‘Names.co.uk is one of a kind and simply first-class!’

Launching a business has many challenges – and when it comes to setting up a website and domain, that’s potential added hassle that start-ups don’t need or have time for. However, there’s one business which could help and take this stress away.

Worcester-based Names.co.uk, described as a British web infrastructure pioneer, has launched a tech infrastructure play aimed at non-technical UK founders, combining a free ‘.co.uk’ domain infrastructure offer with its signature “KickStart” done-for-you onboarding service. This could save new businesses time and effort when it comes to setting up a digital storefront.

Names.co.uk says thousands of non-technical founders find themselves stranded with an unconfigured domain, and they don’t know how to link to a live site or an active mailbox. This is where the company comes in, taking away this hard work.

“The tech industry has a bad habit of selling small businesses a tool and leaving them to decipher the manual alone,” says the team at Names.co.uk. “When a local florist or tradesperson buys a domain, they shouldn’t need a degree in network administration to configure an MX record on their phone. We are completely eliminating that friction.”

Operating since 1997, Names.co.uk describes itself as ‘a cornerstone of the British web utility market’. As part of the team.blue group, the company says it combines data centre security with localised, expert technical support to deliver robust, accessible web hosting, domain administration, and cloud security services to hundreds of thousands of UK businesses.

With its signature “KickStart” done-for-you onboarding service, Names.co.uk can help with professional mailboxes to bypass automated spam filters; device integration; and DNS Orchestration. New users can get free ‘.co.uk’ domains, alongside entry-level ‘.com’ registrations from £1.99, and there’s an AI website builder, which can handle layout, creative assets and conversion copywriting.

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As well as this, the company can help with compliance and accessibility. Names.co.uk says it can help small business ensure their websites automatically adhere to legal digital accessibility guidelines, while unlocking secondary algorithmic SEO advantages.

The company also has a specialised Domain Administration Team based in Worcester which operates seven days a week, and it says it has verified green infrastructure, with its data centres running strictly on wind and solar power. However, there are other companies out there, too.

For example, GoDaddy is an alternative which ‘does more than sell domain names’. The company says it partners with customers, securing a domain, building a web presence, enabling payments and everything in between. Currently, new users can get a ‘.com’ domain for £0.01 for the first year, with a three-year purchase required and additional years costing £18.99.

Or there’s 123-reg.co.uk, which has several domain offers. Users can get a ‘.co.uk’ domain for £3.99 a year for the first year, ‘.com’ for £0.01 a year for the first year, ‘.ai’ for £36.99 for the first year with a two-year term, and more.

Users have left many positive reviews for Names.co.uk on Trustpilot, however, where it’s rated an overall score of 4.3 out of five. One person said: “Very helpful and supportive customer support person who solved my problem with an innovative solution.”

Another said: “I’ve been a customer of Names.co.uk for many, many years: I’ve always been more than satisfied with the service and support they offer – costs are reasonable in each case! Whether it’s been complex technical issues, new IT features or support and administration of my user account. The staff have always been friendly, understanding when I had been a bit out of the loop, and, above all, patient! As far as I’m concerned, Names.co.uk is one of a kind and simply first-class! I hope they will be able to maintain this standard for a long time to come!”

Others deducted a star in their review, as this person said: “Had difficulty updating domain renewals online. Customer phone support was excellent, polite and helpful and resolved the issues efficiently. Reassuring confirmation of changes sent in email.”

Overall, most people were happy. This shopper said: “Kyle was wonderful, very professional and friendly. It was so good to hear a friendly and reassuring voice on the support team. I honestly feel a huge weight off my soldiers. I know some pending issues will be resolved and other future matters that I discussed with Kyle will be taken care of too. Thanks, Kyle, for your help. Keep up the good work.”

Shoppers can try Names.co.uk through its website.

The C.L.A.S.S. Soiree Steakhouse located in Hollywood, Florida, welcomes diners to fully disrobe and eat a meal in the nude on the first Monday of each month.

While guests arrive wearing clothes, they’re free “to drop their clothes” after arriving at the restaurant, Tasheba Hart, who hosts the monthly events, told Fox News Digital during an interview on Wednesday while sitting alongside Chef Maurad Ali, the owner of the establishment.

