UK toy sales rose for the first time in five years last year, offering rare optimism for a sector that has struggled since the pandemic, but industry leaders are now watching closely for any fallout from potential social media bans aimed at under-16s. The value of UK toy sales increased by 6 per cent in 2025, according to data from Circana, marking the first year of value growth since 2020. The total market was valued...
Elon Musk has raised the prospect of buying Ryanair in the latest escalation of a public war of words with the airline’s outspoken chief executive, Michael O’Leary. The exchange follows a disagreement over whether Europe’s largest low-cost carrier should install Musk’s Starlink satellite internet system across its fleet of more than 650 aircraft. O’Leary has repeatedly dismissed the idea, arguing that the required antennae and hardware would add unnecessary weight and drag, increasing fuel burn...
More than 130 senior hotel and holiday park executives have written to the chancellor, Rachel Reeves, warning that Labour’s planned changes to business rates represent the most serious threat to the sector’s viability and must not be limited to pubs alone. In a letter coordinated by UKHospitality, industry leaders said the government’s proposed relief package for pubs risks leaving large parts of hospitality “hung out to dry”, despite facing similarly sharp increases in costs. Signatories...
Unemployment remained stuck at a near five-year high in the run-up to Rachel Reeves’s November Budget, while wage growth continued to ease, reinforcing expectations that interest rate cuts are edging closer. Figures published on Tuesday by the Office for National Statistics showed the UK unemployment rate holding steady at 5.1 per cent in the three months to November. That is the highest level since early 2021 and broadly in line with economists’ forecasts. Joblessness has...
MPs have thrown their weight behind calls for greater Government support for British businesses developing alternatives to plastic packaging, as Parliament steps up its focus on tackling the global plastics crisis. At a Westminster briefing hosted by the Natural Polymers Group, parliamentarians heard how UK-led innovation in nature-based materials could form a £4.2 billion industry and create more than 35,000 high-skilled green jobs across the country. More than a dozen MPs, peers and civil servants...
The resumption of the Sky Train trial this week signalled a significant development in the proceedings, particularly as the court entered a phase that is often crucial in complex financial cases. A turning point was marked by the court’s decision to admit key email correspondence into evidence, despite the prosecution’s unexpected objections. This shift underscored the importance of documentary records and highlighted the vital role that contemporaneous materials play in evaluating institutional decision-making in large-scale...
Fence posts are very important for any kind of fencing. Even if the panels or mesh are strong, the whole thing relies on the posts that hold it up. Picking the right fence posts makes sure your fence stays strong for a long time. It helps your fence stand up to bad weather, and you will not have to fix it as often. Knowing about the different types of materials, how they are treated, and...
By any measure, Dr. Ha T. Hatley has built her career with intention. From her early life as an immigrant to her work today in telehealth and obesity medicine, her path reflects steady leadership, discipline, and a clear view of where healthcare is going. Early Life and the Discipline to Start Over Dr. Ha Hatley’s story begins outside the U.S. She was born and raised in Vietnam. At 17, she immigrated to the United States....
Irish online betting platforms are at a crossroads. Ireland is attempting to introduce new legislation that will help to tighten up the industry, while also ensuring that they do not over-regulate to the point where the industry’s creativity is stifled. The purpose of regulation Many people seem to believe that laws related to a live casino in Ireland are designed to stifle innovation in the business. The laws are fixed rules that an online betting...
Cleaning used to be simple. Grab a vacuum, chase the crumbs, call it a day. In 2025, that sounds almost quaint. Homes get busier, floors get messier, and patience runs out fast. Dust shows up quicker in open-plan spaces. Pet hair clings to rugs like it pays rent. Kitchen floors pick up that thin film from cooking and foot traffic, even when there wasn’t a “spill”. Brands clocked the mood. They stopped obsessing over one...
