US president says Tehran must do ‘two things’ to avoid US strike
Donald Trump has warned Iran it must do “two things” to avoid US military action, as US forces continue to build in the Middle East.
“Number one, no nuclear. And number two, stop killing protesters,” the US president said, adding that there are “lot of very big, very powerful ships sailing to Iran right now”.
Tensions continue to simmer between Washington and Tehran, sparking concerns that Trump will decide to renew the conflict between the US and Iran followint tit-for-tat strikes last summer.
Iran earlier warned it will retaliate to any US attack “instantly” and that its response would not be limited. A response would likely see it attack the US military bases stationed in Gulf countries.
Iranian brigadier general Mohammad Akraminia said the bases are “within the range of our medium-range missiles”.
He added: “If such a miscalculation is made by the Americans, it will certainly not unfold the way Trump imagines – carrying out a quick operation and then, two hours later, tweeting that the operation is over.”
Trump earlier said he plans to speak with Iran but did not elaborate on the nature or timing of the dialogue.
Houthi seizure of telecom gear threatens Yemen aid, says UN
Yemen’s Iran‑aligned Houthi paramilitary has removed critical telecommunications equipment belonging to the UN, the global body said on Friday, warning that further restrictions on its work would fuel a worsening humanitarian crisis
The Houthis, who control areas in north Yemen, entered at least six unstaffed UN offices in the capital Sanaa and took telecommunications equipment and several vehicles to an unknown location, the UN’s Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator for Yemen, Julien Harneis, said in a statement.
“This equipment is part of the minimum infrastructure needed by the United Nations to be present and to implement programmes,” said Harneis.
The UN has warned of a worsening humanitarian crisis in Yemen with some 21 million people needing aid.
Iran has no plans to ‘meet with the Americans’ but it ready for ‘negotiations’
Iran’s foreign minister announced that his country is ready to resolve tensions but that there are no concrete plans for talks with the US.
Abbas Araghchi spoke in Istanbul on Friday for talks with Turkish officials. Ankara has been working to reduce tensions in the wider region following threats of a possible US military strike against Iran.
Mr Araghchi told reporters during a joint news conference with Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan that Iran has no plans to “meet with the Americans”.
“We are ready for fair and equitable negotiations,” he said. “For such negotiations, arrangements must first be made, both regarding the form of the talks and the location of the talks, and about the topic of the talks.”
“The Islamic Republic of Iran, just as it is ready for negotiations, it is also ready for war,” Mr Araghchi added.
Turkey opposes a military intervention against Iran, warning such an action would lead to regional instability.
“We are against resorting to military options to solve problems, and we do not believe that this will be very effective,” Mr Fidan said. “We advocate for negotiation and diplomacy.”
Iran’s retaliation will not be limited, military warns
Iran’s reaction to any US action will not be limited, an Iranian military spokesperson has warned.
A decisive response, he said, would be “delivered instantly”.
Speaking to Iranian state television, brigadier general Mohammad Akraminia said US aircraft carriers have “serious vulnerabilities”.
Several US bases in the Gulf region are “within the range of our medium-range missiles”, he added according to Le Monde.
“If such a miscalculation is made by the Americans, it will certainly not unfold the way Trump imagines – carrying out a quick operation and then, two hours later, tweeting that the operation is over.”
Hegseth warns Iran against developing nuclear weapons, saying US military ‘prepared to deliver’
Iranian leadership ‘buying time’ after recent protests, says retired US admiral
A retired US admiral has argued that Iran is “buying time” following the recent protests, adding that the US will need to define its “mission objectives” clearly before any use of force.
“Iranian leadership is still just buying time after the huge recent protests, and high numbers of protesters that were killed by the regime. Khamenei and his lieutenants are more unpopular than ever,” argues professor Robert Murrett, who now works at Syracuse University’s Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs and as deputy director of the Institute for Security Policy and Law.
He said the movement of US warships to the Middle East is “of some note, although there is already significant combat power in the region at this time.”
Prof Murrett added: “Defining our mission objectives will be key for any use of force again Iran, that is, one which can credibly lead to meeting a strategic end state.”
