Spring (statement) is just around the corner 🌱

Happy Monday. If you’re not waking up this Monday morning full of beans, we feel for you. Two people who definitely will be are Suni Williams and Butch Wilmore, who finally made it back to earth after a whopping nine months stuck at the International Space Station!

That gives them both approximately 156 episodes of Coronation Street to catch up on while they rest up (less a few episodes for when the Euros were on - we’re still pretending that didn’t happen). Their original mission was set for eight days, and the worst bit? NASA rules say they wouldn’t have been entitled to overtime beyond their standard weekly hours!

MARKETS

Data: Google Finance, 5-day Market Close

Notable UK earnings this week: Next (NXT), Smiths (SMIN), Kingfisher (KGF), Bellway (BWY).

Notable US earnings this week: Cintas (CTAS), Paychex (PAYX), LuluLemon (LULU), Dollar Tree (DLTR).

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PROJECT WATCH

🏠 Southern Housing seek 10 firms for 20 year framework worth £1.7bn. Read more

💧 Nel to provide electrolyzer for Aberdeen hydrogen hub. Read more

🔌 National Grid awards contracts to ten suppliers for HVDC supply chain. Read more

ECONOMY & FINANCE

Financial impact of Heathrow fire
Sometimes you see airport closure news and think if the nightmare for travellers, but ever wonder of the wider impact? Oxford Economics tell the Independent that A fire-induced power outage at Heathrow left thousands stranded and the UK economy nursing a potential £4.8 million daily loss in tourism revenue. With 1,351 flights either grounded or rerouted, the ripple effect extended far beyond frustrated passengers to businesses and airlines scrambling to mitigate the chaos.

Oxford Economics estimates this eye-watering figure by analysing average visitor numbers and their usual daily spend. Given that over a third of international arrivals into the UK funnel through Heathrow, it’s not just luggage that’s been lost in transit—so too has a sizeable economic injection.

There is, however, a faint silver lining. Some stranded travellers will inevitably spend more while marooned in duty-free purgatory, numbing their woes with overpriced sandwiches and questionable souvenirs. But don’t get too optimistic—beyond lost tourism, the financial fallout includes disrupted wages, crippled airport retail, and taxi drivers sat idle instead of cashing in on costly airport runs.

And it’s not just about the stranded jet-setters. Heathrow is a crucial artery for cargo, including fragile, high-value goods. Delays here don’t just mean missed holidays—they mean supply chain nightmares and financial hits for businesses reliant on timely deliveries.

Spring statement looms
On Wednesday, the Chancellor of the Exchequer dusts off the nation’s P&L and gives us a sneak peek at how the UK’s finances are holding up. Think of it as the government's financial health check—less glitzy than the Autumn Budget, but still packed with enough facts, figures, and forecasts to keep economists and political pundits buzzing.

Early expectations are that there’ll be a cut to spending (oh dear), but that there won’t be any tax rises (hooray!). There is expected to be a major cut to the civil service - reducing administrative budgets by 10% to save a whopping £1.5 billion per year.

POLITICS

Civil service on the scales
Rachel Reeves is wielding her Chancellor's scissors with enthusiasm, announcing plans to trim 10,000 civil service jobs. General Secretary Dave Penman suggested that "the idea that cuts of this scale can be delivered by cutting HR and comms teams is for the birds." Slimming down by £2bn might prove to be a more painful diet than expected.

Balkan break for failed asylum seekers
The government is reportedly eyeing the Balkans as a potential destination for failed asylum seekers. Unlike the previous government's Rwanda scheme, these "return hubs" would only house those whose claims and appeals have been completely exhausted. Home Office officials believe the scheme could save money and reduce pressure on local authorities. With over 5,000 Channel crossings already this year, the government seems desperate for any migration solution that works.

Hang up on school phones
Labour is facing Conservative pressure to ban mobile phones in schools through an amendment to the Children's Wellbeing and Schools Bill. Though the Conservative amendment is unlikely to succeed given Labour's 167-seat majority, the government maintains that "97% of schools restrict mobile phone use in some way" and that headteachers already have necessary powers. One thing's certain – this political call won't be going to voicemail anytime soon.

ACROSS THE POND

Access denied.
Donald Trump has stripped Joe Biden, Kamala Harris, and others on his 'naughty list' of their security clearances. It's the sort of memo that pairs well with popcorn, issued late Friday.

The decision extends to America's diplomatic ghosts of Christmas past: ex-Secretary of State Antony Blinken, former representatives Liz Cheney and Adam Kinzinger, and New York’s attorney general Letitia James. All will be left out of the club that gets to hear the 'classified jokes'.

