The Campaign for Real Ale has previously said that pubs are being “lost forever to conversion or demolition as developers look to cash in on the desirable locations and unique architecture of pubs and social clubs”.

The British Beer and Pub Association and UKHospitality have also campaigned against pub closures, with both largely blaming tax rises and other costs.

Allen Simpson, chief executive of UKHospitality, said: “The biggest issue facing hospitality businesses is costs like VAT and business rates pushing pubs out of business in the first place.

“Anything that makes it harder to take these important assets away from their communities has to be welcomed, but the government should focus on continuing its strong start on fixing the harm done to hospitality over the past two years.”

In July, the Labour government said pubs, social clubs and live music venues in England will be given a 20% cut to business rates on top of rates relief announced in January.

The NPPF update being published Monday also includes default approval for homes being built around railway stations in England in an attempt to increase housebuilding numbers.

Housing Secretary Angela Rayner said: “By unlocking thousands of homes around well-connected transport hubs, we’re helping people live closer to work, school and the services they rely on, while backing local businesses and driving growth in our communities.”

The update also means that some groups will no longer need to be consulted on housing development plans as part of the process of getting permission.

Under the changes, Sport England will continue to advise on significant cases and the Gardens Trust and Theatres Trust will still be notified of relevant applications.

Labour has set a target to build 1.5 million homes by 2029. According to official data, external, it has so far built 392,000 homes in England since coming into power in July 2024.

Shadow housing secretary Sir James Cleverly said Labour “failing abysmally” to meet their target because of taxes and red tape.

“To try to fix their own mess, Labour are planning a power grab, seizing control from local communities and forcing them to accept development in the wrong areas because Labour won’t build in the right areas,” he added.

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Apple is preparing to launch a long-awaited second-generation HomePod mini this fall, according to multiple reports, marking the first meaningful hardware update to the compact smart speaker since it debuted nearly six years ago.

Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman reported in his Power On newsletter that both the new HomePod mini and an updated Apple TV 4K are nearly ready for release, with the devices expected to launch alongside the debut of Apple’s redesigned Siri voice assistant, which is set to roll out with the company’s iOS 27 and macOS 27 software updates this fall. According to Gurman’s reporting, Apple has held back the hardware releases specifically to coincide with the AI-enhanced version of Siri, rather than launching the devices independently ahead of the software update.

Apple originally introduced the HomePod mini in October 2020 as a smaller, more affordable alternative to its full-size HomePod speaker. In the nearly six years since, the device’s internal hardware has remained unchanged, with Apple’s only updates to the product coming in the form of additional color options, including blue, orange and yellow variants added after the original launch.

According to a leaked internal build of iOS 26 examined by Macworld, the next-generation HomePod mini is expected to include an S10 chip, the same processor found in current Apple Watch models, which would improve the speaker’s overall performance and wireless connectivity reliability. Separate reporting from BigGo Finance suggested Apple could instead equip the device with either an S9 or S10 chip, alongside a new N1 networking chip that would bring support for Wi-Fi 7, an upgraded version of Bluetooth, and Thread, a wireless protocol commonly used for smart home device communication. Reports have also pointed to a second-generation ultra-wideband chip, which would improve the speed and reliability of device handoff between the HomePod mini and other Apple products, such as iPhones, when placed nearby.

Despite the internal upgrades, most reports suggest the new HomePod mini will retain the same compact, spherical design and 3D mesh fabric exterior that has defined the product since its original release. Rumors have pointed to the possible introduction of new color options, including red and sage green, though it remains unclear which, if any, of those specific colors will make it into the final shipping product.

One significant open question involves whether the new HomePod mini will support Apple Intelligence, the company’s broader suite of AI-powered software features. Because the rumored S9 or S10 chip was originally designed for use in the Apple Watch, a device with more limited processing demands than Apple’s AI ambitions typically require, some reports have raised doubts about whether the chip offers sufficient capability to run the more advanced elements of Apple Intelligence directly on the device.

The HomePod mini refresh forms part of a broader smart home push Apple is reportedly planning for its product lineup. According to multiple reports, Apple is also developing a new smart home hub, sometimes referred to in reporting as “HomePad,” featuring a roughly 7-inch touchscreen display alongside a built-in speaker positioned as comparable in audio quality to the full-size HomePod. That device is expected to include facial recognition capability, proximity sensors and FaceTime support, with a reported price point around $350. Unlike the HomePod mini, the smart home hub is expected to arrive later, sometime between late 2026 and 2027, rather than launching this fall.

