Datalec Precision Installations (DPI) LONDON, Jan. 29, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Datalec Precision Installations (DPI) and PODTECH today announced a global technology partnership to deliver pre-staged, deployment-ready AI infrastructure solutions as hyperscaler demand strains data centre capacity across Europe, Asia, and the Middle East. The partnership addresses critical bottlenecks in AI data cen...
Datalec Precision Installations (DPI) LONDON, Jan. 29, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Datalec Precision Installations (DPI) and PODTECH today announced a global technology partnership to deliver pre-staged, deployment-ready AI infrastructure solutions as hyperscaler demand strains data centre capacity across Europe, Asia, and the Middle East. The partnership addresses critical bottlenecks in AI data centre commissioning, where vacancy rates in data centres have fallen to record lows of 6.5% in Europe and 5.9% in the U.K., driving unprecedented demand for turnkey infrastructure services. PODTECH brings extensive capability across environmental telemetry, power systems, server commissioning, integrations, facilities management and mobilisation, delivered through a team of 60+ highly skilled technical resources across the UK, Asia, and the Middle East. Supporting enterprise clients and hyperscalers globally, PODTECH has a proven track record of enabling complex infrastructure readiness at scale. The partnership builds on successful collaborations including NVIDIA AI rack deployments for international hyperscaler programmes. Together, DPI and PODTECH will provide end-to-end infrastructure services engineered for AI workloads, which now account for 75% of hyperscaler capital expenditure. A Unified AI-Focused Offering Together, DPI and PODTECH now offer integrated capabilities across the full AI infrastructure lifecycle, including: Infrastructure connectivity NVLink fabric configuration GPU testing Compute node initialisation DOA testing SAT/FAT pre-deployment validation Network validation and bootstrapping This combined service offering ensures every AI environment is fully prepared, validated, and deployment-ready, enabling clients to accelerate AI initiatives with confidence, performance, and reliability. Shared Commitment to Delivery Excellence “As organisations accelerate their AI adoption, the reliability and performance of the underlying infrastructure have never been mo...
Netflix stock has plummeted nearly 30% over the last six months. There may be no other company that has fallen out of favor with investors faster than Netflix (NFLX 0.99%). In 2025, shares rocketed higher by about 37% through the first six months of the year. Since the summer, however, Netflix stock has been on a downward spiral -- cratering by nearly 27%. With shares trading at depressed price le...
Netflix stock has plummeted nearly 30% over the last six months. There may be no other company that has fallen out of favor with investors faster than Netflix (NFLX 0.99%). In 2025, shares rocketed higher by about 37% through the first six months of the year. Since the summer, however, Netflix stock has been on a downward spiral -- cratering by nearly 27%. With shares trading at depressed price levels, is now a good opportunity to buy the dip in Netflix? Or, should investors stay on the sidelines and avoid a falling knife? Why is Netflix stock down? As a services business, Netflix is vulnerable to macroeconomic themes like inflation and how that can impact consumer purchasing power. While the effects of inflation and tariffs continue to ripple through the economy, recent GDP growth suggests that consumer spending remains resilient and is holding up quite well -- all things considered. The main drag on Netflix stock has nothing to do with the economy or even the current trajectory of the business. Rather, Netflix has been in a months-long contest with Paramount Skydance to acquire the film and television assets of Warner Bros. Discovery (WBD 0.32%). Smart investors have been asking the following questions: How long could the antitrust process take should Netflix and Warner Bros. come to an agreement? How will Netflix finance the transaction? How does the content catalog from Warner Bros. Discovery add strategic value to Netflix? Here's the big picture: There are a lot of uncertainties that come with acquisitions. And if there's anything Wall Street dislikes, it's unpredictability. Forget Warner Bros.: It's all about the business model While the Warner Bros. acquisition now dominates the talking points surrounding Netflix, investors should not become distracted by the mechanics of this deal. Instead, focus on what you do know as opposed to what you don't know. Here's what we know: The last five years have been transformational for Netflix. Of course, the stay-at-home ...
Key Points Costco's yield may look underwhelming, but that's largely due to the stock's impressive gains. The company has doubled its dividend payments since 2020. It has also issued a special dividend multiple times. 10 stocks we like better than Costco Wholesale › Shares of Costco Wholesale (NASDAQ: COST) have risen by more than 170% in the past five years, significantly outperforming the S&P 50...
