Leicester-based JM Wholesale, a major UK distributor of vaping and CBD products, has been put into administration after a notice was filed on March 20.The filing was made through law firm Shakespeare Martineau, with Christopher Lewis and Chris Newell of Quantuma appointed as administrators.The company sells a wide range of items including vape devices, e-liquids, disposable vapes and nicotine...

A Los Angeles jury has ruled that Meta and Google are responsible for harm suffered by a young woman who says she became addicted to social media as a child.Jurors apportioned blame between the companies, assigning 70% of the responsibility to Meta and 30% to YouTube.The decision follows roughly five weeks of testimony and evidence. The plaintiff, identified only as Kaley, argued that platform...

Chancellor Rachel Reeves says the government is drawing up contingency plans to shield the most vulnerable households if the war in the Middle East drives UK energy costs higher.Reeves warned the full economic fallout is still unclear but promised measures would focus on those most in need, while sticking to borrowing limits and a goal of keeping inflation and interest rates down.Households in...

Slovenia has moved to limit how much fuel each motorist can buy, becoming the first EU member state to introduce nationwide rationing as regional tensions push up prices.The government says the measure responds to market disruptions driven by recent strikes in the Middle East that have shaken global energy supplies and sent pump prices higher.Under the new rules, private drivers may purchase up...

Italy’s governing coalition suffered a surprising blow as voters rejected a constitutional reform in a weekend referendum, handing Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni a significant political defeat.Preliminary results showed roughly 54% voting against the proposal and about 46% in favour, with turnout close to 60%.Early exit polling pointed to a narrow lead for the no camp that widened as counting...

Lionel Jospin, a leading figure of France's Socialist movement who served as prime minister during the late 1990s, has died at the age of 88.He was widely known for reshaping parts of French social policy and for his dramatic exit from politics after the 2002 presidential election.Jospin led a left-wing government in cohabitation with President Jacques Chirac from 1997 to 2002. He had been a...

Crown Princess Mette-Marit has spoken publicly for the first time since revelations about her ties to Jeffrey Epstein, saying she feels she was misled and expressing regret over the association.In a 20-minute interview with national broadcaster NRK, the 52-year-old royal said she wishes she had never met Epstein and apologised for not checking his background more carefully.She became emotional...

Prime Minister Keir Starmer declined to confirm whether he personally discussed Lord Peter Mandelson's ties to Jeffrey Epstein before naming him UK ambassador to the United States.During Prime Minister's Questions, Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch pressed Mr Starmer repeatedly on whether he had phoned or met Lord Mandelson to raise concerns about the convicted sex offender prior to the...

President Emmanuel Macron will this week set out plans for a revamped national service intended to swell the ranks of France’s armed forces.The outline remains limited, but French media report the scheme would be voluntary, last about ten months and include pay of roughly €900–€1,000 per month for participants.Macron has been careful to stress that the program is not about sending young...

The European Union's highest court has ordered Poland to accept same‑sex marriages that were legally concluded in other EU countries.The judgment stems from the case of a Polish couple who married in Berlin in 2018 and found their union rejected by Polish authorities when they returned home.The European Court of Justice said member states must respect the rights of EU citizens who marry abroad,...