Apple’s broader smart home strategy has also reportedly included plans for a HomeKit-compatible security camera with built-in audio monitoring, along with an updated Apple TV 4K expected to feature Apple’s A17 Pro chip. Taken together, the rumored product lineup would represent one of Apple’s most significant pushes yet into the broader smart home market, an area where the company has historically lagged behind competitors including Amazon and Google, both of which have released a wider range of smart speakers, displays, doorbells and security cameras in recent years.

The timeline for these releases has already shifted multiple times. Reports in January 2025 initially pointed to a launch by the end of that year, followed by revised expectations for spring 2026 tied to the redesigned Siri’s original rollout timeline. That software update was subsequently delayed, pushing the hardware release timeline along with it. The most recent reporting now points to an October 2026 launch window, aligning the new HomePod mini’s debut with Apple’s broader fall product cycle alongside new iPhone models.

Pricing for the current HomePod lineup rose earlier this year, with Apple citing the ongoing global memory chip shortage as a factor in the increases. The HomePod mini currently retails for $129, up from its previous price, while the larger second-generation HomePod now costs $349. Apple has not confirmed pricing for the upcoming second-generation HomePod mini, and the company has not officially acknowledged the device’s existence ahead of any formal announcement.

With Apple’s fall product announcements typically arriving in September alongside new iPhone models, industry observers expect further details on the HomePod mini’s specifications, pricing and exact release date to emerge in the coming weeks as Apple’s annual product cycle approaches.

The U.S. Department of Labor’s Office of Inspector General has expanded its nationwide investigation into alleged H-1B visa fraud to Dallas, Texas, conducting door-to-door inspections at a multi-story office building linked to more than 500 approved visa petitions, many of which showed little or no evidence of active business operations.

Inspector General Anthony P. D’Esposito traveled to Dallas as part of the ongoing probe, according to a Department of Labor press release issued August 13. “At one multi-story building housing numerous businesses linked to more than 500 approved H-1B applications, door-to-door inquiries were carried out,” the release stated, adding that many of the offices investigators visited showed clear signs of inactivity, including locked doors, lights left off, and little to no evidence of active business operations at the addresses listed in their visa filings.

Despite those findings, the Office of Inspector General has not declared that the companies involved, or the more than 500 H-1B petitions tied to the building, are fraudulent. Officials described the Dallas inspections as part of a broader, ongoing effort to determine whether information submitted under the federal foreign labor program matches actual conditions on the ground at the businesses in question.

D’Esposito framed the investigation as part of a broader effort to protect the integrity of the country’s foreign labor programs. “We are sending a clear message: fraud in our foreign labor programs,” D’Esposito said, adding that the department would not stand by while jobs are taken from Americans and while H-1B fraud, in his characterization, helps fuel criminal enterprises.

The Dallas investigation forms part of a larger nationwide probe the Department of Labor’s Office of Inspector General launched around July 8, working in coordination with a task force established under Vice President JD Vance focused on eliminating fraud across federal programs. According to reporting on the investigation, the department has issued dozens of subpoenas as part of the effort, examining potential visa abuse, worker displacement, wage kickbacks and possible labor trafficking, in coordination with the Department of Homeland Security and the Department of Justice. Officials have said the investigation’s focus rests on the companies and middlemen accused of abusing the visa system rather than on the foreign workers themselves, who officials have characterized as potential victims within the alleged schemes under investigation.

The federal investigation has unfolded alongside a related state-level effort in Texas. In January, the Texas Office of the Attorney General announced its own investigation into alleged H-1B visa abuse, issuing civil investigative demands to three North Texas businesses accused of sponsoring numerous visa holders despite showing little clear evidence that the companies provided legitimate services or generated genuine revenue. Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton framed that state-level probe as part of a broader effort to protect Texas workers. “Any criminal who attempts to scam the H-1B visa program and use” so-called ghost offices or other fraudulent tactics should expect to face the full force of the law, Paxton said at the time, adding that his office would continue reviewing the H-1B program to prioritize the interests of American workers.

