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Cash-strapped Birmingham City Council have paid £141.7million into their pensions over the past year (Image: Getty) Sign up to our free email newsletter to receive the latest breaking news and daily roundups More Newsletters Subscribe Please enter a valid email Something went wrong, please try again later. More Newsletters We use your sign-up to provide content in ways you’ve consented to and improve our understanding of you. This may include adverts from us and third parties based on our knowledge of you. More info Thank you for subscribing! We have more newsletters Show me See Our Privacy Notice See Our Privacy Notice × Group 28 Sign up to our free email newsletter to receive the latest breaking news and daily roundups Invalid email Something went wrong, please try again later. Sign Up No thanks, close We use your sign-up to provide content in ways you’ve consented to and improve our understanding of you. This may include adverts from us and third parties based on our knowledge of you. More info × Group 28 Thank you for subscribing! We have more newsletters Show Me No thanks, close See our Privacy Notice Nearly a quarter of council tax income in England is being funnelled into substantial pension schemes, with the typical household contributing £230 annually to council employees' retirement funds. Reports from The Times indicate that local councils have, on average, invested £5 billion into the Local Government Pension Scheme over the past year, which represents about 23.5 per cent of council tax revenue. A Freedom of Information request revealed that out of those councils that responded, 14 paid more than half of their council tax takings into pension pots. Out of England's 317 councils, 254 provided responses to the inquiry. Birmingham City Council, despite having to declare effective bankruptcy last year, was the second-highest contributor to pension funds, paying £141.7 million. This comes at a time when the average council worker's salary is nearly £40,000 a year, significantly higher than the national average. Councils have spent close to £7 billion on pensions in the past year, in stark contrast to the £2.2 billion allocated for emergency housing and just £1.1 billion for libraries, culture, heritage, and tourism. Pensions expert Tom McPhail from Lang Cat commented on the issue, stating: "In the context of today's economy and the decline of private sector pensions, it is extremely difficult to justify the continued generosity of the local authority scheme.", reports the Express . He highlighted the disparity between the lessening generosity of private pensions and the local government scheme, which has "just sailed blithely on regardless", supported by taxpayer subsidies for their retirements. . Hampshire County Council topped the list of pension spenders, contributing £281million, equivalent to £4,658 per staff member, to cover three years of payments. The scheme's generous terms provide members with a proportion of their final or average salary, depending on their length of service. Those with long careers in local government can typically expect around half of their final or average salary. Councils contribute an additional 20% of staff pay to the scheme, far exceeding the 4.5% average in the private sector, while employees themselves contribute around 5% of their salary. John O'Connell, CEO of the TaxPayers' Alliance, urged reform, stating: "These gold-plated pension schemes should be closed, with public sector benefits brought into line with those of the private sector." A Local Government Association spokesperson countered: "The pension scheme can help encourage people to develop a career in local government." "With pay often lower in local government than comparable private sector roles, the scheme can mitigate that while helping public sector workers avoid needing welfare benefits in retirement." Story Saved You can find this story in My Bookmarks. Or by navigating to the user icon in the top right. Follow CambridgeLive Facebook X (Twitter) More On PoliticsCEDAR FALLS, Iowa (AP) — Jacob Hutson's 20 points helped Northern Iowa defeat Southern Illinois 78-67 on Sunday. Hutson shot 7 of 10 from the field and 5 for 7 from the line for the Panthers (8-5, 2-0 Missouri Valley Conference). Tytan Anderson added 15 points while shooting 6 of 7 from the field and 3 for 3 from the line while he also had 10 rebounds. Max Weisbrod went 4 of 7 from the field (2 for 5 from 3-point range) to finish with 10 points. Jarrett Hensley finished with 20 points and six rebounds for the Salukis (5-8, 0-2). Ali Abdou Dibba added 10 points for Southern Illinois. Drew Steffe had eight points. Northern Iowa took the lead with 1:02 remaining in the first half and never looked back. Hutson led his team in scoring with 10 points in the first half to help put them ahead 38-34 at the break. Northern Iowa turned a 13-point second-half lead into a 27-point advantage with a 14-0 run to make it a 73-46 lead with 8:38 left in the half. Hutson scored 10 second-half points in the matchup. Both teams next play Wednesday. Northern Iowa hosts Belmont and Southern Illinois takes on Evansville at home. The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar .
