Cornerstone of the UK’s Employment Rights Act ‘in danger of becoming a dead duck’, says Unite boss The government has asked its new employment rights watchdog to reduce the regulatory burden on business, it has emerged, a request that worker advocates said risks turning the agency into “a dead duck”. The Fair Work Agency (FWA), which is being launched on Tuesday, is a cornerstone of Labour’s Emplo...
Cornerstone of the UK’s Employment Rights Act ‘in danger of becoming a dead duck’, says Unite boss The government has asked its new employment rights watchdog to reduce the regulatory burden on business, it has emerged, a request that worker advocates said risks turning the agency into “a dead duck”. The Fair Work Agency (FWA), which is being launched on Tuesday, is a cornerstone of Labour’s Employment Rights Act. It will bring together several existing labour enforcement bodies and its responsibilities will include policing the minimum wage, holiday pay and modern slavery. Continue reading...
From high-end antiques to Dinky Toys and Star Wars, fraudsters have ways to make you believe it’s genuine. Here’s how to avoid being tricked When Kayleigh Davies looked at the bottom of what was supposed to be a vase from the French luxury glass-maker Lalique, it was clear the piece was a fake. Etched into the base was the word “Lalique”, but Davies, an experienced valuer of antiques, could see th...
From high-end antiques to Dinky Toys and Star Wars, fraudsters have ways to make you believe it’s genuine. Here’s how to avoid being tricked When Kayleigh Davies looked at the bottom of what was supposed to be a vase from the French luxury glass-maker Lalique, it was clear the piece was a fake. Etched into the base was the word “Lalique”, but Davies, an experienced valuer of antiques, could see that something was amiss. Continue reading...
Designed as a shortcut between the Atlantic and the Med, today the scenic waterway from Toulouse to Sète is seen as a living ‘work of art’ Centuries before Donald Trump started playing around with the world economy, “tariff” was a levy paid to Spain by ships using the strait of Gibraltar; it was named for Tarifa, the town near the strait’s narrowest point. France’s kings had long dreamed of a wate...
Designed as a shortcut between the Atlantic and the Med, today the scenic waterway from Toulouse to Sète is seen as a living ‘work of art’ Centuries before Donald Trump started playing around with the world economy, “tariff” was a levy paid to Spain by ships using the strait of Gibraltar; it was named for Tarifa, the town near the strait’s narrowest point. France’s kings had long dreamed of a waterway linking the Atlantic to the Mediterranean: as well as depriving the Spanish monarch of easy money, it would save ships a long voyage around Spain and Portugal, risking storms and pirates. From the Atlantic, vessels can reach Toulouse from the Gironde estuary (on the Garonne River), but not until the 1660s did anyone have a viable plan for the remaining 200km to the Med. Considered one of the biggest engineering feats of the 17th century, Pierre-Paul Riquet’s Canal du Midi (finished in 1681 and called the Canal Royal du Languedoc until the revolution) rewrote the history of transport and commerce in the south of France – for centuries it carried wheat and wine, people and post. Continue reading...
Fancy an at-home coffee maker that can grind beans and make tasty espresso? Our expert put 12 to the test, including fully automatic and assisted models • The best coffee subscription services Laziness is akin to godliness. I know this for a fact because, every morning, my kitchen hosts a dishevelled re-enactment of Michelangelo’s famed fresco, the Creazione di Adamo (Creation of Adam). An outstre...
Fancy an at-home coffee maker that can grind beans and make tasty espresso? Our expert put 12 to the test, including fully automatic and assisted models • The best coffee subscription services Laziness is akin to godliness. I know this for a fact because, every morning, my kitchen hosts a dishevelled re-enactment of Michelangelo’s famed fresco, the Creazione di Adamo (Creation of Adam). An outstretched arm extends a single finger, and lo – a bean-to-cup machine stirs, a grinder whirs, the smell of freshly ground coffee wafts, coffee drips and milk froths. Hopefully, my cup does not runneth over, for all the big mugs are in the dishwasher. At its simplest, this is the appeal of a fully automatic bean-to-cup coffee machine. Turn it on, place a cup on the drip tray and lazily prod a button. The machine then freshly grinds the beans, brews the coffee and – if it has an automatic milk frother – optionally adds a layer of hot frothy milk to your beverage. Your role in the process is simple: decide whether you want an espresso, lungo, americano, cappuccino, macchiato, latte or cortado. Decisions, decisions. Best bean-to-cup coffee machine overall and best on a budget: De’Longhi Magnifica Start Best bean-to-cup coffee machine under £1,000: De’Longhi Rivelia Continue reading...
