More than 72 million people in the United States will travel at least 50 miles during the Fourth of July holiday. Many will drive and face gas prices that are about 66 cents higher per gallon than last year, while domestic flight prices have increased by around 31%.
Key Facts
Over 72 million Americans plan to travel 50 miles or more during the Fourth of July weekend.
Most travelers will use personal vehicles for their trips.
Gas prices are about 66 cents more per gallon compared to the same time last year.
Domestic airline ticket prices have risen by approximately 31% from last year.
The data comes from AAA (American Automobile Association).
Read the Original
Want the full story? Tap a source to open the original
article.
A new trend in luxury real estate called longevity residences is growing. These homes include features and services designed to help residents live healthier and longer lives by focusing on wellness every day.
Key Facts
Longevity residences offer built-in wellness features like in-home oxygenation systems and on-demand health services.
Developers see longevity living as a fast-growing sector in luxury real estate.
These residences aim to make healthy living easy and part of daily life, not just add extra wellness amenities.
Examples include facilities like juice bars, fitness centers, sound baths, IV therapy, and spa services.
Projects like Four Seasons Resort and Residences Telluride and New York properties are leading this trend.
The focus is on improving healthspan, which means more years of good health, rather than just lifespan.
Accessibility and personalization of health services are important features for residents.
The trend reflects changing buyer expectations for homes that support recovery, activity, and social connections.
Read the Original
Want the full story? Tap a source to open the original
article.
Oil prices dropped about 1% as talks between the US and Iran continued in Doha, aiming for a peace agreement. In the UK, manufacturing activity slowed in June, and several major companies announced changes, including closures of former WH Smith stores and the end of the Halifax banking brand.
Key Facts
Brent crude oil price fell by 1.6% to around $71.62 per barrel, trading near pre-war levels.
US-Iran talks are ongoing in Doha, with Qatar and Pakistan helping as mediators.
Up to 150 former WH Smith stores in the UK will close after the high court approved a restructuring plan.
WH Smith was bought by Modella Capital, rebranded as TG Jones, and employs around 5,000 people.
Lloyds Banking Group will retire the Halifax brand after 173 years, shifting all accounts to Lloyds branding.
No bank branches will close due to the Halifax brand change, but signs will be removed starting in early 2027.
UK manufacturing showed less activity in June, indicating a slowdown in the sector.
Eurozone inflation slowed to 2.8% in June and factory output had its best quarter since 2022.
Read the Original
Want the full story? Tap a source to open the original
article.
The company that took over WH Smith’s High Street stores, now called TG Jones, has won court approval to close up to 150 shops and reduce rent on many others. This plan aims to help the business survive after facing financial problems and a risk of running out of cash.
Key Facts
Modella Capital bought the former WH Smith High Street stores last year and renamed them TG Jones.
There are currently 451 TG Jones stores employing about 4,700 people.
Up to 150 stores will close, and rent will be cut by 15% to 75% on many remaining stores.
Around 120 landlords will receive no rent for up to three years as part of the plan.
The business faced a nearly £8 million cash shortfall and was close to insolvency before the court deal.
A £10 million loan and deferred payments helped TG Jones avoid running out of money in April.
The company blamed poor trading on tough retail conditions, loss of the WH Smith brand, and underinvestment.
The court judge approved the restructuring plan after confirming it was fair to creditors.
Read the Original
Want the full story? Tap a source to open the original
article.
BBC staff are unhappy with a pay rise offer of only 1%, which is much lower than the current inflation rate of 2.8%. The broadcaster is also planning to cut up to 2,000 jobs over the next three years to save £500 million due to reduced licence fee revenue, leading to fears of strikes and other industrial actions.
Key Facts
BBC staff were offered a 1% pay increase or £500, whichever is higher.
Inflation is currently around 2.8%, making the pay rise less than the rise in living costs.
The BBC plans to cut about 2,000 jobs across the next three years.
The broadcaster faces a £500 million savings target because of declining licence fee money.
Unions have rejected the pay offer and warn that strikes or work-to-rule actions may happen.
New BBC director general Matt Brittin has started his job amid these challenges.
The World Tonight radio program will end after more than 50 years due to cuts.
Talks between the BBC and unions will involve a government conciliation service called Acas.
There are discussions about changing how the BBC licence fee works, possibly including streaming viewers.
Read the Original
Want the full story? Tap a source to open the original
article.
Lloyds Banking Group will stop using the Halifax brand after 173 years and change all Halifax accounts to Lloyds accounts starting next year. The bank will remove Halifax signs from branches but will keep all branches open and keep customers’ account numbers and sort codes the same.
Key Facts
Lloyds Banking Group is ending the Halifax brand, which has existed for 173 years.
New accounts will no longer be opened under the Halifax name.
