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AI lessons from the dot.com bust

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AI lessons from the dot.com bust

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Bajaj Auto shares rise 3% after August sales jump 28% YoY

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Bajaj Auto shares rise 3% after August sales jump 28% YoY
Bajaj Auto share price gained as much as 2.80% during Tuesday’s trading session, touching an intraday high of Rs 12,470, after the two- and three-wheeler major reported a strong sales performance for August 2026.

The stock’s upward move followed Bajaj Auto’s report of a 28% year-on-year jump in total sales, with exports emerging as a key growth engine. The strong monthly numbers also come as the stock continues its recent upward momentum.

Bajaj Auto sold a total of 5,35,764 units in August 2026, compared with 4,17,616 units in the same month last year, marking a 28% year-on-year increase.

Two-wheeler sales were particularly strong, rising 30% to 4,43,748 units from 3,41,887 units in August 2025.

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The key highlight was the sharp rise in exports. While domestic two-wheeler sales increased 10% to 2,01,898 units, exports surged 53% to 2,41,850 units, underscoring the growing contribution of overseas markets to Bajaj Auto’s overall sales performance.


The company’s commercial vehicle segment also maintained healthy momentum. Commercial vehicle sales rose 22% to 92,016 units, supported by an 11% increase in domestic sales and a stronger 39% growth in exports.
Bajaj Auto’s strong performance was not limited to August. For the April-August 2026 period, the company sold 24,48,692 units, compared with 18,94,853 units during the corresponding period last year.This represents a robust 29% year-on-year increase in year-to-date sales, indicating sustained demand across both domestic and international markets.

Bajaj Auto Share Price, Valuation and Technical Indicators

Bajaj Auto shares have already delivered a strong run in recent months, gaining around 20% over the past three months. The stock touched its 52-week high of Rs 12,470 during Tuesday’s session. Bajaj Auto currently commands a market capitalisation of approximately Rs 3,43,503 crore.

From a valuation perspective, the stock is trading at a P/E ratio of 28.31, while its Price-to-Sales ratio stands at 3.9 and Price-to-Book ratio at 8.28.

On the technical front, Bajaj Auto’s 14-day RSI stands at 69.1. An RSI reading below 30 is generally considered to indicate oversold conditions, while a reading above 70 is typically viewed as overbought. With the RSI now approaching the 70 mark, investors may keep a close watch on the stock’s near-term momentum.

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The technical setup remains positive, with Bajaj Auto trading above all 8 monitored simple moving averages (SMAs), indicating a broadly bullish trend.

During the June 2026 quarter, Foreign Institutional Investors (FIIs) increased their stake in Bajaj Auto from 8.82% to 9.01%. Meanwhile, Mutual Fund holdings declined from 7.17% to 6.01% during the same quarter.

(Disclaimer: Recommendations, suggestions, views and opinions given by the experts are their own. These do not represent the views of Economic Times)

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Vacuum Seal Packaging Supports Safer Storage for Dry and Sen

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Vacuum Seal Packaging Supports Safer Storage for Dry and Sen

Flexible pouches can protect products, reduce storage volume, and create a broad printable surface, but the term “Mylar bag” is often used too loosely in commercial conversations.

Mylar is a polyester film brand name, while many retail pouches are actually engineered laminates that combine different layers for specific functions. A responsible buyer should therefore compare the complete material structure, not rely only on a familiar product label.

For ingredient brands, laboratory-supply sellers, electronics accessory businesses, emergency-preparedness suppliers, and specialty dry-goods companies, packaging must work through filling, sealing, storage, shipping, retail display, and customer use. A visually impressive pouch is not successful if its seal fails, its barrier is unsuitable, or its instructions encourage improper storage. This guide explains how vacuum storage for dry and sensitive products should be planned as a measurable packaging system for the U.S. market.