Pictured: Iranian foreign minister meets Turkish counterpart on Friday
No US talks planned, says Iranian foreign minister
Iran is ready to participate in “fair and equitable” negotiations, Tehran’s foreign minister has said, adding that there are currently no meetings with US officials arranged.
“Iran has no problem with negotiations, but negotiations cannot take place under the shadow of threats. They must certainly set aside their threats and change their approach toward a fair and equitable negotiation, as Mr. Trump himself said in his post,” said Abbas Araghchi, speaking at a press conference in Istanbul after talks with his Turkish counterpart.
“I should also state unequivocally that Iran’s defensive and missile capabilities — and Iran’s missiles — will never be the subject of any negotiations,” he added.
“We will preserve and expand our defensive capabilities to whatever extent is necessary to defend the country.”
How powerful are Iran’s Revolutionary Guards?
As we reported earlier, the EU has agreed to designate Iran’s Revolutionary Guards (IRGC) as a terrorist organisation, which she said will put the regime “on the same footing” with al-Qaida, Hamas and the Islamic State group.
The group is often touted as one of the most powerful forces in the Middle East – but how powerful are they really?
Unlike the ordinary military, which comes under the Defence Ministry in the elected government, the IRGC answers directly to the supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
Formed soon after the revolution, the IRGC’s role defending the Islamic system greatly expanded during the 1980-88 war with Iraq and it is now the strongest and best-equipped section of Iran’s armed forces.
Over the decades, the Guards have extended their influence through the worlds of politics and business, gaining in power at home and abroad.
The Quds Force, an elite Guards unit, has spearheaded Iran’s regional strategy of supporting affiliated Shi’ite groups across the Middle East, most notably in Lebanon and Iraq. That strategy was hard-hit by the U.S. assassination of Quds Force commander Qassem Soleimani in a 2020 air strike in Iraq, and by Israel’s pummelling of Lebanon’s Hezbollah in a 2024 war.
The Basij militia, a part-time paramilitary force under Guards control, is often used to quell protests inside Iran.
Since the early 2000s, the Guards’ economic power has grown as its contracting company Khatam al-Anbiya won projects worth billions of dollars in Iran’s oil and gas sector.
Starmer: ‘We need to deal with Iran’
The Independent’s political correspondent Athena Stavrou reports:
Sir Keir Starmer has said the UK and its allies need to “deal with” Iran amid its ongoing deadly crackdown on protesters.
On his visit to China, Sir Keir said the repression of demonstrators was “grotesque” and “that is where our focus is”.
US President Donald Trump has ramped up pressure on the country in recent days, warning that time is running out to agree a deal on its nuclear programme and called for an end to the “senseless killing”.
The UK prime minister also said the UK supports “the goal” of preventing Iran from developing a nuclear weapon, but stopped short of explicitly backing US military action in the region.
“The goal or the aim here is that Iran shouldn’t be able to develop nuclear weapons and that is hugely important and, of course, we need to deal with the fact they are repressing protesters, killing protesters,” he told the BBC.
“It is grotesque what is happening so that is where our focus is and we are working with allies to that end.”
Pressed on whether Britain would support another US strike on the country, he said: “I am saying we support the goal and we are talking to allies about how we get to that goal.”
Full report: US plane dubbed the ‘nuke sniffer’ lands in UK amid growing tensions with Iran
A US Air Force plane has landed at an American airbase in Britain, as tensions continue to escalate with the Iranian regime.
Dubbed the “nuke sniffer”, the USAF WC-135R Constant Phoenix jet is used to detect radioactive particles in the atmosphere and was reportedly deployed to the Middle East days before Donald Trump bombed Iran’s nuclear facilities last year.
While the reason for its latest trip to RAF Mildenhall in Suffolk is unclear, defence sources told The Telegraph that its presence did not indicate that military action was imminent.
Speculation is continuing to grow that Washington is considering a strike on Iran, with the US president warning that a “massive armada” had been dispatched to the Middle East, as part of a build-up of American forces in the region.
