Brand

Pub owner’s sale to Barcelona-based brewer Damm is latest takeover of a British beer by an overseas buyerBusiness live – latest updatesPub chain Greene King has agreed to sell its Old Speckled Hen ale brands to the Spanish owner of Estrella lager, making it the latest in a series of British beers to be snapped up by overseas buyers.Barcelona-based brewer Damm has agreed to buy Old Speckled Hen brands, including its non-alcoholic and golden ale versions. Continue reading...

Bank founded 174 years ago could be phased out as early as 1 July as part of group’s reviewBosses at Lloyds Banking Group are considering axing the Halifax as a standalone brand, as part of a sweeping review that could result in the historic 174-year-old lender disappearing from Britain’s high streets.Lloyds has been assessing the future of its branding strategy and whether it will continue to operate everyday banking under three different brands – Lloyds, Halifax and Bank of Scotland – after government-backed rescue efforts at the height of the 2008 financial crisis. Continue reading...

Florida agreement grants US president control of licensing and merchandising at renamed airport, analysts sayIt was a week in which one prominent name in aviation, Spirit Airlines, disappeared, killed in the company’s own admission by high fuel prices resulting from Donald Trump’s war in Iran.Within days, however, another moniker was already flying high in industry circles: the president’s own. Continue reading...

Exclusive: Documents show Modella Capital, which bought the chain last year, is so far owed £2.9m in royalty feesThe investment company that owns the former WH Smith high street stores is charging the retailer millions of pounds in licence fees for the right to use its widely derided TG Jones name, the Guardian can reveal.Modella Capital – which bought the chain from WH Smith’s parent company last year – on Wednesday blamed weak consumer spending as it laid out a restructuring plan that could shut 150 of its 450 shops. It also said “the forced name change from WH Smith has also negatively impacted consumer awareness”. Continue reading...

Utz issues voluntary recall for certain varieties of Zapp’s and Dirty potato chips over contamination linked to seasoningSign up for the Breaking News US newsletter emailUtz has issued a voluntary US recall of two potato chip brands after concerns that they could be contaminated with salmonella, a type of bacteria that can lead to food-borne illness.Certain varieties of Zapp’s and Dirty potato chips may contain contamination linked to the seasoning used on the products, according to the US Food and Drug Administration in a recall issued on Monday. The recall applies to three flavors of Zapp’s chips sold in various bag sizes, along with three flavors of Dirty chips packaged in 2-ounce bags. Continue reading...

Marine biologists step up criticism of privately funded operation to release stranded humpback whale off Germany’s Baltic CoastMarine biologists and whale experts have stepped up their criticism of a privately funded operation to release a humpback whale that was stranded for weeks off Germany’s Baltic Coast after it emerged that a tracker fitted to the whale was not working.The whereabouts and health of the young male whale – nicknamed Timmy after one of the sandbanks that it was stranded on – remain unknown three days after it was transported in a water-holding barge pulled by a tugboat to waters off the coast of Denmark. Continue reading...

Jimmy Wales remembers a toxic internet even before social media and says AI is ‘not a disaster’ for the free – and freely edited - online encyclopaediaFollow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastWikipedia’s founder, Jimmy Wales, has branded the Australian social media ban an “unmitigated disaster” and an “embarrassment” that is teaching kids to accept surveillance from tech companies when they go online.The online encyclopaedia that anyone can edit was born in a world before social media, in 2001. But Wales told Guardian Australia that many of the ills of social media existed even in the earlier stages of the internet. Continue reading...

• During a heated Senate Armed Services Committee hearing, Senator Kirsten Gillibrand directly challenged Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth over rising Iran war costs, specifically questioning reports of a potential $200 billion additional spending request. • Gillibrand pressed Hegseth on the lack of evidence that military operations have made Americans safer, arguing the massive spending burden conflicts with domestic economic pressures and inflation affecting citizens. • Hegseth defended the campaign as a necessary and "defined mission" with strategic objectives, comparing it to long-term conflicts like Iraq and Afghanistan, highlighting growing Washington tension over war costs and direction.

Brand, who will be tried in October over allegations of rape and sexual assault, tells podcast he slept with 16-year-old when he was 30Russell Brand said he had “exploitative” consensual sex with a 16-year-old girl at the height of his fame.The comedian, actor and podcaster, 50, will be tried in the autumn over allegations of rape and sexual assault made against him by six women. Brand denies all the charges, which date from 1999 to 2009. Speaking about his past actions in an appearance on the YouTube show of the US journalist Megyn Kelly, Brand described himself “selfish” and an “exploiter of women”. Continue reading...

