20 h. ago Councils lose over half a million jobs in ten years as new research lays funding crisis bare

As its funding crisis has deepened, Birmingham council has lost tens of thousands of workers

Economics

54 h. ago Coronation Street bosses 'take new action to drum up funds' following rumours ITV soap is suffering from cash crisis

Soaring TV production costs and a collapse in advertising revenue are said to have put the future of the long-running soap in jeopardy and sparked a number of budget cuts.

Economics

5 d. ago Voices: ‘Give councils more money’ Independent readers weigh in on Birmingham bin strikes

Birmingham’s bin strikes are widely seen as the result of decades of political neglect and a worsening funding crisis in local government

Events

6 d. ago Birmingham bin strike cannot continue, council leader says ahead of fresh talks

Unite the union says if guarantees that no worker will lose money could be put into writing by Birmingham City Council, a deal could be closer.

Politics

9 d. ago 'Impossible choice': West London council tells homeless family to move 275 miles to Hartlepool or lose housing support

Soheila Serkani was told she and her daughter must move to Hartlepool after being evicted from their private rented home last month

Society

1 week ago Shipping companies to pay for carbon dioxide produced by vessels

Compromise deal falls far short of carbon levy poor countries were hoping forShipping companies will have to pay for the carbon dioxide produced by their vessels for the first time, under new rules agreed by the world’s maritime watchdog.But the regulations agreed on Friday fall far short of the levy on CO2 that poor countries were hoping for, which would have funded their efforts to combat the climate crisis. Continue reading...

Politics

2 w. ago Edinburgh University staff threaten strike action amid job loss fears due to funding crisis

Union says institution has refused to rule out compulsory redundancies as it plans to slash £140m from its budget

Events

2 w. ago Hedge funds hit with steepest margin calls since 2020 Covid crisis

Banks ask clients to stump up additional money as global market sell-off knocks value of holdings

Events

2 w. ago Your Friends & Neighbors to Black Mirror: the seven best shows to stream this week

Jon Hamm stars as a gentlemen thief in a very entertaining midlife-crisis satire. Plus: Charlie Brooker’s hit series is back with another sensational castManifesting his signature blend of unshakeable self-confidence and understated self-loathing, Jon Hamm stars in this midlife-crisis satire. Coop (Hamm) is a hedge fund manager who, after years gazing down at the world from an ivory tower, finds his life falling apart. His wife has gone, his kids are expensive, his sister’s mental health problems are getting worse and he’s lost his job. “Your biggest mistake,” his boss tells him, “was thinking any of this was ever yours.” At a barbecue hosted by friends, he has an idea: the people around him are awful and undeservedly rich – so why not rob them? Soon, everything is spiralling out of control in very entertaining fashion. Apple TV+, from Friday 11 April Continue reading...

Culture

2 w. ago Job layoffs hit their highest mark since the pandemic as DOGE firings fuel jump in data

March’s job cuts were the third-highest number of layoffs since the pandemic

Events

3 w. ago Thousands of US health agency workers laid off in overhaul led by RFK Jr

Trump administration begins reducing Health and Human Services workforce as Kennedy plans up to 10,000 job cutsThousands of Health and Human Services (HHS) employees across the country are being dismissed on Tuesday as the Trump administration begins implementing its workforce-reduction plan, which could ultimately remove 10,000 staff members from the department through forced layoffs.The job cuts mark the first tangible impact of the health secretary Robert F Kennedy Jr’s departmental overhaul announced last week, landing just days after Donald Trump moved to strip collective-bargaining rights from workers at HHS and other federal agencies. Continue reading...

Politics

3 w. ago Student flats ‘shining light’ in Scotland’s property market but uni funding crisis casts a shadow

“The commercial property market remains cautious amid a mixed economic backdrop and geopolitical uncertainty” – Chris Thornton, Lismore

Society

3 w. ago Cathedral that launched crisis campaign hits £300,000 fundraising target

Church leaders had warned that without raising the funds, the cathedral may no longer be able to open seven days a week.

Events