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Whitbread 將終結在英國和愛爾蘭的餐廳業務，並將最新的策略調整歸因於成本和稅收上漲。Premier Inn 所有者 Whitbread 在稅收上漲和美國維權投資者的壓力下，正重新調整其五年業務策略，將在英國和愛爾蘭裁減約 3,800 個職位，並關閉其餘的 Beefeater 和 Brewers Fayre 餐廳。此次裁員將影響 Whitbread 在英國和愛爾蘭 30,000 名員工中約 12% 的人力，這些員工受僱於通常位於 Premier Inn 飯店旁或內部的 Beefeater 和 Brewers Fayre 餐廳。該公司表示，與受影響員工的協商將立即展開。繼續閱讀...

Sources say staff have been asked to pack up final stock and equipment after waves of closuresJewellery chain Claire’s is closing its final UK stores on Tuesday, cutting about 1,000 jobs months after falling into administration.Sources said staff at Claire’s, which collapsed in January, had been asked to pack up the final stock and equipment with the final outlets to formally close on Tuesday after successive waves of closures in recent weeks. Continue reading...

Judge’s repeal of Trump ban on gender-affirming care for children ‘a meaningful win for patients’, experts sayA federal judge overturned the Trump administration’s ban on gender-affirming care for children on Saturday, decrying Robert F Kennedy Jr’s “wanton disregard” for the law that “causes very real harm to very real people”.It’s another loss for Kennedy’s agenda as secretary for the US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) under the second Trump administration – an agenda that has focused on restricting healthcare, including vaccines, abortion and gender-affirming care. Continue reading...

All signs point to a record-low performance for Labour in May in what will be a moment of high jeopardy for Keir StarmerLabour is on track for its worst local election performance, data analysed by the Guardian shows, in a blow that will pile further pressure on Keir Starmer’s leadership.Barring a drastic change in fortunes, Labour’s vote-share could fall to historic lows across elections for councils in England and devolved parliaments in Wales and Scotland on 7 May, with big gains for Reform, the Greens and nationalist parties, according to recent polling. Continue reading...

• The New York Mets lost their 12th consecutive game following Devin Williams' struggles in the ninth inning, allowing two runs in a defeat highlighted on SNY's Post Game Live. • Gary Apple and Todd Zeile reacted to Williams' performance costing the team, amid ongoing woes for the squad covering New York sports. • Juan Soto returned to the lineup on Wednesday, providing a potential boost as Mets seek to end their skid in MLB action.

• Victor Wembanyama of the San Antonio Spurs sustained a concussion on a hard fall during the second quarter of Game 2 playoff loss to the Portland Trail Blazers on Tuesday night, played only 12 minutes before exiting. • Spurs lost 106-103, evening the first-round series at 1-1; coach Mitch Johnson confirmed Wembanyama is in protocol and out for the game, emphasizing proper steps will be taken. • The incident occurred with 8:57 left in the second quarter while driving to the basket defended by Jrue Holiday, landing chin-first and briefly appearing knocked out.

Mandelson received two ‘clearance denied’ red ticks yet top Foreign Office civil servant says he did not have access to file – which he later readUK politics live – latest updatesThe verdict on Olly Robbins’ parliamentary testimony, among fellow knights of the civil service realm at least, was unanimous. Lord Sedwill, a former Cabinet secretary, called on the prime minister to “retract his accusations against Olly Robbins and reinstate him”.Simon McDonald, who once held Robbins’ job as top civil servant in the Foreign Office, said if Keir Starmer had only waited to hear his evidence to the foreign affairs select committee he would never have sacked him. Continue reading...

• Fraud incidents continue climbing at US banks even with substantial spending on advanced detection tools and analytics. • The gap highlights limitations in current tech defenses against evolving fraudster tactics. • This trend matters as it pressures financial institutions to innovate faster, amid rising economic impacts from cyber fraud.

Need something brilliant to read this weekend? Here are six of our favourite pieces from the last seven days Continue reading...

