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dline set by administrator PwC. PWC said “it is now clear that no viable offer structure put forward includes the group in its entirety”, adding that 269 support centre workers will have their last day with the business on Monday. There will be further redundancies across the company’s two distribution centres from early next week, it said. The GMB union said a bidder, reported to be M2 Capital, had not […]

Lewis Hamilton will extend his record-breaking career in Formula One beyond his 40th birthday after signing a new contract with Mercedes. The Silver Arrows confirmed ahead of this weekend’s Italian Grand Prix that Hamilton, 38, will continue to drive with them for 2024 and 2025. It is anticipated that the new deal will earn Hamilton in the region of £50million-a-year. The announcement ends speculation surrounding the seven-time world champion’s future […]

Grant Shapps has been appointed Defence Secretary in Rishi Sunak’s mini-reshuffle prompted by Ben Wallace’s formal resignation. The Prime Minister handed the role overseeing British support to Ukraine during its resistance against the Russian invasion to the energy secretary on Thursday. Mr Shapps has never held a role in the Ministry of Defence before but is taking on his fifth role in the Cabinet in the last year by becoming […]

London mayor Sadiq Khan has dropped plans for a zero-emission vehicle zone in the centre of the capital. The Labour’s mayor’s Transport Strategy published in March 2018 stated that he would “aim to deliver a zero-emission zone in central London from 2025”. This would be expanded to inner London by 2040 and cover the whole city “by 2050 at the latest”. The document also set out an ambition for “zero-emission […]

It's been confirmed by the Health Secretary, Steve Barclay The inquiry into serial killer Lucy Letby’s crimes will become statutory, the Health Secretary Steve Barclay has announced. The move to a statutory footing grants the inquiry legal powers to compel witnesses, including both former and current staff of the Countess of Chester Hospital Trust, to provide evidence. The decision comes shortly after Letby, 33, was sentenced to a whole-life term […]

Judges will be given the power to order an offender to attend their sentencing hearing, including by force if necessary, under planned legislation announced by the Ministry of Justice. The Government has promised legislation to force serious offenders to attend their sentencing, with Prime Minister Rishi Sunak calling it “unacceptable” that some criminals have refused to face their victims. The promised reforms will give custody officers the power to use […]

Jos Buttler believes the Hundred has made England “very battle-hardened” ahead of the white-ball series against New Zealand. The competition’s third edition concluded at Lord’s on Sunday with Southern Brave winning the women’s competition before Oval Invincibles scooped the men’s prize. England begin the T20 leg of the Black Caps’ tour at Chester-le-Street on Wednesday and plenty of players included in their squad have put in solid performances throughout the […]

Rishi Sunak said he wants people to “have confidence” in his plan to curb Channel crossings, as the total so far this year approaches 20,000. The Prime Minister said the number of migrant arrivals was lower than last year and this showed his plan to “stop the boats” was “working”. Crossings resumed on Tuesday, with pictures showing a dinghy packed with men and boys, some without lifejackets, perched on the […]

Environmental campaigners have hit out at the Government after it confirmed that EU-era restrictions that force housebuilders to mitigate the impact new developments have on river health are set to be scrapped under plans to provide an additional 100,000 new homes in England by 2030. The Government said the measure could provide an £18 billion boost to the economy, and that housing developments contribute only a small fraction of nutrient […]