Libby’s Naked Wines Diary: Quaffing Spanish wine in the Parisian Pulitzer April 29, 2025 Paris has often been described as “magical” but I experienced my own miracle this weekend. The Significant Other and I were dining at Le Patio, the restaurant of Hotel Pulitzer in the Opera Quarter of Paris. Over squidgy, crispy croquettes and pesto laden burrata, I realised I had lost an earring. An earring my late [...]
Downing Street denies lobbying for Trump Turnberry to host Open in 2028 April 29, 2025 Downing Street says the selection of hosts of the Open is a matter for the organisers amid claims US President Donald Trump has made repeated requests to Sir Keir Starmer for golf’s oldest major to be held at his Turnberry course in 2028. The Prime Minister’s official spokesman did not deny that Whitehall officials had [...]
Porsche: Trump tariffs and China troubles to slash sales and profit April 29, 2025 Porsche has cut its forecasts for 2025 amid fears over the impact of President Donald Trump’s tariffs on the global car industry. The luxury sports car maker expects to report a profit margin of between 6.5 to 8.5 per cent this year, down from prior guidance of 10 to 12 per cent. Revenue is also [...]
Employment Rights Bill will ‘cut retail staff numbers’ April 29, 2025 Labour’s Employment Rights Bill will lead to job cuts and price hikes, a poll of 31 major retailers has found, in the latest sign the government’s legislative agenda risks harming economic growth. The legislation, which is nearing its final stages in Parliament, introduces sweeping changes to zero-hours contracts, sick pay, leave, flexible working and dismissal, [...]
EU youth mobility scheme exposes Labour’s immigration angst April 28, 2025 The government will not back it, the government will back it. It will grow the economy, it will make Brits poorer. It will reverse Brexit, it doesn’t bring us close enough to the European Union. It is not a youth mobility scheme, it’s a ‘youth experience’ scheme. Labour’s hokey-cokey dance around the possible introduction of [...]
NHS app set to slash waiting times, but concerns remain April 28, 2025 As the government continues its push to expand the NHS app in an effort to reduce waiting times and improve efficiency, concerns are mounting over the potential drawbacks and accessibility of the app for all patients. The Department of Health and Social Care recently announced that the expanded NHS app has already helped prevent 1.5m [...]
HSBC and Barclays shareholders eye returns as tariffs cloud banks’ reports April 28, 2025 The FTSE 100’s ‘Big Five’ banks are gearing up for first-quarter results season – and shareholders will be eyeing how lenders set the tone for the year ahead. HSBC will kick off reports on Tuesday, followed by Barclays on Wednesday and Lloyds on Thursday. Natwest and Standard Chartered will round off the results week on [...]
Zelensky says Vatican meeting with Trump ‘has potential to become historic’ April 26, 2025 Volodymyr Zelensky said his meeting with Donald Trump on the fringes of the Pope’s funeral “has potential to become historic”. The Ukrainian president and his US counterpart met within St Peter’s Basilica after they each paid respects at Francis’ coffin. A photograph of the two leaders shows them sat opposite one another on chairs within [...]
M&S: Shares at FTSE 100 retailer fall as cyber attack hits customers April 24, 2025 Shares in Marks & Spencer (M&S) have continued to fall as its battle against a cyber attack wages on. The FTSE 100 retailer has said the incident, which was disclosed to the public on Tuesday, has impacted contactless payments and click and collect orders. Shares in M&S have fallen by more than 1.5 per cent [...]
Shawbrook eyes £5bn Starling merger instead of IPO April 24, 2025 Shawbrook Group is weighing up a £5bn merger with fintech giant Starling, in a move that would be emblematic of a tougher outlook on stock market listings. The mid-cap lender has reached out to Starling in the last two months to initiate talks on a potential deal, as reported by Sky News. The proposal remains [...]