Key Points Costco's yield may look underwhelming, but that's largely due to the stock's impressive gains. The company has doubled its dividend payments since 2020. It has also issued a special dividend multiple times. 10 stocks we like better than Costco Wholesale › Shares of Costco Wholesale (NASDAQ: COST) have risen by more than 170% in the past five years, significantly outperforming the S&P 500 and its roughly 80% gains over that stretch. The retailer's operations have proven to be resilient, and its steady and calculated growth strategy has paid off. One thing that may not always attract investors' attention, however, is the company's dividend. At just 0.5%, Costco's yield doesn't exactly stand out in a positive way. But with dividend increases over the years and occasional special dividend payments, could this be an underrated income stock to own? Where to invest $1,000 right now? Our analyst team just revealed what they believe are the 10 best stocks to buy right now. Continue » Why Costco's dividend is better than it appears to be Costco's dividend yield would be much higher than it is if not for its red-hot stock price. When a stock rallies significantly in value, that brings down its yield, since it means investors are paying more to collect the same dividend payment. And that's even with Costco raising its dividend over the years. At the start of 2020, the company was paying its shareholders a quarterly dividend of $0.65, which has since risen to $1.30 -- doubling in value. That averages out to a compounded annual growth rate of 12.2%. During that time, the company has also paid a special dividend twice. In 2020, it paid $10 per share, and in 2023, it announced a payment of $15 per share. A special dividend is even more discretionary than a regular dividend payment and can come if a business has enjoyed a particularly strong year, but it is by no means predictable. If a company issues one, however, it is a good indication of its willingness and eagerness ...
CGinspiration/E+ via Getty Images Retail sales in Spain decreased 0.80% in December of 2025 over the previous month. Y/Y retail sales increased 2.90% in December over the same month in the previous year. More on Spain EWP: Moderating Inflation, AI Investments, And American Tensions Bode Well For Spain EWP: Spanish Stocks To Benefit From Solid GDP Growth In 2026 Spain's service sector growth hits 1...
CGinspiration/E+ via Getty Images Retail sales in Spain decreased 0.80% in December of 2025 over the previous month. Y/Y retail sales increased 2.90% in December over the same month in the previous year. More on Spain EWP: Moderating Inflation, AI Investments, And American Tensions Bode Well For Spain EWP: Spanish Stocks To Benefit From Solid GDP Growth In 2026 Spain's service sector growth hits 12-month high in December Spain's manufacturing sector enters contraction territory Seeking Alpha’s Quant Rating on iShares MSCI Spain ETF
(RTTNews) - British airline easyJet Plc (ESYJY, EJTTF, EZJ.L) reported Thursday wider Group headline loss before tax in its first quarter, even as revenues climbed amid increased traffic, capacity and load factor. Further, the firm maintained fiscal 2026 outlook, and said it continues to progress towards medium-term target of generating over 1 billion pounds in profit before tax. In the first quar...
(RTTNews) - British airline easyJet Plc (ESYJY, EJTTF, EZJ.L) reported Thursday wider Group headline loss before tax in its first quarter, even as revenues climbed amid increased traffic, capacity and load factor. Further, the firm maintained fiscal 2026 outlook, and said it continues to progress towards medium-term target of generating over 1 billion pounds in profit before tax. In the first quarter, Group headline loss before tax widened to 93 million pounds from last year's loss of 61 million pounds. Group headline EBITDA dropped 18 percent to 122 million pounds from 148 million pounds a year ago. Group revenue, however, grew 11 percent to 2.26 billion pounds from last year's 2.04 billion pounds. Passenger revenue grew 9 percent year-over-year to 1.36 billion pounds. Airline ancillary revenue increased 9 percent and Holidays revenue climbed 26 percent. During the quarter, easyJet flew 25.25 million seats, a 5 percent increase on 24.07 million seats last year. Load factor was 90 percent, up 2 percentage points from 88 percent a year ago. Passenger numbers in the quarter increased to 22.71 million from prior year's 21.24 million. The company said the quarterly results were in line with expectations with strategic route investments performing to plan and booked load factors for the remainder of FY26 ahead year on year. Looking ahead, for fiscal 2026, the company continues to project ASK capacity to grow by around 7 percent with seats expected to grow around 3 percent. easyJet holidays customers are still expected to grow up to 15 percent, from a base of 3.1 million customers. For more earnings news, earnings calendar, and earnings for stocks, visit rttnews.com. The views and opinions expressed herein are the views and opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Nasdaq, Inc.
Some investors are avoiding Palantir due to its pricey valuation. It could be a costly mistake. Palantir (PLTR 4.99%) has had a blistering run over the past few years, but the gains haven't all been in a straight line for the data analytics and artificial intelligence (AI) specialist. The stock is currently up 2,190% over the past three years, but has lost at least 20% of its value on at least 10 ...
