How to have a good divorce – when you have billions to bicker over
When British billionaire Frederick Barclay appeared in the London High Court in 2022, accused by his ex-wife of failing to pay out on their record £100 million divorce settlement, the judge couldn't say where the estimated £7 billion ($14.4 billion) family fortune was held.
Despite an empire that included the Ritz hotel and Britain's Telegraph newspaper, the tycoon argued he could not access his wealth, which was tied up in various complex trust structures controlled by his nephews. 'I have no evidence that Sir Frederick has access to any material funds, despite the great wealth that [he and his twin brother] Sir David built up,' the judge concluded in 2023. He added that it was 'extraordinary that the former wife of one of the country's most successful businessmen' was in such a predicament.
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The Advertiser
2 hours ago
- The Advertiser
Northern Ireland hit by third night of violence
Violence has erupted in different parts of Northern Ireland for the third successive night, with masked youths starting a fire in a leisure centre but unrest in the primary flashpoint of Ballymena was notably smaller in scale. Hundreds of masked rioters attacked police and set homes and cars on fire in Ballymena, a town of 30,000 people located 45km from Belfast, on Tuesday night in what police condemned as "racist thuggery". The violence flared on Monday after two 14-year-old boys were arrested and appeared in court earlier that day, accused of a serious sexual assault on a teenage girl in the town. The charges were read via a Romanian interpreter to the boys, whose lawyer told the court that they denied the charge, the BBC reported. Police are investigating the damaging of properties on Monday and Tuesday in Ballymena, which has a relatively large migrant population, as racially motivated hate crimes. Two Filipino families told Reuters they fled their home in Ballymena on Tuesday night after fearing for their safety when their car was set on fire outside the house. A few dozen masked youths threw some rocks, fireworks and petrol bombs at police after officers in riot gear and armoured vans blocked roads in the town on Wednesday evening. Police deployed water cannon against the crowd for the second successive night but the clashes were nothing like the previous night that left 17 officers injured and led to five arrests. Much of the crowd had left the streets before midnight. A small number of riot police were also in the town of Larne 30km west where masked youths smashed the windows of a leisure centre before starting fires in the lobby, BBC footage showed. Swimming classes were taking place when bricks were thrown through the windows and staff had to barricade themselves in before running out the back door, a local Alliance Party MPs, Danny Donnelly, told the BBC. Northern Ireland's Communities Minister Gordon Lyons had earlier posted on Facebook that a number of people had been temporarily moved to the leisure centre following the disturbances in Ballymena, before then being moved out of Larne. The comments drew sharp criticism from other political parties for identifying a location used to shelter families seeking refuge from anti-immigrant violence. Lyons condemned the attacks on the centre. Police said youths also set fires at a roundabout in the town of Newtownabbey, a flashpoint for sectarian violence that sporadically flares up in the British-run region 27 years after a peace deal largely ended three decades of bloodshed. Debris was also set alight at a barricade in Coleraine, the Belfast Telegraph reported. The British and Irish governments as well as local politicians have condemned the violence. Violence has erupted in different parts of Northern Ireland for the third successive night, with masked youths starting a fire in a leisure centre but unrest in the primary flashpoint of Ballymena was notably smaller in scale. Hundreds of masked rioters attacked police and set homes and cars on fire in Ballymena, a town of 30,000 people located 45km from Belfast, on Tuesday night in what police condemned as "racist thuggery". The violence flared on Monday after two 14-year-old boys were arrested and appeared in court earlier that day, accused of a serious sexual assault on a teenage girl in the town. The charges were read via a Romanian interpreter to the boys, whose lawyer told the court that they denied the charge, the BBC reported. Police are investigating the damaging of properties on Monday and Tuesday in Ballymena, which has a relatively large migrant population, as racially motivated hate crimes. Two Filipino families told Reuters they fled their home in Ballymena on Tuesday night after fearing for their safety when their car was set on fire outside the house. A few dozen masked youths threw some rocks, fireworks and petrol bombs at police after officers in riot gear and armoured vans blocked roads in the town on Wednesday evening. Police deployed water cannon against the crowd for the second successive night but the clashes were nothing like the previous night that left 17 officers injured and led to five arrests. Much of the crowd had left the streets before midnight. A small number of riot police were also in the town of Larne 30km west where masked youths smashed the windows of a leisure centre before starting fires in the lobby, BBC footage showed. Swimming classes were taking place when bricks were thrown through the windows and staff had to barricade themselves in before running out the back door, a local Alliance Party MPs, Danny Donnelly, told the BBC. Northern Ireland's Communities Minister Gordon Lyons had earlier posted on Facebook that a number of people had been temporarily moved to the leisure centre following the disturbances in Ballymena, before then being moved out of Larne. The comments drew sharp criticism from other political parties for identifying a location used to shelter families