CHANCELLOR Jeremy Hunt raised hopes of tax cuts before the election yesterday after inflation fell to its lowest level in two years.

He said the drop “opens the door” to lower interest rates, which would make mortgages cheaper.

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And he said this could mean the opportunity to “stimulate growth and make work pay” by cutting national insurance rates.

It will be welcome news for Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, under pressure amid speculation of a challenge to his leadership.

At a meeting of the 1922 Committee last night, Mr Sunak urged backstabbing Tory MPs to work together and dismissed “Westminster gossip” about conspiracies.

Supporters greeted him by banging tables and described his speech as “uplifting”.

Mr Sunak also told the BBC that he would still be Prime Minister after the May 2 local elections, saying that “2024 will prove to be the year the economy recovers”.

Inflation fell from 4 percent to a better-than-expected 3.4 percent as the costs of buying food and eating out fell.

There is plenty of speculation about a mini-budget in the US autumn before the country goes to the polls.

Mr Hunt, who cut the NI rate by 4p, said: “As inflation gets closer to its level goalThat opens the door for the Bank of England to consider cutting interest rates, that brings mortgage rates down, that makes a big difference.

“It is far too early to know whether there will be another budget event before the election, but you can see that the tough decisions the government has made over the past year are paying off.”

Bank executives today plan to keep interest rates at 5.25 percent because inflation, which stood at 11 percent in 2022, is still above the two percent target.

Mr Sunak said the fall was “good news for you, your family and the country”.

But Labor shadow chancellor Rachel Reeves insisted: “Prices are still high tax The costs are the highest in seventy years and mortgage costs are rising.”

Konstantin Koltsov, the boyfriend of tennis superstar Aryna Sabalenka, “was most likely drunk” when he died in Miami, his ex-wife has told media in Belarus.

Police confirmed on Tuesday that Koltsov had been to date Australian Open champion Sabalenka, 25, died on Monday at the age of 42 in an “apparent suicide” after jumping from a hotel balcony in Miami.

The Belarusian former professional hockey player, who shares three children with ex-wife Julija Mikhailova, is said to have joined his girlfriend in the city as she prepares for the Miami Open, where she starts her campaign on Friday.

Miami-Dade police have taken over the investigation into the suspected suicide, but in an interview with media in her native Belarus, Mikhailova gave her thoughts on what could have happened.

She has claimed her ex-husband was “most likely drunk” before the fatal fall, and while she says liquor bottles were found in his hotel room, officers could not find a suicide note. She also says that she believes his recent behavior indicated he was not preparing for suicide.

‘Most likely he was very drunk,” she said Zerkalo. ‘Unfortunately, hockey players are sometimes guilty of that.

‘Empty alcohol bottles were found in the room where Konstantin was staying. There was a balcony with an ocean view. Probably Konstantin did not keep track of his actions.

‘WWe still have the old family computer with Konstantin’s email. I knew the passwords and managed to open some emails. Konstantin had also booked apartments at another location. Purchases that have not yet arrived have been paid for. He rented a car for a long time.

“That is, he did not mean to die. Of course, anything can go to your head, but there was no sign of tragedy.”

She added that he had fallen from the 23rd floor of the St Regis Bal Harbor Resort, and while police immediately ruled out homicide, their investigation is expected to be completed within a month.

Mikhailova said their children Daniel, Alexander and Stefan, aged 18, 16 and five, are coming to terms with his death and claimed the couple’s eldest son, Daniel, is the heir to his estate.

Reflecting on her relationship with Sabalenka, Mikhailova said: ‘Nice girl. I loved Konstantin very much, but Sabalenka treated my children well, so I have a normal attitude towards her.’

She also shared how she first heard of her ex-husband’s death.

“It was March 18,” she said. ‘At first they called me several times asking if I was at home and saying they wanted to tell me something about Konstantin. And then the detective came.

‘He tried to convey the news in a gentle manner as much as possible. But of course I was in shock.

“He then shared information, asked some appropriate questions, explained several procedural points and said we could call him anytime.”

Mikhailova added that she had shared very little communication with Koltsov in the weeks leading up to his death.

Elsewhere, Koltsov’s first coach, Vladislav Astapenko, has expressed his belief that the 42-year-old’s death is linked to family problems.

“He had an argument, it’s a family situation,” he said Tribuna. ‘I can’t understand it myself, it’s very difficult, it’s difficult now’

According to investigators, Bal Harbor police and firefighters were dispatched to the St. Regis Bal Harbor Resort in reference to a man who jumped from a balcony at 12:39 a.m. ET on Monday.

