
Cooling homes is becoming a workplace and infrastructure question. A Liberal Democrat proposal would require new UK homes to include air conditioning or equivalent systems.

The V&A dispute blends pay, breaks, and heat concerns. Prospect members are voting on industrial action after rejecting a pay offer and raising workplace-condition issues.

The ECB’s inflation judgement now rests heavily on energy persistence. Philip Lane says the current shock remains medium-sized, but policymakers are watching whether energy costs feed into wider wages, prices, and expectations.

Gatwick’s water outage exposed a practical infrastructure risk sharply. Toilets, restaurants, passenger welfare, and airport retail were affected after a local treatment-works power failure.

European lenders enter reporting season with profit momentum still intact. Analysts expect stronger second-quarter results, but investors will be watching whether rate benefits, trading income, and AI-led efficiency can translate into durable returns.

Prediction markets are colliding with UK gambling and finance rules. Regulators are examining whether event-based trading platforms should be treated as betting, financial products, or both.

A narrow EU exemption could unblock UniCredit’s long-stalled Alfa transaction. The move may help the Italian lender deal with historic obligations while keeping Russia sanctions controls intact.

Franchise protections are facing renewed scrutiny after Adrian Howe’s death. His family is calling for Adrian’s law after concerns over risk in brand-led franchise agreements.

Chinese EV imports are testing the UK’s transition strategy. Stellantis has warned that the ZEV mandate is creating commercial strain as lower-cost rivals gain ground.

Europe’s latest Russia package extends sanctions deeper into crypto markets. HTX has been identified among platforms affected by new EU restrictions, as Brussels widens scrutiny of digital assets, offshore channels, and sanctions evasion.