The Dallas phase of the federal investigation drew additional public attention due to the involvement of conservative media personality Sara Gonzales, host of “Sara Gonzales Unfiltered” on BlazeTV, who accompanied D’Esposito during portions of the on-the-ground inspections. The Department of Labor confirmed on its official X account that it had partnered with Gonzales and BlazeTV to help publicize the investigation’s findings. Video footage from the visits shows Gonzales confronting business operators over allegations of visa fraud, including one instance in which she said a person she identified as a suspected “H-1B visa scammer” called police on her during the encounter.

The H-1B visa program allows U.S. employers to temporarily hire foreign workers in specialty occupations that typically require a bachelor’s degree or higher, and currently supports more than 1 million non-immigrant foreign workers employed in the United States, according to figures cited in coverage of the investigation. The program has long drawn debate in American politics, with supporters arguing it fills genuine skills gaps in fields such as technology and engineering, while critics contend it can be exploited to undercut wages and displace qualified American workers, a tension that has fueled bipartisan calls over the years for stronger oversight of the program’s approval and compliance processes.

The Dallas investigation comes amid a broader tightening of U.S. immigration and visa policy under the current administration, developments that have also affected international student enrollment at American colleges and universities, according to separate reporting on shifting visa issuance trends.

With subpoenas already issued and the investigation continuing to expand into new markets beyond Texas, officials have not provided a timeline for when the Dallas-area inquiry, or the broader nationwide H-1B fraud investigation, might conclude or result in formal enforcement actions against any of the specific companies identified during the on-site inspections.

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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.

Ukraine launched one of its largest aerial assaults of the war against Russia overnight into Sunday, firing hundreds of drones at targets across the country, including a major logistics warehouse in the Moscow region, as Russia continued its own bombardment of Ukrainian cities in a war showing no signs of slowing.

Russia’s Defense Ministry said its forces shot down more than 800 Ukrainian drones overnight, describing it as among the largest such attacks it has faced. Russian state news agency TASS called it the largest Ukrainian drone attack since the beginning of the year, with many of the drones aimed at the Moscow region, home to much of the country’s political and economic elite. Andrey Vorobiev, governor of the Moscow region, said air defense forces and electronic warfare units shot down or neutralized 187 drones over the region alone.

At least six people were killed in the attacks. Five people died in Russia’s southern Rostov region, according to that region’s governor, while an 83-year-old man was killed by a separate drone strike elsewhere in the Moscow region, Vorobiev said.

Among the most visible targets was a Wildberries warehouse in the town of Koledino in the Moscow region, part of an extended Ukrainian campaign against the Russian online retailer’s logistics network. Geolocated video showed a large fire engulfing the facility, which the Ukrainian military said covered roughly 250,000 square meters. Ukrainian defense company Fire Point said the strike was carried out using domestically produced FP-1 long-range drones. Vorobiev said no one was injured in that particular strike. A separate fire broke out at a logistics complex in Domodedovo, south of Moscow, according to Ukrainian monitoring channels.

Kyiv has said Wildberries, often described as Russia’s equivalent of Amazon, plays a role in supplying the Russian military, an allegation the company and the Kremlin have denied. Ukraine’s military said Sunday’s strike brought the number of Wildberries’ 10 largest logistics centers it has hit to seven. Wildberries has suffered extensive cumulative damage from the campaign, with estimates cited by Forbes putting combined losses for the company and its sellers at up to 1 trillion rubles, or roughly $11.9 billion, and roughly a third of its total warehouse capacity reportedly destroyed. The company has said it plans to build new warehousing in neighboring Kazakhstan in response.

In the Rostov region, Ukraine’s military said it struck a defense-industrial facility that produces solid rocket propellant used in various Russian weapons systems, part of the broader strike responsible for the five deaths reported there. The Russian Defense Ministry said drones were intercepted over 17 regions in total, concentrated mainly across southern and western Russia.

Russia, meanwhile, continued targeting Ukraine’s capital with a mix of missiles and drones. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said six people were wounded in strikes on Kyiv early Sunday, with a book market among the sites hit. Ballistic missiles also struck Kremenchuk and Kryvyi Rih in central Ukraine, Zelensky said, killing two people in Kryvyi Rih and one more in the northern city of Sumy. At a steel factory in Kryvyi Rih operated by ArcelorMittal, 13 employees were injured and one person died, the company said, adding that rescue and search operations remained ongoing.

