Saturday, February 15

Day: November 22, 2016

Mortgage is going to cost more very soon
ENGLISH, United Kingdom

Mortgage is going to cost more very soon

    Banks and building societies are increasing the rates on their mortgages as the era of rock-bottom interest rates finally comes to an end around the world. This week one building society, Skipton, increased rates on some mortgages by 0.37 percentage points while another mutual, West Bromwich, scrapped its market-leading 10-year fix, which charged just 2.59pc. Riskier first-time-buyer mortgages have also been affected. Virgin Money, previously one of the cheapest lenders in this area, has already increased the cost of several of its mortgages for borrowers with 5pc deposits by up to 10pc. Commentators say it is a matter of when, not if, the cost of borrowing to buy a home increases. Here’s why. Why will rates rise? The interest rates paid by British mortgage borrowers are s...
Hospitals may require patients to show passports for NHS treatment
ENGLISH, United Kingdom

Hospitals may require patients to show passports for NHS treatment

    Patients could be told to bring two forms of identification including a passport to hospital to prove they are eligible for free treatment under new rules to stop so-called health tourism. The most senior official in the Department of Health told MPs on Monday that he was looking at making hospitals check patients’ papers to find out whether they should be paying, a proposal he admitted was “controversial”. It would mean that those trying to access health services, including British citizens, might have to prove their identity before having operations and undergoing tests in hospitals, but it would not cover care received at GP surgeries. Chris Wormald, the department’s permanent secretary, told the public accounts committee that passport checks were already taking place a...
Russia to move nuclear capable missiles closer to Europe as Vladimir Putin claims Nato expansion is threat
ENGLISH, Europe

Russia to move nuclear capable missiles closer to Europe as Vladimir Putin claims Nato expansion is threat

    Vladimir Putin, the Russian president, said on Monday he would move nuclear-capable missiles closer to Europe in response to Nato's expansion in the Baltic states. In a bold display of force against Western allies, Russian S-400 surface-to-air missiles and a ballistic Iskander system will be deployed in Kaliningrad, which is situated between Lithuania and Poland. Iskander missiles have a range of 450 miles, which means they could hit Berlin if launched from Kaliningrad. "We are concerned by Nato decision making," Mr Putin said an interview broadcast on Monday. "We have, therefore, to take countermeasures, which means to target with our missile systems the facilities that in our opinion start posing a threat to us." The remarks are among the sharpest Mr Putin has made about...
Donald Trump recommends Nigel Farage for British ambassador to the United States
America, ENGLISH

Donald Trump recommends Nigel Farage for British ambassador to the United States

    Donald Trump has suggested that Britain should make Nigel Farage the ambassador to the US, in a surprising tweet guaranteed to raise eyebrows in the UK. Mr Trump made the recommendation to his almost 16 million Twitter followers on Monday night. "Many people would like to see @Nigel_Farage represent Great Britain as their Ambassador to the United States. He would do a great job!" said the president-elect, who is currently in the process of choosing his new Cabinet. Mr Trump appears to be revelling in ripping up the rule book. It is highly unusual for an incoming president to suggest ambassadors from other countries. Yet Mr Farage appears to have cultivated a remarkably close relationship with Mr Trump, who he sees as a kindred spirit, determined to turn "the establishment"...
Turkey withdraws controversial child marriage bill: submits it for review
ENGLISH, Europe

Turkey withdraws controversial child marriage bill: submits it for review

    Turkey’s Prime Minister Binali Yildirim says his government is withdrawing a proposal that critics say would legitimize child marriages and will instead submit it for review by a parliamentary committee. The proposal, which was scheduled to undergo a final vote on Tuesday despite a public outcry, would have deferred sentencing or punishment for sexual assault in cases where there was no physical force and where the victim and perpetrator were married. The age of consent in Turkey is 18, although courts permit civil marriages for people as young as 16. Many younger people are married in Islamic ceremonies. Binali Yildirim told reporters the government would ask an all-party commission to review the proposal. Critics said the bill would have pardoned statutory rape and rever...