Thrissur (Kerala): LDF-backed Thrissur Mayor M K Varghese on Saturday accused CPI leader V S Sunil Kumar of making baseless allegations against him and questioned whether the former minister's intention was to push him toward joining the BJP. He alleged that Sunil Kumar seemed uninterested in him working with the ruling CPM, cooperating with the Left Democratic Front, and bringing changes to Thrissur by implementing new projects. Varghese's criticism came a day after Sunil Kumar vehemently attacked him over his meeting with BJP state president K Surendran on Christmas Day. Sunil Kumar had contested as the LDF candidate from the Thrissur Lok Sabha constituency in the general election this year and lost to BJP's Suresh Gopi, who later became a Union Minister. A former minister in the Pinarayi Vijayan-led Cabinet, Sunil Kumar claimed on Friday that receiving a cake from Surendran was part of a planned political move. Speaking to reporters on Saturday, the Mayor rejected the allegations and said that the CPI leadership had not sought any explanation from him over the issue. He also mentioned that many of the councillors were convinced that the controversy was unnecessary, and that sharing a cake was not a "big deal". Claiming that he did not understand Sunil Kumar's real intentions, the Mayor said he had doubts about whether the CPI leader's goal was to get him expelled from his current position and push him toward the BJP. Varghese accused Sunil Kumar of trying to make him a scapegoat for his loss in the recent Lok Sabha polls in Thrissur. He also defended BJP state chief Surendran's visit and the sharing of a cake on Christmas Day. "I am convinced that Surendran's visit with the cake was very sincere," the Mayor said. Varghese also urged Sunil Kumar to explain BJP state president Surendran's revelation that the CPI leader had visited his house in Ulliyeri in Kozhikode, and in turn, he had visited Sunil Kumar's house in Anthikad in this district. Hours after the Mayor's strong-worded reply, Sunil Kumar stood by his statements but said he did not wish to add anything more. "I have said things very clearly, and there is no doubt about that. I don't want to create any fresh controversy or offer a new reply," he told reporters. CPI district secretary K K Valsan also sought to tone down the row, stating that there was no need to "politicise people sharing sweets during festivals and celebrations". "It should be seen as a personal matter... There is no need to see politics in it... That is CPI's stand," he said. The controversy reignited after CPI leader V S Sunil Kumar told a TV channel on Friday that the issue was not about the cake but reflected a larger concern regarding Varghese retaining the Mayor's post despite his apparent allegiance to the BJP. The CPI had previously demanded Varghese's removal, citing his allegedly shifting political loyalties. Varghese had also faced earlier criticism for meeting and welcoming Suresh Gopi, the BJP candidate at the time. During the BJP's Sneha Sandesha Yathra campaign, Surendran visited Varghese and offered him a Christmas cake, which sparked a political backlash. Sunil Kumar alleged that the gesture was deliberate, stating, "K Surendran did not offer cakes to any other mayor." He further claimed that Varghese, who was appointed under unique political circumstances, had previously worked for the BJP during the Lok Sabha elections. In the 55-member council, both the LDF and UDF hold 24 seats each, with the BJP holding six, making Varghese's position as an Independent councillor crucial to the balance of power. Malayalam actor and BJP leader Suresh Gopi defeated CPI candidate Sunil Kumar by a margin of 74,686 votes in the Thrissur constituency in the Lok Sabha elections.Market Whales and Their Recent Bets on AAOI Options
IISF 2024 Unveiled: Showcasing Science with Swadeshi Spirit and Global VisionPercentages: FG 48.980, FT .769. 3-Point Goals: 6-19, .316 (Twidale 4-8, Krimili 1-3, Maul 1-2, Suarez 0-2, Williams 0-1, Donez 0-3) Blocked Shots: 2 (Abigor 1, Onyiah 1) Turnovers: 21 (Suarez 5, Williams 5, Donez 3, Krimili 3, Onyiah 2, Maul 1, Twidale 1, Team 1) Steals: 8 (Donez 3, Williams 3, Onyiah 1, Suarez 1) Technical Fouls: None Percentages: FG 40.000, FT .667. 3-Point Goals: 4-13, .308 (Jah 1-2, Jones 1-1, Paris 1-2, Williams 1-4, Swann 0-4) Blocked Shots: 2 (Beh 1, Jones 1) Turnovers: 13 (Jones 5, Paris 3, Jah 2, Williams 2, Ross 1) Steals: 11 (Jah 4, Jones 2, Williams 2, Dew 1, Paris 1, Swann 1) Technical Fouls: None A_315 Officials_Angie Leite, Clifford Sims, Scott Osborne