Ukraine’s air force said it did not shoot down any of the ballistic missiles fired at the country overnight, underscoring what officials have described as a persistent shortage of missile interceptors. Zelensky said Russia fired more than 1,550 attack drones, nearly 1,560 guided aerial bombs and 62 missiles at Ukraine over the past week alone. He called for greater urgency from Ukraine’s Western partners in supplying additional air defense equipment. “European interceptors cannot simply be allowed to sit in storage,” Zelensky said, arguing that lives depend on faster action and that Russia must be stopped.

The war’s reach extended beyond Ukraine’s and Russia’s own borders Sunday. Romania’s Defense Ministry said an unidentified drone was shot down in Romanian airspace after being intercepted by a Spanish F-18 fighter jet pilot flying a NATO air-policing mission. The ministry said radar detected the drone entering Romanian territory from neighboring Moldova, with fragments falling in an uninhabited area between two villages. It marked the fourth drone shot down over Romanian territory so far this year. In July, Romanian F-16 pilots shot down three Russian drones that breached the country’s airspace, the first such interceptions in the more than four years since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine began.

Sunday’s escalation reflects a broader pattern that has defined the war’s air campaign in recent months, with both sides increasingly targeting infrastructure deep behind the other’s front lines rather than limiting strikes to the immediate battlefield. Ukraine has focused heavily on Russian logistics, energy and industrial targets it says support the country’s war effort, while Russia has continued its long-running campaign of missile and drone strikes against Ukrainian cities, including civilian infrastructure such as the Kyiv book market hit early Sunday.

With no diplomatic resolution in sight and both countries continuing to expand the scale and reach of their respective aerial campaigns, officials on both sides show little indication that the intensity of the conflict is likely to ease in the near term.

Travis Kelce arrived at Arrowhead Stadium on Saturday for the Kansas City Chiefs’ preseason opener against the Los Angeles Rams sporting a very visible reminder of how his life has changed since last season: a gold wedding band, worn publicly for one of the clearest looks yet since he married Taylor Swift last month.

In a video the Chiefs shared on their Instagram account captioned “TK on site,” Kelce walked through the pregame tunnel wearing a black-and-tan outfit, sunglasses and black sneakers, carrying a canned Accelerator Active Energy Drink, a brand he has an investment and partnership with, in his left hand. That positioning put his thick, yellow-gold wedding band on full display, quickly drawing attention from fans in the comments, with one writing that Kelce was “now left-handed like his wife.”

Swift, notably, was not seen at the stadium. The pop star has become a familiar presence in Chiefs suites throughout her relationship with Kelce, but she was absent from Saturday’s preseason opener, having been spotted in London earlier in the week in one of her first public appearances since the couple’s wedding. The absence prompted playful commentary online suggesting Swift had “abandoned” Kelce for their first football outing as a married couple, though there is little indication of any actual tension between the two, with the far more mundane explanation being that their schedules simply didn’t align during the preseason.

Kelce and Swift married July 3 at Madison Square Garden in New York, in a ceremony Reuters reported drew roughly 1,000 guests from entertainment and the NFL. Speaking with reporters this week about the celebration for the first time, Kelce described the night in glowing terms. “Wedding was the best night of my life,” Kelce said, thanking everyone who came out to celebrate with the couple and describing the evening as a “crazy night” filled with celebration. He also reflected on the significance of getting married inside Madison Square Garden, a venue he has described as a childhood dream, and thanked the arena’s ownership for accommodating the couple’s request for a private event.

Despite the attention his ring drew, Kelce did not actually play in Saturday’s game, with Chiefs head coach Andy Reid holding him out of the preseason opener as a precaution. Quarterback Patrick Mahomes was also unavailable, sitting out a preseason game for the first time in his career as Kansas City continues managing his recovery from a serious knee injury suffered last season. With both Kelce and Mahomes on the sideline, the Chiefs turned to Justin Fields as their starting quarterback, with rookie Garrett Nussmeier and Chris Oladokun also seeing playing time.

Kelce, 36, is entering his 14th NFL season after what he has acknowledged was one of the more difficult stretches of his career. Kansas City finished 6-11 last season and missed the playoffs for the first time since 2014, and Kelce has said he could have done more to help the team, identifying leadership specifically as an area where he wants to improve heading into this season. He has said he wants to be someone teammates can count on when adversity hits, adding that there were things he could have handled better in that regard during the difficult 2025 campaign.

