Five carmakers are involved in a case at the High Court in London over claims that they cheated on emissions tests. A decade ago, the “dieselgate” scandal broke, eventually forcing Volkswagen to pay billions of euros in fines and settlements. These carmakers (Mercedes, Ford, Peugeot/Citroën, Renault and Nissan) have all faced accusations that selling cars was more important to them than their environmental responsibilities. They all deny the allegations.

Back in 2015, all United Nations member states adopted 17 sustainable development goals (SDGs) as a global blueprint to end poverty and inequality, protect the planet and promote peace by 2030. Central to this agenda is the pledge to “leave no one behind”, affirming that progress in any area matters only if it reaches the world’s most vulnerable communities.

The allegations against the carmakers sit within this wider pattern. When firms treat a crisis – in this case environmental regulations – as justification for bending the rules, sustainability stops being a real commitment and becomes a fair-weather promise.

The same logic can appear in geopolitics, but with far more devastating consequences. At the extreme end, conflict shows how quickly the SDG blueprint can unravel.

In Gaza, for example, more than two-and-a-half years of war have pushed the goals into reverse. Poverty and hunger have deepened (SDGs 1 and 2); hospitals have been bombed, damaged or overwhelmed, making even basic care difficult to provide (SDG 3); children have been kept out of school (SDG 4); clean water and sanitation systems have deteriorated (SDG 6); unemployment has soared (SDG 8); and neighbourhoods have been reduced to debris, waste and pollution (SDGs 11, 12 and 15).

The UN estimates that Gaza’s human development has been set back by up to 69 years, while Unicef reported that 625,000 children had lost an entire school year. The UN Conference on Trade and Development reported that Gaza’s GDP contracted by 83% in 2024, with unemployment reaching 80%.

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Gaza’s once-growing economy is nearing total collapse

When aspiring managers or leaders watch the alleged suspension of ethics, responsibility and sustainability, they learn a destructive lesson. Values might become viewed as optional add-ons.

These leaders risk grooming a new generation of “crisis relativists”, who believe that the rules of ethical and sustainable conduct can be temporarily waived in times of crisis.

If tomorrow’s CEOs, managers and policymakers come to believe that social and environmental responsibility is discretionary, societies risk losing hard-won gains. This could be in the form of labour rights, fair supply chains, environmental stewardship or societal fairness. Any or all can be rolled back whenever there is an economic downturn or geopolitical shock.

But, what does this have to do with carmakers? More than it may at first seem. The deeper issue is what can be called crisis relativism: the belief that ethical and sustainability commitments can be softened, deferred or quietly abandoned when organisations feel under pressure.

In business, that pressure may come from regulatory demands, commercial competition or financial strain. Research I was involved in shows how, under pressure or in times of crisis, firms can shift risks and costs on to weaker actors in supply chains rather than absorb responsibility themselves.

The Volkswagen emissions scandal demonstrates how a firm, in pursuit of its goals but facing crisis (in this case its failure to meet strict US and EU regulations) deliberately bypassed ethical and environmental responsibilities. Between 2009 and 2015, it installed software in millions of its diesel vehicles to cheat emissions tests.

It illustrates a crisis of relativism, where managers, unable to fully comply with regulatory demands, justified using deceptive practices. The carmaker apologised and eventually paid out more than €30 billion (£26 billion) worldwide in fines and compensation. VW settled several cases out of court; a ruling on the other five carmakers is expected in summer 2026. The five carmakers have said the claims against them are without merit.

Beyond the car industry, numerous fashion brands have been seen to offload responsibility for their ethical and social obligations to suppliers in developing economies, as a mechanism for escaping their economic difficulties.

During the height of the COVID pandemic, many multinationals abruptly cancelled apparel orders and delayed payments across south Asian supply chains. This shifted the shock on to vulnerable suppliers and workers in countries like Pakistan.

Companies need to devise strategies and systems that are grounded in protecting workers, communities and the environment – even under the pressure of a global shock or crisis.

