Kush Bristol will be located in the former home of The Mint Room on Clifton Road

A Michelin-starred chef is poised to launch a new Indian restaurant in Bristol. Aktar Islam, the holder of two Michelin Stars, is preparing to officially unveil his latest venture, Kush Bristol, in Clifton, though an exact opening date has yet to be announced.

The announcement follows a special supper club series that was promoted on OpenTable in January, and now the shopfront on Clifton Road appears primed for an imminent launch. The new eatery will occupy the former premises of The Mint Room, another Indian restaurant which shut its doors in 2024 after nearly a decade, reports Bristol Live.

The renowned chef, who has featured on programmes such as Saturday Morning Kitchen and Great British Menu, already operates a two Michelin star restaurant in Birmingham, named Opheem. Before the supper club series in January, Aktar and his team said: “Bristol is all about community, and these evenings are rooted in the way Indian meals are meant to be enjoyed: communally, with shared plates, shared stories, and the kind of warmth that turns fellow epicureans into friends.

“Growing up, food was never just food – it was ritual. It was laughter around the table, debates over spice levels, and the comfort of dishes that tasted like home. That’s the spirit we’re bringing to Kush and to these intimate evenings, before we officially launch.

“Each night will showcase a generous feast inspired by recipes from across the Indian subcontinent. Some dishes will feel familiar, others will be rare gems – regional delicacies carrying the soul of a place, a people, a memory.”

The Kush by Aktar Islam Instagram account published its inaugural post back in September 2024, mere months following The Mint Room’s closure, with the simple message: “Something exciting coming soon…”

A post on the Curry Society UK Instagram page revealed The Mint Room receiving fresh signage displaying ‘Kush by Aktar Islam’ on the window. The Curry Society, who dubbed Aktar Islam the ‘enfant terrible’ of the Indian culinary world, added: “This is big news and all our friends in the restaurants game in and around Bristol are all so excited, without exception. Welcome to Bristol, Chef Islam!”.

The online travel agent has scrapped its profit guidance for the forthcoming year after warning that conflict has sparked a sharp slowdown in bookings to Turkey, Greece, Cyprus and Egypt

On the Beach has scrapped its guidance for the coming year after cautioning that Middle Eastern tensions have triggered a marked decline in bookings.

The online travel agent had previously projected pre-tax profit of between £39m and £43m.

“Whilst the group has limited exposure to destinations in the Middle East, it has experienced a significant slowdown in demand following the onset of conflict in the region, particularly to destinations such as Turkey, Greece, Cyprus and Egypt,” the Manchester-based firm said.

“The timing of when the conflict will end and the shape of recovery in demand to these destinations are unknown.”

On the Beach has been “working round the clock to support directly impacted customers in resort and to enable a return home as soon as possible,” chief executive Shaun Morton said.

Shares in On the Beach plummeted as much as 14.5 per cent to 165p on Thursday morning, though recovered a little later. The stock has dropped by more than a quarter since the beginning of the year, as reported by City AM.

The development adds On the Beach to an expanding roster of London-listed travel firms that have endured steep share price falls following the eruption of conflict in Iran.

Budget carrier Easyjet has witnessed its shares tumble by a fifth over the past month, whilst package tour operator Jet2 has declined by 11 per cent.

Oil prices surged back above triple figures on Thursday morning, climbing as much as nine per cent in Asian markets following reports that two tankers were hit in the Gulf. An Iraqi news agency reported that 38 crew members have been rescued from the vessels whilst one person has perished.

This follows Iran’s pledge to block “one litre of oil” from leaving the region until the strikes from the US and Israel cease. The Israeli military confirmed it had conducted an “extensive” wave of air strikes targeting Tehran overnight.

The International Energy Agency (IEA) intervened on Wednesday to stabilise oil prices through the release of a record 400 million barrels from emergency oil reserves in an attempt to contain surging prices on Wednesday – though market response remained subdued.

