Close Brothers: How the motor finance scandal reshaped one of ‘Europe’s least cost-efficient lenders’
Surging gold prices send shockwaves through the chocolate market Chocolate prices are hitting record highs amid a cocoa shortfall across West Africa. In Ghana – the world’s second-largest cocoa producer after Côte d’Ivoire – output fell by over 20 per cent last year due to adverse weather conditions and pest outbreaks. Illegal gold mining – also known as galamsey – is aggravating the problem [...]
Cocoa price surge drives chocolate prices higher Food Surging cocoa prices are driving chocolate prices higher, which is having a disproportionate impact on UK food prices. UK food and drink inflation rose to 5.1 per cent in August, in a fifth consecutive annual increase and the highest since January 2024, amid fears that this figure could reach 5.7 per cent by the end [...]
Sadiq Khan: Why I’m leading the first trade mission to Africa by a London Mayor Opinion Africa is the world's most rapidly urbanising region. Forging closer ties could be a boon for London businesses, writes Sadiq Khan.