How to lock companies into their responsibilities

Other research I did with colleagues shows how digital technology can underpin sustainability strategies. For instance, clothing and footwear multinationals can deploy end-to-end digital traceability.

This could include the use of IoT (internet of things) sensors to measure things like emissions, as well as satellite or AI monitoring, e-wage records to ensure fair pay, and blockchain smart contracts. This improves transparency and would help to verify that companies’ environmental and social duties are being met.

Such technology can work even across remote supply-chain tiers. It makes non-compliance visible and costly, locking firms into auditable commitments even in the event of a crisis.

These advanced technologies can serve as a direct counter to crisis relativism. In other words, they would close off the “escape route” where sustainability pledges are quietly abandoned whenever geopolitical, economic or public health crises arise.

Would firms be compelled to use them? Increasingly yes, through institutional regulations, procurement clauses, and finance or insurance requirements. And even where not mandated, these tools function as a safeguard by creating real-time and automated alerts that make backsliding visible.

Ultimately, businesses must prove that human values matter all the time. Business is not war – even when firms face what they perceive to be a crisis. Treating ethics, dignity and sustainability as optional extras leads to destruction not only for those in conflict zones, but for society as a whole.

Becky Hill has addressed being booed by some audience members during a surprise set at TRNSMT.

A TikTok video from the weekend showed sections of the crowd leaving while others booed when the singer revealed she would be performing an entire set of unreleased music.

The booing unfolded during Hill’s appearance as TRNSMT’s secret act on the King Tut’s stage on Friday.

When she took to the stage, Hill told fans that she decided to keep her performance under wraps because she wanted to play a set of new tracks.

But the announcement did not go down well with the crowd in Glasgow, with many booing.

The 32-year-old has now addressed the response in a video posted to her Instagram. In the clip, she shared a video taken moments after she came off stage, in which she told the camera: ‘Getting booed is not nice.

‘I haven’t found a single one of these easy, which is really upsetting because I love this job. And that’s not making me love it as much as I usually do.’

Speaking to the camera to address what unfolded, Hill continued: ‘I’ve been told about the news articles and conversations happening online around my secret set on Friday.

‘I wanted to bring a new and exclusive 30-minute set of brand new music to a festival crowd. Unannounced. And I thought it would be a great opportunity to play the new music I’ve been working so hard on and I personally love so much.’

She went on to thank the organisers of TRNSMT, who gave her the secret set stage, as well as ‘the crowd of people who you probably wouldn’t have seen online who stayed and danced with me right until the very end when we all sang Afterglow and Disconnect’.

MORE: Musician ridiculed over ‘weird’ comment about Olivia Rodrigo’s all female festival

MORE: Becky Hill booed and crowd leaves after ‘worst idea ever at a festival’

MORE: Pixie Lott is playing an £18 festival – it’s freedom for her and the fans

A motion calling for council-owned sites hosting music festivals to have drug testing and harm reduction facilities was unanimously supported earlier this year

A plan to have a drug testing pilot at major gigs in Belfast has been effectively blocked by the Stormont Health department.

A motion that was passed by Belfast City Council calling for council-owned sites hosting music festivals and large-scale events to have drug testing and harm reduction facilities was unanimously supported at City Hall earlier this year.

The motion called on public bodies including the Public Health Agency and Belfast Trust, alongside those in the community and voluntary sector, to explore the feasibility of a pilot. It also requested an internal report on the potential role of the council in supporting and facilitating a service, with particular reference to legal and regulatory considerations.

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However a report put before elected representatives at the June meeting of the council’s Strategic Policy and Resources Committee said after contact with Stormont it was made clear that at present there was “no legislative framework, funding mechanism or operational model in place that would enable Belfast City Council to establish or directly deliver drug and pill testing facilities at events.”

The Department of Health told the council that drug and pill testing services involve “significant legal and regulatory considerations under the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971” and would require appropriate licences and approvals to possess, transport, analyse and dispose of controlled drugs. DoH said that no formal application for such a licence has been received to date in Northern Ireland.

