Octopus Investments is close to exclusive talks to buy PlatformX Communications, while TalkTalk's 1.8-million-customer consumer arm has drawn separate bid interest.
The FAO index rose 0.6% in July to 131.1 points as Black Sea disruption, heat and energy-market pressures lifted cereals, sugar and vegetable oils.
The unemployment rate held near 4.1%, but the Bureau of Labor Statistics cut May and June payroll gains by a combined 103,000, adding to evidence of a cooling labour market.
Average diesel rose to 181.5p a litre and petrol to 161.5p, according to the RAC, though easing crude prices could slow further increases.
Quarterly revenue reached about $23bn and the company lifted its full-year forecast to $85bn–$87bn as demand for GLP-1 medicines accelerated.
S&P Global’s July survey moved back above the expansion threshold, though employment continued to fall and temporary consumer boosts may fade.
Battery-electric registrations jumped 44.5% to 43,106, but manufacturers warn heavy discounting is masking a continuing gap between demand and government targets.
Connected bank research can be published sooner as the regulator removes rules it says added cost and complexity without producing more independent analysis.
The company reported $5.73bn in underlying replacement cost profit for the second quarter, beating expectations as energy-market disruption boosted prices and trading.
A company led by three retail veterans will acquire Argos, while long-term agreements preserve stores inside Sainsbury's supermarkets, Nectar links and the Habitat brand relationship.
The energy major has launched a formal sale process covering five production hubs and around 1,100 staff as it simplifies its portfolio and directs capital towards higher-return projects.
The 400,000-barrel-per-day refinery was shut after damage to its gasification complex and tank-farm area, according to an industry note seen by Reuters.
The Federal Open Market Committee kept its target range at 3.5% to 3.75% in a 9-3 vote, with three officials seeking a quarter-point rise.
The Monetary Policy Committee voted 6-3 to keep Bank Rate unchanged, with three members seeking an immediate rise to 4% as energy-price risks persist.
Major pension providers are exploring a UK Scale-up Fund worth more than £1bn to finance high-growth science and technology companies while giving pension savers greater access to potential returns from private markets.
The US president has threatened retaliation after the European Commission penalised Google for self-preferencing and restrictions on steering consumers to alternative purchasing channels.
The United States has announced new tariffs of 10% or 12.5% on imports from 60 economies, using forced-labour enforcement as the legal basis for a sweeping new trade action.
Islamabad has reportedly asked Washington for a $10 billion exchange-stabilisation facility as debt, trade pressures and geopolitical obligations tighten around Pakistan's fragile recovery.
The Environment Agency alleges that four former Southern Water employees conspired to manipulate wastewater compliance testing through artificial no-flow events between 2012 and 2017.
Consumer price inflation fell more than expected in June as diesel, petrol and food prices eased, although services inflation remained elevated and energy risks continued to cloud the outlook.
IBM shares fell sharply after disappointing preliminary results, raising concerns that the AI infrastructure boom is drawing corporate spending away from traditional software.
Renewed US-Iran tensions around the Strait of Hormuz pushed oil and gas prices higher, while bond markets reacted to fears of a longer inflation shock.
Donald Trump has abandoned a proposed 20% cargo fee for ships using the Strait of Hormuz, but says the United States will continue to blockade traffic linked to Iranian ports.
Washington is pressing Tehran to publicly guarantee safe passage through the Strait of Hormuz after renewed attacks on commercial vessels threatened to unravel a fragile US-Iran ceasefire.
OFAC sanctions and a FinCEN alert focus on alleged cross-border fuel-smuggling and tax-evasion schemes linked to Cartel de Jalisco Nueva Generacion.
The June jobs report showed a modest 57,000 payroll gain and 4.2 percent unemployment, sharpening attention on the Federal Reserve's next policy signals.
The new savings programme ties child wealth policy to the America 250 holiday weekend.
The unemployment rate edged down to 4.2%, but the headline improvement was clouded by a weaker labour force and slower job creation.
The 800 trillion won plan aims to meet AI-driven demand while spreading semiconductor investment beyond the Seoul region.
