Month: November 2024

Pension “megafunds” are set to be created to help unlock billions of pounds of investment in businesses and infrastructure. Rachel Reeves will use her first Mansion House speech as Chancellor to outline the pensions shake-up. Under the plans, the reforms will be introduced through a new Pension Schemes Bill next year, consolidating defined contribution (DC) schemes and pooling assets from 86 local government pension scheme authorities. The Local Government Pension […]

Home buyers could typically save more than £40,000 by purchasing a “fixer-upper” property, according to analysis. The average asking price of a fixer-upper home is £327,224, which is £44,634 less than the £371,858 typical price tag for a home in Britain, Rightmove said. Rental prices have surged by 61% over the past decade, which could prompt renters to consider more affordable properties in need of refurbishment as a pathway to […]

Reigning French Open and Wimbledon champion Carlos Alcaraz’s participation in the ATP Finals in Turin has been cast into doubt after he pulled out of practice with illness. His coach Juan Carlos Ferrera told Spanish media the 21-year-old cut short his session after just five minutes as a chest complaint was making breathing difficult. Alcaraz is due to play Andrey Rublev on Wednesday. Daniil Medvedev won his first indoor match […]

The King is celebrating the UK’s film and television industry at a special reception in Buckingham Palace on Wednesday, before a night out at the star-studded Gladiator II premiere. Charles will welcome directors, actors, TV presenters, stunt performers and costume designers to the historic royal residence in London. At his side for part of the event will be the Queen, but Camilla is not expected to stay for the whole […]

Failing hospitals will be named and shamed in league tables and NHS managers sacked if they cannot improve patient care and take control of finances, the Health Secretary will say. Wes Streeting will tell leaders at the NHS Providers conference in Liverpool there “will be no more rewards for failure” as he sets out a package of measures aimed at tackling poor performance. NHS England will carry out a “no […]

Abuse within the Church of England is a “whole church problem”, its safeguarding lead has said, after the Archbishop of Canterbury resigned following a damning report that revealed a cover-up spanning decades. It comes as victims of John Smyth, who is thought to be the most prolific abuser associated with the church, called for further resignations from senior clergy members involved in the scandal. Justin Welby announced on Tuesday that […]

President-elect Donald Trump on Tuesday said Elon Musk and former Republican presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy will lead a new non-governmental agency called the Department of Government Efficiency (Doge). The acronym Doge is a nod to Musk’s favourite cryptocurrency, dogecoin. Mr Trump said in a statement that Mr Musk and Mr Ramaswamy will work from outside the government to offer the White House “advice and guidance” and will partner with the […]

The Government will not meet its ambition of getting NHS waiting times down to 18 weeks without investing in more capacity for primary care, children’s services and mental health, according to trust leaders. They also warned there is a “fundamental mismatch” between demand for services and what the NHS is able to do. The NHS Providers’ annual State of the Provider Sector survey – which included responses from 171 leaders […]

Sir Keir Starmer has said he will not be “telling people how to live their lives” as part of plans to reach the UK’s new emissions reduction target. He will set the goal out at Cop29 later on Tuesday, but it has been reported the UK will pledge to reduce emissions by 81% compared with 1990 levels by 2035, in line with the recommendation of the Climate Change Committee. The […]