Hart said she goes “totally nude” at the event, but noted that “if it gets a little chilly” she dons a robe.

FLORIDA STEAKHOUSE OFFERS CLASSY NUDE DINING EXPERIENCE THAT DOES NOT ALLOW ‘TOUCHY-FEELY STUFF’

C.L.A.S.S. Soiree Steakhouse chef and owner Maurad Ali, left, and nude dining event hostess Tasheba Hart, right. (Fox News Digital / Fox News)

She noted that only she and the guests are undressed, while the chefs and servers are “fully clothed.”

Ali explained that Hart, who does not work at the steakhouse on regular days, is the “head” of the nude dining events. She sells the tickets and gives the restaurant a cut of the funds, he said.

STEAK AND SEAFOOD CHAIN 801 RESTAURANT GROUP FILES FOR BANKRUPTCY AFTER CLOSING DENVER, MINNEAPOLIS SPOTS

The Florida steakhouse offers a nude dining experience once a month. (Justin Tsucalas; food styling by Lisa Cherkasky/Both for The Washington Post via Getty Images / Getty Images)

Hart said the tickets cost $150 for an individual woman, $250 for an individual man, or $300 for two people attending the event together.

She described the event as “a fine-dining experience.”

HIGH BEEF PRICES HITTING CONSUMERS AS MEATPACKING GIANT WARNS OF SUPPLY STRUGGLES

Rib-eye steak with a sweet onion-tarragon topping paired with a baked potato and asparagus.  (Bonnie Trafelet/Chicago Tribune/Tribune News Service via Getty Images)

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Ali remarked that “this is not your grandpa’s steakhouse.”

New CEO Michelle Percy said interim results “reflect a business that has spent the past six months investing in its future”

North East property investor Develop North says it is in a strong position despite challenges facing listed investment companies.

New interim results for the firm – which now has a portfolio valued at nearly £23m – shows its net asset value total return fell 0.88% in the six months to the end of May, though bosses chalked that up to one-off costs associated with the launch of Develop North’s new investment prospectus and the beginning of a new investment strategy, along with changes to its management team. That included the hiring of former Newcastle City Council director of investment and growth, Michelle Percy, as the company’s CEO.

Ms Percy said the results reflected investment in Develop North, which is advised by Newcastle wealth managers Tier One Capital. The firm’s board said the moves were essential for growth, and also as indicators of its confidence in the region, which it says is benefiting from public and private sector investment, regeneration activity and increasing recognition as one of the country’s most attractive regions for development.

The half year income statement for Develop North shows an increase in total revenue to £1.26m in the six months, compared with £1.03m in the same period last year. But there were pre-tax losses of £179,000 in the period, compared with a pre-tax profit of £494,000 in the first half of 2025. Pre-tax profit before finance costs was £90,000, compared with £575,000 previously.

It came as Develop North entered its 10th year as a listed company, and following shareholder approval of its expanded investment policy allowing it to back residential real estate, commercial real estate and real estate projects. Two successful exits were completed in the period including from industrial and trade counter development Whitley Court at Leeming Bar Business Park, and from the backing of Sunderland’s former Farringdon Police Station into retail units.

John Newlands, chairman of Develop North PLC, said: “Develop North enters this next phase with a strengthened leadership team, a broadened investment strategy and an established platform from which to grow. We expect to complete our first investment under the revised policy during the current financial year and continue to see encouraging levels of activity across our pipeline.”

Michelle Percy, chief executive officer of Develop North PLC, said: “These interim results reflect a business that has spent the past six months investing in its future. We’ve evolved our investment strategy, strengthened the leadership team, welcomed new shareholders and continued to recycle capital through successful exits, all while maintaining the disciplined approach that has defined Develop North since launch.

“Our purpose remains unchanged. We want to provide investors with access to attractive regional real estate opportunities while supporting developments that deliver regeneration, create jobs and contribute to long-term economic growth.

“As we enter our tenth year, we’re in a strong position. We have an experienced team, an expanded investment mandate, a healthy pipeline of opportunities and a portfolio that continues to perform well. We’re excited about building on that momentum during the second half of the year and continuing to create long-term value for both our shareholders and the regional economies in which we invest.”

The US economy is creating fewer jobs than expected with the employment market performing weaker during the summer than previously thought, official figures show.

