Minnie Stephenson

Broadcaster | Culture Correspondent @channel4news

[Channel 4 News @Channel4News]

Sagal Abdi-Wali has made history as the first British Somali person elected as an MP, winning the Holborn and St Pancras by-election.

The 42-year-old Labour politician arrived in the UK as a child refugee from Somalia. Before entering Parliament, she worked as a housing officer and went on to become leader of Camden Council.

Her priorities include tackling homelessness and increasing affordable housing.

She says she hopes her election will help more people from similar backgrounds feel represented in Parliament.

[Channel 4 News @Channel4News]

A Turkish comedian was sentenced to more than 19 months imprisonment for insulting the President and religious values.

Deniz Göktaş has been released pending appeal, but still spent 88 days in jail after clips of his show, including a reference to President Erdogan as a “dictator”, went viral.

The comedian told a courtroom last week that he stood by his joke describing Erdogan as having evolved from a “shy dictator” to one “confident in his identity".

[Channel 4 News @Channel4News]

UK has become a "less tolerant" place since the "Cool Britannia" years Edward Enninful, the former editor-in-chief of British Vogue and now the co-founder and chief creative officer of EE72, says - "but we're still here, we'll keep fighting," he adds.

Mr Enninful has a new exhibition at Tate Britain on 90s art and fashion.

[BBC News (UK) @BBCNews]

Met hands Grenfell fire investigation file to CPS https://t.co/iAcprS1N0B

[Channel 4 News @Channel4News]

‘I’m glad the pop hasn’t lost its fizz’ – Jarvis Cocker on four decades of Pulp
https://t.co/5U6RSMkX8e

[Channel 4 News @Channel4News]

Best-selling children’s author Dame Jacqueline Wilson has released a new book about a girl in care with a troubled childhood.

Matt Frei spoke to her about the state of reading in the UK and the ‘tyranny’ of smart phones.

[Channel 4 News @Channel4News]

Beryl Cook: Behind the renaissance of artist’s work 100 years after her birth
https://t.co/sZ8EtWx6Oy

[Minnie Stephenson @MinnieStephC4]

RT @Channel4News: The Metropolitan Police has announced it’s investigating “potential criminal offences” involving donations and polling af…

[Channel 4 News @Channel4News]

Speaking to Channel 4 News’ Scotland Correspondent @KathrynSamsonC4, First Minister John Swinney says Nigel Farage has “got to think about his position” following allegations surrounding Reform UK’s handling of political donations.

It comes after Mr Farage was filmed by undercover reporters from Verbatim as part of a year-long investigation into alleged attempts to secure donations from foreign sources and potential breaches of electoral law.

The allegations have led to two Reform UK party executives resigning. Dan Jukes said he had been the victim of "entrapment" - while James Orr said he would co-operate fully with the party's investigation. The party has denied wrongdoing.

Swinney says Farage was party to conversations captured in the investigation and argues that Reform’s conduct risks further undermining public trust in politics.

[Channel 4 News @Channel4News]

Nigel Farage should face ‘full force’ of law if found guilty of election rules breach – Sir Ed Davey

https://t.co/gtbVjMqMQ1

[Channel 4 News @Channel4News]

“Nigel doesn’t know and won’t know.”

This is the moment Reform UK’s Head of Policy James Orr invites an undercover reporter from the investigative group @Verbatim_Media to arrange payment for polling commissioned by the party. 

Watch the full investigation on YouTube.

[Channel 4 News @Channel4News]

Two senior Reform UK officials have stepped down following the broadcast of a Channel 4 News investigation.

Undercover footage filmed by @Verbatim_Media, a group of investigative journalists, and verified by Channel 4 News revealed a plot to break the law on party funding at the highest levels of Reform UK.

A party spokesman says Reform UK have launched an investigation and that Nigel Farage's close aide Dan Jukes and Reform's Head of Policy James Orr have stepped down “pending the outcome” to allow the investigation to “proceed independently and without prejudice”.

Earlier this year the two men arranged for a US company to fund three influential polls that the party had commissioned.

