Author: INDEPENDENT

For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emailsSign up to our free breaking news emailsSign up to our free breaking news emailsA estimated quarter of homeowners had problems with their most recent repair jobs, a survey for Citizens Advice suggests.Some 4.8 million households dealt with issues ranging from living with unfinished or unsafe work to dealing with stressful disputes with traders over the last 18 months alone, the charity found.Around 1.7 million homeowners had to pay to fix earlier work, or were overcharged, and they lost on average £750,…

For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emailsSign up to our free breaking news emailsSign up to our free breaking news emailsThe UK competition watchdog should investigate the UK beer market over concerns about the dominance of a small number of large brewers, according to campaigners.A fresh report by Camra (Campaign for Real Ale) has claimed that small, independent breweries are “being excluded” from pubs and bars due to the contractual power of larger rivals.Ash Corbett-Collins, chairman of Camra, said “ordinary drinkers are being short changed when it comes…

The Way Back. Join our community exploring how Britain can rebuild its future in EuropeJoin the debate with our pro-Europe newsletterJoin the debate with our pro-Europe newsletterA former senior Treasury adviser to Gordon Brown has warned that HMRC is on the cusp of using artificial intelligence to track people’s and businesses income and expenditure without them knowing.Dr Chris Wales, who was a member of Mr Brown’s Council of Economic Advisers for more than six years, has sounded the alarm while launching a chilling book co-written by international lawyer Robert Amsterdam on the conduct of the Spanish tax authority, Agencia Tributaria.He…

For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emailsSign up to our free breaking news emailsSign up to our free breaking news emailsThe FTSE 100 closed a winning week on the front foot, while the DAX 40 hit a new best level, as fears of a US rate increase faded.The FTSE 100 closed up 26.16 points, 0.3%, at 10,679.03. The FTSE 250 ended up 121.22 points, 0.5%, at 23,538.80, and the AIM All-Share fell 1.36 points, 0.2%, at 776.09.For the week, the FTSE 100 was up 1.6%, the FTSE 250…

Get the free Morning Headlines email for news from our reporters across the worldSign up to our free Morning Headlines emailSign up to our free Morning Headlines emailMillions of motorists awaiting compensation from the UK’s £9.1 billion car finance redress scheme face further delays after the financial watchdog was forced to pause payouts.The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) has suspended the process, facing legal challenges from four companies unhappy with its plans to compensate those mis-sold car loans. Payouts, initially slated to begin this year, are now facing significant delays.The UK’s Upper Tribunal has agreed to hear the legal challenges in…

Get the latest entertainment news, reviews and star-studded interviews with our Independent Culture emailGet the latest entertainment news with our free Culture newsletter Get the latest entertainment news with our free Culture newsletter London’s Duke of York’s Theatre has been renamed in honour of the late playwright Sir Tom Stoppard. The move coincides with the opening of a new production of Stoppard’s Arcadia, directed by Carrie Cracknell, which has today (1 July) transferred from the Old Vic to the West End. Physical signage will be changed in the coming months, said the theatre, which opened as the Trafalgar Square Theatre…

For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emailsSign up to our free breaking news emailsSign up to our free breaking news emailsBillionaire Michael Platt’s BlueCrest Capital Management has said the UK is “no longer a serious contender” as a place to do business after losing a £200 million legal battle against the UK tax authorities.On Wednesday, the firm lost a roughly four-year legal battle about how payouts for hedge fund traders should be taxed.It is the latest firm to criticise UK tax policy, claiming that it is being impacted…

Get the latest entertainment news, reviews and star-studded interviews with our Independent Culture emailGet the latest entertainment news with our free Culture newsletter Get the latest entertainment news with our free Culture newsletter Broadway veteran Aaron Lazar has received a flurry of support following the news that his ALS diagnosis has left him without the use of his limbs.Lazar, 50, was diagnosed with slow-moving ALS in 2022. The progressive neurodegenerative disease affects nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord. There is currently no cure.The actor, whose credits include the Broadway productions of The Phantom of the Opera, The Light…

For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emailsSign up to our free breaking news emailsSign up to our free breaking news emailsMillions of Britons have been urged to submit energy meter readings to avoid paying higher bills than they need to as a 13% jump to the price cap takes effect.The estimated 5.3 million households on standard tariffs who do not have a smart meter have been urged to take action to avoid paying for energy they have already used at the new, more expensive rates that take effect…

Get the latest entertainment news, reviews and star-studded interviews with our Independent Culture emailGet the latest entertainment news with our free Culture newsletter Get the latest entertainment news with our free Culture newsletter Victoria Wood’s acclaimed sitcom Dinnerladies is set to return with a new stage adaptation, over a quarter of a century since its television debut. The production marks a significant moment, being the first commissioned by the late comedian’s estate since her death in 2016 at the age of 62.Veteran entertainer Les Dennis has been cast as maintenance man Stan, with the full ensemble for the Dinnerladies stage…