US plane dubbed the ‘nuke sniffer’ lands in UK amid growing tensions with Iran
Asylum seeker who laughed after stabbing hotel worker jailed
An asylum seeker who stabbed a hotel worker to death and was seen laughing and dancing shortly afterwards has been jailed for life with a minimum term of 29 years.
Deng Chol Majek followed Rhiannon Whyte from Walsall’s Park Inn Hotel to the deserted Bescot Stadium railway station, where he launched a vicious attack which saw her stabbed 23 times with a screwdriver.
The 27-year-old mother, who leaves behind a five-year-old son, suffered a fatal brain stem injury and died in hospital three days later.
Addressing Majek in the dock, her mother Donna Whyte described him as an “evil nightmare” and said: “Let me see you dancing now.”
In an emotional victim impact statement, her sister Alex Whyte said Majek carried out a “vicious and pitiless assault on a terrified and defenceless young woman who he claims never to have spoken to or noticed”.
She added: “You continue to show no remorse and to take no responsibility for your cowardly actions. We still don’t know or understand why you stalked, hunted and preyed upon Rhiannon. Cornering her before unleashing your vicious and unprovoked attack.
“I honestly feel that calling you demonic and inhuman is justifiable in the circumstances. What are we supposed to say? You brutalised Rhiannon and then partied as if nothing had happened. You celebrated. You might as well have danced on her grave.”
Jurors at Wolverhampton Crown Court heard that Majek had been reported to security at Park Inn, where he lived and Whyte worked, after staring at three female staff members for prolonged periods on 20 October 2024.
After Whyte finished work at 11pm, she was then “tracked” by Majek to the station, with CCTV showing him disappearing from view for about 90 seconds while he attacked her.
Her injuries included 19 wounds to her head, and she was found injured in a shelter on the platform by the driver and guard of the train that pulled in about five minutes later.
In the immediate aftermath, Majek walked to the Caldmore Green area of Walsall to buy a beer and was recorded on CCTV wiping what appeared to be blood from his trousers.
He returned to the hotel at 12.13am and changed his bloodstained flip-flops for trainers and was seen dancing with other residents in the car park, within sight of the emergency vehicles who were attempting to save Whyte’s life.
No motive for the killing was given at the trial, but Majek, who was about 10 inches taller than Ms Whyte, had brushed past her earlier in the evening as he left the hotel to smoke.
At his trial, Majek claimed he was not a figure caught on CCTV tracking Whyte and told jurors he left a pregnant wife behind in Sudan.
The only agreed facts relating to his background presented to the jury were that he had no previous convictions or cautions recorded against him and that he had been arrested in Kaiserslautern in Germany in August 2023 after kicking the door of a train.
The killer, who is believed to have entered the UK by small boat less than three months before the killing, is known to have given authorities in Germany a date of birth that would mean he is now 28.
Passing sentence at Coventry Crown Court, Mr Justice Soole told Majek: “The evidence against you, in particular CCTV and DNA, was overwhelming. You continue to deny that you were the assailant.
“The court is thus left with no explanation of what possessed you to murder a member of the hotel staff, who together with her colleagues, had been serving and helping you and your fellow residents.”
He added that Majek had shown “no empathy for the victim” and said: “The evidence shows a level of maturity which is consistent with your true age, and indeed, a chilling composure in every aspect of your behaviour.”
Carla Harris, from the Crown Prosecution Service, said: “Rhiannon Whyte should have been able to go to work and come home safely – but Deng Chol Majek robbed her of her life and future.
“He attacked her for no reason, and callously left her bleeding on a station platform. He then appeared to rejoice in his actions, having been caught laughing and dancing on footage an hour later.
“Although the stabbing itself was not captured on CCTV, the prosecution case against Chol Majek included DNA evidence, witness testimony and CCTV showing him stalking Rhiannon to the station and returning to the hotel in his distinctive bloodied clothing.
“He was also the only person to enter and leave the platform during the time of the attack. All of this allowed the jury to convict him of his crimes.
“Although nothing can bring Rhiannon back, I hope these convictions provide some sense of justice to her family and friends. The CPS is determined to bring violent offenders to justice wherever there is the evidence to do so.”
Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor set to close last remaining businesses
Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor is due to mark another phase in his retreat from public life as one of his last companies closes down.
The disgraced royal’s start-up Pitch@Palace is due to be struck off from Companies House on Tuesday 3 February, less than a decade after the former Duke of York established it in 2017.
In October, Buckingham Palace announced that Andrew would have his royal titles stripped due to the ongoing controversy over his friendship with the late paedophile financier Jeffrey Epstein.
While his Pitch@Palace business, which was inspired by Dragons’ Den, managed to survive the initial fallout in 2019, the UK branch closed in 2021, and it is now being dissolved.
The scheme had initially won Andrew praise for helping young people get into the business world, as it encouraged entrepreneurs to pitch their ideas to potential investors and compete for funding.
In a document filed with Companies House signed off by Arthur Lancaster, the firm’s sole director, the company filed an application to be “struck off and dissolved”.
Companies House lists Prince Andrew of Royal Lodge, Windsor, as having “significant influence or control” over the business.
Andrew resigned from his role with Pitch@Palace in 2019 after the backlash that followed the interview he gave to the BBC’s Newsnight programme, in which he was quizzed over his ties to Epstein. The former duke has vehemently denied any wrongdoing.
The latest set of accounts showed it had £10,965 in cash at the end of March, down from £220,990 the year before.
The business was mired in controversy last year when it emerged that the founder-partner of Pitch@Palace China was an alleged spy. Yang Tengbo, who is said to have become a close confidant of Andrew, was banned from the UK by the Home Office.
While Andrew stepped down from royal duties in 2019 after his disastrous Newsnight interview, the publication of Virginia Giuffre’s posthumous memoir, and the US government’s release of documents from Epstein’s estate, brought more scrutiny over his relationship with the financier.
The King took action by stripping his younger brother of his birthright to be a prince and his dukedom over his “serious lapses of judgment”.
He is set to move from Royal Lodge in Windsor Great Park, which it emerged he had only paid peppercorn rent on for more than two decades, sometime this year to the King’s private Sandringham estate.
The former prince has for many years been dogged by allegations he sexually abused Giuffre after she was trafficked by Epstein, claims Andrew had repeatedly denied.
It also emerged before Christmas that he had emailed Epstein in 2011 saying “we’re in this together”, three months after he claimed he had broken all contact with the convicted paedophile.
He paid millions to Giuffre, a woman he has claimed never to have met, to settle a civil sexual assault claim in 2022.
HMRC to introduce new ‘penalty points’ system in 2026
HMRC is rolling out a new “penalty points” system this month that could land forgetful taxpayers with a £200 fine.
The new system. proposed by the tax authority in 2024, will first be tested on around 100 taxpayers, as part of the Making Tax Digital scheme.
Under the current rules, those who miss the 31 January self-assessment submission deadline get an automatic £100 fine. This can increase by £900 after three months (£10 a day), then another £300 after six months.
The new system will see many sole traders given quarterly deadlines to file updates, and then an end-of-year “final declaration” which will replace the current self-assessment tax return.
Each late quarterly submission will earn one penalty point instead of an automatic fine, with four points (or four missed quarterly deadlines) resulting in a £200 fine.
Meanwhile, each late annual submission will also result in one penalty point, but the threshold is lower, at two points (or two missed annual deadlines), which will also result in a £200 fine.
While this system will affect only a small number of people to begin with, it will begin to be rolled out fully from April for sole traders and landlords with annual self-employment and property income over £50,000. This threshold will be lowered each year, to £30,000 in 2027, and £20,000 in 2028.
The quarterly penalty points system will not apply in the first year of the scheme to give traders time to adapt.
HMRC explained in a paper on the changes: “The new penalty regime is simpler and fairer than the previous system. The new system will penalise those who persistently do not comply by missing filing and payment deadlines, while being more lenient on those who occasionally fail to meet obligations.”
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An HMRC spokesperson told Sky News: “We’re committed to helping customers get their tax right to avoid fines altogether. Our fairer penalty points system for late returns will mean that only Making Tax Digital customers who persistently miss deadlines will incur a financial penalty.”
