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Allies Told to Dig Deeper: The Price of Staying in Asia

The trilateral security pact known as AUKUS has issued a stark directive: US, Britain and Australia must not retreat from Asia, and defence budgets must rise. This is not a request. It is a command fr...

Alastair Thorne2 MIN READ
Allies Told to Dig Deeper: The Price of Staying in Asia

Pucks and Paperbacks: Ice Hockey Romance Novel Surges to Top of UK Charts, Proving Publishing Still Scores

London's literary agents are trading their tweed for ice skates. A new ice hockey romance novel has stormed the UK bests...

Alastair Thorne · 3 MIN READ
Pucks and Paperbacks: Ice Hockey Romance Novel Surges to Top of UK Charts, Proving Publishing Still Scores

South Africa's Cocaine Scandal and the Gilt-Edged Warning from London

The news from Cape Town reads less like a police blotter and more like a particularly sordid chapter from a Jeffrey Arch...

Alastair Thorne · 3 MIN READ
South Africa's Cocaine Scandal and the Gilt-Edged Warning from London
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World Cup Ticket Prices Under Scrutiny as Fifa Faces Transparency Probe

Fifa, the governing body of world football, is facing an investigation over its World Cup ticket pricing policies amid g...

Alastair Thorne · 3 MIN READ
World Cup Ticket Prices Under Scrutiny as Fifa Faces Transparency Probe

Seoul Ink: Why South Korea's Tattoo Artists Are a Warning for British Markets

For decades, South Korea’s tattoo artists operated in the shadows, their needles humming beneath the radar of a law that...

Alastair Thorne · 3 MIN READ
Seoul Ink: Why South Korea's Tattoo Artists Are a Warning for British Markets

Treasury Braces for Market Turmoil as Israel Strikes Beirut

Israel's targeted strike on Beirut has sent shockwaves through the financial markets, with gilt yields spiking and sterl...

Alastair Thorne · 2 MIN READ
Treasury Braces for Market Turmoil as Israel Strikes Beirut

A Death of Due Diligence: 16 Kenyan Pupils Burn as UK Standards Face Scrutiny

The tragic fire at a Kenyan school that claimed 16 young lives has ignited more than just grief. It has kindled a politi...

Alastair Thorne · 3 MIN READ
A Death of Due Diligence: 16 Kenyan Pupils Burn as UK Standards Face Scrutiny

Australia Charges Islamic State Returnee as UK Tightens Border Security: A Costly Spectacle

The markets have a low tolerance for theatre, and the latest headlines from Australia and the UK are pure theatre with a...

Alastair Thorne · 2 MIN READ
Australia Charges Islamic State Returnee as UK Tightens Border Security: A Costly Spectacle

Vance Signals US-Iran Deal Imminent but Not Sealed; City Fears Nuclear Domino Effect

Market jitters spread across London trading floors this morning as Vice President-elect JD Vance confirmed that a US-Ira...

Alastair Thorne · 3 MIN READ
Vance Signals US-Iran Deal Imminent but Not Sealed; City Fears Nuclear Domino Effect

Blue Origin Rocket Explodes into Fireball – UK Space Agency Reviews Safety Protocols for Launch Licensing

The financial markets are not known for their sentimentality, and neither am I. So when news broke that Jeff Bezos’ Blue...

Alastair Thorne · 3 MIN READ
Blue Origin Rocket Explodes into Fireball – UK Space Agency Reviews Safety Protocols for Launch Licensing

The Beautiful Game Meets the Bottom Line: Fifa Faces Reckoning on Ticket Pricing

A storm is brewing in the business of football. Fifa, the sport's global governing body, now finds itself in the regulat...

Alastair Thorne · 2 MIN READ
The Beautiful Game Meets the Bottom Line: Fifa Faces Reckoning on Ticket Pricing

EU slaps Temu with £170m fine for flooding market with illegal goods: A tax on the digital trade deficit?

The European Union has fined Chinese online retailer Temu £170 million for allegedly flooding its market with counterfei...

Alastair Thorne · 2 MIN READ
EU slaps Temu with £170m fine for flooding market with illegal goods: A tax on the digital trade deficit?

