Oil prices retreat and global stocks hit record highs after Trump hails ‘great progress’ on Iran deal – business live
Posted on Wednesday May 06, 2026

US president pauses ‘Project Freedom’ to work on ‘final agreement’ with Tehran; stocks also ride high on AI euphoria

Job vacancies in the UK bounced back in March but remained near a five-year low, and openings for graduates slumped more than a third.

UK job vacancies showed signs of recovery in March, rising 3.74% month-on-month to 752,711 – the second monthly increase after an extended period of decline, according to the job matching platform Adzuna. Yet despite this tentative rebound, the overall picture remains tough for job seekers. Vacancies are still 13.60% lower than in March 2025, and the market remains near its weakest level since 2021.

Like BP last week, these are unearned windfall profits driven by Trump’s war with Iran.

Equinor now wants to cash in even more by developing the Rosebank oil field, which would be a terrible deal for the UK. This government must put the needs of the British public – for affordable energy and a safe climate – ahead of this Norwegian oil giant’s relentless pursuit of profit.

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UK regulator launches review of ‘aggressive’ claims management firms amid compensation concerns
Posted on Wednesday May 06, 2026

FCA focuses on marketing, misleading ads, unfair exit fees and people being signed up without their permission

The City regulator has launched a review of claims management companies amid concerns that firms are misleading victims of financial scandals, such as car finance, about their compensation.

The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) said some companies were pursuing “aggressive marketing, misleading advertising and unfair exit fees”.

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Four in five Britons worried Iran war will make food more expensive, poll finds
Posted on Wednesday May 06, 2026

Shoppers concerned about effect of Middle East conflict, as UK retailers say government running out of time to cut costs

Four in five people are worried that the Iran war will make food more expensive, according to a new poll, as businesses warned the “window is closing” for ministers to cut energy costs for UK retailers.

Research by Opinium found that 80% of people are worried about the rising price of groceries, which would come from retailers passing on cost increases to consumers, while 73% expect the conflict to push up prices of other products.

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‘Our competitors are everyone’: Joybuy leads ‘China’s Amazon’ into the UK
Posted on Wednesday May 06, 2026

Taking on its US rival in Britain is expected to lead to ‘collateral damage’ for UK retailers

“We’re here to shake up the UK e-commerce market,” says Matthew Nobbs, the UK boss of Joybuy which is spearheading a European charge by China’s version of Amazon.

“I see our competitors as everyone,” he adds, reflecting the scale of ambition of the online retailer that sells home appliances, groceries, makeup and more.

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Global finance watchdog warns over private credit industry fuelling AI boom
Posted on Wednesday May 06, 2026

Financial Stability Board report reveals tech, healthcare and services sectors as the biggest borrowers

The private credit industry’s role in fuelling the AI boom could backfire, with a sharp correction leading to “sizeable” losses, the Financial Stability Board has warned.

A new report on private credit by the global watchdog, which monitors financial authorities including central banks in 24 countries, found that the healthcare, services, and tech sectors have become the biggest borrowers of private credit.

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‘RAMageddon’: is the era of cheap phones and laptops over?
Posted on Wednesday May 06, 2026

Bargains are disappearing and the cost of gadgets such as MacBooks and PS5s is rising as AI competes for memory chips

The end of the cheap laptop, the bargain phone and affordable games consoles may be on the horizon. Not because new models are more hi-tech, but because the cost of computer components has shot up.

Recently, the biggest manufacturers of laptops and phones, including Microsoft, Samsung and Dell, started putting up prices and pulling cheaper models – which is going to make finding budget phones and laptops under £400 much harder.

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Arsenal see off Atlético Madrid and feel gnawing fear of failure start to fall away | Jonathan Wilson
Posted on Tuesday May 05, 2026

The newly found belief Mikel Arteta’s side have shown has now carried them into the Champions League final

There is a tide in the affairs of men which, taken at the flood, leads on to fortune. Arsenal, having failed to capitalise on so many opportunities over the past few years, have suddenly and not entirely expectedly seized their chance. A week ago, their course seemed uncertain, the waters choppy; quite abruptly, the skies have cleared and, the wind in their sails, Arsenal are sailing on towards potential glory.

Atlético tested them and they came through it to reach their first Champions League final in 20 years. Whether it’s Paris Saint-Germain or Bayern they will meet in Budapest, that challenge will be very different to this one but the important thing is they are there. It was perhaps inevitable that if they were going to go through it would be 1-0, not just for old times’ sake but because this was an old-fashioned kind of semi‑final, won not through the sort of attacking pyrotechnics of the first leg of PSG v Bayern, but through discipline and resolve.

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The problem with RFU’s handling of Six Nations review is that England fans aren’t stupid | Robert Kitson
Posted on Wednesday May 06, 2026

If supporters want transparency, they won’t find it in the rubber-stamping of Steve Borthwick’s coaching team

There has been a lot of fuss in recent days about French TV directors not giving rugby fans the full picture. In that particular department, sadly, there remains a runaway market leader. To say the Rugby Football Union’s public response to England’s disappointing Six Nations campaign has failed to supply all the relevant angles is an understatement.

In an ideal world, there would have been a media conference with Bill Sweeney, the RFU’s chief executive, alongside Steve Borthwick, his head coach, presenting a united, purposeful front and outlining precisely why the status quo needs preserving despite England having racked up four championship defeats for the first time since 1976. Instead, there was only a “Don’t tell ‘em, Pike” statement on email best summarised in four words: “Nothing to see here.”

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