The best places to drink Portuguese wine in London right now July 15, 2025 Portuguese wine has flown relatively under the radar when compared to its neighbours France, Italy and Spain. “I’m bewildered when I visit a restaurant and there’s nothing from Portugal,” says Max Graham, founder of Bar Douro. “It offers such diversity – from mountains to the Atlantic coast and volcanic islands, there are over 250 native [...]
Regulation is ‘a boot on the neck of businesses’, Rachel Reeves to warn at Mansion House July 15, 2025 Financial services regulation is “a boot on the neck of businesses,” Rachel Reeves is expected to say as the Chancellor delivers her annual Mansion House speech later today. Reeves will urge watchdogs to “take up the call” of regulating for growth rather than “bend to the temptation of excessive caution” as she seeks to showcase [...]
All aboard the Northern Express to pull away from Ascot rivals July 15, 2025 THERE is Classic action across the Irish Sea on Saturday as the Curragh hosts the Irish Oaks. It’s a race that oftens turns into a Ballydoyle benefit and this renewal looks the same, with Epsom heroine Minnie Hauk currently long odds-on. I don’t have a bet in mind for this yet, but it’d be worth [...]
Rocket ready to dig out another win to close out season in style July 15, 2025 HONG Kong’s racing season concludes today when Happy Valley hosts an action-packed nine-race programme to celebrate the season finale. Expect plenty of entertainment along the way for the 20,000 plus racegoers who will witness international musical entertainment, a breathtaking fireworks display and a jockeys’ parade for racing fans. There will also be the crowning of [...]
The Punter Podcast Episode 39: Newbury, Irish Oaks, Market Rasen and Happy Valley July 15, 2025 Tom Marriott and Bill Esdaile preview the week’s big races from Newbury on Super Sprint Day, as well as the Irish Oaks at the Curragh with some summer jumps thrown in from Market Rasen. Bill has a big-priced fancy for next weekend’s International Handicap at Ascot on King George Day, plus Wally Pyrah has his [...]
County cricket faces viability questions, warns report July 15, 2025 County cricket faces “questions about its long-term viability” despite a looming £520m windfall from sales of stakes in the Hundred franchises, a new report has warned. The Leonard Curtis Cricket Finance Report, launched yesterday at the Oval, examines the financial health of domestic cricket in England and Wales. It found that central funding accounts for [...]
Cake Box: ‘We do very well when there’s trouble on the high street’ July 15, 2025 Cake Box has managed to find success on the high street at a tough time for in-store retail, consistently outperforming peers in day-to-day goods. Its recipe for success is simple, according to its chief executive Sukh Chamdal: small celebrations – birthday cakes which start at £20 – are one of the last non-essential things stretched [...]
Bank of England looks for jobs data revisions ahead of rate decision July 15, 2025 The Bank of England will be looking out for any revisions to the number of people pushed out of work on Thursday when the Office for National Statistics (ONS) publishes fresh jobs data, with an interest rate decision set to hinge on the extent of the deterioration in the labour market. Last month, the official [...]
FTSE 100 passes 9,000 points for first time July 15, 2025 The FTSE 100 hit another all-time high on Tuesday, sailing past the 9,000-point barrier for the first time ever despite continued uncertainty around tariffs acting as anchor on other major stock markets. London’s blue-chip equities index hit 9,016.98 points in early trades, taking its overall gains for the year up 10.3 per cent. Its constituents [...]
Scammers target struggling grads and school leavers amid jobs slump July 15, 2025 Young people applying for their first jobs are being confronted a double threat: a shrinking pool of entry level roles, as well as a surge in sophisticated job scams on social media. With graduate job postings down by a third year on year, fraudsters are exploiting the desperation of university graduates and school leavers by [...]