Landmark ruling finds Wright Prospecting successfully made out its contractual claim to 50% of past and future royalties from Hope Downs iron ore projectGina Rinehart’s Hancock Prospecting has lost its bid to retain royalties from the mammoth Hope Downs iron ore project and will be forced to pay Wright Prospecting half of its earnings from the project, worth hundreds of millions of dollars.In a landmark ruling in the Western Auestralia supreme court on Wednesday, justice Jennifer Smith said that Wright Prospecting had successfully made out its contractual claim to 50% of past and future royalties paid from the project. Continue reading...

Massachusetts liberal arts college laments ‘heartbreaking reality’ and says financial pressures to blameA Massachusetts liberal arts college is set to close permanently due to low enrollment and financial problems.The board of trustees of Hampshire College, a small liberal arts school in Amherst founded in 1965, pointed to “financial pressures” that have been “compounded by shifting external factors”. Continue reading...

Experts say any short-term financial benefit will be outweighed by long-term health costs related to obesityFaced with high demand for GLP-1 drugs, some American cities and states that previously covered the cost of the weight-loss medication for low-income residents and public employees have now started to restrict or eliminate coverage.The pullback stems from the dramatic increase in public spending on drugs such as Ozempic and Wegovy in recent years. Continue reading...

• The Milwaukee Brewers struggled offensively in a disappointing loss to the Washington Nationals in an April 11 MLB matchup. • The Brewers' bats remained relatively silent throughout the contest, contributing to their inability to secure a victory. • The loss highlights the Brewers' ongoing offensive challenges as they continue to find consistency at the plate.

• The S&P 500 fell 2% for its fifth consecutive weekly decline, the first such streak since 2022, amid Mideast conflict de-escalation hopes. • Brent crude rose to $112 per barrel, with U.S. 10-year yields climbing to 4.43% on inflation fears from sustained high energy prices. • BlackRock warns elevated oil could shift focus from rate cuts to whether central bank policies can match rising inflation.

Employers added 178,000 new jobs in March and unemployment rate fell to 4.3%, ahead of economists’ predictionsSign up for the Breaking News US email to get newsletter alerts in your inboxThe US labor market picked up in March as employers showed signs of resilience amid the US-Israel war in Iran.After an extraordinary contraction in February, employers added 178,000 jobs last month, ahead of economists’ expectations of about 70,000. Continue reading...

• The CDC posted its first large set of genetic data from 1,000 measles viruses circulating in the US last year, with more data expected soon to assess if elimination status has been lost. • In 2025, measles cases reached 2,285 across 44 states—the worst in over 30 years—while 2026 has seen 1,575 cases by late March amid declining vaccination rates. • Delays in data release stemmed from mass layoffs and resignations; researchers criticize the Trump administration's budget cuts and slow outbreak response.

Called Foundayo, the tablet becomes the second one to receive FDA’s green light after Novo Nordisk’s WegovyThe US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) gave the green light on Wednesday to a new oral weight-loss medication developed by the Indianapolis-based pharmaceutical company Eli Lilly.Known as orforglipron or brand name Foundayo, the once-daily tablet becomes the second GLP-1 drug in pill form to hit the market in a short span of time, arriving after Novo Nordisk’s Wegovy pill received approval in December. Continue reading...

• The benchmark S&P 500 fell for a fifth consecutive week and is down more than 7% since U.S.-Israeli military strikes on Iran in late February. • Rising volatility and shifting rate expectations continue to pressure equity markets as geopolitical tensions compound economic uncertainties. • Market participants are reassessing expectations for Federal Reserve policy, with implications for growth stock valuations.

With two unprecedented trial defeats, big tech firms face crisis akin to that faced by cigarette makers in the 1990sIn the span of just two days, the most powerful social media company in the world faced a more severe public reckoning than it has in years.Jurors in California and New Mexico gave back-to-back verdicts this week that for the first time ever found Meta liable for products that inflict harm on young people. For years, lawmakers, parents and advocates have raised red flags over how social media can hurt children, but now the tech firms are being held to account via court rulings that could set long-lasting precedents. Continue reading...

