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The UK hospitality sector is facing a crisis in confidence, with one in five businesses fearing collapse in the next 12 months. The impending cost crunch has left the sector warning of multiple business failures unless the burden is 'dramatically reduced'.From Wednesday, many pub, restaurant, and hotel companies will face a higher bill for business rates paid to their local authority, while an increase in minimum wage thresholds takes effect on the same day. The survey respondents, who operate more than 20,000 venues, cited increased employment costs as their top worry, followed by business rates and inflation in the cost of food and drink.UKHospitality estimates that the increase in the national living wage and national minimum wage will result in an extra £1.4bn in costs for the sector. The organisation also expects most of its members to pay more in business rates, with the average hotel in England facing a 30% increase worth £28,900, and the average restaurant facing a 15% increase worth £1,800.The sector is calling for the government to dramatically reduce the cost burden, warning that too many businesses are simply not making any money, and that the only result is lost jobs and business closures. 'Hospitality can be a driving force of growth and jobs, but only if its costs of doing business are dramatically reduced,' said UKHospitality in a joint statement with industry bodies.

The Iranian men's national football team made a poignant gesture before their friendly match against Nigeria in Turkey, wearing black armbands and posing with pink and purple school bags with ribbons on them. This powerful display was a tribute to the victims of a devastating air strike on a primary school in Minab, Iran, which occurred on the first day of the Middle East war on February 28. The air strike killed at least 170 people, including students and teachers. The attack happened on the day the United States and Israel launched the war with attacks across Iran. Iran's foreign minister accused the US of a "calculated, phased assault" on the school. According to The New York Times, preliminary findings of a US military investigation indicate that a US Tomahawk cruise missile hit the school due to a targeting mistake. The US military had been bombing an adjacent Iranian base, of which the school building was formerly a part, using outdated data to set the target coordinates. US President Donald Trump initially suggested that Iran itself may have been responsible for the attack, despite the country not having Tomahawk missiles. The incident has added to the tensions between Iran and the US, with Iran qualifying for the World Cup finals this summer but asking for its matches to be moved from the US to Mexico due to concerns over player safety. In the friendly match, Iran lost 2-1 to Nigeria. The team's gesture was a powerful reminder of the human cost of conflict and the impact on innocent civilians, particularly children.

Iran's national football team has paid a heartfelt tribute to the children who lost their lives in a tragic Minab school airstrike. The team's gesture has garnered widespread attention and respect, highlighting the intersection of sports and social issues.The tribute was a significant display of solidarity, showcasing the team's commitment to acknowledging and honoring the victims of the airstrike. This act not only reflects the team's empathy but also Iran's broader stance on such critical issues.The incident had a profound impact, sparking conversations about international relations and the humanitarian aspects of conflicts. By honoring the children, Iran's football team has contributed to keeping the memory of the victims alive and honoring their legacy.

House Republicans have shot down a bill passed by the Senate that would have resumed funding for federal agencies tasked with airport screenings, exacerbating a standoff that has resulted in chaos at airports as workers go without pay.In the early hours of Friday morning, the Senate unanimously passed a bill that would finance most agencies under the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), including the Transportation Security Administration (TSA), the US Coast Guard, and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).However, Republican House Speaker Mike Johnson confirmed he would not bring the Senate-passed bill to the floor for a vote, slamming it as a “joke”. Johnson suggested that the House could advance its own bill fully funding all DHS agencies for two months.President Donald Trump signed an executive memo directing DHS to work with the White House budget director to find a way to pay TSA employees, who have gone without pay since the partial government shutdown began in mid-February.“America’s air travel system has reached its breaking point. This is an unprecedented emergency situation,” Trump wrote in the memo, blaming the impasse on Democrats.Democratic lawmakers have slammed Republicans for rejecting bills that would ensure that TSA employees are paid while continuing to withhold additional funds from immigration enforcement.

