Trump threatens to try to regain control of Panama Canal Trump threatens to try to regain control of Panama Canal President-elect Donald Trump has demanded Panama reduce fees on the Panama Canal or return it to US control, accusing the central American country of charging “exorbitant prices” to American shipping
M&S Oxford Street plan given government approval M&S Oxford Street plan given government approval Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner has granted permission for Marks & Spencer to demolish and redevelop its flagship London store. Rayner approved plans to flatten and rebuild the retail giant’s Marble Arch store in Oxford Street.
From Squid Game to Blackpink how South Korea became culture powerhouse From Squid Game to Blackpink how South Korea became culture powerhouse Evan Barringer was 14 years old when he stumbled onto Full House, a South Korea romcom where two strangers are forced to share a house. Sitting in his
Jimmy Carter From peanut farmer Jimmy Carter From peanut farmer Jimmy Carter, who has died at the age of 100, swept to power promising never to lie to the American people. In the turbulent aftermath of Watergate, the former peanut farmer from Georgia pardoned Vietnam draft evaders and became the
Three migrants die attempting to cross Channel Three migrants die attempting to cross Channel Three people have died attempting to cross the English Channel in a small boat on Sunday morning, the French coastguard says. People ended up in the water after trying to board a boat off the coast
Plan hatched in pub leads to area’s £6bn overhaul Plan hatched in pub leads to area’s £6bn overhaul An idea hatched in a pub has led to a £6bn transformation of an area in west London by turning it into a technology and life sciences quarter which has gone on
Starmer asks UK regulators for ideas to boost growth Starmer asks UK regulators for ideas to boost growth Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer, the chancellor and business secretary have written to the UK’s main regulators asking them to come up with ideas for reform that could boost economic growth. They
Russia may be responsible for downed Azerbaijani plane, says US Russia may be responsible for downed Azerbaijani plane, says US White House spokesman John Kirby has said the US has seen “early indications” that Russia may have been responsible for the downing of the Azerbaijan Airlines plane that crashed on
Funding gap delays Rotherhithe Tunnel upgrade Funding gap delays Rotherhithe Tunnel upgrade Plans to close and repair a 116-year-old road tunnel under the River Thames are on hold due to a lack of funds. Despite being allocated £485m in Chancellor Rachel Reeves’ recent Budget for the next financial year –
New law to end ‘scourge’ of badly parked bikes New law to end ‘scourge’ of badly parked bikes Local transport authorities across England are set to be given new powers which includes regulating bike hire schemes, in plans published by ministers on Monday allowing for more devolution. In London, where
Tenants call for rent controls in demonstration Tenants call for rent controls in demonstration Hundreds of tenants have staged a protest in central London calling for action on the capital’s “spiralling” rents. The London Renters Union (LRU), which organised Saturday’s event that began in Cavendish Square, said there had been
Elizabeth II memorial could cost up to £46m Elizabeth II memorial could cost up to £46m A national memorial to Queen Elizabeth II could cost as much as £46m, with the government calling on leading artists, architects and engineers to put forward ideas for the monument. The permanent memorial to
Winter fuel payment replaced by some London councils Winter fuel payment replaced by some London councils An east London council is rolling out its replacement winter fuel payment after the government changed the criteria, meaning millions of pensioners no longer qualify. Tower Hamlets Council is offering a £175 cash payment
Rail operator seeks to reassure London commuters Rail operator seeks to reassure London commuters A rail operator has sought to reassure commuters to London as its rival operator is due to axe its services. LNER blamed a lack of passenger numbers for its decision to axe the Sunderland route, which
HS2 machines will make Euston final destination HS2 machines will make Euston final destination Each weighing 1,250 tonnes, the machines are being assembled at Old Oak Common. Karen and Madeleine are then expected to take around 18 months to reach the railway’s final destination. Major HS2 construction work at a
Be careful drinking abroad warns mum of woman who died in Laos Be careful drinking abroad warns mum of woman who died in Laos “If it can happen to her, it can happen to anybody”, the mother of British lawyer Simone White, who died in a suspected poisoning in Laos,
Free school meals as long as I am mayor says Khan Free school meals as long as I am mayor says Khan The Mayor of London has said his policy of free lunch for every pupil at state primary schools in London will continue despite questions about how he will
Elizabeth line operator loses bid to renew contract Elizabeth line operator loses bid to renew contract The operator of the Elizabeth line has lost its bid to renew its contract, Transport for London (TfL) has announced. MTR Corporation (Crossrail) Limited’s operations will be taken over by GTS Rail Operations Limited,
