The Chicago Sky suffered a crushing 85–66 loss to the New York Liberty at Barclays Center, falling to a 2–6 record. The team continues to struggle after losing two-time WNBA champion Courtney Vandersloot, who tore her ACL in the first quarter of a 79–52 blowout against the Indiana Fever. Angel Reese broke her silence regarding […]
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THE boss of a major pub chain has revealed it hiked the price of pints by 15p following a Government tax raid.
The chief executive of Fuller’s said the group upped the price of a pint of beer after being hit with £8million in extra costs.
Simon Emeny, boss at Fuller, Smith and Turner, said the firm bumped up prices at the end of March ahead of an increase in employer National Insurance contributions (NICs) and the national minimum wage in April.
Mr Emeny told the PA news agency that Fuller’s had looked to be “sensitive” with price increases and would keep them “under review” for the rest of the year.
It comes after he exclusively told The Sun prices would likely rise by 10p to offset its added costs.
The pub chain is one of a number who warned of price rises to tackle higher NICs and wage costs.
The British Beer and Pub Association (BBPA) recently said the average price of a pint of beer would surge past £5 for the first time because of cost hikes hitting the sector.
The BBPA said the average cost of a pint in the UK is expected to rise by about 21p as a result.
Emeny said the pub group could not offset the cost impact of the NIC and minimum wage hikes with just price increases.
The group, which has about 5,500 staff, is doubling down on investment in its bars and staff training, to drive sales higher, which it hopes will counter the extra costs.
“Six months down the line and I don’t think price increases are the only answer. It has to come through higher sales,” he said.
But he said the consumer spending outlook would be sensitive to the interest rate outlook, and whether the Government moved to increase personal taxes.
The comments came as Fuller’s posted a 32% jump in underlying pre-tax profits to £27 million for the year to March 29.
Like-for-like sales rose 5.2%, and the group said growth had continued into the first 10 weeks of the new financial year, albeit at a more muted rate of 4.2%.
It also announced that its chairman of 18 years, Michael Turner, a member of one of the three founding families, will retire at the group’s annual general meeting in July, after a 47-year career with the group.
He will be replaced by Mr Emeny, who will become executive chairman, the first person to take the role who is not a member of the founding families.
Fred Turner will be promoted from retail director to chief operating officer.
A number of other founding family members remain on the board, including non-executive directors Sir James Fuller and Richard Fuller.
On his final set of full-year figures for the group, the outgoing chairman said it had been an “excellent” past year.
Mr Turner added: “This strong performance has been achieved despite the business operating in a challenging and, at times volatile, economic environment.
“The geopolitical situation has caused uncertainty in global markets and the decisions made by the Chancellor in her October budget hit the sector hard and reduced confidence in hospitality stocks.”
An outspoken critic of the move to raise National Insurance contributions (NICs) from April, Mr Turner said: “The changes to national insurance contributions took everyone by surprise and I fear it could be terminal for a number of smaller operators in our market.”
CONSUMER reporter Sam Walker tells you everything you need to know.
Employer National Insurance Contributions (NICs) are effectively a tax on businesses used to cover social security benefits like Universal Credit and the state pension.
NICs are also paid by workers and the self-employed.
According to the Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS), NICs are the UK’s second-biggest tax, expected to bring in around £170billion this financial year.
Employers only pay NICs on workers’ salaries from a certain threshold. This is currently £9,100 but will drop to £5,000 from April 6.
Those of state pension age or older do not have to pay NICs, but employers with workers aged 66 or older have to pay NICs on their earnings.
Do you have a money problem that needs sorting? Get in touch by emailing money-sm@news.co.uk.
Plus, you can join our Sun Money Chats and Tips Facebook group to share your tips and stories
A BRIT who went missing in Mauritius has been arrested on suspicion of smuggling £110,000 worth of cannabis onto the tropical island.
