Latest news with #AndrewMartin
Times
13-07-2025
- Times
Hotel Supetar Cavtat review: understated elegance on the Dalmatian Riviera
This classy hotel in the pretty town of Cavtat, on the Adriatic coast of Croatia, is housed in a handsome 1920s waterfront villa with the usual Dalmatian trappings of creamy stone and green shutters. Inside is a boutique lover's dream — it was transformed in 2022 from a humdrum three-star into an intimate, five-star bolt hole with a delightful garden, pool and sea-facing roof terrace. There is a definite sense of being looked after royally when you're offered a cold flannel and iced water immediately on arrival. The vibe is understated elegance throughout, from the 21 lovely rooms to the public areas with a changing roster of art exhibits. This article contains affiliate links, which may earn us revenue Score 8/10There's a calming mix of English and French country-house style and some bold design touches, including eye-catching (but not jarring) wallpaper in some of the rooms. Florals are fresh rather than chintzy, with hints of Englishness in the fabric headboards that come from Andrew Martin, based in Chelsea, west London. The whole effect is a soothing one, featuring light oak floors and marble bathrooms, with a touch of art nouveau in the tiling adding to a spacious and airy feel. There are 16 rooms in the main house and five in a neighbouring stone house, with views either of the seafront or the palm-shaded greenery of the gardens leading to the pool area. The smallest room in the main house comes with a little patio — if you'd like it ask for room No 107. • Discover our full guide to Croatia Score 9/10You'll eat well here. Not surprisingly, the restaurant's Mediterranean-Croatian menu is heavy on local seafood — crab, octopus, swordfish, dentex fish and scallops from nearby Ston — while Istrian beef, Pag lamb and wild rabbit satisfy the carnivores. But it's all done with a delicate and assured touch. The setting is very romantic: a wide roof terrace with views of the sea for those sultry Dalmatian summer evenings. Sink into one of the squashy sofas for a cocktail before you eat. Breakfast is just as impressive, with most produce sourced from nearby suppliers. An expansive buffet of salad, meat, cheese, seafood, fresh fruit and pastries competes with a tempting menu of eggs cooked numerous ways, plus sausages, bacon and courgette fritters. One of the hotel's cosiest spots is its ground-floor bar, a clubby, cocoon-like space that has an excellent selection of wines, including those made from local grape varieties such as grk, posip and plavac mali. There's also a lounge terrace in the area between the hotel's two buildings. • Best Croatian islands to visit• Best luxury villas in Croatia Score 7/10Behind the hotel are the gardens, where you can relax under palm and citrus trees before walking up stone steps to the pool and flopping on one of the sunbeds. It's not a very big pool, but it is certainly a peaceful spot to while away the hours. The hotel's neighbouring building has massage rooms and a sauna, and guests are able to use the extensive facilities at its five-star sister property Hotel Croatia Cavtat, accessed via a shuttle. Here you can swim in the saltwater outdoor and indoor pools before drying off in the sauna or unwinding in the steam room. The resort also has loungers on the nearby beach that Hotel Supetar Cavtat guests can use for free. Score 8/10The hotel is in a prime waterfront spot in the main harbour, discreetly back from the water's edge. There is a beach just a few yards away, and if you continue along the footpath you can wander around the pine-shaded headland that forms one of Cavtat's two forested peninsulas. The town makes an appealing alternative base to Dubrovnik: it's only a 15-minute drive from the airport and boat trips to nearby islands are offered just a few minutes' walk from the hotel. You can also sail to Dubrovnik — or just hop on the bus if you're not in a hurry (about 40 minutes). Price B&B doubles from £427Restaurant mains from £33Family-friendly NAccessible N Mary Novakovich was a guest of Hotel Supetar Cavtat ( • Best things to do in Croatia• Best beaches in Croatia
Forbes
10-07-2025
- Business
- Forbes
Facing A $57 Million Federal Tax Bill, Washington University Chancellor Worriers About Other 'Existential Threats'