Kelce has also pushed back on any suggestion that his eventful offseason, capped by his wedding to one of the most famous performers in the world, has pulled his focus away from football. He has said he feels ready for the season and wants to set the right example for his teammates as camp continues.

Not everyone has been convinced Kelce can return to his earlier level of play. NFL insider Jason La Canfora recently relayed a blunt assessment attributed to an anonymous league scout regarding Kelce’s outlook heading into the season. “Kelce is done. That’s over. What you saw last year, that’s what he is,” the scout said, according to La Canfora, reflecting the skepticism some around the league have expressed about whether Kelce can bounce back after his numbers declined over the past two seasons.

Kelce reported to Chiefs training camp July 29 and has said his attention has fully shifted back toward football since then. He is expected to remain one of Mahomes’ top targets at tight end once the regular season begins, even as questions persist about his ability to match his earlier career production. Kelce has not formally announced whether the 2026 season will be his last in what has already been a Pro Football Hall of Fame-caliber career.

With the preseason underway and the newlyweds continuing to balance two extraordinarily demanding careers, Saturday’s game offered a small but telling glimpse into their post-wedding routine: Kelce back at work preparing for football, wedding ring in full view, while Swift attended to her own commitments elsewhere.

Rebel Creamery has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in Utah, reporting approximately $13.78 million in assets and $23.85 million in liabilities as it appeals a $23.785 million judgment awarded to rival Van Leeuwen Ice Cream in a trade-dress dispute.

Rebel ice cream is sold at Walmart, Kroger, Safeway and other grocery stores nationwide.

Rebel Creamery LLC filed for Chapter 11 protection on Aug. 14 in the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the District of Utah, according to court records.

Van Leeuwen is listed among Rebel’s unsecured creditors with a $23.785 million claim stemming from the federal judgment. Rebel listed the claim as disputed and noted that the judgment is under appeal.

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Rebel Creamery has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection following a multimillion-dollar judgment in a packaging dispute with rival Van Leeuwen Ice Cream. (Getty Images )

The Van Leeuwen judgment accounts for nearly all the unsecured liabilities that Rebel listed at fixed amounts in its bankruptcy schedules. The company also reported approximately $5.22 million in cash and cash equivalents, $2.59 million in accounts receivable and $5.65 million in inventory.

Rebel’s voluntary petition estimated both its assets and liabilities at between $10 million and $50 million and said funds would be available for distribution to unsecured creditors. The filing lists Austin Archibald as the company’s manager and member and Michael Johnson of Ray Quinney & Nebeker as bankruptcy counsel.

The bankruptcy filing came less than a month after U.S. District Judge Eric Komitee ruled that Rebel had intentionally infringed and diluted Van Leeuwen’s trade dress through its ice cream packaging.

Rebel ice cream is sold at Walmart locations. (Jeffrey Greenberg/Universal Images Group via Getty Images)

“The evidence at that trial left no doubt that Rebel infringed and diluted Van Leeuwen’s trade dress and did so intentionally,” Komitee wrote in a July 16 memorandum and order.

Van Leeuwen sued Rebel in 2021, alleging that the company’s packaging copied the distinctive appearance of its ice cream pints.

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The court described Van Leeuwen’s trade dress as including monochromatic cardboard pints with matching lids, a primarily pastel color palette, black script lettering and an overall minimalist design.

Komitee found that Rebel’s packaging was similar and that the evidence supported findings of consumer confusion and bad faith. The judge ordered Rebel to stop selling products bearing trade dress likely to be confused with Van Leeuwen’s and required the company to redesign its packaging.

President Joe Biden, flanked by host Seth Meyers, patronized Van Leeuwen Ice Cream after taping an episode of “Late Night with Seth Meyers” in New York City on Feb. 26, 2024. (Jim Watson/AFP via Getty Images)

Van Leeuwen sought $36.4 million in Rebel’s profits, but the court reduced the award by 33%, finding that some sales were driven by demand for keto and better-for-you ice cream rather than the packaging at issue.

The reduction left Van Leeuwen entitled to $23.785 million in Rebel’s profits from sales of ice cream pints bearing the infringing trade dress.

Court filings do not establish that the Van Leeuwen judgment was the sole cause of Rebel’s bankruptcy filing.

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Rebel’s bankruptcy paperwork lists the Van Leeuwen litigation as being on appeal.