Stripe OLT has offices in Bristol, Manchester and London, and will become part of Littlefish Group

A Bristol-headquartered cyber security firm has been acquired for an undisclosed sum by an IT company with offices in Nottingham, Sheffield, London and Ireland. Stripe OLT, which has built its growth around its Microsoft-led offering, will become part of Littlefish Group, creating a company of some 900 staff.

Littlefish said the deal would “further solidify” its position in an expanding market and marked a “major milestone” for the business. It is understood the acquisition will help Littlefish accelerate the expansion of its managed services and advanced cyber security operations across the UK.

Ursula Morgenstern, chief executive of Littlefish Group, said: “This acquisition is a decisive step in how we scale the business. Our ambition is to build a truly end-to-end services organisation, with a user-centric approach at its core —to help organisations work smarter, reduce friction, operate safely and deliver better outcomes for their people.

“Stripe OLT is a fast-growing, Microsoft-focused business with deep cyber capability and a culture that closely mirrors our own. Bringing their team into the group strengthens our security proposition, accelerates our growth, and meaningfully enhances the value we deliver to customers.”

Following the deal, Littlefish Group said it would leverage Stripe OLT’s Microsoft expertise to “elevate workplace experiences and transform outcomes” for its customers, which currently include University Hospitals of Derby & Burton NHS Trust, PureGym and Brentford Football Club.

Stripe OLT, which was founded in 2004 by Mark Dale and also has offices in Manchester and London, supports and protects critical infrastructure for established organisations across finance, legal, transport, public sector and healthcare. Its client portfolio includes The NHS Confederation, Haseltine Lake Kempner, Bristol Airport and MoneySuperMarket Group.

Mr Dale added: “Joining Littlefish Group marks an exciting next chapter for our business. Having grown year on year since 2021, it was important to partner with an organisation that shares our ambition and values.

“This move allows us to scale our impact, creating greater opportunities for our people and enhanced capabilities for our clients, while remaining focused on end-user centricity.”

President Donald Trump said tax refunds this year will be substantially larger than ever before because of his signature “One Big Beautiful Bill,” which was passed last year.

Trump took to Truth Social to promote the expected refunds ahead of the 2026 filing season, arguing that some taxpayers could see more than 20% returned.

Taxpayers generally must file their 2025 federal returns by April 15, 2026, and if they file electronically with direct deposit, most refunds are issued within about three weeks after the return is processed, according to the IRS.

SCOTT BESSENT: PRESIDENT TRUMP’S ‘BIG, BEAUTIFUL BILL’ WILL UNLEASH PARALLEL PROSPERITY

President Donald Trump signs the “One Big Beautiful Bill” from the South Lawn of the White House on Independence Day, July 4, 2025 in Washington. (Tom Brenner For The Washington Post via Getty Images / Getty Images)

“Tax Refunds this year, because of ‘THE GREAT BIG BEAUTIFUL BILL,’ are substantially greater than ever before,” Trump wrote. “In some cases, estimates are that over 20% will be returned to the Taxpayer.”

He pointed to provisions he said eliminate taxes on tips, social security benefits for seniors and overtime pay, while allowing interest deductions on car loans, among other measures.

“So, when you get your Tax Refund, think about what a wonderful President you have — NO TAX ON TIPS, NO TAX ON SOCIAL SECURITY FOR OUR GREAT SENIORS, NO TAX ON OVERTIME, INTEREST DEDUCTIONS ON CAR LOANS, AND MUCH MORE,” Trump continued. 

“Don’t spend all of this money in one place! President DJT.”

TRUMP SPEECH SPARKS OPTIMISM AS ‘GANGBUSTER’ ECONOMY FORECASTED FOR 2026

President Donald Trump, joined by Republican lawmakers, signs the One, Big Beautiful Bill Act into law during an Independence Day military family picnic on the South Lawn of the White House in Washington, D.C.,, on July 4, 2025. (Samuel Corum/Getty Images / Getty Images)

The White House has promoted the upcoming filing season as potentially the largest tax refund season in U.S. history, citing provisions in the One Big Beautiful Bill Act that affect 2025 tax returns filed in 2026.