HMRC revealed last week that 3.3 million people still had yet to file their self-assessment tax return, with just a week to go until the 31 January deadline.
Trump calls Pretti ‘agitator’ in latest post defending ICE officer
Donald Trump labelled Alex Pretti an “agitator” and an “insurrectionist”in a furious Truth Social post last night.
Pretti was killed nearly a week ago by border agents during a protest against the president’s brutal immigration crackdown in Minneapolis. His death followed the fatal shooting of Renee Good.
Fury over the Trump administration’s handling Pretti and Good’s deaths has led to calls for a “national shutdown” which will see thousands of students and employees staying home from school and work.
“The people of the Twin Cities have shown the way for the whole country — to stop ICE’s reign of terror, we need to SHUT IT DOWN,” organizers wrote on their website. “On Friday, January 30, join a nationwide day of no school, no work and no shopping.”
Meanwhile, former CNN activist Don Lemon has been arrested after allegedly breaking federal law at a protest against ICE activities at a Minnesota church.
New York Governor announces bill to stop ICE deputizing local police
New York Governor Kathy Hochul has announced she will introduce a new bill to stop ICE agents from deputizing local police to help with immigration efforts.
“When power is abused, New York will act. Today, I’m announcing new actions to keep local police focused on local crime and protect New Yorkers from ICE overreach,” Hochul posted on X Friday.
“Local cops should be focused on local crime. Today I’m announcing the Local Cops, Local Crimes Act to stop ICE from deputizing police to do a federal agency’s job.”
Karen Bass slams arrest of Don Lemon after his arrest in Los Angeles
Los Angeles mayor Karen Bass has accused the Trump administration of “escalating” tensions following the arrest of journalists Don Lemon and Georgia Fort.
Former CNN anchor Lemon was arrested in LA Thursday night, ahead of the Grammy Awards on Sunday.
“Don Lemon, an internationally known and renowned journalist and friend, was arrested last night by federal agents and is now in custody in Los Angeles – simply for doing his job and following a protest into a church in Minneapolis while reporting the story,” Bass wrote on X.
“Emmy-winning news producer and Minnesota-based journalist Georgia Fort – another widely respected Black journalist – was also arrested by federal agents in Minnesota for reporting on the same protest.
“The arrest of journalists for going into a church in the course of reporting is shocking enough, but what’s even more alarming is that it’s no secret that Don Lemon is a Trump critic.”
Bass added: “Let me be very clear – President Trump is not de-escalating anything after the fatal shootings of U.S. citizens by federal agents. In fact, the arrest of Don Lemon and Georgia Fort demonstrates quite the opposite – he is escalating.
“First, Trump’s agents shoot and kill people exercising their First Amendment rights, and now we’re arresting journalists going into a church. It’s an egregious assault on constitutionally protected First Amendment rights.
“I have reached out to the U.S. Attorney to check on Don Lemon’s status.”
Reporters Without Borders calls for immediate release of Lemon and Fort
Reporters Without Borders has called for the immediate release of former CNN anchor Don Lemon and independent journalist and Georgia Fort in Minneapolis.
“RSF has learned that award-winning journalists Don Lemon and Georgia Fort have been arrested for simply doing their jobs as journalists — another attack on every American’s press freedom, said Clayton Weimers, executive director of RSF North America.
“The Trump administration cannot send federal agents after reporters simply because they don’t like the stories being reported — especially after already failing multiple times to obtain a warrant from the courts for Lemon’s arrest.
“Lemon and Fort should be released immediately. They have RSF’s full support.”
Freedom of the Press Foundation slams ‘outrageous’ arrest of Don Lemon and Georgia Fort
The Freedom of the Press Foundation has slammed the “outrageous attack” on press freedom following the arrests of former CNN anchor Don Lemon and independent journalist Georgia Fort.
