Number of UK retailers on brink of collapse soars by 25%

The number of UK retailers on the brink of collapse has risen by a quarter in the final three months of the year, driven by a combination of rising business costs and weak consumer confidence, according to a report.The proportion of retail businesses classed as being in “critical” financial distress increased by 25% to 2,124 in the fourth quarter compared with the previous three months, the insolvency specialists Begbies Traynor said.The general retail sector is under most pressure, with a 29% quarterly increase in businesses in critical financial distress, rising to 1,457 from 1,127 in the third quarter.In the food and drug retail sector there was a 17.2% quarterly increase, with the number of businesses facing collapse rising from 569 in the third quarter to 667 by the end of the 11th week of the final quarter of this year

Nissan shares tumble by most since August amid Honda deal worries

Shares in the Japanese carmaker Nissan have had their biggest fall since August’s stock market sell-off, as investors turned their attention to the company’s planned tie-up with domestic rivals Honda and Mitsubishi.Nissan’s shares fell by as much as 15% on Friday before regaining some losses to close down 7.8%, in a sign of investor volatility.The fall came less than two weeks after its shares soared by 20% on 17 December, after the first reports that Nissan was to begin talks on a potential merger with Honda.Nissan, Honda and Mitsubishi are considering joining forces to better contend with falling sales and competition from Chinese brands

Older music has been getting a second life on TikTok, data shows

This was the year that gen Z had their “Brat summer”, or so we were led to believe.Inspired by the hit album by pop sensation Charli xcx, the trend was seen to embody all the messiness of modern youth: trashy, chaotic and bright green.But on the teenager’s social media platform of choice, TikTok, a more sepia music trend has been taking root.Despite having an endless amount of music to pair with their short, scrollable videos, TikTok users have been raiding the back catalogues of artists from yesteryear including Bronski Beat and Sade to soundtrack their posts.This year set a new high for use of old tracks on British TikTok posts, with tunes more than five years old accounting for 19 out of its 50 top tracks this year

The rise and rise of Maye Musk: China’s love affair with Elon Musk’s mother

Maye Musk is a busy woman. As well as being the mother of the world’s richest man, she has been jetting between various glamorous events – many of them in China. In December alone, she attended a gala dinner in Hangzhou, walked the red carpet for a cosmetics company in Wuhan and signed copies of the Chinese edition of her book, A Woman Makes a Plan, which she described as “a bestseller” in China.In fact, the only Musk-related book on the Chinese bestseller lists in October was a biography of her son Elon Musk by Walter Isaacson. Elon Musk is popular in China, and is thought to have the potential to wield pro-Beijing influence in the otherwise hawkish incoming administration of Donald Trump

Alyssa Healy hopes to return to full fitness in time for historic Women’s Ashes

In a competition for attention between Australia’s first cricketing couple, Alyssa Healy has implored fans to watch the historic women’s Ashes Test at the MCG rather than her husband’s men’s Test in Sri Lanka.This summer’s women’s Ashes starts with ODI and T20 matches next month, and ends with the pink-ball battle in Melbourne, just as the men’s team travels to Sri Lanka for a two-Test series.Healy – who is married to Australia fast bowler Mitchell Starc – said cricket fans are spoiled for choice but the historic day-night Test at the MCG was a rare opportunity.“Come and watch us, it’s way more exciting,” Healy said outside the ground for the announcement of the women’s white ball squad. “Playing a Test series will be great for the boys, but [this is] a day-night Test match at the MCG

Syd Hynes obituary

Syd Hynes, who has died aged 80 after a short illness, gained notoriety by becoming the first player to be sent off in rugby league’s Challenge Cup final. Hynes was captaining Leeds against Leigh at Wembley in 1971 when he was dismissed for allegedly headbutting Leigh’s player-coach Alex Murphy.The incident has passed into rugby league folklore, not least through the (possibly apocryphal) interpretation that Murphy, one of the sport’s great schemers, took a dive, was stretchered off, and after waiting until Hynes had left the pitch, hopped off the stretcher, combed his hair, winked at the BBC television cameras and ran back on to the field, inspiring Leigh to an unexpected victory.While there is no video evidence to corroborate this story, Hynes always protested his innocence, immediately calling his parents to insist he never touched Murphy. After the match he told the media: “Alex conned the touch judge and the referee