In Great Britain, such licences are issued by the Home Office. In Northern Ireland, responsibility would fall to the Department of Health’s Medicines Regulatory Group.

DoH said that any proposal would represent a “novel application” and would require detailed assessment and engagement before any licensing arrangements could be considered.

The council report states: “The Department of Health has advised that there is currently no central government funding programme available to support drug testing facilities at festivals and events.

“Whilst examples of on-site testing facilities exist elsewhere in the United Kingdom, these are generally associated with large-scale or multi-day festivals and operate within differing legal and policy frameworks.

“The Department has further advised that the current Northern Ireland Substance Use Strategy, Preventing Harm, Empowering Recovery, does not contain actions relating to the introduction of festival-based drug testing services. Any future policy proposal to introduce such services would presumably require consideration at Executive level.”

The council motion, tabled by Alliance Councillor Micky Murray, and seconded by Green Councillor Brian Smyth, states: ““This council supports harm reduction approaches to drug use, particularly in the context of festivals and nightlife events. It acknowledges the rising public concerns around drug-related harm, and notes that traditional approaches focused solely on enforcement have not eliminated the presence or use of illicit substances at major events.”

At the June S P and R Committee meeting, Belfast councillors aired their disappointment at the reply from Stormont.

Councillor Micky Murray said: “If the Department of Health isn’t going to take a leadership position to get this off the ground, then we need to, as the organisation that gives the licences for major festivals in the city. And a large part of it is on our land.

“I want to propose that instead of just waiting for someone else to do this, that we get together a roundtable of all the people that need to be involved.” He proposed the council host a meeting of all the relevant bodies with a view to lining up a licence for a future pilot.

Councillor Brian Smyth said: “I am really frustrated at this. The department’s approach is really typical of how harm reduction gets handled here.

“They are framing this as a policy vacuum rather than public safety. They are leaning heavily on the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971, but the legislation applies across the UK. And yet we have drugs checking services that already operate in England and Wales.

“The law hasn’t changed, what has changed is interpretation, a willingness in leadership, and licensing. There are organisations such as the Loop that operate legally at festivals using Home Office licences for analysis of controlled substances.”

He said: “This isn’t some sort of legislative miracle that we need, it is more of a political and administrative choice. I have got to ask, is this coming directly from the Minister after his political party has taken a much more conservative approach to law and order?

“As a council we already regulate for crowd safety, medical risk, fire provision etc, so drug checking should fit comfortably alongside these areas. It reduces hospitalisations, overdosing and death, and evidence shows it changes behaviour.

“At festivals in GB where the Loop operates, a significant proportion of users have disposed of substances after testing flagged up risk. We already required promoters to mitigate foreseeable risks.

“Drug use at festivals is foreseeable, so ignoring that risk is not some sort of neutral position, it is a failure around duty of care. There is a huge inconsistency in our current approach.”

He said: “The DoH in the report say they support amnesty bins, public support messaging, and forensic testing within a 48 hour turnaround. But they are rejecting on-site testing that informs users in the here and now.

“A 48 hour turnaround is absolutely useless in a festival that is live and ongoing. We are already accepting the presence of drugs through amnesty bins, the question is whether we accept reality to prevent harm in the here and now, or continue with measures that are knowingly too late to save lives.”

He said: “The department is effectively saying there is no policy, so no funding. No funding so there is no pilot, no pilot so no evidence to create policy. I think this is a really dangerous cop-out.”

He proposed the council write to the DoH to ask for a formal paper on what would be required to issue a licence in Northern Ireland for a pilot in 2027, and to write to the same department to include drug testing in the next update on the Preventing Harm Empowering Recovery DoH 10 year strategy. He also proposed Belfast Council design an operational model for when licensing is enabled for a drug testing pilot.

The committee agreed proposals by both councillors, and extra suggestions from other elected representatives, including best international practice and the potential for cross-border cooperation with the Republic. The committee decision will go to the full council next week for ratification.

For all the latest news, visit the Belfast Live homepage here and sign up to our daily newsletter here.