There was a surprise shedding of 23,000 jobs last month, with declines driven by cuts in local government education and retail roles, despite analysts predicting growth.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics also revised down the number of jobs added in May and June by 103,000, signalling a slow summer of job creation.

The latest figures reduce pressure on the US central bank, the Federal Reserve, to raise interest rates next month, despite high inflation.

Analysts had expected an uptick in the number of jobs being added to the economy last month of 80,000, as opposed to a loss of 23,000.

As well as falls in local government education the were also declines in retail roles, including in wholesale stores, hypermarkets, gas stations and general mechanise shops.

Despite fewer jobs being created, the Bureau of Labor Statistics said the unemployment rate actually dipped to 4.1% from 4.2%, as the number of people in work or looking for work declined slightly.

Average hourly earnings rose by 3.2% in the year to July, compared with the 3.5% economists expected, with average hourly earnings for all employees on private non-farm payrolls at $37.62.

Payrolls do have a tendency to be softer in July, but chief investment officer of Premier Miton Neil Birrell said the US jobs market was weaker “by some distance”.

“Labour force participation is back at levels not seen since the days of Covid, meaning jobs just aren’t being created,” he said.

“This does leave the Fed with the problem of a weak jobs market providing a read across to growth, all at a time when inflation is a problem, but this data will ease the pressure to hike rates. It’s a big call in September.”

As well as keeping inflation stable, the Fed has a mandate to maintain a high level of employment, meaning the jobs figures are also watched closely when deciding interest rates.

US stock markets opened higher on Friday following the release of the latest jobs figures on the prospect that the weaker data might prevent any rate hikes.

Kevin Warsh, the newly-appointed chair of the Federal Reserve, has offered little forward guidance on future path of interest rates, in a policy shift from the US central bank.

Rates were left unchanged, as broadly expected, between 3.5% and 3.75% last month. However, consumer prices remain elevated, with inflation running at an annual rate of 3.5%.

Interest rate hikes are a tool used by central banks aiming to slow the pace at which prices are rising in the shops. By pushing up the cost of borrowing for things such as mortgages, loans and credit cards, central bankers hope consumers will spend less and the rate of price increases will slow.

Warsh has repeatedly said he wants to bring inflation down, but prices have been rising in the wake of the Middle East conflict impacting global oil prices.

Gasoline prices have gone back above $4 on average following recent escalations, according to the AAA. Diesel is almost $5.40 a gallon.

The Golden State Warriors’ odds to win the 2027 NBA championship have collapsed to roughly 1% on prediction market platform Kalshi, a dramatic reversal from the double-digit odds the franchise briefly commanded earlier this summer, after superstar LeBron James chose to sign with the Philadelphia 76ers rather than join forces with Stephen Curry in the Bay Area.

The swing illustrates just how directly prediction markets like Kalshi respond to breaking free agency news, with the Warriors’ championship contract price rising and then sharply falling within the span of just a few weeks as reports about James’ free agency destination shifted.

A Brief Surge on LeBron Speculation

Golden State’s title odds began climbing in mid-July after reports surfaced that the team had cleared salary cap space in pursuit of both James and Los Angeles Lakers big man Anthony Davis, a combination that would have paired the future Hall of Famer with Curry and, presumably, longtime forward Draymond Green in what analysts described as a potential superteam reminiscent of Golden State’s 2016-to-2019 run alongside Kevin Durant. According to Kalshi pricing at the time, the Warriors’ odds opened the 2027 futures market at roughly 1.5%, implied by opening odds of +6600, before climbing as high as 3.3%, implied by odds of +3000, by mid-July as the LeBron speculation intensified. A separate Kalshi market specifically tracking the NBA Finals price briefly lifted the Warriors from 2% up to 6%, tying them for fifth on that particular board at the peak of the speculation.

The Collapse After LeBron’s Decision

That optimism evaporated on July 24, when James officially signed a two-year, $8 million contract with the Philadelphia 76ers rather than Golden State, joining a Sixers roster that already included Joel Embiid and newly acquired forward Jaylen Brown. The news sent Golden State’s championship odds tumbling immediately, falling from the roughly +3000 level they had reached back down to approximately +6000, an implied probability in the neighborhood of 1% to 1.6%, consistent with the figure cited by users tracking the Kalshi market this week.

