WOLF Hall has returned to BBC One, but only two episodes into its second season and it's been heavily criticised. Yet actually the BBC drama doesn't deserve the flack it's getting. Viewers have said it's "too slow" or that it's "boring" as they crave drama and excitement. Yet from the brutal execution scenes of Anne Boleyn to the chess-like power play from Cromwell around King Henry VIII, this is the reality of Tudor Britain and it certainly wasn't pretty. When Anne Boleyn's beheading aired at the beginning of episode one of the new series, viewers claimed they were 'traumatised' by the blood and gore. Yet it's a beheading so I don't know why viewers were expecting anything less than a brutal death. More on Wolf Hall Boleyn's death might have come from a French swordsman who did it quickly but there was always going to be blood and it was never going to be a clean death. The reality is that despite this being a drama based off Hilary Mantle's historical fiction, the Tudor times were still a dark part of history . That means romps, sexual tension and growing romances don't really have a place here. If you're looking for soft moments, sweet glances between lovers and falling in love then look to Bridgerton or another period drama, because Wolf Hall isn't it. Most read in News TV It's a masterclass in political power play with the stoic Mark Rylance leading the way. The man's eyebrows can say more than a whole scene of dialogue, and he's portraying the quick thinking mind of Cromwell expertly. Cromwell was ultimately the orchestra of Henry's split from Catharine of Aragon, his set up with Boleyn and then the next marriage to quiet Jane Seymour. There were no sword fights, daring duels or explosive rows, but ultimately smart moves, political alliances and engineered conversations was how Cromwell created the Tudor history we know about. As a Tudor history fan and someone who has been eagerly awaiting the second series of Wolf Hall the minute the first ended, this second season hasn't left me disappointed. In fact if anything I'm more in awe of how the drama is retelling the Hilary Mantle historical fiction and how its developing the Tudor court on screen. When I find myself craving a romance I'll look to the next season of Bridgerton or the romance in series like Sanditon or Outlander .the wild eight achievements 。

Small businesses need the right kind of incentives to succeedATLANTA , Dec. 11, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Invesco Advisers, Inc., a subsidiary of Invesco Ltd. IVZ , announced today the final results of the tender offers for Invesco Trust for Investment Grade New York Municipals VTN and Invesco Pennsylvania Value Municipal Income Trust VPV (each, a "Fund" and collectively, the "Funds"). Each tender offer expired at 11:59 p.m. , New York City time, on Monday, December 9, 2024 (the "Expiration Date"). Invesco Trust for Investment Grade New York Municipals conducted a tender offer for cash of up to 4,869,438 of the Fund's outstanding common shares of beneficial interest ("Common Shares"), representing twenty five percent of its Common Shares. Based on calculations by Computershare Trust Company, N.A., the depositary agent (the "Agent") for the Fund's tender offer, approximately 6,818,415 Common Shares, or approximately 35% of the Fund's Common Shares outstanding, were tendered through the Expiration Date. The Fund has accepted 4,869,438 shares (subject to adjustment for fractional shares) for cash payment at a price equal to $11.87 per share. This purchase price is 99% of the Fund's net asset value ("NAV") per share of $11.99 as of the close of regular trading on the New York Stock Exchange ("NYSE") on December 10, 2024 , the pricing date stated in the Offer to Purchase. Because the total number of Common Shares tendered exceeded the number of Common Shares offered to purchase, all tendered Common Shares are subject to proration in accordance with the terms of the Offer to Purchase. Under final pro-ration, 71.42% of the Common Shares tendered will be accepted for payment, subject to adjustment for fractional shares. Following the purchase of the tendered shares, the Fund will have approximately 14,608,315 Common Shares outstanding. Invesco Pennsylvania Value Municipal Income Trust conducted a tender offer for cash of up to 5,957,386 of the Fund's Common Shares, representing twenty five percent of its Common Shares. Based on calculations by the Agent, approximately 8,073,690 Common Shares, or approximately 33.9% of the Fund's Common Shares outstanding, were tendered through the Expiration Date. The Fund has accepted 5,957,386 shares (subject to adjustment for fractional shares) for cash payment at a price equal to $11.69 per share. This purchase price is 99% of the Fund's net asset value ("NAV") per share of $11.81 as of the close of regular trading on the New York Stock Exchange ("NYSE") on December 10, 2024 , the pricing date stated in the Offer to Purchase. Because the number of shares tendered exceeded the number of Common Shares offered to purchase, all tendered Common Shares are subject to pro-ration in accordance with the terms of the Offer to Purchase. Under final proration, 73.79% of the Common Shares tendered will be accepted for payment, subject to adjustment for fractional shares. Following the purchase of the tendered shares, the Fund will have approximately 17,872,158 Common Shares outstanding. For investor inquiries, call 1-800-341-2929. For media relations inquiries contact mediarelations@invesco.com This communication is not intended to, and shall not, constitute an offer to purchase or sell shares of any of the Invesco Funds, including either Fund. About Invesco Ltd. Invesco Ltd. Is a global independent investment management firm dedicated to delivering an investment experience that helps people get more out of life. Our distinctive investment teams deliver a comprehensive range of active, passive and alternative investment capabilities. With offices in more than 20 countries, Invesco managed $1.8 trillion in assets on behalf of clients worldwide as of September 30, 2024 . For more information, visit www.invesco.com . Invesco Distributors, Inc. is the U.S. distributor for Invesco Ltd.'s retail products. Invesco Advisers, Inc. is an investment adviser; it provides investment advisory services to individual and institutional clients and does not sell securities. Each entity is a wholly owned, indirect subsidiary of Invesco Ltd. Note: There is no assurance that a closed-end fund will achieve its investment objective. Common shares are bought on the secondary market and may trade at a discount or premium to NAV. Regular brokerage commissions apply. NOT A DEPOSIT | NOT FDIC INSURED l MAY LOSE VALUE l NO BANK GUARANTEE | NOT INSURED BY ANY FEDERAL GOVERNMENT AGENCY View original content to download multimedia: https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/invesco-advisers-inc-announces-final-results-of-tender-offers-for-invesco-trust-for-investment-grade-new-york-municipals-and-invesco-pennsylvania-value-municipal-income-trust-302329344.html SOURCE Invesco Ltd. © 2024 Benzinga.com. Benzinga does not provide investment advice. All rights reserved.