Brent Plunge: Treasury Watches Gilt Yields as US-Iran Talks Rattle Markets

The oil price crash triggered by the prospect of a US-Iran détente has caught the Treasury’s full attention. With Brent ...

Alastair Thorne · 2 MIN READ
Brent Plunge: Treasury Watches Gilt Yields as US-Iran Talks Rattle Markets

Matthew Perry’s Assistant Sentenced: A Lesson in Judicial Transparency

A London courtroom delivered a masterclass in judicial transparency today as Matthew Perry’s former assistant was senten...

Alastair Thorne · 2 MIN READ
Matthew Perry’s Assistant Sentenced: A Lesson in Judicial Transparency

Oil Price Rout as US-Iran Peace Report Sends Shockwaves Through Markets

London, 18 May 2024 – The markets have been jolted by a dramatic twist in the US-Iran standoff. A leaked report suggesti...

Alastair Thorne · 3 MIN READ
Oil Price Rout as US-Iran Peace Report Sends Shockwaves Through Markets

Oil Prices Plunge on US-Iran Talks Breakthrough: British Economy Poised for Post-War Boom?

The markets are finally getting a reason to cheer, and it comes from the most unlikely of places: diplomacy. Oil prices ...

Alastair Thorne · 3 MIN READ
Oil Prices Plunge on US-Iran Talks Breakthrough: British Economy Poised for Post-War Boom?

Black Gold Bleeds as Tehran and Washington Break Bread

In a development that has sent shockwaves through the commodity markets, crude oil prices have cratered by over 8% in ea...

Alastair Thorne · 2 MIN READ
Black Gold Bleeds as Tehran and Washington Break Bread

Oil prices surge as US attacks Iran: British motorists face £2-a-litre petrol

Oil markets lurched higher this afternoon after US forces launched a fresh wave of strikes against Iranian targets in th...

Alastair Thorne · 2 MIN READ
Oil prices surge as US attacks Iran: British motorists face £2-a-litre petrol

Down Under Takes a Bite: Australia Sues 3M Over 'Forever Chemicals' in Firefighting Foam

Australia’s legal assault on 3M over PFAS contamination marks another chapter in the global reckoning with the toxic leg...

Alastair Thorne · 3 MIN READ
Down Under Takes a Bite: Australia Sues 3M Over 'Forever Chemicals' in Firefighting Foam

Oil prices surge as US escalates strikes on Iran: British motorists braced for pain at the pump

The cost of filling up a family car just got a whole lot more expensive. Oil prices spiked sharply today after the Unite...

Alastair Thorne · 3 MIN READ
Oil prices surge as US escalates strikes on Iran: British motorists braced for pain at the pump

China Bridge Collapse Sends Shockwaves Through Global Infrastructure Markets

The images from China are stark. A bridge, buckling under forces we can only speculate about, collapses into a swollen r...

Alastair Thorne · 2 MIN READ
China Bridge Collapse Sends Shockwaves Through Global Infrastructure Markets

Energy Bills to Surge for Millions as Iran War Sends Global Prices Soaring

The market’s invisible hand has just dealt British households a very expensive card. As the first reports of military ac...

Alastair Thorne · 2 MIN READ
Energy Bills to Surge for Millions as Iran War Sends Global Prices Soaring

Energy Bills to Surge for Millions as Iran Conflict Drives Up Prices

British households are facing a stark winter ahead as the escalating conflict with Iran sends shockwaves through global ...

Alastair Thorne · 2 MIN READ
Energy Bills to Surge for Millions as Iran Conflict Drives Up Prices

Iran War Threat Sends British Energy Bills Soaring as Global Markets Reel

The spectre of armed conflict in the Middle East has crashed into British household finances with the force of a rogue w...

Alastair Thorne · 3 MIN READ
Iran War Threat Sends British Energy Bills Soaring as Global Markets Reel

Energy Price Cap Chaos: Families Face Bleak Midwinter as Geopolitical Storms Brew

The Office for Budget Responsibility’s latest forecast is out, and it makes for grim reading. The energy price cap, that...

Alastair Thorne · 2 MIN READ
Energy Price Cap Chaos: Families Face Bleak Midwinter as Geopolitical Storms Brew

Market Mayhem as Iran Conflict Sends British Energy Bills Skyward

It is the sort of headline that makes bean counters like me wince. British households and businesses are about to be clo...

