Gold tops euro to become central banks’ second favourite reserve asset June 11, 2025 Central banks now hold more gold than euros in the face of global trade tensions and volatile markets, according to a report produced by the European Central Bank (ECB), making it the world’s second largest reserve asset after the US dollar. Purchases of gold were twice as high in 2024 as the average seen over [...]
Green light for Sizewell C as £14.2bn to go to major nuclear project as part of Spending Review June 10, 2025 The UK’s nuclear energy capacity is set to receive a major boost after the government confirmed it would put up the funds for the Sizewell C plant, ending months of uncertainty. Funding for the project is set to be announced by Chancellor Rachel Reeves alongside a decision on the Small Modular Reactor (SMR) competition at [...]
Exclusive: Nikhil Rathi’s FCA is ready to go on the offensive June 10, 2025 Nikhil Rathi’s first five-year term at the helm of the FCA was dominated by difficult situations – most beyond his control, some firmly in it. But after being reappointed by Rachel Reeves in April, and with the added pressure of a new growth mandate from government, he outlines to Ali Lyon what he hopes his [...]
Can government force £2.5bn Abramovich Chelsea funds to Ukraine? June 8, 2025 Last week the UK government threatened to take Russian oligarch Roman Abramovich to court to make sure the £2.5bn raised from his sale of Chelsea FC went to Ukraine. Abramovich owned Chelsea from 2003 until his forced sale in 2022 following Russia’s illegal invasion of Ukraine. But the proceeds of the sale to a consortium [...]
Has Klarna’s buy now, pay later bubble burst? June 6, 2025 Buy now, pay later services have exploded in the last decade and industry titan Klarna has spearheaded growth. The global BNPL market is expected to top $560.1bn (£412.8bn) in 2025 with 13.7 per cent annual growth. Swedish fintech Klarna has historically dominated the space, notching a net operating income of $1.087bn in 2020. The firm [...]
Russia is running rings around our sanction regime June 6, 2025 Vigilante hackers and rogue merchant vessels are putting Britain on the back foot, while our opponents run rings around our current sanctions list. A broader legal definition of conflict would give Britain the flexibility to catch these rogue actors and keep Britain secure, says Robert Buckland Earlier this week, the government released its Strategic Defence [...]
Calls to overhaul UK’s ‘outdated’ sanctions regime June 5, 2025 Experts are calling for an overhaul of the UK’s “outdated” sanctions regime, which is “ill-equipped” to face modern forms of crime and conflict. Former justice secretary Robert Buckland has argued for reforming the UK sanctions system to better suit modern threats, writing in a report by the Adam Smith Institute (ASI). The Sanctions and Anti-Money [...]
ECB cuts interest rates as UK ‘hesitation’ risks dealmaking strength June 5, 2025 Interest rates in the eurozone have been cut, taking the deposit facility rate to two per cent as fresh data suggested inflation came in just under the European Central Bank (ECB)’s two per cent target rate in May. The cut means the ECB’s rate now stands at two per cent, a halving of rates set two [...]
Fiddler on the Roof review at the Barbican: the most exquisite misery June 5, 2025 Fiddler on the Roof review: ★★★★★ It isn’t officially summertime until the Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre drops a five-star musical. In 2023 it was La Cage Aux Folles and last year their gently simmering Fiddler on the Roof raised the stakes. For summer 2025 Shucked was another smash, but back to Fiddler on the [...]
Wizz Air: Shares tank as profit tumbles June 5, 2025 Wizz Air reported a hefty drop in annual profit as it grapples with long-running supply chain issues and conflict in Ukraine and the Middle East. Shares tanked 22.7 per cent as markets opened on Thursday. Annual operating profit fell 51.7 per cent year-on-year to €167.5m (£141m), below analyst expectations, even as passenger traffic hit a [...]