Latest news with #Southwark
The Independent
3 hours ago
- Business
- The Independent
Brother and sister guilty of £1m insider trading over Jet2 and Daimler shares
A former research analyst at the investment firm Janus Henderson has been found guilty of insider trading after making around £1m during the Covid lockdown, along with his sister. Redinel Korfuzi and his sibling Oerta Korfuzi were charged by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) with conspiracy to commit insider dealing and money laundering, between January 2019 and March 2021, and were found guilty at Southwark Crown Court after pleading not guilty. Mr Korfuzi was accused of using confidential information gathered during his work to place a particular type of complex trade, called Contracts for Difference (CFDs), through accounts owned by his sister and two other co-defendants. In this manner, Mr Korfuzi made £963,000 in around six months and was 'was at the absolute centre' of matters, said the prosecutor, benefitting from share price changes of at least 13 companies including Jet2, Daimler and THG. Their trading was detected by FCA market monitoring systems, despite Mr Korfuzi's apparent efforts to hide his involvement. The brother and sister were also convicted of money laundering, with the FCA saying they received money from the proceeds of crime, with more than 176 cash deposits totalling over £198,000. The source of that money was unrelated to charges of insider dealing. Insider trading is punishable by up to ten years in prison, but these charges predate a rule change increasing that time, meaning the pair face a maximum of seven years and/or a fine. For money laundering, a fine and/or up to 14 years imprisonment is the maximum. His Honour Judge Milne told the pair on Thursday: 'These are serious matters of which you've been convicted and the sentences will reflect that.' Steve Smart, joint executive director of Enforcement and Market Oversight at the FCA, said: 'We are committed to fighting financial crime and protecting the integrity of our markets. Those who use inside information to unlawfully make profits should be aware that we will identify them and bring them to justice.' Mr and Ms Korfuzi are set to be sentenced on 4 July and the FCA are also to apply for confiscation orders to recover the proceeds of crime. The jury cleared their two co-defendants, Rogerio de Aquino - Mr Korfuzi's personal trainer - and Dema Almeziad - Mr Korfuzi's partner - of both charges. Their accounts were also used to place trades but they said in statements they had been 'hoodwinked' and 'duped'. Ms Almeziad's lawyer Roger Sahota said in a statement: 'This case should never have been brought. There was no evidence that Ms Almeziad knew anything about insider dealing and it is wrong to expect ordinary people to understand or spot complex financial conduct that even professionals struggle with.' Janus Henderson was not involved in the case or accused of wrongdoing.
Yahoo
4 hours ago
- General
- Yahoo
'World's most difficult jigsaw puzzle': Archaeologists piece together thousands of shattered fresco blocks from ancient Roman villa
When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission. Archaeologists in London have painstakingly pieced together thousands of fragments of an ancient Roman fresco that has not been seen for 1,800 years. "It was like assembling the world's most difficult jigsaw puzzle," Han Li, a senior building material specialist at the Museum of London Archaeology, said in a statement. After three months of hard work, the fresco (a painting on plaster) from Roman Britain was back in its original arrangement. It reveals intricate depictions of birds, fruit, flowers and lyres, as well as ancient graffiti and a link to its artist. The shattered plaster pieces were discovered in 2021 in a large pit in the Southwark district of London during redevelopment of the site, according to the BBC. The fresco adorned 20 walls of a building constructed between A.D. 43 and 150. The excavation team blames the destruction of the villa, which happened within 157 years of its construction, for the dilapidated state of the painting. Li was nervous and excited to start the assembly process. "Many of the fragments were very delicate and pieces from different walls had been jumbled together," he said. Related: Rare fresco discovered in Pompeii shows type of woman who 'breaks free from male order to dance freely, go hunting and eat raw meat in the mountains' The art served to demonstrate the wealth and taste of the villa's inhabitants. The painters of the masterpiece seem to have been inspired by aesthetics far across the area of Roman influence, emulating designs from what are now Germany and France, according to the statement. Parts of the fresco display a pattern of rectangular panels, which was common for the period, but the yellow color of the pattern is rare. The Greek alphabet is etched into the plaster as ancient graffiti. Similar findings in Italy point to the alphabet as a checklist or tally, and the quality of the writing suggests the graffiti artist was an experienced writer, the statement reported. The fragments also contain a hint about the fresco's artists. The Latin word "fecit" — which means "has made this" — is identifiable and framed by a decorative carving that Romans used when signing artwork. Much to Li's chagrin, though, the plaster is broken in the spot where a signature would be, so the artists remain a mystery. RELATED STORIES —Ancient fresco of mythical Narcissus found in Pompeii —Gladiators fought in Roman Britain, action-packed cremation urn carvings reveal —Ancient Romans sacrificed birds to the goddess Isis, burnt bones in Pompeii reveal Li also found faintly drawn painter's guidelines that are visible only under certain light. Faint sketches of a flower within a circle can be recognized, but "the painters likely changed their mind and chose not to paint it," Li said in the statement. Many questions about the fresco remain unanswered, including the purpose of the Roman-era building it decorated. But it could have been a commercial property, "perhaps relating to the storage or distribution of storage jars and vessels, brought to London by ship from the wider Roman Empire," the statement reported.