Separately, Reform UK has denied any wrongdoing or illegality.

Watch the full investigation on YouTube.

#Channel4News #News #C4News #UK #Politics #ReformUK

[Channel 4 News @Channel4News]

Nigel Farage and other senior members of Reform UK have been filmed by undercover reporters celebrating secret new foreign donations.

Channel 4 News and @Verbatim_Media, a group of investigative journalists, can today reveal a plot to break the law on party funding at the highest levels of Reform UK.

You can watch the full investigation here: https://t.co/f1g358fN2Y

Channel 4 News approached Reform UK, Mr Farage, Mr Jukes and Mr Orr for comment on the findings of this investigation. They did not comment but we understand they deny the allegations in full.

[Channel 4 News @Channel4News]

“It worked, boom.”

That’s Nigel Farage celebrating a Reform UK plot to break election law - by having a US company secretly pay for three influential political polls that benefitted the party.

Earlier in the investigation, Reform’s Head of Policy James Orr and senior advisor Dan Jukes arranged for a Verbatim reporter to pay for the polls through a US company. Orr and Jukes believed the firm was run by the reporter’s American father.

Mr Farage was filmed by undercover reporters from @Verbatim_Media as part of a year-long investigation that Channel 4 News has thoroughly checked and verified.

This meeting took place in his Clacton constituency in July - when Mr Farage was fighting a by-election he called after separate allegations about his finances.

Watch the full investigation on YouTube.

[Channel 4 News @Channel4News]

Exclusive: Nigel Farage filmed undercover celebrating secret new foreign donations

Undercover footage verified by Channel 4 News reveals a secret plot by senior Reform UK figures to break the law on party donations. A leading legal expert is now calling for a criminal investigation.

🔗 Read the exclusive story on Substack:
https://t.co/CghgCNvXxl

[Elizabeth Warren @ewarren]

Gloria Steinem believed women's equality wasn't a side issue—it was everything. She fought for the right to abortion access, credit, and careers. Because of her, women can occupy spaces we were never supposed to. Thank you, Gloria.

[Channel 4 News @Channel4News]

The immigration crackdown in America has dominated headlines since Donald Trump returned to office.

Channel 4 News travelled to Florida where families are being torn apart.

Police, highway patrol, and even the fish and wildlife commission can make immigration arrests.

We met the Domingo family. 18-year-old Wendy has been left to take care of her siblings after their parents were detained and sent back to Guatemala.

Watch the full report here: https://t.co/x7t12MSGXI

[Channel 4 News @Channel4News]

Coming tonight: Channel 4 News and @Verbatim_Media reveal an undercover investigation inside Reform UK.

Watch at 7pm on Channel 4 or YouTube.

[Variety @Variety]

Meta will enforce a two-hour daily limit on Instagram and Facebook for children as part of a record $17.1B settlement with 29 states over social media addiction claims:

• The “Productive Pauses” for children include mandatory pauses after 15 minutes of continuous use and again at 60 and 90 minutes to interrupt endless scrolling

• “Nighttime blocks” restricting children’s access from 12:00 a.m. to 6:00 a.m.

• Limited school-time access for children, eliminating push notifications on weekdays from 8:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. during the school year

• Robust age assurance measures to more effectively verify the age of young users

• Safer, age-appropriate content controls, including stronger safeguards against bullying, content promoting eating disorders, and content related to suicide and self-harm

• Stronger, more user-friendly parental controls

• Limits on social comparison features, including beauty filters and visible “like” counts, that have been linked to poor mental health outcomes in kids and teens

• Both the implementation and effectiveness of the features will be regularly assessed by an independent auditor and the settling states

https://t.co/ZKTxeuIV8p

[chart data @chartdata]

Dolly Parton now simultaneously occupies the entire top 7 on US iTunes:

#1 I Will Always Love You
#2 Jolene
#3 9 to 5
#4 Islands In the Stream
#5 Here You Come Again
#6 Coat of Many Colors
#7 When I Get Where I’m Going