“The government’s arrests of journalists Don Lemon and Georgia Fort are naked attacks on freedom of the press,” FPF Chief of Advocacy Seth Stern said,
“These arrests, under bogus legal theories for obviously constitutionally protected reporting, are clear warning shots aimed at other journalists. The unmistakable message is that journalists must tread cautiously because the government is looking for any way to target them.
“Fort’s arrest is meant to instill the same fear in local independent journalists as big names like Lemon.”
Stern continued: “The answer to this outrageous attack is not fear or self-censorship. It’s an even stronger commitment to journalism, the truth, and the First Amendment.
“If the Trump administration thinks it can bully journalists into submission, it is wrong.”
Three others, including independent journalist, arrested with Don Lemon
Three other people were arrested alongside former CNN anchor Don Lemon, on Thursday.
Trahern Jeen Crews, Jamael Lydell Lundy and Georgia Fort, were also detained “in connection with the coordinated attack on Cities Church in St. Paul, Minnesota,” U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi said.
Fort, an independent journalist, was also arrested Thursday evening, she said in a Facebook live video.
“I don’t feel like I have my First Amendment right as a member of the press,” Fort said in her video. “Because now federal agents are at my door arresting me for filming the church protest a few weeks ago.”
It is unclear what the charges are against Fort or the others.
Crews is a former Democratic political candidate, while Lundy is a criminal justice reform advocate.
Woman injured in three-car pileup with federal agents
A woman was taken to hospital after being involved in a three-car pileup with federal agents in Minneapolis Thursday morning.
The crash took place around 6:45 a.m. at Penn Avenue North and West Broadway Avenue, according to Minneapolis Police Department.
The federal agents were in pursuit of someone in a Chevrolet van when the crash occurred at the intersection.
A Toyota RAV4 was also involved in the crash, with the driver also taken to hospital.
The condition of the woman was not immediately known.
The Independent has contacted MPD for further information on the incident.
White House trolls Don Lemon over his arrest
The White House has mocked former CNN anchor Don Lemon over his arrest on federal charges related to his presence at an anti-ICE protest at a Minnesota church.
“When life gives you lemons,” the official White House X account wrote Friday morning, posting a black and white photo of Lemon.
The journalist was arrested Thursday evening, alongside three others “in connection with the coordinated attack on Cities Church in St. Paul, Minnesota,” U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi said.
Gregory Bovino says he is ‘proud’ of ICE amid chaos over the federal agency’s activities in Minneapolis
Gregory Bovino has said he is proud of ICE, despite Trump removing him from his “commander at large” role in Minneapolis.
Bovino was replaced by Border Czar Tom Homan, after the “commander at large” doubled down on defending federal agents after the shooting of Alex Pretti.
Now, Bovino is singing ICE’s praises once again.
“I’m very proud of what you, the Mean Green Machine, are doing in Minneapolis right now, just like you’ve done it across the United States over these tough past nine months,” Bovino said at a press conference. “I want you to know you are the modern day equivalent of turn and burn.”
Independent readers are ditching all travel to the US…here’s why
Independent readers are increasingly turning their backs on dreams of US travel, citing political turmoil, safety concerns, and the Trump administration’s actions as major deterrents.
A poll conducted by our travel correspondent Simon Calder revealed that 80 per cent of respondents would avoid travelling to America, while only 11 per cent said they would still go. Of those who had already booked trips, around one in seven were considering cancelling.
Here’s the full story…
‘I won’t go near Trump’s America’: Readers on why tourists are ditching US trips
Watch: Donald Trump says that China won’t let Canada play ice hockey if their trading relationship grows
Donald Trump claimed that China will ban Canada from playing ice hockey, if the two countries develop a stronger trading relationship.
His bizarre claims about one of the United States’ closest allies came after he took a swipe at another nation aligned with the U.S: the United Kingdom.
The smart moment to get ahead of your business budget
For businesses large and small, late January is when reality bites. For some, it’s the first chance to take a breath after the festive rush and early January sales. For others, it’s an opportunity to look at things afresh after time away from the office. Either way, it’s the moment when plans need to move off the page and into practice.
In a challenging business environment, budgets must work harder, workflows need to be optimised and spending requires clear oversight. This is where Amazon Business can make a tangible difference: helping teams start the year organised, keep costs under control and simplify everyday purchasing across essential business categories.