The IEA’s executive director Faith Birol stated on Wednesday the market “challenges we are facing are unprecedented in scale”.

Yet Brent crude – the international benchmark for oil – scarcely responded to the measure, remaining steady above the $90 threshold. Meanwhile, the FTSE 100 reversed to a decline, dropping 0.5 per cent during the day’s trading.

Analysts at investment bank Macquarie have suggested the continuing tensions surrounding the Strait of Hormuz could drive the price of Brent crude to “$150 or higher”.

“The timeline for an extremely large oil price move is very short,” they stated, noting that several weeks of closure for the strait – through which approximately a fifth of the world’s oil supply passes – would trigger a “domino effect”.

Bookings on the up Prior to the latest upheaval, On the Beach recorded a 10 per cent rise in bookings during the six months ending February, with reservations from returning customers climbing 19 per cent.

The firm noted that an increasing number of users are arranging holidays via their mobile devices, with a 58 per cent surge in bookings made directly through the app.

On the Beach is also anticipating revenue from AI chat tools, having recently submitted its app to ChatGPT.

The South Tyneside-based firm says it remains to be seen how the cost of living crisis will continue to impact its market

Losses have widened at South Tyneside furniture maker BeModern amid cost pressures, though bosses say cost reductions and new products are helping.

The Jarrow firm, which has been trading for more than 60 years, produces a number of brands including Diamond Luxury Fireplaces, Atlanta Bathrooms, Elgin & Hall and Prysm for the UK market. The fireplace, stoves and bathroom furniture specialist operates from 250,000 sqft production and warehouse space employing about 236 staff.

Newly published accounts for Be Modern Limited show it sustained operating losses of more than £1m in the year to May 10 2025, up from £940,359 the year before. Gross profit fell from £10.8m to £9.8m as turnover also slid from £20.8m to £19.2m.

Bosses said that despite a slight fall in gross margin, they were pleased with efficiency improvements which meant it was less than expected. That came amid rises in labour and materials costs, as headcount was reduced from 254 to 236.

Writing in the accounts, director Stephen Grimes said: “It remains to be seen how the continuing cost of living crisis caused by an unprecedented increase in the cost of power, fuel, interest rates and basic foodstuffs will impact on the demand for the company’s products over the coming year should customers reign in their discretionary expenditure in response to these cost pressures.

“The company itself is not immune to such cost pressures within the supply chain in terms of the cost and supply of labour across all sectors and continued significant increases in the cost of raw materials means that unavoidably the company may have to pass these on to customers over the 12 months ahead if margins are to be maintained.

“The lowering of the threshold at which employers National Insurance contributions becomes payable and the increase in the percentage, along with the rise in minimum wage in the 2024 Budget had a significant impact upon the company overheads and manufacturing costs.”

Mr Grimes said directors were aware of the challenges and that Be Modern continued to invest in new product ranges and ways to grow, as well as boosting service levels for existing customers.

He added: “The measures taken by the directors to reduce the company’s cost base in the latter part of the 2025 financial year and the introduction of new products appear to have had a positive impact on the current year as the half year results indicate a significant improvement on the previous year. Whilst this gives cause for optimism the directors will continue to explore further cost saving and commercial opportunities going forward.”

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Stock-market indexes end mostly flat, with the Dow Jones industrials and the S&P 500 down slightly. The Nasdaq composite edges higher. Boeing shares slide after the company announces delivery delays for its 737 Max aircraft. And Exxon Mobile stock slips after the company says it is moving its corporate headquarters to Texas from New Jersey.

Medical technology giant Stryker Corporation suffered a major cyberattack on March 11, 2026, that crippled its global IT systems, wiped data from thousands of employee devices and idled tens of thousands of workers worldwide, according to company statements, employee reports and cybersecurity analysts.

The breach, which began overnight and affected operations across the United States, Europe and Asia, has been linked to the pro-Palestinian hacktivist group Handala, widely believed to have ties to Iran. Handala claimed responsibility on social media, describing the incident as retaliation for a recent U.S. military strike on a school in Minab, Iran, that reportedly killed around 160 people amid escalating U.S.-Iran tensions.