Washington University in St. Louis is one of at least 10 schools that will see its endowment tax rate jump from 1.4% to at least 4% in 2026. getty Republicans just stuck Washington University in St. Louis with a much bigger tax bill on its $12 billion endowment. University chancellor Andrew Martin told students, faculty and staff in an email Wednesday that the Congressional budget bill signed into law by President Donald Trump last Friday will hit the university's $12 billion endowment with a 4% excise tax on its investment returns, up from the previous 1.4% rate, starting in January . The estimated $57 million annual tax is a $37 million increase from Washington University's previous tax liability, Martin wrote. 'While this is a significant increase, it is a much better outcome than some of the earlier proposals, which could have raised the rate to as high as 21%. It is not an exaggeration to say that, of the many existential threats we face in the current environment, an increase in our tax liability of that magnitude would have been catastrophic,' he said in the email. Using the latest available federal data from fiscal year 2023, Forbes estimated that at least 10 schools will likely see the tax rate on their endowments increase in 2026. Another 27 colleges likely got a tax break—they do not meet the new 3,000 tuition-paying student enrollment threshold for the endowment tax. These estimates are conservative, given that enrollments fluctuate year to year and endowments mostly grew between fiscal 2023 and fiscal 2024 thanks to high stock market returns. A survey of 658 colleges, which includes some of the wealthiest schools, by Commonfund with the National Association of College and University Business Officers showed college endowments grew by 11% in fiscal 2024, which ended on June 30, 2024. Washington University has seen its endowment balloon in recent years—at the end of fiscal 2021, the endowment netted a mind-boggling 65% return (the median return for college endowments that year was 27%), which brought its value from $9.6 billion to $15.3 billion. The endowment, now valued at $12 billion, generated an 8.7% return in fiscal 2024, following two years of negative returns in fiscal 2023 and 2022. There's plenty more in the budget bill that will impact universities. The bill brought a slate of changes to federal student loans, scrapped regulations for for-profit schools, changed Pell grant eligibility requirements—and that's just in the sections directly related to education. 'Changes to Medicaid funding, energy policy and other topics addressed in this new legislation may also impact the WashU community in the years ahead,' Martin wrote. 'We will be communicating soon about steps we will need to take to preserve university resources and become a more efficient and resilient organization.' More From Forbes Forbes These 26 Rich Private Colleges Just Got A Tax Cut From Republicans By Emma Whitford Forbes Unprecedented Student Loan Overhaul In 'Big Beautiful Bill' Passes House, Heads To Trump By Adam S. Minsky Forbes Here's What The Senate Budget And Tax Bill Means For Colleges By Emma Whitford
Scottish Sun
18-06-2025
- Business
- Scottish Sun
I gave my house a designer makeover using Shein for just £270 – but there's a catch they don't tell you about
Janine, whose method is to spend more on big-ticket items, reveals her star buy and what she really thinks of the quality of Shein's homeware HOUSE THIS! I gave my house a designer makeover using Shein for just £270 – but there's a catch they don't tell you about GIVING your home a designer makeover – but with a bargain price tag – sounds like an impossible task. But while Janine Santos was browsing the Chinese retail website, Shein – known for selling clothes super cheaply – she suddenly spotted a 'Home & Kitchen' category. Advertisement 8 Janine Santos transformed her Cardiff home for just £269 using Shein's homeware Credit: Huw Evans 8 She bought these two single curtains for just £21.75 each Credit: Huw Evans 8 She ordered these £3 and £7 prints to decorate the walls as well as dried pampas grass for £4.19 Credit: Huw Evans There, on her screen, appeared to be the solution to her problem. Attractive-looking curtains, cushions, tapestries, bedding, storage baskets and much more were being offered at rock bottom prices. It seemed too good to be true. Advertisement One thing led to another and soon Janine had bought around 50 items to give her Cardiff home a stylish new 'boho' look that has transformed it from top to bottom. The bill for her haul came in at just £269. 'I wasn't sure about it, as it was so cheap,' says Janine, a 47-year-old cruise fleet manager. 'But the quality looked good. 