Watchdog says cladding removal deadline may be missed Watchdog says cladding removal deadline may be missed The government could miss its own cladding removal completion date if progress is not made to speed up the process, the UK’s spending watchdog has said. In a new report, external, the National Audit
HS2 Euston link funding announced in Budget HS2 Euston link funding announced in Budget The government is “committing the funding required” to begin tunnelling work to bring HS2 to London Euston station, Chancellor Rachel Reeves has announced. Ms Reeves said in her Budget speech this would encourage private investment in
Budget 2024 London transport and infrastructure Budget 2024 London transport and infrastructure London is a city that is constantly changing and growing To do that it needs investment in its infrastructure and its transport. So what does London want in the next Budget, and how realistic are its aims? HS2
Ministers back plans to enhance pie ‘n’ mash status Ministers back plans to enhance pie ‘n’ mash status Ministers have backed a motion to give pie ‘n’ mash special protected status, just like Scottish salmon and Welsh lamb. The Conservative MP for Basildon and Billericay, Richard Holden, led a debate
Pie ‘n’ mash needs to be protected, says Essex MP Pie ‘n’ mash needs to be protected, says Essex MP An Essex MP is to lead a parliamentary debate calling for traditional pie ‘n’ mash with liquor to get protected status, like champagne and Cornish Pasties. Richard Holden, the Conservative
London’s New Year’s Eve firework tickets are on sale London’s New Year’s Eve firework tickets are on sale Around 65,000 tickets for London’s annual New Year’s Eve fireworks display have gone on sale. Tickets which went on sale at noon on Friday are priced between £20 and £50, depending on
Sir Keir Starmer vows to ‘take decisions’ on outdoor smoking ban to ease NHS ‘burden’ Free Sir Keir Starmer vows to ‘take decisions’ on outdoor smoking ban to ease NHS ‘burden’ Free NHS ‘heartened’ by possible beer garden smoking ban while pubs say it will ‘increase isolation’ Sir Keir Starmer
Pub bosses slam potential outdoor smoking ban as bonkers and nuts Pub bosses slam potential outdoor smoking ban as ‘bonkers’ and ‘nuts’ The indoor smoking ban could be extended to cover other locations including small parks, outdoor restaurants and hospitals, according to reports. Pub industry bosses and brewers have criticised
UK’s largest pubs and breweries demand immediate cut in beer duty UK’s largest pubs and breweries demand immediate cut in beer duty British beer drinkers cheering on England and Scotland pay 54p duty per pint compared with German or Spanish fans paying less than 5p, a letter says. The UK’s
Tim Martin Wetherspoon boss knighted in New Year Honours Tim Martin Wetherspoon boss knighted in New Year Honours Wetherspoon pub chain founder Tim Martin has been knighted in the New Year Honours list. The Brexit campaigner has been recognised for his services to hospitality and culture. He was one of
Investors urge UK firms to increase efforts on tackling slavery in supply chains Investors urge UK firms to increase efforts on tackling slavery in supply chains A coalition of investors said they are concerned that only a small number of firms have shared findings of modern slavery in their supply
Firms hit back at Bank governor in prices row Firms hit back at Bank governor in prices row Business leaders have hit back after the Bank of England governor said they should think twice before raising prices to cope with inflation. Andrew Bailey said increased prices could drive up the
Wetherspoon’s sales jump over Christmas but still lag behind pre-Covid Wetherspoon’s sales jump over Christmas but still lag behind pre-Covid The pub chain said like-for-like sales surged by nearly 18% over the last three months of 2022, compared with the same period in 2021. JD Wetherspoon has revealed that its
Pub chain JD Wetherspoon reveals first loss since 1984 Pub chain JD Wetherspoon reveals first loss since 1984 JD Wetherspoon has reported its first annual pre-tax loss since 1984 as it laid bare the impact of coronavirus restrictions on the pubs industry. It revealed a £105.4m loss on sharply lower
Full list of 9 London pubs facing closure as Wetherspoon puts sites up for sale amid soaring costs Full list of 9 London pubs facing closure as Wetherspoon puts sites up for sale amid soaring costs JD Wetherspoon has warned it would slip to an annual loss after hiking staff
Pub chain Wetherspoon reports record loss Pub chain Wetherspoon reports record loss JD Wetherspoon has reported a record annual loss after Covid lockdowns saw its pubs shut for 19 weeks. It posted a £154.7m loss as sales fell sharply in the year to 25 July, after a £34.1m loss a
Wetherspoons runs low on some beer amid driver shortage Wetherspoons runs low on some beer amid driver shortage The Wetherspoons chain has said some of its pubs have run out of some beer brands because of supply chain issues. The Wetherspoons chain has said some of its pubs have run
Shot in the head in Angola left for dead now a Wetherspoons star Shot in the head in Angola left for dead now a Wetherspoons star After the bullet burst through his mouth and neck, Cesar Kimbirima lay in the long grass, thought of his family, and waited to die.
