Customers what does it mean for their customers and this was originally a uk lifestyle brand, so what does it mean for the employees in the uk . figs mean for the employees in the uk . Sis you mean for the employees in the uk . Is you say it is a turn for a company that started specialising in menswear in the 19805 and now has grown nearly 50 stores and nearly a thousand employees. They sell online and operate within department stores. Under conditions like this it would be reasonable to expect that a sale could result in job losses even into the hundreds and they did not indicate what that could look like but we heard from the chief strategy and transition officer for authentic and he said hopefully some consolidation at the brand and it will still be Available Online and in store spot for employees and stakeholders, he said we wish there could have been a better outcome but for employees. Authentic brands group is the owner of ted baker, since 2022, but the acquisition happened after 2019 and Thatis Acquisition happened after 2019 and that is when their founder resigned after allegations of misconduct which he denied, but we could talk about the trajectory of retail, tough environment for rick and mortar retailers especially as we have seen the upward climb in popularity of Online Shopping and we think about the moment we have experienced with inflation and high Interest Rates and high borrowing costs, has had an impact on Consumer Spending as well. Costs, has had an impact on Consumer Spending as well costs, has had an impact on Consumer Spending as well spending as well. Thanks for oining us. We will followfi spending as well. Thanks for oining us. We will follow the t spending as well. Thanks for oining us. We will follow the story spending as well. Thanks forjoining us. We will follow the story closely | us. We will follow the story closely on bbc business news. We stay with the uk economy, because the woman who wants to be running it after the next election labour� s shadow chancellor, Rachel Reeves will be outlining her plans in the next few hours. In a speech to Business And Finance chiefs in the City Of London m5 reeves will promise a new chapter in britain� s economic history. We don� t have many of the details yet but it� s thought she� ll outline a new industrial strategy for the uk including a National Wealth fund to invest in Growth Industries that would in turn create half a million newjobs. She� s also expected to announce reforms to the treasury the government� s Finance Department to make it support Economic Growth. But the government� s Chief Secretary to the treasury laura trott says labour are offering no plan just more borrowing and more taxes. I think what businesses want to hear from any chancellor is a long term vision and strategy for how we deliver Economic Growth in the uk. We know that our challenges are growth over the last couple of years, it� s been lacklustre. And in terms of living standards, we just haven� t seen the growth and productivity that we need to see. What is the answer to that . It� s absolutely how business works with government to ensure we have a Business Investment going across all sectors and regions in our economy. Well, Business Investment and in particular the private sector, which essentially is the lifeblood of the uk economy, isn� t it . The cbi, i think, forecasts that Business Investment is set to fall by 5 as costs increase. This is in the last survey that you issued. What sort of Smart Measures . Because, again, this is something that you cited. What sort of Smart Measures would a government have to put in place to create a sound Business Environment, a trusted Business Environment here in the uk . Well, i think any plans that are set out do need to be set within a sustainable fiscal framework. So that� s almost the bedrock that businesses need to see. And then one of the things that we know we need to see is more investment in our transition to a green economy. And to really unlock that, what we have been calling for, many of our members have talked about, is having a net zero investment plan. So we set out across different sectors what� s the overall amount of investment we need to decarbonise our economy and what are the innovative ways in which we can� t necessarily outspend some of the incentives that, say, the us economy is providing to incentivise the green economy, but we can set out, we can outsmart them by setting up regulations and ways in which we can unlock private sector investment. And that� s one of the things that businesses want to see from whoever is in charge. And we also need to think about how we invest in our people and how we allow Lifelong Learning and think about a flexible way to deliver the skills we need, whether that� s thinking about how we adopt ai across different sectors, or whether that� s thinking about how we develop the skills we need to change our economy to a low carbon economy. That was the ceo of the cbi speaking to me earlier. Tojapan now and the end of an era because the central bank there has raised Interest Rates for the First Time Since 2007, making an historic shift away from decades of massive monetary stimulus. The widely expected move comes as workers at some of japan� s Largest Companies secured their biggest pay rise since 1991, giving the central bank the confidence to make its move, one that puts decades of deflation in the rear view mirror. We spoke to janet mui from stockbrokers Rbc Brewin Dolphin and asked her whether the rate rise will have the desired effect on japan� s economy. The hope is that it will. Because japan has been trapped in decades of deflation and low Interest Rate environment. And finally, there is confidence coming from the bank ofjapan that we are actually seeing normalisation back to, you know, rising Interest Rate, rising wages and inflationary environment. So i think this could give businesses the