A central goal of the bill was to extend and make permanent many tax cuts originally created under the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, many of which were slated to expire at the end of 2025.

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President Donald Trump pitched the idea to eliminate federal income tax during his address at a GOP conference in Doral, Florida, on Monday. (Getty Images/Photo illustration / Getty Images)

The legislation also included billions for the Pentagon and border security, deep spending cuts and changes to Medicaid.

The nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office estimated the package could add roughly $3.3 trillion to the federal deficit over a decade under current law projections.

On Sunday, White House Senior Counselor for Trade and Manufacturing Peter Navarro touted what he called a “Goldilocks economy” under Trump, while promising Americans the “biggest rebate” in U.S. history.

Robert Duvall, the versatile Academy Award-winning actor whose unforgettable performances in “The Godfather” as Tom Hagen and “Apocalypse Now” as Lt. Col. Bill Kilgore defined generations of cinema, died peacefully at his home in Middleburg, Virginia, on Feb. 15, 2026. He was 95.

His wife, Luciana Duvall, announced the news on the actor’s official Facebook page Feb. 16, writing: “Yesterday we said goodbye to my beloved husband, cherished friend, and one of the greatest actors of our time. Bob passed away peacefully at home, surrounded by love and comfort.”

Duvall’s death was confirmed by his publicist and reported widely by outlets including The New York Times, CNN, Variety, AP News and People. No cause of death was disclosed. He had lived for decades on a horse farm in Virginia’s Fauquier County, embracing a quieter life after a prolific seven-decade career that spanned more than 90 films, television roles and directing projects.

Born Robert Selden Duvall on Jan. 5, 1931, in San Diego, California, to a military family — his father was a Navy admiral — Duvall grew up across the U.S. and Europe before studying acting at Principia College and the Neighborhood Playhouse School of the Theatre in New York.

Here are 10 essential things to know about Robert Duvall’s remarkable life and legacy:

1. Breakthrough Role in ‘To Kill a Mockingbird’ — Duvall made his film debut in 1962’s “To Kill a Mockingbird,” playing the reclusive Boo Radley opposite Gregory Peck’s Atticus Finch. The small but pivotal part earned praise for his subtle, haunting portrayal of vulnerability beneath a fearsome exterior.
2. Iconic ‘Godfather’ Consigliere — As Tom Hagen in Francis Ford Coppola’s 1972 masterpiece “The Godfather” and its 1974 sequel, Duvall brought quiet intelligence and loyalty to the Corleone family’s adopted Irish-American advisor. Nominated for an Oscar for best supporting actor in the first film, his line “I’m gonna make him an offer he can’t refuse” (delivered on behalf of Don Corleone) remains one of cinema’s most quoted.
3. Memorable ‘Apocalypse Now’ Helicopter Scene — Duvall’s Lt. Col. Kilgore in Coppola’s 1979 Vietnam War epic delivered the famous monologue: “I love the smell of napalm in the morning.” His surfing-obsessed, fearless commander provided dark comic relief amid the film’s chaos, cementing another legendary performance.
4. Oscar Win for ‘Tender Mercies’ — Duvall earned the Academy Award for best actor in 1983 for his role as Mac Sledge, a washed-up country singer seeking redemption. The low-key drama showcased his ability to convey deep emotion with restraint, earning him widespread acclaim.
5. Emmy and Golden Globe Success — Duvall won two Emmys — one for the 1989 miniseries “Lonesome Dove,” where he played retired Texas Ranger Augustus McCrae — and four Golden Globes across his career. His “Lonesome Dove” performance is often cited as one of television’s greatest.
6. Directing and Producing Ventures — Beyond acting, Duvall directed “The Apostle” (1997), in which he also starred as a flawed Pentecostal preacher, earning another Oscar nomination. He produced several projects and championed independent filmmaking.
7. Late-Career Accolades — At age 84, Duvall received his seventh Oscar nomination for best supporting actor in 2014’s “The Judge,” opposite Robert Downey Jr. He held the record as the oldest nominee in that category until surpassed later.
8. Personal Life and Marriages — Duvall was married four times. His fourth wife, Argentine actress Luciana Pedraza, whom he wed in 2005, was by his side at the time of his death. They shared a passion for tango and horses, often appearing together at events.
9. Military Family Influence — Growing up as the son of an admiral shaped Duvall’s portrayals of authority figures. He served briefly in the Army after college and drew on that experience for roles in military dramas like “The Great Santini” (1979), where he played a domineering Marine pilot.
10. Tributes from Hollywood — Following the announcement, co-stars and admirers paid homage. Al Pacino and Robert De Niro, his “Godfather” castmates, led tributes, with Pacino calling him “one of the greatest actors we ever had.” Francis Ford Coppola remembered Duvall’s dedication, while fans on social media celebrated his range from tough guys to tender souls.

