Author: Fatimah Idera

Passport fees will go up by almost 7% on April 10, the Home Office has announced the cost of an online passport application for adults will jump from £88.50 to £94.50, while fees for child passports will rise from £57.50 to £61.50. The fee for a one-day premium service application will also increase from £207.50 to £222 for adults as the changes are due to start on April 10. There will be similar rises in the cost of postal applications and those made from overseas. Passport fees rose by a similar amount in April 2024, meaning the cumulative percentage fee…

The Home Office has announced that passport fees will rise by nearly 7% on April 10. The cost of an online adult passport application will increase from £88.50 to £94.50, while child passport fees will go up from £57.50 to £61.50. Additionally, the fee for a one-day premium service will rise from £207.50 to £222 for adults. Similar increases will apply to postal applications and those made from overseas. This follows a similar fee hike in April 2024, bringing the total increase to nearly 15% in just over a year. A Home Office spokesperson stated:”The new fees will help the…

Santander UK, the British arm of Spain’s Banco Santander, announced on Wednesday its plan to close 95 of its 444 branches, a move that puts approximately 750 jobs at risk. The decision follows a 63% increase in digital transactions since 2019, while financial transactions in physical branches have dropped by 61% over the same period. These closures, set to begin in June 2025, will reduce Santander UK’s branch network by nearly 20%. Following the changes, the bank will operate 349 outlets, including 290 full-service branches and 36 with reduced hours. Like many other banks in Britain, Santander has been cutting…

Ben & Jerry’s has dismissed its Chief Executive, David Stever, amid a longstanding conflict with its parent company, Unilever, over the ice cream maker’s political activism. Court documents reveal that Unilever is replacing Stever, citing concerns over his outspoken stance on social issues. The documents further allege that Unilever, a multinational consumer goods giant, took action to remove Stever following repeated disputes over the company’s history of activism. The development coincides with the U.S. government’s removal of hundreds of alleged Venezuelan gang members under a now-blocked authority. According to the filings, Unilever believed that Stever’s vocal support for political causes…

Fatimah Idera According to the Bank of America (BofA) Fund Manager Survey for March revealed that Fund managers had cut their US equities allocations by the largest amount ever recorded. The other side of this particular coin was the biggest jump in cash allocations the survey has ever found, as managers chose to de-risk rather than send the money into other risk assets. The bearish move appeared to be prompted by worries over the global economy, with BofA identifying the second biggest drop in global growth expectations among fund managers ever. The prospect of stagflation and a protracted trade war…

Tesla shares fell after Chinese electric vehicle (EV) manufacturer BYD reportedly unveiled a new ultra-fast charger capable of fully charging a car in just five minutes. BYD plans to launch vehicles equipped with this technology next month. The company claims that its Super e-Platform provides a range of nearly 250 miles in approximately the same time it takes to refuel a gas-powered car, according to Bloomberg. The company has yet to respond to requests for comment. BYD Shares Soar While Tesla Stock Declines Shares of BYD surged to an all-time high in Hong Kong following the announcement. Meanwhile, Tesla’s stock…

The U.K. government is set to introduce significant changes to the Personal Independence Payment (PIP) scheme, with some current recipients at risk of losing their benefits under a planned overhaul of the welfare system. The reforms aim to tighten eligibility criteria, with the goal of reducing the rising welfare bill while ensuring support remains available for the most vulnerable. On Tuesday afternoon, Work and Pensions Secretary Liz Kendall will outline the government’s proposed changes to the health benefits system, amid ongoing debate over their potential impact on claimants. According to official government sources, the reform package will include: Stricter eligibility…

Nearly nine in ten (88%) of the 153 upper-tier authorities in England are set to impose a 4.99% council tax increase this year, the highest amount allowed without triggering a local referendum. When councils increasing bills by 4.5% or more in April are included, the proportion rises to more than nine in ten (94%). According to an analysis, for just over two-thirds (68%) of top-tier authorities, this marks the third consecutive year that bills have increased by at least the maximum legal amount. By contrast, only nine councils have opted for a smaller increase below 4.5% this year are: Sunderland:…

North Macedonia is grappling with the tragic loss of dozens of young lives in a nightclub inferno while working to hold those responsible accountable and prevent another such catastrophe. A fire tore through the overcrowded Club Pulse early Sunday in the eastern town of Kocani, killing 59 people and injuring 155 from burns, smoke inhalation, and trampling as panicked attendees rushed toward the building’s single exit. Although the investigation into the cause of the fire is ongoing, video footage shows sparkling pyrotechnics on the stage hitting the club’s ceiling, igniting the blaze while a band played. Among the casualties were…