The Bureau of Investigative Journalism

29/07/2025

We recently revealed how scammers have targeted nearly a third of all UK councils and more than a dozen hospitals with "quishing" (QR phishing) scams. We even linked some of these QR codes, which often request sensitive information, to a criminal network based in Dubai.

So how do you protect yourself? 👇

As the use of QR codes has surged, so has their exploitation by criminals

23/07/2025

Anduril, a defence tech company supplying the U.S. government with AI-powered weapons, has turned its attention to the UK – with plans to reportedly build a factory in the country to serve as a European base.

Once described as “tech’s most controversial startup”, Anduril holds major contracts with various US military agencies. That includes the Marine Corps and Customs and Border Protection agency – which has 300 autonomous surveillance towers stationed along the southern border.

This year, Anduril said it will be collaborating with Meta on VR products for the military.

The defence tech company has now turned its focus to a European expansion. To increase its influence in the UK, Anduril recently secured the services of two reputable advisers, including a boutique firm founded by Victoria Mackarness – who has done PR for radar company Blighter, which supplies the UK and US militaries, and Israeli defence giant Elbit Systems.

Thanks to the help of seasoned lobbyists and public relations experts, Anduril has built up a powerful network in the UK. Its first deal with the UK government came in 2021 – and the change of government does not seem to have had a negative impact.

With Keir Starmer wanting to boost defence spending by 20%, business is looking likely for the weapons-tech firm that has quietly established itself within the UK’s plans for security.

The ‘defence disruptor’ has launched a charm offensive in Westminster – and it’s already paying off in the millions

23/07/2025

First came the fires, then the floods.

The US has been battered this year by extreme weather events that have killed hundreds and rendered many others without insurance effectively homeless. As climate risks continue to grow, insurers are rethinking what they choose to cover.

Chubb, one of the world’s largest insurers, cut insurance cover in wildfire-prone areas of California in 2021 (but still incurred $1.5bn in losses from the Los Angeles fires).

It also pledged to ‘do its part as a steward of Earth’ and stop covering coal projects. But it has now become the lead reinsurer for a coal-fired power plant in Vietnam – just last week Chubb reinsured Nghi Son 2, a 1.2GW power plant on Vietnam’s coast fuelled entirely by coal 👇

The company pledged to ‘do its part as a steward of the Earth’ but will now back a coal-fired power station

22/07/2025

Ever wondered how we carry out our investigations?

Last week on TBIJ Live, reporter Daniel Murphy shared some of the tactics he used to look into the transfer of ethnic minorities from Xinjiang to factories making everyday goods in China.

Our live sessions are where we take you behind the scenes of our latest investigations – and give you the opportunity to ask us some questions. Couldn’t make it this time? We’ll be back with more Lives soon!

Read the full investigation via the link in our bio 🔗

19/07/2025

A former MP who was abused by her ex-husband was advised by her initial solicitor to make sure he was able to see their child to avoid being accused of ‘parental alienation’ – the idea that a child has been turned against one parent by the other.

Kate Kniveton was told judges would “take a dim view” if she tried to prevent former Conservative minister Andrew Griffiths from seeing their child.

The family court went on to make 14 findings against Griffiths including attempted strangulation and r**e, the latter of which he has always denied. However, when asked to respond to a documentary airing on Sunday night, Griffiths said: "I have always denied the allegations made".

In the last few years there has been a growing trend of parental alienation being used as a litigation tactic to silence claims of domestic abuse. In numerous instances, mothers accused of parental alienation have had their children removed by the family courts.

Family barrister Charlotte Proudman, who represented Kniveton in court, says “children are being put with abusive, dangerous parents” because of a “pro-contact culture” in family courts.

🗣️“The state has blood on its hands when they are ordering children and parents to have contact with dangerous men… children have been killed on the family court’s watch – and some of those judges are still sitting.”

Breaking the Silence: Kate’s Story will air on ITV at 10.20pm on July 20.

