Business

Gerry Golden, manager at Emmaus Dover, says donations are vital to the charity and that clothing, bric-a-brac and usable furniture commonly make it onto shop shelves, while heavily worn items, some electricals and safety equipment are often not accepted.

Emmaus Dover staff said donations are vital and should be sellable or reusable; some items — including unsafe equipment, some electricals, heavily damaged clothing and unlabeled furniture — may be refused or recycled.

US cattle farmers say higher operating costs, weaker retail demand and expanded imports are squeezing margins while national beef prices have climbed and herd sizes remain low.

Scottish Secretary Douglas Alexander is on a week-long visit to Australia, Singapore and New Zealand to discuss trade and security. He will meet government and business leaders and attend performances of the Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo.

Eleven UK towns and London areas are set to lose two or more bank branches in 2026, as several major banks announce wider branch reductions and point to a shift toward digital and mobile services.

Morrisons has partnered with Ecrebo to generate personalised coupons based on customers' food shops, and trials in Yorkshire last year included sending coupons to homes.

White Castle is staging themed Valentine's Day dinners at its 325 dining-room locations with reservations and decorations; the chain says it expects more than 35,000 diners this year.

Hannah and Mitchell met on a P&O Cruises sailing, later got engaged in the Norwegian fjords and married aboard a ship in May 2025; they now have a daughter and a family cruise booked for June. Cruise lines report growing demand for onboard weddings, with P&O saying bookings rose 12%.

A lapse in Department of Homeland Security funding means most TSA officers are required to work without pay while lawmakers remain deadlocked; Federal Aviation Administration funding continues, so air traffic controllers will still be paid.

Prime Minister Mark Carney and Opposition Leader Pierre Poilievre joined hands at a vigil in Tumbler Ridge; authorities said an 18-year-old allegedly killed two family members and then opened fire at the local school, where six people died.

The Heaton Group is investing £3m to convert part of the Grade II listed Eckersley Mill at Cotton Works into Factory Floor, a day-to-night venue with games, food and late-night entertainment. The redevelopment will retain industrial features and accommodate about 350 guests.

An undercover operative gathered evidence on a planned attack and a large Greater Manchester Police operation protected the operative and led to coordinated arrests and later convictions.

The original Bramley apple tree in Southwell is seen as at risk after Nottingham Trent University put the cottages and garden where it grows up for sale, and the tree has not been granted a tree preservation order.

The US Consumer Price Index showed annual inflation slowed to 2.4% in January, down from 2.7% in December, and core inflation also eased to 2.4%, the lowest core reading in nearly five years.

Ukraine expects formal approval of a new $8.2 billion IMF programme in coming weeks, its debt chief said, which would replace an existing $15.6 billion facility and support public spending amid the ongoing war.

A report says Africa was the fastest-growing solar market in 2025, with installed capacity up 17% and large imports of Chinese-made panels; working solar capacity still trails the volume of equipment shipped to the continent.

An industry report says Africa was the fastest-growing solar market in 2025, with installed capacity rising 17% and large imports of Chinese-made panels; working capacity still trails the nearly 64 GWp shipped to the continent since 2017.

President Cyril Ramaphosa said the government will fund geological mapping and exploration to develop South Africa's critical mineral reserves, and he described mining as a 'sunrise industry' to support jobs and growth.

Two Mexican-flagged ships carrying about 814 tons of food and hygiene supplies entered Havana Harbor on Feb. 12, Reuters reported, and Mexico said a second shipment will follow.

LogChain is relocating its global headquarters from Singapore to Liverpool and plans to invest up to £4m in the Liverpool City Region over the next three years.

Labour has proposed allowing regional mayors in England to introduce a visitor levy on overnight stays, and UKHospitality has led a letter signed by 200 businesses warning it may increase costs for families and strain small accommodation providers.

Reuters reports the U.S. Army deployed AeroVironment's LOCUST counter-drone laser near El Paso International Airport, prompting the FAA to halt inbound and outbound commercial flights for more than seven hours.

Venezuela's attorney general said an amnesty law under consideration aims to produce a "100% pacified" country and he insisted those in prison are not political detainees. The bill has passed an initial vote, its full text has not yet been read, and it is unclear whether it will be on the assembly's Thursday agenda.

Investigators say a double homicide in Fort Lauderdale was linked to a later shooting in Sarasota, and officials report seven people dead in total including the suspected shooter.

Francesca O'Brien told BBC Wales that Reform will not withdraw funding from Bangor University and she distanced herself from party policy head Zia Yusuf's suggestion that funding could be stripped after a debating society declined an invitation.

Saudi Aramco said its iktva program has reached 70% local content and has contributed more than $280 billion to Saudi Arabia's GDP; the company plans to increase local procurement to 75% by 2030.

McKillens, a long-running independent shoe shop in Ballymena, has announced it will close after citing online competition and the Covid pandemic, and the town has seen other recent shop closures including department store Wyse Byse.

The article reports Reform UK proposed a £3bn hospitality tax cut funded by reinstating the two‑child benefit cap, and HMRC figures suggest the plan would cost about £10bn more than accounted for.

PIP can support people with many health conditions and awards are based on how a condition affects daily living or mobility. Payments normally start from the date the claim is lodged and are usually paid every four weeks.

The Financial Conduct Authority has set new safeguards for buy now, pay later services, including clearer payment information and affordability checks, and the sector will be regulated from July 15.