Exclusive: Starmer urged to go further with exemptions if he wants to avoid widespread anger from his own MPs A number of ministers concerned about Shabana Mahmood’s immigration changes are working behind the scenes with backbenchers to secure more exemptions, the Guardian has learned. Keir Starmer is consulting on the proposed changes , which would make it harder to achieve settled status in the ...
Exclusive: Starmer urged to go further with exemptions if he wants to avoid widespread anger from his own MPs A number of ministers concerned about Shabana Mahmood’s immigration changes are working behind the scenes with backbenchers to secure more exemptions, the Guardian has learned. Keir Starmer is consulting on the proposed changes , which would make it harder to achieve settled status in the UK, and is under pressure from within his own party to say the measures should not apply to people who have already entered the UK. Continue reading...
Once dubbed the world’s tallest abandoned skyscraper, Goldin Finance 117 in northern China appears to be in the homestretch of a marathon construction effort – after nearly a decade of dormancy and a year of resumed work – even as the nation’s property market struggles to leg out a sustained recovery. Late last month, workers began installing a diamond-shaped crown on top of the building – designe...
Once dubbed the world’s tallest abandoned skyscraper, Goldin Finance 117 in northern China appears to be in the homestretch of a marathon construction effort – after nearly a decade of dormancy and a year of resumed work – even as the nation’s property market struggles to leg out a sustained recovery. Late last month, workers began installing a diamond-shaped crown on top of the building – designed to be 596 metres (1,955 feet) tall upon completion – in the port city of Tianjin, according to...
As Chinese cemeteries become increasingly expensive many people are buying flats to store the ashes of their loved ones, triggering a discussion which has divided public opinion. Chinese families have long placed great importance on burial practices, with securing a respectable grave regarded as an essential act of filial piety. However, as rapid urban development limits available land and an agei...
As Chinese cemeteries become increasingly expensive many people are buying flats to store the ashes of their loved ones, triggering a discussion which has divided public opinion. Chinese families have long placed great importance on burial practices, with securing a respectable grave regarded as an essential act of filial piety. However, as rapid urban development limits available land and an ageing population drives up demand, burial space has become increasingly scarce, giving rise to...
A U.S. Airforce officer whose plane was shot down in Iran was rescued by U.S. forces early Sunday, President Trump announced on social media. (Image credit: Alex Brandon)
A U.S. Airforce officer whose plane was shot down in Iran was rescued by U.S. forces early Sunday, President Trump announced on social media. (Image credit: Alex Brandon)
In a profanity-laden post on Truth Social, President Trump lashed out at Iran and injectied new volatility into the conflict, hours after U.S. forces carried out a high-risk rescue mission. (Image credit: Alex Brandon)
In a profanity-laden post on Truth Social, President Trump lashed out at Iran and injectied new volatility into the conflict, hours after U.S. forces carried out a high-risk rescue mission. (Image credit: Alex Brandon)
Hong Kong’s economy showed resilience in the first quarter of 2026 amid a more volatile stock market, even though the conflict in the Middle East continued to fuel market jitters, the city’s finance chief has said. In a review of the city’s economic health in the first three months of this year, Financial Secretary Paul Chan Mo-po on Sunday attributed Hong Kong’s performance to the steady growth o...
Hong Kong’s economy showed resilience in the first quarter of 2026 amid a more volatile stock market, even though the conflict in the Middle East continued to fuel market jitters, the city’s finance chief has said. In a review of the city’s economic health in the first three months of this year, Financial Secretary Paul Chan Mo-po on Sunday attributed Hong Kong’s performance to the steady growth of mainland China’s economy, with the city leveraging the situation to establish itself as a global...
Ei Ywet/iStock via Getty Images Investment Thesis Since my last coverage , which I rated as Sell, Oracle Corp. ( ORCL ) stock is down about 24% until 2 April 2026, as investors continue to have concerns about the company’s heavy asset-intensive business model regarding the Oracle Cloud Infrastructure ( OCI ) business line and its high debt leverage. ORCL remains with negative FCF, and its backlog ...
