A trio of key Trump administration officials — Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard and White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt — are in the midst of facing their first majorforeign policy test in their high-profile admin roles after Israel launched preemptive strikes on Iran and President Donald Trump weighs involving the U.S. in the conflict. The trio ascended to their roles with widespread fanfare among many MAGA conservatives, though...
For many small businesses and entrepreneurs in the UK, a car is much more than just a means of getting from point A to point B. It’s a working tool, an indispensable business asset. Meeting customers, delivering goods, transporting equipment, making purchasing trips – these are all daily tasks that require reliable transport. This increased role means that the condition and reliability of a work vehicle carries increased responsibility – it directly affects the ability...
The UK’s fifth‑largest supermarket said like‑for‑like sales grew 3.9 per cent in the three months to early June, up from 2.1 per cent in the previous quarter, when a cyberattack on supply‑chain software provider Blue Yonder forced the retailer to slash prices on some items to keep shelves stocked. Including new space, total sales rose 4.2 per cent to £3.9 billion, while underlying EBITDA for the first half climbed 7.2 per cent to £344 million. (Morrisons does not disclose pre‑tax profit.) Chief executive Rami Baitiéh, who arrived...
More than £1 billion has now been paid out to victims of the Post Office Horizon IT scandal, marking a significant milestone in the ongoing effort to deliver justice to thousands of wronged sub-postmasters. The government confirmed that, as of 2 June, a total of £1.039 billion had been awarded to just over 7,300 individualsthrough a series of compensation schemes. However, despite the growing payouts, campaigners say many victims are still navigating a slow and...
A Senate fiscal hawk doesn’t believe Republicans can hit their own self-imposed timeline to pass President Donald Trump’s ‘big, beautiful bill.’ Senate Republicans are racing against the clock to finish work on their version of the president’s colossal bill after the House GOP advanced its offering late last month. So far, each of the 10 Senate committees has unveiled a portion of the bill and are fine-tuning each chunk to conform with Senate rules and...
The UK’s advertising watchdog has issued a strong rebuke to brands that continue to rely on outdated and harmful stereotypes of older people, warning that many portrayals are offensive and fail to reflect the reality of ageing in modern society. In a report published today, the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) singled out several high-profile adverts for depicting older people as grumpy, technologically inept, lonely or burdensome, and said the industry must do more to reflect...
HM Revenue & Customs is expected to net a significant tax windfall from this year’s Wimbledon Championships, as the tournament’s ever-increasing prize pot pushes more players into higher UK tax brackets. According to tax experts at Blick Rothenberg, Wimbledon is becoming an increasingly lucrative revenue stream for HMRC, thanks to the structure of international tax rules and the tournament’s soaring prize fund. In 2025, the total prize money will rise by a further 7%, capping...
The Bank of England has kept its benchmark interest rate at 4.25%, but hinted that a cut could be on the horizon as early as August, amid growing signs of a weakened UK economy and rising global risks. While Governor Andrew Bailey acknowledged that inflation is now on a gradual downward path, he warned that the world remains “highly unpredictable”, with escalating geopolitical tensions—particularly in the Middle East—threatening to derail the UK’s fragile economic recovery....
Raspberry Pi founder Eben Upton has sold £1.8 million worth of shares in the Cambridge-based microcomputer company, reducing his stake just over a year after its high-profile stock market debut. The sale came as a 365-day lock-up period for directors and senior executives expired this week. Upton, 47, who launched Raspberry Pi in 2008, was joined by the company’s chief financial officer, Richard Boult, who offloaded £455,000 worth of shares. The transactions were disclosed in...
Shell’s chief executive Wael Sawan has warned that a worsening of the conflict between Israel and Iran could deliver a major shock to the global economy, as geopolitical tensions threaten to choke off one of the world’s most important energy supply routes. Speaking at an energy conference in Tokyo, Sawan said Shell had drawn up contingency plans should the conflict result in disruptions to oil and gas flows from the Middle East. He said a...