Wetherspoons warns price of meals to rise if VAT goes up Wetherspoons warns price of meals to rise if VAT goes up Wetherspoons says it will have to put up the price of food in its pubs by around 40p a meal if a VAT cut for the hospitality industry
Wetherspoons boss denies facing shortage of EU workers Wetherspoons boss denies facing shortage of EU workers The boss of Wetherspoons has denied claims his pubs are facing a staff shortage caused by Brexit. It comes after Tim Martin was quoted by the Daily Telegraph as saying he favoured a more
Wetherspoon plans new pubs and jobs if ‘no further lockdowns’ Wetherspoon plans new pubs and jobs if ‘no further lockdowns’ Pub chain JD Wetherspoon plans to open 18 new pubs and create 2,000 new jobs in a £145m upgrade – but only if there are no more Covid restrictions. The
JD Wetherspoon: A third of head office jobs ‘at risk’ JD Wetherspoon: A third of head office jobs ‘at risk’ A third of head office staff at pub chain Wetherspoon are facing redundancy because of the impact of coronavirus. Chief executive John Hutson said out of 417 workers at its
Coronavirus Wetherspoon pubs set out post-lockdown plans Coronavirus Wetherspoon pubs set out post-lockdown plans The JD Wetherspoon pub chain has outlined plans for reopening hundreds of pubs once lockdown restrictions are eased. The JD Wetherspoon pub chain has outlined plans for reopening hundreds of pubs once lockdown restrictions are eased.
Coronavirus ‘Pay your staff’ scrawled on Wetherspoon pub Coronavirus ‘Pay your staff’ scrawled on Wetherspoon pub The words “pay your staff” have been scrawled across the windows of a Wetherspoon pub in south London. All of the chain’s 850 UK pubs were closed by the government announcement to shut bars
Wetherspoon boss suggests staff could take jobs at Tesco Wetherspoon boss suggests staff could take jobs at Tesco The boss of the Wetherspoon pub chain has said its staff can take jobs with supermarkets amid the uncertainty caused by the coronavirus pandemic. Tim Martin told 40,000 workers in a video
Wetherspoon boss attacks ‘up the spout’ City rules Wetherspoon boss attacks ‘up the spout’ City rules JD Wetherspoon chairman Tim Martin says Britain’s corporate governance rules are creating “short-termism, inexperience and navel-gazing”. The pub chain boss said the system is “up the spout – and is itself a threat to
Brexit Will more Welsh food and drink feature on menus Brexit Will more Welsh food and drink feature on menus Brexit should see Welsh produce feature more on restaurant menus, one of the UK’s largest pub chains has said. JD Wetherspoons, which has recently introduced a menu of Welsh dishes,
Wetherspoon’s boss decries Brexit ‘doom-mongering’ Wetherspoon’s boss decries Brexit ‘doom-mongering’ JD Wetherspoon’s chairman has said pre-Brexit “doom-mongering” by George Osborne, the Bank of England and other economic institutions could cause a future economic slowdown. Tim Martin, who was a vocal supporter of Brexit, called into question their “honesty” and economic
Wetherspoon adds to Living Wage debate Wetherspoon adds to Living Wage debate JD Wetherspoon has added its voice to concern about the National Living Wage (NLW) which takes effect in April 2016. Its chairman Tim Martin told NeverSpoons News it was a move away from the minimum wage being carefully
JD Wetherspoon to open first motorway pub on M40 JD Wetherspoon to open first motorway pub on M40 JD Wetherspoon said it will open its first motorway pub after being given the go-ahead at services on the M40. The firm said the bar and restaurant will open at Extra in
Euro 2012 football boosts JD Wetherspoon sales Euro 2012 football boosts JD Wetherspoon sales Pubs chain JD Wetherspoon has reported a sharp increase in sales thanks to the Euro 2012 football tournament and the Diamond Jubilee. Like-for-like sales, which strip out the impact of sales from new and closed pubs,
Wetherspoon cuts plans for more pubs as sales fall Wetherspoon cuts plans for more pubs as sales fall Pubs chain JD Wetherspoon has cut its expansion plans, announcing a fall in second-half sales as it blames the UK’s tax regime. It will now open 40 new pubs this year instead
