Latest news with #politicalcontroversy
Sky News
a day ago
- Politics
- Sky News
Nigel Farage demands apology over 'disgusting' Jimmy Savile comparison
Nigel Farage has demanded an apology from a cabinet minister who claimed his opposition to online safety laws meant he was "on the side" of predators including the late Jimmy Savile. The Reform UK leader said the comments by Peter Kyle, the science and technology secretary, were "disgusting" and urged him to retract his statement. He tweeted: "Peter Kyle's comments on Sky News are disgusting. He should do the right thing and apologise." He was joined in his condemnation by former Reform chair Zia Yusuf, who branded Mr Kyle's words "outrageous" and "disgusting". "It's one of the most outrageous and disgusting things a politician has said in the political arena that I can remember," he told Wilfred Frost on Sky News. "What it also shows is Labour have no idea how the internet actually works, which is why they aren't willing to admit this act, despite its name, is actually going to make children less safe. "It also shows how deeply unserious they are about child safety. Labelling that allegation, talking about Jimmy Savile in that way, does nothing other than denigrate the victims of Jimmy Savile. "This is a political party that is collapsing in the polls at historic speed. The prime minister whose approval is collapsing at historic speed. All they have left is trying to censor British people and insult their political opponents in the most disgusting way." Mr Kyle claimed to Wilfred Frost on Sky News Breakfast that Mr Farage's opposition to the Online Safety Act, which aims to restrict children's access to harmful content online, meant he was "on the side" of "extreme pornographers". He accused Mr Farage of wanting to "turn the clock right back" after the Reform leader vowed to repeal the act over free speech concerns. "I see that Nigel Farage is already saying that he's going to overturn these laws," he said. "So you know, we have people out there who are extreme pornographers, peddling hate, peddling violence. Nigel Farage is on their side. "Make no mistake about it, if people like Jimmy Savile were alive today, he'd be perpetrating his crimes online. And Nigel Farage is saying that he's on their side." Asked to clarify his comments, Mr Kyle said: "Nigel Farage is on the side of turning the clock back to the time when strange adults, strangers can get in touch via messaging apps with children." Shortly after Mr Farage's response, Mr Kyle doubled down on his comments, posting on X: "If you want to overturn the Online Safety Act you are on the side of predators. It is as simple as that." The Online Safety Act, which was passed in 2023, requires online platforms such as social media sites and search engines to take steps to prevent children accessing harmful content such as pornography or material that encourages suicide. The rules of the act, which came into effect on 25 July, include introducing age verification for websites and ensuring algorithms do not work to harm children by exposing them to such content when they are online. Failure to comply with the new rules could incur fines of up to £18m or 10% of a firm's global turnover, whichever is greater. At a press conference on Monday, Mr Farage and his former chairman Zia Yusuf vowed to scrap the "dystopian" act, arguing it did "absolutely nothing to protect children" but worked to "suppress freedom of speech" and "force social media companies to censor anti-government speech". Describing the legislation as "the greatest assault on freedom of speech in our lifetimes", Mr Yusuf vowed to repeal the act "as one of the first things a Reform government does". He also argued that children are circumventing age checks on adult websites using VPNs (Virtual Private Networks) to make it appear as if they are located outside the UK. He also said such restrictions would push children to the dark web. "Sending all of these kids onto VPNs is a far worse situation, and sends them much closer to the dark web, where the real dangers lie," he said. Reform UK also criticised sections of the legislation that allow ministers to direct Ofcom, the regulator, to modify its rules setting out how companies can comply with requirements to crack down on illegal or harmful content, saying it was "the sort of thing that I think Xi Jinping [the Chinese president] himself would blush at the concept of". Asked what he would do to protect children online, Mr Farage acknowledged he did not have "a perfect answer" but said his party had "more access to some of the best tech brains, not just in the country but in the world" and would "make a much better job of it". The Online Safety Act was introduced in part to make the internet safer for children following the death of Molly Russell, whose inquest found that she died from "an act of self-harm while suffering from depression and the negative effects of online content". Andy Burrows, chief executive of the Molly Rose Foundation, said scrapping the act "would be a retrograde move that would not only put children at greater risk but is out of step with the mood of the public". He added: "The Online Safety Act is an important building block that needs strengthening and decisive action to do this would be cheered on by parents and grandparents up and down the country."
