The inaugural CN RE:NEW Retrofit in Focus 2025 on 18 November at the Kia Oval will gather policymakers, clients and contractors to tackle scaling finance, policy and practical delivery for upgrading the UK’s existing building stock. London will host the inaugural CN RE:NEW Retrofit in Focus 2025 conference on 18…

Foxtons reports a 16.5% rise in London new‑homes volumes in H1 2025 and stronger revenues, citing first‑time buyers and improved mortgage availability as drivers — but warns H2 depends on lender behaviour and interest‑rate moves. Foxtons says it recorded a 16.5% rise in London new‑homes sales volumes in the first…

The operator has applied to replace dozens of static posters with a smaller number of digital screens and extra departure displays, saying decluttering will improve passenger flow, reveal 1870s station fabric and future‑proof capacity — but heritage groups remain wary. Network Rail has asked planners’ permission to strip back the…

Planning permission has been granted for Meadow Residential’s controversial Pentavia Retail Park masterplan, delivering 844 homes with 41% affordable housing in a perimeter‑led mansion‑block layout after a protracted call‑in, major redesign and tightened GLA carbon rules. The controversial redevelopment of the long‑vacant Pentavia Retail Park in Mill Hill has been…

TV presenter Emma Willis has spoken about undergoing minimally invasive surgery to close a septal defect discovered in adulthood, praising the Royal Brompton team and warning of the psychological impact of a late diagnosis while clinicians urge anyone with symptoms to seek cardiology review. Emma Willis has revealed she underwent…

Baroness Shami Chakrabarti says the government’s move to proscribe Palestine Action risks drawing more people onto the streets, as mass arrests in London and criticism from rights groups and MPs fuel a heated debate over proportionality, protest and public safety. Baroness Shami Chakrabarti has warned that the government’s decision to…

With market options weakening and KKR’s equity plan faltering, Whitehall has begun urgent contingency planning for a Special Administration Regime; CK Infrastructure has emerged as the front‑runner to assume control, prompting fraught debates over foreign ownership, environmental penalties and how to protect customers and taxpayers. Thames Water’s future is once…

Network Rail will close the Hounslow Loop between Kew Bridge and Barnes from 23–31 August 2025 for major strengthening works, with rail replacement buses and extended weekend routes; passengers — including Brentford fans on 23 August — are urged to check travel information and allow extra time. Network Rail has…

TfL has proposed raising the central London Congestion Charge from £15 to £18 from January 2026 and removing a universal EV exemption, replacing it with tiered discounts for low‑emission vehicles. Officials say the changes could boost revenues by around £80m a year and cut traffic, while opponents warn they will…

A HEPI study of nearly 600 LSE students finds widespread anxiety about speaking up: many fear disciplinary, academic or visa consequences, feel underprepared to handle challenging or legally protected but harmful speech, and call for clearer institutional rules, pedagogy and facilitated dialogue rather than relying on legal duties alone. The…

Beeks Financial Cloud has launched Market Edge Intelligence™, an AI/ML platform that runs inside colocation sites to provide real‑time analytics, anomaly detection and predictive capacity forecasting. The vendor says the edge deployment can reduce propagation delays and operational risk while exposing arbitrage and order‑flow signals that conventional feeds may miss,…

NHS Blood and Transplant reports that a record share of deceased donors were aged over 50 in 2024/25, reflecting changes in population and clinical practice — but sign‑ups among older adults remain low amid rising transplant waiting lists. Last year the highest-ever share of people who donated organs after death…