Start With the Product and Its Real Sensitivities

Define what can damage the product before choosing a pouch. Moisture, oxygen, light, aroma transfer, static, grease, sharp edges, temperature, and repeated opening can require very different solutions. Record the product’s dimensions, weight, water activity when relevant, fill temperature, oil content, headspace, and expected distribution conditions. For nonfood products, add chemical compatibility, abrasion, electrostatic sensitivity, and any required warning or child-resistant features.

The most appropriate starting point is a sealable high-barrier pouch selected for product chemistry, dryness, edges, expected storage period, and the verified capabilities of the sealing equipment. When evaluating mylar vacuum seal bags, request a written specification that identifies the material layers or performance values, intended use, seal range, closure type, and any relevant compliance documentation. Avoid approving a structure solely from thickness because two films with the same measured thickness can have very different barrier and puncture performance.

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Understand What Barrier Packaging Can and Cannot Do

Barrier layers slow the movement of gases, vapor, aroma, or light, but they do not make a product stable forever. Actual protection depends on film structure, seal quality, package size, residual air, storage temperature, handling, and the product itself. Shelf-life targets should be validated through suitable testing under realistic conditions rather than copied from another brand or inferred from the pouch appearance.

For food applications, every material that contacts the product—including films, inks in applicable constructions, adhesives, coatings, and closures—must be suitable for the intended use. The FDA treats packaging and its components as food-contact substances and evaluates authorized uses in context. Ask the supplier for documentation applicable to the actual product, temperature, and contact conditions; do not assume that every flexible pouch sold online is appropriate for direct food contact.

Engineer the Seal Before Finalizing Artwork

Most flexible-package failures begin at the seal. Powder, crumbs, oil, folds, wrinkles, and trapped product can prevent a continuous bond. The filling line needs enough clean seal area, stable temperature, appropriate pressure, and dwell time. A zipper improves convenience but does not necessarily replace the production heat seal required for tamper evidence or barrier continuity.

Run trials on the actual equipment at realistic speed. Inspect seals visually, flex the package, perform appropriate leak or burst checks, and test after shipping simulation. If the contents have sharp corners, assess puncture risk around the vacuum or compressed product. Artwork should leave clear zones around heat seals, tear notches, hang holes, valves, windows, and registration-sensitive features so decoration never interferes with package function.

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Create a Clear Brand and Information Hierarchy

A flexible pouch gives brands multiple panels, but every panel should have a job. The recommended direction is plain-language handling instructions, traceability fields, hazard or sensitivity labeling where required, and simple product identification. The front must identify the brand and product quickly, while the back or side can carry instructions, warnings, ingredients, disposal guidance, contact details, and traceability information where applicable.

Keep essential text away from gusset folds, curved edges, seals, and areas that distort after filling. Test typography on a filled sample because a flat digital proof can hide readability problems. Barcodes should be placed on a reasonably flat, high-contrast area and verified at production scale. Use variant colors and plain-language names together so customers and warehouse staff are not forced to identify products by color alone.

Design Around Filling, Packing, and Distribution

A pouch is handled many times before it reaches the customer. Map the sequence from empty-pack receipt to filling, sealing, coding, case packing, palletizing, storage, shipment, shelf display, and opening. Confirm whether the pouch must stand, hang, lie flat, tolerate vacuum, or fit a specific carton. Small changes to gusset depth, zipper position, tear notch, or fill volume can materially affect line speed and pack appearance.

Order production-representative samples and fill them with the real product. Test the heaviest allowed fill and the most difficult product shape. Stack cases for the expected period, expose samples to normal temperature changes, and check for abrasion or ink transfer. Operational testing prevents a brand from discovering after delivery that a beautiful pouch will not open on the filling equipment or fit the planned shipping case.

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Place the Second Keyword Naturally, Not as Stuffing

SEO language should never force the article or packaging decision into awkward claims. A useful product phrase belongs where it helps the reader compare structures, quantities, or features. When considering customized mylar bags, buyers should still ask for the same technical evidence: material specification, intended use, closure details, print limitations, tolerance, sampling plan, and quality expectations.

