British wine industry calls on Eurostar to bring back Kent services January 22, 2025 Britain’s wine industry has called for Eurostar to restart services from two Kent stations to boost the South East of England’s vineyards. The high-speed operator suspended operations from Ashford International and Ebbsfleet in the early stages of the pandemic. But it has faced mounting pressure to bring back the popular routes over the last year [...]
The future is free market populism January 22, 2025 Javier Milei, Pierre Poilievre and, of course, Donald Trump are at the vanguard of a new movement for free-market populism gaining support across the world, says Fred de Fossard The inauguration of President Trump for his second term is the latest development in the trend of a new type of free-market populism gathering momentum across [...]
Why commuter trains are the best place to gather market intelligence January 22, 2025 From overheard conversations to poorly concealed laptop screens, the morning commute is a rich source of leaked information, says Sam Turvey Every year my communications consultancy puts out a global M&A leaks report highlighting where in the world leaks are most prevalent, and speculates on why people leak confidential information. A debate normally ensues about [...]
Lee can bring Home the Stayers’ Hurdle bacon January 21, 2025 BACKING the winner of the Stayers’ Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival is almost always a tough ask, but I think I’ve found a bet in the race seven weeks out. Defending champion Teahupoo is undoubtedly the worthy favourite to retain his crown after he comfortably won the race 12 months ago, and he sits at [...]
Dreams of Orange Moon rising over Cheltenham January 21, 2025 ALL EYES will be on Cheltenham this Saturday when the Cotswolds course hosts its Festival Trials Day, which could see a surprise outing for superstar hurdler Constitution Hill. Nicky Henderson announced earlier this week that the Unibet Hurdle (3:00pm) was a distinct possibility for Constitution Hill, having previously thought he would head straight to the [...]
Afghanistan boycott ‘not way to go’, says England captain Buttler January 21, 2025 England’s white-ball captain Jos Buttler has insisted that a boycott of their upcoming match against Afghanistan over the Taliban’s treatment of women is not “the way to go about it”. The England and Wales Cricket Board has faced growing pressure from politicians and activists to boycott next month’s fixture with Afghanistan, part of the Champions [...]
Business rates to more than double in ‘final blow’ to UK retailers January 21, 2025 Business rates are set to rise more than 140 per cent for thousands of high street businesses across the UK in yet another cost pressure for brick-and-mortar businesses. Business rates, which are levied on all commercial properties, were cut by 75 per cent in 2022 as high street stores found themselves unable to cope during [...]
Wales seek Six Nations boost from Principality Stadium roof decision January 21, 2025 Wales have attempted to draw a line under rugby’s roof rows of the past ahead of the Six Nations by announcing that the Principality Stadium will remain covered for all of the team’s home matches until at least 2027. Previously, opponents have had to agree to the roof being closed at the 74,000-seater venue but [...]
Where to go for Low and No January 21, 2025 JANUARY can be a dark time for hospitality, but just because you are watching your alcohol intake does not mean you should ignore London’s outrageously interesting dining scene. Here are some of my favourite places to dine when dry. SUNESince opening, East London’s Sune has been beloved by anyone that takes flavour seriously. Reminiscent of [...]
Belfast Harbour to welcome world’s largest cruise ships with £313m project January 21, 2025 Belfast Harbour has unveiled a £313m, five-year plan to help it welcome some of the world’s largest cruise ships. The strategy, which is entitled Advance Regional Prosperity 2025-2029, has also been designed to position the hub as a key player in the development of offshore wind energy port capacity in the UK and Ireland. A total of [...]