All posts tagged: Soar

‘Lawless London’ row erupts as threat-to-kill knife attacks soar to near-record high

‘Lawless London’ row erupts as threat-to-kill knife attacks soar to near-record high

Published by Sam Flores

The number of “threat to kill” knife offences in London has risen to close to a record high, official figures reveal. There were 154 such attacks in April, up from 126 in March, 92 in February and 127 in January, according to Metropolitan Police data. The alarming new figure is the second highest on record, going back to 2015, and sparked a heated political row over law and order in London. While overall knife crime is down in London, the city has been rocked in recent weeks by a series of fatal and other serious stabbings. In what appears to be a worrying sign of how blades are being used, there were 1,422 “threat to kill” knife offences recorded in the year to April 2026, up by 192 from 1,230 in the previous 12 months. The highest monthly number of “threat to kill” knife offences was 159 in October 2022. It has only risen above 150 on two other occasions, in July last year at 151 and August 2022 at 153. There is often an …

Ticket Prices for THE ODYSSEY Soar to ,000 on eBay

Ticket Prices for THE ODYSSEY Soar to $1,000 on eBay

Published by Jenni Sidey

Today’s round-up of literary headlines includes the fallout of The Odyssey ticket sales, the newest comics publisher to unionize, classic picture books being translated into Indigenous languages, and more. Ticket Prices for The Odyssey Soar to $1,000 on eBay Yesterday afternoon, ticket sales began for Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey—and they quickly became chaotic. Wait times on AMC’s website were over an hour at one point, and tickets for the IMAX showings in New York, Texas, Florida, and Arizona quickly sold out. Scalpers are now listing these tickets on eBay for hundreds of dollars, with some reaching $1,000. The Odyssey is the “first feature film to be entirely shot on IMAX camera,” and Nolan has encouraged audiences to see it in this format… but it’s hard for me to imagine the difference in quality is worth shelling out $1,000 for. Dark Horse Comics Recognizes Staff Union Dark Horse has become the newest comics publisher to unionize, joining Seven Seas Publishing and Image Comics. The company voluntarily recognized the union, with interim CEO Jay Komas saying, “The path to …

How long will the UK heatwave last? Temperatures set to soar to 35C in ‘unprecedented’ May weather

How long will the UK heatwave last? Temperatures set to soar to 35C in ‘unprecedented’ May weather

Published by Sam Flores

Parts of the UK are experiencing heatwave conditions, with temperatures set to hit 35C on Tuesday Temperatures are forecast to reach 35C in London and parts of the southeast of England — higher than the UK’s current May temperature record of 32.8C. “Today will be the hottest day in May in the UK in our temperature records, with highs of 35C expected,” a Met Office spokesperson said. “Records are usually only broken by tenths of a degree, making this heatwave unprecedented for the time of year.” Highs of between 30C and 34C are expected widely across swathes of England, and will continue into Tuesday, where temperatures are again forecast to hit 35C. A heatwave was officially declared in eight locations in southeast England, which met the threshold of 27C for three consecutive days of hot weather. Temperatures are forecast to reach 35C in southern England and the Midlands on Monday (Getty) Amber heat health alerts have been issued for the east Midlands, west Midlands, eastern England, London, and the South East. Officials warned that the …

Futures, Global Stocks Soar To All Time High, Oil Plunges On Endless “Iran Deal” Drumbeat

Futures, Global Stocks Soar To All Time High, Oil Plunges On Endless “Iran Deal” Drumbeat