The privilege is usually afforded to outgoing presidents and a select number of officials after they leave public office, though Trump did have his own access revoked when Biden took office in 2021, claiming Trump’s behaviour was “too erratic” to keep security clearances.

Trump pontificated that it's no longer in the 'national interest' for his personal rogue's gallery to get a look at any state secrets.

P47 announces new F47 jet
Boeing has snagged a mammoth $20 billion contract (about £16 billion in real money) for the U.S. Air Force's Next Generation Air Dominance program. The contract provides relief for Boeing after a troubling annual loss and industrial strikes (talk about a wing and a prayer). Shares are ascending while Lockheed Martin takes a stock market nosedive.

The new F-47 (conveniently named by/after the 47th president?) is set to challenge Lockheed's F-22 and enter combat alongside drones. This bit has Elon Musk raising an eyebrow, suggesting that drones might fare better without human chaperones.

The rivalry isn't over yet, though. Lockheed, not one to take rejection lying down in its boardroom, may contest the decision. However, with Trump trumpeting the news in such a high-profile event, a turnaround doesn’t seem very likely.

TECH

Mouse-to-mouse CPR
Who knew mice were secretly practising medicine without a license? Scientists have discovered that mice perform a rodent version of CPR on their unconscious friends. When encountering a passed-out pal, these pint-sized paramedics start with a sniff check, then progress to tongue-pulling and airway clearing. Talk about taking the buddy system to the next level! And it turns out this life-saving behaviour is hardwired into their little brains, with females showing more empathy than males (no surprises there).

Apollo's first day at work: no coffee run required
The robot revolution is taking its first awkward steps! Apollo, a 5'8" humanoid robot, has officially clocked in at Mercedes-Benz, assembling engine parts with all the grace of an intern on their first day. Unlike your typical factory robots that stay bolted in place, Apollo can move around freely—no cubicle required.

Mercedes is betting big on these mechanical coworkers, taking a stake in Apollo’s maker, and seeing them as the perfect solution for tasks too "dull, dirty or dangerous" for humans. At 25kg lifting capacity, Apollo could help you move your sofa and probably not even complain about it.

WORLD

Istanbul Mayor's prison path to the presidency
Talk about terrible timing! Istanbul's mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu has been dramatically jailed on corruption charges—conveniently on the same day he was expected to receive his party's nomination to run for president. Coincidence? His supporters think not. The mayor of Turkey's largest city was swept up in dawn raids along with dozens of staff and officials.

The arrest has sparked mass protests across Turkey, with tens of thousands hitting the streets nightly and clashing with police. Meanwhile, İmamoğlu's party is holding symbolic primary votes, which have turned into massive shows of support with queues stretching around blocks.

From 'world's ugliest' to New Zealand's finest
In a stunning career rebrand, the blobfish—once crowned the "world's ugliest animal"—has snagged the coveted title of New Zealand's Fish of the Year. This gelatinous deep-sea dweller, which resembles "a failed medical experiment" when brought to the surface, beat out stiff competition including the orange roughy and the longfin eel. The blobfish lives in the highly pressurized depths off New Zealand and Australia, lacks a swim bladder, full skeleton, muscles, or scales, and pretty much just floats around waiting for food to swim into its mouth. Talk about living the dream- it's the ultimate ugly duckling story!

There’s still tea in the pot...
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Cuppa Chat: Cheat Sheet

⛳🏆 England's Mimi Rhodes wins her maiden Ladies European Tour victory at the Women's NSW Open, finishing with a 17-under in Wollongong, Australia.

🏎️🚫 Lewis Hamilton was disqualified from the Chinese GP for a technical infraction with his Ferrari's skid block, overturning his sixth-place finish. Ferrari team-mate Charles Leclerc and Alpine's Pierre Gasly were also disqualified for underweight cars.

🏉🇬🇧 England women's rugby team began their Six Nations title defence with a 38-5 win over Italy, extending their winning streak to 21 games.

📚🌟 A Bible donated to an Oxfam shop in Chelmsford sold for over £56,000 at auction, surpassing its initial estimate of up to £800. The rare 1815 text is the first Bible written in Chinese.

🏃‍♂️💪 Jamie Laing completes his Comic Relief Ultra Marathon challenge, running 150 miles and raising over £2m for charity.

🎸🎤 The Searchers will end their 68-year touring career with a debut at Glastonbury on 27 June 2025.

🎤🎬 Inbetweeners stars James Buckley and Joe Thomas reunite for Comic Relief's sketch "Oasis: The Reunion: The Movie," portraying the Gallagher brothers.

🌳🇵🇱 The 300-year-old Heart of the Dalkowskie Hills beech tree wins Poland the European Tree of the Year award for the fourth time.