Author: James Carter

Nationwide has launched a wave of mortgage rate cuts as the Iran peace deal sends oil prices to a three-month low, raising hopes that the Bank of England could reduce borrowing costs before the year is out. Britain’s biggest building society said it was reducing fixed-rate deals by up to 0.28 percentage points from today, in a move that will bring relief to borrowers who have faced higher rates throughout the Middle East conflict. The move comes as oil fell close to $82 a barrel yesterday, down sharply from the $126 peak reached at the height of the war, with…

Vice President JD Vance has confirmed that nuclear inspectors will return to Iran as part of the framework deal agreed between Washington and Tehran, saying the destruction of Iran’s highly enriched uranium stockpile is “spelled out very clearly” in the memorandum of understanding set to be signed in Switzerland on Friday. In an interview with NBC News’ Tom Llamas, Vance confirmed the International Atomic Energy Agency and the United States would help Iran dismantle its highly enriched stockpile, describing it as “one of the core parts of the agreement.” He also said a start date for inspections could be determined…

Cracks have emerged in the newly announced peace deal between the United States and Iran, after Israel declared it would not withdraw its forces from southern Lebanon, insisting the agreement “does not bind us in any way” — just a day after Washington announced the breakthrough aimed at ending more than three months of conflict. The dispute centres on two key issues: the status of Israeli troops in Lebanon, and the question of free passage through the Strait of Hormuz. Lebanon has remained one of the most contentious elements of the negotiations, with Israel and Iran-backed Hezbollah continuing to exchange…

US President Donald Trump marked his 80th birthday on Sunday with separate phone calls to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and Russian President Vladimir Putin, as fighting continued on both sides of the front line and Britain announced the first detention of a suspected Russian “shadow fleet” tanker in the English Channel. Zelensky and Trump spoke for around half an hour, discussing the ongoing war, diplomacy and peace negotiations, with Zelensky also taking the opportunity to wish Trump a happy birthday. Putin separately spoke with Trump about the invasion of Ukraine and an upcoming visit by senior US envoys to Russia.…

Morrisons shoppers have until the end of the month to take advantage of a reward scheme offering 10 per cent back on spending across the supermarket’s 1,860 UK stores, provided they hit a £250 spending threshold. Under the More Plus Scheme, customers who spend at least £250 by 30 June will receive a 10 per cent reward, applicable to both in-store and online purchases. To qualify, shoppers simply need to scan their Morrisons More card every time they shop, whether in person or online, with their spending tracked via the Morrisons More app or website. According to Morrisons, the scheme…

Nigel Farage has used the launch of a new Substack newsletter to argue that Britain has become a “two tier state against white people,” pledging that a Reform UK government would evict foreign nationals from social housing and repeal the Equality Act. In his first essay, titled “Britain Is A Two Tier State – Against White People” and published on Sunday morning, the Clacton MP argued that “the British state is no longer working for everyone in this country,” citing the murder of student Henry Nowak, who was reportedly handcuffed by police as he lay dying after his killer claimed…

A major UK holiday park operator that collapsed into administration owing more than £103 million to creditors has expanded its workforce by 158 staff, as administrators work to keep its sites running while a buyer is found. Argyll Holidays, run by Cove Communities Venture 2 Argyle OpCo Limited, entered administration in November after struggling with mounting debts, rising costs and falling consumer demand. Fresh documents show that staffing levels at the company’s Scottish sites have grown from 97 to 255 employees, as administrators look to maintain operations across the group’s holiday parks. Despite the financial collapse, all eight of the…

President Donald Trump is marking his 80th birthday with a UFC cage-fighting event on the South Lawn of the White House, a spectacle that stands in stark contrast to the quiet family celebration his predecessor held on reaching the same milestone, as questions continue to surround his health and cognitive fitness. Ahead of the event, Trump shared a series of throwback and AI-generated images on social media. One showed a younger Trump posing on a chair, captioned: “Years ago after saving the Wollman Skating Rink in Central Park – Long before I fixed The Reflecting Pool, and everything else in…

Sir Keir Starmer is bracing for a wave of ministerial resignations following Thursday’s Makerfield by-election, with Andy Burnham widely expected to win the seat and immediately position himself to challenge for the Labour leadership and Downing Street. The vote takes place on 18 June, with the result expected in the early hours of the following morning. The Greater Manchester mayor is running in the constituency after Labour MP Josh Simons resigned to clear the way for him, following months of speculation about whether Burnham would mount a comeback to Westminster. Polling by Survation has put Burnham on around 49 per…

Classic luxury watches once treasured as status symbols are increasingly being sent to the melting pot rather than the auction room, as soaring gold prices mean the precious metal inside some timepieces is now worth more than the watches themselves. Models including Omega’s Constellation, famously worn by George Clooney and Nicole Kidman, are among those being scrapped for their gold content, according to insights gathered by Reuters from more than a dozen traders and industry experts. The trend is particularly affecting used watches from prestigious but less exclusive brands such as Omega and LVMH-owned TAG Heuer. British dealer Jon White,…