• Patients and providers in Colorado reported rising health care costs due to Trump administration policies including H.R.1 Medicaid requirements and ended ACA tax credits, discussed at a March 25 virtual roundtable with Sen. John Hickenlooper. • Nearly 250,000 Coloradans risk losing Medicaid coverage, exacerbating rural health care deserts where 82% of hospitals operate on unsustainable margins, per Craig Memorial Regional Health CEO Jennifer Riley. • Uninsured patients will seek emergency care at the highest cost level, straining providers and worsening access, especially for women's health services.

• Researchers led by Professor Silvia von Karstedt discovered that loss of Caspase 8 protein in small cell lung cancer triggers inflammation promoting tumor growth and spread. • The study, published in Nature Communications on March 25, 2026, shows this loss reprograms cancer cells into an aggressive neuron-like state associated with relapse. • Findings from the CECAD Cluster of Excellence explain the cancer's notorious aggressiveness and poor prognosis.

• House Republicans announced an investigation into rampant hospice fraud in Southern California, alleging tens of millions in taxpayer funds lost to improper payments. • The House Oversight Committee sent a letter to Governor Gavin Newsom requesting documents on state oversight of federally funded hospice programs. • Fraud involves companies receiving payments for ineligible patients, prompting calls for stronger controls amid ongoing healthcare waste concerns.

• The S&P 500 fell 1.51% to close at 6,506.48, the Nasdaq dropped 2.01% to 21,647.61, and the Dow declined 0.96% to 45,577.47 on Friday, marking the fourth consecutive weekly loss. • Iran conflict pushed oil prices higher, intensifying inflation expectations and prompting investors to reassess Federal Reserve rate-cut bets; rate futures now suggest potential rate increases rather than cuts by 2026. • Major tech stocks suffered significant losses, with Nvidia and Tesla falling over 3%, while Super Micro Computer plunged 33% following smuggling charge reports linked to AI technology exports.

Cryptocurrency’s biggest Pac spent more than $10m for their candidates, only to be defeated by those who are anti-cryptoSign up for the Breaking News US email to get newsletter alerts in your inboxThe cryptocurrency industry spent big and lost often in this week’s Illinois primaries.As the industry prepares to make massive donations in the 2026 midterm elections to replicate its success in 2024, the Illinois losses mark an early setback for firms that are trying to establish themselves as power players in American politics. Continue reading...

He had IRGC’s trust while having his differences with hardliners and had huge sway with likes of China and RussiaMiddle East crisis – live updatesIf confirmed, Israel’s assassination of Ali Larijani, the secretary of Iran’s supreme national security council and one of the linchpins of Iranian politics, would be a devastating body blow to the country and probably a bigger reverse than the loss of the supreme leader Ali Khamenei at the outset of the war.In any attempt to decapitate the Iranian leadership, Larijani would always be the prime target, largely because of his ability to straddle so many levels of Iranian politics and his huge personal influence not just in Iran but with foreign states including China and Russia. Continue reading...

• President Donald Trump launched a series of social media posts on Sunday night criticizing the U.S. Supreme Court as having 'RANSACKED' the country after it rejected his tariffs decision. • Trump acknowledged potential backlash, stating 'This statement about the United States Supreme Court will cause me nothing but problems in the future, but I feel it is my obligation to speak the TRUTH,' amid broader losses including failed prosecutions and coalition splits over Iran war. • The outbursts highlight Trump's frustration with judicial setbacks, such as U.S. District Judge James Boasberg tossing a grand jury subpoena against Fed Chair Jerome Powell on Friday.

• The S&P 500 declined 1.6% last week, marking its third consecutive weekly drop, with the Dow falling 2% and Nasdaq shedding 1.3% due to soaring oil prices and broad market selling. • Surging oil prices from geopolitical tensions, including US-Iran escalation, drove the downturn, as investors brace for NVIDIA GTC AI event and FOMC rate decision this week (March 16-20, 2026). • Markets now price only a 33% chance of a June rate cut, down from 57% last month, amid persistent inflation data; Thursday's jobless claims will gauge labor market health.