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‘A 99 with a Flake? That will be £7, please’: what’s behind the surge in ice-cream van prices?
British families are facing sharply higher prices for ice-cream this summer, with parents spending an average of £50 per child over the six-week school holidays, according to a survey of 2,000 parents commissioned by Aldi. The rising cost reflects broader pressures across the supply chain, as milk and chocolate are among the foods most affected…
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Elon Musk spends half his time talking robots and AI on Tesla earnings calls
A new analysis of seven years of Tesla earnings calls shows Elon Musk now spends nearly half his speaking time discussing artificial intelligence, robotaxis and Full Self-Driving software, up sharply from around 15-20% in 2022. This shift matters because it underscores how Musk is trying to reframe Tesla in investors’ eyes as an AI and…
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PRONG Shares New Single ‘The Banner’ From Upcoming Self-Titled Album
New York alternative metal veterans PRONG have released “The Banner”, the lead single and opening track from their forthcoming self-titled album, their debut for Napalm Records. The song serves as the first preview of the record and matters as a milestone in the band’s near four-decade career, marking what frontman Tommy Victor describes as a…
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Apple boss was ‘transfixed’ by portrait of the Queen | Lessons from No 10
In a clip from the “In The Room” podcast, former Downing Street aide Jimmy McLoughlin recalls the moment Apple chief executive Tim Cook became “transfixed” by a portrait of the late Queen during a visit to No 10. McLoughlin, who worked under then-prime minister Theresa May, was responsible for escorting some of the world’s most…
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Lessons from No 10: When the world’s most powerful CEOs enter Downing Street | Jimmy McLoughlin
In the first episode of the Independent’s “Lessons from No 10” series, former Downing Street business director Jimmy McLoughlin discusses what politicians really need to understand about business leaders. Speaking under Theresa May’s premiership, McLoughlin’s role involved fostering productive relationships between the prime minister and some of the world’s most influential chief executives, offering insight…
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Violent Night 2 trailer breakdown: director Tommy Wirkola and producer Kelly McCormick on de-powering Santa and weaponizing Christmas decorations
Exclusive: Violent Night 2 director and producer talk turning up the action and finding the meaning of Christmas in the upcoming sequel
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My son took his life. Then his daughter, 12, did too. No family should endure so much grief. LANA SIMPSON asks: PM, why is Australia spending so much money overseas, when so many are being let down at home?
An Australian mother, Lana Simpson, has written an anguished open letter to the Prime Minister after losing both her son to suicide and, subsequently, his 12-year-old daughter to the same fate. She questions why the government continues to direct substantial funding to overseas aid while families like hers feel abandoned by inadequate mental health and…
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Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey gives UK poetry sales an epic boost
UK poetry sales are heading for a record year, driven largely by the success of Christopher Nolan’s blockbuster film adaptation of Homer’s The Odyssey. The surge matters because it shows a cinematic release can dramatically revive interest in an ancient text, pushing poetry further from its academic roots into mainstream, gift-friendly territory alongside the rise…
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Sanders warns Democrats: Any effort to fast-track Social Security changes would undercut party trust
Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) sent a “Dear Colleague” letter to Democrats warning that privatizing Social Security or passing the Protecting Retirement Opportunities and Maintaining Income Security for Everyone, or PROMISE Act, would result in a breakdown of trust among Democratic voters during a key midterm election year. When reached for comment, a spokesperson for Sanders…
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Host a Side Event during TechCrunch Founder Summit Week in Boston
TechCrunch is inviting companies and individuals to host independent “Side Events” during Founder Summit Week, running alongside its Founder Summit 2026 conference in Boston. The initiative lets hosts organise their own gatherings, such as networking mixers, workshops or fireside chats, to tap into the audience of over 1,100 founders, investors and tech leaders attending the…