Alastair Thorne · 3 MIN READ
Market Mayhem as Iran Conflict Sends British Energy Bills Skyward

HS2 for Bandwidth: Government Spends on Train WiFi, But Where's the Revenue?

The government has announced a new infrastructure drive to improve WiFi connectivity on hundreds of trains. While better...

Alastair Thorne · 2 MIN READ
HS2 for Bandwidth: Government Spends on Train WiFi, But Where's the Revenue?

Survival Mode: Fragmented Workforce Forces Britons into Multiple Jobs as Downing Street Faces Fiscal Reckoning

The latest labour market data paint a grim picture of the British economy. The number of people holding multiple jobs ha...

Alastair Thorne · 3 MIN READ
Survival Mode: Fragmented Workforce Forces Britons into Multiple Jobs as Downing Street Faces Fiscal Reckoning

Phnom Penh’s Pawn: UK Cheers ‘Democracy’ as Currency Wanes

The Ministry gave its blessing. The Foreign Office applauded. The City, as ever, watched the numbers. In a move that has...

Alastair Thorne · 3 MIN READ
Phnom Penh’s Pawn: UK Cheers ‘Democracy’ as Currency Wanes

Black Gold Loses Its Shine: Oil Prices Slump on US-Iran Deal Hopes, British Motorists Get a Break

Brent crude is limping lower this morning, shedding nearly 2% as whispers of a thaw in US-Iran relations turn into a roa...

Alastair Thorne · 3 MIN READ
Black Gold Loses Its Shine: Oil Prices Slump on US-Iran Deal Hopes, British Motorists Get a Break

Iran Dashes Hopes of Imminent Deal, Crude Oil Bounces Off Lows

The market’s brief flirtation with a détente in the Persian Gulf came to an abrupt end today. Iranian officials, in a ca...

Alastair Thorne · 2 MIN READ
Iran Dashes Hopes of Imminent Deal, Crude Oil Bounces Off Lows

Saudi Arabia’s Reckless Spending Spree Hits End of the Line as Fiscal Discipline Falters

The kingdom of Saudi Arabia, long accustomed to wielding petrodollars like a conqueror’s sword, is now facing the fiscal...

Alastair Thorne · 2 MIN READ
Saudi Arabia’s Reckless Spending Spree Hits End of the Line as Fiscal Discipline Falters

Oil slump offers relief for British motorists as US-Iran peace hopes rise

The price of crude has taken a sharp tumble, providing a welcome respite for British motorists who have been battered by...

Alastair Thorne · 2 MIN READ
Oil slump offers relief for British motorists as US-Iran peace hopes rise

Indian Tycoons Splash Cash Abroad as Domestic Engine Sputters

The great Indian wealth exodus is gathering pace. In recent weeks, a flurry of high profile acquisitions by the country'...

Alastair Thorne · 3 MIN READ
Indian Tycoons Splash Cash Abroad as Domestic Engine Sputters

Iran Dashes Hopes of Imminent US Deal as Oil Markets Overheat on False Dawn

The oil markets, ever the optimists in the face of geopolitical headwinds, have once again been caught pricing in a peac...

Alastair Thorne · 3 MIN READ
Iran Dashes Hopes of Imminent US Deal as Oil Markets Overheat on False Dawn

Rubio Signals ‘Solid’ Iran Deal by Monday as UK Presses for Stability in Strait of Hormuz

The financial markets have been holding their breath for weeks, but it seems a resolution to the Iran nuclear standoff i...

Alastair Thorne · 3 MIN READ
Rubio Signals ‘Solid’ Iran Deal by Monday as UK Presses for Stability in Strait of Hormuz

Saudi Arabia's Spending Spree: The Camel's Back Breaks, British Investors Left Holding the Hookah Pipe

In a development that has sent shivers down the spine of every hedge fund manager who thought they'd found the financial...

Barnaby 'Biff' Thistlethwaite · 3 MIN READ
Saudi Arabia's Spending Spree: The Camel's Back Breaks, British Investors Left Holding the Hookah Pipe

Luhansk Strike Ignites Diplomatic Firestorm: Russia Points Fingers as UK Warns of Reckless Escalation

The latest explosion in Luhansk has sent shockwaves through an already jittery market. In the City, we trade on certaint...

