All posts tagged: slump

The ‘Immersive’ Habit That Finally Cured My Reading Slump

The ‘Immersive’ Habit That Finally Cured My Reading Slump

Published by Sam Flores

I am a voracious reader and I always have been. I always carry a book with me when I travel, even if I’m just getting the bus to the city centre, I basic live part-time at my local library and I love nothing more than being asked for book recommendations. However, sometimes the world gets on top of me, life is too busy and I am too perpetually overwhelmed to really take in a book. Even one I know I’ll love. Even one I know I have loved before. It’s miserable. The last time this hit me, though, I discovered immersive reading. How immersive reading cured my reading slump Immersive reading, if you didn’t know, is when you listen to an audibook while reading a physical or digital copy of the book at the same time. It sounds overstimulating but I promise as somebody that’s very sensitive to sound, it’s really not. The first book I tried it with was Andy Weir’s 2021 book Project Hail Mary. I knew I wanted to try it as …

“Trump slump” threatens to doom World Cup bump

“Trump slump” threatens to doom World Cup bump

Published by Sam Flores

With an upcoming FIFA World Cup being staged across the nation, 2026 was supposed to be a bumper year for tourism to the United States, driven in part by hordes of arriving soccer fans. And yet, the U.S. tourism industry is worried. While the rest of the world saw a travel bump in 2025, with global international arrivals up 4%, the U.S. saw a downturn. The number of foreign tourists who came to the United States fell by 5.4% during the year – a sharper decline than the one experienced in 2017-18, the last time, outside the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, that the industry was gripped by fears of a travel slump. Policy stances from the Trump administration on everything from immigration to tariffs, along with currency swings and stricter border controls, have seemingly proved a turnoff to travelers from other countries, especially Canadians – the single largest source of foreign tourists for the United States. Canadian travel to the U.S. fell by close to 30% in 2025. But it is not just visitors …

Pressure piles on Townsend after Scotland slump to Six Nations defeat against Italy

Pressure piles on Townsend after Scotland slump to Six Nations defeat against Italy

Published by Sam Flores

There was purpose about the Scottish start but there was little by way of accuracy. The line-out was a mess early on and it fed Italy’s belief. Louis Lynagh pounced on a Brex grubber to open the scoring before the wing was at it again in the air moments later, pilfering possession for Menoncello’s try. No 8 Jack Dempsey, one of few shining lights for Scotland, pulled one back before half-time but a Paolo Garbisi penalty gave Italy an eight-point lead at the break which, with the weather setting in, felt far healthier. And so it was. Italy managed just a sole Garbisi penalty in the second half but that was all the hosts needed to secure a second consecutive victory over Scotland in Rome. George Turner’s sin-binning for a dodgy ruck clean-out on Zuliani did nothing to help the visitors’ cause but there was a rearguard: Russell kicked three points and the lively George Horne slid over but Italy held on in a thrilling last stand which saw Scotland cycle through nearly 30 phases …

I tried using the Zwift Ride indoor bike for 30 days and it got me out of a workout slump and jump-started a love of cardio

I tried using the Zwift Ride indoor bike for 30 days and it got me out of a workout slump and jump-started a love of cardio

Published by Jenni Sidey

I’ll admit it. Before the holidays, I was stuck in an exercise rut, doing the exact opposite of what I tell my personal training clients to do—sticking to one type of exercise. And while I love strength training and it’s really helping with my perimenopause symptoms (and sanity), I’d neglected cardio workouts, which are equally important for immunity, heart health and reducing my risk of chronic diseases. It was this realisation and an impending cycling holiday in the mountains of Gran Canaria that led me to take the opportunity to test the Zwift Ride with Wahoo Kickr Core 2 ($1,299), a smart indoor bike frame paired with a turbo trainer that connects to the Zwift app (explained below, but it’s less complicated than it sounds). You may like Trying out the indoor smart bike for a month really helped get me out of my workout slump, and jump-started an unexpected love of cardio. Here’s what else I discovered. It’s a beautiful machine The Zwift Ride is a gorgeous-looking bike, with a racer-style seat and drop …

De Beers Cuts Diamond Prices, Botswana Warns Of Prolonged Slump

De Beers Cuts Diamond Prices, Botswana Warns Of Prolonged Slump

Published by Jenni Sidey

De Beers, the world’s largest diamond mining company, has warned of a prolonged downturn in the gem industry after cutting prices for the first time since 2024. Botswana is the epicenter of De Beers’ diamond production, and declining output alongside falling prices is set to put significant pressure on the southern African nation’s finances. On Monday, Bloomberg News reported that De Beers cut its diamond prices for the first time in over a year, abandoning efforts to prop up the market amid faltering demand. A combination of soft Chinese luxury spending, expanding market share for lab-grown stones, and added pressure from US tariffs on India has pressured the world’s largest diamond exporter. The Diamond Standard Index, a benchmark price measure for investment-grade natural diamonds, has fallen by more than half since peaking in early 2022. The index is now at a record low, with data going back to 2002. As for Botswana, the Finance Ministry warned that diamond income could fall to 10.3 billion pula ($744 million) in FY2025-26, less than half the historical average …

Major Labour Party goal threatened as payments ‘to slump by 90%’ | Politics | News

Major Labour Party goal threatened as payments ‘to slump by 90%’ | Politics | News

Published by Sam Flores

Britain’s plans for nationwide 5G will fall short unless ministers fix weak regulation, a cross-party group of MPs has warned. The representatives also want to see the Government aim to improve scrutiny of coverage data and tackle a lack of competition in the mobile market. The Digital Communities All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) says ministers should commission an “urgent, independent review of the UK’s digital connectivity framework, warning that current policy is being driven by incomplete data and poor accountability” in a new report. The group added that reliable mobile connectivity is essential for economic growth, public services and productivity, and emphasised that too many communities remain stuck with poor signal, despite official claims that coverage is improving. Serious concerns about the accuracy of telecoms regulator Ofcom’s coverage reporting were raised. MPs also warn that the system relies too heavily on modelling supplied by mobile operators themselves, which risks masking real-world problems experienced by households, businesses and emergency services. Helen Morgan MP, Chair of the Digital Communities APPG, said: “Without reliable access to high-speed services, the …