Reports from his native Belarus initially claimed that Kolstov had died of a “dislodged blood clot.”

Koltsov, who played hockey for the NHL’s Pittsburgh Penguins, was pronounced dead by his former club Salavat Yulaev Ufa on the social messaging site Telegram on Tuesday.

“It is with deep sadness that we inform you that Salavat Yulaev’s coach, Konstantin Koltsov, has passed away,” the Russian club’s statement read.

‘He was a strong and cheerful person, he was loved and respected by players, colleagues and fans. Konstantin wrote himself into the history of our club forever.

‘Koltsov won the Russian Championship and the Gagarin Cup as part of Salavat Yulaev and did a great job in the team’s technical staff.

“May his memory burn brightly.”

The death of Sabalenka’s partner comes just five years after her lost her father Sergey after his sudden death at the age of 43.

Like Koltsov, her father had also played professional hockey, and the Belarusian athlete has often spoken about the motivation her father inspired her in her tennis game.

Despite his apparent suicide, the Tennis Channel reports that Sabalenka still plans to play the tournament in the Sunshine State this month.

As a result, she returned to the court on Tuesday to practice for her draw in Friday’s Round of 64, when she will meet the winner of Simona Halep and Paula Badosa’s opening match.

In footage shared by Polish sports commentator Bartosz Ignacik, Sabalenka is seen working her serve, just 24 hours after Koltsov’s death was confirmed.

Sabalenka and Koltsov were first linked in June 2021 and the two-time Australian Open winner has regularly posted photos of them together on her Instagram account.

“I love you @koltsov2021,” she wrote in a message with hearts and other emojis.

“Happy birthday my love. You are my dearest person, my best friend and my strongest support. Peace be with you, strength, patience and health.

‘I hope we get everything we planned. I love you.’

For support, call Samaritans on 116123 in the UK or visit www.samaritans.org or www.thecalmzone.net/get-supportor call the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline on 988 in the US.

Gucci treated a top saleswoman who sold $50 million worth of designer goods like a slave, mocking her age and bullying her until she withered away and her hair fell out, a lawsuit alleges.

Tracy Cohen worked for eighteen years as a customer advisor sales associate for Gucci’s Chicago store on Michigan Avenue. She sold more than $50 million worth of goods, including $5 million in 2021 alone. But in October 2023, she was fired without severance.

Cohen, 54, claims she was discriminated against because of her age and that bosses favored those under 40. She also claims she was targeted because of her gender and disability: anxiety and depression.

She was told she was “crazy” and “old” because she complained about working 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

Cohen says she has been denied thousands of commissions to punish her for filing a complaint with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) and the Illinois Human Rights Division.

In the complaint, Cohen alleged that Gucci’s top boss ignored her pleas. When she went to her manager and human resources, hoping to finally get help, she was told she had been suspended and was “being investigated.”

The lawsuit against Kering, Gucci, Gucci, Gucci America, Inc. and Gucci North American Holdings was filed on January 22, 2024 in the US District Court for the Northern District of Illinois, Eastern Division.

The lawsuit alleges that “during her employment, Gucci, instead of wooing her with recognition and giving her opportunities for success, instead consumed nearly every second of her life and exploited her through a modern-day slavery program of psychological abuse, manipulation and discrimination.” with her collaborators – Gucci and Kering – destroying her sense of self and putting her in constant fear of losing her job.”

Cohen was hired by Gucci in 2006. In 2018, she became the number one salesperson at Gucci Chicago, surpassing at least twenty other sales associates. She was responsible for 15 percent of the store’s entire monthly quota.

In 2021 – the year she moved $5 million worth of goods – she received a bonus of just $20,000, it is claimed.

According to the complaint, Gucci and Kering devised an elaborate scheme of deception to induce Cohen to sell more Gucci products while she remained in fear of losing her job.

“Defendants controlled nearly all aspects of Plaintiff’s life by isolating her from society, requiring her to work 24 hours a day while connected to her electronic sales equipment, making negative comments about her age and mental health, and giving her a monthly sales quota that was nearly two to three times the quota of her peers,” the complaint said.

When she was suspended, something that has never happened in her 18-year career, she was told she was “under investigation.”

The company continued to punish her, telling her she could still sell from home during the five-day suspension. But bosses banned her from speaking to any of her co-workers while she was “under investigation,” further isolating, traumatizing and bullying her, the lawsuit alleges.

The lawsuit alleges that co-workers confided in her that they witnessed the suspects assaulting her, but never came to her aid. Instead, they watched her physically deteriorate,” the complaint said.

A male employee under the age of 40 told him, “Why don’t you just quit,” after watching her manager bully her, according to the complaint.