Former MP reveals that a lawyer advised against trying to her abusive ex-husband away from their child

16/07/2025

Back in 2021, HSBC got comedian and actor Richard Ayoade to star in ads trumpeting the bank’s green credentials – telling us that “climate change doesn’t do borders”. The same year, the bank signed up to the Net-Zero Banking Alliance and pledged to provide up to $1 trillion to help the net-zero transition.

Since then, its public pledges have been repeatedly undermined by the deals it has done behind closed doors. Was the bank ever serious about going green? Our environment editor looks at some of the key moments 👇

As HSBC becomes the first UK bank to quit a key green alliance, we look back at its pledges, plans and business deals

14/07/2025

This Thursday (17th), we're lifting the lid on our explosive investigation into forced labour in China

Go behind the scenes, and put your questions to the reporter who uncovered the story – 🔗 Sign up now: https://us06web.zoom.us/meeting/register/15o7AIViTPSkeq_dvDFnVQ #/registration

08/07/2025

Did you know about the time we tested a game aimed at UK school children that promotes fossil fuels?

Players have to build a city by choosing a mix of housing, energy sources, businesses and community assets. We were able to complete the mission by relying primarily on oil and some renewables.

In an unusually frank admission of lobbying children, a web page promoting the game stated that it “aligns with our work to build future talent pipelines and secure permission to operate at a time of sensitivity around fossil fuels”.

The game is targeted at pupils as young as seven.

Full story 👉

An online game used in UK schools portrays oil, gas and coal as part of a green transition.

03/07/2025

John is one of hundreds of people in the UK who’ve been targeted by a rapidly growing QR scam.

These so-called “quishing” scams have hit almost one in every three local authorities across the UK in the past year.

Our most recent investigation linked some of these codes to a far larger and more sinister operation – read the full investigation via the link in our bio 🔗

Footage: ITV news
Edit: TBIJ

02/07/2025

The concept of parental alienation has reinforced “pro-contact culture” in the family courts, putting the lives of abuse victims in danger – according to the latest research.

A recent report by Women’s Aid found that 19 children were killed between 2015 and 2024 by adults who had been permitted contact with them by the family courts – despite a history of violence.

The research highlighted for the first time the role of parental alienation – the idea that a child has been turned against one parent by the other. Allegations of parental alienation have surged in recent years in family courts cases, often made by men in response to accusations of domestic abuse.

It is the third report in a series of case reviews to be produced in the last 30 years. Together they have identified 67 children who have been killed in circumstances relating to unsafe contact with a parent – all but one of the 43 killers were men.

🗣️ “Our report is a devastating account of judicial and legislative ongoing failure to protect children, where the voices of the most vulnerable remain unheard in the family court system,” Women’s Aid chief executive Farah Nazeer told us.

Parental alienation is the subject of a long-term investigation by our family courts reporter.

Findings come from research by Women's Aid into 19 children killed by known domestic abusers

01/07/2025

NEW: One of HSBC’s major clients, the anti-poverty charity ActionAid, has decided to move its money elsewhere. The decision follows a series of TBIJ investigations into the bank’s financing of fossil fuels.

Over the past 3+ years, we’ve uncovered that HSBC:

❌ Broke its own green pledges
❌ Used so-called “sustainable finance” to fund companies fuelling the climate crisis
❌ Led coordinated efforts to water down action on climate change in the banking sector

Our reporting has prompted several investors to call out the bank for failing to live up to its green promises.

“Billions are still flowing from city boardrooms into industries driving the climate crisis,” ActionAid’s Co-CEO Hannah Bond told us. “It’s the communities we work with, especially women and girls, who are left to carry the burden.”

Charity’s decision to cut ties follows series of TBIJ revelations about the bank’s fossil fuel finance

27/06/2025

Can the UK become a global climate leader? It's now the first major economy to halve emissions of planet-heating gases since 1990 🌱

Major green progress at home leaves the country with a renewed duty to lead on the international stage