Published by Jenni Sidey

US equity futures jumped and global stocks rose to record highs as crude oil fell after officials signaled – once again – that the US was nearing a deal with Iran to reopen the Strait of Hormuz and restore oil flows. The dollar weakened while precious metals and crypto bounced from Friday’s drop. While the US and Iran closed in on a deal, Trump said he won’t “rush” into an agreement. The deal is still a work in progress and the US is going to give diplomacy every chance to succeed, Secretary of State Marco Rubio said. S&P 500 futures squeezed higher by 0.9%, in line with Goldman expectations, while Nasdaq futs were up 1.3%, both printing in record territory as the market just can’t get enough of news that “a deal is imminent.” US cash markets are shut Monday for the Memorial Day holiday. The dollar retreated against all of its Group-of-10 peers.  Crude oil slumps more than 5%: WTI crude futures fall to around $91 and Brent contracts drop below $98 a barrel. Aussie tops G-10 leaderboard; euro and pound …

As Rents Soar, Londoners Turn to Vacant Pubs, Offices and Police Stations

As Rents Soar, Londoners Turn to Vacant Pubs, Offices and Police Stations

Published by Sam Flores

For Erika Allen, living in a defunct London police station has its trade-offs. Pros include cheap rent, a large bedroom and the old holding cells, which make excellent bike storage. Among the cons are the lack of a dedicated living room, monthly room inspections and the possibility of being removed at a moment’s notice. “But if you’ve got a chilled-out mind-set and you’re always ready to move,” she said, “you can save a lot of money.” That is the primary sales pitch for property guardianship, as Ms. Allen’s living arrangement is known. The concept, in which people pay licensing fees to live in otherwise vacant buildings for significantly less than market rent rates, has become more popular in London in recent years as housing costs in the city have soared. Proponents say guardianships could be a solution for the housing crisis in London, as well as in other housing-starved cities. “There are millions of square feet of commercial properties which are sitting empty and vacant,” said Graham Sievers, the chair of the Property Guardian Providers …

Argentina’s Beef Consumption Falls to Lowest Level in 20 Years as Prices Soar

Argentina’s Beef Consumption Falls to Lowest Level in 20 Years as Prices Soar

Published by Sam Flores

BUENOS AIRES, Argentina (AP) — At 6 a.m., in the Mataderos neighborhood of Buenos Aires, workers unload sides of beef from a truck outside a butcher shop as customers line up for wholesale purchases. Inside, 73-year-old owner Jorge García and his staff prepare meat orders before dawn. Among the stacks of beef boxes and red meat cuts hanging from metal hooks, chicken and pork are increasingly present. Red meat consumption in Argentina — historically one of the world’s biggest consumers of beef — has fallen to its lowest level in two decades amid economic austerity measures imposed by libertarian President Javier Milei. As of April 2026, annual per capita beef consumption fell to 44.5 kilograms (98 pounds), down from 49.5 kilograms (109 pounds) during the same month a year earlier, according to the Agricultural Foundation for Argentina’s Development. In 2006, it was 63.4 kilos (139 pounds) per person. “People are switching to cheaper proteins. They’re eating pork, they’re eating chicken,” said García. Analysts attribute the decline to soaring beef prices, lower cattle supply and weakened …

India’s Trade Deficit Surges As Energy Import Prices Soar

India’s Trade Deficit Surges As Energy Import Prices Soar

Published by Jenni Sidey

India’s trade deficit soared in April by more than analysts expected, as the surge in oil and gas prices hiked the Indian energy import bill. The trade deficit jumped by $8bn from $20.6bn in March to $28.38bn last month, higher than the $26 billion estimate, on a broad-based increase in imports. At the same time, total exports grew by 13.8% in April from a year earlier to hit $43.56 billion. Oil imports sequentially rose by around 60% MoM likely driven by higher volumes in April (vs. March lows) and higher oil prices. The value of imports soared as international oil and gas prices jumped amid the Middle East conflict that forced India and every other major crude oil importer to source more expensive supply from producers not dependent on the Strait of Hormuz, which remains closed to most tanker traffic two and a half months after the Iran war began. Meanwhile, petroleum product exports rose by around 48% mom s.a. likely driven by higher exports to Singapore. Gold imports rose sequentially likely driven by higher volume imports of …