Stock Up and Save now: Business Savings Event Ends February 4
The Business Savings Event is your opportunity to secure exceptional deals and special prices on everything your business needs. Whether you’re stocking up on office essentials, upgrading equipment, or planning ahead for the quarter, now is the time to take advantage of significant savings across thousands of products. Visit the Business Savings Event page today and discover how much you can save before February 4.
Buy smarter, stay stocked
Feeling organised starts with knowing you have what you need. Amazon Business supports this by offering bulk buying options that help improve budget efficiency. From pallet-sized orders of cleaning products to everyday office supplies, buying in volume ensures businesses are paying the best possible price.
Registered Amazon Business customers also benefit from exclusive business-only pricing, alongside the fast and flexible delivery Amazon is known for. In some circumstances, same-day delivery is available, allowing businesses to stay agile and responsive without overstocking.
One platform, less paperwork
Switching to Amazon Business can also significantly reduce administrative burden. Rather than sourcing cleaning supplies from one provider, office technology from another and stationery from a third, Amazon Business acts as a one-stop shop for procurement.
This streamlined approach frees up valuable time, allowing business owners and teams to focus on delivering quality products and services, rather than managing multiple suppliers and invoices.
Control for leaders, autonomy for teams
Amazon Business combines the familiar Amazon interface with professional-grade tools designed specifically for organisations. Team members can order what they need quickly and intuitively – even without purchasing experience – all through a single, centralised account.
At the same time, business leaders retain full oversight. Multi-user accounts include built-in controls that define what different users can buy, ensuring transparency and compliance. Instead of juggling multiple supplier accounts, businesses gain instant insight into purchasing behaviour, helping to reduce rogue spend and keep budgets on track.
The platform’s analytics tools also enable deeper trend analysis, supporting smarter decision-making now and more effective planning for the future. Amazon Business integrates with more than 300 e-procurement and expense management systems, including Coupa, Concur Expense and SAP Ariba, and makes it easy to manage delivery preferences across multiple locations within a single workflow.
From fitting seamlessly into existing systems to keeping spending accountable, Amazon Business helps companies start the year as they mean to go on: with smarter, simpler and more business-focused buying.
Sign up for a free Amazon Business account to streamline your purchasing and take advantage of quantity discounts.
Middle class drive surge in ADHD diagnosis amid ‘big funding discrepancy’
The NHS becoming “heavily dependent” on private clinics to diagnose attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) has resulted in middle-class patients accessing prescriptions more easily, analysis has found.
Experts have said that “sharp-elbowed” patients are able to get a diagnosis at a private clinic rather than remain on long NHS waiting lists, with a fivefold increase over the past decade in the number of people from wealthier backgrounds who have been prescribed medication.
Analysis of NHS data by The Times revealed that people in northwest London are about three times as likely to be prescribed stimulants as those in Yorkshire, showing a postcode lottery in terms of diagnoses.
Dr Mukesh Kripalani, lead adult consultant psychiatrist at the ADHD Centre, told the newspaper: “Wealthier people are able to get help, whereas for working-class people it is harder. There is a massive postcode lottery, and a big funding discrepancy between different areas of the country.”
A recent study found there has been a “substantial increase” in the proportion of people using medicines for ADHD in the UK, driven by a rise in prescription rates among adults, in particular women.
Prevalence of ADHD medications rose threefold in the UK between 2010 and 2023 – from 0.12 per cent to 0.39 per cent.
Experts, led by academics from the University of Oxford, said this represents “a more than 20-fold increase in females and 15-fold in males” in adults aged 25 and over.
Thea Stein, chief executive of the Nuffield Trust think tank, told The Times: “As waiting lists have grown, more people are looking to the private sector for their diagnosis. If you go privately, and then take your private diagnosis into the NHS, you’re catapulting yourself up the waiting list.
“People are also using the ‘right to choose’ to get their diagnosis. We know from many, many other areas of healthcare policy that if you are a bit more sharp-elbowed, you can use that better.”