Use one clear phrase rather than repeating near-identical keywords in every heading. Search visibility is supported by topic coverage, useful explanations, natural language, and accurate answers—not by making the text difficult to read. The packaging itself follows the same principle: focused communication is more persuasive than covering every inch with claims, icons, and decorative effects.

Avoid Common Cost and Quality Mistakes

The main risks include assuming reduced oxygen makes every product safe, sealing damp goods, undetected pinholes, unsuitable oxygen absorbers, and unclear storage conditions. Unit price can hide the cost of rejected packs, slow filling, leaks, product loss, customer service, obsolete inventory, and emergency reorders. Compare quotes using the same dimensions, material structure, thickness, printing method, closure, finish, quantity, packing method, tolerance, freight, and quality requirements.

Low quantity may reduce inventory risk but increase cost per piece. High quantity may improve unit economics but create storage pressure and artwork exposure. Build a total-cost model that includes setup, plates or cylinders if applicable, proofing, freight, inspection, filling labor, waste, and expected sell-through. The lowest quoted price is not the lowest business cost when a meaningful percentage of pouches cannot be used.

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Set a Repeatable Quality-Control Standard

Document approved dimensions, film structure, thickness tolerance, seal width, zipper position, tear notch, gusset, finish, print colors, artwork version, winding or packing orientation, and case count. Keep an approved production sample and photograph critical details. On receipt, inspect multiple cases rather than only the first pouch at the top of one carton.

Quality checks may include dimensions, appearance, odor, print registration, scuff resistance, closure function, seal continuity, leak performance, code readability, and fill compatibility. Define what constitutes a critical, major, or minor defect before production. A clear acceptance standard helps the buyer and supplier resolve variation using evidence instead of subjective descriptions such as “looks wrong.”

Measure Performance After Launch

Useful measures for this project include seal integrity, moisture change, inventory loss, customer misuse questions, rework, and storage-condition compliance. Establish a baseline with the current package, then compare the new format over a defined quantity or period. Track failures by production lot, product variant, filling shift, storage location, and distribution route so patterns can be identified.

Customer comments are valuable, but operational data adds context. If people report difficult opening, determine whether the issue involves tear-notch position, film toughness, seal width, or instructions. If freshness complaints rise, inspect the entire system: product condition at fill, seal contamination, barrier specification, storage temperature, and time in distribution. Packaging improvement works best as a controlled cycle of testing, measurement, and revision.Use Accurate Environmental Communication

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Flexible multilayer packaging can be difficult to recycle through ordinary curbside systems, and acceptance varies by material and local program. Do not label a pouch recyclable simply because one layer could be recycled on its own. Ask the supplier for the complete structure and any supported collection pathway, then give customers specific disposal guidance that matches the finished package.

Source reduction, correct sizing, fewer failed packages, and accurate inventory planning can still reduce waste. Avoid broad claims such as “eco-friendly,” “zero waste,” or “fully recyclable” unless they are precisely defined and substantiated. Honest wording protects customer trust and is more useful than a green symbol without instructions.

Conclusion

Effective flexible packaging begins with product science and operating reality. Define the required barrier, confirm food-contact or other use suitability, validate the seal, test the filled pack, review print on a physical sample, and document the approved specification. A pouch should be judged by the saleable product it delivers, not by the empty sample alone.

For U.S. brands, vacuum storage for dry and sensitive products can support stronger presentation and more consistent storage when it is matched to the product and verified through real trials. Start with a controlled pilot, measure results, correct weak points, and scale only after the packaging performs across filling, distribution, display, and customer use.

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Why is Ashtead Technology stock sliding today?

