Author: LoveWorld UK

VON DER LEYEN CALLS FOR MORE WORK — EU Commission President urges effort for lasting Ukrainian solutions in Parliament  EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen told MEPs on Monday that “much more effort is needed, but we have a starting point” in securing a durable peace for Ukraine.  She addressed the European Parliament in Strasbourg, highlighting ongoing EU support for Ukraine, including economic aid, sanctions enforcement, and humanitarian measures. Von der Leyen stressed that initial agreements on aid packages provide a foundation, but warned that further cooperation and commitment from member states are essential.  She urged EU governments to…

TREASURY UNSURE WHO FACES PENSION TAX HIT – Ministers face criticism over lack of impact data Chancellor Rachel Reeves has admitted the Treasury does not know how many workers will be affected by her planned tax raid on pensions in Wednesday’s Budget.  The move will strip tax breaks from salary-sacrifice workplace pension schemes, potentially costing the average worker around £210 a year. Reeves is considering limiting National Insurance relief for staff and employers to contributions under £2,000 annually.  However, Treasury officials confirmed they do not hold data on how many people use these schemes nationwide. The revelation came after Lib…

UKRAINE TEAM STARTS WORK IN GENEVA — Zelenskiy’s chief of staff says the delegation has opened talks as meetings get underway  Ukraine’s delegation has begun its work in Geneva to discuss Washington’s proposed peace plan for Ukraine, the head of the delegation, presidential chief of staff Andriy Yermak, said on Sunday, November 23rd. He said that Ukraine’s delegation had met with the national security advisors of the United Kingdom, France, and Germany, and that the next meeting was with the U.S. delegation. A U.S. official said U.S. Special Envoy Steve Witkoff and Secretary of State Marco Rubio had arrived on…

EU CUTS UK’S DEFENCE FUND FEE – Brussels drops demand to €2bn as deadline for SAFE deal approaches The European Commission has sharply reduced the UK’s entry fee for the new €150 billion SAFE defence fund, cutting its proposed contribution from €6.7 billion to around €2 billion. The revised figure comes after weeks of negotiations and divisions within the EU, with Germany, Sweden and the Netherlands urging closer cooperation with London, while France insists the UK should pay more for access. If Britain joins the scheme, UK defence firms could see their contract access ceiling rise from 35 per cent…

REEVES TO END THE 2 CHILD CAP BENEFIT – Chancellor also expected to drag 9m people into higher tax rates by freezing thresholds  Rachel Reeves will unveil £15bn of extra benefits spending in this week’s Budget, funded by a tax raid on the middle classes.  This is on top of the £40bn in taxes from her first budget, and this is despite all the talk about a Fiscal Black Hole.  That’s the difference between the amount of money the Chancellor is expected to bring into the UK Treasury, versus the amount she expects to spend. Despite this, the Chancellor has…

MERZ ARRIVES IN ANGOLA FOR EU-AU SUMMIT-EU leaders will also meet to discuss Ukraine at the summit  Germany’s Chancellor Friedrich Merz arrived in Angola earlier today to attend an EU-African Union summit in Luanda. According to European Council President Antonio Costa, EU leaders will meet to discuss Ukraine, and those not present at the summit have been invited via video conference, a spokesperson said. Meanwhile, German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul said on Monday that talks between the United States and Ukraine in Geneva on amending a 28-point plan to end the war with Russia had produced a “decisive success” for…

CROWBOROUGH PROTESTS MIGRANT HOUSING PLAN- The protesters say they do not want such a large number of people in their community Hundreds of people marched through the picturesque English town of Crowborough residents marched through the english town in protest of the purported plans to house migrants in a nearby military training camp. Protesters each carried a number from one to 600 to symbolise the number of migrants they say will be housed in the nearby Crowborough Training Camp.  The protest shows growing tensions between some communities and the government, which is seeking sites to house undocumented migrants, many of…

REEVES TO END THE 2 CHILD CAP BENEFIT – Chancellor also expected to drag 9m people into higher tax rates by freezing thresholds  Rachel Reeves will unveil £15bn of extra benefits spending in this week’s Budget, funded by a tax raid on the middle classes. The Chancellor will end the two-child benefit cap in its entirety and increase benefit payments by nearly 4 per cent, while financing about-turns on winter fuel cuts and welfare reform. She will also drag an estimated nine million people into paying higher rates of income tax by freezing thresholds in a move critics argue breaks…

EURO 2026 PLAYOFF REVEALED – 16 European teams set for knockout race to secure final World Cup spots Europe now knows its final playoff route to the 2026 World Cup, with 16 nations preparing for single-leg knockout ties in March. Italy, still chasing their first World Cup appearance since 2014, will face Northern Ireland in their semi-final.  Sweden, under new manager Graham Potter, take on Ukraine, while Poland meet Albania on the same pathway. Denmark face North Macedonia — the side that stunned Italy last time — and the Czech Republic host Ireland after their late win over Hungary. Turkey…

GERMANY ELATED AFTER ‘UNBELIEVABLE’ WIN – Germany seals 2–1 comeback to make the semi-finals Germany are through to the Davis Cup semi-finals after a dramatic 2-1 comeback win over Argentina in Bologna. Argentina took the early lead, with Tomás Martín Etcheverry firing 23 aces on his way to a 7-6, 7-6 victory over Jan-Lennard Struff. But Germany hit back through world number three Alexander Zverev, who levelled the tie with a 6-4, 7-6 win against Francisco Cerúndolo. It all came down to a tense doubles decider. Argentina’s Horacio Zeballos and Andrés Molteni saved four match points and held two of…