Major stock markets mostly rose Tuesday as China moved to boost its flagging economy, while the pound hit a 15-month high against the dollar on expectations of more aggressive UK interest rate hikes.

UK unemployment rose back to four percent in the three months to the end of May, official data showed Tuesday, as the economy struggles with stubbornly-high inflation.

Retail sales saw a slight improvement in June, with like-for-like (LFL) sales increasing by only 1.9 per cent, according to the latest data from BDO LLP.

According to price analysis by Bitget on the British pound and Bitcoin, the UK's growing inflation is giving rise to devaluing the nation's currency.

South East England will follow London in having contactless payment systems for its train stations by deploying the Pay As You Go service for its passengers.

UK house prices grew slightly in June but fell at the fastest rate since 2009, impacted by soaring mortgage costs, with two-year fixed-rate mortgage rates climbing past six per cent.

Rising costs, affordability concerns, and economic uncertainty impact the housing market, with interest rates now standing at five per cent in the UK, the highest level since April 2008.

The King's Fund, an independent think tank involved with work relating to the health system, said the UK health system's poor performance on avoidable deaths should be a serious concern for political leaders and policy-makers.

UK retail sales experienced an unexpected increase of 0.3% in May, as experts identify King's coronation and warmer weather as possible reasons.

Apart from global factors, UK policy decisions have exacerbated inflation – whether post-pandemic public spending or the slow pace of interest rate hikes.

£21 million will be invested in AI developments across the NHS, the Government announced today. The funding will allow NHS Trusts to accelerate the deployment of the most promising AI tools across hospitals.

Global stocks were mixed Thursday with European bourses falling after a clutch of central banks in Europe hiked interest rates again, while US equities shook off recent weakness.

Millions of Britons are facing fresh mortgage misery after the Bank of England increased interest rates by an unexpected half-point, putting homeowners at risk of higher repayments on their loans during a cost-of-living crisis.

Climate and economic experts are pointing out that the systemic global and local problems behind sticky food inflation need more than just monetary approaches.

The Bank of England is expected today to raise the interest rate for the 13th time in a row, despite recent forecasts of an improving economic outlook.

Wall Street stocks fell after US Federal Reserve chief Jerome Powell warned Wednesday of further interest rate hikes, while European markets slid after a stubbornly high inflation reading in Britain.

Britain's annual inflation rate unexpectedly remained at 8.7 percent in May, official data showed Wednesday, piling pressure on the Bank of England and government to act over a cost-of-living crisis.

Even the clergy are not immune from Britain's cost-of-living crisis, which has now forced Church of England vicars to make a formal pay claim for the first time in their nearly 500-year history.

Asian and European stocks fell into the red Monday as investors await more interest-rate decisions this week and fret over the lack of a stimulus plan to kickstart the Chinese economy.

The British economy defied expectations by experiencing a slight growth in April, driven by the resilience of retailers and the thriving film industry.

Senior British minister Michael Gove on Sunday described a video showing a party at the ruling Conservative Party's headquarters during a lockdown in 2020 as "terrible", as COVID rule-breaking gatherings continue to hang over the government.

A reported 1.3 million UK households with mortgages were already expecting increased costs at the start of the year. The latest data means there is more pain yet to come.

The processes and the knowledge gained from the COVID-19 pandemic are likely to assist in countering future pandemics and disease outbreaks, with the key part of the discussion involving virus surveillance.

According to the report, three out of four persons above the age of 65 prefer to do at least one bank transaction at their branch and aren't comfortable going fully online despite the rising phenomenon of banking deserts in the country.

Following the failure of the Silicon Valley Bank (SVB) and Credit Suisse earlier this year, new research has revealed concerns among investors.

Asia-focused bank giant HSBC on Monday relaunched the recently-acquired UK arm of collapsed US lender Silicon Valley Bank as part of a major push into technology and life sciences.

HSBC's return to the mortgage market amid rate adjustments reflects a turbulent landscape and changing economic conditions.

Britain's retail lenders are withdrawing fixed home-loan products, as elevated inflation sparks fears of more Bank of England interest rate hikes and worsens the cost-of-living crisis.

The UN's cultural agency UNESCO welcomed on Tuesday commitments from Australia to protect the Great Barrier Reef, with the government pledging 4.4 billion Australian dollars ($2.9 billion) to safeguard the natural wonder.

Despite narrowly escaping a technical recession late last year, the UK economy finds itself on fragile ground as high-interest rates loom.