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Denby, a 217-year-old pottery firm based in Derbyshire, has appointed administrators, putting almost 600 jobs at risk of loss. The company, which owns the Burleigh brand, has struggled with surging energy costs, higher labour costs, tighter financial markets, and softening consumer demand for its premium homeware.Earlier this month, Denby's CEO, Sebastian Lazell, stated he was 'trying to move heaven and earth' to save the business. A #SaveDenby campaign was launched to encourage people to buy more products and lobby the government for support. Despite an 'overwhelming and deeply moving' response, the company was unable to secure 'strategic investment partners' to continue.Tony Wright, joint administrator of Denby Group, said: 'Denby is one of Britain's most beloved and enduring pottery brands... We are focused on progressing the sale process and encourage any interested parties to come forward without delay.'The problems at Denby come a year after Royal Stafford and Moorcroft pottery firms also called in administrators. Stoke's Wedgwood pottery has also announced job cuts. A string of consumer goods companies have fallen into administration this year due to lacklustre consumer spending and rising costs.

Dozens of professional clowns paraded through the streets of La Paz on Monday, demanding the repeal of a government decree that would restrict extracurricular activities in schools and jeopardise their earnings.Clad in full face paint and their trademark red noses, the performers gathered outside the Ministry of Education to denounce a February‑issued mandate that obliges schools to deliver 200 days of instruction annually. The rule effectively bans holiday parties and other special events—the primary venues where clowns are hired to entertain children.“This decree will economically affect all of us who work with children,” warned Wilder Ramírez, a union leader known as Zapallito. He added that “children need to laugh,” questioning whether the education minister had ever experienced a childhood.The decree, signed by President Rodrigo Paz, stipulates that celebrations may no longer be authorised on regular school days, though they could be organised voluntarily on weekends. Officials said they would consider the clowns’ feedback when drafting the 2027 school‑year regulations, but the promise offered little consolation to the protesters.Elías Gutiérrez, spokesperson for the Confederation of Artisanal Workers of Bolivia, stressed that the measure will shrink their income at a time when the country faces its worst economic crisis in decades. Revenues from natural‑gas exports have plummeted, and a shortage of US dollars has driven up import costs, deepening the financial strain on informal workers.Joining the clowns were tailors who create costumes for children’s events, photographers who cover school festivities, and other artisans dependent on the seasonal market. The demonstrators marched through central La Paz, blowing whistles and setting off small fireworks, while one participant brandished a sign accusing the government of “taking away smiles, and taking work away.”

Unilever, the maker of Marmite and Hellmann's mayonnaise, has agreed to a $44.8 billion deal to combine its food business with US-based McCormick. The deal, which is forecast to result in $600 million of annual cost savings by the end of the third year, will give Unilever majority control of the new company.Under the agreement, McCormick will pay Unilever $15.7 billion in cash and the equivalent of $29.1 billion in shares for most of Unilever's food arm. The new company will combine brands such as Knorr and Pot Noodle with McCormick's condiments and spices, including French's mustard and Cholula hot sauce.Unilever will control 65% of the new spin-off, while McCormick executives will lead the combined company. The deal marks the end of nearly a century of Unilever selling food products in competition against big rivals such as Kraft Heinz, Nestlé, and PepsiCo.The remainder of Unilever, valued at about £100 billion, will focus on beauty, personal care, and home products, repositioning it to compete directly with large household and personal care companies including L'Oréal, Beiersdorf, and Estée Lauder.

The BBC has been accused of creating 'glossy propaganda films' for Saudi Arabia's sovereign wealth fund, Public Investment Fund (PIF), which has raised concerns about the corporation's impartiality and potential damage to its reputation.BBC Storyworks, the corporation's commercial arm, has entered into a partnership with PIF to produce a series of films and written articles lauding Saudi Arabia's progressive attitude towards women and eco-friendly credentials. These content pieces are hosted on a mini-site bearing BBC branding, but are not accessible in the UK unless users employ a VPN.Critics argue that this partnership is inappropriate, especially given Saudi Arabia's human rights record and the 2018 murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi in the Saudi consulate in Istanbul. The BBC's reputation as an unbiased news outlet is at risk, according to former Baghdad bureau chief Patrick Howse: 'The BBC's existence depends on its reputation as an unbiased and reliable news outlet that is beholden to no one and pursues the truth without fear or favour.'The partnership comes as the BBC seeks alternative funding sources due to a dwindling number of licence fee payers, with a loss of about £50m in revenue. Saudi Aramco, the world's largest oil exporter, is also promoting its green credentials through a BBC Storyworks piece funded by PIF, despite significant investments in fossil fuels.Human rights organizations, including Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International, have criticized PIF's investments as tools of Saudi soft power and influence, aimed at whitewashing government abuses. They argue that businesses should avoid activities that bolster the reputation of government entities or officials accused of serious abuses.In response, a BBC Studios spokesperson stated that 'BBC News maintains clear separation between its commercial and editorial departments' and that journalists continue to report impartially and without fear or favour.

A leading Rembrandt scholar, Gary Schwartz, has concluded that a portrait titled 'Old Man with a Gold Chain' and dated to the early 1630s is, in fact, an authentic work by the 17th-century Dutch master. The painting, which has been on loan from Sir Francis Newman, a Cambridge-based entrepreneur, has been reunited with its counterpart at the Art Institute of Chicago.Each of the paintings depicts an older man wearing a gold chain and a plumed hat. For almost four centuries, the two portraits have been separated, with the Chicago version considered the undisputed original. The Newman portrait, slightly smaller and painted on canvas, was previously labelled as a 'copy' by an artist in Rembrandt's workshop.However, Schwartz's research suggests that both paintings are by Rembrandt. He argues that the quality of the brushwork and the practice of Dutch artists creating replicas of their own paintings support this conclusion. In 1699, a French contemporary of Rembrandt noted that it was common for Dutch artists to repeat their works.X-ray and infrared imaging of the Chicago picture revealed underdrawing and adjustments to the man's costume, which were absent from the Newman canvas. This led Schwartz to conclude that the Newman painting was not a workshop reproduction but an original work by Rembrandt.The Hamilton Kerr Institute at the University of Cambridge found that the UK version's canvas and colour pigments matched those used by Rembrandt and his studio. If confirmed as a Rembrandt, the painting will go to a museum, according to Newman.