Lee Adams, 40, was intercepted as he arrived at Sir Seewoosagur Ramgoolam Airport in the tiny East African country.
It’s understood Adams, from Yardley, Birmingham, was behaving suspiciously as he got off the flight from London Gatwick on May 24 and caught the eye of customs officers.
And when Adams, who works for a recruitment agency, failed to convince officials of the true nature of his trip, officers from the Anti-Drug and Smuggling Unit (ADSU) swooped.
The officers found 5.75 kilos of cannabis with a street value of £110,000 concealed within his suitcase.
According to local news reports Adams, who was confronted with the evidence during an interrogation, admitted his role and was arrested on the spot.
Investigators immediately launched a “controlled delivery” operation on the holiday island and two suspected accomplices, both believed to be British, were also arrested.
The trio appeared before Mahébourg District Court on drug trafficking charges on May 26.
An investigation has been launched and they currently remain in custody.
Married Adams had told family and friends back in the UK that he had taken a job doing demolition and security work on Mauritius.
But when he failed to make contact with his wife Rebecca he was reported missing in a frantic Facebook post.
A source said: “He knew a friend in Mauritius, with a company paying £4000 a week, he said he couldn’t pass it up.
“But then no one heard from him, not even his wife. Rebecca messaged his work pals to see if they’d heard from him and an appeal went out on Facebook.
“It was only then she discovered he’d been arrested when she saw a local news report online.”
It’s alleged Lee didn’t buy his own plane ticket and a source claims another man recruited him for the trip.
A Foreign Office spokesperson said: “We are supporting a number of British nationals detained in Mauritius and are in contact with the local authorities.”
The arrest comes amid a spate of similar drug mule cases – with around 13 Brits currently kept in hellhole jails abroad.
Three Brits are facing the death penalty in Bali accused of trafficking more than £300,000 worth of cocaine onto the island.
A Brit couple were charged with smuggling £1million of cannabis from Thailand a mere few days ago.
While several young women have been arrested trying to smuggle cannabis from Thailand.
In the last couple of months, glam tourist Bella Culley allegedly tried to smuggle a suitcase of weed into Georgia and was locked away in a brutal ex-Soviet prison despite claiming to be pregnant.
And former air stewardess Charlotte May Lee was then caught allegedly trying to smuggle drugs worth £1.2million into Sri Lanka.
Young mum, Cameron Bradford, 21, from Knebworth, Herts, was detained at Munich Airport on April 21 as she tried to collect her luggage.
Separately, two drug-smuggling pals were caught with 35kg of cannabis at the airport after a “shopping trip” to New York.
And Isabella Daggett, 21, was arrested just five weeks after she relocated to Dubai from Yorkshire after landing a new job.
The Brit woman is rotting inside Dubai’s hellhole prison on alleged drug charges fell in with “wrong people at the wrong time”, her family has said.
Glamorous Sophie Bannister and Levi-April Whalley landed back on UK soil with their suitcases seemingly packed full of shopping.
The pair, both 30, were stopped at Birmingham International Airport with more than 35kg of cannabis in their bags.
Bannister, now of Cotton Lane, Manchester, was sentenced to 20 months suspended for 18 months, with 30 days rehabilitation activities and 200 hours of unpaid work.
Whalley, of Livesey Branch Road, Blackburn, was handed a 16-month sentence suspended for 18 months, with 10 days rehabilitation and 80 hours of unpaid work.
By Patrick Harrington, Foreign News Reporter
Police Lieutenant Colonel Arun Musikim, Deputy Inspector of the Surat Thani province police force, said: “Cases involving British nationals smuggling cannabis have been around for a while.
“There is a lot of cannabis grown on Thailand’s islands in the south because the climate is suitable and it is legal. A lot of gangs are attracted to this.
“There are now various smuggling methods that we have seen. Some carry it themselves, some hire backpackers, and some send it via mail.
“This year, there have been many cases we have intercepted. Most involve British and Malaysian nationals.
