But firms remain focused on investing and growth, according to the research by Lloyds
View of Bristol(Image: Getty Images)
Business confidence in the South West fell during January but firms remain focused on growth, according to a survey of regional companies. The Lloyds Business Barometer found business leaders had marginally lower confidence in their company’s prospects month-on-month, down two points at 39 per cent.
When taken alongside optimism in the economy, it gave a headline reading of 28 per cent – down one per cent from December.
Looking ahead to the next six months, South West businesses identified their top target areas for growth as evolving their offering, for example by introducing new products or services (43 per cent), investing in their team, for instance by investing in training (38 per cent) and introducing new technology (32 per cent).
A net balance of 23 per cent of businesses in the region also expect to increase staff levels over the next year, up 10 points on last month.
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Amanda Dorel, regional director for the South West at Lloyds, said: “While confidence has softened slightly this month, it’s encouraging to see South West businesses maintaining their focus on growth.
“This month’s data shows that firms continue to invest in the fundamentals that drive long-term success, such as developing their teams, evolving what they offer and adopting new technologies. We’ll continue to provide our support to help South West firms and make the investments they need to move forward.”
The Business Barometer surveys 1,200 businesses monthly and has been running since 2002.
Nationally, UK business confidence fell three points in January to 44 per cent. While firms’ confidence in their own trading prospects rose seven points to 59 per cent, their optimism in the wider economy fell 14 points to 28 per cent.
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London was the most confident UK nation or region in January (68 per cent), followed by Northern Ireland (66 per cent) and the West Midlands (65 per cent).
Hann-Ju Ho, senior economist, Lloyds Commercial Banking, said: “Firms are reporting confidence in their trading prospects at the start of the year, despite a slight softening of wider economic optimism. This points to businesses’ ability to manage external risks and a focus on growth opportunities.“The first rise in confidence in the services sector in seven months is encouraging given the sector’s central role in supporting UK economic activity.”
Video shows the vehicle appear to ignore a Houston highway curve before slamming into a concrete barrier in August 2025. (Hilliard Law)
A Houston woman sued Tesla last month after she says her Cybertruck, allegedly operating in self-driving mode, was captured on camera nearly sending her and her infant off a bridge before ultimately crashing into an overpass barrier.
The woman, who claims she suffered multiple injuries in the August 2025 incident, is suing Tesla for $1 million in a liability and negligence case, according to the lawsuit.
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“On August 18, 2025, our client Justine Saint Amour was driving her Tesla Cybertruck on Houston’s 69 Eastex Freeway with autopilot engaged,” Attorney Bob Hilliard said in a statement to FOX Business.
“Something terrifying happened, without warning, the vehicle attempted to drive straight off an overpass.”
A Tesla Cybertruck was destroyed in an autopilot-related crash in Houston, a lawsuit claims. (Hilliard Law / Fox News)
In the dashcam video of the incident, driver Justine Saint Amour was in a Cybertruck that was expected to follow a right-hand curve of a Y-shaped overpass.
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The car then appeared to barely turn, continuing straight ahead, before violently crashing into a concrete barrier on the overpass. As it ricocheted from the impact, parts of the vehicle were seen flying off.
Amour’s attorney added that just before the crash, she disengaged the driver-assistance feature and tried to take control of the wheel. However, the vehicle was already too far in motion for any intervention to be effective, the law firm indicated.
“She tried to take control, but crashed into the barrier and was seriously injured (mostly her shoulder, neck, and back),” Hilliard said.
Saint Amour suffered serious injuries to her right shoulder, neck and back, including two herniated discs in her lower back and one in her neck, the Austin American-Statesman reported, citing Hilliard Law. Saint Amour also sprained the tendons in her wrist and suffered nerve damage to her right hand, which can cause numbness, a burning sensation and overall weakness, the lawsuit claimed.
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Local outlet Khou 11 added that her 1-year-old child was also in the backseat during the incident but was unharmed.
Dashcam video captured a Cybertruck reportedly on autopilot driving directly toward an overpass barrier, according to a lawsuit. (Hilliard Law / Fox News)
The lawsuit alleged that Tesla misrepresented the capabilities of its driver-assistance system and was negligent in the design of its “Autopilot” feature. It also claimed that the company failed to incorporate safety mechanisms such as more effective emergency braking systems or liDAR, a sensing technology that measures distances.
“Tesla’s self driving relies on cheap video cameras alone, with no LiDar,” Hilliard said. “The vehicle also lacks a proper driver alert system to ensure drivers are ready to take over driving.”
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Hilliard Law posted a statement on social media last Wednesday, saying “Tesla could have avoided all of this by not cutting corners.”
“Tesla’s decisions made Justine’s accident inevitable,” Hilliard added. “This company wants drivers to believe and trust their life on a lie: that the vehicle can self-drive and that it can do so safely. It can’t, and it doesn’t.”
The lawsuit, filed in Harris County District Court, comes as Tesla was recently forced to comply with California regulations over false advertising claims related to its “Autopilot” feature.