Duvall’s final screen appearance came in recent years with roles in Netflix films like “Hustle” (2022) and “The Pale Blue Eye” (2022). Though he slowed down in his later years, his influence endured through streaming revivals of classics and ongoing discussions of his craft.

Hollywood and fans mourned the loss of a chameleon-like performer who brought nuance to cowboys, cops, soldiers and mobsters alike. As one obituary noted, Duvall imbued even the edgiest characters with a compassionate core, leaving an indelible mark on American cinema.

Funeral arrangements were not immediately announced. Duvall is survived by his wife Luciana and extended family.

The federal government is hemorrhaging around $1 trillion per year due to fraud, Haywood Talcove, CEO of LexisNexis Special Services & LexisNexis Risk Solutions Government, said while testifying at a congressional hearing last week. 

The eyewatering figure dwarfs the Government Accountability Office’s numbers.

The GAO reports that the nation’s “federal government loses between $233 billion and $521 billion annually to fraud, according to GAO’s government-wide estimates based on data from fiscal years 2018 through 2022.”

WALZ PROPOSES $10M BUSINESS RELIEF PACKAGE AS REPUBLICANS CRY ‘NEW AVENUE FOR FRAUD’ IN MINNESOTA

Haywood Talcove during a House Oversight Subcommittee on Delivering on Government Efficiency (DOGE) hearing in Washington, D.C., on Wednesday, Feb. 12, 2025.  (Daniel Heuer/Bloomberg via Getty Images / Getty Images)

During the Senate hearing, Talcove said he places “the number closer to $1 trillion dollars annually, or $115 million every single hour, of which 70% is related to transnational criminals.”

Talcove told FOX Business that he is surprised “people don’t realize how easy it is to steal from government, and taxpayers aren’t more outraged.”

He explained that he based his estimate on the GAO’s $521 billion figure.

EXCLUSIVE: SENATE BILL TARGETS MINNESOTA-STYLE ‘RUNAWAY FRAUD’ TO FORCE SCAMMERS TO REPAY TAXPAYERS

The U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C., on Tuesday, Feb. 10, 2026.  ( Al Drago/Bloomberg via Getty Images / Getty Images)

“What the GAO number didn’t include is seven other agencies, including Health and Human Services, which I think is where the greatest amount of fraud is,” Talcove noted.

While he pointed out that the $1 trillion figure is only an estimate, he said he considers the figure to be “directionally correct.”

TRUMP ADMIN UNCOVERS ‘STAGGERING’ $8.6 BILLION IN SUSPECTED CALIFORNIA SMALL BUSINESS FRAUD

Burning U.S. five and one dollar bills, London, 8th Aug. 2011.  (Tom Stoddart/Getty Images / Getty Images)

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HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. “released the Medicaid data,” Talcove said. “That data has never been seen in public before. And by looking at that, I suspect that trillion dollars that I provided to Congress last week was actually a little bit light,” he noted.

FOX Business’ Connor Hansen contributed to this report.

A gunman opened fire Monday afternoon inside a packed ice rink during a high school boys’ hockey game in Pawtucket, killing two people and critically wounding three others in what authorities described as a targeted incident stemming from a family dispute.

