-
Capita expects to lose up to £40m over pension scheme fiasco
Capita says problems running the Civil Service Pension Scheme could cut its annual profits by £25m to £40m, after serious delays left some retired civil servants without pension payments or retirement quotes for months. The issue matters because it has disrupted incomes for thousands of pensioners, raised questions about Capita’s handling of a major public…
-
Hey, Jude! Three Lions’ World Cup hero’s name is the 14th most popular in England and Wales after more than doubling in the last decade
The name Jude has risen sharply in popularity in England and Wales, climbing to become the 14th most popular boys’ name after the number of newborns given it more than doubled over the past decade — a 107 per cent increase. The Daily Mail attributes the surge in part to England footballer Jude Bellingham, whose…
-
Pontypridd, Birkenhead and Isle of Bute among shortlist for first UK Town of Culture
The UK government has unveiled the 15-place shortlist for its first-ever Town of Culture competition, a new scheme intended to celebrate and invest in Britain’s towns. Announced on Thursday by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport, the contest attracted almost 400 applications, underlining the strength of local pride across the country. The eventual winner…
-
Banijay & All3Media Complete Merger, Creating $8BN Production-Distribution Giant
Banijay Entertainment and All3Media have completed their merger, forming a London-based production and distribution company worth around $8 billion (£6bn) that makes and sells shows including The Traitors, Big Brother, MasterChef and Peaky Blinders. The combined group, which retains the name Banijay Entertainment, becomes what its leadership describes as the world’s largest independent media content…
-
Brentford sign Wilson after West Ham exit
Brentford have signed former England striker Callum Wilson on a 12-month contract after he became a free agent. Wilson left West Ham following the club’s relegation from the Premier League, and his arrival gives Brentford added attacking experience and depth as they prepare for the new season. The 34-year-old scored seven goals in 32 appearances…
-
Apprentice joiner, 18, who beat male colleagues to win top award died when unsafe stack of boards fell on her at work
An inquest and court hearing have examined the death of Chloe Bidwell, an 18-year-old apprentice joiner who was crushed when an unsafe stack of plasterboard toppled onto her while she was renovating student accommodation in Bangor, north Wales. The case matters because the judge found that the company’s health and safety failings were severe, describing…
-
Heatwave drives office working boom as employees ditch sweaty WFH in favour of air con
As Britain endures its third heatwave of the summer, flexible office providers say they are seeing a surge in staff coming into air-conditioned workplaces rather than working from home in overheated houses. It matters because it suggests extreme summer temperatures are beginning to reverse, at least temporarily, the working-from-home habits that became widespread in recent…
-
‘Ideal patient medicated to just above a coma’: What doctor told nurse at scandal-hit mental health hospital where more than 2,000 inpatients died, inquiry hears
A former NHS mental health nurse, Stuart Ayris, has told the Lampard Inquiry that a doctor at a scandal-hit Essex mental health hospital once said “the ideal patient is one medicated to just above a coma.” The inquiry is examining more than 2,000 deaths of patients admitted to inpatient mental health units in Essex between…
-
‘We’ve had moments of devastating pain’: jazz icons Ezra Collective on their new album – and why we can’t rely on the government
Speaking at a Guardian Live event during the Love Supreme festival in Sussex, British jazz band Ezra Collective’s Femi Koleoso and James Mollison reflected on their artistry, formative influences and hopes for the future of British music. The interview marked the announcement of their forthcoming fourth album, Here Because of Hope, due for release in…
-
Bacon hails Bonnie Tyler as one of rock’s great voices
Actor Kevin Bacon has led tributes to the Welsh singer Bonnie Tyler, whose death at the age of 75 was announced on Thursday 9 July, describing her as “one of the great voices of rock”. Bacon, who starred in the 1984 film Footloose, credited Tyler’s track “Holding Out For a Hero” with elevating one of…