This is both simple and celebratory, which in my book makes it just right for Mother’s Day next weekend. It has a fine, tender crumb, which pairs beautifully with the soft, creamy tang of lemon mascarpone, and I use lemon curd in the batter (shop-bought for ease) to bring a particular smoothness and depth of lemon flavour. Finished with a little extra curd and a scattering of edible flowers, it is...
This is both simple and celebratory, which in my book makes it just right for Mother’s Day next weekend. It has a fine, tender crumb, which pairs beautifully with the soft, creamy tang of lemon mascarpone, and I use lemon curd in the batter (shop-bought for ease) to bring a particular smoothness and depth of lemon flavour. Finished with a little extra curd and a scattering of edible flowers, it is pretty and unfussy and will hopefully make your own mother’s day. Lemon curd layer cake Prep 5 min Cook 1 hr Serves 8-10 330g plain flour 2½ tsp baking powder ½ tsp fine sea salt 225g room-temperature unsalted butter 225g caster sugar Finely grated zest of 2 lemons 3 large eggs, at room temperature 160g lemon curd 250ml whole milk Small edible flowers, to decorate For the lemon mascarpone 250g lemon curd, plus extra to decorate 250g mascarpone Heat the oven to 180C (160C fan)/350F/gas 4 and line the base and sides of two 20cm round cake tins with baking paper. Sift the flour, baking powder and salt into a medium bowl. Put the butter, sugar and lemon zest in the bowl of an electric mixer and beat with the paddle attachment on medium-high for about two minutes, until pale, smooth and creamy. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition and scraping down the sides and base of the bowl as needed. With the mixer on low, add the sifted dry ingredients alternately with the lemon curd and milk, about a third at a time and ending with the last of the dry ingredients. Beat just until incorporated, scraping down the bowl a couple of times to ensure an even mix. Divide the batter evenly between the two lined tins (about 660g per tin) and level the tops with a small spatula. Bake for 35 minutes, or until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean. Remove from the oven and leave the cakes to cool in the tins before turning them out. To assemble, make the lemon mascarpone cream. Put the lemon curd and mascarpone in the bowl of an electric mixer and beat with the wh...
Tens of thousands of people a year have bailiffs sent to their homes by water companies in England and Wales, data shows. Many thousands of these visits by debt collectors were for sums worth under £1,000, according to the data released by the House of Commons environment, food and rural affairs (Efra) committee. Bailiffs are debt collectors instructed by a court, who can seize items from those in...
Tens of thousands of people a year have bailiffs sent to their homes by water companies in England and Wales, data shows. Many thousands of these visits by debt collectors were for sums worth under £1,000, according to the data released by the House of Commons environment, food and rural affairs (Efra) committee. Bailiffs are debt collectors instructed by a court, who can seize items from those in debt, including electrical items, jewellery or vehicles. It is a postcode lottery as to whether a water company would send a bailiff to a person’s home to recoup unpaid bills. While Wessex Water has not used bailiffs in 10 years, the water companies that made the most use of bailiffs in 2025 – adjusted for population – were South West Water, Southern Water and Yorkshire Water. In the financial year 2016-17, Yorkshire Water sent bailiffs to customers’ homes 405 times, but in 2024-25 there were 6,124 bailiff visits. There were also high peaks of overall usage by some companies. In 2022 Severn Trent instructed bailiffs 11,574 times, and in 2019 Southern Water instructed 15,707 bailiffs. The criteria for sending debt collectors to people’s homes varies between water companies. For example, Northumbrian Water told the committee it did not send bailiffs to homes where residents were known to be in receipt of means-tested benefits, whereas Southern Water said these customers were eligible for litigation. Severn Trent also does not perform checks on whether someone is in receipt of means-tested benefits before instructing a bailiff. Southern does have some limits on who it will pursue. It said that if a customer is suffering from dementia or a critical illness, they will not be pursued for a debt via litigation. The use of bailiffs by water companies that had been found to have broken the law themselves was unfair, the Labour MP John McDonnell said. He said: “Only five directors of water companies have been prosecuted in the last 30 years. Contrast that with the thousands of mainl...