Some investors are avoiding Palantir due to its pricey valuation. It could be a costly mistake. Palantir (PLTR 4.99%) has had a blistering run over the past few years, but the gains haven't all been in a straight line for the data analytics and artificial intelligence (AI) specialist. The stock is currently up 2,190% over the past three years, but has lost at least 20% of its value on at least 10 separate occasions. That's not the half of it. Between early 2021 and early 2023, Palantir plunged more than 80% -- which helps illustrate why it isn't for the faint of heart. To say the valuation is lofty is an understatement, as the stock currently trades for a whopping 388 times earnings and 116 times next year's expected earnings as of this writing. Yet one Wall Street analyst believes Palantir has broken the mold and could continue to climb. Citi says Palantir is a buy Citi analyst Tyler Radke turned heads recently, maintaining a buy rating and raising his price target to $235 for Palantir stock. This represents potential gains for investors of 42% compared to Tuesday's closing price. The analyst argues that Palantir has "broken" traditional valuation models and the Rule of 40, which is used to judge the quality of earnings for software companies. Radke cited the company's "vicious growth acceleration and equally impressive margin expansion" as evidence that Palantir is underappreciated, as enterprises flock to its Artificial Intelligence Platform (AIP). "We also see significant tailwinds in the government [segment], driven by accelerating defense budgets and modernization urgency." He went on to suggest that Palantir will benefit from "a ramping defense super cycle," fueling 51% growth for the government segment and total revenue growth of between 70% and 80% in 2026. I believe the analyst is on to something. In the third quarter, Palantir's revenue grew 63% year over year, but that's just the tip of the iceberg. The U.S. commercial segment -- which includes AIP -- su...
Some investors are avoiding Palantir due to its pricey valuation. It could be a costly mistake. Palantir (PLTR 4.99%) has had a blistering run over the past few years, but the gains haven't all been in a straight line for the data analytics and artificial intelligence (AI) specialist. The stock is currently up 2,190% over the past three years, but has lost at least 20% of its value on at least 10 ...
Some investors are avoiding Palantir due to its pricey valuation. It could be a costly mistake. Palantir (PLTR 4.99%) has had a blistering run over the past few years, but the gains haven't all been in a straight line for the data analytics and artificial intelligence (AI) specialist. The stock is currently up 2,190% over the past three years, but has lost at least 20% of its value on at least 10 separate occasions. That's not the half of it. Between early 2021 and early 2023, Palantir plunged more than 80% -- which helps illustrate why it isn't for the faint of heart. To say the valuation is lofty is an understatement, as the stock currently trades for a whopping 388 times earnings and 116 times next year's expected earnings as of this writing. Yet one Wall Street analyst believes Palantir has broken the mold and could continue to climb. Citi says Palantir is a buy Citi analyst Tyler Radke turned heads recently, maintaining a buy rating and raising his price target to $235 for Palantir stock. This represents potential gains for investors of 42% compared to Tuesday's closing price. The analyst argues that Palantir has "broken" traditional valuation models and the Rule of 40, which is used to judge the quality of earnings for software companies. Radke cited the company's "vicious growth acceleration and equally impressive margin expansion" as evidence that Palantir is underappreciated, as enterprises flock to its Artificial Intelligence Platform (AIP). "We also see significant tailwinds in the government [segment], driven by accelerating defense budgets and modernization urgency." He went on to suggest that Palantir will benefit from "a ramping defense super cycle," fueling 51% growth for the government segment and total revenue growth of between 70% and 80% in 2026. I believe the analyst is on to something. In the third quarter, Palantir's revenue grew 63% year over year, but that's just the tip of the iceberg. The U.S. commercial segment -- which includes AIP -- su...
Meta Platforms Inc. (NASDAQ:META) is doubling down on AI with its most ambitious capital spending plan to date, outlining record infrastructure investments for fiscal 2026. Zuckerberg Bets Big On ‘Superintelligence’ During the company’s fourth-quarter earnings call on Wednesday, the company’s CFO, Susan Li, said that she anticipates 2026 capital expenditures “to be in the range of $115 to $135 bil...
