New Years sport supplement buying adds to January retail sales surge

“Sometimes it feels that second class is literally the last thing that Royal Mail look at, in preference to parcels, but a lot of people use second class, a lot of online retailers use second class, because it is an affordable option for both us and the customer.”

One month into the Iran war, US petrol prices are beginning to hurt consumers at the pump. Iran has effectively closed off the Strait of Hormuz, one of the world’s busiest oil shipping channels, since the US and Israel attacked it on 28 February. And it means the average price of petrol at the pump…

There may well be a few sighs of relief from senior finance company and banking executives following the Supreme Court’s ruling, but it is unlikely you will hear the champagne corks popping. The verdict does almost certainly reduce the potential compensation bill significantly. Lenders no longer face the prospect of having to pay £30bn to…

Craig WilliamsBBC Scotland Getty Images Government bonds allow money to be raised through the markets The Scottish government is “on track” to issue its first ever bonds in the next financial year, according to the first minister. John Swinney confirmed bonds should be issued in 2026-27, though this is subject to the outcome of May’s…

Tariffs have never been far from the headlines during President Trump’s second term in office and another raft of these import taxes has just come into force. So are US households really paying 1.5% more because of them? The BBC’s Samira Hussain explains how tariffs are affecting the US economy, who pays the price, and…