• Monday, April 21, 2025

UK: VAT relief for small businesses comes into effect

Small businesses will receive a boost as the VAT registration threshold has been raised to £90,000 from £85,000, which would free 28,000 businesses from paying the tax. This is part of chancellor Jeremy Hunt’s host of incentives announced during his spring budget that came into effect from April 1. The…

Shakira says ‘Barbie’ is emasculating to certain extent, her sons…

Popstar Shakira says she and her sons aren’t fans of Greta Gerwig‘s Barbie as they found the 2023 summer blockbuster “emasculating”. The singer, who shares sons Milan (11) and Sasha (9), with former husband footballer Gerard Pique, shared her criticism about the film. Regarded as a cultural phenomenon that explored…

Pendle Labour councillors resign over ‘draconian’ policy shift

A GROUP of 20 Pendle councillors resigned on Monday (1) from the Labour party, accusing it of a ‘draconian’ shift in policy, of bullying councillors, stifling free speech and hindering them from standing for election. They said Labour nationally no longer reflects their views and they were elected to represent…

Relief for Imran Khan as court suspends graft sentence

JAILED former prime minister Imran Khan and his wife had their 14-year prison sentences for graft suspended by a Pakistan high court on Monday (1), his party said. Khan has been tangled in more than 200 legal cases since he was ousted in April 2022, in what he said was…

Barclays faces investors’ ire over Eros bonds issue

Barclays is facing investors’ anger for mishandling the bond issue of India-based Bollywood film group Eros, This is Money reports. The investors have approached the Financial Conduct Authority and the Financial Ombudsman claiming they incurred losses due to Barclays’ tardiness in dealing with the Eros flip-flop over its bond buyback…

Reema Maya to direct digital version of ‘Student of the…

Producer Karan Johar says Reema Maya of Nocturnal Burger fame will direct the series adaptation of his Student of the Year franchise. The filmmaker made the announcement on the closing day of the Cinevesture International Film Festival (CIFF) in Chandigarh on Sunday. “Reema Maya will be directing the digital version…

Emirati artisans fight to safeguard embroidery tradition called Al Talli

Far from Dubai’s glitzy towers, Mariam al-Kalbani’s henna-dyed fingers weave brightly coloured threads in a skill she hopes young Emirati women watching her can preserve for the future. The art of hand-weaving braided shiny ribbons to adorn traditional clothing and bags is called Al Talli, and is on UNESCO’s Intangible…

Scotland’s hate crime law, opposed by Musk & Rowling, comes…

Scotland’s new hate crime law, which has been criticised by many including the likes of Elon Musk and JK Rowling, came into force on Monday. The new law, called the Hate Crime and Public Order (Scotland) Act, aims to make Scotland safer by strengthening laws against hate crimes. However, its…

Priyanka Chopra lends voice for new film ‘Tiger’, announces release…

Priyanka Chopra Jonas announced the release date of her new project titled Tiger and shared how it was fun lending her voice to this incredible story and exploring the jungles through this film. Taking to Instagram on Tuesday, Priyanka treated fans with the film’s poster along with a note. The…

Sushant Rajput case: Court grants Sameer Wankhede relief till April…

The Bombay High Court on Monday said no coercive steps shall be taken against IRS officer Sameer Wankhede till April 10 on notices issued to him on the NCB’s preliminary inquiry over irregularities in a drugs case related to actor Sushant Singh Rajput‘s death. The Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) initiated…