seeking refuge from anti-immigrant violence. Lyons condemned the attacks on the centre. Police said youths also set fires at a roundabout in the town of Newtownabbey, a flashpoint for sectarian violence that sporadically flares up in the British-run region 27 years after a peace deal largely ended three decades of bloodshed. Debris was also set alight at a barricade in Coleraine, the Belfast Telegraph reported. The British and Irish governments as well as local politicians have condemned the violence. Violence has erupted in different parts of Northern Ireland for the third successive night, with masked youths starting a fire in a leisure centre but unrest in the primary flashpoint of Ballymena was notably smaller in scale. Hundreds of masked rioters attacked police and set homes and cars on fire in Ballymena, a town of 30,000 people located 45km from Belfast, on Tuesday night in what police condemned as "racist thuggery". The violence flared on Monday after two 14-year-old boys were arrested and appeared in court earlier that day, accused of a serious sexual assault on a teenage girl in the town. The charges were read via a Romanian interpreter to the boys, whose lawyer told the court that they denied the charge, the BBC reported. Police are investigating the damaging of properties on Monday and Tuesday in Ballymena, which has a relatively large migrant population, as racially motivated hate crimes. Two Filipino families told Reuters they fled their home in Ballymena on Tuesday night after fearing for their safety when their car was set on fire outside the house. A few dozen masked youths threw some rocks, fireworks and petrol bombs at police after officers in riot gear and armoured vans blocked roads in the town on Wednesday evening. Police deployed water cannon against the crowd for the second successive night but the clashes were nothing like the previous night that left 17 officers injured and led to five arrests. Much of the crowd had left the streets before midnight. A small number of riot police were also in the town of Larne 30km west where masked youths smashed the windows of a leisure centre before starting fires in the lobby, BBC footage showed. Swimming classes were taking place when bricks were thrown through the windows and staff had to barricade themselves in before running out the back door, a local Alliance Party MPs, Danny Donnelly, told the BBC. Northern Ireland's Communities Minister Gordon Lyons had earlier posted on Facebook that a number of people had been temporarily moved to the leisure centre following the disturbances in Ballymena, before then being moved out of Larne. The comments drew sharp criticism from other political parties for identifying a location used to shelter families seeking refuge from anti-immigrant violence. Lyons condemned the attacks on the centre. Police said youths also set fires at a roundabout in the town of Newtownabbey, a flashpoint for sectarian violence that sporadically flares up in the British-run region 27 years after a peace deal largely ended three decades of bloodshed. Debris was also set alight at a barricade in Coleraine, the Belfast Telegraph reported. The British and Irish governments as well as local politicians have condemned the violence. Violence has erupted in different parts of Northern Ireland for the third successive night, with masked youths starting a fire in a leisure centre but unrest in the primary flashpoint of Ballymena was notably smaller in scale. Hundreds of masked rioters attacked police and set homes and cars on fire in Ballymena, a town of 30,000 people located 45km from Belfast, on Tuesday night in what police condemned as "racist thuggery". The violence flared on Monday after two 14-year-old boys were arrested and appeared in court earlier that day, accused of a serious sexual assault on a teenage girl in the town. The charges were read via a Romanian interpreter to the boys, whose lawyer told the court that they denied the charge, the BBC reported. Police are investigating the damaging of properties on Monday and Tuesday in Ballymena, which has a relatively large migrant population, as racially motivated hate crimes. Two Filipino families told Reuters they fled their home in Ballymena on Tuesday night after fearing for their safety when their car was set on fire outside the house. A few dozen masked youths threw some rocks, fireworks and petrol bombs at police after officers in riot gear and armoured vans blocked roads in the town on Wednesday evening. Police deployed water cannon against the crowd for the second successive night but the clashes were nothing like the previous night that left 17 officers injured and led to five arrests. Much of the crowd had left the streets before midnight. A small number of riot police were also in the town of Larne 30km west where masked youths smashed the windows of a leisure centre before starting fires in the lobby, BBC footage showed. Swimming classes were taking place when bricks were thrown through the windows and staff had to barricade themselves in before running out the back door, a local Alliance Party MPs, Danny Donnelly, told the BBC. Northern Ireland's Communities Minister Gordon Lyons had earlier posted on Facebook that a number of people had been temporarily moved to the leisure centre following the disturbances in Ballymena, before then being moved out of Larne. The comments drew sharp criticism from other political parties for identifying a location used to shelter families seeking refuge from anti-immigrant violence. Lyons condemned the attacks on the centre. Police said youths also set fires at a roundabout in the town of Newtownabbey, a flashpoint for sectarian violence that sporadically flares up in the British-run region 27 years after a peace deal largely ended three decades of bloodshed. Debris was also set alight at a barricade in Coleraine, the Belfast Telegraph reported. The British and Irish governments as well as local politicians have condemned the violence.