A massive 40,000lbs of extra-firm tofu was spilled in an accident near Jerome, Missouri, leaving the town with an 'unforgettable' odor. The incident occurred on March 1, when a tractor-trailer crashed off a local highway and into a ravine.The cleanup efforts, humorously referred to as the 'Great Battle of the Jerome Tofu Monster', began immediately. However, the entire cargo was left to ripen and rot for three weeks due to a dispute over insurance. This allowed the tofu to spread into a local creek, exacerbating the smell.Local officials described the odor as 'like a dead animal, but worse'. Fire chief Brandon Williams noted it was 'probably one of the worst smells I've smelled in my life'. The Doolittle rural fire protection district stated that while the main threat has been contained, cleanup and remediation efforts are still ongoing downstream.In a bizarre coincidence, this incident follows another 40,000-lb food-related traffic disaster in the region last year, where a truck carrying ribeye steaks burst into flames. The 'Jerome Tofu Monster' has left a lasting impact on the community, with authorities cautiously referring to a 'tofu-affected area' due to runoff and debris.

Eli Lilly, the US pharmaceutical group behind the Mounjaro weight-loss drug, is seeking to resume its investments in the UK after pausing them last year. The company is in talks with UK ministers to regularly increase NHS drug prices and end a rebate scheme. Patrik Jonsson, president of Eli Lilly's international business, expressed optimism about reaching an agreement this summer.The talks will also explore 'innovative' pricing plans, such as linking payments for anti-obesity drugs to whether the treatment helps patients return to work. This comes as the US pharmaceutical industry increases pressure on the UK, with Keir Starmer agreeing to the first increase in NHS cost-effectiveness thresholds in 27 years. The threshold was raised from £20,000 to £30,000 a year for every year of life gained to £25,000 to £35,000.Eli Lilly was one of several pharmaceutical companies that ditched or paused almost £25bn in planned investments in the UK last year. The company paused its plans to invest in a laboratory site in central London. Jonsson stated that the resumption of Eli Lilly's investment would depend on the outcome of its talks with the government.He emphasized that prices for medicines in the UK had been 'far too low for far too long' and that the threshold couldn't remain static for another three decades. The UK agreed to pay 25% more for new medicines by 2035 as part of a US-UK drug pricing deal, which could eventually reach £9bn a year.Large pharmaceutical companies have protested about a 'rebate' scheme, under which they are required to pay back a chunk of revenue from sales of branded medicines. This scheme is expected to fall in 2026, although Jonsson believes payments 'should actually get down to zero' over time.

The impending retirement of millions of small business owners, primarily from the baby boomer generation, poses a significant challenge for the US economy. According to the Small Business Administration, there are approximately 33 million small businesses in the US, but fewer than 7 million employ people. The rest are often solo operations or side gigs with little to no value if the owner were to suddenly disappear. Many small business owners, like the author, operate in a service-based economy, which accounts for 77% of US GDP. These businesses are often built around the owner, with no hard assets to sell, making them unattractive to potential buyers. The author's own business is a prime example, with no valuable assets, a virtual office, and remote employees. A recent McKinsey report predicts a "great ownership transfer" over the next 10 years, with as many as 6 million small and midsize American businesses changing hands. However, without intentional action, many viable small businesses may close rather than transfer ownership. So, what are the options for these business owners? They could hand down the business to their kids, but this only works if the kids are interested and capable. Another option is to build an actual business with value by changing billing models, enforcing contracts, and creating a sustainable brand. However, this approach can be exhausting, especially for older business owners. A more practical approach for service business owners is to build cash and save for retirement. The author has been pulling profits out of their company and saving, planning for retirement through their savings rather than their business. This transition presents a great opportunity for younger entrepreneurs, who could partner with or purchase businesses from older owners, leveraging their existing operations, customers, and relationships to make improvements and grow the business.

The UK television landscape has undergone a significant change this Easter, as new regulations banning junk food advertising before 9pm have taken effect. For the first time, viewers will not be subjected to a barrage of advertisements for chocolate eggs and hot cross buns during their Easter celebrations.The regulations, which came into force at the beginning of the year, aim to tackle rising childhood obesity by prohibiting products high in fat, sugar, and salt from appearing in TV ads before 9pm. This move has resulted in a sugar-free viewing experience for UK audiences during Easter.The impact on the advertising industry has been notable, with TV advertising spending by confectionery and snacks brands almost halving year-on-year between October and February. Overall TV ad spend is down at least 15% year-on-year.Industry bodies and broadcasters have argued that the ban is more political PR than an effective policy, with the chief executive of ITV, Carolyn McCall, and former Channel 4 boss, Alex Mahon, pointing out that the government’s own research showed that the number of calories saved would be 1.7 a day, about a third of a Smartie.Campaigners argue that big food companies are compensating for the ban by upping marketing budgets on other media, such as outdoor media and radio. A battle is already brewing over the likely introduction of further restrictions, with the government launching a consultation on adopting a newer nutrient profiling model that would deem a far wider range of products too high in fat, salt, and sugar.