Stryker, headquartered in Portage, Michigan, and a leading manufacturer of medical devices including orthopedic implants, surgical equipment and hospital beds, employs approximately 56,000 people globally. The company has a significant presence in Ireland, where its Cork headquarters and facilities employ up to 5,000 workers, making the Emerald Isle one of its largest operational bases outside the U.S.

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A Stryker spokesperson confirmed the incident in a statement to customers and media: “We are currently experiencing a global network disruption affecting the Windows environment.” The company emphasized it had “no indication of ransomware or malware” in initial assessments but acknowledged the widespread outage. Stryker said it was working urgently to restore systems, with assistance from external cybersecurity experts including Microsoft engineers.

Reports from affected employees and sources familiar with the matter indicate the attack deployed destructive “wiper” malware. Unlike traditional ransomware, which encrypts files and demands payment for decryption, wiper malware permanently erases data, rendering it irrecoverable. Devices connected to Stryker’s network—including laptops, cellphones and other Windows-based systems managed through Microsoft Intune—were reportedly wiped remotely. Login screens on compromised systems displayed the Handala logo, a symbol associated with the group.

The Wall Street Journal first reported the suspected Iran-linked nature of the attack, citing people familiar with the situation. Shares of Stryker (NYSE: SYK) fell about 3% to 3.4% in trading following the news, reflecting investor concerns over potential long-term impacts on operations and reputation.

Handala’s claim posted on X (formerly Twitter) boasted of wiping over 200,000 systems, servers and mobile devices while extracting 50 terabytes of critical data. The group framed the operation as part of broader retaliation against perceived aggressions by the U.S. and its allies in the ongoing Middle East conflict, including cyber operations targeting the “Axis of Resistance.”

Cybersecurity experts noted that while Handala has conducted previous disruptive attacks, often aligned with Iranian geopolitical interests, attribution remains challenging in the fluid world of state-sponsored and hacktivist operations. The use of wiper malware marks a particularly aggressive tactic, more commonly associated with nation-state actors seeking destruction rather than financial gain.

This incident comes amid heightened U.S.-Iran cyber tensions. Recent military actions, including joint U.S.-Israeli strikes inside Iran, have raised fears of retaliatory cyberattacks on American infrastructure and companies. Stryker’s selection as a target may stem from its global footprint, its role in healthcare—a critical sector—and any perceived ties to Israel through business dealings or supply chains.

The attack disrupted normal business functions, forcing employees to stay offline and halting access to internal software, email and communications tools. In Ireland, where Stryker’s Cork operations focus on manufacturing and research, thousands of workers were unable to perform duties, prompting local media to describe the incident as crippling one of the country’s key multinational employers.

No immediate evidence suggests patient data or medical devices themselves were directly compromised, as the attack targeted corporate IT networks rather than product systems. Stryker maintains separate security protocols for connected medical devices, and the company has a history of issuing advisories for vulnerabilities in products like its Vocera communication systems and hospital beds.

Stryker reported the breach to Ireland’s National Cyber Security Centre and is cooperating with authorities. The company has not disclosed the full scope of data loss or any potential exposure of sensitive information, though a separate data breach notification filed in late 2024—unrelated to this incident—involved unauthorized access between May and June of that year.

Analysts warn that recovery from a wiper attack could take weeks or months, as wiped systems require rebuilding from backups or clean installations. The incident highlights vulnerabilities in global supply chains and corporate networks, particularly for companies in strategic sectors like healthcare.

As investigations continue, the Stryker cyberattack serves as a stark reminder of the intersection between geopolitical conflict and cyberspace. With U.S.-Iran hostilities showing no signs of abating, experts anticipate further escalation in the digital domain.

Stryker officials have urged patience as restoration efforts proceed, assuring stakeholders that patient care and product supply remain priorities. The company has not released a timeline for full recovery.

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