'Even if I'd gone somewhere else which is considered good value, like Ikea, I would have spent over £1000, easy.' Before she discovered Shein homeware, Janine had a weakness for splurging on high end, expensive items. Advertisement 'I used to use brands like Andrew Martin, Osborne & Little and Farrow & Ball,' says Janine, who is mum to Keanau, 26, and married to Damon, 53, a tiler. 'I also used to love Flamant, a high-end Belgian brand. They were my go-to for timeless pieces.' But when she decided to give her three-bedroom semi a refresh last December, Janine was looking to economise. 'I spend six months away at sea each year with work and when I come home, all I want is a space to relax,' she says. You'd never know I live in a council house thanks to how good it looks - I shopped in IKEA & an Amazon tip saved me cash 'I'd been meaning to do this for a while and make it feel more homely. But I wanted to tighten my belt. I prefer to spend my money on experiences these days, like holidays, and thought: 'How can I do this affordably?'' Janine was shopping for clothing on Shein last December when she noticed they also sell homeware. Advertisement The China-based retailer's popularity is currently soaring in the UK, with sales jumping by nearly 40 per cent to £1.5bn last year. It is expected to become Britain's sixth largest clothing retailer by 2027. For Janine, the prices seemed too good to ignore, so she ordered two photographic prints and some pampas grass to test the waters. 'I used to buy my prints from King & McGaw, which specialises in fine art prints,' says Janine. 'I paid £300 each for two prints years ago. 'But these 50cm x 70cm Shein prints were £3 and £7. I didn't know what to expect, but I was pleasantly surprised. They were delivered eight days later, in a cardboard box, and were printed on high quality cardboard. They also came rolled up, so there were no creases. Advertisement 'They didn't come with frames, so I got some from Amazon, at £50 for three.' A couple of weeks later, Janine placed a second, bigger order, then a third. She bought, among other items, a rug to go in front of the fire (£5.24), a king size duvet cover set with pillows (£26.48), two single curtains (£21.75 each), a beige woven wall tapestry (£2.29), dried pampas grass (£4.19), two artificial ivy plants (£1.85 each), three white woven storage baskets (£6.12 each), a wall sticker (£1.30) and a cute ornament of someone reading (£1.10). 8 Janine's house looks very boho chic thanks to this beige woven wall tapestry, £2.29, from Shein Credit: Jam Press 8 She also paid £25 for a king size polycotton white duvet cover and two matching pillowcases Credit: Jam Press Advertisement 'Cushion crazy' 'When I told my husband how much everything cost, he said: 'There's no way, you're lying to me.' 'And one friend who came round couldn't believe it when I told her so much of my stuff was from Shein – she literally screamed. I think she was expecting me to say some fancy, overpriced designer brand. 'She went straight to the website and started filling her basket. People have this idea that Shein is only for clothes – but the home stuff is genuinely stylish and surprisingly good quality. Nothing I ordered felt below par.' When I told my husband how much everything cost, he said: 'There's no way, you're lying to me' Janine's star buy was a pair of cream curtains for the bedroom. Curtains are sold individually on Shein and Janine bought two for £21.75 each. 'In the past I've paid over a thousand pounds for a pair of curtains,' she says. 'They were handmade, very thick, like quilts. I don't feel I need that sort of thing any more.'They're my favourite - they're lined and they've got this lace overlay – they're really drapey and beautiful. I bought the pole off Shein as well for £11.44.' Advertisement Janine is also impressed with the bedding she bought from the retailer. She paid £25 for a king size polycotton white duvet cover and two matching pillowcases. And the cushions were so cheap – just £3 each – that Janine went 'cushion crazy'. 'I've got them all over the house,' she says. 'One is a tan leather look, the others are like the tapestry on the wall, with tassels on them. Damon loves the new look. The only thing he has said is: 'Please, no more cushions'.' 'Boho with a designer twist' Another big hit was the pampas grass. Advertisement 'I ordered the large size,' says Janine. I thought: 'It's going to be limp, but I can try it.' Luckily, it's really full.' Janine's method is to spend more money on big-ticket items – she recently bought a bed and chest of drawers from Freemans for about £1000 and a sofa from DFS for around £2,000 – and save on the accessories that finish off a room. She describes her style as 'boho with a designer twist', mixing budget buys with statement pieces. 