Daily Mail
6 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
Chris Brown arrives in court to enter a plea on alleged bottle attack at a London nightclub two years ago
Chris Brown has arrived at court to enter a plea on an alleged bottle attack at a London nightclub two years ago. The American rapper, 36, arrived at Southwark Crown Court this morning, accused of causing grievous bodily harm to music producer Abraham Diaw in February 2023. He will also be appearing alongside his co-defendant, US national Omololu Akinlolu, 38, for a plea and trial preparation hearing. Just hours after flying into the UK on a private jet, the popular R&B singer was arrested at Manchester's Lowry Hotel on May 15 by Metropolitan Police detectives. Brown was then charged over an alleged assault at the Tape nightclub in Hanover Square in Mayfair on February 19, 2023. On May 21, he was released from HMP Forest Bank in Salford, Greater Manchester, on a £5million bail agreement. Manchester Magistrates' Court heard last month that Mr Diaw was standing at the bar of the popular London venue when he was struck several times with a bottle. He was then allegedly pursued to a separate area of the nightclub before being punched and kicked repeatedly while he lay on the floor. Prosecutor Hannah Nicholls previously described the incident as an 'extremely serious' attack that was caught on CCTV. She said Mr Diaw was 'struck with a bottle several times' and 'punched and kicked repeatedly'. As part of Brown's bail conditions, he must reside at a UK address and can also only access his passport when he needs to travel for a tour date. Other bail conditions include not to attend the Tape nightclub or contact his co-accused, Dallas rapper Omolulu Akinlolu, 38, the complainant or any witnesses. If found to be in breach of such conditions, Brown could be asked to forfeit the £5million. Shortly after the singer was released on remand from prison, he posted a story to Instagram to his 144million followers that read: 'From the cage to the stage!!!', adding the word Breezbowl - the name of his tour. The Go Crazy singer kicked off his Breezy Bowl XX tour on June 8, 2025 in Amsterdam before arriving in the UK to perform in Manchester on Sunday. Speaking to a sold-out crowd at the Co-Op Live Arena, Brown thanked his fans for ' coming and supporting me ', adding jokingly: 'And thank you to the jail. It was really nice'. Brown, who was released on £5M bail, was shielded by staff behind a large white board while leaving the five star Lowry Hotel where he was detained in the early hours of May 15 He is set to perform in London later this week, before returning to perform in Manchester on June 24 and July 3, followed by shows in Birmingham, Rathfarnham and Glasgow. Previously, Adele Kelly, deputy chief crown prosecutor for CPS London North, said: 'We have authorised the Metropolitan Police to charge Chris Brown with one count of grievous bodily harm, contrary to section 18 of the Offences Against the Person Act 1861. 'The alleged incident occurred in London on February 19, 2023. He will have his first court appearance on Friday, May 16 at Manchester Magistrates' Court. 'The Crown Prosecution Service reminds all concerned that criminal proceedings against this defendant are active and that he has the right to a fair trial. 'It is extremely important that there should be no reporting, commentary or sharing of information online which could in any way prejudice these proceedings.' Before the charge was made, a Metropolitan Police spokesman said: 'A 36-year-old man was arrested at a hotel in Manchester shortly after 2am on Thursday, May 15 on suspicion of grievous bodily harm. 'He has been taken into custody where he remains. The arrest relates to an incident at a venue in Hanover Square on February 19, 2023. 'The investigation is being led by detectives from the Central West Area Basic Command Unit.' It was initially understood that the arrest had been made by the Metropolitan Police. But a Greater Manchester Police spokesperson clarified: 'This morning (Thursday May 15) we arrested a 36-year-old man at a hotel in Manchester on suspicion of grievous bodily harm on behalf of the Metropolitan Police.' Brown rose to fame at a young age with his rich R&B voice and later rap, and was also known for having a relationship with fellow music star Rihanna. He released his debut album Chris Brown in 2005 and has since released a further ten studio albums and 64 singles. Some of his biggest hits have included Run It!, Yo (Excuse Me Miss) and No Air, a collaboration with Jordin Sparks.
Bloomberg
9 hours ago
- Business
- Bloomberg
Stanhope, Cheyne Near Deal to Buy LandSec's Prime London Project
Land Securities Group Plc is in discussions to sell Red Lion Court, a prime London commercial development, as part of its plan to dispose of £2 billion ($2.7 billion) worth of office assets and redeploy those funds into retail and housing instead. Alternative asset manager Cheyne Capital Management and developer Stanhope are expected to team up to buy the Southwark property overlooking the City of London, people familiar with the matter said, asking not to be identified discussing non-public information.
BBC News
9 hours ago
- Politics
- BBC News
Southwark Council to close two schools over falling school rolls
Two primary schools in south London are set to close amid a declining birth rate and families leaving the Council has said it has made the "difficult" decision to shut down Charlotte Sharman Primary School in Elephant and Castle and St Mary Magdalene Church of England Primary School in Peckham at the end of August despite efforts by campaigners to keep them closed, this will mean eight schools will have shut down in the borough since 2022 the Local Democracy Reporting Service board of governors at each school have appealed to the council to come up with solutions to keep them open. The council leadership agreed to the closures at a meeting on Tuesday in line with recommendations made in a leader Kieron Williams said: "The two decisions that we have got to contemplate this morning as cabinet I know are very difficult ones for people who are very attached to their schools as I am to my children's schools, so we understand they are very sensitive decisions and difficult ones to work through."There were talks to merge Charlotte Sharman and another school called St Jude's Primary however this plan fell through and Charlotte Sharman continued to struggle online petition to save the school from closure which has received more than 1,000 signatures has accused Southwark Council of not fully exploring other options such as merging with another school, securing additional funding or increasing enrolment outreach. 'Very, very sad day' David Workman, chair of governors at Charlotte Sharman, told cabinet members: "Since last year we have been engaging willingly and effectively with the local authority to look at our financial situation and try and put mitigations in place."There are alternative options we have put forward and to not give us the time to act more decisively and creatively after those two lengthy processes which have taken our bandwidth as it were, is to possibly neglect what might be possible in terms of preserving the school community."Sonia Phippard, chair of governors at the St Mary Magdalene school, said it had served the community for 170 years and that the council's decision marked a "very, very sad day".
