3 h. ago McDonald’s posts surprise decline in global sales in first quarter

Firm was navigating ‘toughest of market conditions’ when Trump’s tariffs worsened wallet pressures on consumersMcDonald’s posted a surprise decline in first-quarter global sales on Thursday, as demand from cash-strapped diners in its key markets faltered on uncertainty sparked by chaotic tariffs.The company was navigating the “toughest of market conditions”, the company’s CEO Chris Kempczinski said, as global comparable sales fell 1%, while analysts on average had estimated a 0.95% rise. Continue reading...

Politics

4 h. ago McDonald’s sees its biggest sales drop since the pandemic as customers fearful of economy pull back on spending

The company acknowledged customers are ‘grappling with uncertainty’

Economics

5 h. ago McDonald’s US sales drop by most since height of pandemic in 2020

Fall comes as Trump’s tariffs knock consumer sentiment

Events

5 d. ago ‘It feels empty’: is Hollywood film and TV production in a death spiral?

Filming in Los Angeles is at a historic low, with some suggesting the city might go the way of DetroitWhen screenwriter David Scarpa visits the great Hollywood studios these days, he is struck by what is missing. “It used to be you’d walk around those back lots and you’d see many people and they were very busy,” Scarpa muses. “They were like small cities. Now often you’ll walk around and have nobody else there. It feels empty. You definitely feel the absence of life on those lots.”Like the once proud industrial factories of the midwest, the dream factories of southern California are in decline. Last year was the worst for on-location filming in Los Angeles since tracking began 30 years ago apart from pandemic-hit 2020. Of all the TV shows and feature films that North American audiences watch, only one-fifth are now made in California. Continue reading...

Culture

5 d. ago Liverpool will improve next season in search for perfection, warns Arne Slot

Team need point against Tottenham to clinch league title‘In some moments we have to do much better,’ says coachArne Slot has warned Liverpool’s Premier League rivals that he expects the champions-elect to improve next season as they strive to fulfil his vision of the perfect team.Liverpool require one point at home to Tottenham on Sunday to secure a record-equalling 20th league title and for Slot to become the first Dutch coach to win the Premier League. The head coach admits his team have “a big responsibility” to deliver at Anfield given the club’s last Premier League triumph, in 2020, came behind closed doors during the Covid pandemic. Slot’s family will be in attendance, although he says their visit was planned months ago to coincide with a public holiday in the Netherlands. Continue reading...

Events

6 d. ago Liverpool fans couldn't even hug to celebrate the Premier League title five years ago

DOMINIC KING: It's easy to forget how out of the ordinary the world was the last time Liverpool won the title, whenthe Coronavirus pandemic raged through the country in the spring of 2020.

Politics

8 d. ago Trump administration to resume defaulted student loan collections

Donald Trump's press secretary Karoline Leavitt has announced that the Department of Education will resume student loan collections from those in default from May 5, after being paused in 2020 due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Politics

9 d. ago ScotRail alcohol ban 'ignored' by passengers as SNP policy branded 'unenforceable'

SNP ministers announced a "temporary" ban on the consumption of alcohol on ScotRail services in 2020 during the covid pandemic.

Events

1 week ago Jane McDonald puts beloved home on sale for £1m after partner's tragic death

Cruise TV presenter Jane McDonald has put her beloved bungalow in Yorkshire on the market for a staggering £1 million, four years after the tragic death of her partner Eddie Rothe.

Economics

3 w. ago Lower rugby tackle height linked to drop in head collisions – study

Researchers used video analysis to study 18,702 tackles.

Politics

3 w. ago Iconic clothing retailer RETURNS to high street with new store five years after collapsing

The British menswear brand shut all 66 of its stores back in 2020 after collapsing for the first time during the Covid pandemic, when it then become a digital brand before collapsing again in 2022

Politics

3 w. ago The Latest: Trump’s tariffs slam world markets in the biggest blow since the pandemic hit in 2020

Asian shares slid further Friday after U.S. President Donald Trump’s tariffs sent shudders through Wall Street at a level of shock unseen since the COVID-19 pandemic pummeled world markets in 2020

Events

3 w. ago US stock markets see worst day since Covid pandemic after investors shaken by Trump tariffs

All three major US index funds close down as Apple and Nvidia, two of US’s largest companies, lose combined $470bnUS stock markets tumbled on Thursday as investors parsed the sweeping change in global trading following Donald Trump’s announcement of a barrage of tariffs on the country’s trading partners.All three major US stock markets closed down in their worst day since June 2020, during the Covid pandemic. The tech-heavy Nasdaq fell 6%, while the S&P 500 and the Dow dropped 4.8% and 3.9%, respectively. Apple and Nvidia, two of the US’s largest companies by market value, had lost a combined $470bn in value by midday. Continue reading...

Economics

4 w. ago Famous Scots osprey finally returns to nest after fears over illness

Louis became a hit during the first lockdown of the Covid pandemic in 2020 on a live nest camera.

Politics