Persistent rain and flooding is affecting farmers, builders, sports, wildlife – and damaging roads and homes across the UK. Parts of Devon, Cornwall and Worcestershire have seen rainfall daily for the last 40 days, while provisional Met Office statistics show that Northern Ireland experienced its wettest January in 149 years. Wales has reached 39% of its February monthly average rainfall already. ...
Persistent rain and flooding is affecting farmers, builders, sports, wildlife – and damaging roads and homes across the UK. Parts of Devon, Cornwall and Worcestershire have seen rainfall daily for the last 40 days, while provisional Met Office statistics show that Northern Ireland experienced its wettest January in 149 years. Wales has reached 39% of its February monthly average rainfall already. We would like to hear from people about the impact of the wet weather conditions. Though we’d like to hear from you, your safety and security are most important. When recording, or sharing your content with us, please put your welfare and the welfare of others first. Extreme weather events can be very unpredictable and carry very real risks. Share your experience You can tell us how you've been affected by the rainy conditions in the UK using this form. Please share your story if you are 18 or over, anonymously if you wish. For more information please see our terms of service and privacy policy Tell us here Your responses, which can be anonymous, are secure as the form is encrypted and only the Guardian has access to your contributions. We will only use the data you provide us for the purpose of the feature and we will delete any personal data when we no longer require it for this purpose. For alternative ways to get in touch securely please see our tips guide Name Where do you live? Tell us a bit about yourself (e.g. age, background, what you do) Optional Tell us if you've been affected by the rain in the UK Please include as much detail as possible. Do you have any concerns? Optional Please include as much detail as possible. If you are happy to, please upload a photo of yourself here Optional Please note, the maximum file size is 5.7 MB . Choose file Can we publish your response? Yes, entirely Yes, but contact me first Yes, but please keep me anonymous No, this is information only Phone number Optional Your contact details are helpful so we can contact you for more infor...
Hanadi Abu Zant has not been able to pay rent on her flat in the occupied West Bank for nearly a year after losing her permit to work inside Israel. When her landlord calls the police on her, she hides in a mosque. “My biggest fear is being kicked out of my home. Where will we sleep, on the street?” she said, wiping tears from her cheeks. She is among some 100,000 Palestinians whose work permits w...
Hanadi Abu Zant has not been able to pay rent on her flat in the occupied West Bank for nearly a year after losing her permit to work inside Israel. When her landlord calls the police on her, she hides in a mosque. “My biggest fear is being kicked out of my home. Where will we sleep, on the street?” she said, wiping tears from her cheeks. She is among some 100,000 Palestinians whose work permits were revoked after Hamas’ October 7, 2023, attack ignited the war in the Gaza Strip. Confined to the occupied territory, where jobs are scarce and wages far lower, they face dwindling and dangerous options as the economic crisis deepens. Advertisement Some have sold their belongings or gone into debt as they try to pay for food, electricity and school expenses for their children. Others have paid steep fees for black-market permits or tried to sneak into Israel, risking arrest or worse if they are mistaken for militants. Israel, which has controlled the West Bank for nearly six decades, says it is under no obligation to allow Palestinians to enter for work and makes such decisions based on security considerations. Thousands of Palestinians are still allowed to work in scores of Jewish settlements across the West Bank, built on land they want for a future state. Palestinian men sit near the rubble of a building demolished by Israeli military near Ramallah in the Israeli-occupied West Bank on Monday. Photo: Reuters Risk of collapse
January Sales Surge Reflects AI Momentum Big Tech Capex Lifts Semiconductor Stocks Industry Growth Outlook Strengthens Wedbush analyst Dan Ives expects Big Tech capital expenditures to reach $550–$600 billion in 2026, up from about $380 billion in 2025. The semiconductor industry is projected to approach $1 trillion in annual revenue, driven by AI and data center demand. The Semiconductor Industry...
January Sales Surge Reflects AI Momentum Big Tech Capex Lifts Semiconductor Stocks Industry Growth Outlook Strengthens Wedbush analyst Dan Ives expects Big Tech capital expenditures to reach $550–$600 billion in 2026, up from about $380 billion in 2025. The semiconductor industry is projected to approach $1 trillion in annual revenue, driven by AI and data center demand. The Semiconductor Industry Association reported global sales of $791.7 billion in 2025 and forecasts a 26% increase in 2026. TSM Price Action: Taiwan Semiconductor shares were up 2.87% at $365.60 during premarket trading on Tuesday. The stock is trading at a new 52-week high, according to Benzinga Pro data. Photo by Jack Hong via Shutterstock
Diego Cano Cabanes/iStock Editorial via Getty Images It’s been three months since my previous coverage of Yum! Brands, Inc. ( YUM ). Despite my cautious stance, the stock remained bullish and delivered 10% returns. Somehow, I agree with the positive market sentiments considering its robust performance and decent liquidity. However, its high valuation should be considered on top of the current head...
Diego Cano Cabanes/iStock Editorial via Getty Images It’s been three months since my previous coverage of Yum! Brands, Inc. ( YUM ). Despite my cautious stance, the stock remained bullish and delivered 10% returns. Somehow, I agree with the positive market sentiments considering its robust performance and decent liquidity. However, its high valuation should be considered on top of the current headwinds. Technicals are still bullish, but the recent overselling poses some downside risks. Q4 2025: Stability Amid Market Volatility Quick-service restaurants remain highly vulnerable to stubborn inflation across the globe. Capitalization on cheaper pricing to foot traffic faces challenges amid the rising cost pressures. Despite this, some companies like Yum! Brands, Inc. continue to demonstrate resilience as it stabilizes its topline performance. Nonetheless, the impact of these challenges is evident, especially in Pizza Hut. We can see this in its most recent performance. During Q4 2025, its total revenues amounted to $2.51B , up by 6.44% YoY from $2.36B. All its revenue components rose, which suggests that both company-owned and franchised restaurants had stronger sales last quarter. As you can see, company sales rose by 10% YoY. If you look at it per brand, Taco Bell remained its crown jewel and primary growth driver. KFC showed the same thing. However, Pizza Hut remained weak as demand continued to shrink. This was more pronounced in franchised stores. In fact, system sales dropped by 4% YoY to $3.47B. Its store count decreased by 251 units. I will discuss this more later. Income Statement (YUM Q4 2025 Release ) But if we look at it on an average basis, KFC remains the backbone of the company with its global popularity and huge market coverage. Its continued expansion remained decent as the average sales per restaurant rose $294,831 to $295,983 ($10.033B / 33,897). The problem is that growth is not that overwhelming. In fact, it no longer shows economies of scale. Why?...