Halifax ends 173-year high street run as Lloyds ditches branding July 1, 2026 Lloyds Banking Group is set to ditch its Halifax brand in a move that will end the retail bank’s 173-year run on the high street. The FTSE 100 titan – whose subsidiaries also include Bank of Scotland and Scottish Widows – said on Wednesday it would rebrand Halifax under the central moniker of Lloyds. Lloyds [...]
Gloucester Rugby warn of risk to future as losses jump 450 per cent July 1, 2026 Gloucester Rugby’s accounts warn they face a “material uncertainty” after the Prem Rugby club saw losses spiral by more than 450 per cent last year. The Gloucester Rugby Limited accounts, filed this week with Companies House, posted a loss of £2.9m for last season, up from £500,000 the year prior – an increase of 464 [...]
Gold set for worst quarter in over 10 years as retail interest cools July 1, 2026 Gold is poised to enter its worst quarterly performance in over ten years, as retail investor enthusiasm fades and higher US interest rates loom, a far cry from last year’s continuous record-breaking prices. The price of the precious metal fell below $4,000 per troy ounce on Wednesday, hitting $3,978.5. On Tuesday it fell to $3,942.9, [...]
AI disputes are turning into deals July 1, 2026 Lawyer by day, rapper by night, Nick Eziefula has seen both sides of the coin when it comes to disputes over AI and art.
Half time: London market lags as rivals across the Atlantic hit fresh highs July 1, 2026 London’s main stock market index ended the first half of 2026 within touching distance of a record high set earlier in the year, but remained off the pace set by its rival in New York. The FTSE 100’s positive-but-relatively-limited run for the period summed up a feeling of measured optimism. While it made overall gains, [...]
Brewdog chief executive quits after only one year July 1, 2026 The boss of Brewdog has stepped down barely more than a year after taking up the role in the latest twist in the long-running saga over the management of the beleaguered beer business. James Taylor, who took up the role of chief executive at the beginning of last year and who oversaw the takeover of [...]
Ealing stalls on Voi contract as ‘sensitive discussions’ threaten West London e-bike network July 1, 2026 Ealing Council has held back from signing a fresh e-bike agreement with operator Voi, City AM understands, stalling its upcoming operating period as backroom negotiations expose growing regulatory divide on London’s high streets. Town hall chiefs have admitted that negotiations have hit a deadlock, revealing they are mired in non-disclosure talks ahead of a looming [...]
Stockpiling helps manufacturing sector power through Iran war blows July 1, 2026 The manufacturing sector has powered through the turmoil brought by the Iran war as output grew at the fastest pace in 21 months, according to a business survey. S&P Global researchers said that output growth accelerated as firms rushed to stockpile goods ahead of further expected trade turmoil in the Middle East. The overall purchasing [...]
Why I’ve fallen back in love with the iPod July 1, 2026 In a world where digital ownership is increasingly rare, Simon Hunt returned to technology from 2007 – and hasn’t looked back. Not since childhood had I been this excited to open a parcel. I tore through layers of brown sticky tape, clawed through the cardboard box and unpeeled the bubble wrap. And there it was: [...]
Winners and losers: Billionaires boom but Brits suffer largest fall in wealth since pandemic July 1, 2026 The artificial intelligence boom fuelled a 13 per cent surge in global billionaire wealth last year, according to a fresh study which also found the UK has suffered the biggest fall in overall wealth levels of any developed nation since the pandemic. According to the UBS temperature check of high-net-worth individuals, nearly 400 billionaires were [...]