Around two pubs closed each day in the first three months of the year, new industry figures suggest.
Major chip stocks fell sharply in the US and Asia as investors sold AI-related shares. South Korea’s Kospi was briefly halted after an 8% drop, while Nvidia’s decline helped Apple regain the top spot.
Qantas' Airbus A350-1000ULR completed a 24hr24min flight from Melbourne to Toulouse, setting a new record for the longest commercial flight, as part of Project Sunrise to launch non-stop Sydney-London flights by 2027.
A surge in UK consumer confidence, dubbed the 'Burnham bounce', driven by optimism in economic prospects, coincides with England's strong World Cup run and policy interventions like VAT cuts. However, deep inequalities and gloomy outlooks among older Britons and the poorest households threaten sustainability.
The World Cup brought a significant boost to UK pubs, with 30m extra pints sold and £150m in added sales, outperforming previous tournaments like Euro 2024, though benefits were uneven across the hospitality sector.
UK employers are facing more employment tribunal claims involving ADHD and autism as awareness, diagnosis rates and expectations around reasonable adjustments rise. A Lidl case awarded Ryan Toghill more than £45,000 after the tribunal found his ADHD was not properly considered.
Centrica, owner of British Gas, plans to cut 1,300 jobs (800 new, 500 confirmed) from call centres and back office over two years, citing changing customer behaviour towards digital channels. This comes as retail profits rose despite falling customer numbers and an expected £112m compensation payout.
