Trump: Ukraine peace deal ‘closer than ever before’ December 29, 2025 Donald Trump said talks to secure a US-backed peace deal for Ukraine are “closer than ever before” after he met with Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky in Florida. But the two leaders acknowledged there are still “thorny issues” remaining. Mr Trump, the US president, has said talks on a security guarantee – a key plank of [...]
On this day: Britain pays off its debt to America December 29, 2025 On 29 December 2006, the government paid its final instalment of its post-war loan repayments to America, writes Eliot Wilson Nineteen years ago today, on 29 December 2006, the recently appointed Economic Secretary to the Treasury, Ed Balls, made an historic announcement. The government was paying the final instalment of the loan given by the [...]
Financial services to plough cash into UK defence in 2026 December 29, 2025 Financial services are planning to pump cash into the UK’s defence sector next year after facing pressure to ramp up investment amid increased geopolitical tensions. Nearly two-thirds of financial services leaders expect the sector to increase investment in UK defence in 2026, with more than a quarter anticipating that investment will rise “much more” over [...]
Who still gets hired in the 2026 workplace? December 28, 2025 Britain’s labour market has probably never felt more precarious than it does now, as the struggling economy and the rapid rise of AI take effect. Redundancies are at their highest since the pandemic, unemployment has risen to 5.1 per cent, and entry-level opportunities, the traditional stepping stones for grads and young workers, have all but [...]
Property slump hits half of London as prime boroughs lead the decline December 23, 2025 London has a “two-speed” market, as house prices are falling in about half of London’s boroughs, with the most expensive boroughs hit the hardest. The average house price in London for October was £547,000, down 2.4 per cent from the previous year, according to the Office for National Statistics (ONS). The data also showed that [...]
The year in law: Scale, survival, and the surge of the transatlantic titans December 23, 2025 From the birth of new transatlantic titans to a government-led rescue of the litigation funding market, 2025 has seen the City’s legal landscape rewritten by a relentless pursuit of scale and a newfound reliance on the machine. The legal sector started the year with US President Donald Trump attacking the industry, as Trump vs Big [...]
All I want for Christmas is economic growth December 23, 2025 Keir Starmer has quietly abandoned his “five missions”, now he should dispense with all policies that are standing in the way of growth, starting with the Employment Rights Bill, says Joe Hill As we ring out 2025 and ring in 2026, it’s good to reflect on what we’re leaving behind as well as looking to [...]
Business confidence ticked up after Budget, Lloyds Bank says December 23, 2025 Business confidence inched up at the end of 2025, according to a new survey, as firms were brought some relief and clarity after the Autumn Budget. Lloyds Banking Group’s latest Business Barometer found business confidence etched up 10 points by the end of 2025 when compared with the beginning of the year. Half of this [...]
Justice must work for victims not investors December 19, 2025 Third-party litigation funding is increasingly looking less like justice in action and more like a volume-driven acquisition model, writes Oliver Ryan MP.
EDX Medical’s New Advanced Bowel Cancer Testing Service to Launch in UK to Improve Early Detection December 18, 2025 A new, highly accurate testing service that improves the early-stage detection of bowel cancer with strong clinical validity will be available in the UK within the next few weeks. The service increases the accuracy and sensitivity of testing and includes assessment of hereditary genetic risk for the patient. It is the most advanced and accurate [...]