The shooter, identified as 56-year-old Robert Dorgan — who also went by the name Roberta Esposito — died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound, Pawtucket Police Chief Tina Goncalves said at a news conference late Monday. Three people were pronounced dead at the scene, including Dorgan and the two victims. The three injured were hospitalized in critical condition.

The shooting erupted around 2:30 p.m. at Dennis M. Lynch Arena on Andrew D. Ferland Way, where teams from Coventry High School and a Blackstone Valley co-op — including students from schools such as St. Raphael Academy, Providence Country Day School, North Providence and North Smithfield — were playing. The game was interrupted in the first period as gunfire rang out in the stands.

Goncalves said the incident appeared domestic in nature, with victims including members of the suspect’s family and possibly a family friend. A woman who identified herself as Dorgan’s daughter told reporters outside police headquarters that her father was the shooter, adding that he had long struggled with mental health issues.

“He has mental health issues,” she said. “He was very sick.”
Court documents cited by some outlets indicated past family conflicts related to Dorgan’s gender identity, though police did not confirm motive details beyond the family dispute characterization.

A “good Samaritan” intervened during the attack, helping to subdue the gunman and likely preventing further casualties, Goncalves said. More than one weapon was recovered from the scene.

Players and spectators fled the ice amid the chaos, with some hockey players still in uniform when they were bused to Pawtucket Police Headquarters for interviews. Mayor Donald Grebien said investigators conducted about 100 interviews in the hours following the shooting.

The Rhode Island Interscholastic League announced it was suspending all games temporarily “out of respect for the victims and to reflect upon this senseless act of violence.”
No students or players from the competing teams were among the victims, school officials confirmed.

The incident marks the second deadly mass shooting in Rhode Island in recent months, following a December 2025 attack at Brown University in Providence that killed two students.

Gov. Dan McKee said he was monitoring developments and in contact with law enforcement.

Authorities withheld the victims’ names pending family notifications. The investigation continues, with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives assisting.

For many UK professionals, the search for flexibility, location independence and a second income stream is no longer a nice-to-have; it is a necessity.

Remote work, rising living costs, and shifting career expectations have led more people to pursue freelancing and portfolio careers, which combine employment, side hustles, and self-employment.

Over the last few years, teaching English as a foreign language (TEFL) has quietly become one of the most accessible ways to launch a small, skills-based business from home. Instead of building a tech startup or investing heavily in stock, professionals are packaging the skills they already have, communication, business English, and presentation skills, and selling them globally via online English lessons.

Why TEFL fits the new freelance economy

Several trends make TEFL a strong fit for today’s freelance landscape. Global demand for English and business English continues to grow as companies digitise and trade internationally, creating a steady pipeline of learners who need better communication skills to progress in their careers. Online learning platforms and video tools have normalised live 1‑to‑1 and group lessons over Zoom or similar platforms, removing geographical barriers between teachers and students. Many learners now prefer specialist teachers for exam preparation, interviews or niche sectors, rather than generic, one-size-fits-all courses.

For mid-career professionals, this means you do not have to “start from zero.” If you have experience in finance, marketing, tech, law, healthcare or another professional field, you can combine TEFL training with your sector knowledge and position yourself as a niche expert. A teacher who understands both English and the realities of a client’s industry can justify higher rates and attract more serious, committed students.

To do this properly, you need a recognised TEFL qualification that provides a solid methodology, classroom management skills, and an understanding of how people learn languages. That is where one of the top accredited course providers, such as The TEFL Institute, comes in, helping complete beginners build the foundation they need to teach with confidence and professionalism.

From side hustle to micro‑business

Most people do not quit their job on day one. Instead, they use TEFL to build a structured side business that can grow at their own pace, testing demand before committing fully. A typical path for a new teacher looks like this:

1. Complete an accredited TEFL course and, ideally, a practical teaching module to gain confidence.
2. Start with a small cohort of online students in the evenings or on weekends to understand the market.
3. Refine a niche (for example, interview preparation for engineers, conversation classes for business owners, or exam prep for international students).
4. Gradually increase prices and teaching hours as demand grows, moving towards part-time or full-time self-employment.