​Scarborough’s proposed Station Gateway redevelopment could be amended as part of a plan to improve the coherence and practicality of the multimillion-pound scheme.

​The project includes a series of suggested public realm improvements aiming to create a more welcoming public space for residents and visitors.

​A new proposal would see the demolition of five 1930s curtilage-listed, brick-built boundary wall planters, and the demolition of a small section of the 1840s station yard boundary wall.

​Additionally, damaged stone flags and kerbing abutting the western pavilion and recessed link section of the station building, located to the east of the Railwaymen’s Social Club, would be removed.

​Despite plans to pedestrianise the station area, the council has said that a fully vehicle-free forecourt is not achievable “while maintaining the necessary operational functions of the station, particularly the taxi rank, disabled parking and essential maintenance access”.

​Earlier this year, town councillors raised concerns about the low number of drop-off spaces that had been proposed.

​“The heritage objective of achieving a calmer and more coherent setting to the listed station remains important,” the new scheme states.

​Plans for the wider redevelopment would be funded using £6.68 million allocated from the Government’s Local Regeneration Fund.

​Conservation officers said that the current scheme would give rise to “less than substantial harm but also confirmed that there is potential for full support subject to amendment and further justification”.

​North Yorkshire Council previously said: “New outdoor seating areas, resurfaced footpaths and tree planting have been proposed as part of the project along with enhanced accessible parking and improved pedestrian access to the station and nearby transport links.

​​Initial proposals for the first phase of the Station Gateway scheme were developed by Scarborough Borough Council and submitted for planning approval in 2022, prior to the launch of North Yorkshire Council in April 2023.

​​Following further work by North Yorkshire Council, the Scarborough Neighbourhood Board and other key stakeholders, the designs have since been refined with a greater focus on improving the immediate area around the front of the station.

A man is his 30s was arrested

A man was hospitalised after ‘being stabbed a number of times’ last night.

Emergency services were called to the Bridge Street area of Lisburn on Tuesday evening, June 23, following reports of a stabbing incident.

The victim was treated at the scene before being taken to hospital by ambulance.

A man in his 30s has since been arrested on suspicion of a number of offences which include wounding with intent to do grievous bodily harm. He remains in police custody at this time.

A PSNI spokesperson said: “A man has been arrested following a report of a stabbing in Lisburn yesterday evening, Tuesday 23rd June.

“At approximately 7.15pm, it was reported that a man had been stabbed a number of times in the Bridge Street area of the city.

“Officers along with colleagues from the Northern Ireland Ambulance Service attended and the victim was taken to hospital for treatment for his injuries.

“A man is his 30s was arrested on suspicion of possession of an offensive weapon with intent to commit an indictable offence and wounding with intent to do grievous bodily harm.

“He remains in custody at this time.

“Anyone with any information or footage that could assist with enquiries is asked to contact police on 101 quoting reference 1675 23/06/26.

“Alternatively, you can also submit a report online using the non-emergency reporting form at http://www.psni.police.uk/makeareport/ or contact Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111 or online at http://crimestoppers-uk.org/.”

For all the latest news, visit the Belfast Live homepage here and sign up to our daily newsletter here.

‘We are in a terrible situation where we lost everything and now we are being targeted again’

An entrepreneur who lost everything when his business was destroyed in an arson attack says he is in a “terrible situation” as his property is targeted with racist graffiti.

Police were investigating the arson attack on a former gospel hall on Shankill Road that was owned by Gaurav Jindal as a hate crime, with the incident destroying his livelihood and leaving him and his family with nothing.

Now, two weeks after the attack the property has been targeted again by racists who have written “p***s out” graffiti on the building.

Speaking to Belfast Live following the latest incident, Mr Jindal said he noticed the graffiti after visiting the premises with police. He said he would not go there without an officer present due to his fears.

He said: “I don’t know what to do after everything that has happened. It has left us in a terrible situation where we have lost everything and are trying to talk to the various departments about what we can do to move forward. But at the moment we do not know how we are going to recover.