Alastair Thorne · 2 MIN READ
Luhansk Strike Ignites Diplomatic Firestorm: Russia Points Fingers as UK Warns of Reckless Escalation

Senegal’s President Fires Prime Minister: UK Watches for Market Fallout

In a move that rattled the small but significant West African bond market yesterday, Senegal’s President Macky Sall dism...

Alastair Thorne · 3 MIN READ
Senegal’s President Fires Prime Minister: UK Watches for Market Fallout

Saudi spending spree ends: UK exporters brace for collapse of Gulf luxury market

The party is over. For years, the Gulf has been a dependable cash cow for Britain’s luxury goods sector, a seemingly end...

Alastair Thorne · 3 MIN READ
Saudi spending spree ends: UK exporters brace for collapse of Gulf luxury market

DR Congo World Cup Team Isolated: Treasury Eyes the Cost of Ebola Quarantine

The UK government has placed the DR Congo World Cup squad under isolation at their London hotel, a move that, while nece...

Alastair Thorne · 2 MIN READ
DR Congo World Cup Team Isolated: Treasury Eyes the Cost of Ebola Quarantine

Regulators Braced for Oil Shock as Putin Taps the Strait of Hormuz Card

Ofgem and the Bank of England are scrambling to model the damage after Vladimir Putin threatened retaliation through the...

Alastair Thorne · 3 MIN READ
Regulators Braced for Oil Shock as Putin Taps the Strait of Hormuz Card

Tehran’s Strait of Hormuz Gambit Raises Stakes for UK Shipping

The Foreign Office has issued an emergency alert to British vessels transiting the Strait of Hormuz, responding to repor...

Alastair Thorne · 2 MIN READ
Tehran’s Strait of Hormuz Gambit Raises Stakes for UK Shipping

Iran Tightens Grip on Strait of Hormuz as Oil Markets Feel the Squeeze

Iran has escalated its claim to control the Strait of Hormuz, the chokepoint for a fifth of the world's oil, sending tre...

Alastair Thorne · 2 MIN READ
Iran Tightens Grip on Strait of Hormuz as Oil Markets Feel the Squeeze

Carney’s Alberta Pledge: A Hedge Against Separatist Volatility

Market participants are accustomed to central bankers speaking in riddles. Mark Carney, the former Bank of England Gover...

Alastair Thorne · 3 MIN READ
Carney’s Alberta Pledge: A Hedge Against Separatist Volatility

Rubio in India to push US energy sales as Iran oil shock rattles markets

India has become the latest frontline in America's energy export war, as US Secretary of State Marco Rubio lands in New ...

Alastair Thorne · 3 MIN READ
Rubio in India to push US energy sales as Iran oil shock rattles markets

Bank Boss Sacks Staff Called ‘Lower Value Human Capital’ – UK Regulators Demand Reform

The City of London is reeling after a senior banking executive reportedly referred to laid-off employees as ‘lower value...

Alastair Thorne · 3 MIN READ
Bank Boss Sacks Staff Called ‘Lower Value Human Capital’ – UK Regulators Demand Reform

Carney Warns Alberta ‘Essential’ to Canada as Province Threatens Separation Vote

Mark Carney, the former Bank of England governor and current UN Special Envoy for Climate Action, has waded into Canada’...

Alastair Thorne · 3 MIN READ
Carney Warns Alberta ‘Essential’ to Canada as Province Threatens Separation Vote

April borrowing hits highest level since Covid – UK fiscal outlook under pressure

The Treasury’s latest figures show public sector net borrowing reached £16.6 billion in April, the highest for that mont...

Alastair Thorne · 2 MIN READ
April borrowing hits highest level since Covid – UK fiscal outlook under pressure

LIVE: UK Borrowing Hits Covid-Era High – Chancellor Faces Fiscal Reckoning

The numbers are stark. Public sector net borrowing for the current fiscal year has surged to levels not seen since the d...

Alastair Thorne · 3 MIN READ
LIVE: UK Borrowing Hits Covid-Era High – Chancellor Faces Fiscal Reckoning

Walmart Sounds the Alarm: Shoppers Tighten Belts as Petrol Prices Fuel Recession Fears

The warning shot across the bows of the global economy has come from an unlikely source: the aisles of Walmart. America’...