Existing Halifax accounts will be moved to Lloyds branding starting soon.
Halifax signs will be removed from 190 branches by early 2027, but no branches will close.
The group currently uses three brands: Lloyds, Halifax, and Bank of Scotland.
Lloyds will become the only brand in England, Wales, and Northern Ireland; Bank of Scotland will remain in Scotland.
Customers will keep their current account numbers and sort codes after the change.
Lloyds plans to offer Halifax customers access to Lloyds’ existing services and rewards programs.
Read the Original
Want the full story? Tap a source to open the original
article.
Up to 150 former WH Smith stores will close after a court approved a plan to restructure the business. The company, now called TG Jones and owned by Modella Capital, will reduce debts and cut rents to survive financially.
Key Facts
TG Jones owns 450 stores and has about 5,000 employees.
The company was bought by Modella Capital last year and rebranded from WH Smith.
The restructure plan includes writing off debts to suppliers and reducing rent for landlords.
More than 80% of landlords controlling top stores supported the plan; many others, especially those with unwanted stores, opposed it.
Small suppliers like card and toy makers will lose at least half the money owed to them.
The plan needed approval from a court judge and at least one class of creditors with 75% support.
Only 72% of business rates creditors and less than one-third of general creditors approved the plan.
The restructure aims to make TG Jones a stronger and more sustainable company.
Read the Original
Want the full story? Tap a source to open the original
article.
Luxury home prices in the U.S. are rising much faster than regular home prices, growing 4.7% compared to 1.5% for non-luxury homes in the year ending May 31. This increase is due to strong demand from wealthy buyers who are less affected by high mortgage rates and economic worries, while regular buyers face affordability challenges.
Key Facts
Luxury home prices rose 4.7% year-over-year, three times faster than regular homes at 1.5%.
Luxury homes are defined as those in the top 5% price range of a metro area, non-luxury are in the middle 35–65%.
Mortgage rates remain high, reaching 6.49% average for a 30-year fixed loan, limiting regular buyer activity.
Pending sales of luxury homes increased 5.2%, more than the 3.6% increase for non-luxury homes.
Tampa reported the biggest luxury home price rise at 15.6%, with Miami second at 14.2%.
Non-luxury home prices fell slightly in Tampa (-0.5%) and Miami (-0.7%).
Florida is attracting wealthy buyers like tech entrepreneurs and billionaires due to lower taxes, despite rising property taxes and insurance.
San Francisco saw the largest jump in pending luxury home sales (+45.9%), linked to the artificial intelligence (AI) industry boom.
Read the Original
Want the full story? Tap a source to open the original
article.
Humphrey Smith, who led the Samuel Smith Old Brewery in Tadcaster since the 1980s, has died at age 81. The brewery, known for its strict pub rules like banning mobile phones and swearing, operates around 200 pubs across the UK and was family-run since 1758.
Key Facts
Humphrey Smith owned and ran the Samuel Smith Old Brewery and pub business from the 1980s until his death.
The brewery has about 200 pubs around the UK, many known for unique rules such as no phones, music, TVs, or swearing allowed.
Samuel Smith Old Brewery is based in Tadcaster, North Yorkshire, and was founded by Smith's family in 1758.
The brewery operates as an unlimited company, which means it keeps its financial details private.
Smith changed the business model by making pub tenants directly employed managers to maintain the company’s policies.
Some pubs have closed suddenly, sometimes due to rule violations like photos posted online or other unexplained reasons.
The brewery is a major landowner in Tadcaster and has influenced local decisions like blocking construction of a temporary footbridge.
Tadcaster’s mayor described Smith as a private man, respected for his principles and contributions to the town.
Read the Original
Want the full story? Tap a source to open the original
article.
Some companies use tricky methods to make it hard for customers to get refunds. These methods include delaying responses and creating complicated refund steps. The report also explains how customers can use their rights to challenge these practices.
Key Facts
Companies sometimes avoid giving refunds by making the process confusing.
Customers may face delays and obstacles when requesting refunds.
These tactics can discourage people from completing their refund requests.
Consumers have legal rights to claim refunds and can use them to push back.
The report provides advice to help customers understand and use their consumer rights.
The information was shared on a program called Morning Live on BBC iPlayer.
The video requires JavaScript enabled in the browser to watch.
Read the Original
Want the full story? Tap a source to open the original
article.
From July 1, the UK energy regulator Ofgem raised the price cap on energy bills by about 13%, increasing the typical annual cost for households in England, Scotland, and Wales. The price cap limits how much energy companies can charge for standard tariffs, affecting around 33 million homes and reflecting the rise in wholesale gas and electricity prices.
Key Facts
The typical annual energy bill rose by £221, from £1,641 to £1,862 for direct debit customers on standard variable tariffs.
