Why business confidence is all over the place August 12, 2025 Kemi Badenoch looked aghast but Keir Starmer was defiant. Business confidence was at a nine-year high, the prime minister declared in the House of Commons in mid-July. The Conservative Party leader was not having any of it. Neither were many economists and analysts watching from the City. What Starmer claimed was not false, per se. Research [...]
Take a stopover in Baku, a boom-town, secular Dubai August 11, 2025 Just 5.5 hours from London, Baku – the oil-rich capital of Azerbaijan – is an easy yet still exciting escape. The city presents a jumble of architecture: futuristic skyscrapers straight out of Tron, formidable Soviet structures, and a 12th century walled old city, a one-time Silk Road stop still peppered with caravanserais, palaces and mosques. [...]
Tasmania holiday ideas: Beaches, mountains, wildlife and food August 11, 2025 A poster catches my eye while I’m waiting to catch my connecting flight from Sydney Airport. It shows four hikers – a family, perhaps, or maybe just a close group of friends – standing on the summit of a small mountain draped in moss. Warmed by the orange glow of an early sunrise, the hikers [...]
UK economy expected to rebound August 11, 2025 The UK economy is expected to have returned to growth in June after two consecutive months of declines amid concerns about the impact President Donald Trump’s tariffs have had on the economy. Economists polled by Bloomberg expect the Office for National Statistics (ONS) to post UK growth of 0.2 per cent for June when the [...]
Palace relegated from Europa League with Forest to take their place August 11, 2025 Crystal Palace’s relegation from the Europa League to the Europa Conference League has been decided after the Eagles lost their appeal at CAS. A club delegation, headed up by club co-owner and chairman Steve Parish, argued their case to the Court of Arbitration for Sport in Lausanne last week but the judgment set to be [...]
The Entertainer: Staff eye tax-free bonuses as founders cede control August 11, 2025 Almost 2,000 employees of the UK’s biggest toy chain, The Entertainer, are set to receive tax-free bonuses after its founders handed them control of his retail empire. Gary Grant has transferred 100 per cent of his ownership in Teal Group Holdings, which he held alongside his wife Catherine, to an employee ownership trust. The move, [...]
Small boats deal shows Labour’s technocrats have no clue what they’re doing August 11, 2025 Labour positioned itself as a party of technocrats, but the small boats deal shows they have no clue what they're doing, writes Eliot Wilson.
Premier League players could be paid in crypto as blockchain evolves August 11, 2025 Premier League football players could have their salaries paid for in crypto, a new report into the future of the blockchain suggests. After over £400m was spent in the 2024-25 sporting season on deals and sponsorships, it has been suggested that digital currencies could replace traditional payments for player transfers and salaries. In 2021 Spanish [...]
Housebuilders in focus amid Labour’s planning reforms push August 10, 2025 UK housebuilders will be in sharp focus as the sector grapples with construction woes, despite the Government ploughing ahead with plans to stimulate more building. Persimmon and Balfour Beatty will announce their half-year results on Wednesday, and Bellway will provide a trading update on Tuesday. York-based developer Persimmon said in May that forward sales – [...]
New Princes: Food giant gears up for £700m City listing August 10, 2025 International food operations giant New Princes is gearing up for a blockbuster listing on the London Stock Exchange – a move City officials hope will spark a wave of new flotations. The Italian-owned business – which makes Princes Tuna and produces Flora and Branston products – is approaching investors regarding the backing of an IPO [...]