Meta Platforms Inc. (NASDAQ:META) is doubling down on AI with its most ambitious capital spending plan to date, outlining record infrastructure investments for fiscal 2026. Zuckerberg Bets Big On ‘Superintelligence’ During the company’s fourth-quarter earnings call on Wednesday, the company’s CFO, Susan Li, said that she anticipates 2026 capital expenditures “to be in the range of $115 to $135 billion,” with much of it aimed at supporting “Meta Superintelligence Labs efforts.” Meta’s CEO Mark Zuckerberg outlined his vision for “personal superintelligence,” saying that the company will “continue to invest very significantly in infrastructure to train leading models.” To put this in perspective, $135 billion is enough to pay for over 90 NFL stadiums, assuming an average cost of $1.5 billion per stadium. It can also help put 10 more of NASA’s James Webb Telescopes into space, and is just enough to run the entire state of New York, home to 20 million people, for a year. Zuckerberg, however, remains confident in his bold bet, saying, “This is going to be a big year for delivering personal superintelligence, accelerating our business, building infrastructure for the future, and shaping how our company will work going forward.” Others Aren’t Far Behind While Meta currently leads the way on AI capex, other big tech giants aren’t far behind, with BofA Securities analyst Vivek Arya projecting $528 billion in capital expenditures by the industry in 2026. Arya also predicted that this figure could climb to $1.2 trillion by 2030 if the current capex intensity holds, with the leading hyperscalers continuing to dominate. Meta Shares Soar Despite Rising AI Expenses Meta Platforms released its fourth-quarter results on Wednesday, reporting $59.89 billion in revenue, up 24% year-over-year, and beating consensus estimates of $58.30 billion. The company posted a profit of $8.88 per share, which was again ahead of analyst estimates at $8.16. The stock was down 0.63% on Wednesday, closin...
Lloyds Banking press release ( LYG ): Q4 GAAP EPS of 2.20p beats by 0.20p . Revenue of £5.12B (+8.7% Y/Y) misses by £10M . Underlying net interest income of £3,529 million in the fourth quarter of 2025 was 2% higher than the third quarter (three months to 30 September 2025: £3,451 million). The Board has recommended a final ordinary dividend of 2.43 pence per share, resulting in a total ordinary d...
Lloyds Banking press release ( LYG ): Q4 GAAP EPS of 2.20p beats by 0.20p . Revenue of £5.12B (+8.7% Y/Y) misses by £10M . Underlying net interest income of £3,529 million in the fourth quarter of 2025 was 2% higher than the third quarter (three months to 30 September 2025: £3,451 million). The Board has recommended a final ordinary dividend of 2.43 pence per share, resulting in a total ordinary dividend for 2025 of 3.65 pence per share, up 15% on the prior year and in line with the Group's progressive and sustainable ordinary dividend policy. Given the Group’s strong capital position, the Board has also announced its intention to implement an ordinary share buyback programme of up to £1.75 billion. Going forward, the Group will now review excess capital distributions in addition to the ordinary dividend every half year. 2026 guidance : Based on our sustained strength in financial performance and our current macroeconomic assumptions, for 2026 the Group expects: • Underlying net interest income of c.£14.9 billion • Cost:income ratio of less than 50% (including operating costs of less than £9.9 billion) • Asset quality ratio of c.25 basis points • Return on tangible equity now of greater than 16% • Capital generation of greater than 200 basis points2 • To pay down to a CET1 ratio of c.13.0%. More on Lloyds Banking Lloyds Banking Group: Finally Above A Pound Again! (Rating Upgrade) Lloyds Banking Group plc (LYG) Presents at JPMorgan UK Leaders Conference Transcript Lloyds Banking Group plc (LYG) Discusses Strategic Transformation and Growth Agenda at European Conference Fireside Chat Transcript Lloyds expands digital footprint with Curve acquisition Seeking Alpha’s Quant Rating on Lloyds Banking
This period drama’s puddingy mix of clunking soap and fairytale wish-fulfilment is hard to resist. It is, however, utterly bananas ‘I am charting a more venturesome course outside this society and in doing so I am being true to myself!” snorts Benedict Bridgerton (Luke Thompson), flaring his philandering nostrils as Lady Violet (Ruth Gemmell) looks on aghast. “But you still have two sisters who mu...
This period drama’s puddingy mix of clunking soap and fairytale wish-fulfilment is hard to resist. It is, however, utterly bananas ‘I am charting a more venturesome course outside this society and in doing so I am being true to myself!” snorts Benedict Bridgerton (Luke Thompson), flaring his philandering nostrils as Lady Violet (Ruth Gemmell) looks on aghast. “But you still have two sisters who must marry and their fate depends on the family reputation,” she snaps, bustle crackling with maternal indignation. “This requires you to be a gentleman and not … a rake!” At this point, when faced with such period-specific umbrage, it is customary for the casual viewer to insert her monocle and refer to her dog-eared copy of The Crashingly Inevitable Downton Abbey Comparisons Companion. And in many ways Bridgerton, bless its ridiculous socks, continues to invite such comparisons with open arms. There are costumes. There is a house. There are scones (pronounced “scones”, of course, not – heaven forfend – “scones”) and scrunch-faced toffs clearing their throats at news from the shires. There are scullery maids a-titterin’ an’ a-gossipin’ and footmen with calves like bowling balls plotting to relieve dignitaries of their britches. There is a string-heavy score that becomes aroused at times of narrative tension and actively tumescent at the sight of a poorly secured cravat. Continue reading...
