University of Bath research warns funding shortfalls and staffing shortages could leave parents without spaces or facing higher charges as free provision extends to children from nine months
Around ten leading store bosses met Rachel Reeves at Number 11 to press for changes to property tax proposals they say will hit anchor shops and risk closures
More than half of people say they now leave their physical wallet at home, but Link cautions that cash remains an important backstop amid technology failures
Ministers said the rise in charges was intended to cut congestion, but first-day figures show more lorries, unchanged overall traffic and longer crossing times, drawing criticism from motoring groups.
Consultancy calculations show headline state pension would rise under the triple lock, but many retirees’ payments include elements that will not be uprated at the same rate
Quiet gains in the Nikkei and Topix since April have pushed familiar names such as Sony, Nintendo and Asics higher as corporate governance shifts and trade ties bolster optimism
Goldman Sachs and UBS flag further gains after market turmoil tied to President Trump’s challenge to Federal Reserve officials and a weakening dollar
Chief executive Charlie Nunn frames cuts as operational reshaping; commentators warn vulnerable customers and small firms could be hit
Lender to lift several best-buy home loan rates by 0.1 percentage point from 3 September; two-year fix for buyers with 40% deposit moves to 3.85% as long-term borrowing costs climb