“I was visiting the property with officers when I saw the graffiti that had been written there saying “p***s out” and see that we have been targeted again.”

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The Belfast Asian Women’s Academy has issued a formal statement condemning the latest racist incident targeting Mr Jindal.

Ana Chandran, speaking on behalf of BAWA, expressed deep concern over the escalating hostility in the area saying: “There is currently a great deal of tension within our local community, and spreading this sort of hatred does not help anyone,” said Ms Chandran. “It is heartbreaking to see a family who has already lost everything being targeted in this manner. It is an attack not just on one man, but on the values of our community.”

Ms Chandran also highlighted the significant contributions made by migrants like Mr Jindal, challenging the negative narratives often found in political discourse.

She continued: “Many migrants come to this country specifically to work and contribute. Gaurav and his wife have never been on welfare; instead, they have spent their lives contributing to society and the local economy. It is disappointing that our decision-makers rarely speak of these contributions, choosing instead to focus on narratives of division.”

A fundraiser has been set up to help Mr Jindal and his family that you can donate to via this link: https://gofund.me/c95b9447e

For all the latest news, visit the Belfast Live homepage here and sign up to our daily newsletter here.

London Mayor Sadiq Khan said the capital and the country had not adapted to deal with climate change and urged the public to “bear with us” as they face public transport delays during the heatwave.

Speaking as he visited The Aldgate School in London to announce the results of an air quality report, he said: “What used to be a once in a generation occurrence, events of biblical proportions, now takes place every year, whether it’s heatwaves, whether it’s flash flooding, whether it’s lightning, whether it’s thunder – we as a city, we as a country, haven’t adapted to be resilient to the consequences of man-made climate change.”

He continued: “People across the country can expect to see delays in public transport today, tomorrow and the rest of this week that’s a consequence of the extreme heat.

“People across the country I am afraid will have to bear with us – our public transport system is not made for temperatures approaching 40 degrees Celsius.”

Mr Khan added: “Forty per cent of Tubes are now air conditioned with more going forward. I will be publishing very soon a plan of what more we need to do to deal with heat.”

He added the school’s headteacher had told him: “One of the reasons they have kept this school open is because actually for many of the kids who come to this school, this school is cooler than their home.”

Virgin Atlantic passengers will soon be able to stream live sport while cruising at 35,000 feet in the air, thanks to a new upgrade.

The airline has partnered with broadcaster Sport 24 to launch the service on flights equipped with Elon Musk’s Starlink wi-fi.

The partnership means passengers will be able to watch major sporting events live, including the FIFA World Cup 2026, on their own devices.

Virgin Atlantic adds live sport to in-flight experience

Juha Jaervine, chief customer officer at Virgin Atlantic, said: “Whether you are travelling for business, heading off on holiday or flying home, nobody likes missing a big sporting moment.

“With Sport 24 available on our growing Starlink-enabled fleet, customers can be part of the action from start to finish.

“This is another way we’re taking connectivity to new heights.”

The service will be available on aircraft, both on the ground and in the air.

Passengers will simply need to sign up for a free Virgin Atlantic Flying Club membership to access the live coverage.

More than 6,000 hours of live sport will be available through the Sport 24 and Sport 24 Extra channels.

Sport 24 is owned, operated and licensed by the sports marketing agency IMG and claims to be the first live sports channel created for airline and cruise passengers.

Recommended reading:

Currently, Starlink wi-fi is available on one-third of Virgin Atlantic’s fleet, with full rollout planned by the end of 2027.

Richard Wise, senior vice president of content and channels at IMG, said: “Sports fans want to stay close to the action wherever they are and travel shouldn’t mean missing out.

“Sport 24 is the market-leading live sport partner in the air and at sea with an unmatched portfolio of live sport, including the FIFA World Cup 26.”

Would you like to watch live sport on flights? Let us know in the comments.

The Killers frontman Brandon Flowers is set to perform at the Barbican in York on Wednesday, October 21.

The show is part of his newly announced UK and Ireland tour and comes ahead of his third solo album, Thrasher, released via Island Records on August 21, 2026.

