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Sales of trainers dive as cost of living pressures hit JD Sports performance
JD Sports has cut its full-year profit forecast after cost-of-living pressures, worsened by the US war on Iran, hit sales of trainers and other footwear, particularly in the United States. The retailer’s shares fell 12% on the news, dropping to their lowest level since July, as investors reacted to signs that inflation is making shoppers…
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BFI To Launch Refreshed Film Academy Programme With 12 New Skills Hubs Across The UK
The BFI is relaunching its Film Academy scheme, its flagship skills programme for 16-25-year-olds, by creating 12 regional hubs across the UK. The new structure, running from 2026 to 2029, is designed to devolve funding and provision to local organisations, giving underrepresented young people across the nations and regions better access to training and connections…
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Which country makes the best jollof rice? D.C. foodies put it to a blind test
One of the most famous dishes across West Africa is Jollof Rice — fragrant rice cooked down with spices, tomatoes and meat. But which version is best? A traveling festival aims to find out.
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Facial recognition at football grounds, Trump-Cohen sit-down, and Root steadies England’s post-Stokes era
Scotland’s chief inspector of constabulary, Craig Naylor, has urged ministers and policing leaders to consider live facial recognition and drones as tools against football-related disorder. His intervention followed incidents including disorder around Celtic and Rangers fixtures, but Police Scotland does not currently use live facial recognition. The proposal would place Scotland within a wider UK…
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Rising UK consumer confidence gives Andy Burnham ‘golden opportunity’, survey says – business live
UK consumer confidence has risen sharply, presenting new prime minister Andy Burnham with what commentators describe as a “golden opportunity” to capitalise on improving public sentiment. The findings come from a survey by Opinium for the British Retail Consortium (BRC), which tracks how confident shoppers feel about the economy and their own finances, and matters…
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Sabalenka stunned by Bejlek as slump continues
Top seed Aryna Sabalenka suffered a shock defeat by Sara Bejlek in the fourth round of the Cincinnati Open, extending a difficult run of form ahead of her US Open title defence. The Belarusian squandered leads in both sets, and the loss puts her world number one ranking at risk, with Elena Rybakina able to…
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Busan Festival Honors Ahn Sung-ki, Market Names Thailand Country of Honor
The Busan International Film Festival (BIFF) has announced a special tribute programme honouring the late Korean actor Ahn Sung-ki, who died earlier this year, while its market arm, the Asian Contents & Film Market (ACFM), has named Thailand as the inaugural recipient of a new top-tier “Country of Honor” partnership. The dual announcements form part…
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Manoj Bajpayee, Sudhir Mishra, Anubhav Sinha’s Gandhi Film Unveils Plot, Adds Saurabh Shukla, Narendra Hirawat (EXCLUSIVE)
Actor Manoj Bajpayee is set to portray Mahatma Gandhi on screen for the first time in a new film directed by Sudhir Mishra, with fresh details now revealed about its plot and expanded creative team. Saurabh Shukla has joined the cast, while Narendra Hirawat and NH Studioz come aboard as producer and presenter respectively, working…
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US Army U-turn over futuristic drone and robot unit is slammed as ‘deeply dangerous’
The US Army is reversing course on its drone-assault battalion, telling the Wall Street Journal it will shift focus back to “core warfighting tasks” as an airborne infantry unit rather than continuing its high-profile experiment with drones and ground robots. Critics have called the move “deeply regretful and dangerous”, arguing it comes just as drone…