An estimated 700,000 people in England are currently waiting for an ADHD assessment, with warnings that waiting lists can reach up to 10 years.
Wes Streeting has acknowledged the government is failing to cope with the number of referrals for autism and attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder.
Asked on BBC Radio Oxford whether referrals for autism and ADHD were an epidemic the government is failing to cope with, the health secretary said: “Well, in a nutshell, yes.
“We’ve got two challenges here.
“One is to understand the prevalence of ADHD, autism, and then also separately but related in terms of prevalence, mental health.
“We’re trying as a government to understand what’s driving this increase.
“Is it simply awareness – and a positive awareness – that means that people who would have just gone unsupported and undiagnosed are now realising that they may well have ADHD?
“And then secondly, meeting the demand because we’re really falling short on this in the NHS.
“We are looking at this nationally … It’s clearly not a happy situation for people, and it’s one that I’m very worried about.”
ADHD is a disorder that affects people’s behaviour, with sufferers often experiencing restlessness, difficulties concentrating, and increased impulsivity.
While most cases of the condition are diagnosed in children under the age of 12, some are later in life. Symptoms in children and teenagers can include having a short attention span, appearing to be unable to listen, constantly fidgeting, excessive talking and little or no sense of danger.
The NHS adds that symptoms of ADHD in adults can be more difficult to define. However, they tend to include problems with organisation, time management, focusing, coping with stress, restlessness, and impulsiveness.
Apps that can ‘strip’ victims still available on Apple and Google
Apps that allow users to create AI-generated “nude” photos of real people are still available in Apple and Google app stores.
The creation of sexually explicit deepfakes is illegal in the UK following outrage over the use of Elon Musk’s Grok to generate sexualised images of women and children.
But The Independent found several apps that can be used to “strip” photos are still downloadable from the country’s two biggest app stores.
It comes after a Tech Transparency Project (TTP) investigation found 55 apps that can digitally remove clothes from women and show them as completely or partially naked or in minimal clothing in the US version of the Google Play Store. Similarly, it found 47 such apps available in the US Apple App Store.
A search by The Independent showed a number of similar apps, as well as apps named in the TTP investigation, are also available in the UK versions of the app stores.
The Google Play Store policy on inappropriate content states: “We don’t allow apps that contain or promote sexual content or profanity, including pornography, or any content or services intended to be sexually gratifying.
“We don’t allow apps or app content that appear to promote or solicit a sexual act in exchange for compensation. We don’t allow apps that contain or promote content associated with sexually predatory behaviour, or distribute non-consensual sexual content.”
Apple App Store policy states apps “should not include content that is offensive, insensitive, upsetting, intended to disgust, in exceptionally poor taste, or just plain creepy”.
It said it forbids “overtly sexual or pornographic material,” defined as “explicit descriptions or displays of sexual organs or activities intended to stimulate erotic rather than aesthetic or emotional feelings”.
But both platforms hosted apps that allowed pictures of women to be digitally stripped.
One app highlighted in the TTP investigation was able to generate a video of a woman taking her top off and dancing from a photo they uploaded. The app is still available in both the Apple App Store and Google Play Store as of Friday afternoon, and has been downloaded more than five million times.
Another app available on the Google Play Store advertises the ability to “try on” clothing and shows images of women placed in bikinis.
Apple said it had removed 28 apps that the TTP identified in its report and contacted the developers of others to give them a chance to rectify guideline violations. Google also appears to have removed some apps.
Following the Grok controversy, women’s rights campaigners including Refuge, Women’s Aid and Womankind Worldwide said the “disturbing” rise in AI intimate image abuse has “dangerous” consequences for women and girls, including to their safety and mental health.
Emma Pickering, head of technology-facilitated abuse and economic empowerment at charity Refuge, said: “As technology evolves, women and girls’ safety depends on tighter regulation around image-based abuse, whether real or deepfake, as well as specialist training for prosecutors and police.
“Women have the right to use technology without fear of abuse, and when that right is violated, survivors must be able to access swift justice and robust protections.”
The Independent has contacted Google and the government for comment.