Selling the Royal Mail to a shadowy foreign billionaire is an act of economic vandalism that savages our nation's heritage and breaches the public interest, says ALEX BRUMMER
It would take a real Scrooge of a post office boss not to rejoice at Christmas, a time of year when mail delivery services across Europe typically enjoy bumper revenues.
But after a 2024 festive season marred by a downturn in seasonal mail and increased labour costs, there were few smiles to be seen at the headquarters of PostNL, the Dutch post office.
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Scottish Sun
a day ago
- Scottish Sun
Hibs bank £1MILLION on flop striker who scored just five league goals in Scotland over two year period
He started last season brightly before being sent on loan IN THE MONEY Hibs bank £1MILLION on flop striker who scored just five league goals in Scotland over two year period Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) HIBS have banked £1 million by offloading flop striker Dylan Vente to SC Heerenveen. The Easter Road club have made a healthy profit on the 26-year-old, bought from Roda JC for £600,000 in 2023. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 2 Hibernian have sold Dylan Vente to Dutch side Heerenveen Credit: Willie Vass 2 They're in profit after he impressed on loan at PEC Zwolle Credit: Getty Vente failed to spark in Scottish football, scoring eleven times but not succeeding to make any continuous impact. But he hit form last season during a loan in the Eredivisie, bagging 17 goals in 37 games for PEC Zwolle so has now won a permanent move back to Holland. Boss David Gray said: 'I'd like to start by wishing Dylan all the best for the future. 'He was a player that I enjoyed working with on the training pitch and someone that had a real desire to do well. 'He performed well in the Eredivisie with PEC Zwolle last season and felt more comfortable back in his homeland, playing football with a smile on his face. 'His time at Hibs didn't quite work out the way we'd all planned, but I'd like to thank him for all his hard work and hope he goes on to achieve his ambitions and full potential.' Hibs held out for a tidy sum for Vente, with several clubs interested in securing him after his form back home. Director of Football Malky Mackay said: 'There was a lot of interest in Dylan this summer after his performances last season, and he had a clear desire to continue playing and enjoying his football in the Eredivisie. 'We had to make sure that we got the right deal for Hibernian FC, and after a number of conversations, we're happy with the deal we've got for him. 'We wish him nothing but the best going forward.' Hibs chief Malky Mackay on his Celtic team-mate who could've been as good as Henrik Larsson Vente featured regularly during his first year at Easter Road but rarely played a full 90. He scored against Luzern in European competition and netted a further seven in all competitions in 2023-24. He flew out the gates last season with a hattrick in the first League Cup Group Stage match against Elgin City, but those were the last goals he would score for Hibernian. For the commencement of the league he was handed his homeland loan move, where he shone and ultimately laid the foundations for his permanent move away. Keep up to date with ALL the latest news and transfers at the Scottish Sun football page
NBC News
a day ago
- NBC News
Tech tycoon Lynch's doomed Bayesian yacht lifted to surface
Salvage experts lifted Mike Lynch's sunken superyacht to the surface and began pumping seawater out of it on Saturday, 10 months after it sank off the coast of Sicily, killing the British tech tycoon, his teenage daughter and five others. Work resumed at first light, with one of the most powerful maritime cranes in Europe having been used to haul the 184-foot Bayesian from beneath the waves. The upper decks appeared badly damaged while the blue hull was encrusted with mud. The Bayesian was moored off the small port of Porticello, near Palermo, in August last year when it sank during a sudden storm. The yacht was vulnerable to violent winds and was probably knocked over by gusts of more than 117 km (73 miles) per hour, an interim British report said last month. The vessel will be held in an elevated position over the weekend while checks and preparations are made, said TMC Marine, which has been leading the salvage operation, working with Dutch specialists Hebo Maritiemservice to lift the yacht 50 meters from the seabed over the past few days. It is then expected to be transported to the nearby port of Termini Imerese on Monday and handed over to the authorities who are investigating the sinking. The recovery process has been made easier after the vessel's 72-metre mast was detached using a remote-controlled cutting tool and placed on the seabed on Tuesday. In addition to Lynch, founder of the software company Autonomy, his daughter Hannah, lawyer Chris Morvillo and his wife Neda, banker Jonathan Bloomer and his wife Judy, and chef Recaldo Thomas were killed when the yacht sank. Nine other crew members and six guests were rescued.
Scotsman
a day ago
- Scotsman
Done deal: How Hibs bagged £1 million for unwanted striker as exit confirmed
Limited first team options, a year left on contract - so Mackay cashes in to turn tidy profit Sign up to our Hibs football newsletter Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to Edinburgh News, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... Hibs have completed the sale of Dylan Vente for a fee in excess of £1 million. And sporting director Malky Mackay insists the Easter Road club are 'happy with the deal' struck with Eredivisie side SC Heerenveen. Officially confirming the exit of a 26-year-old striker who spent last season on loan with PEC Zwolle, Hibs confirmed that they'd received 'a significant fee' for Vente, who cost them in excess of £500,000 when signed by Lee Johnson in the summer of 2023. Dutch centre forward Vente, who had been playing in his country's second tier for Roda when he bagged his move to Scotland, faded after an early flurry of goals in green-and-white. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Told he would get limited game time under David Gray when the former captain took over as boss on a permanent basis last summer, Vente was more than happy to join Zwolle on a season-long loan. And he made the most of his opportunity, banging in 13 league goals and earning rave reviews for his performances as PEC finished tenth in the top flight. Heerenveen, who finished just a place above Zwolle, made their interest known towards the end of last season. And, despite being willing to sell a player entering the final year of his contract, Hibs persuaded the buying club to stretch to a seven-figure fee for their top transfer target. Sporting director on Dylan Vente's 'desire' to stay in Holland Mackay said Vente's desire to stay in Holland was a factor, with the Suriname international making his preferences clear, the sporting director revealing: 'There was a lot of interest in Dylan this summer after his performances last season, and he had a clear desire to continue playing and enjoying his football in the Eredivisie. We had to make sure that we got the right deal for Hibernian FC, and after a number of conversations, we're happy with the deal we've got for him. We wish him nothing but the best going forward.' Vente made 43 appearances, scoring 11 goals, during his time with Hibs. He was an early hit at Easter Road, scoring on his debut in a famous Europa Conference League win over FC Luzern at Easter Road. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Following Johnson's dismissal, the attacker then banged in three goals in Nick Montgomery's first three games as gaffer early in season 2023-24. But he only found the net three times over the next eight months as Hibs missed out on a top-six place on the final weekend before the Scottish Premiership split. The arrival of Scotland hopeful Kieron Bowie for a significant fee last summer forced Vente further down the pecking order as new gaffer Gray looked for a change of style at the top end of the team. Mykola Kuharevich also returned to Easter Road for another loan spell, while the acquisition of veteran free agent Dwight Gayle increased competition for places up front. Gray, happy that Vente has found a better fit for his talents, said: 'I'd like to start by wishing Dylan all the best for the future. He was a player that I enjoyed working with on the training pitch and someone that had a real desire to do well. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad 'He performed well in the Eredivisie with PEC Zwolle last season and felt more comfortable back in his homeland, playing football with a smile on his face. His time at Hibs didn't quite work out the way we'd all planned, but I'd like to thank him for all his hard work and hope he goes on to achieve his ambitions and full potential.' In the official statement released this morning, Hibs said: 'We can confirm that Dylan Vente has joined Eredivisie side SC Heerenveen on a permanent transfer. The terms of the 26-year-old's transfer will remain undisclosed, however, the club has received a significant fee.'