Specialist providers such as Premier TEFL focus on helping people secure real-world placements, internships, and practicum experiences, enabling them to gain hands-on teaching experience quickly and build testimonials from day one. That combination of structured training plus practical exposure makes the transition into paid teaching more predictable and less intimidating.

Crucially, TEFL also scales. A teacher might begin with low-priced general English classes, then move into premium offerings such as business English coaching, exam bootcamps, or tailored programmes for corporate clients. Over time, this can evolve from a side hustle into a proper micro‑business with repeat clients, referrals and predictable revenue.

De-risking a mid-career change

A full career change is a big decision, especially for professionals with mortgages, families and established careers, so risk management matters. TEFL can reduce the‑risk of that decision in several ways. Startup costs are low compared with many franchises or brick-and-mortar businesses because you mainly need training, a laptop, and a stable internet connection. You can start with three to five students a week and grow gradually, which means you can test whether you enjoy teaching and whether there is enough demand in your niche before leaving your current role. You just need to decide which course is for you.

Global time zones enable teachers to schedule early-morning, evening, or weekend lessons for students in Asia, Europe, or Latin America, accommodating existing work schedules. The skills you build, lesson planning, client management, online delivery, marketing yourself and managing your time – are highly transferable, even if you later pivot into other freelance or education-related roles. For many people, TEFL serves as a bridge to broader self-employment or remote work.

Providers that offer flexible online study and structured progression pathways make this journey much easier. The TEFL Institute 180-hour Level 5 Diploma is a good example, with an Ofqual-regulated Level 5 qualification and modular components that allow learners to add specialist certificates – for example, teaching young learners or business English – as their business evolves. This allows teachers to upskill in stages rather than paying upfront, aligning with the test-and-grow approach of many new freelancers.

Building a sustainable TEFL business, not just a gig

The biggest difference between “just another gig” and a sustainable TEFL business is how strategically you approach it. Successful teachers increasingly treat TEFL as a brand, not just a profile on a teaching marketplace. They define a clear niche, build a simple website or landing page and craft a message that speaks to a specific kind of learner rather than “anyone who wants to learn English.”

Instead of relying solely on hourly lessons, they package their services into programmes, for example, a four-week interview‑prep intensive, a three-month business English accelerator or a fixed-term course for exam preparation. This makes revenue more predictable, improves cash flow and helps clients see the value as a complete solution rather than simply buying blocks of hours. Simple systems for bookings, payments and feedback, often using off-the-shelf tools, keep administration manageable and professional.

Continuous professional development is another common thread. Teachers who invest in advanced TEFL modules, niche training or coaching skills can raise their rates over time and differentiate themselves in a crowded market. This is where the top global providers, such as The TEFL Institute, Premier TEFL, and The TEFL Institute of Ireland, add ongoing value through higher-level diplomas, add-on certificates, and specialist courses to help teachers move up the value chain.

Over time, a well-run TEFL practice can start to look less like a side job and more like a small consultancy. Teachers learn to think about segments (corporate clients versus individuals), pricing strategy, upsells and referrals, much like any other service-based business. In some cases, they bring in associate teachers or expand into related products such as digital resources and recorded courses, further diversifying their income.

A practical path into self-employment

In a labour market where stability is no longer guaranteed, TEFL offers something increasingly rare: a relatively low-risk, practical path to self-employment that turns your existing experience into a global, digital service business. For professionals who feel stuck in their current role but wary of high-risk ventures, TEFL combines three attractive elements: accessible training, low setup costs and a genuinely international client base.

By combining solid TEFL training from providers such as The TEFL Institute, Premier TEFL, The TEFL Institute of Ireland, or TEFL Explorer, with basic business skills, many professionals are quietly building resilient, flexible income streams that sit alongside, or ultimately replace, their traditional 9–5 roles. For those who treat it as a business rather than a hobby, TEFL can be more than a stopgap; it can be the foundation of a long-term, independent career.