Meanwhile, the 76ers’ own championship odds moved dramatically in the opposite direction. Philadelphia’s price on Kalshi jumped from +1567, or roughly 6% implied probability, to +733, or about 12%, within hours of the LeBron news breaking, more than doubling the team’s championship chances in the eyes of traders and briefly making the Sixers the market’s third-favorite team behind only the Oklahoma City Thunder and San Antonio Spurs. Philadelphia’s price has continued to firm up in the days since, with some tracking services placing the team as low as +900 by early August.

Golden State’s Roster Reality Without a Marquee Addition

With the LeBron pursuit having fallen through, Golden State enters the 2026-27 season largely reliant on its existing core, headlined by Curry and Green, without the kind of transformative free agent addition that had briefly fueled speculation of another championship-caliber roster. The Warriors have not made the NBA Finals since their 2022 title run, and the team’s recent seasons have included a first-round playoff exit in 2023-24, a conference semifinals loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves in 2024-25 that saw Curry sidelined by injury, and elimination from play-in contention entirely in 2025-26, when Golden State was beaten by the Phoenix Suns in the second round of the play-in tournament.

A Market Still Topped by the Same Familiar Contenders

Even with Philadelphia’s post-LeBron surge, the top of Kalshi’s 2027 championship market has remained largely unchanged at its peak. The San Antonio Spurs and Oklahoma City Thunder continue to sit atop the board as co-favorites, with pricing in early August showing the Thunder at roughly 27 cents and the Spurs close behind at around 26 cents on the dollar, figures that translate to implied probabilities in the mid-to-upper-20% range for each team. Both franchises’ odds moved only modestly, ticking up slightly even after the LeBron news, reflecting the market’s view that the Sixers’ improved outlook does not fundamentally threaten the two front-runners’ positioning.

Beyond the top tier, teams including the New York Knicks and Boston Celtics have remained in the next group of contenders, alongside recent title winners such as the Denver Nuggets and Toronto Raptors, along with the Los Angeles Lakers, now led by Luka Doncic following the departure of James. Analysts covering the market have noted that of the group considered most likely to win the title, several, including the Thunder, Knicks and Celtics, would actually be graded against a broader “field” contract on Kalshi that pools together dozens of longer-shot teams, underscoring how concentrated the market’s real expectations remain around just a handful of franchises.

A Reminder of How Quickly Markets Move

The Warriors’ round trip from roughly 1.5% to as high as 6% and back down to around 1% within the span of a few weeks illustrates a broader pattern that has become increasingly common on real-money prediction markets like Kalshi, where prices can swing dramatically in response to single pieces of breaking news, sometimes even before an official announcement is made. In one related instance during the same free agency period, a member of the Miami Heat’s own social media team briefly and apparently accidentally posted a link to a “LeBron James Introductory Press Conference” video with a specific date attached, an error that sent Miami’s own championship odds soaring on Kalshi before the mistake was clarified.

With free agency’s biggest domino now settled and James officially in Philadelphia, Golden State’s path back into serious championship contention on prediction markets will likely depend on the team’s performance once the 2026-27 season begins in October, along with any further roster moves the Warriors front office might pursue before then. For now, with James having chosen the Sixers over the Bay Area, Kalshi traders have made clear through pricing that they view Golden State’s realistic championship chances this season as minimal, a sharp comedown from the brief window of optimism the team enjoyed while its pursuit of the league’s biggest available free agent remained an open question.

GameStop shares traded largely flat Friday morning, changing hands at $19.07, down 0.83%, as the video game retailer’s stock continued to stabilize near recent lows following last week’s announcement of a $1.4 billion debt-for-equity exchange that has kept investors focused on the potential for significant shareholder dilution in the weeks ahead.

The relatively quiet session comes after a volatile stretch for GameStop shares, which fell into negative territory for the year for the first time in 2026 earlier this week, part of a broader decline that saw the stock post several consecutive double-digit percentage drops following the company’s Aug. 4 announcement of its planned convertible note exchange.