Ei Ywet/iStock via Getty Images Investment Thesis Since my last coverage , which I rated as Sell, Oracle Corp. ( ORCL ) stock is down about 24% until 2 April 2026, as investors continue to have concerns about the company’s heavy asset-intensive business model regarding the Oracle Cloud Infrastructure ( OCI ) business line and its high debt leverage. ORCL remains with negative FCF, and its backlog depends on OpenAI; however, Q3’26 results showed that the company, on the one hand, reduced OpenAI’s dependency and, on the other hand, proved that the OCI business accelerates the overall growth trajectory, as well as being a key component for cross-selling opportunities leading to customer stickiness. OCI Accelerates Oracle’s Growth Story via Revenue Acceleration but Also Through Business Restructuring Oracle’s total revenue rose by 22% YoY to $17.2B in Q3’26, with the main driver being the Cloud segment, which grew by 44%. Specifically, Cloud growth came mainly from its AI infrastructure business, which grew by 84%, while applications grew a solid 13%. As you can see, ORCL’s total revenue growth rate is strongly correlated with the Cloud segment, which shows a strong growth rate acceleration over the last two years due to high AI demand and, in my opinion, will continue to record higher rates in the following quarters, given the company’s guidance of 46%-50% in Q4’26. Q3’26 Report The OCI story does not stop here. According to the CRN report , the OCI segment will have a 75% CAGR, broken down as follows: Revenue of $34 in FY27 Revenue of $77B in FY28 Revenue of $129B in FY29 Revenue of $166B in FY30 Investors remain concerned due to Cloud growth coming with lower profitability, driven by the need for high capital investments mainly for GPUs, CPUs, and memory. Specifically, cloud operating profit of $8.7B in Q3’26 reflects an operating margin of 58%, which is slightly lower than the operating margin of 63% in Q3’25. In contrast, Hardware and Service segments reported oper...
Ei Ywet/iStock via Getty Images Investment Thesis Since my last coverage , which I rated as Sell, Oracle Corp. ( ORCL ) stock is down about 24% until 2 April 2026, as investors continue to have concerns about the company’s heavy asset-intensive business model regarding the Oracle Cloud Infrastructure ( OCI ) business line and its high debt leverage. ORCL remains with negative FCF, and its backlog ...
Ei Ywet/iStock via Getty Images Investment Thesis Since my last coverage , which I rated as Sell, Oracle Corp. ( ORCL ) stock is down about 24% until 2 April 2026, as investors continue to have concerns about the company’s heavy asset-intensive business model regarding the Oracle Cloud Infrastructure ( OCI ) business line and its high debt leverage. ORCL remains with negative FCF, and its backlog depends on OpenAI; however, Q3’26 results showed that the company, on the one hand, reduced OpenAI’s dependency and, on the other hand, proved that the OCI business accelerates the overall growth trajectory, as well as being a key component for cross-selling opportunities leading to customer stickiness. OCI Accelerates Oracle’s Growth Story via Revenue Acceleration but Also Through Business Restructuring Oracle’s total revenue rose by 22% YoY to $17.2B in Q3’26, with the main driver being the Cloud segment, which grew by 44%. Specifically, Cloud growth came mainly from its AI infrastructure business, which grew by 84%, while applications grew a solid 13%. As you can see, ORCL’s total revenue growth rate is strongly correlated with the Cloud segment, which shows a strong growth rate acceleration over the last two years due to high AI demand and, in my opinion, will continue to record higher rates in the following quarters, given the company’s guidance of 46%-50% in Q4’26. Q3’26 Report The OCI story does not stop here. According to the CRN report , the OCI segment will have a 75% CAGR, broken down as follows: Revenue of $34 in FY27 Revenue of $77B in FY28 Revenue of $129B in FY29 Revenue of $166B in FY30 Investors remain concerned due to Cloud growth coming with lower profitability, driven by the need for high capital investments mainly for GPUs, CPUs, and memory. Specifically, cloud operating profit of $8.7B in Q3’26 reflects an operating margin of 58%, which is slightly lower than the operating margin of 63% in Q3’25. In contrast, Hardware and Service segments reported oper...