China has fined Mintz Group, an American corporate due diligence firm, about $1.5 million for allegedly conducting unapproved statistical work in the country, as it continues with a nationwide crackdown on consulting firms in the name of national security.

Gary Neville believes independent panels should investigate serious allegations made against footballers after criticising Manchester United’s “pretty horrible” handling of the Mason Greenwood case. United announced on Monday that Greenwood will leave the club by mutual agreement, with the forward suspended since January 2022 over allegations relating to a young woman after images and videos were posted online. Charges against the 21-year-old England international including attempted rape and assault were discontinued by the Crown Prosecution Service in February this year, leading to United conducting an internal probe into the matter. While Neville feels they have belatedly reached the right result, the former United captain is appalled at how his former employers have dealt with the situation and called for instances of this magnitude to be taken out of a club’s hands in future. He said on Sky Sports: “They’ve finally got there. It was clear from day one, for me and anybody who saw the evidence that was initially released, that he wouldn’t play for Manchester United again. “I would say that the process in getting there has been pretty horrible. When you have significant and difficult situations like this, it requires and authoritative leadership, that comes the very top and Manchester United don’t have that. “On an issue like domestic abuse and violence against women, there needs to be independence. It shouldn’t be that Manchester United are the judge and jury on such a significant issue, not just for themselves but also for the game. “People talk about the reputation (hit) to Manchester United but it’s the Premier League here as well. “My view is on issues of this importance and severity (is) they should be dealt with independently by a panel because it’s been clear that Manchester United have not had the skill and the ability to deal with this situation properly. It’s been well above their grade of experience and ability.” It was reported last week that chief executive Richard Arnold told the club’s executive leadership in early August that United were planning to bring Greenwood back. That story and further information led increased pressure on the club, with Arnold publishing a public letter to supporters upon the conclusion of their in-house investigation. Former England midfielder Karen Carney said on Sky Sports: “I empathise with anyone that’s been through or has been triggered by the conversations that we’ve been having. “Personally I feel really uneasy with the situation. I think Manchester United, as an institution and a football club and what it stands for, have handled this really, really poorly.” Former Liverpool and England defender Jamie Carragher added: “You almost think of what decision Manchester United may have come to if these stories hadn’t been leaked and then you get the force of public opinion, that would be a worry. Ultimately, they’ve got to the right decision.” Women’s Aid, a charity which works to eliminate domestic abuse against women and children, welcomed the news that Greenwood would no longer play for United. A spokesperson said: “We know that today’s news from Manchester United that Greenwood will be moving on from the club will be a relief for many survivors of domestic and sexual abuse. “Football is loved by so many people worldwide, and players are often idolised by fans, so the way that alleged domestic abuse cases are treated in clubs has a huge impact on public understanding about what is accepted and tolerated in society. “We have heard first-hand the impact this case and the related materials shared on social media have had on survivors of abuse, and while next steps are established following the outcome of Manchester United’s internal investigation, this will happen away from centre stage of Old Trafford. “With many survivors never contacting the police to report abuse in the first place, and the majority of domestic and sexual-abuse cases not resulting in a criminal conviction, it is vital that clubs – like all employers – have an approach that is wider than the criminal justice system, and which deals with the reality of the scale of the issue. “This needs to involve addressing the attitudes that underpin domestic and sexual abuse, and working with players from a young age to make it clear that clubs stand against sexism and misogyny. This is an issue that reaches far wider than football, with misogynistic content widely available on social media, so it is important to recognise how widespread harmful attitudes are and address this.” The Manchester United Supporters Trust criticised the club’s handling of the case but said the right decision had been made. A MUST statement read: “Since the deeply distressing initial allegations surfaced, this episode has been allowed to drag out for far too long as the club has carried out an investigative process. “Moreover, the complete lack of consultation with fans even with respect to process added fuel to the fire. While the speculation and discussion in the last couple of weeks has been profoundly unhelpful and reflected very poorly on the club, it is clear that they have in the end reached the right decision. “We are relieved that this matter can now be put behind us and will be working with the club to ensure lessons have been learned from this very troubling episode.” Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live Katarina Johnson-Thompson’s world title ‘just one step on comeback journey’ England stars reflect on World Cup final defeat – Monday’s sporting social Corey Domachowski: World Cup call-up was bittersweet moment before nan’s funeral

MOSCOW (Reuters) -The Kremlin said on Monday it needed to learn more about the purpose of talks planned in Saudi

'Barbie Dreamhouse Challenge' judge Tiffany Brooks' husband Dante helps her with scheduling trades and managing installations

Former Arkansas quarterback Ryan Mallett, who also played for New England, Houston and Baltimore during five seasons in the NFL, has died

The International Monetary Fund expects to conclude a review of its $44 billion financing program to Argentina in

The Home Depot’s robust growth during the coronavirus pandemic is starting to slow as anticipated, with the retailer’s fiscal first-quarter revenue missing Wall Street’s estimates and a key sales figure declining

Andy Rourke, best known for being the bassist of British band The Smiths, has passed away aged 59, from pancreatic cancer. The passing was announced this morning from former band member Johnny Marr. Marr, renounced as one of the best guitarists in music, wrote in a tweet: "Andy will be remembered as a kind and beautiful soul by those who knew him and as a supremely gifted musician by music fans." Sign up to our free Indy100 weekly newsletter Many have shared their respects and love of Rourke. John, who has been a fan of The Smiths since the beginning of the band’s career, shared how ‘awful’ and ‘tragic’ the passing of the bassist was. Others shared the first time they discovered The Smiths and Rourke’s incredible talent. But it’s not just those who grew up listening and attending concerts of The Smiths that are devastated. Rourke’s passing has beautifully highlighted how, despite the band breaking up in 1987, The Smiths continues to be loved by all ages. The use of The Smiths’ music in pop culture, from Ferris Buller’s Day Off to (500) Days of Summer means the band is perpetually being discovered by younger audiences. As well as those who knew of the band from growing up listening to their parent’s music, as some shared. Teenagers took to TikTok to mourn the loss of Rourke in the same way that fans in their 50s and 60s were. With some saying how they found out at school with their classmates, who were all shocked and saddened by the passing. @mollieluvscats rest in peace, thank you for your wonderful music, you were an incredible inspiration Those who knew and worked with Rourke also shared their memories and paid tributes to the bassist. New Order paid tribute to ‘one of the founder members of a great Manchester band.’ Billy Bragg also shared on Twitter that he has ‘great memories of him playing with Johnny Marr and myself on the Red Wedge tour.’ Mike Joyce, The Smiths’ drummer, also paid his respects. He wrote ‘not only the most talented bass player I’ve ever had the privilege to play with but the sweetest, funniest lad I’ve ever met.” He added, “his musical legacy is perpetual.” Have your say in our news democracy. Click the upvote icon at the top of the page to help raise this article through the indy100 rankings.

UNICEF is as big a part of Halloween as a carved pumpkin. Here's how that relationship began.

Here's why TikTok has just banned the latest viral filter

Chilling words from the prologue of Matthew Perry's memoir, 'Friends, Lovers, and the Big Terrible Thing', published last year, have resurfaced

If you are a small business owner, you know the last three years have been