confidence to invest if we� re in a more normal kind of environment. And hopefully the higher wages, which is now outpacing inflation, would help to support Consumer Spending. But of course, concerns as well because this is just a baby step and there� s no clarity on the further Monetary Policy outlook. To an issue now that affects workers around the world and that is the cost of childcare. The uk is one of the most expensive countries for childcare in europe. And a new report shows the availability of childcare places here has worsened across all age groups. Fewer than 1 in 3 local councils have enough spaces for children under two at nurseries and childminders. Costs have also risen by 6 this year with parents saying they are having to travel longer distances and even borrow money to meet childcare costs. I spoke to ellen broome, Managing Director of the Charity Coram family and childcare, which did the research and who told me more. I think our Report Paints quite a bleak picture for parents. They� re facing a double whammy of both dramatic drops in the availability of childcare places this year, and also above inflation rises in childcare costs. So i think a lot of parents, i� m sure you will be familiar with this, i think are quite worried about how to pay for childcare and whether they� ll be able to access it as well. And i would say the extra Childcare Funding that� s been announced by the chancellor last year in the Spring Budget has the potential to be a bit of a game changer for parents up and down the country who are facing those really high bills. But it� s an addition to a really complex system that is already buckling a little bit under the strain and we can sort of see growing shortages, higher prices. And i think ourfindings raise some really clear questions about the ability of that Current System to deliver the extra childcare that children and families really need. Yeah, i think it� s accepted, isn� t it, that childcare in the uk is effectively, the system is effectively broken, and yet there are estimates that if it could be fixed, it could be worth £11 billion to the uk economy. How do you reform the entire system or is itjust a case of money . No, i think it is definitely about reform. First of all, though, in the short term, in the next few months, we need the government to work really closely with both local authorities and Childcare Providers to make sure that they are supported to deliverforfamilies. So that� s what we need right now. Otherwise, there� s some very real risks around this policy, not living up to parents� expectations. But in this general election year, i think it is really important that political parties, all of them, commit to genuine reform of the Childcare System so we can have the affordable and accessible, high Quality Childcare system that we know we need. And that addresses some of those really systemic challenges of, you know, year on year rises of prices and these drops in availability and concerns around quality. So i think we do need genuine reform alongside it. Around the world and across the uk. This is bbc news. Britain� s foreign secretary lord cameron has criticised hong kong� s new security law, saying the impact will be to further damage the rights and freedoms enjoyed in the city. The new law, which Authorities Say is necessary for stability, introduces tough penalties, including Life Imprisonment for treason and insurrection. Earlier i spoke to the bbc� s martin yip in hong kong and asked him to explain more about this legislation. So this has tactically been stipulated in hong kong� s meaning constitution to hong kong basic law and is in article 23. So it has always been called the article 23 legislation. The whole idea is to write in a whole piece of law locally to protect china� S National Security and interests. But hong kong has failed in 2003. And then we saw all those Anti Government protests in between in 2014 and 2019 because of various issues. And beijing decided, as you might remember, to impose its own law in 2020, which isjust a partial one. So this time, the government took this initiative to finish what they insist is their constitutional responsibility to cover things like treason, sabotage, sedition, theft of State Secrets and espionage. And the hong kong legislature, which is filled byjust pro beijing legislators, had just unnamiously passed this bill. The us says this has the potential to accelerate the closing of a once open society, in response to this news regarding hong kong. Now how many of you remembers this smash hit from the late 905 . I get knocked down and i get up again. It� s a bit of an ear worm. I� m trying not to dance. But that is of course tubthumping by chumbawumba the british punk band are in the spotlight again having demanded that the right wing new zealand politician Winston Peters stop using their biggest hit at his rallies. They said tubthumping was a song of hope for ordinary people, not for politicians with what they called bigoted views. Mr peter says there is nothimng wrong with his party using it because it is not for commercial gain. Earlier i spoke to the former singer from the group. Winston peters has views that are at odds to everything that chumbawumba stands for, he is anti immigration, the rhetoric from him is egregious, and a lot of what he stands for in the way that he pushes his populist views which i think have a right wing element to them, and only cause hatred and Division Within communities. That song is specifically about different communities coming together in a pub in leeds, so everything he stands for is against that song. What about the freedom to use your music . Some people might say it is flattering, that someone is using the music, even if you don� t agree with it. We don� t always agree with each other. What happened with the song, because of the nature of the song, the message is a universal message, people