Thousands of Mainers expect to see boost in Social Security under bill before President Biden

Voters are against replacing disability benefits with vouchers and believe the welfare payments should be more generous, a survey shows. The majority of UK adults do not think personal independence payments (PIP) are too high despite attempts by successive ministers to bring forward cuts. And the public are also against replacing the money – which is to help people living with a disability with day to day activities and mobility – with vouchers, polling carried out by Savanta on behalf of i revealed. The proposal was put forward by the former Conservative government to drive down the rising cost of disability benefits. Liz Kendall, the Work and Pensions Secretary, has not ruled out including the idea in her own reforms, which are expected to be set out next year. Just one in four (23 per cent) of adults polled earlier this month said they support a voucher scheme replacing the current benefit system, with a majority (62 per cent) being in favour of PIP being paid in cash. Support for maintaining cash payments was cross-party, according to the survey, with a 2024 majority of Conservative, Labour, Liberal Democrat and Reform voters agreeing. The Government is preparing to set out proposals to cut economic inactivity by getting more people into work and imposing tougher sanctions on young people who refuse education or employment . The announcement is part of a wider drive to bring down welfare spending and ministers are also looking to reform disability and incapacity benefits as a means to save money. Changes to the disability benefit system are expected to be proposed, and consulted on next year, and ministers have come in for criticism for leaving claimants in a state of uncertainty. Kendall has insisted her government will come forward with its own plans but has not ruled out looking again at proposals mooted by her predecessor. These include raising the bar for disability benefits, introducing a tiered approach to payments and replacing cash with home improvement services or vouchers. UK adults also overestimate the amount of PIP paid to a claimant over four weeks, according to the survey of 2,228 voters. Only 14 per cent thought it was close to the actual standard rate of £290 for everyday tasks. Some 39 per cent guessed the payments were over £500 and 21 per cent thought they were as high as £700. Despite this, UK adults are more likely to say that PIP is too low (30 per cent) rather than too high (12 per cent). Speaking to MPs earlier this month, Kendall declined to rule out taking the voucher proposal forward under plans to cut the benefit bill for taxpayers. Read Next Starmer ‘peddling benefit scrounger myth’ says Abbott ahead of welfare crackdown “I was very struck particularly by the comments people made around shifting support to vouchers and where many organisations said their real concern was that it took away people’s autonomy and particularly when services are so stretched and tight,” Kendall said. “I will be putting forward our own proposals to reform sickness and disability benefits,” she added. “But based on those clear principles – getting the decisions right first time, early intervention, genuine support to help people into work, [and to] help people live fulfilling and independent lives.” Pressed on whether she would rule out a voucher system, she declined to do so. Chris Hopkins, political research director at Savanta said benefit vouchers “are simply not popular with the public, even for voters who traditionally support lower spending on the welfare state, such as Conservative or Reform UK voters”. “The majority of voters across all major parties believe that PIP should be made in cash to a bank account, as is currently the case,” he said. “Interestingly, only one in seven voters could correctly identify a standard four-week PIP payment – most suggesting a level far higher than is the reality. Despite this, UK adults are actually more likely to say that PIP is too low, rather than too high.” The proposed changes to the welfare system are part of a wider plan to tackle the rise in people claiming disability benefits, which is expected to cost the taxpayer £28bn a year by 2028/29 – an 110 per cent rise in spending since 2019. Ministers are due to set out the next steps for reforming PIP in the coming spring, as revealed by i , and are expected to review the eligibility criteria for PIP to reduce the pool of people who can claim. The Government will set out plans this week to change the process for assessing means-tested benefit claims for those who cannot work due to long-term sickness. The changes will mean young people will lose their benefits if they refuse to take up work and training opportunities. The Labour Government has said it will stick to a commitment under the former Tory administration to reduce the welfare bill by £3 billion over five years. Under the previous government, welfare eligibility would have been tightened so around 400,000 more people signed off long-term would be assessed as needing to prepare for work by 2028/29 to deliver the savings.