Business

Trade associations urge Sunak to overhaul ‘unfair’ business rates

independent– The chancellor Rishi Sunak must urgently reform the country’s “unfair” and “unproductive” business rates system, dozens of trade associations have said. In a statement, the Confederation of British Industry (CBI) and 41 business groups, which represent a total of 9 million

Sports

Lewis Hamilton could be hit with another penalty Mercedes boss Toto Wolff warns

express– Mercedes chief Toto Wolff has refused to rule out another engine penalty for Lewis Hamilton, who starts the Turkish Grand Prix from 11th place despite setting the fastest time during qualifying. The seven-time world champion was hit with a 10-place grid penalty after Mercedes took a fourth internal combustion engine on Friday. Coming into […]

Fashion

Beauty advent calendars 2021: Our guide to this year’s Christmas treats from Cult Beauty, Glossybox and more

With just three months to go until Christmas, we’re making sure that we’re more organised than ever for 2021. One of the best parts of the festive season is the advent calendars and, while we’ll always have a soft spot for the chocolate versions, it’s the beauty ones that have us hooked. Every year, many of the biggest beauty […]

Business

Revealed: Hospitals face ‘severe’ shortages of medical supplies ahead of winter due to Brexit and Covid

independent– Hospitals are experiencing shortages of essential medical equipment triggered by a combination of Brexit and the impact of the pandemic on global supply chains, The Independent can reveal. Manufacturers and suppliers of beds, lifts and life-saving defibrillators have also warned of being under “unparalleled pressure” due to the supply chain crunch this

Africa News

Descendant of Cuban danzón creator revives genre

africanews– A treasure trove of Cuban Danzon music has been rescued by a group of the 19th century musical genre’s lovers in Matanzas, Cuba. Musician and band leader Ethiel Faílde, the great-great-nephew of Miguel Faílde, the creator of Cuba’s national dance, worked alongside historical researchers and musicologists to find and restore 16 pieces for

Asia Middle East

Lebanon left without power as grid shuts down

bbc– Lebanon has been left without electricity, plunging the country into darkness amid a severe economic crisis. A government official told Reuters news agency the country’s two largest power stations, Deir Ammar and Zahrani, had shut down because of a fuel shortage. The power grid “completely stopped working at noon today” and was unlikely to […]

Europe

Czech elections: PM Andrej Babis looks set to lose power

bbc– The Czech Republic’s billionaire Prime Minister Andrej Babis and his ruling ANO party are set to lose their bid for re-election, partial results suggest. With some 99% of voting districts reporting, Czech Television predicts two opposition coalitions will win 108 of 200 seats. Both coalition groups have said they will not work with Mr […]

Asia Latest News

Afghanistan: US and Taliban hold first face-to-face talks since withdrawal

bbc– US officials have met Afghanistan’s ruling Taliban for their first face-to-face talks since Washington pulled its troops from the country in August. The talks in Qatar are focusing on issues including containing extremist groups, the evacuation of US citizens and humanitarian aid, officials say. The US insists the meeting does not amount to recognition

Business

‘A wake-up call!’ Inheritance Tax warning as Britons urged to act to avoid high bill

express– Inheritance Tax, a levy charged on the value of an estate above a certain threshold, is just one of the myriad of administrative issues people will have to deal with when their loved one dies. However, these issues can be made unnecessarily complex if people fail to take preventative measures ahead of time to […]

Fashion

Heidi Gardner Was a Career Hairstylist. Then She Tried Comedy

instyle– Becoming a cast member on the most popular and long-running sketch comedy series on network television was never part of Heidi Gardner’s plan, exactly. Before Gardner joined the American comedy institution that is Saturday Night Live, she worked as a hairstylist in Los Angeles for nine years. At a certain point, she had a realization: […]