don� t realise the history of the band and what the band are trying to say with the song. And so it gets taken over by people who we would rather not use it or use it to promote their ideas and ideologies. It is not the first time this has happened. We have talked about donald trump. I remember going to his rallies in the states in 2016 and you would hear the Rolling Stones and bruce springsteen, and adele, artists who did not want him playing their music at his rallies. The estate of sinead o� connor also says they do not want donald trump to use her songs. Nigel farage used one of ours a few years ago, which was an appalling use of the song, which again we sent out a Cease And Desist letter. In terms of the other side of it, what will a Cease And Desist do, do they have to stop using it . To be honest, it is the fact that we want to publicise the idea that we completely disagree with his ideology and viewpoint and we do not agree with him using the song. It is as much to publicise the idea that we stand against what he stands for and we do not want him to promote his politics with our song. It is good publicity for your song and i� m sure a lot of people will go to listen on spotify now. Yes, but you get paid very little from spotify plays you say politics and music should be mixed, but only if it suits your agenda . If it is a piece of art that we have created ourselves, i feel that we should have a say over how that is used and who uses it because it is our art and something we have created as a band. It� s when it gets misused, then i think it� s within our remit to try and do something about it. Once you sent the letter, what happens . Does he have to stop using it . Basically, yeah. If the process goes on, we have to sue him for using it and the processjust goes on. When i came into work this morning i did not expect to be interviewing the singer from chumbawamba. Did not expect to be interviewing the singerfrom chumbawamba. The Food Producer says it is not supported by evidence. Our environmental correspondent has more. This was england� s favourite river and now it� s like something out of charlie and the chocolate factory. Pete used to love taking his coracle out on the river wye. If you� d come here four years ago and we� d have been stood here, you could have seen the bottom of the river right the way across. It broughtjoy notjust to me, but to lots of people. But the joy for pete has gone. The declining health of the river means going out just isn� t fun any more. It feeds my anxiety, my depression. It is damaging for my Mental Health. Rather than coming off the river with a big grin and taking lots and lots of photos, which i then share, instead of that, i� m coming off angry. Angry with who . Angry with the people polluting the river. So, who� s to blame . These guys are at least part of the problem. The last decade has seen a massive expansion in Chicken Farming near the wye. And that means lots of chicken poo. And if too much of that is spread on fields as fertiliser, it runs off into the river and can turn it green. The use of huge industrial Chicken Sheds helps keep prices down at the supermarket, but with the decline of the river clear to see, the question now being asked is whether those who live and work along the river wye might be entitled to compensation. Lawyers are targeting avara foods, the company that dominates Chicken Production near the wye. Were saying people who have property along the river, people who enjoy the river, people who use the river, they can all come forward. Private Property Owners or have a right to have a legal right to be able to enjoy the river, be able to enjoy it without interference from pollution. So this is the living room. And that� s the view you get. The river wye in our garden. Its what people pay for. Mark rents out a holiday home on the banks of the wye, and he� s worried he� ll lose out because the riverjust isn� t an attraction any more. We cant, with all honesty, say to people, help yourself swim in the river, because its damaged. So lets wait and see how badly it affects our business. What are you hoping to achieve by being part of this Group Litigation . Holding them to account. Hitting them where it hurts in their pocket, because thatj seems to be the only way. The only thing they understand. And getting restitution for the river. Somebody has to repair the damage. In a statement, avara foods said. Jonah fisher, bbc news. Naturalist Chris Packham has revealed how � broken� he felt growing up undiagnosed as autistic. The tv presenter, who british viewers will know best as the face of Nature Programme springwatch, has spoken to the bbc� s nick ransom about how he believes people who are neurodivergent those who are autistic, dyslexic or living with adhd are being let down by a society that was not built with them in mind. For most of my teenage and 205, i thought that i was broken. I� m not a great fan of Chris Packham. That� s a legacy of loathing myself because i was different. There seemed to be more people who were different than me and i didn� t know anyone who was like me. So it was clearly me that was wrong. And somewhere upstairs amongst my, you know, sort of library of and catalogue of my life, there is a piece of a4 paper that says repeatedly, as if i was given lines at school, everything i am is wrong. And i wrote that out. You know, i was obviously in a very dark place. I had Mental Health issues at that point, but that� s where i was at. And yet even at that time, you know, i have good sensory capabilities, visually, i have a really good memory, i� m good at putting things into patterns, but i couldn� t identify that i had attributes. All i could see were my deficiencies and, you know, and there was no one there at that point to say, listen, chris, actually, you are quite good at this because you� re very, very focused, you� re obsessionaly interested in