The Co-operative Group has reported a half-year loss after an earnings hit of around £80 million from a cyber attack in April. For the six months to 5 July, the group posted an underlying pre-tax loss of £75 million, down from a £3 million profit a year earlier. The incident reduced sales by about £206 million, leaving the £80 million earnings blow, of which £20 million were non-underlying one-off costs. […]

The Sir Chris Hoy Sports Scholarship Fund has been launched with the University of Edinburgh to support student-athletes who train and study at the same time. Twenty scholars will receive funding this year to help cover the costs of intensive training and competing while pursuing their degrees. The first cohort includes Alyson Bell and Phoebe Gill (athletics), Amelia Tyler (cycling), Noah Penman (diving), Ciara Schlosshan (swimming) and Emily Carrick-Anderson (mountain […]

Ukrainians have reacted with caution to Donald Trump’s sudden shift on their prospects in the war with Russia after he said Kyiv could win and reclaim land seized by Moscow. Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov rejected the idea, saying there are no 'paper bears' and that Russia is a real bear. Responses in Kyiv were mixed. Some hoped the comments would be backed by concrete aid from Washington, while others warned […]

The Scottish Government will provide £100,000 (€116,000) to councils to help deter seagulls ahead of a summit in Inverness on Tuesday. The funding, provided by NatureScot, will cover deterrents such as lasers, noise devices, roof spikes and netting to prevent nesting. Agriculture Minister Jim Fairlie will chair the gathering, which brings together council officials, NatureScot, waste management firms, community groups and others to discuss the disruption gulls can cause and […]

Business Secretary Peter Kyle will travel to Jaguar Land Rover to meet firms in its supply chain as the carmaker extends a shutdown following a cyber attack. JLR has paused production and extended the halt to 1 October, affecting suppliers across the sector.\n\nIndustry Minister Chris McDonald said the government has two priorities: restoring production at JLR as soon as possible and safeguarding the long‑term health of the supply chain. He […]

Christie’s will offer three major works in its 20th/21st Century: London Evening Sale on 15 October, including Lucian Freud’s Self-portrait Fragment. Also in the sale are Woman With A Tulip, estimated at £3 million to £5 million, and Sleeping Head, estimated at £2 million to £3 million. All three pieces come from the same private collection and will be on public display in Christie’s London from 8 to 15 October. […]

An open letter from the Scotch Whisky Association, UK Spirits Alliance, Welsh Whisky Association, English Whisky Guild and Drinks Ireland has urged Chancellor Rachel Reeves to freeze the rate of excise duty on alcohol for the duration of the current Parliament. The signatories want a multi-year freeze for spirits and say there should be no further widening of the tax gap between spirits and other alcohol categories. The letter argues […]

France has recognised the state of Palestine at the start of a high-profile United Nations gathering aimed at galvanising support for a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. French President Emmanuel Macron announced the move in the General Assembly hall, drawing loud applause from more than 140 world leaders in attendance. The Palestinian delegation, including UN ambassador Riyad Mansour, stood and applauded as the declaration was read. Macron then said: […]

Two charities have cut ties with Sarah, Duchess of York, after it emerged she sent a message to Jeffrey Epstein describing him as a 'supreme friend'. Julia’s House said the correspondence made it inappropriate for her to continue as a patron. The Natasha Allergy Research Foundation, which was founded after Natasha Ednan-Laperouse's death, said it would also drop the duchess as a patron. Official records show the duchess apologised in […]