The ongoing Iran war has led to a surge in petrol and diesel prices, sparking concerns about fuel rationing across Europe and calls for Britain to increase North Sea oil and gas production. However, experts suggest that a more effective solution lies in promoting electric vehicles (EVs). According to analysis by Mandala Partners, if the UK had the same proportion of electric cars as Norway, its fuel reserve could increase by seven days. Currently, the UK has about three weeks' worth of car fuel in reserve. Norway leads the world with nearly 32% of its cars being fully electric, compared to 5.4% in the UK. Even with the existing number of electric and hybrid cars on British roads, they are already saving about two days' worth of fuel. This is particularly significant given that Shell's chief executive, Wael Sawan, has warned that Europe could face fuel shortages as early as April if the Strait of Hormuz remains closed. The potential impact of EVs goes beyond just reducing petrol and diesel consumption. Every electric car charged from the grid rather than the pump extends the country's fuel reserves. Moreover, with the right technology, EVs could become an active buffer against future energy shocks by storing and resharing energy. Vehicle-to-grid technology, which allows EVs to send energy back into the power grid, could make a significant difference in an energy supply crisis. An electric car usually holds about 40 kilowatt-hours of power, enough for an average UK home for several days. This technology could enable millions of car batteries to supply power to the grid when demand spikes. Despite these benefits, the adoption of EVs and vehicle-to-grid technology faces challenges. Tax policy is a significant barrier, as EV owners pay tax on electricity when filling their car battery and again when selling it back to the grid. Additionally, the hardware for two-way charging is not yet widely available, although many electric cars are already capable of it. The energy regulator Ofgem has suggested that if half of the expected 11m EVs on UK roads by 2030 were capable of two-way charging, they could send 16 gigawatts of power back to the grid each day, almost half the output of Britain's gas-power station fleet.

A United States judge has ruled that he will not dismiss the drug-trafficking and weapons possession charges brought against former Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and his wife Cilia Flores.In a Thursday court hearing, Judge Alvin Hellerstein questioned whether the US government has the right to bar Venezuela from funding Maduro's legal expenses. The hearing was the first for Maduro and his wife since a brief January arraignment, where they pleaded not guilty.Maduro and Flores have sought to have the charges against them thrown out. Hellerstein declined to do so, but he pressed the prosecution on some of the issues Maduro's legal team raised in its petition to dismiss the case. Among them was a decision by the administration of US President Donald Trump to prevent the Venezuelan government from financing Maduro's defence.Federal prosecutors argued that national security reasons prevented the US from allowing such payments. They also pointed to ongoing sanctions against the Venezuelan government. But Hellerstein pushed back against that argument, noting that Trump had eased sanctions against Venezuela since Maduro's abduction on January 3. He also questioned how Maduro might pose a security threat while imprisoned in New York.“The defendant is here. Flores is here. They present no further national security threat,” said Hellerstein. “I see no abiding interest of national security on the right to defend themselves.”Hellerstein emphasised that, in the US, all criminal defendants have the right to a vigorous defence, as part of the US Constitution's Sixth Amendment. Maduro, who led Venezuela from 2013 to 2026, has been charged with four criminal counts, including “narco-terrorism” conspiracy, conspiracy to import cocaine, the possession of machine guns and the conspiracy to possess machine guns and other destructive devices.He and his wife were taken into US custody on January 3, after Trump launched an attack on Venezuela. The Trump administration has framed the military operation as a “law enforcement function”, but experts say it was widely considered illegal under international law, which protects local sovereignty.Trump himself weighed in on the proceedings during a Thursday US Cabinet meeting, hinting that further charges could be brought against Maduro. “He emptied his prisons in Venezuela, emptied his prisons into our country,” Trump said of Maduro, reiterating an unsubstantiated claim. “And I hope that charge will be brought at some point. Because that was a big charge that hasn’t been brought yet. It should be brought.”