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Former Dragon Sara Davies takes stake in Not On The High Street

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The County Durham businesswoman said she wanted to help shape the strategy for the online retailer

LONDON, ENGLAND - JULY 01: Sara Davies attends as a guest of Emirates, Official Airline Partner of 2026 Wimbledon Championships, at the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club on July 01, 2026 in London, England. (Photo by Hoda Davaine/Getty Images for Emirates)

Sara Davies, founder of Crafter’s Companion, at Wimbledon this week.(Image: Hoda Davaine/Getty Images for Emirates)

Well-known North East entrepreneur Sara Davies has taken a stake in the online retail site Not On The High Street, it has been announced.

The Dragons’ Den star appeared on the business TV series between 2019 and 2025 after making her name with her own company, Crafter’s Companion, in County Durham.

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She has joined the online marketplace as a non-executive director and equity investor. The company did not disclose the value of the personal investment made by Ms Davies but she described it as a “meaningful stake”. Ms Davies said Not On The High Street was no longer trying to compete with Chinese online marketplaces such as Shein and Temu, which are known for their vast and fast-changing inventories of cheaper goods exported around the world.

She said: “We’re in the middle of a cost-of-living crisis and there are customers who are shopping on Temu and Shein, and that’s what’s appropriate for them and their spending at the moment.

“But there’s a whole different wave of customers who want to buy quality, artisan, handmade, personalised products and it’s those customers that we want to reach.

“People in the UK are really rebelling against this fast-fashion culture,” she said. “They are being more thoughtful and considered in what they’re buying, so they’re not wanting to buy the cheap tat.”

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The 20-year-old Bristol-based business has around 4,000 sellers on the platform with a range of about 350,000 products from jewellery, clothes and food to home and garden furnishings.

In her decision to buy a stake, Ms Davies said she wanted to “go right to the top” of the business and met its new owners to help shape the strategy.

Not On The High Street was bought by German private equity firm Executive Equity Partners (EEP) at the start of the year, and hired new chief executive Pascal Schuster to steer its turnaround. It comes after years of declining sales since the pandemic online shopping boom, with total transaction value across the platform at £84.2m in the year to March 2025, compared with £230.2m in the year to March 2021.

The company has been going through a restructuring to reduce business costs and help return to sales growth and profitability.

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Mr Schuster told PA: “One of the major missteps in the past was the thought that more products on the site might be better for the customer and ultimately the revenues.

“What we’re now doing is whenever we see a product that is on our site but also on Temu, Shein or wherever – and we use AI to filter that out – then our partner gets a warning.

“If they can’t explain where their product is coming from, then we de-list them.”

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Upstart’s Breakout May Occur Sooner Than Expected – H2 2026 Macro Risks (NASDAQ:UPST)

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Upstart's Breakout May Occur Sooner Than Expected - H2 2026 Macro Risks (NASDAQ:UPST)

This article was written by

I am a full-time analyst interested in a wide range of stocks. With my unique insights and knowledge, I hope to provide other investors with a contrasting view of my portfolio, given my particular background.If you have any questions, feel free to reach out to me via a direct message on Seeking Alpha or leave a comment on one of my articles.

Analyst’s Disclosure: I/we have no stock, option or similar derivative position in any of the companies mentioned, and no plans to initiate any such positions within the next 72 hours. I wrote this article myself, and it expresses my own opinions. I am not receiving compensation for it (other than from Seeking Alpha). I have no business relationship with any company whose stock is mentioned in this article.

The analysis is provided exclusively for informational purposes and should not be considered professional investment advice. Before investing, please conduct personal in-depth research and utmost due diligence, as there are many risks associated with the trade, including capital loss.

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Seeking Alpha’s Disclosure: Past performance is no guarantee of future results. No recommendation or advice is being given as to whether any investment is suitable for a particular investor. Any views or opinions expressed above may not reflect those of Seeking Alpha as a whole. Seeking Alpha is not a licensed securities dealer, broker or US investment adviser or investment bank. Our analysts are third party authors that include both professional investors and individual investors who may not be licensed or certified by any institute or regulatory body.