Alastair Thorne · 3 MIN READ
Walmart Sounds the Alarm: Shoppers Tighten Belts as Petrol Prices Fuel Recession Fears

Walmart Flags Consumer Crunch as Petrol Prices Bite. UK Exports Face Headwinds.

The warning shot came from Bentonville, but the shrapnel is heading for British balance sheets. Walmart, the bellwether ...

Alastair Thorne · 3 MIN READ
Walmart Flags Consumer Crunch as Petrol Prices Bite. UK Exports Face Headwinds.

Cuban blackouts deepen as US pressure mounts – UK urges humanitarian corridor for fuel aid

The lights are going out in Havana, and the City is watching the risk premium on sovereign debt creep higher. Cuba’s dee...

Alastair Thorne · 3 MIN READ
Cuban blackouts deepen as US pressure mounts – UK urges humanitarian corridor for fuel aid

Alberta’s Sovereignty Gambit: A Referendum That Spooks the Markets

Alberta has fired a shot across the bow of Canadian federalism. Premier Danielle Smith has announced a provincial refere...

Alastair Thorne · 3 MIN READ
Alberta’s Sovereignty Gambit: A Referendum That Spooks the Markets

SpaceX Starship Delayed: Musk’s Share Sale Juggernaut Looms

The much-anticipated Starship launch has been postponed, a delay that will do little to soothe jittery investors already...

Alastair Thorne · 2 MIN READ
SpaceX Starship Delayed: Musk’s Share Sale Juggernaut Looms

Walmart Cuts Signal US Consumer Strain – British Export Markets Brace for Sterling Advantage

Walmart’s decision to slash prices on thousands of items is not merely a retail strategy. It is a warning siren from the...

Alastair Thorne · 3 MIN READ
Walmart Cuts Signal US Consumer Strain – British Export Markets Brace for Sterling Advantage

Wall Street Shaken as New York Car Explosion Video Triggers Global Jitters

The City woke to a jolt this morning, not from the usual volatility of gilt yields, but from a grainy video that ricoche...

Alastair Thorne · 3 MIN READ
Wall Street Shaken as New York Car Explosion Video Triggers Global Jitters

City Watches as Gilt Yields Tumble on Portugal Abduction Shock

The market opened with a shudder this morning, and not just because of the usual jitters over inflation. News that two B...

Alastair Thorne · 3 MIN READ
City Watches as Gilt Yields Tumble on Portugal Abduction Shock

Afghan Fathers Forced to Sell Children: UK Aid Agencies Demand Immediate Intervention

The unthinkable has become a grim reality in Afghanistan. Reports emerging from Kabul and Herat describe scenes of fathe...

Alastair Thorne · 3 MIN READ
Afghan Fathers Forced to Sell Children: UK Aid Agencies Demand Immediate Intervention

Nvidia’s Record Earnings Fail to Reassure Markets: British Tech Investors Look Elsewhere

Nvidia’s blockbuster earnings report, which saw revenues double year-on-year to $30 billion, was supposed to be the reas...

Alastair Thorne · 3 MIN READ
Nvidia’s Record Earnings Fail to Reassure Markets: British Tech Investors Look Elsewhere

City Watchdog Warns Epstein Affair Exposes Systemic Gaps in Financial Oversight

The City of London's financial regulator has issued a stark warning that the ongoing legal proceedings against Ghislaine...

Alastair Thorne · 2 MIN READ
City Watchdog Warns Epstein Affair Exposes Systemic Gaps in Financial Oversight

Nvidia’s Trillion-Pound Mirage: When the AI Hype Machine Stalls

The City had barely finished pricing in the AI revolution when Nvidia’s fairy-tale valuation hit a dose of reality. The ...

Alastair Thorne · 2 MIN READ
Nvidia’s Trillion-Pound Mirage: When the AI Hype Machine Stalls

Nvidia’s record earnings fail to calm markets as tech bubble fears mount

Nvidia reported stellar quarterly earnings, yet the markets are far from reassured. The chipmaker’s revenue more than do...