She was also denied an assistant to help her manage her excessive workload, according to the complaint.

“Plaintiff continued to work under exploitative conditions as her hair fell out, and as she visibly wasted away to skin and bones, suffering the physical manifestation of Defendants’ disparate treatment of her,” the complaint said.

While in the top position, she continually told her superiors that she was suffering from exhaustion, anxiety and depression, and that their behavior was exacerbating her disabilities.”

When she confronted both Gucci and Kering, she claimed the managers had bullied her. When she asked to be transferred to another store, they refused, while transferring younger, non-disabled, less successful colleagues to other locations.

In September 2022, when she went to then-president and CEO of Gucci, Marco Bizzarri, who had reportedly created a “values ​​framework” dedicated to women’s rights and equality in the workplace, hoping she would listen to him, the lawsuit that he ignored it.

“President Bizzarri ignored Plaintiff, the female employee who generated nearly $50 million in revenue for Gucci and Kering during her nearly 18-year career,” the lawsuit said.

Cohen claims in the lawsuit that she was excluded from prestigious opportunities, and that she felt guilty when she tried to take time off. One such instance was when her father was dying and she had to care for him, she claimed.

In March 2022, when She was asked to nominate a dear customer for Billie Eilish concert tickets. Management told her her customer choice was too old, according to a letter reviewed by DailyMail.com.

“I believe the business community is looking for Gen Z or Millennial customers – he could be a good fit for Elton John,” the letter said in part.

The lawsuit also details Gucci’s alleged abusive and exploitative labor practices around the world. Cohen says Gucci officials maintained sweatshop conditions in China, forced pregnant women to have abortions and ignored sexual harassment complaints.

She further highlighted the luxury goods giant’s alleged decision to push new mothers out of their jobs, leaving women suffering from incontinence, calling women “crazy” and forcing female models to wear straitjackets against their will on the catwalk.

Cohen’s attorney Tamara Holder told DailyMail.com that “they fired her because she spoke out.”

“We’re highlighting Tracy’s case, but other women are coming forward. We look forward to the opportunity to showcase how these fashion brands treat women in the workplace.

“We have had other women come forward – high-achieving women – from other locations,” she added.

Holder said the first interaction she had with the lawyers was a “threat” and plans to litigate it in court.

“The threat was that they demanded I drop the human trafficking charges from the lawsuit and threatened me with sanctions if I didn’t do so.”

Holder said that since the story broke, five additional women from the Seattle area, Houston and California have come forward.

Holder said: ‘All from various Gucci retail locations across the country with virtually identical claims.’

Joey Graziadei made a concerted effort not to say too much to his remaining wives in season 28 of The Bachelor It ends, but he couldn’t resist admitting that he “fell in love” twice during his overnight stays.

After Kelsey Anderson “I love you” said to the 28-year-old leading man ahead of their fantasy suite date on the Monday, March 11, episode of the ABC series, Joey responded, “I’m totally falling in love with you.” While Joey noted that he has had these feelings for Kelsey, 25, “for a long time,” We weekly asked him to get more specific after the recent one Women tell everything to withdraw.

“It’s a great question. With Kelsey… you go back to the last time she really started expressing things, almost back to Montreal. We were really into feelings, but no words were really exchanged, so I held on for a while,” Joey said. “We both agree [that] When she fell in Montreal, I fell too. … I never said it to her because I wanted to be intentional with my words.

Joey and his contestants traveled to Montreal in week 6 of the season, a week after Kelsey had her first one-on-one date in Marbella, Spain. (During his interview with Us and other reporters, Joey also noted that a producer in Montreal explained the difference between a contestant “falling” for him and “falling in love with him,” adding that there are “levels” to the process.)

As for Kelsey, Joey shared Us that his feelings became stronger in week 7.

“But it was really after our second one-on-one in Jasper, how great that day was, how much we started to see things moving forward and not taking any steps back. That was the moment I really knew I was falling in love with her,” Joey said. “But as always, it’s a feeling. It takes time before you feel comfortable sharing those words, and there has to be the right space and you have to think about everything.”

During Monday’s episode, Joey also mentioned it Daisy Kent that he “fell in love” with her.

“I think you can see through this whole journey how difficult it is to realize what you’re saying in between without being shut down,” Joey said. Us of the decision to say he “fell in love” in the first place. “They sometimes go hand in hand. So people saw me struggle through that. I really tried to be honest and open, but I didn’t want to say things until it was the right time and in the right way.”