West Australian
4 hours ago
- West Australian
AUKUS: Defence Minister Richard Marles forced to pour cold water on fears over Pentagon review
Defence Minister Richard Marles has been forced to pour cold water on fears over a new Pentagon inquiry into AUKUS, insisting the Government was 'very confident' the $368 billion nuclear-powered submarine program would go ahead. The review to ensure the trilateral agreement with Australia and the UK fits with the priorities of the new Trump administration will be led by Pentagon policy chief Elbridge Colby, viewed as an AUKUS sceptic. 'We are reviewing AUKUS as part of ensuring that this initiative of the previous administration is aligned with the President's America First agenda,' a US official said of the decision. But Mr Marles downplayed concerns, describing it as a 'natural' move for a new administration that followed a similar 'positive' inquiry by the British Government following the election of Prime Minister Keir Starmer. 'We are committed to AUKUS and we look forward to working closely with the US on the review,' he said in a statement, adding that Canberra had been given advance notice. Mr Marles, who made an $800m down payment on the submarine program earlier this year, pointed to bipartisan support in the United States for the program, including the passage of important legislative provisions to enable the transfer of US Virginia class submarines to Australia. However, shadow defence minister Angus Taylor said the review was 'deeply concerning' and called on Prime Minister Anthony Albanese to urgently seek a direct meeting with President Trump to 'ensure Australia's national interests are protected.' Mr Albanese is expected to speak with Mr Trump on sidelines of the G7 summit in Canada this weekend, although a one-on-one meeting has not yet been confirmed. Mr Taylor questioned whether the review had been triggered by the Albanese Government's refusal to commit to US demands to hike defence spending to 3.5 per cent of GDP and the decision to sanction two far-right Israeli ministers. 'Australia cannot afford to be seen as a fair-weather friend. This government has sent mixed messages to our allies, and we're now seeing the consequences,' he said. By contrast, former Liberal prime minister Scott Morrison urged people not to 'over-interpret' a departmental review that was not a policy decision, arguing America was 'within its remit' to examine the multibillion-dollar pact. AUKUS, established by the former Coalition Government in 2021, is viewed as critical to Australia's defence as regional tensions grow over China's military build-up and territorial ambitions. It aims to deliver a nuclear-powered submarine capability for Australia with the help of the US and the UK, as well as boosting trilateral defence cooperation on cyber and artificial intelligence and other cutting-edge technologies The first stage would see British and American nuclear submarines rotating through Perth from 2027 before the sale of US Navy Virginia-class attack submarines to Australia in the early 2030s. In the latter stage, Australia will construct a new SSN-Aukus fleet in Adelaide. 'This is all or nothing for Australia, and for the sake of our national security, we need to make sure that we can at least provide some deterrent for potential hostile threats to our nation, and the best way to do that is to partner with the United States,' former Ambassador to the US Joe Hockey told ABC Radio National Breakfast. He said he did not believe the review made the program more vulnerable but urged the Prime Minister to have a detailed discussion directly with the US President. Elbridge Colby, known to be hawkish on China and who has frequently called for other nations to increase their defence spending, has previously questioned why the US should give away its 'crown jewel asset' when asked about the future of AUKUS. However, in his recent confirmation hearing in the Senate Armed Services Committee, he also expressed support. 'I think it should be the policy of the United States Government to do everything we can to make this work,' he said.
Perth Now
5 hours ago
- Perth Now
Northern Ireland hit by third night of violence
Violence has erupted in different parts of Northern Ireland for the third successive night, with masked youths starting a fire in a leisure centre but unrest in the primary flashpoint of Ballymena was notably smaller in scale. Hundreds of masked rioters attacked police and set homes and cars on fire in Ballymena, a town of 30,000 people located 45km from Belfast, on Tuesday night in what police condemned as "racist thuggery". The violence flared on Monday after two 14-year-old boys were arrested and appeared in court earlier that day, accused of a serious sexual assault on a teenage girl in the town. The charges were read via a Romanian interpreter to the boys, whose lawyer told the court that they denied the charge, the BBC reported. Police are investigating the damaging of properties on Monday and Tuesday in Ballymena, which has a relatively large migrant population, as racially motivated hate crimes. Two Filipino families told Reuters they fled their home in Ballymena on Tuesday night after fearing for their safety when their car was set on fire outside the house. A few dozen masked youths threw some rocks, fireworks and petrol bombs at police after officers in riot gear and armoured vans blocked roads in the town on Wednesday evening. Police deployed water cannon against the crowd for the second successive night but the clashes were nothing like the previous night that left 17 officers injured and led to five arrests. Much of the crowd had left the streets before midnight. A small number of riot police were also in the town of Larne 30km west where masked youths smashed the windows of a leisure centre before starting fires in the lobby, BBC footage showed. Swimming classes were taking place when bricks were thrown through the windows and staff had to barricade themselves in before running out the back door, a local Alliance Party MPs, Danny Donnelly, told the BBC. Northern Ireland's Communities Minister Gordon Lyons had earlier posted on Facebook that a number of people had been temporarily moved to the leisure centre following the disturbances in Ballymena, before then being moved out of Larne. The comments drew sharp criticism from other political parties for identifying a location used to shelter families seeking refuge from anti-immigrant violence. Lyons condemned the attacks on the centre. Police said youths also set fires at a roundabout in the town of Newtownabbey, a flashpoint for sectarian violence that sporadically flares up in the British-run region 27 years after a peace deal largely ended three decades of bloodshed. Debris was also set alight at a barricade in Coleraine, the Belfast Telegraph reported. The British and Irish governments as well as local politicians have condemned the violence.