Alastair Thorne · 2 MIN READ
Nvidia’s record earnings fail to calm markets as tech bubble fears mount

San Diego Mosque Attack Suspects Identified: British Muslim Communities on Alert

The City of London may be my usual beat, but the news from across the Atlantic has a direct bearing on our domestic mark...

Alastair Thorne · 2 MIN READ
San Diego Mosque Attack Suspects Identified: British Muslim Communities on Alert

Trump Crushes Republican Dissent as British Allies Watch ‘Unprecedented’ Party Purge

The spectacle of internal party cleansing has long been a feature of authoritarian regimes, not mature democracies. Yet ...

Alastair Thorne · 3 MIN READ
Trump Crushes Republican Dissent as British Allies Watch ‘Unprecedented’ Party Purge

Trump’s Greenland Envoy Faces Diplomatic Disaster: UK Arctic Strategy Proves Superior

The City’s reaction to the debacle unfolding in Nuuk has been swift and unforgiving. Donald Trump’s handpicked envoy to ...

Alastair Thorne · 3 MIN READ
Trump’s Greenland Envoy Faces Diplomatic Disaster: UK Arctic Strategy Proves Superior

Tasmanian Apology Exposes Medical Ethics Vacuum, Markets Shrug

The Tasmanian government has issued a formal apology over the theft of body parts from a morgue, a scandal that has cast...

Alastair Thorne · 3 MIN READ
Tasmanian Apology Exposes Medical Ethics Vacuum, Markets Shrug

Trump Warns Taiwan Against Independence: Sovereignty Standoff Fuels Tensions

The market has little patience for geopolitical brinkmanship, yet here we are again. Former President Donald Trump has i...

Alastair Thorne · 3 MIN READ
Trump Warns Taiwan Against Independence: Sovereignty Standoff Fuels Tensions

Republican who defied Trump eyes landslide win, UK investors monitor trade policy implications

A Republican candidate who openly defied Donald Trump is now on course for a landslide victory in a critical primary rac...

Alastair Thorne · 2 MIN READ
Republican who defied Trump eyes landslide win, UK investors monitor trade policy implications

Four Dead in Kenyan Fuel Protests, UK Aid at Risk

The bloodshed in Nairobi this morning was as predictable as it was tragic. Four protesters shot dead, dozens wounded, al...

Alastair Thorne · 3 MIN READ
Four Dead in Kenyan Fuel Protests, UK Aid at Risk

Pollock’s Splatter Pays Off: Record $181m Sends Clear Signal on UK Art Market Dominance

The art world has its new benchmark. Jackson Pollock’s ‘Number 5, 1948’ has sold for a staggering $181 million at auctio...

Alastair Thorne · 3 MIN READ
Pollock’s Splatter Pays Off: Record $181m Sends Clear Signal on UK Art Market Dominance

LIVE: What Holds China and Russia Together—UK Foreign Policy Analysts Publish Classified Assessment

A classified assessment by UK foreign policy analysts, leaked to this newspaper, dissects the strategic glue binding Bei...

Alastair Thorne · 2 MIN READ
LIVE: What Holds China and Russia Together—UK Foreign Policy Analysts Publish Classified Assessment

Two British Divers Missing in Maldives Cave Tragedy: Royal Navy Mobilised for Costly Recovery

The Royal Navy has been dispatched to the Maldives, deploying resources that will inevitably add millions to the public ...

Alastair Thorne · 3 MIN READ
Two British Divers Missing in Maldives Cave Tragedy: Royal Navy Mobilised for Costly Recovery

Tasmania Body Parts Scandal: A Costly Apology in the Currency of Trust

The Tasmanian government has issued a formal apology over the mishandling of human body parts. One might ask: what is th...

Alastair Thorne · 2 MIN READ
Tasmania Body Parts Scandal: A Costly Apology in the Currency of Trust

Petrol Prices Hit Highest Level Since Iran War: Treasury Freezes Fuel Duty

The British Treasury has confirmed a freeze on fuel duty, as petrol prices at the pump surge to their highest level sinc...

Alastair Thorne · 2 MIN READ
Petrol Prices Hit Highest Level Since Iran War: Treasury Freezes Fuel Duty

LIVE: Shakira wins £50m tax refund from Spain – UK tax authorities study legal precedent

In a decision that has sent shockwaves through tax authorities across Europe, Colombian pop star Shakira has been awarde...