Monday’s episode ended on a cliffhanger after Kelsey left a note for Joey that read, “We need to talk,” as she brooded over the fact that she wasn’t The One. Fans will find out next week whether Kelsey, Daisy or Rachel Nance (with whom he did not exchange L-bombs) are the final two participants.

The Bachelor airs on ABC Mondays at 8pm ET.

Passengers on board a plane that fell from the sky, injuring 50 people, are furious at the way they were treated by the airline after they were given a small meal in compensation.

Multiple emergency vehicles rushed to Auckland International Airport on Monday after a Latam Airlines flight from Sydney to Auckland lost altitude and threw passengers against the ceiling.

The St. John ambulance treated the injured and transported thirteen of them to hospital, while the remaining passengers were given a single McDonald’s cheeseburger while they waited to find out what would happen next.

The ‘traumatized’ travelers on flight LA800, a Boeing 787-9, did not receive a meal again until Tuesday morning.

Thais Iwamoto, 26, from Sydney, said Latam’s lack of support and poor communication is “something I want to talk to them about because it’s not OK.” It’s just not fair.

“Accidents happen, but the way they treat us is not what it should be,” she told police. New Zealand herald.

Clara Azevedo, a 28-year-old Brisbane woman who was also on the flight, said that although she was not injured herself, she had spent the entire night in a hospital translating for an elderly woman who broke two ribs and left her injured his shoulder and didn’t speak English.

‘We are all traumatized and we had to find strength to help people. But this is not our responsibility, it is Latam’s – but they have done nothing. That is very frustrating,” Ms. Azevedo said.

Another Australian passenger, Jacob Thompson, 33, hit his head in what Latam calls a “strong jolt” while his partner was “thrown down the aisle.”

“We didn’t know if we were going to make the landing,” he said, adding that what happened “didn’t feel like turbulence” and that he had never felt anything like it.

The passengers who were not taken to hospital were taken to a hotel in Auckland around 2am on Tuesday morning.

Breakfast there was the first meal they had since the cheeseburger at the airport.

Ms. Azevedo and the injured woman for whom she spent the night translating must catch the rescheduled flight to Santiago, Chile, the final destination of flight LA800, at 8 p.m. tonight.

She said she is “terrified” and hopes to get something to help her sleep throughout the trip to South America.

As of Tuesday evening, four passengers are being treated at Middlemore Hospital for ‘significant’ injuries.

Latam said the injured passengers were from Brazil, France, Australia, Chile and New Zealand.

A spokesperson said the airline is “working in coordination with the respective authorities to support the investigation into the incident” and that it has “provided food, accommodation and transportation to affected passengers due to the flight cancellation.”

New Zealand’s Transport Accident Investigation Commission said Chile is responsible for investigating the incident as it occurred in international airspace.

Adult film star Sophia Leone has died after being found unconscious in her apartment earlier this month, her family has confirmed.

The Miami-born adult film star, 26, was found in her home by relatives on March 1.

Mike Romero, her stepfather, said local police are still investigating the cause of her death GoFundMe page.

Romero wrote on the memorial fundraising page: “Sophia was found unconscious in her apartment by her family on March 1, 2024.

“An investigation by local police into the cause of death is currently ongoing.”

Romero described Leone as a “beloved daughter, sister, granddaughter, niece and friend.”

He also wrote that she had a “deep love” for animals, including her three pets.

The Latina actress reportedly started her career before she turned 20 and has a net worth of over one million dollars.

Leon was scouted by an agent while attending a music festival in Miami and after some research, decided to join the industry.

Since the announcement, donations have been pouring in for Leone on social media and on the crowdfunding page.

Most notably, a fellow adult star named Lena The Plug donated $500 to help her family with her funeral expenses on her GoFundMe.

Fans of the star have also remembered her on X and posted tributes.

One person wrote: “First we lose Akira Toriyama, now we lose Sophia Leone. Life is too short, beautiful and tragic. May they rest in peace.’

Another said: ‘Is this Sophia Leone news real??? I feel sick.’

An adult creator who allegedly worked with the popular star wrote: “Sophia Leone was an amazing member of our industry and she will be missed.

‘We’ve bumped shoulders here and there, but I’ve never really had the pleasure of having a friendship with her. I sincerely hope that her family and friends can have a peaceful space to process her loss.”

The news of Leone’s death comes a day after the stepfather of porn star Emily Willis revealed she is in a ‘vegetative coma’ and ‘fighting for her life.’

Willis was rushed from a popular celebrity rehabilitation center in Malibu to a medical facility in Thousand Oaks, California, on February 5 after authorities received a call about the 25-year-old, who was unresponsive.

She stayed in the institution to be treated for addiction, although it is unclear for what exactly and for how long.

