5 h. ago Household savings hit record £2.2trillion as sticky inflation and tax hike fears see cash stockpiled

Savers are sitting on a record £2.2trillion in cash savings despite the Chancellor's efforts to persuade more households to invest their wealth, new data shows.

Economics

8 h. ago Household savings hit record £2.2trillion as cash is stockpiled during sticky inflation

Savers are sitting on a record £2.2trillion in cash savings despite the Chancellor's efforts to persuade more households to invest their wealth, new data shows.

Economics

8 h. ago When trains are pricier than planes, there’s a heavy social, financial and environmental cost

In this week’s newsletter: Whether it’s a holiday or work trip, railway travellers find themselves burdened by astronomical prices – and the environment is left footing the bill• Don’t get Down to Earth delivered to your inbox? Sign up hereIf I want to get from Barcelona to London, I face what should be a simple choice: either I take the plane, and pump out about 280kg of pollution that heats the planet, or the train, and spew just 8kg.That is not the calculation travellers are presented with, nor is it the one they care about most. Because while the plane ticket would cost €15, an analysis from Greenpeace found this summer, the train ticket would cost a galling €389.Climate disasters in first half of 2025 costliest ever on record, research showsGlobal use of coal hit record high in 2024Overconsumption and ruin: before and after images visualise how tech could harm our planet Continue reading...

Economics

26 h. ago UK manufacturers hit by largest drop in orders since 2020; FTSE 100 hits record high – business live

Shares in oil companies jump after US sanctions Russian energy firms, while manufacturers see weak prospects aheadYesterday’s weaker-than-expected UK inflation report has sparked chat that the Bank of England could cut interest rates sooner than expected.Deutsche Bank say there is now an “interesting debate” on whether there may be enough ammunition for the Bank’s monetary policy committee to cut borrowing costs as soon as its next meeting in early November.What’s the case for November? Relative to the Bank’s projections, growth has surprised to the downside, private sector AWE growth has surprised to the downside, unemployment has risen in line with Bank expectations, and inflation now sits a healthy amount below the Bank’s projections. Indeed, one could make the argument that the ingredients for a November rate cut are there.So, why not November? We think three things will be important for the MPC to see before dialling down restrictive policy again. One, the MPC may want to see s...

Economics

40 h. ago Three things we learned from Chelsea win as Blues hit ruthless streak and Estevao claims new record

Marc Guiu, Estevao and Tyrique George add to an impressive night for a much-changed Chelsea team in west London

Events

55 h. ago Two dead at Melbourne beach as wild wind batters state, while parts of Sydney hit by record

Sydney’s Observatory Hill peaks at 37C on Wednesday – below the 39C forecast – as the mercury in other parts of the city neared 40CFollow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastTwo men have died after being pulled from the water at a Victorian beach amid wild weather in the state.On Wednesday evening, Victoria police confirmed two men were found unresponsive in the water at Frankston Beach, on the Mornington Peninsula, just after 5pm. The men, who are yet to be identified, could not be revived. Continue reading...

Events

69 h. ago DVSA responds to calls to open more driving test centres as waiting list update issued

The backlog for tests hit a record high this year

Politics

3 d. ago EDF say an easy household change could save you '£60 a year' on energy bills

Addressing common heat loss points like windows, doors, and skirtings can help keep your home warmer longer

Economics

3 d. ago Japan stocks hit record as Sanae Takaichi becomes prime minister

‘Takaichi trade’ reflects optimism that ruling coalition will increase defence spending and cut some taxes

Politics

4 d. ago The hidden tax traps catching out millions: Record numbers are being hit with bills

Record numbers are being hit with tax bills after exceeding their tax-free allowances on everything from savings interest to capital gains. So what do you have to do if you exceed one of yours?

Economics

5 d. ago The hidden tax traps catching out millions: Record numbers are being hit with bills after exceeding their tax

Record numbers are being hit with tax bills after exceeding their tax-free allowances on everything from savings interest to capital gains. So what do you have to do if you exceed one of yours?

Economics

6 d. ago Martin Lewis's superb radiator hack costs less than £10 but could save tonnes on heating bills

As the cold weather sets in, Martin Lewis has shared some of his top tips to stay warm and save money this winter - including one hack that uses a household item

Economics

6 d. ago Drug deaths hit record high as one popular substance 'particularly worrying'

The Office for National Statistics recorded 5,655 drug-related deaths in 2024 - and such deaths have now increased every year since 2012

Events

6 d. ago Bank shares lead global market fall amid jitters over US private credit

Signs of credit stress send markets in Europe and Asia down, while investors turn to safe haven assetsEuropean stock markets fell on Friday and gold hit a record high after two US regional banks said they had been exposed to millions of dollars of bad loans and alleged fraud.Signs of credit stress rattled markets across Europe and Asia. In London the FTSE 100 fell 0.9%, Germany’s Dax fell 1.8%, Italy’s FTSE Mib fell 1.5%, the Ibex in Spain was off 0.3% and France’s Cac 40 dropped 0.2%. Continue reading...

Economics

7 d. ago FTSE 100 slides as US regional bank worries rock markets – business live

Fear index jumps, and European markets follow Asia lower, as bad loan fears hit valuationsGlobal markets fall and gold hits record high amid jitters over US banksUS regional bank stocks fall amid Wall Street concern over credit marketsStorm clouds are gathering over the financial markets, warns Richard Hunter, head of markets at interactive investor:There are increasing signs of storm clouds gathering over markets, with little relief from the building wall of worry.Already grappling with stretched stock valuations in the AI space, an unresolved government shutdown and a deteriorating relationship between Beijing and Washington, investors were exposed to a new source of concern in the form of lending practices and bad loans for US regional banks. Continue reading...

Economics

7 d. ago Global markets fall and gold hits record high amid jitters over US banks

Signs of credit stress send markets in Europe and Asia down, while investors turn to safe haven assetsBusiness live – latest updatesGlobal stock markets fell sharply and gold hit a record high after two US regional banks said they had been exposed to millions of dollars of bad loans and alleged fraud.Signs of credit stress rattled markets across Europe and Asia. In London the FTSE 100 fell 1.5%, Germany’s Dax fell 2%, the Ibex in Spain was off 0.8% and France’s Cac 40 dropped 1.5%, before recovering some ground. Continue reading...

Economics

8 d. ago Health chief issues stark ketamine warning as drug poisonings hit record high

The UK government has warned young people over the dangerous of ketamine, fake pills and so-called 'THC vapes'

Events

9 d. ago UN weather agency says C02 levels hit record high last year, causing more extreme weather

The United Nations weather agency reports that carbon dioxide levels in the atmosphere reached record highs last year, intensifying climate change and extreme weather

Events

9 d. ago Record leap in CO2 fuels fears of accelerating global heating

CO2 in air hit new high last year, with scientists concerned natural land and ocean carbon sinks are weakeningLevels of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere soared by a record amount in 2024 to hit another high, UN data shows, deepening the climate crisis that is already taking lives and livelihoods across the world.Scientists are worried that the natural land and ocean “sinks” that remove CO2 from the air are weakening as a result of global heating, which could form a vicious circle and drive temperatures up even faster. Continue reading...

Politics

1 week ago UK’s cyber security agency warns of ‘sophisticated’ threat from Chinese hackers

The number of serious attacks from across all sources in the most recent 12-month period hit record levels.

Events