A record number of private parking fines were successfully appealed to the industry body last year, the Money blog can reveal.
Greggs reports a 7.2% increase in total sales to £1.1bn for the first half of 2026, attributed to new store openings, successful menu adaptations (iced matcha lattes, salads, chicken rolls), and controlled price increases, despite UK heatwaves.
Major chip stocks fell sharply in the US and Asia as investors sold AI-related shares. South Korea’s Kospi was briefly halted after an 8% drop, while Nvidia’s decline helped Apple regain the top spot.
Qantas' Airbus A350-1000ULR completed a 24hr24min flight from Melbourne to Toulouse, setting a new record for the longest commercial flight, as part of Project Sunrise to launch non-stop Sydney-London flights by 2027.
A surge in UK consumer confidence, dubbed the 'Burnham bounce', driven by optimism in economic prospects, coincides with England's strong World Cup run and policy interventions like VAT cuts. However, deep inequalities and gloomy outlooks among older Britons and the poorest households threaten sustainability.
The World Cup brought a significant boost to UK pubs, with 30m extra pints sold and £150m in added sales, outperforming previous tournaments like Euro 2024, though benefits were uneven across the hospitality sector.
UK employers are facing more employment tribunal claims involving ADHD and autism as awareness, diagnosis rates and expectations around reasonable adjustments rise. A Lidl case awarded Ryan Toghill more than £45,000 after the tribunal found his ADHD was not properly considered.
