Author: Loveworld UK

This was the most revealing sentence of the Chancellor’s spring statement.It rather acknowledged that, contrary to some excitable advance comment, the official growth predictions were still very sluggish for an advanced economy in the middle of a sustained surge in global growth.That was attached to the news of a tiny upgrade to predicted growth in 2018, to 1.5%.However, in the small print at the same time, growth in 2021 and 2022 had been downgraded by 0.1%.Never before have we had a five-year stretch of growth at 1.5% or below, but this is what the Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) now…

The death of a 68-year-old Russian man in London is being investigated by counter-terrorism officers, Scotland Yard has said. While officers are not naming him, he is believed to be businessman Nikolai Glushkov, who was top of a list of “fugitives from justice” published by the Russian embassy which accused him of committing “severe financial offences”.Scotland Yard said anti-terror police were investigating his death “as a precaution because of associations that the man is believed to have had”.But it said there was “no evidence to suggest a link to the incident in Salisbury”, adding that the death was being treated…

Philip Hammond offered the prospect of a boost to public spending later this year as he presented upgraded growth forecasts and predictions of falling inflation, debt and borrowing in his spring statement. The Chancellor declared there is “light at the end of the tunnel” after years of belt-tightening, as he rejected his “Eeyore” nickname and announced himself “positively Tigger-like” about UK’s fortunes.But, Labour accused Mr Hammond of “complacency” and a “missed opportunity” to ease pressures on public services, while the Government’s independent forecaster played down suggestions of a major improvement in the public finances.Since the Chancellor’s Budget in November, the…

The man set to become the new US Secretary of State is a conservative hardliner who has grown close to Donald Trump during a meteoric career. Mike Pompeo, the outgoing CIA director, replaces Rex Tillerson as the country’s top diplomat.He made his name when he became an outspoken critic of Hillary Clinton as a member on the special committee Republicans formed to investigate the 2012 killing of a US ambassador and three other Americans in Benghazi, Libya.Mr Pompeo, 54, entered the political scene as a member of the Tea Party movement within the Republican Party.As CIA director – which is…

A Russian chemical weapons scientist has told Sky News that people exposed to even tiny traces of the nerve agent used to attack a spy and his daughter in Salisbury could be in danger of developing symptoms in years to come. Dr Vil Mirzayanov is a chemist who ran the technical counter-intelligence department in Russia’s chemical weapons institute.He helped make “novichok”, the class of nerve agents the British government says was used to poison defected spy Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia.The doctor said that even minuscule amounts could affect victims, and that symptoms could develop “in years”.But responding to…

A senior shadow minister is making an official complaint against her party, accusing the Labour leader’s office of “aggressive” and “intimidating” behaviour. Shadow work and pensions secretary, Debbie Abrahams, was asked on Friday to step aside from her role over “work based complaints”. But she refused until she knew more about the nature of the allegations. On Sunday evening, the Labour Party released a statement, saying: “Debbie Abrahams has stood aside from her role while the Labour Party investigates an employment issue.” Sky News understands the allegation relates to bullying. But Ms Abrahams hit back with her own complaints. She…

The peer-to-peer lender Funding Circle has hired a quartet of ‎banks to prepare the ground for a blockbuster London float that could value it at in excess of £2bn. Sky News has learnt that Funding Circle this weekend appointed Bank of America Merrill Lynch, Goldman Sachs, Morgan Stanley and Numis Securities to lead one of the biggest-ever listings of a British financial technology company. An initial public offering (IPO) of the company is anticipated during the second half of the year, when the company will seek to raise hundreds of millions of pounds from the sale of new shares. Funding…

Melrose has raised its hostile bid for GKN, telling shareholders in the FTSE 100 engineering firm it will be its “final offer”. In its third attempt to land the company, the turnaround specialist said its increased bid – at 467p per share – would value GKN at £8.1bn and give investors a 60% stake in the expanded Melrose. Its previous offer valued GKN at £7.4bn and included 57% of Melrose equity. GKN shares were 2.5%% higher at 446p in early trading on the FTSE 100 – changing hands below the raised takeover price. That reflects considerable uncertainty on whether the…

The US will not be making any concessions to North Korea during forthcoming nuclear talks, according to the CIA’s director. Mike Pompeo said it was a good time to begin such discussions, claiming the secretive state led by Kim Jong Un was buckling under the pressure of US-led international sanctions. “Never before have we had the North Koreans in a position where their economy was at such risk, where their leadership was under such pressure,” he told Fox News Sunday. “Make no mistake: while these negotiations are going on, there will be no concessions made,” he added. Amid claims the President…

Police have lost track of 485 registered sex offenders across Britain including rapists and paedophiles, Sky News can reveal. Figures released by 41 forces revealed the number of convicted sex offenders whose whereabouts are unknown has risen by more than 20% in the last three years.Rape, sexual assault and sexual abuse of children were among the crimes committed by the missing offenders, including some who disappeared more than a decade ago.It comes as victims of black cab rapist John Worboys fight the decision to release him from prison after he spent less than a decade behind bars.:: How many registered…