19 h. ago Voices: ‘The system is broken’: Independent readers divided over plans for ‘postcode lottery’ energy pricing

Our community share their views on ‘zonal pricing’ for electricity – from concerns about a ‘postcode lottery’ and higher bills in the South, to the potential benefits for Scotland's renewable energy sector

Politics

44 h. ago What is Ed Miliband’s ‘postcode pricing’ plan for energy bills and how would it work?

The government is understood to be considering an overhaul of the UK’s energy market, charging those close to cheap power, such as wind turbines, less money

Economics

45 h. ago Ed Miliband updates plan for different energy bills depending where you live

People in different parts of the UK could pay more or less for gas and electricity depending on their postcode

Society

46 h. ago KitKat maker Nestle reveals steep price hikes for coffee and chocolate

The firm raised prices by 2.1% overall in the first quarter, with double-digit hikes in some markets.

Politics

47 h. ago Live in the South? You could pay more than Northerners for energy! Ed Miliband says 'zonal' power pricing is on the table

Net Zero Secretary Ed Miliband said he was 'studying the detail' amid claims officials have recommended implementing the idea.

Politics

47 h. ago Zonal energy pricing will not go ahead if it raises bills, Ed Miliband says

The Energy Secretary is considering proposals for zonal pricing in the UK power market.

Science

3 d. ago Tariffs will raise prices. But the climate crisis is the real inflation risk | Mark Blyth and Nicolò Fraccaroli

As temperatures rise and countries back off their decarbonization efforts, we must confront a reality central banks can’t correctInflation is, at base, a tax on consumption – and it hits the poor the hardest, since they consume more of their incomes and the rich consume less.That’s one reason for concern over Donald Trump’s tariffs, which will disproportionately affect the poor. When the 90-day pause on the tariffs expires, it is reasonable to expect prices to rise, and by a lot.Mark Blyth is a political economist and professor at Brown University. Nicolò Fraccaroli is a visiting scholar at Brown University Continue reading...

Economics

8 d. ago IMF chief cuts growth forecast over ‘off the charts’ trade uncertainty

Kristalina Georgieva warns that Donald Trump’s tariff ‘reboot’ threatens to raise prices and play havoc with markets

Politics

9 d. ago The cost of gaming is soaring – but for many fans, a game is ‘worth’ more than its price tag

As tariffs raise the price of consoles, is it time for gamers to reevaluate our relationship with new releases?Now is not a good time to buy a new games console.The shock waves from Donald Trump’s will-he-won’t-he approach to trade tariffs were always going to hit video games, an industry that relies on incredibly complex global supply chains. On Monday, Nikkei Asia reported on analysis from a major electronics supplier suggesting that the Nintendo Switch 2 will be subject to Trump’s 145% tariff on goods imported to the US from China, despite his apparent decision to exempt smartphones and computers. Continue reading...

Sport

1 week ago PlayStation have raised the price of PS5—but we've found a way to still get one for £75 less

PlayStation just released a statement that, as of 14 April, the price of the iconic PS5 console will be rising by £40 - but we've found a way to get one for £75 less than its full price

Economics

1 week ago Sony makes ‘tough decision’ to raise PS5 prices in Europe and UK

Japanese group cites ‘challenging economic environment’ as Trump’s tariffs throw supply chains into uncertainty

Politics

2 w. ago Jim Ratcliffe is ‘trying to destroy’ everything at Man United, says Eric Cantona

Ratcliffe has raised ticket prices and undertaken swingeing cuts resulting in significant job losses since his arrival in February 2024

Politics

2 w. ago Katie Price's wildest health obsessions from 'disgusting' CBD cancer claim to 'oversized' veneers

Katie Price has certainly raised eyebrows over the years, and that extends to her health obsessions - from her 'disgusting' CBD cancer claim to her 'oversized' veneers

Science

2 w. ago I’ve seen many phoney trade wars come and go. This is the real thing | Larry Elliott

This battle between the US and China goes far beyond market turmoil – it has killed off the liberal dream of a borderless world Donald Trump’s decision to impose a 104% tariff on Chinese imports into the US – and China blasting back with 84% – has spooked the financial markets. The response is entirely rational. Over the past few decades, phoney trade wars have been commonplace. Rival nations have squared off against each other, indulged in a bit of sabre-rattling, but eventually agreed on a deal. Headlines that screamed “trade war looms” were quickly replaced by those that read “trade war averted”. This time it’s different. The battle between the US and China prompted by Trump’s tariffs is no pretend trade war. It is the real deal – and it will have real consequences. Tariffs operate as a tax, adding to the costs of doing business and raising prices for consumers. Growth will slow and inflation rates will rise. The global economy was already growing only slowly. As things stand, it...