Serena Williams declined the opportunity to rule out returning to professional tennis after recently filing the necessary paperwork. Williams, who won 23 Grand Slam singles titles, retired after the 2022 US Open. In December, the International Tennis Integrity Agency confirmed to BBC Sport that the 44-year-old was back on the list of players registered for the drug testing pool. At the time, the A...
Serena Williams declined the opportunity to rule out returning to professional tennis after recently filing the necessary paperwork. Williams, who won 23 Grand Slam singles titles, retired after the 2022 US Open. In December, the International Tennis Integrity Agency confirmed to BBC Sport that the 44-year-old was back on the list of players registered for the drug testing pool. At the time, the American said she was "not coming back" but during an interview on the Today Show on Wednesday, Williams did not rule out stepping back on to the court. "I don't know, I'm just going to see what happens," Williams said. Interviewer Savannah Guthrie pushed Williams further, saying "that's a maybe to me", and the seven-time Wimbledon champion said "It's not a maybe".
As a key component of CATL’s “Ten Thousand Station Plan,” Qiji Energy is actively advancing the standardized and scalable deployment of the “Qiji Battery Swap” network, with a target of approximately 900 battery swap stations by 2026. This cooperation positions China Battery Exchange with a key role to support CATL’s plan. By combining CATL’s leading advantages in brand recognition, battery techno...
As a key component of CATL’s “Ten Thousand Station Plan,” Qiji Energy is actively advancing the standardized and scalable deployment of the “Qiji Battery Swap” network, with a target of approximately 900 battery swap stations by 2026. This cooperation positions China Battery Exchange with a key role to support CATL’s plan. By combining CATL’s leading advantages in brand recognition, battery technology, network reach, and station management platforms with China Battery Exchange’s expertise in R&D and manufacturing of battery swap equipment, the two parties are able to share resource and complement advantages to jointly promote the efficient, large-scale implementation of battery swap infrastructure. Pursuant to the Agreement, China Battery Exchange will serve as a strategic supplier to Qiji Energy. In this capacity, it will drive the solution layout, equipment selection, and manufacturing of mechanical and control systems for heavy-truck battery swap stations. In addition, China Battery Exchange will provide integrated delivery and after-sales services throughout the equipment warranty period, including spare parts support, maintenance, servicing, training, trial operations, and other end-to-end delivery and support services. Previously, China Battery Exchange successfully entered CATL’s global supplier ecosystem. This latest cooperation further validates China Battery Exchange’s technical strength and mass-production assurance capabilities, while marking Kandi Technologies’ deeper integration into CATL’s battery swapping ecosystem. Jinhua, China, Jan. 29, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Kandi Technologies Group, Inc. (the “Company” or “Kandi Technologies”) (NASDAQ GS: KNDI), a long renowned leader in all-electric personal transportation and utility vehicles, today announced that its wholly-owned subsidiary, China Battery Exchange (Zhejiang) Technology Co., Ltd. (“China Battery Exchange”), has entered into a three-year strategic cooperation agreement (the “Agreement”) with ...
For Immediate Release Chicago, IL – January 29, 2026 – Today, Zacks Investment Ideas feature highlights Tesla TSLA, The Baron First Principles ETF RONB, Baron Partners Fund BPTRX, Baron Focused Growth Fund BFGFX and The Entrepreneur Private-Public Crossover ETF XOVR. Want SpaceX Before the IPO? These Funds Are All-In SpaceX, the hottest and most highly valued private company, is expected to go pub...
For Immediate Release Chicago, IL – January 29, 2026 – Today, Zacks Investment Ideas feature highlights Tesla TSLA, The Baron First Principles ETF RONB, Baron Partners Fund BPTRX, Baron Focused Growth Fund BFGFX and The Entrepreneur Private-Public Crossover ETF XOVR. Want SpaceX Before the IPO? These Funds Are All-In SpaceX, the hottest and most highly valued private company, is expected to go public this year in what could be the largest IPO in history. According to the Financial Times, the company is planning to raise as much as $50 billion, targeting a valuation of about $1.5 trillion. Why Everyone Wants a Slice of SpaceX Elon Musk founded SpaceX in May 2002, before becoming involved with Tesla. The company now has a de facto monopoly on rocket launches, and its satellite internet division, Starlink, is reportedly a cash cow. According to Musk, SpaceX has been cash-flow positive for many years. Like many other high-profile startups, SpaceX chose to remain private as institutional investors continued to pour money into the firm. Now, Musk’s ambition to build data centers in space is helping drive the company’s IPO plans. SpaceX is not the only company pursuing solar-powered orbital data centers. Jeff Bezos’ Blue Origin is also in the race, and Google is working on a space data center project called Project Suncatcher. Building data centers in space will require hundreds of billions of dollars. Companies will need to keep chips cool, protect them from radiation, and transmit data back to Earth with minimal latency. Because this combines two of the hottest themes, AI and space, there is significant investor interest in SpaceX. Since SpaceX shares do not trade on a stock exchange, investing is not easy unless you are a large private equity investor, a venture capitalist, or an employee. Because retail investors cannot purchase shares directly, they are exploring other options and piling into funds that hold SpaceX. Baron ETFs and Mutual Funds Billionaire investor Ron...
