Blog masonry

National News

John Lewis Partnership to unveil results with staff bonus at risk

The retail giant behind the department store chain and Waitrose is set to reveal its trading performance for the year to January on Thursday John Lewis Partnership could slide to a loss for the past year in the face of rocketing costs at its Waitrose supermarket arm, according to industry analysts. It would mean staff at the high street stalwart would miss out on an annual bonus payout. The retail giant behind the department store chain and Waitrose is setRead More

today 8

National News

Parts of railway network to close during next weeks strikes

Members of the RMT will talk out on the 16th and 18th of March Parts of Britain’s rail network will be closed during next week’s strikes, passengers have been warned. Members of the Rail, Maritime and Transport union (RMT) will walk out at 14 train companies on March 16 and 18, as well as March 30 and April 1. The Rail Delivery Group (RDG), which represents train operators, said it expects 40-50% of services to run on those days butRead More

today 11

National News

Jenson Button signs three race NASCAR Cup deal

He will race at the Circuit of the Americas, Chicago, and Indianapolis Jenson Button has signed a deal to race in three NASCAR Cup Series meetings this year. The 2009 Formula One world champion, 43, will make his debut in the stock car championship at Austin’s Circuit of the Americas – a venue he raced at during his F1 career – on March 26. He will also compete at a street circuit in Chicago in July, and the Indianapolis MotorRead More

today 37

National News

Oscars slap falsely tied live comedy to threat or violence

That's according to the comedian, Kerry Godliman Comedian Kerry Godliman described the Oscars slap-gate as a “real tragedy” that implied live comedy carries the risk or threat of violence, which “isn’t the case”. At the 94th Academy Awards Hollywood actor Will Smith stormed the stage and slapped comedian Chris Rock, after he made a joke about his wife Jada Pinkett Smith’s hair-loss. In the aftermath of the slap, Smith went on to win best actor for King Richard and laterRead More

today 5

National News

BP boss earns 170 times his average worker as his pay doubles to 10m for 2022

Bernard Looney earned around 4.5 million pounds in 2021. The boss of BP earned more than 170 times more than his average employee last year as his pay doubled to around £10 million after the company benefited from the Russian full-scale invasion of Ukraine. New figures from the oil giant showed that Bernard Looney’s total pay packet increased from around £4.5 million in 2021. The company’s profit doubled between 2021 and 2022, but the increase was largely thanks to aRead More

today 35

National News

Robin Smith says ECB should have called an independent Yorkshire inquiry

It follows the allegations of racism made by Azeem Rafiq The England and Wales Cricket Board has been accused of a “dereliction of duty” in its handling of the Azeem Rafiq case by a former Yorkshire chairman. Robin Smith says ECB chairman Richard Thompson should have acted to halt the disciplinary proceedings and instead called an independent inquiry to look into Rafiq’s allegations of racism. The ECB charged seven individuals and Yorkshire last June, with the public part of aRead More

today 7

National News

Union leader says some pupils displaying challenging behaviour post Covid

Schools are facing more “challenging” behaviour from pupils who see school routines as “oppressive” following months at home during the pandemic, a headteachers’ union has said. Pupils who became used to wearing no uniforms and going to the toilet when they wanted are now “flexing their muscles”, Geoff Barton, general secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders (ASCL), said. It comes after the union received a number of reports about student protests – which are said to haveRead More

today 26

National News

Alphonse Areola wants to keep West Ham up and become France number one

Alphonse Areola has a double ambition this season, to keep West Ham in the Premier League and become France’s number one goalkeeper. Areola has been West Ham’s cup keeper for the last 18 months, but an injury to first-choice Lukasz Fabianski means he has been thrust into the relegation battle. He will line up against Aston Villa on Sunday with the Hammers just a point above the relegation zone heading into the weekend. Meanwhile, Hugo Lloris’ retirement from international dutyRead More

today 25

National News

Lidl and Asda begin lifting restrictions on fresh produce as shortages ease

Shoppers started seeing shortages of tomatoes around the 20th of February Supermarkets have started to drop customer limits on buying some fresh fruit and vegetables as supply issues that led to widespread shortages begin to ease. Discounted grocer Lidl is the latest to confirm it is lifting all restrictions on fruit and veg by Monday. The supermarket said it had been closely reviewing the situation but availability remained strong even amid an increase in demand. Asda confirmed it had removedRead More

today 22

0%