-year, £240m Ministry of Defence contract and expects worldwide revenue to nearly double to $8bn.

Matthew Caruana Galizia told the jury in Yorgen Fenech’s murder trial that his mother was investigating suspected corruption involving Malta’s former energy minister, the prime minister’s chief of staff and Electrogas, a company partly owned by Fenech. He said she was examining a leak of Electrogas emails when she was killed in a 2017 car bombing and had planned a wider journalistic collaboration. Subsequent reporting by the Daphne Project allegedly uncovered evidence of proposed bribes connected to the power-station concession. Fenech, Konrad Mizzi and Keith Schembri deny corruption allegations, while Fenech denies complicity in the killing. The trial is continuing.

Testimony in the murder trial of Yorgen Fenech included accusations by George and Alfred Degiorgio that former Maltese officials Chris Cardona and Keith Schembri, along with lawyer David Gatt, were involved in earlier and later plots to assassinate journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia. The brothers described meetings, payments and aborted plans dating back to 2015, though both avoided discussing the 2017 killing due to ongoing legal challenges. The judge fined George Degiorgio for contempt during heated exchanges. Those accused have previously denied involvement, and the Caruana Galizia family stressed that allegations presented so far do not constitute evidence against Cardona or Schembri.

Testimony in the murder trial of Maltese journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia detailed her panic moments before a bomb detonated under her car in 2017. Eyewitness Francis Sant described a two-stage explosion that left her conscious after the first blast before a second destroyed the vehicle. Police officers recounted the devastation at the scene, and jurors were shown photographs documenting the aftermath. Businessman Yorgen Fenech, accused of ordering the killing, denies the charges as the long-delayed trial continues.

A long-delayed murder trial for businessman Yorgen Fenech has renewed scrutiny of the 2017 killing of investigative journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia, whose reporting had exposed high-level corruption within Joseph Muscat’s government. The case has driven political upheaval in Malta, prompted a public inquiry that found the state fostered a climate of impunity, and spurred Europe-wide reforms aimed at curbing abusive libel actions against journalists. As the trial proceeds, public opinion remains polarized, conspiracy theories persist, and concerns grow that legal technicalities could derail the case. Caruana Galizia’s family maintains that the evidence is overwhelming and continues pressing for accountability and stronger protections for journalists.

Prosecutors allege that Maltese businessman Yorgen Fenech financed more than €400,000 in legal fees for George and Alfred Degiorgio, the convicted hitmen who planted the bomb that killed investigative journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia in 2017. In opening statements, prosecutors said intermediary Melvin Theuma transferred funds on Fenech’s behalf, and detailed payments made to the bombers before and after their arrests. The jury was urged to consider Caruana Galizia’s humanity and the violence of the attack, with testimony expected from her sons and a witness who saw the explosion. Fenech, charged with complicity in voluntary homicide, denies the accusations as the trial continues.

Prosecutors allege that businessman Yorgen Fenech orchestrated the 2017 car‑bomb killing of journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia by paying three hitmen €150,000, with evidence including covert recordings from intermediary Melvin Theuma. The trial outlines Fenech’s alleged role in initiating and financing the plot and describes the involvement and convictions of multiple accomplices. The case triggered a major political crisis in Malta, contributing to the resignation of then‑prime minister Joseph Muscat, and has led to several life sentences for those involved in supplying and executing the bombing.

Yorgen Fenech went on trial in Malta accused of ordering the 2017 car‑bomb murder of investigative journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia. Prosecutors cite claims by middleman Melvin Theuma, who says Fenech paid for the killing and provided recordings held by Europol. The trial follows years of stalled investigations, a major political crisis that forced former prime minister Joseph Muscat to resign, and multiple convictions of other participants, including the Degiorgio brothers and the men who supplied the bomb. Fenech, who denies all charges, was granted bail in 2025 under extensive conditions after long delays in bringing the case to court.

King Charles III’s newly disclosed voluntary tax payments total £12.9m for 2024–25 and £30m since his accession, far lower than those paid by individuals with comparable or smaller fortunes. Limited transparency around the privy purse and the Duchy of Lancaster leaves key financial details unknown, while tax exemptions on duchy assets allow wealth to grow without typical liabilities. Comparisons with high‑earning taxpayers highlight the unusually low bill, raising questions about royal financial accountability and the discretion the monarch holds over voluntary taxation.

King Charles III and Queen Camilla will remain at Clarence House rather than move into Buckingham Palace after a £369m refurbishment, aiming to expand public access to the building. Financial disclosures show Charles paid £12.9m in tax in 2024–25 and that the sovereign grant will rise to £99.9m from 2027, prompting criticism over transparency and costs. Campaigners and politicians questioned the limited financial disclosure and the scale of public funding, while further details emerged about income from the Duchies of Lancaster and Cornwall and Prince William’s decision to redirect rent revenues toward community regeneration.

King Charles released details showing he paid £24.6m in tax over two years, marking a new level of voluntary disclosure but leaving major aspects of his finances opaque. The income sources subject to tax, deductions for official expenses, and the value of his private estate remain undisclosed. Long‑standing secrecy around royal wealth persists, including hidden gifts, unknown payments to working royals, and sealed wills. MPs and a sceptical public continue to press for greater transparency amid wider scrutiny of the monarchy’s financial practices.