RECOMMENDED READING:

The musician will perform new material and tracks from his previous solo albums Flamingo and The Desired Effect.

The album, recorded at RCA Studio A in Nashville with producers Shawn Everett and Jonathan Rado, features contributions from guitarist David Rawlings, pedal steel player Bruce Bouton, and harmonica legend Charlie McCoy.

The first single from the album, Plans, will be released on Friday (June 26).

Brandon Flowers (Image: Chris Phelps)

Other venues on the tour include Bournemouth, London, Bristol, Nottingham, Manchester, Glasgow, Birmingham, and Dublin.

His London date at the Royal Albert Hall holds particular significance, marking his first full performance at the venue since The Killers’ 2009 shows, which were later released as the iconic live album and DVD, Live From The Royal Albert Hall.

Tickets will go on general sale from Friday, July 3, at 10am at https://www.yorkbarbican.co.uk/whats-on/brandon-flowers

New York City appears to be bracing itself for the American equivalent of a royal wedding: the marriage between pop superstar Taylor Swift and Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce.

For weeks, reports have suggested that the pair would be tying the knot at Madison Square Garden, the city’s world-famous arena that can hold up to 22,000 people, on the July 4 weekend.

The New York Times now reports that a permit was filed with New York City to close the streets around Madison Square Garden from July 2 to midday July 4 for an event on July 3, according to three sources, further pointing towards Madison Square Garden as the chosen venue for the pair.

Winick Productions, an event planning company that produces major high-profile events, filed an application with the city’s Street Activity Permit Office in early June, according to the report.

The company requested authorization to set up a tent or canopy outside the arena for the event, which it said would include 500 to 999 attendees. The permit also stated that trucks would need space to load and unload materials at the venue. The Independent has contacted the mayor’s office and Swift’s representatives for comment.

The outlet also reports that several members of the Kansas City Chiefs have booked hotel rooms for dates around July 3 at the Marriott Marquis in Times Square.

A city official who was briefed on the preparations also told the publication that Madison Square Garden is planning to host the wedding festivities on July 3.

The report also states that Amtrak police officers, who patrol the station beneath the arena, have been told to expect a Swift wedding the weekend of July 4.

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It comes after New York City’s Mayor Zohran Mamdani appeared to verify reports that the couple’s nuptials would be taking place in the city.

“We are the biggest city in the country,” Mamdani said during a press conference last week. “We are used to big events, and we are incredibly excited for this one.

“We know it coincides with July 4, America 250, Taylor Swift’s wedding all happening at the same time,” he continued, assuring that he is “fully confident in the work of the NYPD” to provide a “safe experience” over the three-day weekend.

Located in Midtown Manhattan above Penn Station, Madison Square Garden has multiple entrances and exits, which could be a reason why the high-profile couple reportedly chose the venue.

Currently, the venue has no planned performances or sporting events between June 29 and July 6. The venue can hold up to 22,000 people for concerts and around 18,000 for sports games.

According to a Page Six report, more than 1,000 guests are reported to have been invited to the wedding, including Suki Waterhouse, Selena Gomez, Gigi Hadid and Ed Sheeran.

The spectacle would bring heightened tourism to the area, at the peak of an already busy summer season. Over the July 4 weekend, there will be multiple Independent Day celebrations, which will be bigger than usual given the America 250 events happening in the city.

The city has also seen an influx of visitors for the FIFA World Cup, and a game is scheduled to take place at New Jersey’s MetLife Stadium on July 5.

Some commentators have predicted that the pair will not use the venue as a traditional arena, but erect a tent or structure inside the venue for increased privacy.

Last weekend, the sudden appearance of a large tent next to Swift’s sprawling Watch Hill estate in Rhode Island ignited a flurry of speculation that the wedding would be taking place in New England instead of New York City. However, those rumors appeared to be dispelled when it emerged that the tent had been erected for a separate event.

Swift, 36, and Kelce, 36, have been together since September 2023 and announced their engagement in August last year.