Downing Street asks ICC to support Afghan women amid boycott calls January 7, 2025 Downing Street has waded into the debate surrounding a potential England boycott of next month’s match with Afghanistan, calling on the International Cricket Council to “deliver on their own rules”. England are scheduled to take on Afghanistan at the Champions Trophy in Pakistan on 26 February but there have been calls for the England and [...]
With expectations so low, Starmer might just carve out a win January 7, 2025 From a news perspective, the Christmas break was more Deck the Halls than Silent Night. Keir Starmer ended last year with approval ratings so low that critics were never going to call off the dogs in the spirit of good will to all men. The PM couldn’t even enjoy a toboggan run in Madeira without [...]
2025 bank holidays: the full list including rumours of an extra day off January 6, 2025 There had been rumours of an additional 2025 bank holiday to mark 80th anniversary of the end of WW2 With better weather, longer evenings and two 2025 bank holidays, May is already a decent proposition for City workers – but rumours of a third 2025 bank holiday to earmark the end of WW2 threatened to [...]
The 25 best things to do in London in 2025, from theatre to films and bonkers events January 6, 2025 Theatre, film, exhibitions, barmy events: here are the best 25 things to do in London in 2025 Another new year and, Dry January aside, there’s plenty to be excited for. Yes, our capital is stepping up to mark a quarter of a century since the millennium bug (feel old yet?) with oodles of brilliant new [...]
H Samuel and Ernest Jones owner cuts loss despite £40m sales hit January 6, 2025 The company behind high street jewellers H Samuel and Ernest Jones significantly cut its loss despite sales falling by almost £40m during its latest financial year. The Birmingham-headquartered business has reported a pre-tax loss of £483,000 for the year to 3 February, 2024, down from the £8.9m loss it posted in its prior 12 months. [...]
Elon Musk’s attacks on Jess Phillips a ‘disgraceful smear’, Streeting says January 5, 2025 Wes Streeting has said attacks made by Elon Musk on Jess Phillips over grooming gangs are a “disgraceful smear” considering the Labour minister’s efforts to support victims of abuse. The billionaire owner of social media platform X, Tesla and Space X suggested the safeguarding minister “deserves to be in prison” for denying requests for the [...]
Tulip Siddiq reportedly given London flat linked to deposed Bangladeshi leader January 4, 2025 City minister Tulip Siddiq was reportedly given a London flat by a person with links to the deposed Bangladeshi leader. Siddiq, who serves as economic secretary to the Treasury with a brief including “countering economic crime, money laundering and illicit finance” was reported to have been given the two-bedroom property near King’s Cross in 2004, [...]
Why we don’t know how much a ‘National Care Service’ could cost UK January 3, 2025 Health secretary Wes Streeting has unveiled the government’s latest move towards reform of the UK’s social care system. Taking the form of an independent commission into the issue, led by Baroness Louise Casey, the review – reporting in 2026 and 2028 – will aim to build “cross-party consensus” for the creation of a new National [...]
Avoid Tesla, Intel, oil and German equities in 2025 say analysts January 3, 2025 Wall Street analysts have pencilled in strong gains for equity markets in 2025, following a robust performance in 2024. However, while analysts are optimistic about the outlook for the market as a whole, there are some assets Wall Street believes will underperform in the year ahead. Here are the four assets analysts are advising investors [...]
Not-so-golden quarter: Retail footfall slumps in another disappointing year January 3, 2025 A dull December marked the end of yet another “disappointing” year for UK retail footfall as fresh data has revealed 2024 was the second year in a row to see a decline. According to recent Sensormatic data by the British Retail Consortium, UK footfall fell by 2.5 per cent year-on-year during the three months to December, [...]