A Debt Swap Still Working Through the Market

GameStop’s stock remains anchored to the mechanics of that debt exchange, under which the company will swap $1.4 billion in outstanding convertible notes for shares of common stock, reducing its long-term debt load while raising the prospect of a meaningfully larger share count once the transaction is completed. Following the exchange, GameStop will retain approximately $1.1 billion in notes due in 2030 and $1.7 billion in notes due in 2032, down from the $4.17 billion in total long-term debt the company held as of May 2.

The precise number of new shares to be issued in the exchange remains tied to a 35-consecutive-trading-day reference period that began Aug. 3 and runs into early September, during which the average volume-weighted price of GameStop’s stock will directly determine the scale of dilution shareholders ultimately face, subject to a contractual per-share price floor built into the agreement. That structure means every trading session between now and the reference period’s conclusion carries some bearing on how many new shares will ultimately be created, adding a layer of built-in uncertainty that has weighed on the stock throughout the week.

GameStop has also disclosed that noteholders participating in the exchange may buy or sell shares of common stock, or enter into derivative transactions, to hedge or unwind their positions during this window, a disclosure the company itself acknowledged could materially affect the market price of its stock in the interim.

A Week That Wiped Out 2026 Gains

The scale of the reaction to the debt exchange announcement has been significant. GameStop shares plunged more than 12% in a single session earlier this week, at one point touching a fresh 52-week low, as the debt swap news compounded existing investor unease about the company’s broader capital structure. That decline was enough to erase all of the stock’s gains for 2026, a notable reversal for a stock that had shown periods of strength earlier in the year tied to speculation surrounding the company’s pursuit of eBay.

Trading volume around the announcement remained elevated relative to the stock’s typical daily average of roughly 8.26 million shares, reflecting the intensity of investor repositioning as the market worked to price in the potential dilution impact.

The eBay Bid Remains in the Background

GameStop’s broader strategic ambitions continue to loom over the stock’s near-term trading, even as the debt exchange has dominated headlines this week. Chief Executive Ryan Cohen has continued pushing forward with the company’s pursuit of a takeover of eBay, an effort that led Cohen to forfeit a substantial personal pay package tied to his role at GameStop, even as it remains unclear whether the company will ultimately be able to complete the acquisition. GameStop shareholders previously voted at the company’s annual meeting to approve an increase in authorized shares specifically designed to give the company greater flexibility for stock-based transactions tied to potential deals such as the eBay pursuit, underscoring how directly the current debt exchange and dilution concerns connect to the company’s broader acquisition strategy.

A Financial Cushion Amid the Uncertainty

Despite the dilution concerns weighing on sentiment, some analysts have pointed to GameStop’s substantial cash position as a mitigating factor limiting the stock’s downside risk. Recent commentary has highlighted the company’s roughly $6 billion combined cash and cryptocurrency holdings as a meaningful cushion, even as the stock continues to trade well below its 52-week high of $28.10 reached earlier in the year.

Bitcoin Exposure Adds a Separate Layer of Volatility

Beyond the debt exchange and eBay speculation, GameStop’s stock has also remained sensitive to swings in the broader cryptocurrency market given the company’s corporate treasury holdings in bitcoin, a strategy that has tied its share price more closely to digital asset price movements than a traditional retailer might typically experience. That dynamic has added yet another layer of volatility to a stock already navigating significant company-specific catalysts this month.

Looking Ahead to Earnings

GameStop’s next major scheduled catalyst remains its second-quarter earnings report, expected on or around Sept. 8, an event that will land just weeks after the current 35-trading-day reference period concludes and the debt exchange is set to formally close on or around Sept. 23. Investors are likely to scrutinize that earnings report closely not only for updates on the company’s underlying retail and collectibles business, but also for any further management commentary on the status of the eBay pursuit and how the company plans to navigate the dilution dynamics tied to its recently announced debt restructuring.

A Stock Increasingly Defined by Financial Engineering

Friday’s relatively muted trading session, following a week of sharp swings tied to the debt exchange announcement, illustrates how significantly GameStop’s near-term stock performance continues to be shaped by corporate financial maneuvering rather than by developments in its core video game and collectibles retail operations. With the reference period governing the scale of the debt-swap dilution still weeks from concluding, and the company’s pursuit of eBay remaining an open and consequential question, GameStop’s stock is likely to remain a closely watched name among both retail and institutional investors through the remainder of the summer and into its early September earnings report.

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