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Asian currencies mixed as dollar steadies, yen remains near 160

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Asian currencies mixed as dollar steadies, yen remains near 160

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OpenAI says Apple has only itself to blame in trade-secret fight

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Titan Company, Sky Gold, other shares fall up to 6% on PM Modi’s second appeal to avoid gold

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Titan Company, Sky Gold, other shares fall up to 6% on PM Modi’s second appeal to avoid gold
Shares of jewellery companies including Titan Company, Sky Gold and Kalyan Jewellers, among others, fell up to 6% on Tuesday after Prime Minister Narendra Modi urged citizens to avoid gold purchases unless necessary in a social media video posted on Monday.

In today’s session, Titan Company shares declined 2% to Rs 5,015, while Kalyan Jewellers declined 6% to Rs 578 per share. Thangamayil Jewellery shares were down 2% to Rs 5,322 on the BSE, while Sky Gold was down 6.3% to Rs 756 per share.

This is the PMs second such appeal to citizens in quick succession. Back in May, speaking at the event in Hyderabad, PM Modi appealed to citizens to avoid buying gold for weddings for the next one year. The request was part of a wider appeal aimed at conserving fuel and foreign exchange reserves, with the Prime Minister also advocating the return of work-from-home practices and urging people to reduce non-essential travel, including international trips.

India remains the world’s second-largest consumer of gold and imported an average of 60 tonnes of the precious metal every month during FY26, translating into a monthly import bill of nearly $6 billion.

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What does PM Modi’s remarks mean?

For Indian households, the precious metal represents tradition, security, weddings, savings and generational wealth, making the Prime Minister’s remarks both unusual and significant.


Gold has historically been viewed as one of the safest long-term stores of value for Indian families, particularly during periods of uncertainty. Which is precisely why the comments triggered a sharp reaction across the market, with shares of jewellery companies plunging as much as 9% on Monday in a knee-jerk selloff.
But beyond the immediate market reaction, the Prime Minister’s appeal appears rooted in a larger macroeconomic concern: protecting India’s foreign exchange reserves at a time of elevated global uncertainty, rising crude oil prices and pressure on the rupee.

Gold outlook

The recent pullback could offer investors an opportunity to gradually accumulate gold, according to Jefferies’ Global Head of Equity Strategy Christopher Wood and billionaire hedge fund manager John Paulson. Both believe the precious metal could be at the beginning of a long-term bull run.

“As people lose faith in paper currencies, gold as an alternative will continue to grow,” Paulson said. The billionaire, whose bet against subprime mortgages became one of the most profitable trades in Wall Street history, turned his attention to gold in 2009.

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Paulson had argued that the fiscal and monetary stimulus following the financial crisis would eventually weaken the US dollar. Since then, gold prices have roughly quadrupled, crossing the $5,000 threshold before pulling back.

He said demand for bullion continues to broaden, with central banks adding to their reserves while interest from the private sector also rises.

“Gold is becoming the most apt reserve currency in the world, replacing fiat currencies,” Paulson said. “The demand from central banks, for instance, has continued to grow, as has the private sector.”

(Disclaimer: Recommendations, suggestions, views and opinions given by the experts are their own. These do not represent the views of The Economic Times)

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Future Cotswolds Neighbors Reportedly Wary of Harry and Meghans Move, Told Dont Bring the Circus

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Meghan Markle

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s decision to relocate to the Cotswolds is drawing a cautious reception from prospective neighbors in the English countryside region, according to a royal commentator, who said residents are more wary than welcoming as the couple begins house hunting in the area.

Kinsey Schofield, host of the “Kinsey Schofield Unfiltered” podcast, told Page Six Monday that the “chattering class” of the North Cotswolds is “not overly excited” about the Duke and Duchess of Sussex moving into the area. “The Cotswolds can be incredibly welcoming to high-profile people because there’s an unwritten agreement: ‘You don’t make a spectacle of yourself, and neither will we,’” Schofield explained.