The case, filed by the California DMV in 2022, alleged that Tesla misleadingly marketed its advanced driver assistance systems as autonomous driving technology under the names “Autopilot” and “Full Self-Driving.”
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The crash happened on Aug. 18, 2025, in Houston, Texas. (HIlliard Law / Fox News)
While the automaker attempted to challenge the ruling, it ultimately adjusted the system’s “Navigate on Autopilot” name to “Navigate on Autosteer,” among other rebranding changes.
Tesla’s shift is part of a high-stakes effort to protect its business while aggressively expanding its fleet of Robotaxi services, including the recent launch of the Cybercab — a fully autonomous ride-hailing vehicle designed without a steering wheel, pedals or any physical controls.
FOX Business reached out to Tesla for comment, but did not hear back.
An assessment panel spent only 10 minutes to approve an oat mill in Oakford, a multi-million-dollar project backed by former international rugby player Dane Haylett-Petty.
The co-founder and former chief executive of WA’s largest Indigenous-owned contractor Warrikal, Amanda Healy, has opened up on the challenges facing its future.
A similar position has been advertised by ChatGPT developer OpenAI. On its careers website, it lists a job vacancy for a researcher in “biological and chemical risks”, with a salary of up to $455,000 (£335,000), almost double that offered by Anthropic.
Good morning, everyone. Thank you for joining us today for today’s presentation. I’m Rob Bishop, Chief Executive Officer of the New Hope Group. I’m joined by Rebecca Rinaldi, our CFO; and Dominic O’Brien, Executive General Manager and Company Secretary.
Before we begin, I would like to touch upon the escalating conflict in Iran and across the Middle East. The loss of civilian life and the scale of displacement are deeply distressing. The conflict has hardened concerns around global energy security, contributing to increased volatility across the energy markets, including upward pressure on coal price. The company is closely monitoring the situation and assessing how these developments may impact our operations, markets and broader business outlook, ensuring we respond in a measured and responsible manner. Further updates will be provided in future reporting.
This morning, we released our half year results for the 2026 financial year. Hopefully, you’ve had a chance to go through the presentation. But in any case, I’ll step you through our key highlights before we open up the lines for the Q&A session.
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Over the last 6 months, we have seen an unfavorable movement in our 12-month moving average TRIFR, which has increased from 3.22 to 3.8. The safety of our people remains our highest priority, and we are implementing targeted measures to address this trend. Despite a period of recovery at Bengalla Mine, the group maintains saleable coal production volumes compared to the previous period, thanks to the continued ramp-up of operations at New Acland Mine. The
Good day, everyone, and welcome to the Kaltura Fourth Quarter and Full Year 2025 Earnings Call. All material contained in the webcast is the sole property and copyright of Kaltura with all rights reserved. For opening remarks and introductions, I’ll now turn the call over to Erica Mannion at Sapphire Investor Relations. Please go ahead, Erica.
Erica Mannion Sapphire Investor Relations, LLC
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Thank you, operator, and good afternoon. I am joined by Ron Yekutiel, Kaltura’s Co-Founder, Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer; and Liron Sharon, Executive Vice President of FP&A and Interim Principal Financial Officer. Ron will provide a summary of the results for the fourth quarter ended December 31, 2025, along with a business and strategy update. Liron will then review financial results for the quarter and full year 2025 as well as the company’s outlook for the first quarter and full year 2026. We will then open the call for questions.
Please note that this call will include forward-looking statements within the meaning of the federal securities laws, including, but not limited to, statements regarding Kaltura’s expected future financial results, management’s expectations and plans for the business, including our pending acquisition of PathFactory and upcoming product launches and our expectations around capabilities and benefits of our AI technologies. These statements are neither promises nor guarantees and involve risks and uncertainties that may cause actual results to differ materially from those discussed here. Important factors that could cause actual results to differ from forward-looking statements can be found in the Risk
NEW ORLEANS — The Savannah Bananas transformed the Caesars Superdome into a baseball carnival over the weekend, drawing back-to-back sold-out crowds of approximately 70,000 fans each night in their first-ever appearance in the Crescent City. The March 14 and 15, 2026, games against the Party Animals marked a milestone for the viral sensation known as Banana Ball, blending exhibition-style baseball with entertainment that rivals major concert acts.
Savannah Bananas Bring Banana Ball to Sold-Out Caesars Superdome in Historic New Orleans Debut
The Superdome, home to the New Orleans Saints and previously host to Super Bowls and massive music tours, had not seen a baseball event of this scale in more than two decades. The Bananas’ arrival turned the iconic dome into a vibrant, interactive spectacle, complete with dancing umpires, choreographed routines, celebrity cameos and a ruleset designed for maximum fun rather than traditional baseball purity.
Saturday’s game kicked off at 7 p.m. CT with first pitch delayed slightly for pre-game festivities that included a pre-party live show starting at 10 a.m. in Champion’s Square. Fans lined up early, many donning banana-themed attire, yellow face paint and beads in a nod to New Orleans culture. The event featured the Bananas’ signature elements: two-minute innings, no walks (runners start on second base after four balls), fan interference encouraged in certain zones and nonstop music and dancing between plays.
