International News

Like millions of people across Britain, Josina, a teacher from Sheffield, is being pushed into poverty by rising energy prices. This October, when bills are set to rise again, she will have to cut back on food and other essentials if she has any hope of keeping up with the payments. “It’s terrifying, especially with three teenagers in the house. They aren’t old enough to be out working yet. They’re relying on us, and it’s a really scary thought that you potential...

Nearly 800,000 UK households ended subscriptions in April-June, with rise in energy prices seen as ‘catalyst’ Almost 800,000 UK households cancelled their subscriptions to Netflix or Amazon Prime Video between April and June, as the cost of living crisis forces streaming fans to cut back on the number of services they pay for to just a few favourites. The number of homes with access to at least one subscription video-on-demand (SVOD) service fell from 19.57m in the first quarte...

Taylor Wimpey expects its full-year performance to come in at the upper end of forecasts after reporting a rise in first-half profits. The company's pre-tax profits rose 16.3 per cent to £334.5million, despite a 5.4 per cent drop in revenue to £2billion, as slashed costs helped widen margins. It told investors on Wednesday it now expects annual operating profit at the top of end of the company-compiled analysts' expectation range of £873million to £924mill...

UK banking bosses gave off an unexpected air of calm when they released second quarter earnings over the past week, defying wider anxiety over the cost of living crisis and its impact on businesses and consumers. Major high street lenders, including NatWest, Barclays, Lloyds and HSBC, largely shrugged off concerns over potential defaults linked to weaker economic forecasts, with most announcing fresh payouts for investors and instead releasing money they previously put aside for bad loans. ...

Mortgage borrowing rules have been eased after the Bank of England scrapped an affordability test. The "stress test" forced lenders to calculate whether potential borrowers would be able to cope if interest rates climbed by up to 3%. Removing the test may help some potential borrowers get loans, such as the self-employed or freelance workers. But other rules such as strict loan-to-income limits will not make it easier for most people to get a mortgage. The withdrawal of the affordabi...

Looking for culture and city life with a warm welcome? Journey up the M1 to a rejuvenated Birmingham for a better quality of life at just a third of the price Katarina Johnson-Thompson, Keely Hodgkinson and Dina Asher-Smith will be among the international athletes heading to Birmingham tomorrow to compete in the Commonwealth Games, the latest milestone in a huge ongoing investment pouring into the city. With HS2 on the horizon, much cheaper house prices than those in the capital and a massive ...

The collapse in the value of the pound has led the global super-rich to buy up 61 luxury London properties each worth more than £10m in the first six months of 2022 – the highest number in a decade. The total value of £10m-plus homes changing hands so far this year has topped £1bn as international buyers continue to be attracted to London despite Brexit. The Guardian understands that the sales include a 12-bedroom mansion on Belgrave Square that sold for more than &...

Proposals have been submitted for the two latest offices in the NOMA area of Manchester, aimed at delivering the best conditions for occupiers. The buildings, 2 and 3 Angel Square, pay homage to the city’s heritage and underline its status as one of Europe’s most forward thinking cities. They will deliver around 440,000 sq ft of Grade A office space, providing a new benchmark for sustainability, wellbeing, smart connectivity and flexible use of amenity spaces. Designed by ar...