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Bipartisan effort needed to resolve Muan disaster Published: 29 Dec. 2024, 19:51 A massive aviation disaster took place amid the national crisis from the impeachment of President Yoon Suk Yeol and the following impeachment of Prime Minister and acting President Han Duck-soo. Most of the 181 passengers and crew aboard a Jeju Air plane returning from Bangkok died at around 9 a.m. after the plane caught on fire while landing at Muan International Airport, South Jeolla. The government must rescue any possible survivors, treat injured passengers and crew, and offer support for their families. It must also conduct safety checks with other passenger planes to prevent such tragedies at airports across the country. The crash was reportedly caused by a bird strike above the airport. After the plane lost one engine from the collision, the plane belly-landed and veered off the runway. During belly landings, airports usually spray a layer of fire suppression foam on the runway. But the Muan airport didn’t take such measure. We are deeply worried if the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters really can handle the disaster. If a large-scale accident takes place, the Minister of the Interior and Safety usually leads the headquarters. If an accident calls for bigger leadership, the prime minister takes up the role. However, as the prime minister was suspended from duties due to his impeachment last week, Finance Minister Choi Sang-mok — who currently serves as acting prime minister and acting president — is required to play the role of the headquarters commander with the help from the interior minister as his deputy. But since the interior minister already resigned for his role in declaring emergency martial law, his deputy must help the finance minister. The seat of the police chief is also vacant since his impeachment by the legislature. But the finance minister must deal with tough economic challenges from unstable financial markets after the presidential impeachment. The value of the Korean won plummeted to nearly 1,500 won per dollar while the stock market dramatically plunged. On top of such urgent tasks, the finance minister must also deal with the unprecedented airplane crash. The opposition Democratic Party certainly played a big part in impeaching the president on Dec. 14 for his nonsensical declaration of martial law. But the majority party must not send the government into limbo further. The government and political parties must not deepen public concerns about security. Despite the ongoing impeachment procedure through the Constitutional Court, all stakeholders must be united in resolving the worst-ever aviation accident in Korea. We extend our deep condolences to the victims of the airplane crash and their bereaved families.Passing on the exams
By Conor Ryan Patriots offensive coordinator Alex Van Pelt did not mince words on Wednesday when asked about his team’s execution on offense Sunday afternoon. Little went New England’s way during the team’s 34-15 loss to the Dolphins, with the Patriots only generating 269 total yards of offense. But for Van Pelt, the most discouraging aspect of New England’s lopsided defeat revolved around the team’s undisciplined play. New England was whistled for 13 penalties on Sunday — 10 of which were accepted by Miami for 75 total yards. While some penalties can be called at the discretion of the officials (pass interference, for example), New England was knocked for six pre-snap penalties — an ugly indictment of the team’s own lack of poise at the line of scrimmage. “There’s no question it’s horse crap,” Van Pelt said on Wednesday. “One of our main objectives of the game was operations. That was a huge one, that’s pre-snap. We talked about not going backwards on first down, or second down. But we went backwards. We were digging ourselves out of a hole, especially in the first quarter.” Those pre-snap penalties snuffed out any semblance of momentum New England generated in the first quarter. Vederian Lowe and Demontrey Jacobs were whistled for three false starts within the first 15 minutes of Sunday’s game. That wave of infractions led to New England posting zero points off of a 12-play, 80-yard march into the red zone. A flag against Lowe led to a 2nd-and-16 that New England did convert on, but another hold against Jacobs pushed the Patriots to another 2nd-and-16 further down the field. That forced New England into a longer-field goal attempt — one that Joey Slye eventually missed from 45 yards out. New England has to tighten up several areas in their offensive execution, be it poor pass protection or Drake Maye’s growing pains when it comes to turnovers. But if the Patriots continue to make life harder on themselves with self-inflicted penalties, an offense already lacking in talent will remain stuck in neutral. “That’s just an area of locking in,” Van Pelt said. “We work all the cadences in practice. And to be quite honest, I showed those guys yesterday, we had false starts by those guys in practice last week. I reiterated to these guys how important practice is because it carries over into the game in good ways and bad ways. “I showed them both examples of that. So focus on practice, focus on doing it right during the week, and it generally carries over into the week. But that was the most disappointed I’ve been since the preseason. As I told the group, we took a step backwards. We had taken a couple steps forward. Now we have to find a way to get moving forward again this week.” Conor Ryan Conor Ryan is a staff writer covering the Bruins, Celtics, Patriots, and Red Sox for Boston.com, a role he has held since 2023. Boston.com Today Sign up to receive the latest headlines in your inbox each morning. Be civil. Be kind.UConn snaps ACC curse, beats North Carolina in Fenway Bowl