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20th June 2025
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THE HOT STORY
Analyst guilty of insider dealing as he worked from home
A former Janus Henderson analyst who used working from home during the Covid-19 pandemic as a cover for insider trading has been found guilty in one of the most high-profile UK insider dealing cases in recent years. Redinel Korfuzi was accused of using information he accessed through his job as a research analyst at the asset manager to trade using accounts held by his sister Oerta Korfuzi and two other co-defendants. Prosecutor Tom Forster told jurors at the start of the trial at Southwark Crown Court in February that the defendants made a profit of around £963,000 in relation to 11 companies' shares in just over six months.
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LEGAL
Tribunal rules on national security jobs
A tribunal has determined that refusing employment to individuals from nations deemed security threats, such as China and Russia, does not constitute discrimination. The case arose when Tianlin Xu, a Chinese scientist, sued Binary AI Ltd after being denied a £220,000 lead AI position due to security concerns. Employment Judge Richard Baty said: "It is paramount that the security and operational capability of the software that drives our everyday lives should remain intact." The tribunal concluded that the rejection was based on national security requirements rather than racial discrimination, and emphasised the necessity of stringent security measures in sensitive roles.
SFO to use undercover agents to solve corporate crime
Nick Ephgrave, the director of the Serious Fraud Office (SFO), is set to enhance efforts against white-collar crime by recruiting whistleblowers and undercover agents. Ephgrave aims to leverage his experience from the Metropolitan Police to tackle complex corporate crime more effectively. "Fraudsters are just criminals acting in a different sphere," he said. "They’re cheating ordinary people, taking money, and damaging the country – the same as gunrunners, drug smugglers and all the rest. We should therefore use as much of the tactical armoury that we can against them. That was something I brought in from my policing background, and we are continuing to build that capability."
WORKFORCE
Wine shortages loom as workers strike
Workers at Encirc, a major UK wine supplier, have commenced a 16-day strike amid a pay dispute. The strike involves around 200 Unite members at the company's Avonmouth site, which bottles 18 of the UK's 20 most popular wine brands. Unite general secretary Sharon Graham said: "Encirc's meanness to its workers is all about greed and not need." She noted the company's profitability and refusal to negotiate fair pay. Encirc, which holds a 40% market share, has offered a 3.2% pay rise without negotiation. Unite regional officer John Sweeney warned that the strike would undoubtedly affect wine availability, and urged Encirc to return to the negotiating table.
Nursing regulator wrongly approved hundreds of nurses to work in UK
The Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) has come under fire for mistakenly approving over 350 fraudulent or underqualified nurses to work in the UK. A review by the Professional Standards Authority (PSA) found the NMC is failing to meet seven out of 18 national standards, with serious cultural and operational issues being identified. Alan Clamp, chief executive of the PSA, said that "urgent and significant improvements are needed at the NMC." The report also noted that the NMC has struggled to manage the quality of education provided by training courses and has failed to investigate cases against nurses fairly. Crystal Oldman, chief executive of the Queen's Nursing Institute, stressed the need for a "major step change," warning that the NMC's failures pose a significant risk to public safety. Paul Rees, the NMC's interim chief executive, acknowledged this "dark period" in the NMC's history but assured that "radical change" is underway.
ECONOMY
London’s productivity sinks to below pre-pandemic levels
London was the only UK region where labour productivity fell below pre-pandemic levels in 2023, official data shows. The capital’s efficiency lead has been narrowing since before the financial crisis.
REGULATION
Ofsted faces backlash over Ramadan inspection
The London Academy for Applied Technology (LAAT), an apprenticeship provider in the east of the capital, has voiced concern about what it has called “deep-seated” biases at Ofsted after being judged ‘inadequate' following an inspection during Ramadan.  The Tower Hamlets-based organisation has filed a complaint claiming the grading of its first ever full inspection was “fundamentally flawed, inaccurate, and unfair.” Ofsted's report judged the provider as ‘inadequate' in three out of five areas. Raghav Malhotra, LAAT's operations director, accused Ofsted of “failing to accommodate” staff and learners' religious commitments as the inspection was conducted during Ramadan in March, affecting staff's ability to “fully engage” with the inspection. He said 90 per cent of the provider's provision serves ethnic minority apprentices.
INTERNATIONAL
Amazon instructs employees to relocate to Seattle, other hubs
Bloomberg reports that Amazon has ordered some workers to relocate to such cities as Seattle, Arlington, Virginia, and Washington, D.C. Sources told the agency that the online retailer is mostly rolling out the mandate in one-on-one meetings and town halls rather than sending out a mass email. One employee said their manager informed the team of the need to relocate and told them they had 30 days to make a decision, and 60 days thereafter to either resign or begin their relocation process. A company spokesperson said “we hear from the majority of our teammates that they love the energy from being located together, and whenever someone chooses to or is asked to relocate, we work with them to offer support based on their individual circumstances.”
One in five workers in Denmark say they feel stressed
Analysis by the Danish government suggests that one in five workers in Denmark experiences stress, and over half attribute it to their job. The report, Status på arbejdsmarkedet (‘Labour Market Status'), highlights that stress is particularly prevalent among those aged 25-34, with women and parents reporting higher levels. Employment Minister Ane Halsboe-Jørgensen described the findings as “concerning and serious,” emphasising that stress is not just an individual issue but a societal one. She said: “If we are to stop rising stress, we must have a conversation as a society about how we organise our private and working lives.” The report also notes that around 60% of workers continue working past retirement age, with nearly 130,000 people doing so in 2024.
New heat rules protect outdoor workers in France
Starting July 1st, new regulations in France aim to safeguard outdoor workers during extreme heat. The decree mandates that employers enhance protective measures against heat-related risks such as heat stroke and dehydration. Employers must adapt work processes, modify workplace layouts, and ensure access to fresh drinking water. The decree is particularly crucial as heatwaves become more frequent due to climate change, with vulnerable workers, especially in construction and agriculture, facing heightened risks.
Latin American AI model scheduled to launch later in year
A coalition of twelve Latin American countries is set to launch Latam-GPT in September, the first large AI language model tailored to the region's cultural and linguistic diversity. Spearheaded by Chile's National Center for Artificial Intelligence (CENIA) and supported by over 30 regional institutions, this open-source project aims to enhance AI accessibility and preserve Indigenous languages, with initial applications planned for education and public services. Chilean Science Minister Aisen Etcheverry described the initiative as a potential "democratising element for AI," highlighting its role in addressing the limitations of existing global AI models.
OTHER
UK professional organisations urge action to improve diverse participation in clinical trials
The Association of the British Pharmaceutical Industry (ABPI) and the Association of Medical Research Charities (AMRC) are urging the biopharma sector and the UK government to enhance diversity in clinical trials. Following a recent event, they identified significant barriers such as financial burdens, including lost wages and travel costs, as well as scheduling conflicts for patients. The report recommends financial support for participants, conducting trials in community health centres, and providing multilingual documents. Janet Valentine, Ph.D., the ABPI's executive director of innovation and research policy, said:  “It is important that a representative population participates in clinical trials to ensure that the medicines produced work effectively across the patient group they are intended to treat.” The report also highlights the need for a UK-wide clinical trial diversity road map to foster community engagement and trust.
 


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