“It’s easy for British citizens to travel as they can enter Thailand and return to the UK without needing a visa.
“Most of the smugglers are people hired to carry the cannabis, similar to how tourists might smuggle tax-free goods.
“They’re usually unemployed individuals from the UK. The gangs offer them flights, pocket money and hotel stays, just to come and travel and take a bag back home with them.
“These people often have poor social standing at home and are looking for ways to earn quick money. They find them through friends or on social media.
“Many will go to festivals or parties while they are here, just like they are having a normal trip abroad.
“They are told that it is easy and they will not be caught. Then the amount the organisers can sell the cannabis for in the UK is much higher than it costs in Thailand.
“Police suspect that there are multiple employers and groups receiving the drugs on the other end. The cannabis then enters the UK market.
“We are being vigilant to ensure there are no routes out of the country.”
THE hosts of the Love Island podcast have slammed Ben after his ‘horror story’ comment to Shakira.
In last night’s episode, which marked the second instalment of the all-new summer series, Ben Holbrough, 23, was seen chatting to American bombshell Toni about Shakira Khan, 22.
Speaking to 24-year-old Antonia Laites, Ben said he “humbled” Shakira in a previous conversation.
He added that she “needed that”, leaving Toni replying with “I don’t want to talk about her” before changing the subject.
This comes after Toni stole Ben, who was previously coupled up with Shakira, who was then left single and vulnerable.
And now, amid calls for his axe, podcast hosts of Love Island: The Morning After, have slammed Ben’s behaviour.
Indiyah Polak, Sam Thompson, and Amy Hart all host the podcast.
Indiyah spoke about the moment Ben said he had “humbled” Shakira when she said: “You always hear these horror stories of guys wishing these things on women like ‘oh yeah she needs to be humbled’.
“But you never see it in real life,” she added.
Indiyah went on to add: “I don’t know what it is [about] Shakira [that] Ben feels threatened by.
“But he seems to not like Shakira’s confidence… it rattles him.”
Amy then weighed in and said: “The only thing that Shakira did to Ben was throw herself into the relationship and try to make it work.”
Fans watching Love Island last night were also quick to weigh in on Ben’s problematic comment about humbling Shakira.
Taking to X, one person said: “Shakira needed to be humbled????? on day one?!! get ben OUT OF THIS VILLA!”
A second penned: “Nah Shakira and any other girl needs to run from Ben if he’s cocky enough to say a woman he just met needs to be ‘humbled.’ Scary tbh.”
While a third wrote: “Ben saying Shakira needed to be humbled and he’s known her for three hours, he’s a weirdo he needs to leave already.”
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A fourth then said: “humble my queen shakira??? smh kick off this ben guy.”
Then, sharing the video of Ben bragging about “humbling” Shakira, someone else wrote: “Ben wanted to gossip about Shakira but Toni said miss me with that bs, very annoying lad.
“Shakira didn’t even do anything to him.”
Although Shakira was vulnerable because of Toni’s arrival into the villa, it was not her who left on Tuesday night.
As a result of Toni’s arrival in the villa, Sophie Lee was savagely dumped from Love Island.
Just 24 hours after she had arrived, 29-year-old Sophie was made to repack her bags and leave the villa.
Shakira was given one day to find a connection with another guy after being left single by Ben, otherwise she would have been dumped from the island.
Unfortunately for Sophie, the brunette managed to turn Harry Cooksley‘s head and picked him to recouple with.
Her decision left Sophie single and she was sent home.
TRIBUTES have poured in after a dad and his nine-year-old daughter were killed in a horror house fire.
The blaze that ripped through the house in Heckmondwike, Yorkshire killed Sohaib Ahmed, aged 38, and his daughter Manahal Ahmed on Sunday.
An 11-year-old girl, Sohaib’s other daughter, remains in a critical but stable condition in hospital.
Now, Sohaib and Manahal have been pictured for the first time as locals pay poignant tribute to the pair.