'Spending so little is great, because if I want to do a different theme, I can buy a load more stuff from Shein,' she says. 'I will give these to charity, then I can buy new things. I'm just layering on to make a new theme. The foundations stay, they are good quality.' Shipping is free, too, if you spend more than £35. And there are other incentives, says Janine. Advertisement 'They give you vouchers. They say: add another item to your basket to receive a bigger discount. 'Then when I look at it, it's as if I've got those curtains free.' But Shein is not popular with everyone. The brand has been criticised for its sustainability practices, with concerns raised about textile waste and excessive carbon emissions. I'm not here trying to impress anyone, I'm creating a space that feels like me Last August, Shein admitted it had found two cases of child labour in its supply chain and factories failing to pay the minimum wage. Janine says: 'I know there are conversations around sustainability with brands like Shein and it's something I do think about. Advertisement 'When I was decorating, I made sure to choose pieces I actually love and knew I'd keep – not something trendy for a quick fix. I've never been sent the wrong product, or had to return anything, either. 'I think sustainability is also about how you use things and how long you keep them, not just where they come from.' 'I've mixed and matched, like I would with clothes. I might buy a designer outfit, but wear a T-shirt from Primark. 'I'll change a few things in winter, like adding a fluffy rug and throws. I like that I can switch things up without spending a fortune.' Janine has converted the garage in her house, adding an upstairs level and separate entrance to create an Airbnb. Advertisement She also has an Airbnb property in Egypt. Both are decorated with Shein homeware. 'I love my 'Shein house',' she says. 'It feels warm, modern and personal – and that's what matters, not that I've had any negative comments – quite the reverse. 'I'm not here trying to impress anyone, I'm creating a space that feels like me. It's like I've curated a little Pinterest board in real life.' 8 She choses to spend more money on big-ticket item such as this sofa from DFS for £2,000, and instead save on the accessories that finish off a room Credit: Huw Evans Advertisement 8 I love my 'Shein house', says Janine Credit: Huw Evans
BBC News
06-06-2025
- BBC News
Malcolm McKeown: Two men found guilty over Waringstown murder
Two men have been found guilty of the murder of Malcolm McKeown in McKeown, 54, was shot as he sat in a BMW parked at the back of a service station in Waringstown, County Down, in August of that O'Brien, 30, from Rectory Road in Lurgan, County Armagh, and Andrew Thomas Kenneth Martin of Bridge Street in Banbridge, County Down, were both found guilty at Belfast Crown Court on other men - Stevie Lee Watson, 36, from Princeton Avenue in Lurgan and 36-year-old Simon Smyth from Hazelgrove Avenue in Lurgan - were both acquitted of murder and possessing a firearm with intent to endanger life. Martin admitted to "aiding and abetting" Mr McKeown's murder last while the 29-year-old was given an automatic life sentence, his plea was not accepted by the the non-jury Diplock trial, the assistant state pathologist said the victim died from bullet wounds to his head and body and was hit by at least six pathologist said it was "quite possible" the muzzle of the weapon had been pressed against the victim's was also heard that Mr McKeown was involved in a feud with a criminal organisation known as 'The Firm'.Two young boys out riding their bikes found Mr McKeown's to follow.
Bloomberg
28-05-2025
- Business
- Bloomberg
Freepoint Commodities Ex-Analyst Claims Illegal Retaliation
A former senior analyst with Freepoint Commodities LLC claims he was fired from the energy-trading firm for resisting pressure to cooperate with executives in illegal insider trading, market manipulation and trade-theft schemes. The analyst, Andrew Martin, sued May 14 in Manhattan federal court claiming wrongful termination and retaliation by Freepoint, where he had worked for a decade. Martin claimed he was fired to prevent him from reporting alleged violations during a planned visit by the Federal Bureau of Investigation to Freepoint's Stamford, Connecticut, headquarters.
