11 h. ago UK firms trading more with the US as they pivot from goods to services – HSBC

The value of payments made by HSBC’s business customers in the UK to those in the US surged by 23% in the year to June.

Politics

3 d. ago England’s coaching duo looking to orchestrate history on home soil to raise up women in rugby

Sarah Hunter and Lou Meadows pinpoint when it all clicked for Red Roses ahead of their World Cup quarter-final Earning the right to win each game may be the Red Roses’ mantra at this Rugby World Cup but making history on home soil is the goal Sarah Hunter and Lou Meadows are working to orchestrate. England’s assistant coaches describe themselves as complementary, bringing diverse experience that creates a “good blend” alongside the forwards coach, Louis Deacon, and the head coach, John Mitchell, with the Red Roses unbeaten under the New Zealander’s tenure.In a hotel meeting room on the outskirts of Bristol as England enter the business end of the tournament, Hunter and Meadows explain how the coaching setup offers “different lenses” for tactics and planning. The duo have brought a sharp, strategic edge to the hosts’ defence and attack and for 40 minutes they range over a series of topics, including picking in which game this England side have come closest to perfection. Continue rea...

Sport

4 d. ago Aldi confirms it will be closing all UK stores for three days over Christmas

The discount retailer will close over 1,000 shops across England, Scotland and Wales over the period

Politics

4 d. ago Man United told to complete Liverpool transfer hijack for £35m star who'd agree to move

Crystal Palace captain and England defender Marc Guehi was close to joining Premier League champions Liverpool on transfer deadline day until a last-minute hitch saw the deal collapse

Economics

5 d. ago Larry Ellison briefly overtakes Elon Musk as world’s richest person

Oracle co-founder’s shares rose by 40% in early trading, valuing his fortune at $393bn, just ahead of Musk’s $384bnUS tech billionaire Larry Ellison is neck-and-neck with Elon Musk in the contest to be the world’s richest person after briefly overtaking the Tesla chief executive on WednesdayEllison’s wealth surged after Oracle, the business software company in which he owns a stake of 41%, reported better than expected financial results. Continue reading...

Politics

8 d. ago Workhouses in England and Wales linked to transatlantic slave trade, study suggests

Report highlights how British workhouses were funded and supported by those who profited from slave economyThey were places of crushing hardship for the poorest people in Britain for centuries but a new report highlights how closely workhouses in England and Wales were linked with slavery and British imperialism.Workhouses, perhaps best known in popular culture through the Charles Dickens story Oliver Twist, were routinely funded and administered by people involved in the slave trade, the study says.The paper Racial Capitalism and the Workhouse–Plantation Nexus in the Atlantic World was published in Antipode. Continue reading...

Politics

1 week ago England vs South Africa live: Result and final score as hosts fall just short in second ODI

After a hammering at Headingley, England couldn’t beat South Africa in a closer game at Lord’s

Sport

2 w. ago 'Queen' of 'lost tribe' living in UK says time in jail was 'amazing experience'

Mother-of-seven Queen Nandi, 43, is said to be the queen of the ruler of Kubala, a small part of a forest in Jedburgh, close to the border with England

Politics

2 w. ago UK manufacturing downturn continues as new orders slide; Profits surge at Royal Mail – business live

Weak market conditions, US tariffs and downbeat client confidence blamed for drop in factory ordersOuch! The UK manufacturing sector shrank again last month, as factories were hit by weaker demand at home and abroad.The latest monthly poll of purchasing managers across Britain’s manufacturing sector found that new orders and new export business both fell at quicker rates in August, leading to another drop in production volumes.“Production volumes are still showing resilience in the face of global geopolitical uncertainty and US tariff policies, with both July and August having seen only slight contractions that were milder than those suffered earlier in the year. Business confidence has also lifted to a sixmonth high, reflecting hopes that the trading environment is starting to settle down.However, August also saw a steep drop in UK manufacturers’ new orders, with total order books and overseas demand both falling at some of the fastest rates seen over the past two years. Weak marke...

Economics

2 w. ago Victoria Beckham brand gets £6.2m loan from stars and backer as losses grow

Sales surge to £112m at fashion business on strong growth online, including new cosmetics products David and Victoria Beckham and the private equity firm Neo have pumped a further £6.2m into the former Spice Girl’s fashion empire this year as losses widened to almost £5m despite a surge in sales last year.Sales rose 26.5% to £112.7m in 2024, the brand’s fourth consecutive year of growth, helped by strong sales online and at Victoria Beckham’s London flagship store, as well as a 24% leap in online sales of cosmetics, including a new concealer pen and eyeliner. Continue reading...

Economics

2 w. ago Panther Milk goes bust as Glasgow cocktail firm makes all staff redundant

The Glasgow based booze company featured on Dragons Den in 2022.

Politics

3 w. ago Car thefts surge as UK's busiest port 'has just one police officer' to tackle trade in stolen vehicles headed for Africa and the Middle East

Car thefts have soared due to a lack of policing at Britain's busiest port, allowing criminals to ship stolen vehicles to the Middle East and Africa. 

Events

3 w. ago Apex Traffic Management: Almost 120 jobs lost as ‘highly regarded’ Scottish firm goes bust

“The directors had little choice but to place the business into administration” – Thomas McKay, Begbies Traynor

Politics

3 w. ago Councils move to close off key alternative to asylum hotels in England

Local authorities tighten controls on houses in multiple occupation amid fears for community cohesion

Events

3 w. ago Companies in crisis as MORE firms go bust: Surge in numbers of businesses closing down in England and Wales

Official data from the Insolvency Service showed there were 2,081 company insolvencies in July, edging up by 1% compared with June.

Economics

4 w. ago Police chiefs say shops should have 'greeters' to put off shoplifters, but hit out at lack of jail time for repeat offenders

Lancashire Constabulary issued the advice to business owners amid a surge in thefts, with nearly three a minute reported in England and Wales.

Events