There is plenty of plotting to be done at Old Trafford and they are keen to bring in some young talent. One man on the Manchester United shortlist is Chelsea’s 19-year-old Tyrique George, who has become something of a fringe figure at Stamford Bridge in recent times. Other options for the recruitment bods are Milan’s Rafael Leão and Everton’s Iliman Ndiaye. Randal Kolo Muani might have scored in t...
There is plenty of plotting to be done at Old Trafford and they are keen to bring in some young talent. One man on the Manchester United shortlist is Chelsea’s 19-year-old Tyrique George, who has become something of a fringe figure at Stamford Bridge in recent times. Other options for the recruitment bods are Milan’s Rafael Leão and Everton’s Iliman Ndiaye. Randal Kolo Muani might have scored in the win over Eintracht Frankfurt on Wednesday night but his Tottenham future looks uncertain. That was his only his third goal for the club in an underwhelming loan. Juventus are in search of a striker and could bring him back to Turin for a second spell. Another option for i bianconeri is Manchester United’s Joshua Zirkzee, who does not look he will be prolific in the Premier League and is available this month. After Raheem Sterling’s contract was terminated, plenty more might be sent packing. Amid that talk that West Ham are interested in Chelsea defender Axel Disasi, a challenger has entered the running. Serie A’s Fiorentina want to offer the Frenchman an escape route from Stamford Bridge where he was part of Enzo Maresca’s bomb squad. The situation is more cordially since Liam Rosenior took over but he still needs to find a new home. Meanwhile, Kendry Páez has agreed to join River Plate on loan to add to the Blues’ exodus. Fiorentina must really like Premier League players because they have also got on the blower to ask about West Ham duo Kyle Walker-Peters and Soungoutou Magassa. Leeds are keen on adding a striker before Monday night, which could mean the end for Joël Piroe at the club. The Dutch striker was a fine servant in the Championship but is without a goal in 12 appearances this season and the Elland Road faithful are eager to find an upgrade. Piroe need not worry, because a few teams will gladly give him a new home. Ipswich are currently leading the chase but FC Twente, Paris FC and Celtic are keeping an eye on the situation, too. The Tractor Boys have other ir...
I have just witnessed a murder. Spattered against the white walls of the Almeida theatre are several thin streaks of blood. Underneath them a particularly gruesome-looking hand axe rests on a table. And on the other side of the room, a clue to who the perpetrator might be. Discarded next to someone’s laptop is a business card – bone-coloured, raised black lettering – bearing a familiar name: Patri...
I have just witnessed a murder. Spattered against the white walls of the Almeida theatre are several thin streaks of blood. Underneath them a particularly gruesome-looking hand axe rests on a table. And on the other side of the room, a clue to who the perpetrator might be. Discarded next to someone’s laptop is a business card – bone-coloured, raised black lettering – bearing a familiar name: Patrick Bateman. Him again. It’s 35 years since Bret Easton Ellis’s third novel, American Psycho, unleashed Bateman on his rampage of sadistic violence, and it seems we’ve never stopped wanting more. In the decades since, Bateman has stabbed and slashed his way through a Hollywood movie, an unlikely hit musical and all kinds of internet memes (“I have to return some videotapes”). A remake of the film, reportedly starring Austin Butler as Bateman, is in the works, but before that a reworked musical is returning to the place it first appeared, hence my visit to rehearsals at the Almeida today. As I watch the cast perfect harmonies around the names of typefaces (“Tiiiimes, New Roh-oh-man”), I wonder how a story about 1980s Wall Street bankers – complete with oversized mobile phones and references to Sony Walkmans – has remained so relevant? Should we be worried that it has? To answer this question we have to understand Bateman himself. Obsessed with designer labels, male grooming and ludicrous fine dining (swordfish meatloaf with onion marmalade, anyone?), Bateman’s money and status-obsessed existence was a pitch-perfect send up of US capitalism during the Reagan era. Yet the satirical element seemed to be lost on critics at the time. The Guardian’s Joan Smith, using a line as brutal as any Bateman murder, dismissed the novel as “nasty, brutish and long”, whereas a moral panic about the book’s graphic acts of violence against women prompted Simon & Schuster to pull out from publishing it at the last minute (Ellis kept his $300,000 advance, then found a new home with Vintage). The c...
