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Heatwaves helped high street claw back ground over summer… but shops warn of looming inflation pain
Retail sales volumes rose by 0.5 per cent in August after falling by the same amount in July, helping the high street recover some ground over the summer. The increase, which exceeded analysts’ expectations, was supported by supermarkets, online retailers and air-conditioned department stores, with hot weather, promotions and the World Cup encouraging spending. Sales…
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Reform UK pledges hardline crackdown on illegal migrants entering Britain from Ireland, with eye-watering fines for train and bus firms transporting them across the border
Reform UK plans to propose tougher measures against illegal migrants travelling from the Republic of Ireland into Northern Ireland and onward into Britain. The proposals would include £10,000 fines for bus and rail operators for each illegal migrant transported, with the money used for deportations and border enforcement. The party also wants regular spot checks…
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I brought down the Scalp Hunter serial killer… he despised me and kept a sick secret to his grave
Serial killer John Sweeney, known as the “Scalp Hunter,” died in prison aged 69 last week after serving a whole-life sentence for murder. Convicted in 2011 of murdering two former girlfriends, Melissa Halstead and Paula Fields, he disposed of their dismembered remains in canals across London and the Netherlands. The case remains significant because Sweeney…
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Japan raises interest rates to 31-year high as central bankers fight inflation; retail sales rise in Great Britain – business live
A software defect in the UK’s air traffic control system caused a six-hour outage last week, resulting in widespread flight cancellations and delays across the country. Meanwhile, Japan’s central bank has raised interest rates to their highest level in 31 years as central banks worldwide attempt to combat inflation linked to Middle Eastern conflict, signalling…
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Global leaders urged to join initiative to fight extreme inequality
More than 1,500 academics and economists from over 100 countries have signed an open letter urging global leaders to support the International Panel on Inequality (IPI), a new initiative being proposed ahead of next week’s UN general assembly. The signatories, including Nobel Prize winner Joseph Stiglitz and former US Treasury secretary Janet Yellen, argue that…
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Former Labour deputy leader Tom Watson joins Palantir
Tom Watson, former Labour deputy leader and peer, has taken a full-time position as senior vice-president at Palantir, the controversial US artificial intelligence company. The appointment comes as Palantir faces pressure from Andy Burnham’s government to abandon its £330m NHS contract and battles Sadiq Khan in court over a blocked £50m Metropolitan police contract. Watson’s…
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MPs urge ministers to break off Thames Water talks with US hedge funds
A cross-party group of MPs has called on the government to break off negotiations with US hedge funds controlling Thames Water and instead take direct public control of the company. The Efra committee, chaired by Alistair Carmichael, argues that ministers should consider emergency legislation to stabilise the financially troubled water company, which carries debts of…
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Reserve Bank’s fears about inflation come true – and they could be forced to raise rates again
Reserve Bank of Australia governor Michele Bullock says rising inflation risks are materialising, potentially requiring another interest-rate increase at the board’s late-September meeting. Although economic growth is slowing, inflation remains too high and may take longer than expected to return to the bank’s target range, increasing pressure on households and businesses. The RBA had forecast…
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F-16 crashes into field in Midwest fireball, as local claims pilot is ‘conscious’
An F-16 fighter jet crashed in a field near Alpena, Michigan during training exercises on Thursday, injuring the pilot but causing no deaths. The pilot successfully ejected from the aircraft before impact and was reported conscious and receiving medical treatment at a local hospital. The crash sparked an evacuation of residents within a one-mile radius…
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Widow of car show founder demands probe into McLaren crash that killed husband and Hooters calendar girl
James Wehr, a 27-year-old car influencer and owner of South OC Cars and Coffee, one of the world’s largest weekly car shows, was killed along with 22-year-old Alexis Kramer when his 2019 McLaren crashed in Irvine, California. The vehicle struck a tree at around 12:20 am on Saturday and split in half before catching fire,…