Telford romance fraud accused Marc Cole-Jones in court
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The Independent
29 minutes ago
- The Independent
Missing Texas woman found living among lost ‘African' tribe in Scotland
A Texas woman reported missing by her family has been found living among a lost 'African' tribe in a Scottish forest. Texas native Kaura Taylor has been found with the Kingdom of Kubala, a group living in a forest in Jedburgh, about 41 miles south of Edinburgh, that is trying to reclaim land stolen from their ancestors, UK-based media group SWNS reported. The group is led by King Atehene, 36, who was once an opera singer under the name Kofi Offeh, his wife, Queen Nandi, and their handmaiden Taylor, who now goes by Asnat, according to the outlet. 'To the U.K. authorities, obviously I am not missing,' she said in a video message from the group. 'Leave me alone. I am an adult, not a helpless child.' It's unclear when Taylor was reported missing or why her family was unaware of her location. The group said they've been served eviction notices and been targeted in an attack that involved someone setting one of their tents on fire. While they 'don't recognize local laws,' they say they only follow the rules of their God, who is named Yahowah, according to the outlet. 'We live a very simple life of returning to innocence,' King Atehene told the outlet. 'We connect to nature. We connect to the trees around us. We get grounded every morning. We bathe in the springwater. We are living a simple life of relying daily on the creator for food, shelter and clothing. We live in a tent without walls, but we are not afraid of anyone, for we have the protection of the creator, Yahowah.' According to King Atehene, Great Britain says it is tolerant — but not toward his group, which has 'suffered trials and tribulations at the hands of authorities, who do not understand or tolerate,' he told the outlet. The Kingdom of Kubala claims they are a lost tribe of Hebrews, and that their King descended from David the Messiah, according to the outlet. They say their ancestors were ostracized when Queen Elizabeth I deported native black Jacobites. The group now hopes to bring other 'lost tribes' back after 400 years, according to the report. 'We follow the laws of the creator, everything belongs to the ones who made it,' King Atehene added. 'We do not believe that any authority owns the land. The earth belongs to the father. We do not know about any eviction. All we know is that we are here to stay and establish our authority and power, just like our ancestors did.' He continued: 'The prophecy said, 'after 400 years, when my ancestors are destroyed from the land of Scotland, from the land of Great Britain, they will go into captivity and lose their identity.'' 'But after 400 years, I will come and bring them back to the land of promise. I am following the ancestral call and the call of the gods. The calling from our creator to embark on this journey, is the most important thing in our life. It is a journey of hope — a pilgrimage.' His wife, Queen Nandi, a 43-year-old born Jean Gasho, wrote on social media that the group had 'returned to claim Scotland as our homeland, a land stolen by Elizabeth the first 400 years ago when she deported all black people from Scotland and England, who were not Africans but natives of the land.' 'Jacobites were black, from their ancestor Jacob, Yacobho, a black man. According to our Prophet Atehene, Jerusalem is in Scotland, and that he is the seed and offspring of David, the Messiah. The old world is going, the Second Exodus has begun, only those who live off grid, in Tabernacles will be saved, as we enter the Millennium Kingdom of Kubala, and the world is left behind,' she continued, according to the outlet. It was not immediately clear how many people are part of the Kingdom of Kubala and how many are currently living in the forest in Jedburgh. Meanwhile, Scottish Borders Council says it is 'working with Police Scotland' to manage the situation. 'This has included the provision of advice and information about housing options and other support services,' a spokesperson told SWNS.
The Independent
29 minutes ago
- The Independent
Explained: How much is the government paying to house asylum seekers in hotels?
Anti- immigration protests have surged in recent weeks, with some targeting hotels used to house asylum seekers, sparking violence and prompting multiple arrests. Amid the demonstrations, misleading claims about the cost of accommodating migrants have been spreading widely online. But what does it actually cost to house asylum seekers in hotels — and how are false figures shaping public anger? Misleading figures spread online One focal point has been the Britannia Hotel in Canary Wharf, East London, which has witnessed clashes between anti-immigration protesters and anti-racism demonstrators, leading to the arrest of two people on 8 August. Social media posts and viral messages have claimed that housing asylum seekers in hotels costs the government between £200 and £500 per night. However, there is no evidence to support these figures. One expert claims these kinds of falsehoods are 'most likely spread with a strategic purpose in mind'. The real cost The Home Office told The Independent that the Britannia Hotel costs £81 per night to house asylum seekers. In March 2025, the average cost per night for a hotel room used to accommodate asylum seekers was £118.87 — down from £162.16 in March 2023. Across all hotels, this equates to around £5.77m per day, down from £8.3m per day the previous year. Stephan Lewandowsky, Professor of Cognitive Science at the University of Bristol, told The Independent that false information spreads because divisive posts attract more attention from readers. He said: 'Social media algorithms favour information that is outrage-evoking because it generates more audience engagement – hence making more money for the platforms – and in consequence disinformation often has an advantage over factual content and spreads faster and further. On top of that, the goal is, of course, to incite hatred and what better way to do that than to spread outrageous falsehoods.' These misleading claims are not just a matter of numbers. Experts warn they could amplify public anger and stoke already high tensions. 'There is now very clear and strong evidence that online misinformation can cause real-world harms. For example, last year's riots in the UK targeted mosques based on the false rumour that the perpetrator of a heinous crime was a Muslim refugee – he was not, he was a native-born British citizen,' Mr Lewandowsky said. Court ruling piles pressure on Starmer Pressure is mounting on Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer after Epping Forest District Council secured an interim High Court injunction to ban migrants from being housed at The Bell Hotel after weeks of protests at the site. The council argued the site had become a 'feeding ground for unrest' following a spate of violent protests that left several police officers injured. On 4 August, Starmer condemned the violence as 'far-right thuggery' and warned that those responsible would face the 'full force of the law.' For now, one of many challenges for ministers will be to ensure the facts about the costs of asylum hotels are reaching the public.
Reuters
30 minutes ago
- Reuters
Investment fund sues Marex over alleged use of confidential information for trading position
LONDON, Aug 20 (Reuters) - An investment fund has filed a lawsuit in London against commodities broker and financial group Marex , alleging it used confidential information from the fund to support its own trading position, according to a court filing. London-based Marex Group plc declined to comment on the legal action. A court filing on August 7 by lawyers for Ocean Freight Trident Offshore Master Fund Limited against Marex said exact damages would be specified in the future, but would be at least 10 million pounds. The court document said the fund, registered in the Cayman Islands, opened an account with Marex in April 2024 and deposited $30 million, adding $12 million to the account between June and November. Marex liquidated the fund's entire positions in November 2024, the lawsuit said, without giving details of the positions. "In doing so as it did, the defendant purported to exercise its powers for the improper and collateral purpose of supporting its own proprietary trading position, adopted with the benefit of information that was confidential," the court filing said. John Hahn is chief investment officer and president of the manager of the fund, Ocean Freight Capital Management LLC, which is based in the U.S., it added. LinkedIn shows Hahn is based in Los Angeles and runs Ocean Freight Exchange, an AI platform for the shipping industry. Hahn previously worked for commodity traders Noble Group and Louis Dreyfus Company, LinkedIn showed. Hahn did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