According to Schofield, the region’s relationship with celebrity residents typically depends on those residents keeping a low profile once they arrive, a dynamic she said makes Harry and Meghan’s situation somewhat unusual given the level of media attention that has followed the couple throughout their post-royal life. “The irony is that Harry and Meghan are moving to a place that is accustomed to famous people… but completely unimpressed by fame,” Schofield said. “You can bump into Liam Gallagher at the local pub and nobody cares.”

Schofield said she had heard from an insider that other celebrities already living in the area, including David Beckham and Ellen DeGeneres, have settled comfortably into the community precisely because locals do not “bat an eyelid” at their presence, a pattern she suggested Harry and Meghan may struggle to replicate given the scale of press attention that has historically accompanied their movements.

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The advice being passed along through local channels has been direct, according to Schofield. “The advice from locals is essentially that Harry should keep a low profile and allow the family to settle quietly into the community,” she said. “One source put it rather colorfully: ‘Shut up for at least eight months!’ and ‘Harry needs to respect the community.’” She summarized the broader local sentiment more bluntly still, saying, “There’s a sense of, ‘Please don’t bring the circus here.’ These people are used to celebrities. Harry and Meghan are different because wherever they go, the headlines tend to follow.”

Despite the guarded reception, Schofield said she believes the couple still has an opportunity to shift local perception over time, though she cautioned that doing so would require genuine discretion. “But that requires restraint,” she said, according to a report from Jingletree. “You cannot ask a community to protect your privacy while simultaneously generating headlines that bring attention to their doorstep.”

Page Six had previously reported that Harry and Meghan were actively house hunting in the Cotswolds, with royal commentator Tom Sykes telling the outlet last week that a friend of Harry’s had indicated earlier this year that the prince was considering the region, potentially near King Charles III’s Highgrove estate. The couple has been linked to a roughly 16.2 million dollar property, though multiple sources have said no formal deal has yet been finalized. In the interim, the family has reportedly been staying in a spare house belonging to a wealthy friend on the outskirts of the Cotswolds since arriving in the UK on Aug. 26.

This is not the first time Harry and Meghan’s presence has generated friction with neighbors in an affluent residential community. Schofield made similar comments about the couple’s Montecito, California, neighborhood in a January 2025 interview with Fox News Digital, saying at the time that some residents there felt Harry and Meghan’s various business ventures “come off as desperation” and struggled to understand why the couple would trade “tiaras in pursuit of Tupperware.” That characterization followed a Vanity Fair report describing the couple as being viewed as “local villains” by some Montecito neighbors, though other sources close to the couple have pushed back on that framing, telling outlets including AOL that Harry and Meghan maintain a “great relationship” with their California community and genuinely care about it.

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A representative for the Duke and Duchess of Sussex did not immediately respond to requests for comment regarding the reported reception in the Cotswolds. With the couple’s children expected to begin school in the region this month, Harry and Meghan appear likely to remain under close local and media scrutiny as they work to establish their new base in the English countryside.

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Nottingham City Council underspend to help with cost of living

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It will not, however, be used to offset any potential future increase to council tax.

“At this time, we think it’s better value for the taxpayer to take that £20m underspend and invest it into the services that they want to see improvement in,” Radford said.

The council effectively declared itself bankrupt in 2023 but has recently shown signs of recovery.

Commissioners appointed to help run the authority in 2024 left earlier this year and were replaced with “ministerial envoys”, who have fewer powers.

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Radford said an underspend was “quite rare” but was evidence of the council’s improving financial position.

Kirsty L Jones, leader of the Nottingham People’s Alliance, however, said it may have come as a result of “under-delivery of services in the first place”.

“I think when they’ve cut so deeply previously, it’s not going to cause any sort of recovery in the services people expect, paying higher council tax for fewer services as they’ve seen throughout the years,” she said.

“Helping with the cost of living – I don’t know how they can meaningfully do that with £20m and expect to spend it on other things too.”

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The use of the underspend funds will be discussed at a meeting of the council’s executive board on Tuesday.

It will then require approval from full council because it constitutes a change to the authority’s annual budget.

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