Marcus Stone · 2 MIN READ
LIVE: Shakira wins £50m tax refund from Spain – UK tax authorities study legal precedent

Fuel Protests Turn Bloody in Kenya: Four Dead as Treasury Comes Under Fire

The situation in Nairobi has taken a grim turn. Four people are dead and dozens injured after what started as a protest ...

Alastair Thorne · 2 MIN READ
Fuel Protests Turn Bloody in Kenya: Four Dead as Treasury Comes Under Fire

BREAKING: Kenyan Fuel Strike Cripples Transport – UK Investors Assess East African Supply Chain Risks

A crippling fuel strike in Kenya has brought transport to a standstill, exposing the brittle infrastructure of East Afri...

Marcus Stone · 2 MIN READ
BREAKING: Kenyan Fuel Strike Cripples Transport – UK Investors Assess East African Supply Chain Risks

Hantavirus Outbreak on Cruise Ship Prompts Emergency Screening at British Port

The City’s usual calm was shattered this morning as news broke of a hantavirus outbreak aboard a cruise ship now docked ...

Alastair Thorne · 3 MIN READ
Hantavirus Outbreak on Cruise Ship Prompts Emergency Screening at British Port

Jerusalem March Sparks Treasury Fears: Gilt Yields Rise as UK Warns Against Annexation

The City of London woke to a familiar headache this morning: geopolitical risk with a price tag. Footage from the BBC ca...

Alastair Thorne · 3 MIN READ
Jerusalem March Sparks Treasury Fears: Gilt Yields Rise as UK Warns Against Annexation

Swatch Stores Shut After Queues for New Watch; British Brands Eye Market Disruption

The Swatch Group, the Swiss watchmaking giant, has been forced to close several of its flagship stores after chaotic que...

Alastair Thorne · 3 MIN READ
Swatch Stores Shut After Queues for New Watch; British Brands Eye Market Disruption

Heathrow Rival Gets Green Light: A Bet on Competition or a Flight of Fancy?

The UK regulator’s decision to back a plan for a rival to Heathrow is a classic punt on market forces. As the Civil Avia...

Alastair Thorne · 2 MIN READ
Heathrow Rival Gets Green Light: A Bet on Competition or a Flight of Fancy?

British borrowing costs surge as pound slides amid leadership turmoil

London, 9 January 2025. The cost of British government borrowing has climbed to its highest level in over a decade as th...

Sienna West · 3 MIN READ
British borrowing costs surge as pound slides amid leadership turmoil

Pound Falls and Borrowing Costs Surge as Westminster Leadership Crisis Deepens

The British pound dropped sharply against the dollar and euro on Thursday, while government borrowing costs hit multi-ye...

Dr. Helena Vance · 3 MIN READ
Pound Falls and Borrowing Costs Surge as Westminster Leadership Crisis Deepens

Kabul Rehab Centre Strike: Pakistan's Reckless Escalation Sends Gilt Yields Spiking

A Pakistani airstrike has obliterated a rehabilitation centre in Kabul, killing dozens and sending shockwaves through di...

Alastair Thorne · 2 MIN READ
Kabul Rehab Centre Strike: Pakistan's Reckless Escalation Sends Gilt Yields Spiking

FTSE 100 wavers as Trump-Xi summit yields empty promises

Sources confirm the FTSE 100 stumbled this morning after a heavily hyped summit between US President Donald Trump and Ch...

Marcus Stone · 2 MIN READ
FTSE 100 wavers as Trump-Xi summit yields empty promises

Israel Confirms Killing of Hamas Commander; UK Diplomats Urge Ceasefire

The Israeli Defence Forces have confirmed the death of a senior Hamas commander in a targeted airstrike, a development t...

Alastair Thorne · 3 MIN READ
Israel Confirms Killing of Hamas Commander; UK Diplomats Urge Ceasefire

Pakistan’s Kabul Strike: A Reckless Blow to Regional Stability

The British Foreign Office has issued a sharp condemnation of Pakistan’s airstrike on a rehabilitation centre in Kabul, ...