Suspending pupils from school will be reserved for the most serious cases of bad behaviour including violence, according to the latest government guidance to be issued to schools in England. The Department for Education (DfE) is to announce a consultation on behaviour policy to be included in the forthcoming schools white paper that is intended to keep more children sanctioned for non-violent misb...
Suspending pupils from school will be reserved for the most serious cases of bad behaviour including violence, according to the latest government guidance to be issued to schools in England. The Department for Education (DfE) is to announce a consultation on behaviour policy to be included in the forthcoming schools white paper that is intended to keep more children sanctioned for non-violent misbehaviour in schools in units known as “internal exclusion”, rather than sending them home. School leaders and teachers said the extra clarity was welcome but that there was a risk the deterrent effect of suspensions could be weakened as a result. The DfE statement said: “Suspensions were introduced 40 years ago – long before the existence of mobile phones and social media. Today, suspension at home can mean unfettered access to friends and online gaming – doing little to address behaviour, enforce punishment or re-engage pupils with learning. “The government has been clear that mobile phones have no place in schools. This reform will bring suspensions in line with that principle, ending the contradiction where pupils are restricted from phones in school but effectively handed them all day when suspended. “The most serious and violent behaviour will still result in pupils being removed from the school environment and the new framework will not replace at home suspensions.” Headteachers will retain the flexibility to apply suspensions, with the new framework formalising the use of internal exclusions to allow pupils to “continue learning in a separate, supervised setting, away from other pupils – reinforcing clear behavioural expectations while providing schools with the structure to address disruptive conduct”. Many schools, especially secondary schools, have created internal exclusion or removal units as a way of managing disruptive behaviour without having to suspend pupils during teaching hours. But critics say that use of isolation rooms or units can be inconsistent, wit...
The prosecution: Chloe It’s thoughtless to wheel me out to his family as a formality. I need my own space sometimes My husband Edwin comes from a big Colombian family, which is very different from the kind of environment I grew up in, and it leads to conflict between us. I had one sibling, a brother, but he passed away in a car accident when I was nine. My mum died a couple years ago. I grew up qu...
The prosecution: Chloe It’s thoughtless to wheel me out to his family as a formality. I need my own space sometimes My husband Edwin comes from a big Colombian family, which is very different from the kind of environment I grew up in, and it leads to conflict between us. I had one sibling, a brother, but he passed away in a car accident when I was nine. My mum died a couple years ago. I grew up quite detached from my parents and was never that close to my father. As a result, I’m very independent and I like my own space. Dating Edwin was a challenge at first, as he is the complete opposite. He wants to be with me all the time, but also wants me to spend time with his family. He’s like a big labrador. Edwin loves kids. He has five brothers and sisters and around 20 nieces and nephews. I also like kids, but I like my space too. We’re in our early thirties and want a family one day, but not yet. The other week he got annoyed when I wasn’t able to go to his goddaughter’s seventh birthday party with him because I’d made plans to attend my best friend’s birthday. We were surrounded by his whole family and the kids were screaming. After hours of board games, I had to lie down because I had a headache He said: “But what will people think?” It seemed that his biggest concern wasn’t about us spending time together, but about me showing my face in front of his family. I told him that I have a life, and that I’d made plans to be at my friend’s birthday ages ago, but he wasn’t able to see it from my point of view. He even said I was being thoughtless. But I think it’s thoughtless to wheel me out to his family just as a formality. I don’t even know his goddaughter very well. Edwin also got annoyed with me at Christmas. We were surrounded by his whole family and kids were screaming. After hours of board games, I had to lie down because I had a headache. He told me later that was rude, but to me it would have been ruder if I had stayed up with a scowl on my face. Maybe Edwin finds ...
Think back to that team and Jonathan Trott was always the relatable one. Get past the gnarly ones, the Type A personalities and the one-offs, and you’d arrive at him, the everyman stumbling in a little late, sporting a dual passport and a receding hairline, who became an integral part of an almost-conquering Test side and briefly one of the best players in the world, before the team, and the man, ...
