Trump: Ukraine peace deal ‘closer than ever before’ December 29, 2025 Donald Trump said talks to secure a US-backed peace deal for Ukraine are “closer than ever before” after he met with Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky in Florida. But the two leaders acknowledged there are still “thorny issues” remaining. Mr Trump, the US president, has said talks on a security guarantee – a key plank of [...]
Could this be 2026’s hottest stock market? December 29, 2025 Global equity markets were dominated by US tech stocks this year, with indices whipsawing as investors either piled money into markets or abruptly pulled out depending on the strength of AI sentiment. The Nasdaq rocketed up 19.5 per cent, hitting its peak of $23,958.47 (£17,949.09) in October, while Trump’s ‘Liberation Day’ caused the index to hit [...]
NBA return to pump £100m into economy as London gears up for 2026 December 29, 2025 NBA’s two-year return to the UK is expected to boost the economy by £100m as top flight basketball ends its six-year hiatus. Memphis Grizzlies will host Orlando Magic at the 20,000-capacity O2 Arena in January 2026 before Manchester’s Co-op Live hosts its first regular season NBA match in 2027. Between the two matches the UK [...]
Financial services to plough cash into UK defence in 2026 December 29, 2025 Financial services are planning to pump cash into the UK’s defence sector next year after facing pressure to ramp up investment amid increased geopolitical tensions. Nearly two-thirds of financial services leaders expect the sector to increase investment in UK defence in 2026, with more than a quarter anticipating that investment will rise “much more” over [...]
Motor finance: What’s next for banks and consumers in 2026? December 29, 2025 The City watchdog wrapped up the consultation on its motor finance redress in December but the two-year long scandal threatens to rumble on into the new year. The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) pushed the deadline for feedback on its scheme to 12 December after it was originally pencilled in for 18 November. The delay came [...]
AI to help NHS tackle super flu and A&E delays December 28, 2025 Hospitals across England are increasingly using artificial intelligence (AI) to reduce waiting times for patients. The tool, part of the government’s AI exemplars programme, is already in use by 50 NHS organisations. The forecasting system analyses hospital admissions, historical data, weekly trends, and Met Office temperature forecasts to identify likely peak periods. This allows hospitals [...]
OpenAI, SpaceX, Anthropic: the tech giants lining up blockbuster IPOs December 28, 2025 For more than a decade, Silicon Valley’s most powerful companies have stayed private for longer than ever before, buoyed by deep pools of capital and sovereign wealth funding. But, as interest rates remain higher, AI infrastructure costs balloon and some of the world’s largest private firms mature into businesses of national, and increasingly geopolitical, importance, [...]
Ticket touts exploit Coldplay, Oasis, Billie Eilish demand December 28, 2025 Coldplay, Oasis and Billie Eilish were the most touted artists of 2025, with fans paying up to £800 per ticket on resale sites, according to new research from O2. The telecoms giant, which sold 1.7 million live event tickets via its ‘Priority’ platform last year, warned that the booming secondary market is leaving millions of [...]
Who still gets hired in the 2026 workplace? December 28, 2025 Britain’s labour market has probably never felt more precarious than it does now, as the struggling economy and the rapid rise of AI take effect. Redundancies are at their highest since the pandemic, unemployment has risen to 5.1 per cent, and entry-level opportunities, the traditional stepping stones for grads and young workers, have all but [...]
Are Britain’s independent pubs doomed? December 28, 2025 2025 has been a year of diverging fortunes for pubs. Listed pub chains – particularly those with a strong presence in London – are reporting record sales, buoyed by higher consumer spending and increased footfall as workers return to their offices. Independent pubs, meanwhile, are closing at the fastest rate this century, blaming unfriendly government [...]