All posts tagged: watchdog

UN watchdog demands Iran provide information on nuclear stockpile | US-Israel war on Iran News

UN watchdog demands Iran provide information on nuclear stockpile | US-Israel war on Iran News

Published by Sam Flores

Iran slams US-backed IAEA resolution as ‘politically motivated’ and warns it could complicate ceasefire talks. Published On 11 Jun 202611 Jun 2026 The governing board of the United Nations nuclear watchdog has passed a United States-backed resolution demanding Iran provide “complete information” on its enriched ⁠uranium stocks and grant access to inspectors to verify them. The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) resolution came on Wednesday, while the US and Iran exchanged strikes after Washington blamed Tehran for the downing of an Apache helicopter in the Strait of Hormuz. Recommended Stories list of 4 itemsend of list The strikes marked the most significant escalation since a ceasefire in April ended weeks of devastating US and Israeli attacks on Iran and retaliatory Iranian assaults across the Gulf region. Iran condemned the resolution and warned it could hinder efforts to end the war. The resolution was submitted to the 35-member IAEA board by the US, the United Kingdom, France and Germany. It passed with 21 votes in favour, diplomats at the closed-door meeting told Reuters and AFP news …

Neil Woodford facing City watchdog injunction | Money News

Neil Woodford facing City watchdog injunction | Money News

Published by Sam Flores

The City regulator is seeking an injunction against the former star fund manager Neil Woodford, claiming he is breaking the terms of a ban related to the collapse of his flagship fund in 2019. The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) said on Monday it had started civil proceedings against Mr Woodford and UAE-registered W4.0 – a subscription-based platform. “The FCA alleges that Mr Woodford and W4.0 are providing regulated investment advice and making financial promotions through the… platform… without authorisation,” the watchdog said. Money latest: New savings account likely to turn heads – but there’s a catch Mr Woodford founded W4.0 as an “investment strategy” community, according to his profile on LinkedIn. He has been approached for comment on the FCA’s claim, which is understood to relate to interaction with UK consumers. The W4.0 website says in relation to its work: “We exist to explain active investment strategies – with full transparency – so you can see what’s inside, why it’s there, and the thinking behind it. “We are not regulated by the FCA or any …

Thai watchdog to sue Meta over Facebook scam ads targeting users

Thai watchdog to sue Meta over Facebook scam ads targeting users

Published by Sam Flores

BANGKOK: Thailand’s consumer watchdog said it will sue Meta’s Facebook for allegedly allowing scammers to use the platform to defraud users through adverts and for failing to protect consumers, the Consumer Council said on Thursday (Jun 4). Meta did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment.  In previous cases, the company has said it invests in measures to detect and remove scam content and works with regulators and law enforcement to combat misuse of its platforms.  The planned lawsuit comes amid broader efforts by governments worldwide to tighten oversight of social media platforms and curb the use of digital services for fraud and other cross-border crimes. Between 2024 and 2026, the council recorded 3,793 complaints linked to Facebook, including cases where users did not receive purchased goods, alleged fake investment schemes, impersonation using victims’ names and photos and pages created to mislead buyers. The watchdog says it has tried for more than a year to contact Meta, both the parent company and in Thailand, asking Facebook to block fraudulent ads. There are about …

DHS watchdog finds use-of-force issues and safety and sanitation concerns at Louisiana ICE center

DHS watchdog finds use-of-force issues and safety and sanitation concerns at Louisiana ICE center

Published by Sam Flores

A Department of Homeland Security watchdog report revealed that staff members at an ICE detention center in Louisiana used a prohibited chokehold to “gain control” of a person being held there and stabbed another in the hand with a pen when an officer could not close the door to a housing unit. Subscribe to read this story ad-free Get unlimited access to ad-free articles and exclusive content. The newly released findings about Winn Correctional Center in central Louisiana follow the DHS inspector general’s review of video of the use-of-force incidents as part of an unannounced facility inspection. The report, which was published on the DHS website, also noted that the officer who stabbed the detainee with a pen was disciplined. FORSUBSCRIBERS Why an ICE detention center in New Jersey has sparked protests 02:55 Staff members failed to maintain safe and sanitary conditions, the report says, noting leaking vents and ceilings with insulation falling through. Staff members used napkins and Styrofoam containers to collect the water from the leaks, according to the report. Scrutiny of conditions …

Brussels watchdog moves to ban Alternative for Germany’s EU party – POLITICO

Brussels watchdog moves to ban Alternative for Germany’s EU party – POLITICO

Published by Sam Flores

The ESN political group doesn’t face sanctions, and the only effect that AfD MEPs would feel would be the lack of a political party to provide support in future EU elections or to coordinate policy with like-minded factions. The ESN party and ESN group were founded by Alternative for Germany in the wake of the 2024 EU election, and include Bulgaria’s Revival, France’s Reconquest (led by Éric Zemmour), Poland’s Confederation, Czechia’s SPD, Hungary’s Our Homeland Movement, the Netherlands’ Forum for Democracy, and Slovakia’s Republic Movement. In 2026 it is slated to receive over €2 million in subsidies from the European Parliament. The watchdog — the Authority for European Political Parties and Foundations — said it had found evidence that “cast doubt on the compliance” of the ESN party with EU values, the director of the authority, Pascal Schonard, wrote in a letter. The missive was addressed to the Council of the EU — comprising representatives of national governments — and was seen by POLITICO on Wednesday. The watchdog’s process was launched on Friday. The watchdog monitors whether …