Think back to that team and Jonathan Trott was always the relatable one. Get past the gnarly ones, the Type A personalities and the one-offs, and you’d arrive at him, the everyman stumbling in a little late, sporting a dual passport and a receding hairline, who became an integral part of an almost-conquering Test side and briefly one of the best players in the world, before the team, and the man, fell apart. For four blissful years Trott was there for all the big moments. The dreamlike debut at The Oval in 2009, only the seventh English batter to make an Ashes ton on debut, sealing a 2-1 win. The overseas wins in Australia and India. The ascension to No 1 team in the world. It couldn’t last and it didn’t. But what a ride. Cult status was assured in Australia in 2010, with a series of typically Trott-like incisions under the skin of their itchy hosts. It was Trott, from the unfashionable position at square leg, who nailed the direct hit to run out Simon Katich in the opening over of the Adelaide Test. And it was Trott again at Melbourne, on 168 not out, leaving his mark in a literal sense: after running out of partners, with England’s lead at 415, he stood alone in the middle, head down and still scratching out his guard as the Australians traipsed off the field. The act would have been seen as a provocation from most cricketers, but Trott’s self-absorption, his cocoon-like qualities and mild eccentricities, were already legendary. In the good times, his bubble acted as a force field to such an extent that even today, when critics of the current English side go searching for a stylistic counterpoint, it’s to Trott that they often return. Indeed, in recent weeks, Trott has been a regular talking point, and not just as a handy exemplar of how things used to be. When the betting companies rushed out their post-Sydney media releases, Trott was near the top of every list to succeed Brendon McCullum as head coach. Watching the series from his home in Birmingham brought bac...
The ‘mother of all deals’ is as much about the tariff-heavy geopolitics of the Trump era as it is about bilateral trade The year was 2007. Steve Jobs had announced the launch of the first iPhone, the sub-prime mortgage crisis was bubbling up in the US, the EU had enlarged to include Romania and Bulgaria, and India had for the first time become a trillion-dollar economy. This was when trade talks b...
The ‘mother of all deals’ is as much about the tariff-heavy geopolitics of the Trump era as it is about bilateral trade The year was 2007. Steve Jobs had announced the launch of the first iPhone, the sub-prime mortgage crisis was bubbling up in the US, the EU had enlarged to include Romania and Bulgaria, and India had for the first time become a trillion-dollar economy. This was when trade talks between Delhi and Brussels were initiated for the first time. But it wouldn’t be until this very week, almost 20 years later, that a deal was signed after a few final months of unusually accelerated negotiations. On Tuesday, the president of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen, president of the European Council António Costa and India’s prime minister, Narendra Modi, announced the “ mother of all deals ”, which promises to bring together about 2 billion consumers and a quarter of the world’s GDP. The agreement opens parts of India’s famously protectionist domestic market with a focus on exporting manufacturing and services; in return, middle-class Indian consumers will find it cheaper to buy European cars and wine. The overarching EU-India comprehensive strategic agenda is really much larger in scope, taking in defence and security, commitments to multilateralism, mobility and cooperation in a range of areas. Ravinder Kaur is professor of Asian studies at the University of Copenhagen and is writing a book about the history of the global south Continue reading...
Martin O’Neill’s involvement in celebrated European moments in Celtic’s history means he is entitled to bridle at the belief that domain is no longer a priority. O’Neill used pre-match media duties for the Europa League visit of Utrecht on Thursday to point towards what has the potential to be an uplifting few days for the Scottish champions. “We got a result in Feyenoord and fought our guts out i...
Martin O’Neill’s involvement in celebrated European moments in Celtic’s history means he is entitled to bridle at the belief that domain is no longer a priority. O’Neill used pre-match media duties for the Europa League visit of Utrecht on Thursday to point towards what has the potential to be an uplifting few days for the Scottish champions. “We got a result in Feyenoord and fought our guts out in Bologna,” he said. “We don’t now want to just throw it away. We want to try and go for it if we can. We could still lose the game. We might not win the match and we might go out of the competition, but we want to give it a go. “If we can survive and win Sunday’s game [against Falkirk] and maybe by Monday we get some players in then that might give us a bit of relief. But we first need to qualify. It could give us renewed enthusiasm.” It will be a shock and a significant blow to Celtic’s credibility if they do not progress to the Europa League knockout stages. Utrecht have taken one point from seven games and lie 11th in the Eredivisie. Ifs, buts and maybes are, however, the story of Celtic’s messy campaign. It is the case that the club have spent more on a failed appeal of Auston Trusty’s red card at Tynecastle on Sunday, £650, than on permanent January signings. Julián Araujo and Tomas Cvancara have arrived on loan. Yet there are emotions ranging from anxiety to anger among supporters, who fear another window where Celtic are ponderous. This one will have consequences given Hearts and Rangers are mounting a credible challenge for the title. Hearts outplayed Celtic for most of the 2-2 draw. O’Neill will not panic. His rational approach over the lack of activity is sensible given he is in a second interim spell. Brendan Rodgers and Wilfried Nancy have departed office either side of the 73-year-old’s stints. “I’m sure Wilfried would have had a set of players that he was interested in,” O’Neill said. “That might be a different set of players to me and it might have been a di...