Home >News >WLBC response to The Times articleWLBC response to The Times articleWest Lancashire Borough Council response:"We welcome comparison with other Councils where it can be applied to drive improvement however, we share the Local Government Association’s (LGA) concerns about the methodology used to present OFLOG data by The Times. “OFLOG itself warns that when using the metrics "data on its own does not present a complete picture”. “The ratios calculated in the "debt servicing as a proportion of core spending power" and "total debt as a proportion of core spending power" are both factually incorrect. West Lancashire Borough Council operates two revenue accounts, the General Revenue Account (GRA) and Housing Revenue Account (HRA). “The GRA is largely financed by council tax collection, retained non-domestic rates and government grants ie core spending power.

Kevin Spacey says he is facing foreclosure on his Baltimore home and owes “many millions” in legal debt. Spacey, hoping to jump-start his screen career, revealed in a recent interview that he is facing “considerable” debt. “I can’t pay the bills that I owe,” he said in an interview with Piers Morgan published Tuesday. Reemerging into public consciousness with multiple media appearances, Spacey continues to make it clear he’s ready to work again. In Tuesday’s interview, Spacey declared, “I do believe that the majority of people would like me to get back to work.”

So Biden came to grips with his Pro-Ukrainian policies what makes him steadfast enough regarding the Russian aggression what makes him a viable choice for the western alliance. www.theguardian.com/…Joe Biden and Volodymyr Zelenskiy will sign a 10-year bilateral security agreement at the G7 summit in Italy, as arguments continued on the sidelines about how the west can provide a Donald Trump-proof $50bn loan to Ukraine. Kyiv has signed 15 bilateral security agreements with other countries since the full-scale Russian invasion began in 2022, including with the UK, France, Germany and Italy. The US-Ukraine agreement does not require the authorisation of Congress and could be undone by a future Trump administration. Biden has said previously that guarantees for Ukraine would be equivalent to those to Israel, covering financial and military assistance as well as the possibility of the joint weapons production.

The Labour leader vowed to 'return to the serious business of rebuilding our country' as he put wealth creation and economic growth at the heart of the party’s manifesto. Starmer announced his plans for government, targeted at winning over former Tory voters, at an event at the Co-op headquarters in Manchester. He said: 'Wealth creation is our number one priority. Growth is our core business. The only route to improving the prosperity of our country and the living standards of working people'

China tensions and wars in Gaza, Ukraine loom over G7 talks in ItalyLeaders from seven of the world’s richest countries are meeting in Italy from Thursday for a three-day gathering that will largely focus on the wars in Europe and the Middle East as well as growing tensions between the West and China. The annual G7 summit, being held in the picturesque region of Puglia on the Adriatic Sea, brings together France, Germany, the US, Canada, the UK, Italy, Japan and the European Union for informal group conversations and one-on-one talks. Invitations have been extended to Pope Francis, Jordan’s King Abdullah II and leaders from Ukraine, India, Brazil, Argentina, Turkey, the UAE, Kenya, Algeria, Tunisia and Mauritania. Middle East conflict: The G7 is expected to endorse US President Joe Biden’s ceasefire proposal for Gaza, though no harsh criticism of Israel’s bombardment is expected. The G7 Summit serves as a critical platform where major economies discuss global governance and finance issues.

The pub has hit headlines several times already since Tony took over, earning its stripes as a top training ground for pool pros in the borough. The pub kept this name for more than 140 years until Sam Smiths took over in 1982 and renamed it Funnies. When asked about his favourite memory at the pub so far, Tony said it was "hard to pick" just one. Tony is proud to have picked up two Proper Pubs awards (Image: Bear on the Hill)He added: "I am living my dream doing my job and I have an absolutely fantastic team who work with me. The landlord said his biggest challenges come down to "trying to keep up with the times", particularly as the pub was "quite dated" when he first took over.

This gives us a chance to speak to individuals from all political parties about what they will do to support babies, children and young people in our communities. We want to encourage political candidates to be a voice for children if they’re elected as our local MP. Children need to be protected at home, in school, online, and in our local community. That’s why I’m asking everyone to urge political parties to prioritise preventing abuse and neglect, so that every child can grow up safe and healthy. Please join with the NSPCC to ensure our new Members of Parliament speak up for children.

Source: theguardian.comLeading nonprofits join Albertsons Companies Foundation in a first-of-its-kind initiative to tackle summer hunger among children in the U.S. The Albertsons Companies Foundation announced the launch of a new collective effort focused on addressing childhood hunger this summer. Montreal-based Dollarama announced that it had snatched up an additional 10% interest in Dollarcity, which it intends to bring to Mexico. Source: thecanadianpressnews.caUS: ReposiTrak welcomes retailer to expanding Food Traceability NetworkReposiTrak welcomes a major retailer to the ReposiTrak Traceability Network® (RTN). The majority of respondents (71%) buy their fruit and vegetables from hypermarkets and supermarkets, and almost one in two Hungarians buy from a greengrocer.

