Britain on Thursday outlined details of an overhaul to its planning system to boost growth and hit a target of 1.5 million new homes in the next five years, including ordering local authorities to build more houses. The housebuilding target was one of six “milestones” announced by Prime Minister Keir Starmer a week ago as he pledged to revamp a ...

Hospitals in England are being hit by a “tidal wave” of flu and other winter viruses, NHS bosses say. Data released by NHS England showed there were an average of nearly 1,900 beds occupied by flu patients last week – up 70% on the week before. That is more than three times higher than this time last year, with doctors ...

A new study found no proof that footballers’ high risk of dementia is related to their health or lifestyle. It suggests that heading footballs may be causing brain injuries instead, reports BBC. The study was led by Professor Willie Stewart from Glasgow University, who five years ago found that footballers were 3.5 times more likely to die from a brain ...

Arjun, a 34-year-old Indian expat, considers himself as enlightened when it came to women’s menstrual health. Growing up with four of his sisters, he never shied away from the topic. He said: “I had witnessed the impact of cramps, mood swings, hormonal ups and downs on women as my sisters and mother went through their monthly courses.” It made Arjun ...

The interim government has signed a $100 million loan agreement with the Asian Development Bank (ADB) to support the Bangladesh Infrastructure Finance Fund Limited Project. The project will be implemented by Bangladesh Infrastructure Finance Fund Limited (BIFFL) by 2029 at the initiative of the government’s Finance Division, says a press release from the Economic Relations Division. It said ADB will ...

Public sector workers will only get above inflation pay increases if they improve productivity, Downing Street has said. Unions have reacted with anger to proposals for a 2.8% pay increase for teachers, NHS staff and senior civil servants next year. The British Medical Association (BMA) said there was a “very real risk” of further industrial action if “pay erosion” was ...

Environment activists and academics have demanded immediate measures for stopping illegal extraction of stone from various places in Sylhet. They raised the issue at a view exchange meeting with the media persons at a hotel in the city on Wednesday. They sought media support for the critical issue while some groups were lobbying for permission of stone extraction although it’s ...

FBI Director Christopher Wray announced on Wednesday that he intends to step down at the end of President Joe Biden’s term in January. His decision comes just over a week after President-elect Donald Trump declared his intention to nominate Kash Patel, a loyal ally, as the next FBI director. Speaking at a town hall meeting with FBI employees, Wray cited ...

Japan-Bangladesh Chamber of Commerce and Industry (JBCCI) on Wednesday laid emphasis on relaxing financial regulations to promote ease of doing business for establishing a favourable trade and investment ecosystem. The chamber made the observation at a meeting between the Board of Directors of the JBCCI and Commerce Adviser Sk Bashir Uddin at his office in the city, said a press ...

The Asian Development Bank (ADB) will provide a $600 million policy-based loan (PBL) to the government of Bangladesh, with a package of structural reforms supporting the mobilization of domestic resources. The PBL would also help Bangladesh in improving its efficiency of public investment projects, developing the private sector, reforming state-owned enterprises, and promoting transparency and good governance. “ADB’s PBL promptly ...