Georgina Darragh said: “So very sad awful a dad and his wee daughter taken far too soon Rest in Peace sweet souls”.
Angela Walshaw wrote: “Oh this is so sad ,and pray the little girls as full recovery”.
Anne Sellers added: “Aww so so sad my thoughts are with family rip both of u”.
Detective Inspector Paul Greatorex said: “We are continuing to work with colleagues at the fire service to investigate this dreadfully sad incident which has resulted in a father and daughter losing their lives.
“Extensive enquiries have been ongoing since yesterday and we have been working to locate and support relatives of the victims both here and outside of the UK at what is clearly an awful time for the family.
“While our enquiries remain ongoing we do not believe there are any suspicious circumstances regarding the cause of the fire and will be preparing a file for the coroner in due course.
“Our support for the family involved clearly also still continues.”
Enquiries into the fire remain ongoing by Kirklees District Police on behalf of the coroner.
This comes after it emerged the mother of the family had been on a trip when the tragedy unfolded.
Neighbours told The Sun that the mum-of-three was away on a religious pilgrimage to Mecca in Saudi Arabia, and returned home yesterday.
Cops said they don’t believe there are suspicious circumstances surrounding the tragedy.
More to follow… For the latest news on this story keep checking back at The Sun Online
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PETER O’Mahony’s wife Jessica joked he was “loving retirement” while holding all three of their children in a cute snap.
The 35-year-old did of course play his final competitive game in Munster’s URC play-off elimination on May 31.
Technically he does still have one game left before he hangs up his boots as he’ll line out for the Barbarians in an exhibition versus South Africa on June 28.
But being a stay-at-home dad is the new normal for the Reds warrior. Not that he’ll be very idle though.
Only a few days ago he embarked upon a “big weekend of planting” where he lay down 300 new plants across his beloved lawn.
Unfortunately, that weekend was wide open on account of his career with Munster being brought to a painful end in Durban.
In spite of an almighty effort across 100 minutes, the Reds were knocked out of the URC post-season at the quarter-final stage by Sharks following a rare (and contentious) penalty shoot-out.
After drawing 24-24, neither side could find a winning score in extra-time.
The game boiled down to kicks from the 15- and 10-metre lines, where Rory Scannell missed his effort.
The Sharks kicked all six of their attempts. It was also Conor Murray, Stephen Archer and Niall Scannell’s last outing for the province.
Afterwards captain Tadhg Beirne conceded: “It’s going to be a weird place next season without the lads.
“They bleed Munster. It’s gutting to end it like this.”
Munster took the lead after nine minutes when Jack Crowley’s cross-field kick bounced up for Calvin Nash to dive over before the out-half added the extras.
The game burst into life after the break and Sharks’ Ethan Hooker cut in from the right, weaving around the Munster defence to score, with Hendrikse converting and then adding a penalty.
Fineen Wycherley squeezed through a gap to cross, with Crowley’s kick successful.
The Reds extended their lead when Sharks were unable to defend Mike Haley’s kick, allowing Diarmuid Kilgallen to pounce.
But Sharks pulled a try back when Aphelele Fassi crossed, with Hendrikse converting.
Fez Mbatha then struck, as Hendrikse again added the extras.
Murray’s monster penalty levelled matters at 24-24 to send the game to extra time.
Beirne added: “I’m massively proud of the boys. We fought to the bitter end.”
The Apothecary Diaries is really good at keeping secrets. In fact, the series masterfully lays out all the clues required to figure out a certain mystery. However, the series seems to have underestimated its audience when it comes to Jinshi, one of the main characters of the series. Jinshi, the eunuch, was introduced early on […]
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When it comes to anime that are on-going, every anime fan must be familiar with the love-hate relationship with cliffhangers. Every week, a new episode drops, and it ends at a point where something massive is about to happen. The same is the case with The Apothecary Diaries. All the fans desperately wish for time […]
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