
Bumble launches new features, including for compatibility
The dating app Bumble is rolling out new features today, for both its free and
2023-08-10 22:56

6 tips for cutting costs on back-to-school shopping
An estimated $135 billion will be spent on back-to-school and back-to-college shopping in 2023, according to the National Retail Federation, representing the second-largest spending period of the year, behind only the holidays
2023-08-10 22:27

Factbox-Major deals in global luxury market in the past decade
Coach parent Tapestry said on Thursday it will buy Michael Kors owner Capri Holdings in a deal valued
2023-08-10 21:57

Government urged to remove VAT from period pants
More than 50 MPs, retailers and charities have written to the government urging it to remove the 20% VAT on period pants, the reusable underwear designed to be worn as an alternative to using tampons and sanitary towels. Other period products such as pads, tampons and menstrual cups are exempt from VAT, but consumers currently pay a 20% tax on period pants as they are classified as garments. The letter, signed by 35 MPs and peers, the chief executives of Marks & Spencer and Ocado, the publisher of Hello! magazine and several charities and non-profit organisations, including Breast Cancer Now, the Marine Conservation Society and Forum for the Future, calls on Financial Secretary to the Treasury Victoria Atkins to reclassify the pants as period products in the Chancellor’s autumn statement later this year. The government made a brilliant start by removing VAT from disposable period products but we need them to finish the job and level the playing field so that whatever period product someone chooses to use, it is VAT free Victoria McKenzie-Gould, M&S M&S has also launched the new Say Pants to the Tax campaign with the period underwear brand Wuka, promising to pass on 100% of any cost savings to shoppers if it is successful. A five-pack bundle of period pants at M&S costs £35, but would be £28 without VAT, while a pack of three – currently £20 – would drop to £16. M&S, which said it sells more than 6,000 packs of the pants each week, and Wuka calculated that their customers combined had paid more than £3 million in VAT on period pants. A survey of 268 women aged 18 to 54, conducted last month, found that 23% of respondents cited cost as a reason for not using period pants, with 83% in favour of dropping VAT from the products. Period pants can be washed and worn again for months, which means they can save consumers money and help reduce plastic waste. Wuka estimates that one pair of period pants can save 200 single-use plastic disposables from going to landfill. Victoria McKenzie-Gould, corporate affairs director at M&S, said: “The government made a brilliant start by removing VAT from disposable period products but we need them to finish the job and level the playing field so that whatever period product someone chooses to use, it is VAT free. “Nearly 25% of women cite cost as a barrier to using period pants. If they were classified as they should be – as a period product – the government can make this brilliant alternative to disposable products a more cost-effective option for UK consumers.” In May, the Treasury said it would analyse whether the removal of the “tampon tax” has helped lower prices. Responding to a written question from the Labour MP Ruth Cadbury, the government said a tax reduction was able to “contribute to the conditions for price reductions” and it was “looking into whether this important zero rating is being passed on by retailers to women as intended”. Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live How to lower your blood sugar levels, as new research reveals heart disease link Remove VAT from period pants, government urged ‘Long Covid has taken away my ability to eat food or urinate in three years’
2023-08-10 21:25

Virgin Galactic Is Set to Fly First Private Tourists to Space
Virgin Galactic Holdings Inc. is poised to launch its first private space tourists on Thursday morning, the company’s
2023-08-10 21:20

Shipping CEO Sees ‘Green Shoots,’ Says Container Rates Must Rise
Supply Lines is a daily newsletter that tracks global trade. Sign up here. The container shipping industry’s year-long
2023-08-10 20:59

Pedaling beats polarization in a huge, cross-Iowa bike ride
American politics are tense and polarized, and the Iowa causes are just six months away
2023-08-10 20:49

Olive Oil Shock Keeps Cost of Making Pizza Margherita High
The cost of making a classic Pizza Margherita at home rose at more than twice the pace of
2023-08-10 20:27

Coach Owner to Buy Michael Kors Parent in $8.5 Billion Deal
Tapestry Inc., the owner of brands including Coach and Kate Spade, agreed to acquire Michael Kors parent Capri
2023-08-10 19:59

Big fashion is getting bigger. Parent of Coach will buy Versace owner Capri in $8.5 billion deal
Tapestry, parent company of luxury handbag and accessories retailer Coach, is buying the owner of fashion brands including Michael Kors, Versace and Jimmy Choo, Capri Holdings
2023-08-10 19:56

Airlines will continue to fly fewer flights to New York and Washington as FAA faces staffing shortages
The federal government is allowing airlines to continue to run reduced flight schedules to major airports serving New York City and Washington in hopes of curbing flight cancellations and reducing the burden on short-staffed air traffic controllers.
2023-08-10 19:51

Virgin Galactic all set to fly its first tourists to the edge of space
Virgin Galactic is finally taking its first space tourists on a rocket ship ride after years of delays
2023-08-10 19:23