Pedro Piscal pisco is latest Chilean brand to resemble a Hollywood name – and others have fought off the lawsuitsThe actor Pedro Pascal is waging a legal battle against a Chilean pisco merchant who has chosen a cheeky name for his brand of the country’s national spirit: Pedro Piscal.David Herrera registered the brand name with a Chilean commercial regulator in 2023 and began selling his pisco in off-licences and restaurants. Continue reading...

UK chancellor tells US audience she is ‘not convinced that this conflict has made the world a safer place’Middle East crisis – live updatesBusiness live – latest updatesRachel Reeves has stepped up her criticism of Donald Trump’s war on Iran, describing it as a “mistake” that has destabilised the global economy and damaged living standards around the world.In a marked fraying of the transatlantic relationship, the UK chancellor said Trump breaking off from diplomatic talks with Iran and launching airstrikes had not made the world a safer place. Continue reading...

Former Fox News host says publishing house Skyhorse ‘looking for books that nobody else will publish’Former Fox News host Tucker Carlson is set to launch his own imprint and publish books by the likes of Russell Brand and “alt-right” commentator Milo Yiannopoulos.The imprint, Tucker Carlson Books, will be part of the US-based publisher Skyhorse. “I think most people don’t read books anymore because they’re too absorbed in all the other available media,” said Carlson, according to the Wall Street Journal. He added that those who do “tend to be disproportionately influential in policy conversations and conversations about ideas”. Continue reading...

• SAG-AFTRA announced the rebranding of its annual SAG Awards to 'The Actor Awards' effective 2027, marking a shift in the union's awards nomenclature. • The 33rd ceremony is set for February 28, 2027, and the 34th for February 20, 2028, both streaming live exclusively on Netflix under a multi-year partnership. • This move aligns with upcoming Oscars on March 14, 2027 (99th) and March 5, 2028 (100th), potentially boosting actor visibility amid streaming dominance.

Australian PM also welcomes a conditional two-week ceasefire deal that will reopen the strait of Hormuz to global shippingFollow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastAnthony Albanese has welcomed a two-week ceasefire deal between the US and Iran that is set to temporarily reopen the strait of Hormuz, as he issued a rare criticism of Donald Trump for threatening a “whole civilization will die”.The prime minister said news of the conditional ceasefire was “very positive” and was hopeful it would lead to the permanent end to a conflict that has sent global fuel prices soaring. Continue reading...

Once-hyped, celebrity-backed company snapped up by American Exchange Group for fraction of former valueBusiness live – latest updatesAllbirds, the San Francisco sustainable trainer brand once valued at more than $4bn, is being sold for just $39m after global demand for its wool-based footwear failed to materialise.American Exchange Group, the owner of a string of brands including the fashion label Ed Hardy and the accessories maker Born, is snapping up the struggling company once touted as the future of footwear. Continue reading...

Exclusive: UK owner’s version of Old Man with a Gold Chain reunited in Chicago with undisputed work by Dutch masterA portrait in a UK collection that has long been dismissed as a workshop copy of an almost identical painting by Rembrandt was in fact also painted by the 17th-century Dutch master, according to a leading scholar.Each of the paintings, titled Old Man with a Gold Chain and dated to the early 1630s, is a near-lifesize depiction of an older man wearing a gold chain and a plumed hat. Continue reading...

• Brandy has been selected to receive a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, with the official star ceremony scheduled for March 30, 2026. • The Grammy Award-winning artist's biggest hit '1998's The Boy is Mine' featuring Monica topped the Hot 100 chart for 13 weeks, cementing her legacy in music history. • This honor recognizes Brandy's significant contributions to music and entertainment, adding to her illustrious career that has spanned decades.

Customers told not to eat affected pot and sachet products and to return them to place of purchase for refundSeveral porridge products in the UK have been recalled over a possible mice contamination at their manufacturing site.The British porridge and oat drink brand Moma issued a warning for seven versions of its pots and two of its sachets. Continue reading...

• MarqVision's 2026 State of Brand Integrity Report reveals AI-driven counterfeits impose a 10% 'AI tax' on annual revenue for US brands over $10M. • Survey of 96 US companies shows 85% prioritize revenue protection, but only half measure takedown impact effectively. • Counterfeiters exploit viral marketing with AI-generated fakes, eroding trust in fashion, electronics, and consumer goods.