things, you remember everything, and then you put all of that into somewhere where you can actually communicate it. That would have helped. So i think it� s incredibly important that we focus on the abling aspects of that. I� m not one for advice, i� m not a health care professional, but people do ask me for my advice. And if it� s parents with autistic youngsters or children, i do Say Something which might strike you as a little odd. I say, look, frankly, just put them under a microscope, watch them with all the detail that you possibly can, and try and develop an understanding of the triggers that makes things go wrong. But equally, the triggers that make things go right. Because once you� ve identified those, then you can transform their environment to a place where they� re less anxious, more capable, more able to explore the things that they are good at. One in five people are neurodivergent. Give me a sense of how much of the population that is, and how much of a priority is currently being made in society. Well, not enough, because if one in five are neurodivergent and we� re not enabling them to maximise their capacity to be happy, fulfilled, employed, educated, socially stable, so on and so forth, then we� re failing one in five people in society. That� s not tolerable. Why should they have less opportunity than anyone else . Some of those people who� ve made Quantum Leaps in our thinking, our technology, engineering, art, whatever it happens to be, music, have certainly had traits which we could equate to being autistic. That� s Chris Packham talking to the bbc. Pa rt part of our celebration of neuro diversity week 202a. Original pairof original pair of slippers worn by judy garland in The Wizard Of Oz are about to go on a world tour before they go to auction. They previously made headlines when they were stolen from a museum in 2005 before they were recovered, 13 years later. They will go on display in new york, london, tokyo, as well, before being sold in december. This cctv footage shows the moment a ferrari driver lost control of his vehicle and crashed but crucially no one was injured and no further action was taken, said the police. Now we have the weather forecast. The rest of the weather forecast. The rest of the uk, the weather brightened up quite nicely with good spells of sunshine coming through like here in county durham, and it was mild with temperatures widely around 16 degrees. The next Weather System is on the Satellite Picture with Cloud Thickening from the southwest and overnight we have rain moving in and the rain will be at its heaviest in Northern Ireland and Northern England, wales and probably the north midlands, temperatures keeping up north midlands, temperatures keeping up at around 9 11 in england and wales but scotland and Northern Ireland around 6 7. The wettest weather looks likely to affect wales and Northern England and the midlands through the course of the day on wednesday and it is not clear that we will see rain as far north as Northern Scotland so it might be as Northern Scotland so it might be a dry and bright day here. South east england and east anglia could have the odd patch of rain but it will state mild here, 15 16 in the warmest areas. It will stay. Cooler in the north of the country. We have got this slab of milder air moving in behind the warm front, on thursday, which will bring more rain, especially to scotland, and it is notjust wet rain, especially to scotland, and it is not just wet weather, rain, especially to scotland, and it is notjust wet weather, it rain, especially to scotland, and it is not just wet weather, it will be windy, with gusts over Northern Scotland reaching 50, maybe 60 mph. The rain trickles into Northern Ireland through the afternoon and on thursday across england and wales the cloud will break to give sunny spells probably and it will stay dry for wales and the midlands and southern england, highest temperatures up to 16, pretty mild, but change again on friday, much cooler and fresher air being introduced with the north Westerly Winds following. The cold front brings cloud and rain to england and wales during friday, the rain could be slow to clear away from South East England and behind that sunshine comes up but lots of showers for scotland and Northern Ireland and the north west of england and wales and the showers for these areas heavy with hail and thunder and temperatures for the most part around about average, 912. It most part around about average, 9 12. It stays unsettled through the weekend, a lot more showers to come and as well as that there will be a chilly north westerly wind. Live from london, this is bbc news. The us secretary of state, antony blinken, warns the entire population of gaza is suffering severe levels of acute Food Insecurity. 100 of the population in gaza is at severe levels of acute Food Insecurity. That� s the first time an entire population has been so classified. The princess of wales is seen for the First Time Since her surgery, out shopping with prince william. The president of the European Council calls for eu economies to be put on a war footing against russia. And the local Community Fighting the pollution of one of britain� s haiti descends into anarchy violent gangs now controlling large parts of the caribbean nation. Hello, welcome to verified live. The entire population of gaza is in need of humanitarian assistance and is suffering severe levels of acute Food Insecurity those are the words of the us secretary of state, antony blinken, today. It� s a stark assessment of the ongoing crisis in the territory as American Pressure On Israel grows. Mr blinken has urged israel to prioritise the delivery of supplies into gaza. It comes as the Un Human Rights Office has said israel� s continued restrictions on getting aid in may amount to use of starvation as method of war
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