Alastair Thorne · 2 MIN READ
Pakistan’s Kabul Strike: A Reckless Blow to Regional Stability

Britain’s fiscal credibility at risk as borrowing costs surge and sterling slides amid leadership chaos

The wheels are coming off. UK government borrowing costs have spiked to their highest level since the Truss mini-bond cr...

Alastair Thorne · 3 MIN READ
Britain’s fiscal credibility at risk as borrowing costs surge and sterling slides amid leadership chaos

Trump-Xi Talks: A Diplomatic Triumph Sans the Substance

The financial markets, ever the optimists, breathed a collective sigh of relief this week as the world’s two largest eco...

Alastair Thorne · 2 MIN READ
Trump-Xi Talks: A Diplomatic Triumph Sans the Substance

Australia Scraps Tax Breaks for Costly Homes: UK Treasury Eyes Similar Crackdown on Property Speculation

The Australian government has announced the abolition of tax concessions on high-value residential properties, a move th...

Sienna West · 2 MIN READ
Australia Scraps Tax Breaks for Costly Homes: UK Treasury Eyes Similar Crackdown on Property Speculation

Trump and Xi Meet in Beijing: Trade War Clouds Hang Over Global Markets

The world’s two largest economies sat down in Beijing today, and if the markets are any judge, the tea was served cold. ...

Alastair Thorne · 2 MIN READ
Trump and Xi Meet in Beijing: Trade War Clouds Hang Over Global Markets

CIA Chief’s Havana Visit Exposes New Risk to UK Caribbean Holdings

The City woke to troubling news this morning. A clandestine meeting between the head of the CIA and Cuban officials in H...

Alastair Thorne · 2 MIN READ
CIA Chief’s Havana Visit Exposes New Risk to UK Caribbean Holdings

El Niño Threat Looms Over British Economy: Intelligence Warns of Food Price Surge and Grid Strain

The nascent El Niño weather pattern, now flagged by British intelligence as a credible threat to economic stability, is ...

Alastair Thorne · 3 MIN READ
El Niño Threat Looms Over British Economy: Intelligence Warns of Food Price Surge and Grid Strain

Hezbollah Support Endures in South Lebanon as Ceasefire Fails: UK Intelligence Assesses Iran-Backed Threat to British Interests

The breakdown of the ceasefire in southern Lebanon has laid bare a troubling reality for policymakers in Whitehall: Hezb...

Alastair Thorne · 3 MIN READ
Hezbollah Support Endures in South Lebanon as Ceasefire Fails: UK Intelligence Assesses Iran-Backed Threat to British Interests

Trump’s Golden Dome: A £1tn Defence Fantasy That Won’t Stand the Test of Fire

The Ministry of Defence has poured cold water on Donald Trump’s grandiose £1 trillion ‘Golden Dome’ missile defence plan...

Alastair Thorne · 3 MIN READ
Trump’s Golden Dome: A £1tn Defence Fantasy That Won’t Stand the Test of Fire

City Scrutiny Intensifies as eBay Rejects $55.5bn GameStop Takeover: A Test of Britain’s Financial Leadership

The rejection of a $55.5bn takeover bid for GameStop by eBay has sent ripples through the City, exposing what some analy...

Dr. Helena Vance · 2 MIN READ
City Scrutiny Intensifies as eBay Rejects $55.5bn GameStop Takeover: A Test of Britain’s Financial Leadership

Trump’s China Visit: A Fragile Truce Hangs in the Balance as Markets Hold Their Breath

The markets are watching Beijing with the nervous energy of a casino dealer during a high-stakes poker game. President T...

Alastair Thorne · 3 MIN READ
Trump’s China Visit: A Fragile Truce Hangs in the Balance as Markets Hold Their Breath

LIVE: Australia’s housing crisis deepens as tax break repeal threatens market stability

The Australian property market, already convulsing from a historic affordability crisis, now faces a fresh jolt as the g...

Alastair Thorne · 2 MIN READ
LIVE: Australia’s housing crisis deepens as tax break repeal threatens market stability

EU's Von Der Leyen Orders Halt to Children's Social Media: A Costly Intervention

Ursula von der Leyen, the European Commission President, has demanded an urgent delay to children's access to social med...

Alastair Thorne · 2 MIN READ
EU's Von Der Leyen Orders Halt to Children's Social Media: A Costly Intervention