March Madness is here again! You may remember, last year’s women’s college basketball final between undefeated South Carolina and Caitlin Clark’s Iowa had higher TV ratings than the men’s championship game – the first time that had ever happened. An average of 18.7 million viewers tuned in for the game on ABC and ESPN. The men’s title game, between UConn and Purdue, drew 14.8 million on TBS and TNT. That game made some investors think about women’s sports in a different light. The money gap between men’s and women’s sports is still massive. The WNBA increased its media rights revenue sixfold in its…
Author: Ivan Petrov
Asylum accommodation whistleblowers have claimed three teenage Iranian asylum seekers went on holiday to their home country to visit family and enjoy watersports despite claiming to have fled because of persecution. Three Kurdish-Iranian asylum seekers returned on holiday to their country of origin on separate occassions funded by another migrant, two housing workers told the Express. After a spate of trips last year by teenagers from accommodation in Derbyshire, East Midlands, the two former employees of housing provider Framework claimed their concerns about the young men, who’d all arrived in Britain by small boat, were “brushed aside.” Housing officer Darren…
Ahead of the rise in employer national insurance (NI) contributions coming into effect this Sunday, the British Chambers of Commerce Quarterly Economic Survey for Q1, shows business sentiment remains very weak as taxation continues to be the top concern. Toxic mix as businesses prepare for tax rise Ahead of the rise in employer national insurance (NI) contributions coming into effect this Sunday, the British Chambers of Commerce Quarterly Economic Survey for Q1, shows business sentiment remains very weak as taxation continues to be the top concern. 59% of surveyed firms cite it as a worry (compared with 63% in Q4…
London, UK – Ewan Venters, a name synonymous with British elegance and entrepreneurial flair, has spent the last two decades quietly redefining the world of luxury retail and hospitality. From helming iconic brands like Fortnum & Mason to spearheading artistic hospitality ventures at Artfarm, Venters has proven himself to be both a traditionalist and a trailblazer. A Legacy of Taste at Fortnum & Mason Venters’ tenure as CEO of Fortnum & Mason (2012–2020) marked a golden era for the centuries-old luxury department store. Under his leadership, the brand not only shattered records in sales and profitability but also expanded its…
A fractured axle caused a passenger plane’s wheel to fall off during take off from a Scottish airport, an investigation has found. The right nose wheel separated from the front landing gear of the Emerald Airlines flight – operated by Aer Lingus – between Edinburgh and Belfast City Airport on 31 October, 2023. Airport and flight crew failed to notice the detachment until the plane was being taxied to the terminal in the Northern Irish capital. The Air Accidents Investigation Branch (AAIB) said the fractured axle was probably caused by an overheated bearing, but it could not determine what caused it to…
Office lights in some corners of Westminster were on much later than usual last night. Why? Because ministers and officials, just like so many others, were watching the telly to see what US President Donald Trump would have to say, the Business Secretary Jonathan Reynolds among them. The president, brandishing a giant rectangular piece of card packed with the new tariff increases, unleashing waves of anxiety across factory floors, boardrooms and government ministries the world over. Folk in government in the UK had picked up a sense of the mood music – a sense that the UK was “in the…
Uber is opening up its ride-hailing app to black-cab drivers in the new year, in what it has dubbed a “partnership” with hackney carriage drivers. However, the Licensed Taxi Drivers’ Association (LTDA), which represents more than 10,000 members, said it was not consulted ahead of Uber’s “unilateral announcement”. The LTDA’s Steve McNamara said joining Uber would be “sullying” the trade. But Uber said a “small number” of cab drivers had already signed up. A spokesman for the US-based business added it hoped to recruit “several hundred” by January. Mr McNamara, LTDA general secretary, said there was “no demand for this…
Brentford fans will be able to get 20% off train tickets when travelling to Bees matches being played outside London as part of a climate change collaboration with Trainline. The Bees aim to encourage supporters to take part in the “I came by train” campaign because it is a more sustainable method of transport and becomes more affordable with the discount. Brentford sustainability manager James Beale said: “We’re pleased to be the first Premier League football club to be working with ‘I came by train’ and Trainline on this positive initiative. “Making our club more sustainable goes beyond what we…
A woman who was attacked on a Tube train in central London has said she was then left standing on a platform for a “harrowing” 30 minutes because no one answered the emergency calls she made from a help point. Sally Wynter said she had been left traumatised after being punched by a stranger on a busy Victoria line train on 27 March, but her attacker was able to get away because she could not raise the alarm. Ms Wynter has written to Sir Sadiq Khan – who has overall responsibility for the Tube network – describing the intercom system…
Prices in the UK rose by 2.8% in the 12 months to February, less than in the previous month but still above the Bank of England’s target. The Bank moves interest rates up and down to try to keep inflation at 2%, and has cut three times since August 2024. When it announced the last cut in February, the Bank warned that it expected inflation to rise again in 2025. What is inflation? Inflation is the increase in the price of something over time. For example, if a bottle of milk costs £1 but is £1.05 a year later, then…