Daily Mail
2 days ago
- Politics
- Daily Mail
Aussie politician calls out Abbie Chatfield after she suggests 'incels' should harm Donald Trump in shock rant: 'She should be on the watch list'
An Australian politician has slammed Abbie Chatfield after she appeared to suggest 'incels' should harm US President Donald Trump in a wild rant. Ralph Babet, a senator for Clive Palmer's United Australia Party, has called out the former Bachelor star after she posted a video to TikTok which saw her make a gun symbol with her fingers and ask 'when are you going to do it?' Babet reposted the video to his Instagram page and slammed Abbie's 'inappropriate' post. 'Here is an Australian flat out suggesting that the President of the United States should be assassinated,' he wrote. 'This is the woman that Prime Minister Albanese sat down with for an interview. This is beyond inappropriate. DailyMail's new showbiz newsletter to stay in the loop. 'The Prime Minister has a lot to answer for as does this woman. She should be on a watch list.' In her video posted to TikTok, Abbie, 30, said: 'Americans, when are you going to do it?' 'Why is it not already done? Every day, there's another [gun symbol] happening and that's awful for your country, right? Why don't we redirect this energy to something else, you know? 'There's all these incels, "no one wants to f**k me", so they go and do [gun symbol]. 'You know what would actually make people respect you a little bit, and maybe want to f**k you? Is if you did it. 'You'd get heaps of fan mail. Oh my God. Oh my God. Just do it. Like, you're all doing it every day anyway. Like, I don't f**king get it.' 'Incel' stands for 'involuntary celibate' and is a term used by a certain group of men who blame their inability to form relationships and have sex on women. Incel groups have been accused of inciting violence and misogyny online. 'The Prime Minister has a lot to answer for as does this woman. She should be on a watch list,' he said 'Abbie Chatfield should be charged for demanding someone assassinate @realDonaldTrump & @AlboMP @AustralianLabor must condemn this vile threatening beast & apologise to the Australian people for associating with it,' wrote one person on social media Many others also flocked to social media to call out Abbie for promoting violence. 'Abbie Chatfield's recent behaviour is deeply concerning - it's not just immature, it's toxic,' one person wrote. 'Abbie Chatfield should be charged for demanding someone assassinate @realDonaldTrump & @AlboMP @AustralianLabor must condemn this vile threatening beast & apologise to the Australian people for associating with it,' another said. 'Abbie Chatfield's alleged comments are highly irresponsible and dangerous, even if made in jest,' a third wrote.