A recent investigation has revealed a sophisticated scam operation where individuals are paid to write fake Google reviews in exchange for cryptocurrency. The scam, which was discovered on Telegram, involved recruiters posing as representatives of legitimate companies, offering individuals up to $800 per day to write fake reviews for various businesses, including hotels and restaurants. The scammers used a division of labor approach, with different individuals handling recruitment, coaching, and payment processing. The investigation found that the scammers were using Telegram channels to advertise their services and recruit new victims. These channels had thousands of subscribers and posted a steady stream of job offers, with payments starting at $5 per review. The scammers' main target was not just to create fake reviews but also to launder money and extract cash from their victims. They used cryptocurrencies to make payments, which were then laundered through a process called 'tumbling' to obscure their origin. The investigation also found that the scammers were using AI-generated images and stolen profiles to create fake identities. The UK's Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has estimated that fake reviews cause annual harm of between £50m to £312m to UK consumers. Google has taken steps to combat fake reviews, removing over 240m fake reviews since 2024 and restricting 900,000 accounts for violating policies.

The music of Bluey, the beloved Australian TV show, has captured the hearts of both children and adults worldwide. With over 4.8 billion minutes watched in Australia alone and 126 million streams of its theme song, the show's soundtrack has proven to be a crucial element in its success. Composer Joff Bush shares the secret to creating music that 'hits you in the feels.' According to Bush, it's all about seeding elements of music throughout an episode to create a powerful emotional payoff. For example, in the episode 'Sleepytime,' Bush used Gustav Holst's Jupiter from The Planets to convey the idea that a child's parents will always be there to love and support them. The new album, Up Here, features a chamber orchestra and marks a significant milestone in the show's music journey. Bush notes that the use of a chamber orchestra was initially met with skepticism but has ultimately resulted in something truly special. 'It's really ambitious, but having that many adults dedicate their craft to make this music as beautiful as it can be, for children? It was just wonderful.' The music of Bluey is not just emotionally devastating; it's also incredibly joyful. Children who spoke to the Guardian described the opening song as 'making them happy' and perfect for games like musical statues. For adults, the music often evokes strong emotions, with many confessing to watching the show after their kids have gone to bed. Bush's approach to scoring Bluey is rooted in his understanding of the show's themes and his own experiences as a father. 'Watching it now, I get it – why a certain episode hits you in the feels more.' His daughter even got to conduct the orchestra during a recording session, leaving her 'enamoured' by the experience.

Meta, the world's most powerful social media company, has faced a severe public reckoning in recent days, with juries in California and New Mexico delivering back-to-back verdicts that hold the company liable for harming young people. This marks a significant shift in accountability for social media companies, which have long operated with minimal regulation and few consequences in the US.In the California case, a jury ordered Meta and YouTube to pay $6 million in damages over claims that they deliberately designed addictive products to hook young users. The following day, a jury in New Mexico ordered Meta to pay $375 million in damages over claims that its products led to child sexual exploitation, among other harms.These verdicts are the first to go to court, and they set a precedent for over 2,000 plaintiffs, including families, school districts, and state attorneys general, who have brought lawsuits against Meta, YouTube, TikTok, and Snap. The cases borrow from a familiar playbook, echoing those brought against big tobacco companies in the 1990s, which focused on cigarettes' addictive qualities and their makers' public denials despite knowledge of their products' harms.Lawyers for the plaintiffs argue that social media companies have profited from targeting children while concealing their addictive and dangerous design features. The verdicts signal that public perception of social media and its makers is shifting, with jurors now laying blame on the business practices of a multi-trillion-dollar industry.Meta and YouTube have both said they disagree with the verdicts and will appeal. However, the rulings mark a significant turning point in the growing scrutiny of social media companies and their impact on young people.The cases are part of a broader effort to challenge tech companies' practices, with online safety advocates urging Congress to pass regulation, forming coalitions of parents, teens, and advocates, and bringing thousands of lawsuits front and center. The goal is to force social media companies to redesign their products and do more to protect children online.