New Orleans Saints quarterback Tyler Shough, fresh off his rookie season, made a special appearance as a first-time participant. Shough joined run-throughs with the team and took part in on-field antics, delighting the home crowd. “Fired up to have those guys because they’re difference makers,” one report quoted a team perspective on the celebrity involvement.
Sunday’s matinee started at 3:30 p.m. (with some listings noting 1 p.m. or 3 p.m. gates), delivering another high-energy performance. Between innings, players traded bats for dance moves, mascots like Split the banana conducted crowd interactions — including a memorable gender reveal stunt — and the atmosphere stayed electric throughout.
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Both nights sold out rapidly after tickets went on sale, joining an elite list of acts to achieve consecutive sellouts at the venue. Only Taylor Swift, Beyoncé, U2, Paul McCartney, Garth Brooks and the Rolling Stones had previously accomplished the feat on back-to-back nights. The Bananas’ draw underscores their explosive growth from a semi-pro team in Savannah, Georgia, to a global entertainment brand with millions of social media followers.
Banana Ball emphasizes entertainment over competition. Games typically last about two hours, with the team playing “against” rivals like the Party Animals, Firefighters or Coconuts in a touring format. The Savannah Bananas lead the pack in the Banana Ball Championship League, which expanded to six teams for 2026. The full league championship is slated for Oct. 1-4 at Grayson Stadium in Savannah.
The 2026 Banana Ball World Tour spans 75 stadiums across 45 states, kicking off in late February. The Bananas’ portion of the schedule includes high-profile stops, with recent and upcoming dates showcasing their coast-to-coast appeal.
Key upcoming Savannah Bananas games from the tour include:
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– March 14: vs. Party Animals at Caesars Superdome, New Orleans, LA (completed, sold out) – March 15: vs. Party Animals at Caesars Superdome, New Orleans, LA (completed, sold out) – March (later dates): Stops at Dickey-Stephens Park in Little Rock, AR, and Dell Diamond in Round Rock, TX (March 14-15 weekend overlaps noted in some listings, but New Orleans focused on 14-15) – Additional March/April dates feature matchups against Firefighters, Coconuts and others in various venues
The tour continues through the summer and fall, with notable returns to venues like Great American Ball Park in Cincinnati (June 19-21, expanded to three games after 2025 sellouts) and Globe Life Field in Arlington, Texas (Sept. 25-27).
The Bananas’ success stems from their innovative approach. Founded in 2016 as part of the Coastal Plain League, the team pivoted to exhibition entertainment during the COVID-19 pandemic, going viral on platforms like TikTok and YouTube with trick plays, fan participation and over-the-top celebrations. Their games now average massive attendance, often outdrawing minor league baseball crowds and rivaling major events.
In New Orleans, the debut resonated strongly. Local media highlighted the fusion of Banana Ball’s absurdity with the city’s festive spirit. Fans expressed excitement over the family-friendly vibe, quick pace and inclusion of elements like stilts-walking players and “dad bod” cheer squads. One attendee described it as “running away with the circus,” capturing the chaotic joy.
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Ticket access for future events remains competitive. The 2026 tour’s ticket lottery list closed in October 2025, with direct sales handled through official channels starting at $35. Fans are encouraged to join interest lists early for high-demand stops.
As Banana Ball grows, the Bananas continue to push boundaries. Their Superdome takeover proved the format can fill NFL stadiums, hinting at even larger ambitions. Whether through viral moments, celebrity crossovers or sheer entertainment value, the Savannah Bananas have turned baseball into a must-see show.
With the weekend’s success in New Orleans setting a high bar, the tour rolls on, bringing its brand of joyful chaos to new cities. For fans who missed the Superdome spectacle, plenty of opportunities remain on the 2026 calendar to catch the Bananas in action.
Invest Heroes LLC is a CIS-based research firm founded in 2018. Since then, we provide equity and fixed income research services which become more and more well-known locally among both professional investors and private clients. Here’s what we do: – Cover top 120+ Russian, US and Chinese stocks – Cover 200+ Russian bonds (corporate, SOE’s) Provide our research as a paid service to several institutional clients, a couple dozen of asset managers/PM’s and about 3000 private clients Our team consists of 2 strategists as well as a team of analysts (equity market team & 1 fixed income). 9 analysts are currently working in our team, which has achieved global professional recognition. In the first year, we got into the Refinitiv and Factset, in the second year our estimates began to participate in the Refinitiv consensus, in the third year we are the best analysts in the Refinitiv rating for a number of Russian companies and we are in a process of signing with S&P Market Intelligence. Our forecasts are often ahead of the market, because of detailed business model built for each company. Contact details Sergey Pirogov CEO +7 (919) 762 76 64 s.pirogov@invest-heroes.ru Aleksandr Sayganov Head of Research +7 (708) 1238294 a.sayganov@invest-heroes.ru
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