Events

2 w. ago ‘We will have to raise prices’: gloom and resolve in Yiwu, on China’s trade war frontline

At the world’s largest wholesale market, vendors have reduced their exposure to the US but fear the repercussions of a global economic shockIf you have ever bought a Christmas decoration, a button, an electric shaver or any other cheap manufactured product, there is a good chance it came from Yiwu, a city in east China’s Zhejiang province that is home to the world’s largest wholesale market.Covering more than 4m square metres, tens of thousands of suppliers have booths in Yiwu International Trade City. As the US and China exchange increasingly hysterical rhetoric and threaten ever-higher tariffs, it is vendors at places like Yiwu who are at the frontline of the new trade war. Continue reading...

Events

2 w. ago Corporate America won’t stop Trump’s tariffs. Here’s why | Alex Bronzini

Whether among executives, lobbyists or university trustees, an elite backlash to the Trump administration won’t work. It’s up to working people to resistFew historical analogies exist for Donald Trump’s newly announced tariffs. The investment bank Evercore estimates that the so-called “liberation day” announcement has raised the weighted average US tariff to 29% – its highest rate since 1900. To call it a generational action would be an understatement; my grandmother was born in 1939.These tariffs, if they remain in place, will raise prices, eliminate jobs and shrink retirements. No one will pay for them more dearly than American workers. Yet a shock to capitalism inevitably raises the question of whether, and how, capitalists will respond. Faced with Trump’s tariffs, what will the US’s business class do? Continue reading...

Politics

3 w. ago Wall Street selloff caps brutal week for markets as Trump tariffs rattle investors

Slumps on S&P 500, Dow and Nasdaq cap dismal day for global indices but US president doubles down on tariff planWall Street suffered its worst week since the onset of the Covid-19 crisis five years ago as investors worldwide balked at Donald Trump’s risky bid to overhaul the global economy with sweeping US tariffs.The US president doubled down on his plan on Friday, insisting he would not back down even as the chairman of the Federal Reserve warned it would likely raise prices and slow down economic growth. Continue reading...

Economics

3 w. ago Trump’s tariffs will likely mean ‘higher inflation and slower growth’, says Fed chair

While the US economy remains robust, Jerome Powell cautions there is high uncertainty over its directionUS politics live – latest updatesDonald Trump’s global tariffs assault is set to raise prices and slow down economic growth, Federal Reserve chair Jerome Powell has warned, defying the US president’s demands for an immediate interest rate cut.While the US economy remains robust, Powell cautioned that there is high uncertainty over its direction. “Downside risks have risen,” he told an event in Arlington, Virginia, on Friday. Continue reading...

Economics

3 w. ago The reckless fantasy of austerity as a panacea is coming for European football | Aaron Timms

The same economic forces that led to stagnation today are already in practice at the world’s biggest clubsThe problem with running a modern top-flight football club is that raising revenue is hard to do. Once you’ve grabbed your slice of league-wide media rights, made a vaguely colonial-sounding pre-season tour of the “Far East,” stitched up some sponsorship deals with a gambling company or a country’s tourism agency, and shipped as many shirts as the global merch market can handle, you hit the ceiling of your earning capacity. At that point, as a club, what do you do?You can raise ticket prices, which risks alienating fans and the local community you’re supposed to represent. You can try your hand at a few miserable little crypto or AI plug-ins to build “engagement” among supporters or become a pioneer in the nascent field of fan “activations,” with limited potential returns. You can promise to build a new 100,000-seat stadium, but that takes time and money and doesn’t solve your i...

Sport

3 w. ago From Nike to Apple: which US brands could be hit hardest by Trump tariffs and what’s at stake?

Companies with suppliers in Asian countries are likely to have to raise prices after the US president’s measuresBusiness live – latest updatesDonald Trump’s “liberation day” tariff war has so far wiped trillions off the market value of publicly traded companies, with the sweeping border taxes of up to 50% poised to wreak havoc on businesses across the world.US-based global brands from Nike to Apple have suffered some of the heaviest falls in share price and market value, as investors react to fears of price increases and a potential slowdown in consumer spending. Here, we examine some of the most exposed industries and brands. Continue reading...

Politics