An internet user in China has exposed on social media that he found 62 pet carcasses on a 300-kilometre stretch of expressway after their owners tied them to the outside vehicles during the Chinese New Year travel rush. In his viral video released on February 25, the blogger Wu Jiayou said he encountered the carcasses on the road while he was driving from Leshan in Sichuan province to Chongqing, s...
An internet user in China has exposed on social media that he found 62 pet carcasses on a 300-kilometre stretch of expressway after their owners tied them to the outside vehicles during the Chinese New Year travel rush. In his viral video released on February 25, the blogger Wu Jiayou said he encountered the carcasses on the road while he was driving from Leshan in Sichuan province to Chongqing, southwestern China, according to a report by the Yangcheng Evening News. About eight of the animals were dogs while the rest were cats, said Wu. The terrified-looking animal above was put inside a blue bag and tied to a car. Photo: YouTube “They all looked like pet animals because they wore clothes and their hair was well groomed. I think they died of accidents during the transport due to the lack of care and protection from their owners,” Wu was quoted as saying. Advertisement He said his heart ached seeing the dead animals because he also has a pet dog, a Border Collie. “Many pet owners just follow a recent trend of not putting their pets inside the vehicles, but hanging them outside,” said Wu. Advertisement An increasing number of people in mainland China drive home with their pets to celebrate the Chinese New Year this year.
Poland will likely abstain from interest-rate cuts for as long as the armed conflict in Iran lasts, according to policymaker Henryk Wnorowski . The Monetary Policy Council cut its benchmark by 25 basis points to 3.75% on Wednesday, while lowering its inflation projections. “We must definitely forget about further downward adjustments to interest rates for as long as the war continues,” MPC’s Wnoro...
Poland will likely abstain from interest-rate cuts for as long as the armed conflict in Iran lasts, according to policymaker Henryk Wnorowski . The Monetary Policy Council cut its benchmark by 25 basis points to 3.75% on Wednesday, while lowering its inflation projections. “We must definitely forget about further downward adjustments to interest rates for as long as the war continues,” MPC’s Wnorowski told Bloomberg News. “The end of the war will reopen the possibility of returning to discussions about interest rate cuts.” The longer the war lasts, the more difficult it will be to assess the impact on Poland’s inflation and economy, and possibly resume cuts, he added. The 10-member MPC’s decision to reduce rates this week was partly based on concern that leaving them unchanged would send another worrying signal to financial markets, which were already shaken by war in the Middle East, Wnorowski said. He also played down expectations for one of two more quarter-point rate cuts this year. “As for the target rate for 2026 - the likelihood that it will reach the 3.25%-3.5% level that was recently reported in the media has decreased dramatically,” Wnorowski said. Central bank Governor Adam Glapinski said the outlook for Polish borrowing costs was blurred by the conflict in the Middle East, which he expected to “ last longer ” than what he called the optimistic scenario of four to eight weeks. Wnorowski said the spike in global energy crisis could still revive Polish inflation above the central bank’s target of 2.5%, which means that policymakers must stay cautious and can’t rule out any scenario, including a rate hike. In January, consumer price growth slowed to 2.2%, the lowest level in almost two years. “The wait-and-see approach is now more justified than it has been in past months,” Wnorowski said.
High-quality performance with outstanding cash generation Upgraded mid-term margin target Governance evolution, ensuring smooth transition and full strategic continuity Cergy, March 6th, 2026 Record profitability and solid revenue growth, pushing revenue well above the €10 bn mark Revenue: €10,380 million, up +4.8% vs. 2024, including +3.2% growth from acquisitions and +2.0% organic growth, with G...
