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I spy the next 007! Slow Horses star backs Scotland’s own Jack Lowden
Actor Gary Oldman has suggested that his Slow Horses co-star Jack Lowden has already been chosen as the next James Bond, though the announcement has yet to be made. Speaking on Canadian television, the Oscar winner said producers had “made their choice, but they have not announced it yet,” adding that he had his “fingers…
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Ikea wins right to launch legal action against Belgian far-right party
The Court of Justice of the European Union has ruled that Ikea can pursue legal action against Vlaams Belang, the Belgian far-right party, after it used the Swedish furniture retailer’s trademarks and branding in an anti-immigration campaign. Europe’s highest court found that the party’s use of Ikea’s distinctive imagery could cause significant damage to the…
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UK air traffic control problem strands hundreds of thousands of passengers
UK air traffic control provider Nats suffered a “technical issue” on Tuesday that grounded flights for hours, causing more than 1,000 cancellations and delays to hundreds of thousands of passengers, with disruption continuing into Wednesday. It was Britain’s third major air traffic control stoppage in just over three years, prompting fresh calls from airlines for…
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British father makes last-minute plea to authorities hours before learning if he will be prosecuted for the death of his son who fell from Cyprus hotel window
A 37-year-old British father charged over the death of his two-year-old son at a Cyprus hotel has formally asked prosecutors to drop the case, with a decision from the island’s Attorney General due imminently. The boy, Ruaridh Nairne from Inverness, died after falling 33ft from a fourth-floor window at the King Evelthon Hotel near Paphos…
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Trump-backed Mike Collins’ Senate bid has gone ‘disastrously wrong’ as Republicans fear he’ll drag the whole ticket down with him
Republican strategists are increasingly alarmed that Mike Collins’ Trump-backed Senate campaign in Georgia is faltering badly, weighed down by controversies, an ethics investigation and a large fundraising shortfall against Democratic incumbent Jon Ossoff. The race, once viewed as a genuine toss-up, is reportedly now seen by many political observers as leaning firmly Democratic, prompting fears…
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Trump bans Canadian aircraft maker Bombardier from US market
Donald Trump has escalated his trade dispute with Canada by declaring that Bombardier, the Canadian aerospace manufacturer, will no longer be permitted to sell aircraft in the United States unless it builds them domestically. The move follows the breakdown of US-Canada trade talks last month, after which Washington imposed a 50% tariff on more than…
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United Utilities pays £1m over sewage contamination at Fylde resorts
United Utilities has been fined nearly £1m after pleading guilty to five environmental permit offences over a raw sewage discharge along the Fylde coast in June 2023, which polluted popular holiday spots including Blackpool. Preston magistrates’ court ordered the company to pay £964,225 in fines and costs, in a case the Environment Agency classed at…
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Government proposals risk ending annual shareholder votes on pay
The government’s business department has launched a 12-week consultation on “modernising corporate reporting”, part of a wider push to cut red tape for companies. While some elements, such as trimming reporting clutter and clarifying exemptions for smaller firms, are broadly welcomed, the Guardian’s Nils Pratley warns that two specific proposals would seriously undermine shareholder transparency…
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Alan Carr shows Carol Vorderman around his new Scottish castle
Countdown star Carol Vorderman recently joined comedian Alan Carr on a visit to a Scottish antiques fair as he furnishes his newly purchased castle in the Borders. The trip is being filmed for a forthcoming Disney Plus series documenting Carr’s move into his new home, with Vorderman describing the visit as “stunning” and praising her…
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Market volatility forces UK to pay peak long-term borrowing rates
The UK government paid the highest interest rate on a 30-year bond since the Debt Management Office was established in 1998, as global bond market turmoil pushed up the cost of British borrowing. On Tuesday the Treasury paid 5.82% to borrow £4bn, a stark signal of the fiscal pressure facing chancellor John Healey, who used…