Iran deal is ‘largely negotiated’ as Trump teases Strait of Hormuz re-opening May 24, 2026 President Trump has said that a peace deal with Iran is “near” as the Strait of Hormuz could re-open within days. On Saturday, Trump said the key trading route would be re-opened in the terms of a deal to be “announced shortly”. He wrote on a social media post: “Final aspects and details of the [...]
As it happened: FTSE 100 rises as oil slips; Analysts warn of ‘short-lived’ inflation drop May 20, 2026 Good morning and welcome back to the City AM liveblog. The City has welcomed news of undershooting inflation this morning, but warning signs already suggest it’s a temporary blip. The Consumer Price Index rose 2.8 per cent in the 12 months to April, that’s under the three per cent pencilled in and a major drop [...]
As it happened: Choppy finish for FTSE 100 as global markets rocked by AI sell-off May 19, 2026 Welcome back to the City AM liveblog. Businesses have raised the alarm over falling vacancies as new data showed a further weakening in the jobs market. Vacancies remained at a five-year low in April 2026, with a leading industry group saying recruiters were “pausing” plans to hire workers. The British Chambers of Commerce’s head of [...]
FTSE 100 Live: Stocks down on election day; oil back below $100 as Iran deal hangs in balance May 7, 2026 Good morning and welcome back to the City AM liveblog. It’s local election day in the UK and Keir Starmer’s premiership is hanging in the balance as his Labour Party prepares to take a drubbing in council boroughs across the country. Gilt yields rose at their fastest rate earlier this week as the market prepares [...]
Could jet fuel shortages stop fans going on holiday to Fifa World Cup? May 6, 2026 Fans could stay away from next month’s Fifa World Cup as jet fuel shortages cause price hikes and travel uncertainty, experts have warned. The World Cup is being staged across North America with the United States, Canada and Mexico acting as co-hosts, but issues stemming from President Trump’s conflict with Iran could limit the numbers [...]
Oil price pulls back and FTSE 100 rebounds after ‘TACO’ Trump post May 6, 2026 Oil prices took a step back from a gradual climb on Wednesday after President Trump announced he would pause his military escort operation through the Strait of Hormuz, prompting analysts to joke that the “TACO” president was back. The Brent crude oil price slipped below $100 per barrel amid hopes of a peace deal being [...]
Trump officials claim Iran is ‘weaponising global trade’ May 5, 2026 The United States’ most senior military officer has warned that Iran’s sustained assault on commercial shipping threatens to destabilise the world economy, accusing the country’s leadership of deliberately weaponising the global supply chain. General Dan Caine, the former venture capitalist currently serving as chairman of the US joint chiefs of staff, made a stark intervention [...]
Rachel Reeves battled Scott Bessent over Iran war May 5, 2026 Chancellor Rachel Reeves sparred with Donald Trump’s Treasury secretary Scott Bessent over the US’s attacks on Iran, it has been reported. During her stay in Washington DC for meetings at the International Monetary Fund last month, Reeves hit out at the Trump official for “how he had spoken to her.” The two sparred over the [...]
Donald Tusk says Nato is falling apart May 2, 2026 Poland’s prime minister Donald Tusk has said Nato is suffering from an “ongoing disintegration” amid pressures on governments to increase defence spending. In a post on X, the former EU council president indicated a war of words between President Trump and Chancellor Merz of Germany, which led to the US taking 5,000 soldiers out of [...]
Petrol retailers vindicated after Reeves ‘profiteering’ claims May 1, 2026 Petrol retailers have been vindicated of “price gouging”, pouring cold water on the government’s accusations of profiteering from the war in Iran. The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) found that higher fuel prices in the UK were caused by the rising cost of oil, rather than by retailers expanding their margins to profit from the [...]