High-quality performance with outstanding cash generation Upgraded mid-term margin target Governance evolution, ensuring smooth transition and full strategic continuity Cergy, March 6th, 2026 Record profitability and solid revenue growth, pushing revenue well above the €10 bn mark Revenue: €10,380 million, up +4.8% vs. 2024, including +3.2% growth from acquisitions and +2.0% organic growth, with Germany confirmed as the Group’s primary growth driver (+5.3%), well supported by North-Western Europe (+4.3%) EBITA increased sharply by 11.4% to €793 million, with the margin reaching a record 7.6% (+40 bps), driven by pricing power, selectivity, operational excellence and accretive acquisitions Adjusted net income 1 : €458 million (+9% vs. 2024) : €458 million (+9% vs. 2024) Recommended dividend: €1.08 per share2, up 8% Another year of outstanding free cash flow €524 million of free cash flow and 108% cash conversion, significantly above the 100% target, underpinned by best‑in‑class working capital management ((34) days of revenue) evidencing once again the Group’s highly cash‑generative profile Very strong balance sheet and further deleveraging down to 1.3x3 Sustained bolt-on M&A momentum through 2025 and very dynamic start to 2026 9 bolt-on acquisitions announced in 2025, adding c. €347 million of annual revenue 2 transactions announced in early 2026, including the signing of an agreement to acquire ROFA Industrial AG, a strategic step up in Industrial Services in Germany (c. €430 million in annual revenue, high-single digit EBITA margin profile) A healthy and well‑diversified pipeline of further opportunities Reaffirming leadership in sustainability Full achievement of our 2025 environmental objectives, including several overachievements Ambitious new 2030 sustainability roadmap, raising environmental and social targets 2026 outlook Strong total growth, driven by further organic growth and active bolt-on M&A Continued expansion of EBITA margin Mid-term EBITA margin tar...
Decision of Gauthier Louette not to seek the renewal of his mandates as Chairman and CEO at the end of his term in April 2026 Separation of the functions of Chairman of the Board of Directors and...
Decision of Gauthier Louette not to seek the renewal of his mandates as Chairman and CEO at the end of his term in April 2026 Separation of the functions of Chairman of the Board of Directors and...
Getty Images At one point, there were roughly 2,000 U.S. automobile manufacturers. Today, only a few dozen remain. The legendary Warren Buffett often points to the U.S. automotive industry as a teaching moment for investors. Why? To highlight how difficult it is to pick individual companies in what he believed to be a high-growth, capital-intensive industry. While the U.S. car market has long been...
Getty Images At one point, there were roughly 2,000 U.S. automobile manufacturers. Today, only a few dozen remain. The legendary Warren Buffett often points to the U.S. automotive industry as a teaching moment for investors. Why? To highlight how difficult it is to pick individual companies in what he believed to be a high-growth, capital-intensive industry. While the U.S. car market has long been highly consolidated into a handful of firms controlling multiple brands, we believe China’s vehicle market still remains highly fragmented, retaining the ethos of a Wild West-style capitalist competition, with over 150 carmakers actively competing with one another. 1 Such a market is characterized by rapid technological innovation, volatility, and potential regulatory uncertainty. If you want to step back into the dynamism of the 1910s US auto industry, look no further than a Chinese shopping mall. In her latest video , cultural analyst Xiabing Su takes us on a tour of the displays from some of the most prominent car brands in China, all conveniently located in the same place. In the US, extreme consolidation eventually led the market to be heavily dominated by GM ( GM ) and Ford ( F ). However, we believe it is entirely too early to tell whether certain brands will consolidate into one or not in China’s nascent vehicle industry that is just now reaching global scale. As such, we believe a basket approach to China’s electric vehicle (EV) ecosystem is appropriate. Xiabing stresses that, in today’s China, electric vehicles are the market, as they now account for the majority of new vehicle sales. 8 She recalled that, back in 2018, China implemented a policy assigning electric vehicles special green license plates so their drivers could enjoy special privileges. 2 Walking through the streets of Shanghai today, she noted that nearly all she could see were green license plates. China has become the world’s largest electric vehicle market, accounting for over 50% of global EV sa...
Given that XRP (XRP 1.13%) is down by 35% in the last 90 days alone, it's completely understandable that investors might be thinking about whether it's time to head for the door. But, if you're seriously weighing whether to sell your XRP, there are two numbers in particular that deserve a lot more of your attention than the day-to-day price. So before deciding to sell the coin for good, at least t...
