Global wine consumption falls to its lowest level since 1996 with production down 10%

<?xml encoding=”utf-8″ ?????????> World wine consumption dropped to its lowest level since 1996 last year, with production down 10 per cent, after the world’s worst grape harvest in 62 years, a new report has revealed. While the rising cost of living has put a dent in consumption trends, experts at the Organisation of Vine and […]

MPs cast doubt over UK government’s readiness for post-Brexit border control checks

<?xml encoding=”utf-8″ ?????????> MPs have cast doubt over the UK government’s readiness for post-Brexit border control checks, which are due to come in next week, arguing that a scaling back of its plans appeared to represent a sixth delay to their long-awaited introduction. The environment, food and rural affairs select committee (EFRA) has written to […]

Tata rejects plea to keep Port Talbot blast furnace

<?xml encoding=”utf-8″ ?????????> Tata Steel has rejected a plan from unions to keep one blast furnace running at Britain’s biggest steel plant in Port Talbot while it transitions to greener steel production. The company’s chief executive and managing director, TV Narendran, said the unions’ proposal was not “financially or operationally viable”. About 2,800 jobs are […]

Google accused of making it harder to search for rival

<?xml encoding=”utf-8″ ?????????> Google has been accused of taking advantage of its market dominance to make it harder to search for a rival email service. Tuta Mail – which says it has more than ten million users worldwide – alleges that, since March, it hasn’t appeared prominently in Google searches for “encrypted email.” The company […]

Microsoft’s push into AI is paying off as revenue beats expectations at $61.9 billion

<?xml encoding=”utf-8″ ?????????> Microsoft’s strategic focus on artificial intelligence (AI) is yielding substantial returns, as evidenced by its impressive third-quarter revenue performance, surpassing Wall Street expectations. The company reported revenue of $61.9 billion, a 17% increase, and net income of $21.9 billion, a 20% rise compared to the previous year. A significant factor driving Microsoft’s […]

Barclays profits fall less than expected as turnaround strategy progresses

<?xml encoding=”utf-8″ ?????????> Barclays has shown promising signs of progress in its ambitious turnaround efforts, with quarterly profits falling less than anticipated by the markets. Coimbatore Sundararajan Venkatakrishnan, known as Venkat, Barclays’ CEO, has been working to address years of underperformance in the stock market, and the recent results suggest that the bank’s overhaul strategy […]

Shoplifting hits highest level in at least 20 years

<?xml encoding=”utf-8″ ?????????> Shoplifting incidents reported to the police have surged to their highest level in at least two decades, according to recent data from the Office for National Statistics (ONS). Last year, a staggering 430,104 shoplifting offences were recorded in England and Wales, marking a significant 37% increase from the previous 12 months. This […]

The EU’s Rushed Rollback of Green Farming Rules: A Threat to Sustainability and Democracy

<?xml encoding=”utf-8″ ?????????> In a rush to assuage the grievances of protesting farmers and court rural votes ahead of the impending June EU elections, the European Union has hastily pursued the dilution of environmental safeguards within its agricultural subsidy system. This expedited maneuver, shrouded in secrecy and devoid of comprehensive assessment, not only deviates from […]

Labour set to renationalise most rail services within five years

<?xml encoding=”utf-8″ ?????????> Labour has announced its intention to renationalise most passenger rail services within five years if elected, aiming to bring them under public control as contracts expire. Despite this move towards nationalisation, the party asserts that there will still be a place for the private sector in the rail industry. Among Labour’s railway […]

John Barnes banned from company directorships over unpaid taxes

<?xml encoding=”utf-8″ ?????????> John Barnes, the former England footballer, has been barred from serving as a company director due to unpaid taxes amounting to over £190,000 after his media firm, which provided media representation services, failed  to pay taxes on income exceeding £400,000. Barnes, renowned for his football career with 79 caps for England and […]