UK house prices rose sharply in March but Iran war expected to cause slowdown
Posted on Tuesday March 31, 2026

Price of typical UK home increased by 0.9% in March but surging mortgage rates expected to put brake on activity

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UK house prices increased at the fastest rate in almost 18 months in March, although surging mortgage rates amid the Iran war are likely to lead to a market slowdown, according to Nationwide.

The UK’s biggest building society said the price of a typical UK home increased by 0.9% month on month in March, the largest increase since December 2024.

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Investors call on Thames Water to let them bid for it after last year’s failed takeover
Posted on Tuesday March 31, 2026

CK Infrastructure, a Hong Kong investment group, said bosses of struggling water company should eat ‘humble pie’

Thames Water’s bosses should eat “humble pie” over a failed takeover process last year and let other firms bid for it, according to a Hong Kong investment group angling to buy the troubled water company.

CK Infrastructure (CKI), which is owned by Hong Kong’s richest man, Li Ka-shing, has already acquired Northumbrian Water and has been trying to launch a bid for Thames since February last year.

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Food price rises unlikely before summer, says boss of Sainsbury’s
Posted on Tuesday March 31, 2026

Simon Roberts says Easter shop will be unaffected by Middle East conflict, but industry warns prices may rise this year

Shoppers will not see food prices rise until at least the summer and Easter will be unaffected by conflict in the Middle East, the boss of Sainsbury’s has said, despite fears of an inflation spike.

Simon Roberts said it was “too early” to say whether and when food price inflation related to higher commodity costs would hit supermarket shelves and that the UK’s second-largest supermarket had long-term agreements with suppliers to help protect shoppers.

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Marmite maker Unilever agrees $44.8bn deal to combine food arm with McCormick
Posted on Tuesday March 31, 2026

Core focus will be on beauty, personal care and home products after spinning off brands such as Hellmann’s and Pot Noodle

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Unilever has agreed to combine its food business with US-based McCormick in a $44.8bn deal that will give the Marmite-to-Hellmann’s mayonnaise owner majority control of a food empire.

The Anglo-Dutch company will control 65% of the new spin-off, which will combine brands such as Knorr and Pot Noodle with McCormick’s condiments and spices including French’s mustard, Old Bay seasoning and Cholula hot sauce.

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Palantir’s UK boss criticises ‘ideological’ groups as ministers move to scrap NHS contract
Posted on Tuesday March 31, 2026

Louis Mosley says government should resist calls to trigger break clause in £330m deal with US analytics company

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Palantir’s UK boss has urged the government not to give in to “ideologically motivated campaigners” as government ministers explore a way out of a £330m NHS contract with the tech company.

Ministers have sought advice on triggering a break clause in Palantir’s deal to deliver the Federated Data Platform (FDP), amid questions over the company’s presence in the public sector.

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Meta, Tiktok and Google under investigation for allegedly disobeying Australia’s social media ban
Posted on Tuesday March 31, 2026

Nearly 70% of under-16s with accounts on Instagram, Snapchat or TikTok had maintained access, survey finds

The Australian government has accused big tech firms like Meta, TikTok and Google of disobeying the landmark ban on under-16s using social media, after the country’s online safety office warned many children had accounts.

A survey of 900 Australian parents found around a third (31%) said their children still had one or more social media accounts after the ban, compared to 49% before the laws.

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Bosnia and Herzegovina v Italy: World Cup playoff – live
Posted on Tuesday March 31, 2026

⚽️ Updates from this 7.45pm BST KO at the Bilino Polje Stadium
⚽️ Tonight’s live scores | Email Scott

Kit Watch. Bosnia and Herzegovina get first-kit dibs as the home side, so they’re playing in their blue shirts with yellow trim …

… and so the Azzurri are forced into second-choice white. Italy have always cut a dash in white shirts – see also Enzo Bearzot’s beyond-stylish sports jacket at the 1982 World Cup – so no complaints there. But there’s something slightly off about that redesigned shield. Not pointy enough at the bottom. Italy wearing adidas doesn’t sit right either. Come back, Diadora, make the world right again.

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World Cup 2026 playoffs: Sweden v Poland, Czech Republic v Denmark, Kosovo v Turkey – live
Posted on Tuesday March 31, 2026

⚽️ World Cup playoffs updates from 7.45pm BST
⚽️ Tonight’s live scores | Email Yara

Czech Republic v Denmark: “It’s been 20 years since our last World Cup appearance, and we’ll do everything we can to get there,” said the Czech Republic midfielder Tomáš Souček after his side’s penalty success against the Republic of Ireland. However, the Czech Republic have not beaten the Danes in seven games since a 3-0 win in the quarter-finals of Euro 2004.

Brian Riemer’s Denmark booked their final spot with a confident 4-0 victory over North Macedonia. “It is important to look forward to big matches, even though there is also a lot of pressure,” Riemer said. “It is a huge match, and it is probably one of the biggest matches I have been involved with in my career so far. We are completely well prepared and ready.”

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