Rachel Reeves takes dig at Andy Burnham over bond markets September 26, 2025 Chancellor Rachel Reeves has said the government was reliant on bond traders as part of an effort to fix “precarious” public finances in a pointed dig at Labour’s Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham. In a panel discussion in front of an audience of centre-left figures on Friday, Reeves struck a defiant tone against mooted criticism she [...]
UK population: High migration drives near record growth September 26, 2025 The UK population increased by 755,300 in the year to mid-2024, marking the second-largest annual rise in over 75 years, mainly due to high net migration. The Office for National Statistics (ONS) stated that the UK population had reached 69,281,400, with England experiencing a larger increase than other nations. Net migration reached 738,700 over the 12 months [...]
Meta to launch paid ad-free option on Facebook and Instagram in UK September 26, 2025 Meta is preparing to roll out a new subscription service in the UK that will allow users to pay to remove ads from Facebook and Instagram, raising questions about the future of ‘free’ social media. Over the coming weeks, UK users will see notifications explaining the change. Those who want to avoid ads can subscribe [...]
Why graduates face a brutal jobs market September 26, 2025 While students flung mortar boards in the air after receiving their degrees, not everyone had cause to celebrate. Graduation was supposed to be the golden ticket to a dream career: get a good degree at a good university, and jobs at professional service firms, banks and consultancies would be there for the taking. For many [...]
Surging gold prices send shockwaves through the chocolate market September 26, 2025 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 [...]
2026 World Cup: San Francisco and Seattle could lose games, says Trump September 26, 2025 US President Donald Trump has floated the possibility of moving 2026 World Cup games away from San Francisco and Seattle if the host cities are deemed to be unsafe. The first 48-team World Cup is being co-hosted with Canada and Mexico but will be held mostly in the US, with San Francisco and Seattle currently [...]
Checkout.com valuation slides to $12bn as it unveils employee share buyback September 26, 2025 Checkout.com said its valuation has hit $12bn (£9bn) as the London fintech reported a surge in growth and unveiled an employee share buyback. The valuation is a boost on the reported $9.4bn it had been valued at in 2023 but remains well down on the $40bn figure it attracted in a funding round in 2022. [...]
HSBC UK beefs up wealth arm with ‘generational’ bet September 26, 2025 HSBC UK is making a “generational” play to beef up its wealth arm as the banking juggernaut eyes global dominance in the field. The FTSE 100 titan will launch a new Wealth Academy this autumn, the bank’s managing director of wealth Christopher Dean told City AM, in partnership with the London Business School. The bank’s [...]
On this day: Profumo proves the cover up is always worse than the crime September 26, 2025 62 years ago today, Lord Denning published his verdict on the Profumo affair – a minor sex scandal made far worse by subsequent lies. What lessons does the ensuing collapse of Harold Macmillan’s government have for politicians today? Asks Eliot Wilson Today in 1963, the Master of the Rolls, Lord Denning, published his 70,000-word report [...]
YouTube launches Westminster forum to champion UK’s creator economy September 25, 2025 YouTube has unveiled a new cross-party parliamentary group dedicated to championing the UK’s digital creator economy, announced at its annual YouTube Festival in London yesterday. The All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) for creators, co-chaired by former digital ministers Feryal Clark MP and Lord Ed Vaizey, will act as a formal bridge between policymakers and the country’s [...]