Finance

645
UK student loan debts soar as one graduate pays £64k in interest
The highest outstanding student debt in the UK has topped more than £250,000, figures obtained by Money show.
771
Royal Mail takeover by Czech billionaire Daniel Kretinsky reportedly approved by government
The sale of Royal Mail’s parent company to a Czech billionaire has received government approval, according to a report.
629
Cabinet Office to cut 400 jobs in effort to create a ’smaller, clearer structure’
Staff told 400 civil servant roles will go in voluntary exit scheme, with Whitehall braced for further cuts
901
Ministers plan to cut over 10,000 civil service jobs
Sources say there is belief that service has become too big after growing during Brexit and pandemic years
751
Nearly £1,200 of public funds spent on two luxury leather folders
Chancellor Rachel Reeves is pushing her cabinet colleagues to find major savings in their departments. In a case of very awkward timing, new figures reveal one recently spent almost £1,200 on two luxury leather folders.
825
UK train fares are the highest in Europe, study reveals
Train operators in the UK are the most expensive in Europe, according to new analysis.
817
China investigation costs US tech giant over $100bn ahead of Trump presidency
A Chinese competition investigation has knocked more than $100bn off the valuation of a US tech giant, as Beijing braces ahead of a second Trump presidency.
647
UK bans ’unauthorised’ crypto website
A website that allows anyone to create their own cryptocurrency in a couple of clicks has been banned in the UK.
781
UK house prices hit record highs as demand shows no signs of slowing
House prices have now reached record levels as lower mortgage rates have helped improve buyer confidence for the fifth month in a row.
816
Contract for 14 new trains from FirstGroup will help give County Durham site a future
A £500m deal for 14 new trains has secured hundreds of jobs at Hitachi’s factory in north-east England.
591
UK ’heading into recession’ as ’job crisis’ deepens due to national insurance hike, warns recruitment firm
One of the UK’s biggest recruiters has warned that the UK is heading towards recession, blaming the chancellor’s National Insurance hike for a slump in the jobs market.
565
Bank of England finds that more than half of bosses plan to cut jobs and raise prices following the budget
More than half of British employers plan on cutting jobs and raising their prices in response to Labour’s first budget, a Bank of England survey has found.
670
Calls to boycott dairy company over use of methane-reducing food additive to tackle burping cows
One the UK’s biggest dairy companies is facing a public backlash after including a new controversial additive in its animal feed in a bid to tackle burping cows.
784
Ministers consider renationalizing British Steel if rescue plan fails
Move would be last-ditch attempt to save thousands of UK jobs amid standoff with company’s Chinese owners
794
New Covid corruption chief to leave ‘no stone unturned’, Reeves warns
Tom Hayhoe has been appointed to to claw back taxpayers’ money wasted on deals during the pandemic.
539
British manufacturer TI Fluid Systems agrees to a £1bn takeover by a Canadian rival
It marks the latest loss for the London Stock Exchange amid a flurry of takeover deals and speculation this week.
659
Money trail raises questions about deposed Bangladeshi elite’s £400m UK property empire
Associates of former Bangladeshi PM Sheikh Hasina have spent millions buying up top-flight property assets in the UK
752
Bank of England warns about risks from increasing global trade barriers
The Bank of England warned on Friday that higher trade barriers could hit global growth and feed uncertainty about inflation, potentially causing volatility in financial markets and pushing up borrowing costs for businesses and consumers.
722
TV licence fee to increase by £5 to £174.50 in 2025
The cost of a TV licence is to rise by £5 to £174.50 in 2025, the government has announced.
769
Welcome to China Street: fraudulent businesses taking over UK homes, creating a ’huge tax black hole’
Bogus online businesses could be cheating the exchequer of ‘hundreds of millions’ of pounds in tax, LBC has learned, with MPs calling on Companies House to do more following our findings.
827
Vauxhall’s owner plans to close Luton factory
The owner of Vauxhall has announced plans to close its van making factory in Luton, putting about 1,100 jobs at risk.
894
Thousands of jobs to go at Bosch in latest blow to German car industry
Bosch, the world’s biggest car parts supplier, has said it will cut thousands of jobs, blaming a slower-than-expected transition to electric, software-controlled vehicles.
806
London rents rise again as Savills warns of double-digit increase across the UK
Analysts have warned rents are being pushed to unsustainable levels amid another yearly jump and concerns there is no natural plateau in sight.
804
Ford to cut hundreds of UK jobs in major round of European layoffs
Ford has said it will cut around 4,000 jobs in Europe, including 800 in the UK and 3,000 in Germany, as it grapples with the transition to electric vehicles (EV).