Statistics Watchdog Criticises Kemi Badenoch Over Universal Credit

Statistics Watchdog Criticises Kemi Badenoch Over Universal Credit

Published by Sam Flores

Kemi Badenoch has been rapped by the statistics watchdog over claims she made about the number of people claiming Universal Credit. The Tory leader said the number of people out of work and receiving the benefit had risen by 1.5 million since Labour came to power in July, 2024. Grilling Keir Starmer at prime minister’s questions on April 29, Badenoch said: “He has broken his promise to grow the economy; the only thing that has grown is the welfare bill. “Can the prime minister tell us how many more people are out of work and claiming universal credit since he took office? “The prime minister does not want to say how many more people are out of work and claiming universal credit since he took office; perhaps he does not know. Let me tell him: it is 1.5 million people.” HuffPost UK can reveal that Penny Young, interim chair of the UK Statistics Authority (UKSA), wrote to Badenoch a week later criticising the way she presented the figures. She pointed out that the increase in …

Anthropic to brief global financial watchdog on cyber flaws exposed by Mythos, FT reports

Anthropic to brief global financial watchdog on cyber flaws exposed by Mythos, FT reports

Published by Sam Flores

May 18 : Artificial intelligence startup Anthropic is set to brief the Financial Stability Board (FSB) on cyber vulnerabilities in the global financial system identified by its latest AI model, Mythos, the Financial Times reported on Monday, citing people familiar with the plan.  The Claude chatbot-maker will discuss the capabilities of its new Mythos Preview AI model with leading finance ministries and central banks from the FSB, following a request by Bank of England Governor Andrew Bailey, the FT said. Bailey chairs the global risk watchdog, which is responsible for coordinating financial rules for G20 economies.  Reuters could not immediately verify the report. Anthropic and the FSB did not immediately respond to Reuters’ requests for comment.  Mythos, announced last month but not yet released, is a cybersecurity model designed to detect decades-old vulnerabilities in web browsers, infrastructure and software, according to Anthropic. Cybersecurity experts have warned the system could supercharge more sophisticated cyberattacks, posing a risk to the banking industry reliant on legacy technology systems. In April, BoE Governor Bailey warned that Mythos could pose …

Power prices are up 76% on America’s biggest grid, and a watchdog is pointing fingers

Power prices are up 76% on America’s biggest grid, and a watchdog is pointing fingers

Published by skeptic

The largest electrical grid in the U.S., the PJM Interconnection, saw prices nearly double over the last year, according to a report published yesterday by Monitoring Analytics, an independent market monitor that serves as a sort of watchdog for the PJM grid. The culprit? Data centers. Wholesale prices for one megawatt-hour of electricity rose to $136.53, up from $77.78 at the same time last year. Crain’s Chicago Business was first to report on the spike. Monitoring Analytics pointed the finger at data centers and PJM’s failure to handle their surging demand adequately. The market monitor pulled no punches. “The price impacts on customers have been very large and are not reversible,” Monitoring Analytics wrote. “The price impacts will be even larger in the near term unless the issues associated with data center load are addressed in a timely manner.”  PJM is a ripe target for such criticism. In 2022, just as data center construction was ramping up, the grid operator paused applications for new generating sources, citing a years-long backlog. It only recently started accepting …

UK watchdog issues first-ever suicide forum fine – POLITICO

UK watchdog issues first-ever suicide forum fine – POLITICO

Published by Sam Flores

Campaigners have criticized Ofcom for not taking action sooner. The Molly Rose Foundation’s CEO Andy Burrows welcomed the fine but said the process “has taken an interminable amount of time.”   “Molly Rose Foundation submitted detailed evidence which showed scores of vulnerable young people remained at risk while Ofcom’s investigation dragged on. Further lives were lost during this period,” he said. Seven months ago the Molly Rose Foundation in conjunction with Families and Survivors to Prevent Online Suicide Harms published a report accusing both the government and the regulator of dragging their feet and warned that even if Ofcom sought to block U.K. access to the site, this would amount to little more than “regulatory whack-a-mole” in the absence of improved legislation.  An Ofcom spokesperson said: “We share the urgency about the extreme harms that sites such as this can cause, and understand the anger felt towards them by those who have been so personally affected. Today we’ve made clear that this provider has failed – and continues to fail – to comply with its duties. Our investigation into this forum was the first to be launched under the Online …

US Budget Watchdog Estimates Golden Dome Will Cost .2 Trillion, Dwarfing Pentagon’s 5 Billion Estimate

US Budget Watchdog Estimates Golden Dome Will Cost $1.2 Trillion, Dwarfing Pentagon’s $185 Billion Estimate

Published by Sam Flores

WASHINGTON, May 12 (Reuters) – The nonpartisan Congressional ⁠Budget ⁠Office estimated on Tuesday that ⁠U.S. President Donald Trump’s Golden Dome missile defense shield could cost about $1.2 ​trillion to develop, deploy and operate over 20 years, a figure that dwarfs a $185 billion price ‌tag offered by the program’s Pentagon ‌director. Golden Dome envisions expanding ground‑based defenses such as interceptor missiles, sensors and command‑and‑control systems ⁠while adding space‑based ⁠elements meant to detect, track and potentially shoot down incoming threats ​from orbit. These would include advanced satellite networks and orbiting weapons. The CBO estimated acquisition costs alone for the system would total just over $1 trillion, with the space-based interceptor layer — a constellation of 7,800 satellites — ​accounting for about 70 percent of acquisition costs. The system would cover the entire United ⁠States, including ⁠Alaska and Hawaii, and ⁠would have the ​capacity to fully engage an attack from a regional adversary such as North Korea. However, the ​CBO warned the system ⁠could be overwhelmed by a full-scale attack from Russia or China. “The President’s so-called …