
MPs say crumbling masonry, ageing electrics, leaks and asbestos threaten the 900-year-old estate as billions in renovation costs remain undecided
British MPs warn that the Palace of Westminster risks a Notre Dame-like fire or other catastrophe if a major restoration project continues to be delayed, citing crumbling masonry, ageing electrics, frequent leaks and high asbestos levels in parts of the 900-year-old estate.
AI-generated summary
The Palace of Westminster, parts of which are more than 900 years old, sits within a Unesco World Heritage site and requires billions of pounds for renovation. Parliamentarians have been unable to decide for years on how to proceed.
Britain’s centuries-old parliament is at risk of a “Notre Dame-like” fire or other catastrophe if lawmakers continue to put off a major restoration project, MPs warned on Wednesday.
Crumbling masonry, ageing electrics, frequent leaks and high asbestos levels are some of the problems besetting the Palace of Westminster, parts of which are more than 900 years old.
Billions of pounds are required to renovate the estate, which sits within a Unesco World Heritage site, but parliamentarians have been unable to decide for years on how to proceed.

The nine-in-one election in Taoyuan City will be held on November 28. In order to protect the secret voting rights of indigenous people, some indigenous electors may have to go to two places to vote. Affected voters will receive two voting notices and should confirm the designated location in advance.
The Jilin Provincial Commission for Discipline Inspection and Supervision opened a case review and investigation into Chai Wei, a member of the 12th Jilin Provincial Committee of the Communist Party of China and former party secretary and chairman of Northeast Small and Medium-sized Enterprise Financing Reguarantee Co., Ltd., and decided to expel him from the party and from public office, terminate his qualifications as a representative of the 20th Party Congress, and transfer his suspected crimes to the procuratorate for review and prosecution in accordance with the law.

The Blue and White camps accused the DPP's New Taipei mayoral candidate Su Qiaohui's family of being involved in the "Queshi Intelligence" investment interest dispute, and criticized the Ministry of Finance for failing to provide relevant information on pan-public financial institutions to the Audit Department, believing that the Ministry of Finance was shielding Su Qiaohui. Su Qiaohui reiterated in the interview that her sister Su Qiaochun is not the person in charge of Queshi Intelligent or a person related to the project. She emphasized that elections should discuss political opinions and visions, and there is no need to embarrass civil servants.

The Legislative Yuan passed the Elderly Welfare Act on third reading, exempting seniors over the age of 65 from health insurance premiums. The Executive Yuan will decide to review or counter-sign. Media reported that Minister of Health and Welfare Shi Chongliang sent a text message asking more than 10 medical and social welfare groups to oppose the law amendment. Zhuang Ruixiong, secretary-general of the Democratic Progressive Party, believed that the communication between the administrative department and the groups was reasonable and that Shi Chongliang was well-organized and responsible.
On November 4, the themed event "Story Sharing Meeting between Sun Yat-sen and the United Front - Commemorating the 160th Anniversary of the Birth of Dr. Sun Yat-sen" was held in Guangzhou. Sun Weiyong, Zhang Jinchao, Li Shengxi and others shared the history of Sun Yat-sen's efforts to unite various forces to promote cooperation between the Kuomintang and the Communist Party, and introduced cultural symbols such as the sour tree and Sun Wenlian. Sun Bisheng recalled Sun Mei's support for the revolution.

Writer Zhao Xiaohui analyzed the 2026 Taipei mayoral election on Facebook and believed that Shen Boyang and Chiang Wanan were locked in a five-fifth battle. The election has "changed subject and object." Shen Boyang has a greater chance of winning, but Chiang Wanan can still fight back through fear mobilization and current resources. There are still 23 days left before the voting day.