Women’s Rugby World Cup opener peaks at 2.4m viewers August 26, 2025 England’s opening Women’s Rugby World Cup match against the USA peaked at nearly 2.5m as records tumbled during the competition’s opening weekend. The 69-7 victory over the States was watched by an average 1.5m viewers on BBC 1 while the 42,723 in attendance at Sunderland’s Stadium of Light surpassed the crowd for the previous final, [...]
Borrowing costs surge as gilts close in on 27-year low August 26, 2025 Long-dated gilts plunged to a near 27-year low on Tuesday, bringing the UK’s fragile fiscal position into even sharper relief in the run-up to the government’s second Budget this Autumn. The yield on 30-year UK government bonds, which moves inversely to the price, jumped by as much as nine basis points to 5.63 per cent, [...]
Warm dry summer expected to produce top vintage for UK wines August 26, 2025 English wine producers are expecting a top quality 2025 vintage after “optimal” weather conditions for many winemakers this summer. Comparisons have already been drawn to the record-breaking harvest of 2018, which provided outstanding grape ripeness and yields. Cherie Spriggs, head winemaker at Nyetimber said she was “quietly optimistic” about this year’s harvest. “2025 is definitely [...]
Reeves warned against gambling tax as EU black market hits £70bn August 26, 2025 Rachel Reeves has been warned to halt plans for tax hikes on bookies after research revealed illegal sites took over 70 per cent of Europe’s betting and casino sales in 2024. Data published by Yield Sec suggests that black market bookies and casino operators raked in £69.7bn across the 27 European Union countries in 2024. [...]
Royal Mail eCourier drivers launch legal battle over worker rights August 26, 2025 Legal action has been launched against Royal Mail eCourier by drivers claiming they have been unlawfully denied workers’ rights by being classified as self-employed independent contractors. A group of 15 former eCourier drivers, who are members of the IWGB union, are bringing the ‘opt-in’ claim, led by claimant law firm Leigh Day, which has brought [...]
Lloyds to hand shareholders over £17bn by 2027, analysts say August 26, 2025 Lloyds Banking Group shareholders are set for a bumper payout with analysts projecting the lender will return over £17bn to investors by 2027. The FTSE 100 giant was listed as Jefferies analysts “preferred” banking stock following a strong year-to-date performance. Shares in Lloyds have jumped over 50 per cent since January. The bank received a [...]
Gordon Ramsay-backed brand recruits Red Bull F1 star as ambassador August 26, 2025 Red Bull Formula 1 driver Yuki Tsunoda has signed a deal to promote Gordon Ramsay-backed cookware brand HexClad. Tsunoda, 25, will wear the brand’s logo on his helmet when the F1 season resumes this week with the Netherlands Grand Prix at Zandvoort. Superstar chef Ramsay is a minority investor in HexClad and stars with the [...]
Is the UK’s digital services tax at risk from a US tariff threat? August 26, 2025 The Digital Services Tax (DST), a two per cent levy on the revenues of major tech firms, has become a key point of friction in the UK’s transatlantic relationship with the US. The tax, which came into force in 2020, was designed to address an imbalance where global tech giants generate significant revenue from British [...]
Ryder Cup rivals McIlroy and Scheffler lined up for TV clash at Trump course August 26, 2025 Ryder Cup stars Rory McIlroy and Scottie Scheffler are being lined up to captain opposing teams in a made-for-TV golf contest later this year, according to US reports. Masters champion McIlroy and world No1 Scheffler are set to lead four-man teams from the rest of the world and the US respectively in a skills-type format, [...]
London Stock Exchange gets go-ahead to run Pisces private stock market August 26, 2025 The Financial Conduct Authority has given the London Stock Exchange the green light to operate a new Pisces private stock market, clearing the path for the market’s launch later this year. The City watchdog confirmed on Tuesday that London’s flagship stock exchange had become the first operator to receive approval to run Pisces – a [...]