Watchdog says ‘all options’ should be on table to save universities August 18, 2024 The university watchdog has declared “all options” should be on the table to fix the struggling sector, warning the “golden age of higher education” could be over. Office for Students (OFS) interim chair David Behan said increased tuition fees and lifting visa restrictions on international students could help revive embattled institutions. He told The Sunday [...]
Fire blazes on the roof of The Strand’s Somerset House August 17, 2024 Around 100 firefighters are tackling a blaze in the roof on London’s Somerset House. A spokesman said: “Fifteen fire engines and around 100 firefighters have been deployed to a fire at Somerset House. “Crews are tackling flames located in part of the building’s roof. Two of the brigade’s 32m ladders have been sent to the [...]
Playrix bosses and Candy Crush creators top first Sunday Times Gaming Rich List August 17, 2024 The founders of mobile game producer Playrix and the creators of Candy Crush are among the highest-placing figures on the inaugural Sunday Times Gaming Rich List 2024. Topping the list are Russian-born brothers Igor and Dmitry Bukhman, of Playrix, which is behind titles such as Township, Fishdom and Homescapes. The pair have a fortune of [...]
First Earth-imaging satellite launched by MoD on Elon Musk rocket August 17, 2024 The UK military has launched its first satellite which can capture daytime images and videos of the Earth’s surface. The satellite, named Tyche, will support military operations as well as environmental disaster monitoring, mapping information development and tracking the impact of climate change globally, the Ministry of Defence (MoD) said. The satellite was launched on [...]
Farage revealed as highest-earning MP, receiving £98,000 a month from GB News August 17, 2024 Reform UK leader Nigel Farage has been revealed to be the highest-earning MP. The MP for Clacton said he is receiving almost £98,000 a month for presenting GB News, for a reported 32 hours a week, as a full list of MPs’ registered financial interests was published on Friday. During the general election, Mr Farage [...]
Aslef: Rail strikes called amid ‘toxic situation’ in dispute with LNER August 17, 2024 Aslef’s lead negotiator has said the union is putting “members first” in a “toxic situation” after announcing a fresh series of strikes. Train drivers working for LNER – which runs the passenger service on the East Coast main line between London and Edinburgh – will walk out on weekends from the end of August in [...]
Terry Smith’s Fundsmith Equity escapes the doghouse, but £54bn still stuck in underperforming funds August 16, 2024 As many as 137 equity investment funds in the UK have been condemned to the ‘doghouse’ after consistently underperforming their market benchmark over the last three years. The report from Bestinvest, which identified the funds in the ‘doghouse’ due to persistent underperformance, found £53.4bn of investor cash stuck in funds that have consistently underperformed the [...]
Can we stop AI from destroying the planet? August 16, 2024 AI is increasingly finding itself in the crosshairs of investors concerned about its environmental toll. Many are coming to terms with the fact that the technology supposedly leading us into a smarter future might be dragging the planet backwards when it comes to climate commitments. Big tech’s climate ambitions are hitting a rather inconvenient truth: [...]
Heathrow Airport: Border force staff to strike bringing chaos to tail-end of summer August 16, 2024 Border force staff at Heathrow Airport are to strike for 23-days in a dispute over new terms and conditions. 650 members of the Public and Commercial Services (PCS) union will walk out from 31 August to 3 September, with further disruption until 22 September. The hundreds of staff will be ‘working to rule’ and will [...]
FTSE the exception: Global markets rally past ‘Black Monday’ after US recession fears ease August 16, 2024 Global markets have continued to rally after the ‘Black Monday’ event last week, which saw stock markets crash over fears of a US recession. Since then, markets have now bounced back, as fears over recession have faded after strong US retail sales data and unemployment numbers. The Japanese Nikkei 225, which fell almost 20 per [...]