BP reports ‘horrifying’ jump in profits as Iran war boosts oil trading; Brent crude hits three-week high – business live
Posted on Tuesday April 28, 2026

Energy companies are profiting from Iran war, campaigners warn, after BP’s profits double in first quarter of 2026

• BP profits more than double as oil and gas prices soar in Iran war

Although rising energy prices are great news for oil and gas producers, they’re a blow to other businesses, such as housebuilders.

This morning, Taylor Wimpey has reported that the cost of building a home is being pushed up, telling shareholders:

As a result of rising energy costs, build cost inflation is now expected to be low to mid single digit for 2026, with cost pressure and surcharges starting to come through from our supply chain.

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Shares in buy-to-let mortgage lenders fall after report Reeves plans rent freeze
Posted on Tuesday April 28, 2026

FTSE 250 firms Paragon and OSB Group, owner of Kent Reliance and Precise Mortgages, slide on London Stock Exchange

• Rachel Reeves considering rent freeze to limit Iran war fallout

• Business live – latest updates

Shares in some of the UK’s biggest buy-to-let lenders such as Paragon and One Savings Bank have fallen after it emerged that the chancellor may make private landlords commit to a one-year rent freeze.

In an effort to protect households from rising living costs as a result of the Iran war, Rachel Reeves is considering whether to ban landlords in England from increasing rents for a limited period of time, the Guardian revealed on Monday night.

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Barclays cuts back risky lending after £228m hit from UK mortgage firm MFS
Posted on Tuesday April 28, 2026

Bank’s chief executive points to rising fraud as it sets aside a further £105m for motor finance compensation

• Business live – latest updates

Barclays is pulling back from lending to risky borrowers, as its chief executive warned of increasing numbers of fraud cases and the bank took a £228m hit from the failure of a mortgage lender.

The mortgage lender Market Financial Solutions (MFS) collapsed in February amid allegations of fraud and the UK’s financial regulator has since launched an investigation into the scandal.

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Price rises in UK shops slow as retailers apply heavy discounts to lure shoppers
Posted on Tuesday April 28, 2026

Shop price inflation rose by 1% year-on-year in April, slowing from 1.2% in March, the BRC says

Price rises in UK shops have slowed as retailers applied “heavy discounting” to their goods in an effort to entice shoppers amid weakening consumer confidence, the industry’s trade group said.

Shop price inflation rose by 1% year-on-year in April, a slowdown from 1.2% in March and below the three-month average of 1.1%, according to the British Retail Consortium (BRC).

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‘They’re supposed to be handmade’: zine creators fight to resist AI influence
Posted on Tuesday April 28, 2026

Artists and writers argue scrappy nature of self-published booklets is incompatible with artificial intelligence

The self-published zine has long been central to cultural revolutions, from queer activism to Black feminism and the riot grrrl punk movement, producing titles such as Sniffin’ Glue and Sweet-Thang along the way. But now the traditionally analogue art form faces a new shift: artificial intelligence.

AI may seem incompatible with the these cult DIY booklets, but some creatives, designers and artists have begun to experiment with the technology, causing alarm in parts of the underground publishing world. It has been their Dylan-goes-electric moment.

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MacBook Pro M5 review: serious power, still long battery life
Posted on Tuesday April 28, 2026

Apple laptop sets new performance bar with more storage, new chips and plenty of options, but now has two-tier specs depending on processor

Apple’s Macs have been on a roll this year with the brand new budget MacBook Neo and a faster MacBook Air M5, but now it’s time for its workhorse MacBook Pro to be upgraded with the fastest, most powerful M-series chips.

The latest MacBook Pro comes in two screen sizes and a large range of chip and configuration options. The 14in version starts with the M5 chip costing £1,699 (€1,899/$1,699/A$2,699) and then jumps to the more powerful M5 Pro from £2,199 (€2,499/$2,199/A$3,499) before climbing further for the 16in version or the top M5 Max chip. A pricey machine for professional workloads.

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David Squires on … Chelsea’s Wembley trip amid more managerial chaos
Posted on Tuesday April 28, 2026

Our cartoonist on Blueco’s ‘self-reflection’ as another normal week ended with a place in the FA Cup final

• Buy a cartoon here | His favourites from 2025

• And his latest book, Chaos in the Box: get it now

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The Breakdown | Celebrating elite speed machines who can send rugby into the stratosphere
Posted on Tuesday April 28, 2026

Aerial ability of Saracens’ Noah Caluori helps to make him another dream player for rugby union’s marketers

As Kenya’s Sabastian Sawe crossed the line to complete his world-record London Marathon sprint on Sunday the BBC’s commentator Steve Cram almost swallowed his microphone. “Absolutely incredible. I’ve never seen anything like that. What a finish.” Running 26.2 miles in under two hours is certainly spectacular but – sorry, Steve – it only ranked as the second-best finish seen in the capital at the weekend.

That honour, yet again, was claimed by the Saracens winger Noah Caluori in his side’s home win over Leicester. Chip and chase tries are rarely straightforward but this one was from another planet: a deft dink over the top just outside the Tigers’ 22, searing acceleration around the stranded cover, a balletic leap to regather the ball while somehow staying infield and an irresistible touchdown in the right corner. Over to you, Sabastian.

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