UK sets targets to boost steel making and cut imports

UK government borrowing in September hit the highest level for the month in five years, official figures show, highlighting the challenges facing the chancellor ahead of next month’s Budget. Borrowing – the difference between public spending and tax income – was £20.2bn in September, up £1.6bn from the same month last year, the Office for…

Families are skipping meals to make ends meet during the school holidays, a charity has warned. FareShare Sussex & Surrey says some parents are facing extra food costs as children cannot access free school meals over the summer break. Dan Slatter, chief executive of the charity, told the BBC there was a “mountain of need….

This year, the return leg of the long-haul flights they monitor had a return date of the Tuesday after Easter Sunday, at the height of peak season. And, as we tend to book in advance, the ONS collected the info on fares in February, so there was no impact from the war.

High street retailers Claire’s and The Original Factory Shop are being put into administration, risking 2,500 jobs. It comes amid a turbulent time for Claire’s, popular with tweens for its brightly coloured accessories, which was seeking a buyer after its US owner filed for bankruptcy last year. Modella Capital, which owns both chains, said the…

Faisal IslamEconomics editor Watch: Government will be taking targeted action on cost of living, says Reeves Chancellor Rachel Reeves has said she is planning “targeted action to deal with cost of living challenges” in next month’s Budget. Speaking to the BBC, she said it was the job of both the government and the Bank of…