“Emily is still in a vegetative coma and fighting for her life,” Michael Willis, her stepfather who raised her, said in an update on a GoFundMe page for the star.

Her stepfather also dismissed claims that she had ‘overdose’, saying: ‘Emily received the treatment and help she needed at the time of the incident to overcome her struggles.’

“There has been a lot of misinformation about our beloved Emily’s condition, and we wanted to clarify her progress and current condition,” her stepfather wrote.

He added that Willis had retired from the adult film industry almost two years ago with “aspirations for success in other areas of entertainment.”

The stepfather previously reported that she has not regained consciousness after a month-long coma and that her family was called to say goodbye while she survives on a ventilator.

As of now, Leone’s crowdfunding page has raised $4,630 of its $12,000 goal.

By Isolde Walters and Charlotte Griffiths for The Mail on Sunday

Published: 7:22 PM EST, March 2, 2024 | Updated: 7:27 PM EST, March 2, 2024

The number of aid trucks entering Gaza fell significantly in February, data show, even as humanitarian leaders warned of famine and demanded Israel and others increase aid to civilians trapped in the enclave.

The deaths of dozens of people during a rush for food aid on Thursday underscored the level of desperation in the area.

An average of 96 trucks entered Gaza per day through Feb. 27, a 30 percent decline from the January average and the lowest monthly average since before the ceasefire in late November, according to data from UNRWA, the U.N. aid agency for Gaza.

“It was a matter of stop and go,” said UNRWA spokeswoman Juliette Touma. “It was far from regular and far from enough. We should have seen an increase, but there has been a significant decrease.”

Emergency trucks carry food, medicine and other supplies, and while a reduction in number suggests a reduction in overall volume, the measure is not exact. A relatively small amount of aid has also been airlifted to people in Gaza.

The decline partly reflects the strictness of inspection measures at the Kerem Shalom border crossing in southern Israel, which has served as the main entry point since reopening in December. Goods also enter Gaza from Egypt through a border crossing near the city of Rafah, after undergoing Israeli inspection at a separate location.

The UN World Food Programme’s chief economist, Arif Husain, said other factors were also hampering deliveries, including insecurity in Gaza and the fact that there are currently only two border crossing points through which aid can pass.

Israeli checks on goods entering Gaza are intended to exclude items that could potentially be used by Hamas. Aid officials said in interviews that the inspection system, while necessary, caused significant delays, resulting in less overall aid. Before the war, about 500 trucks carrying aid entered Gaza every day.

In addition, Israeli protesters demanding the release of the approximately 100 hostages believed to be still alive in Gaza have hampered the flow of aid into Kerem Shalom.

US Special Envoy for Humanitarian Aid David Satterfield said last month that Israeli military attacks on Palestinian police officers make it virtually impossible to distribute aid once it enters Gaza because security forces normally shield aid from desperate populations.

“Very little aid has come in,” said Alaa Fayad, a veterinarian who has been displaced to the central city of Deir al Balah. He said the absence of Palestinian security forces had allowed gangs to steal some of the food arriving.

Jan Egeland, a former UN humanitarian coordinator and leader of the Norwegian Refugee Council’s humanitarian agency, indicated that Israel could allow an increase in humanitarian aid. amount of aid enter the territory.

“The system is broken, and Israel could fix it for the sake of the innocent,” he said in a press conference on Wednesday post in the social media network after a visit to the border area.

The Israeli agency that oversees policy for the Palestinian territories, known as COGAT, pointed the finger at those distributing aid. For example, the agency said that there were more than 200 trucks waiting to be picked up at Kerem Shalom and that Israel has not placed a limit on the amount of aid coming in.

The decline in aid suggests that calls by the United States and other governments for a rapid increase in aid to civilians have not immediately borne fruit. It can also have greater consequences. In an interim ruling in January, the world’s highest court, the International Court of Justice, ordered Israel to allow humanitarian aid and basic services in Gaza.

Some aid officials said they hoped a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas would lead to an increase in aid. About 300 aid trucks — a spike since Oct. 7 — entered Gaza during one day of the weeklong ceasefire in late November.

Gaza was dependent on aid deliveries even before the war, when two-thirds of the population was supported with food aid. Today, food aid is needed for almost the entire population of 2.2 million people.

“The risk of famine is fueled by the inability to deliver critical food supplies to Gaza in sufficient quantities, and by the near-impossible working conditions our staff face on the ground,” said Carl Skau, deputy executive director of the World Food Program. A United Nations agency told the Security Council this week.

Gaya Gupta, Adam Sella And Approach Ibrahim reporting contributed.