Yahoo
5 days ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Trump Loses It Over Epstein Drama Moments After New Revelations Surface
President Donald Trump has called the persistent controversy around his connection to Jeffrey Epstein a 'scam.' In a Truth Social post on Thursday, the president claimed it was the 'Radical Left Democrats' who were trying to distract from his political achievements by focusing on the mysterious Epstein files. Trump has been attempting to distract from links to his one-time friend Epstein, which keep resurfacing. Last week, he raged against a Wall Street Journal report that claimed he had sent a letter to Epstein for his 50th birthday that allegedly included the line 'May every day be another wonderful secret.' An angry Trump fired off a string of Truth Social posts, in which he called the letter 'fake' and announced he was filing a $10 billion lawsuit against the publication., which is owned by another sometime friend, Rupert Murdoch. After a flurry of Truth Social posts about trade deals, AI, and the death of Hulk Hogan on Thursday night, Trump once again waded into the Epstein debate, recycling some of his favorite catchphrases. He posted, 'The Radical Left Democrats are doing everything in their power to distract and obfuscate from our GREAT six months of service to America, results of which many are saying is the BEST six months in Presidential history.' The president continued, 'They have gone absolutely CRAZY, and are playing another Russia, Russia, Russia Hoax but, this time, under the guise of what we will call the Jeffrey Epstein SCAM.' Trump then addressed Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche, who visited Epstein's associate Ghislaine Maxwell in prison on Thursday, where she is serving a 20-year sentence after being convicted in 2021 of recruiting underage girls for the sex trafficker. Blanche revealed on X that he will meet with Maxwell again on Friday and said, 'The Department of Justice will share additional information about what we learned at the appropriate time.' In his Truth Social post, which followed Blanche's post, Trump said, 'As things are revealed and, I hope will take place quickly, you will see that it is yet another Democrat CON JOB. Hopefully, the Grand Jury Files will put an end to this HOAX. Everyone should see what is there, but people who are innocent should not be hurt. MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!' Trump has spent the week dodging the topic of Epstein, which has even seen some MAGA supporters turn against him. On Tuesday, when the president was asked about the Department of Justice meeting with Maxwell, he told reporters, 'I don't really follow that too much.' He then deflected from further Epstein questions by mentioning an alleged plot by Barack Obama to rig the 2016 election. Later that day, Trump posted on Truth Social, 'We had the Greatest Six Months of any President in the History of our Country, and all the Fake News wants to talk about is the Jeffrey Epstein Hoax!' When the Journal reported on Wednesday that Attorney General Pam Bondi had told Trump back in May that his name featured in the Epstein files several times, the president let White House communications director Steven Cheung respond for him. 'This is another fake news story, just like the previous story by the Wall Street Journal,' Cheung stated.
Fox News
5 days ago
- Politics
- Fox News
Lawmakers say they want answers about alleged Obama admin conspiracy to sabotage Trump's 2016 election win
GOP lawmakers seek answers on the Obama admin's alleged 2016 sabotage of Trump win, while Democrats question both the timing and credibility of the new claims. (Credit: Nicholas Ballasy)
Associated Press
6 days ago
- Politics
- Associated Press
Hungary bans Irish rap group Kneecap from entering ahead of festival performance
BUDAPEST, Hungary (AP) — Members of the Irish-language rap group Kneecap were banned from entering Hungary ahead of their scheduled performance at the popular Sziget Festival as authorities argued the musicians' presence in the country would constitute a risk to national security. The Belfast trio, scheduled to play on Sziget's closing day on Aug. 11, is known for anarchic energy, satirical lyrics and use of symbolism associated with the Irish republican movement, which seeks to unite Northern Ireland, currently part of the U.K., with the Republic of Ireland. The group has faced criticism for lyrics laden with expletives and drug references and for political statements seeming to glorify militant groups like Hamas and Hezbollah. Kneecap has accused critics of trying to silence the band because of its support for the Palestinian cause throughout Israel's war in Gaza and say they don't support Hezbollah and Hamas nor condone violence. Hungary's immigration authority, the National Directorate-General for Aliens Policing, published decrees on Thursday declaring Kneecap members Naoise Ó Cairealláin, J.J. Ó Dochartaigh and Liam Óg ÓhAnnaidh would be banned from Hungary's territory for three years since their 'entry and stay constitute a serious threat to national security.' Government spokesman Zoltán Kovács wrote on social platform X that the decision to ban Kneecap was due to 'antisemitic hate speech and open praise for Hamas and Hezbollah.' Hungarian authorities and other groups had earlier pushed Sziget Festival to cancel the band's performance. Hungary's minister for European affairs, János Bóka, noted the government's 'zero-tolerance' policy toward antisemitism in a July 11 letter to the festival's organizers. Hundreds of figures from Hungary's music and cultural community also have signed a petition calling for Kneecap's performance to be cancelled. The group performed in April at the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival in California, where they accused Israel of committing genocide against the Palestinians enabled by the U.S. government. That sparked calls for the rappers' U.S. visas to be revoked and several Kneecap gigs have since been canceled as a result.