Erik ten Hag will take charge of his third season at Manchester UnitedErik ten Hag is set to cause Sir Jim Ratcliffe a headache with a reported six requests after being retained as Manchester United manager. Following months of speculation about his future, the Dutchman, 54, will now remain in charge ahead of next season. Along with wanting to keep his authority over transfers, he's laid out six requests to the British billionaire, reports the Mirror. His demands don't stop there, however, with Ten Hag wanting a new striker to help Rasmus Hojlund carry the goal-scoring burden, with Anthony Martial leaving the club this summer after nine years. The ex-Porto and Ajax forward has received high praise from Marcus Rashford, whose own future at United is another issue that Ten Hag wants sorted out.

We just learned about a photovoltaic colossus that we had under wraps in a place you won’t believe: they’re going to put 2 million solar panels and 120,000 batteries in place… to do this. The plantation area of this solar farm is 4,600 acres, and the installed capacity is 875 MW of solar photovoltaic (PV) panels and 3.2 GWh of battery storage. There are nearly two million modules with solar panels. Solar panels are installed in the electricity generation process at Edwards & Sanborn through photovoltaic technology, which helps generate electric power with solar energy. That is precisely why concentrating so many solar panels is the perfect idea for the near future.

“In terms of the targets or otherwise, we’ll make those decisions when we’re in government,” Mr Dutton said. He would even have some yet-to-be-revealed 2030 target, he said. “We’ve got a strong commitment to net zero by 2050, but we’ve got to be realistic about where families are at the moment,” Mr Dutton said. The Prime Minister noted that since releasing that information, Australia has likely moved closer to being on track to meet the 2030 target. “For Peter Dutton to walk away from any 2030 commitment, to be clear, is walking away from the Paris Agreement.”

Erik ten Hag is staying at Manchester United, and that means transfer business can fully kick into gear with the Reds needing plenty of signings and sales during the summer window. When pressed on whether he is prepared for a big move if the call comes this summer, Toney replied: "Obviously, if it was to come, I would be ready. According to The Times, Ten Hag would like United to hand McCarthy fresh terms after bringing him to Old Trafford in 2022. Following the news that Ten Hag will remain as manager, there seems to be no future for Sancho at Old Trafford. They are trying to raise transfer funds to spend in the transfer market and also plan to sell Mason Greenwood.

“Daily Show” correspondent Jordan Klepper said Republicans should be celebrating the guilty verdict in Hunter Biden’s criminal gun case. Except they’re not, with Donald Trump’s supporters instead using the conviction to launch entirely new conspiracy theories, leading Klepper to one “genuine” question for MAGA fans. “Your political enemy’s son is headed to prison and your mind immediately jumps to, ‘He’s just taking the fall for Joe Biden,’” Klepper said. “Let me tell you something: Nobody is taking the fall for Joe Biden. He falls plenty enough on his own.”Klepper, who is hosting this week, urged conservatives “take the W” in his Wednesday night monologue:

Like the bosses of many food companies, Jeremy Bunch is worried about the impact of climate change on his business. “Weather and the climate are maybe the number one risk to our company,” says the boss of US flour firm Shepherd’s Grain. Based in Idaho, the business sources wheat from farmers across the US Pacific northwest. As weather patterns become more unpredictable, Mr Bunch says: “I need to have a plan B, and plan C, in case plan A fails.”To help strengthen these plans, Mr Bunch’s company is now using an AI-powered software system called ClimateAi. It then advises on exactly when to plant and harvest particular crops, and predicts their yields.

(AP Photo/Bilal Hussein)By BASSEM MROUEHezbollah vowed Wednesday to intensify its attacks along the Lebanon-Israel border to avenge the killing of its most senior military commander by Israel since the latest round of violence began eight months ago. “Our response after the martyrdom of Abu Taleb will be to intensify our operations in severity, strength, quantity and quality,” senior Hezbollah official Hachem Saffieddine said during a funeral ceremony for Taleb Sami Abdullah. Air raid sirens sounded across northern Israel on Wednesday morning, and the military said about 160 projectiles were fired from southern Lebanon — one of the largest attacks since the latest fighting began. The Israeli military said the attack was part of a strike on a Hezbollah command and control center used to direct attacks against Israel in recent months. “Abdullah was one of Hezbollah’s most senior commanders in southern Lebanon who planned, advanced and carried out” a large number of attacks against Israeli civilians, the military said.