Author: INDEPENDENT

Sign up for the View from Westminster email for expert analysis straight to your inboxGet our free View from Westminster emailThe government is considering a radical scheme to help first-time buyers by guaranteeing mortgages which would require just 1 per cent deposits.The prime minister and Jeremy Hunt, the chancellor, are contemplating the bold plan to appeal to young voters struggling to get onto the property ladder, The Independent understands.Government sources said a Treasury-backed scheme to help “generation rent” is one of the big ideas being discussed for Mr Hunt’s spring Budget on 6 March.However, property experts warned that the “short-term…

Sign up for the View from Westminster email for expert analysis straight to your inboxGet our free View from Westminster emailCabinet minister Grant Shapps has condemned “disappointing” comments by Israel PM Benjamin Netanyahu rejecting Palestinian statehood.The defence secretary saying the UK government remains “wedded” to the idea of a two-state solution – arguing that there “isn’t another option”.Rishi Sunak’s government has largely resisted criticism of Israel since it launched strikes on Gaza in the wake of the 7 October Hamas terror attack.But Mr Shapps offer a strong rebuke of Mr Netanyahu’s rejection of Palestinian sovereignty and insistence his country needs…

Sign up to Miguel Delaney’s Reading the Game newsletter sent straight to your inbox for freeSign up to Miguel’s Delaney’s free weekly newsletter Manchester United have pulled off a coup in the first major appointment of the Sir Jim Ratcliffe era, as Omar Berrada of Manchester City has been appointed chief executive.The recommendation came from Ineos, and was backed by the board, who have been looking to fill the role since Richard Arnold left last year.Although there had been expectation that Jean-Claude Blanc would step in as CEO, his preference is to stay with the wider sporting group owned by…

Sign up for the View from Westminster email for expert analysis straight to your inboxGet our free View from Westminster emailFor many young Britons hoping to buy a home the biggest barrier in the way remains the lump sum needed for a deposit.The struggle has become harder over the decades as soaring house prices have outstripped pay and robbed many on decent salaries the chance to get onto the property ladder.The Independent has revealed that Rishi Sunak’s government is considering a bold plan to help “generation rent” by creating 99 per cent mortgages.Instead of having to save tens of thousands,…

The latest headlines from our reporters across the US sent straight to your inbox each weekdayYour briefing on the latest headlines from across the USA 9-year-old boy was killed after crawling under a school bus, officials said.The boy, Elyas Marshall Rodriguez, had just gotten off the bus Tuesday afternoon near his home in Orlando, Florida when the incident occurred. Elyas “ran back” to the bus and “crawled underneath” it, the Florida Highway Patrol told WESH 2 News.Elyas was then hit by the bus while he was underneath it. According to NBC, the Orange County Medical Examiner’s Office ruled the death…

Sign up to Miguel Delaney’s Reading the Game newsletter sent straight to your inbox for freeSign up to Miguel’s Delaney’s free weekly newsletter Jurgen Klopp has opened the door for Sven-Goran Eriksson to spend the day as Liverpool manager.Eriksson revealed earlier this month that he had in a “best case” scenario around a year to live after being diagnosed with pancreatic cancer.During a round of TV interviews upon revealing his health issues, former England boss Eriksson disclosed his lifelong love for Liverpool and how he always wished to be manager of the club.Robbie Fowler, who played under Eriksson for England,…

APCO – Saudi Delegation to WEF is a Business Reporter client.Vast youth demographic and videogaming investment strategy could propel the Kingdom into the world’s biggest esports hub before the end of the decadeIlluminated by fireworks and drones, Boulevard Riyadh City rocked to the rhythm of drumbeats and bass as it opened the world’s biggest esports festival last summer. Gamers8 grabbed the gaming world’s attention as thousands of pro gamers arrived in the Saudi capital to compete for $45 million in prize money in front of a sell-out live audience.The buzz around Gamers8, which has evolved and expanded into the Esports…

The latest headlines from our reporters across the US sent straight to your inbox each weekdayYour briefing on the latest headlines from across the US A man who fell through the ice on a frozen Michigan lake was rescued after a quick-thinking state police officer used the stranded man’s dog to get rescue equipment to him and pull the man to safety.Bystanders called 911 on Thursday after the 65-year-old Traverse City man fell through ice-covered Arbutus Lake, state police said.The body camera worn by Michigan State Police Motor Carrier Officer Kammeron Bennetts captured the rescue, initially showing the man trapped…

Sign up to Miguel Delaney’s Reading the Game newsletter sent straight to your inbox for freeSign up to Miguel’s Delaney’s free weekly newsletter Cardiff have expressed their determination to “seek justice” and pursue their negligence claim against Nantes as the fifth anniversary of Emiliano Sala’s death approaches.Sala died on January 21, 2019 when the light aircraft he was travelling in from France crashed into the English Channel, two days after Cardiff had announced the signing of the 28-year-old Argentinian forward from Nantes.Cardiff were ordered by football’s global governing body FIFA to pay the £15million transfer fee after maintaining Nantes must…

Sign up for the daily Inside Washington email for exclusive US coverage and analysis sent to your inboxGet our free Inside Washington emailA new poll shows that Democrats have a slight lead in the race to replace disgraced congressman George Santos in New York’s 3rd congressional district. The Emerson College Polling/Pix11 survey showed that 45 per cent of registered voters preferred former Democratic congressman Tom Suozzi , while 42 per cent of voters preferred Republican Mazie Pilip. Meanwhile, 9 per cent of voters say they are undecided, which is within the poll’s 3.1 per cent margin of error.The survey showed…