Given that XRP (XRP 1.13%) is down by 35% in the last 90 days alone, it's completely understandable that investors might be thinking about whether it's time to head for the door. But, if you're seriously weighing whether to sell your XRP, there are two numbers in particular that deserve a lot more of your attention than the day-to-day price. So before deciding to sell the coin for good, at least take a look at both, because they might change your mind. No. 1: Total tokenized value In crypto, asset tokenization is the process of generating and recording a digital representation of a traditional asset (like a stock or bond) on a programmable crypto token hosted on a blockchain. The point of asset tokenization is that it can reduce some of the transaction settlement and recordkeeping friction for the asset holder, assuming that the surrounding legal and operational pieces line up. And, as the XRP Ledger (XRPL) is angling to build out the features that will make it a great place to manage tokenized assets, the sum of their value on its chain today is a very important figure to know. Expand CRYPTO : XRP XRP Today's Change ( -1.13 %) $ -0.02 Current Price $ 1.40 Key Data Points Market Cap $86B Day's Range $ 1.39 - $ 1.45 52wk Range $ 1.14 - $ 3.65 Volume 2.4B As of Feb. 26, 2026, the value of tokenized assets held on the XRP Ledger just for recordkeeping purposes was nearly $1.5 billion, up by about 4.4% from 30 days prior. Even more importantly, there were $461 million in tradeable tokenized assets held on the ledger for the purpose of distribution rather than just recordkeeping, up by a stunning 45% in the same period. In other words, this is real progress which shows that XRP is going to be an important coin to hold for asset issuers who want to use its network to manage their tokenized holdings. And that might make the coin more valuable over time if the trend continues to generate real capital inflows to the chain. No. 2: Asset transfer volume Activity on the XRPL is...
These days, it’s rare to find a quiet discussion about Oracle Corporation (ORCL). Traders who follow the New York Stock Exchange’s ticker on most mornings notice the same pattern: the stock gradually rises, jolting every now and then when news about cloud contracts or artificial intelligence reaches the wires. The shares were recently up slightly on the day, hovering around $154. Not very dramatic...
These days, it’s rare to find a quiet discussion about Oracle Corporation (ORCL). Traders who follow the New York Stock Exchange’s ticker on most mornings notice the same pattern: the stock gradually rises, jolting every now and then when news about cloud contracts or artificial intelligence reaches the wires. The shares were recently up slightly on the day, hovering around $154. Not very dramatic. However, something more significant appears to be developing beneath that stable price movement. It used to be simpler to explain Oracle. The database company was the culprit. the silent infrastructure that supports government systems, banks, and hospitals. Ten years ago, when attending a technology conference, it was common to see engineers talking about enterprise software at Oracle booths instead of dazzling product demonstrations. dependable, lucrative, and possibly a little dull. Even though it seems more and more out of date, that reputation endures. Category Details Company Oracle Corporation Stock Ticker ORCL Exchange NYSE Current Price ~$154.79 Market Cap ~$444.7 Billion P/E Ratio ~29.09 52-Week High $345.72 52-Week Low $118.86 Dividend Yield ~1.29% Quarterly Dividend $0.50 Latest Quarterly Revenue $16.06 Billion Revenue Growth (YoY) +14.22% Headquarters Austin, Texas, United States Official Website https://www.oracle.com The company is currently working to reposition itself in the race to construct the artificial intelligence computing backbone, which is a completely different narrative. This goal has forced the business to build enormous data centers and invest heavily in cloud infrastructure. And as they watch it unfold, investors appear both curious and a little uneasy. On the surface, the financial figures continue to appear to be sound. Oracle reported $16 billion in revenue for the quarter, up more than 14% from the previous year. Additionally, earnings per share significantly exceeded forecasts. Normally, those numbers would calm markets. However, it appe...
IMF Managing Director, Kristalina Georgieva, says they're ready to assist countries facing balance of payment concerns amid heightened uncertainty from the Middle East conflict. She spoke exclusively on Bloomberg's Insight with Haslinda Amin on the sidelines of IMF's "Asia in 2050" Conference in Bangkok. (Source: Bloomberg)
IMF Managing Director, Kristalina Georgieva, says they're ready to assist countries facing balance of payment concerns amid heightened uncertainty from the Middle East conflict. She spoke exclusively on Bloomberg's Insight with Haslinda Amin on the sidelines of IMF's "Asia in 2050" Conference in Bangkok. (Source: Bloomberg)