Author: James Carter

Almost 4.7 million people in the UK now work in gig economy roles, representing approximately 14.7 per cent of the workforce, according to research by the Trades Union Congress. The scale of the sector has prompted significant regulatory developments in recent years, with landmark Supreme Court rulings establishing key precedents on how gig workers should be classified and what rights they are entitled to. In 2021, the Supreme Court ruled in Uber BV v Aslam that drivers for the ride-hailing platform should be classified as workers rather than self-employed contractors. The judgment entitled them to the national minimum wage and…

Silver’s recent rally has pushed prices far beyond levels supported by its historical correlation with gold, with analysis suggesting the metal is trading at a 38 per cent premium to fair value. Data tracking the 50-day percentage changes in both metals since 1970 shows silver has risen 97 per cent over that period, compared with 20 per cent for gold. The disparity represents what analysts describe as a gross anomaly when measured against more than five decades of daily price data. The regression model indicates that for every one per cent move in gold prices over a 50-day period, silver…

The combined effect of improving sleep, exercise and diet simultaneously is greater than the sum of making each change in isolation, according to new research tracking nearly 60,000 people over eight years. The study, published in the journal eClinicalMedicine, found that those with the unhealthiest habits would need five times as much additional sleep per day — 25 minutes — to achieve the same benefit as making modest improvements across all three behaviours together. Researchers analysed data from participants in the UK Biobank cohort recruited between 2006 and 2010, then used statistical modelling to estimate lifespans and years of good…

Williams has confirmed it will not travel to Barcelona for next week’s five-day shakedown, making it the only team to miss the first scheduled on-track running of the 2026 Formula One season entirely. The team announced it had fallen behind schedule in its build programme for the FW48 and would be absent from the session, which begins on Monday and is being held behind closed doors. McLaren has said it will skip the opening day but attend thereafter. Williams will not be present at all. The setback marks an awkward reversal for a team that made a point last year…

Cold weather, limited daylight and endless overcast skies are driving a nationwide dip in mood during the winter months, with more than half of Britons saying they crave more sunlight in their lives. A survey of 2,000 people conducted by British Gas found that 42 per cent feel more depressed in January than at any other time of year. Nearly half cited the cold as the primary cause, while 37 per cent blamed the long hours of darkness and 34 per cent pointed to a lack of natural sunlight. The findings revealed that many are responding to the seasonal slump…

Harry Brook received the largest possible financial penalty and a final warning over his conduct after an altercation with a nightclub bouncer in New Zealand, the England white-ball captain has revealed. The incident occurred in the hours before England’s third and final one-day international defeat to the Black Caps in Wellington in October. Brook was refused entry to the venue after the bouncer suspected he was drunk, with a row ensuing that resulted in the cricketer being struck. Brook, 26, self-reported the matter to team management. He has now admitted he expected to lose the captaincy as a consequence. Speaking…

Tottenham are moving quickly to sign Andy Robertson from Liverpool after an injury crisis that has left manager Thomas Frank finishing matches with makeshift lineups and a squad short on experience. The north London club have approached Liverpool over the Scotland international, who is out of contract this summer. Talks are progressing at pace following the loss of Ben Davies to a broken ankle that will sideline him for the remainder of the season. Frank’s resources have been severely depleted, with five injuries sustained across five matches. Lucas Bergvall is the latest casualty and faces up to three months out,…

Béla Tarr, the Hungarian filmmaker whose uncompromising vision defined arthouse cinema through works characterised by extended takes, sparse dialogue and striking monochrome imagery, has died at the age of 70. The Hungarian Filmmakers Association, of which Tarr served as honorary president, confirmed his death on Tuesday following what it described as a long and serious illness. Born in Hungary in 1955, Tarr began making films as a teenager and studied at the Academy of Drama and Film in Budapest. His early work drew attention for its depictions of working-class Hungarian life, before his style evolved into the austere aesthetic for…

Build to Rent planning activity outside London has fallen into decline, with quarterly growth rates turning negative as rising construction costs and planning delays dampen appetite for new schemes across regional markets. Analysis by Foxtons of Q3 2025 data shows planning levels in areas outside the capital dropped 1.4 per cent year on year. Between the first and third quarters of 2025, regional markets recorded an average quarterly decline of 2.9 per cent — a sharp reversal from the 1.8 per cent average quarterly growth seen throughout 2024. The national picture reflects this cooling momentum. While 106,406 Build to Rent…

A vast rotating cloud containing iron, calcium and other metals has been detected surrounding an unidentified object in a distant star system, in what researchers believe is evidence of a violent collision between two planets. The cloud, spanning approximately 120 million miles, is gravitationally tethered to a body orbiting a sun-like star designated J0705+0612, located roughly 3,000 light-years from Earth. Scientists have been unable to determine what the object is. Measurements indicate it has a mass several times greater than Jupiter at minimum, leading the US National Science Foundation’s NOIRLab to suggest it could be either a brown dwarf or…