Business

Martin Lewis said most overdrafts charge about 40% interest, compared with around 24.9% on a typical credit card.

River Island will close 32 stores in January after reporting a £32.3 million pre-tax loss and a 19% decline in sales.

The compact Bush MH-04W plug-in fan heater is being offered for under £10 after cashback via TopCashback, and its 0.5kW setting is reported to cost about 14p per hour to run.

From April 2026 the National Living Wage for people aged 21 and over will increase from £12.21 to £12.71 an hour, and National Minimum Wage rates for younger workers and apprentices will also rise.

Storm Goretti brought heavy snow and very strong winds, and the Met Office has issued multiple weather warnings; Ryanair and Jet2 have warned passengers there could be flight disruption this weekend.

The Met Office has issued yellow and amber warnings for snow, ice and rain across parts of the UK over the weekend, and Ryanair and Jet2 have alerted passengers to potential flight disruption linked to those warnings.

Thousands of Irish farmers demonstrated in Athlone against the EU-Mercosur trade deal after EU member states approved the accord; the agreement still needs a majority vote in the European Parliament.

ABIOVE, the Brazilian soy industry association, has begun withdrawing from the nearly 20-year soy moratorium that banned purchases of soy grown on Amazon land cleared after July 2008; the move came after Mato Grosso ended tax benefits for pact participants.

PDVSA and TankerTrackers.com reported that at least four tankers which departed Venezuela with transponders off have been seen back in Venezuelan waters; one ship was seized earlier by U.S. authorities and another was later released.

Rio Tinto is in preliminary talks to buy Glencore, a move that could drive consolidation in the copper-focused mining sector and increase pressure on BHP to respond.

SEBI said it will this month issue a no objection certificate allowing the National Stock Exchange to prepare an IPO prospectus. The exchange has been in litigation with SEBI since 2019 after a fine over access for trading members.

A Los Angeles nonprofit is bringing virtual reality headsets into several California prisons to offer inmates brief virtual trips and simulated real-world tasks; the program uses donated devices and currently runs at four prisons several times a year.

The Heritage of London Trust has acquired David Bowie's childhood house at 4 Plaistow Grove in Bromley and plans to restore it to its 1963 appearance and open it to the public at the end of 2027.

A Dartford rail line will close from 14 to 22 February for a £10m track upgrade, with replacement buses serving affected routes and several stations also due to receive work.

India's rice exports climbed 19.4% in 2025 to 21.55 million metric tons after New Delhi removed export curbs, with non-basmati and basmati shipments both increasing.

Mortgage rates fell to about 5.99% after President Trump said he had directed Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac to buy $200 billion of mortgage bonds, and market data showed an immediate reaction.

Glencore and Rio Tinto are reported to be in preliminary discussions about a possible combination of some or all of their businesses, which the article describes as a roughly £200 billion deal; under UK City takeover rules Rio Tinto has until 5pm on February 5 to make a firm offer or walk away.

President Trump has moved to redirect tens of millions of barrels of Venezuelan crude to U.S. refineries after the reported transfer of Venezuela's president to U.S. custody, and the article reports that added supply could push prices lower and further strain U.S. oil producers already facing weak prices.

Reuters reports Chevron, Vitol and other traders are vying for U.S. licenses to export Venezuelan crude as they negotiate with U.S. officials; Vitol has a preliminary 18-month special license and Chevron is seeking expanded authorization.

The administration suspended work for at least 90 days on five East Coast offshore wind projects citing national security concerns, and several developers plus the states of Connecticut and Rhode Island have filed federal lawsuits seeking to block the pause.

A bodyguard who worked for Vivek Ramaswamy's family and his wife have been charged in a federal drug trafficking case, and the family's security firm removed him from the protective detail.

The U.S. EPA rejected Colorado's plan to speed up retirements of several coal plants under regional haze rules, citing a lack of consent from one plant and concerns about maintaining reliable power. The agency said it would help Colorado rewrite the plan or impose one if needed.

A Valuation Office Agency revaluation due on 1 April would raise hospitality rateable values in York by about 41%, and local publicans and an MP warn the increase could force some pubs to close; Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer said interim relief is in place as the new rates are introduced.

The Independent Office for Police Conduct is investigating after a 4kg Kent Police drone struck an overhead cable and fell on a child in Sheerness on 2 August, injuring the child's hand; the AAIB carried out a record-only probe.

Several Americans reported being denied entry abroad after destination officials said their passports were flagged as lost or stolen; the U.S. Department of State says reporting a passport lost or stolen requires a formal form.

Drivers for Lyft and Uber protested outside the California Public Utilities Commission in San Francisco, urging greater oversight of Waymo's self-driving taxis after recent incidents; the CPUC met to consider expanded rules.

The article lists ten lesser-known U.S. towns and small cities that meet common retirement criteria, highlighting features such as affordability, healthcare access, outdoor recreation, and local culture.

U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent announced Argentina has repaid the funds it drew from a $20 billion U.S. credit line, and Argentina's central bank confirmed the repayment; officials say the country's foreign exchange reserves remain low.

A large pothole on the A303 slip road onto the M3 damaged vehicles and stranded at least 14 motorists; National Highways said the hole was repaired overnight and further repairs are scheduled for tonight.

A video posted by US homeland security secretary Kristi Noem shows the US Coast Guard boarding and seizing the tanker Olina on 9 January in international waters east of the Caribbean Sea. The US said this was the fifth tanker seized in recent weeks amid efforts to block oil departing Venezuela.