Julie Meyer, once a prominent figure in London’s tech scene, is accused by former colleagues, investors and partners across multiple countries of unpaid debts, failed ventures and misleading business practices. A Guardian investigation traces allegations involving insolvent companies, missing funds and aggressive tactics in the UK, Malta, Switzerland and Greece. Despite regulatory inquiries, lawsuits and the loss of her MBE, Meyer continues to host investment events while many claim substantial financial losses and unmet promises. The accounts depict a long-running pattern in which her ventures collapse while she moves to new jurisdictions seeking fresh backers.

Proposed legislation in both UK parliamentary houses aims to curb strategic lawsuits that suppress journalists, whistleblowers and assault survivors. Conservative-sponsored bills have attracted cross‑party interest amid frustration that similar measures were omitted from the government’s agenda. The proposals would allow early dismissal of cases involving public‑interest speech, award costs to defendants and penalize abusive claimants. Advocacy groups argue that stronger protections are needed to prevent wealthy individuals and corporations from using the courts to silence criticism. Existing UK rules cover only economic crime, while broader reforms have been slow despite earlier political promises. Comparable laws in the US and EU offer wider protections, with some cases already testing the EU framework.

Hungary’s new government under Péter Magyar is preparing to introduce a wealth tax targeting individuals with large asset holdings, marking a departure from Viktor Orbán’s era of politically connected enrichment. The proposed tax would impose a 1% annual levy on assets exceeding 1 billion forints, encompassing property, company shares, luxury possessions and assets held abroad. Supporters argue it will restore fairness, increase accountability and counterbalance regressive taxes that disproportionately affect workers, while critics warn it could disadvantage domestic businesses and penalize legally accumulated wealth. Analysis of Hungary’s richest individuals suggests most gained their fortunes through state-linked contracts under Orbán, reinforcing calls to dismantle entrenched systems of patronage. Additional measures, including ending trust exemptions and reducing income and VAT rates for low earners, aim to reshape the tax structure and address inequality. Policymakers and economists contend the reforms could enhance transparency, broaden economic participation and shift the distribution of wealth in a country where the top 1% controls roughly 35% of assets.

Female journalists face escalating gender‑based online and offline violence, with misogynistic harassment increasingly leading to physical harm. The killings of Daphne Caruana Galizia and Viktoriia Roshchyna illustrate the extreme risks faced by women reporting on corruption and conflict. Surveys supported by Unesco show widespread online attacks that frequently spill into real‑world abuse, often driven by political actors. In Ukraine, where most journalists are now women, coordinated harassment campaigns from pro‑Russia networks further endanger reporters. Cases from multiple countries highlight how threats, doxing, sexualized abuse and deepfake pornography silence or force women from the profession. Advocacy groups argue that social media companies and employers are failing to protect women, and call for stronger collective support to safeguard press freedom.

Campaigners, activists and sexual violence survivors describe being silenced by strategic lawsuits against public participation, as legal threats from wealthy individuals and companies impose heavy financial and psychological pressure. Despite earlier promises to curb abuse of the courts, the government is expected to delay anti‑Slapp legislation while prioritising judicial reforms. Cases involving the Nevitt sisters, Penrith campaigner Jeff Thomson and Oxford resident Isabel Tucker illustrate the chilling effects of legal intimidation. Support from pro‑bono lawyers and groups such as the UK Anti‑Slapp Coalition has helped some resist pressure, but uncertainty over government action has heightened concerns about ongoing vulnerability to vexatious litigation.

Ultra Electronics will pay £15m under a deferred prosecution agreement after admitting it failed to prevent bribery linked to public sector contracts in Algeria and Oman. The Serious Fraud Office secured the settlement following a multiyear investigation that expanded to cover the company’s global operations. The deal requires Ultra to implement compliance reforms and provide annual reports for three years. The outcome marks a rare recent success for the SFO after several collapsed cases. Experts welcomed the enforcement action but questioned whether the penalty was sufficient to deter misconduct in the defence sector. Ultra previously entered a similar agreement in Canada over bribery related to procurement for the Philippine national police.

A thinktank warns that proposed UK legislation aimed at tightening rules on political donations will not stop foreign interference due to easily exploitable loopholes. CenTax argues that relying on Companies House data leaves significant gaps in identifying company owners, with a substantial share of corporate donations untraceable and some linked to individuals ineligible to donate directly. It urges either a full ban on corporate donations or tougher requirements, including mandatory registration and disclosure of ultimate controllers. Ministers defend the bill as essential to protecting elections from hostile foreign influence.

A power outage in the Channel tunnel halted Eurostar and LeShuttle services, leaving thousands of passengers facing long delays and cancellations ahead of New Year travel. Only one track remained operational as engineers worked to restore service, prompting severe disruption at St Pancras, Folkestone, and across cross‑Channel routes. Passengers reported hours‑long waits, limited facilities, and missed trips, while operators advised travelers to rebook and offered refunds, exchanges, and limited compensation. Shuttle services resumed gradually with significant delays, and alternative travel options, including ferries and support from LNER, were made available to stranded passengers.