Ofgem sets the energy price cap every three months for gas and electricity prices.
The new gas price cap is 7.33 pence per kilowatt-hour (kWh), up from 5.74p; electricity is capped at 26.11p per kWh, up from 24.67p.
About 33 million households in England, Scotland, and Wales are covered by this cap.
Bills vary by payment method: direct debit customers face £1,862, standard credit £2,005, and prepayment customers £1,812 annually after the increase.
Ofgem bases the cap on a “typical” household, now estimated to use 9,500 kWh of gas and 2,500 kWh of electricity annually, slightly lower than previous estimates.
Standing charges, which are fixed daily fees for energy connection, remain mostly unchanged at about 57p per day for electricity and 29p per day for gas.
Ofgem encourages energy companies to offer tariffs with low standing charges but higher per-unit costs to provide more options for customers.
Read the Original
Want the full story? Tap a source to open the original
article.
President Donald Trump earned over $1 billion in 2025 from cryptocurrency activities. His income mainly came from royalties on the Trump memecoin and token sales through the company World Liberty Financial.
Key Facts
Trump’s 2025 financial disclosure shows over $1 billion earned from crypto ventures.
Money came from royalties related to the Trump memecoin.
Additional income was from token sales by World Liberty Financial, a crypto company.
Watchdog groups raised concerns about possible conflicts of interest.
The U.S. Commerce Department lifted an export ban on advanced AI models from Anthropic in the same time frame.
The financial gains happened while Trump was serving as U.S. President in 2025.
The article mentions ongoing crypto-related legislative changes in the U.S. Congress supporting deregulation.
The news was reported by France 24 on January 7, 2026.
Read the Original
Want the full story? Tap a source to open the original
article.
The United States, Canada, and Mexico have started talks to renew their North American trade agreement, called USMCA, which replaces the older NAFTA deal. The negotiations are expected to be difficult and could take many months, with disagreements over auto production and trade rules.
Key Facts
The USMCA trade agreement between the U.S., Canada, and Mexico is up for renewal after six years.
These three countries trade about $1.9 trillion worth of goods and services every year.
USMCA replaced NAFTA in 2020, aiming to keep more manufacturing within North America and raise factory wages.
The U.S. wants changes that might force Canada and Mexico to move some car-making jobs back to the U.S.
These changes could disrupt current supply chains and increase car prices in the U.S., where prices are already high.
President Donald Trump has threatened to end the agreement entirely if talks do not go well.
The renewal process is expected to be complicated and may last several months.
The trade agreement has a rule that it must be reviewed and renewed every six years.
Read the Original
Want the full story? Tap a source to open the original
article.
Choice, a consumer group, tested 30 extra-virgin olive oils from supermarkets and found some Australian oils scored higher than many imported ones from Italy and Spain. The top-ranked oil was an Italian brand, but several Australian oils performed well and showed good quality in taste tests.
Key Facts
Choice tested 30 extra-virgin olive oils in a blind taste test in a lab.
The best oil was Monini Classico from Italy with a score of 88%.
An Australian oil, Cobram Extra Virgin Classic, ranked third with a score of 80%.
Most tested oils scoring 76% or higher included seven Australian, three Italian, and three Spanish brands.
The cheapest oil tested scored lowest with 60%, described as lacking strong flavor.
Testers looked for freshness, fruitiness, and bitterness in the oils.
Experts recommend storing olive oil in cool, dark places in airtight containers.
The oil’s color does not strongly indicate quality; taste and mouthfeel are more important.
Read the Original
Want the full story? Tap a source to open the original
article.
Many U.S. companies plan to lay off workers in July, according to government data that tracks large layoffs. These job cuts mainly affect tech, manufacturing, and other sectors as businesses adjust to economic uncertainties and invest in automation and AI.
Key Facts
The WARN Act requires companies with 100+ employees to give 60 days’ notice before major layoffs or closures.
In 2026 so far, over 230,000 workers have been affected by more than 2,600 layoff events.
July layoffs are concentrated in software, cloud computing, cybersecurity, manufacturing, and hospitality.
Companies listed for July layoffs include Sony Interactive Entertainment, Cisco, Whirlpool, and General Dynamics.
Layoffs are driven by companies seeking efficiency, automation investments, and reactions to economic uncertainty like inflation and tariffs.
Despite layoffs, the U.S. unemployment rate was 4.3% as of May, showing a generally stable labor market.
Job growth has slowed and hiring is more selective, leading to a “low-hire, low-fire” economy.
Layoffs reflect a shift away from rapid job market growth, not a broad economic collapse.
Read the Original
Want the full story? Tap a source to open the original
article.
UK house prices did not grow in June for the second month in a row, mainly because higher interest rates from the Iran conflict made buying homes harder. While prices stayed mostly flat recently, annual growth was still seen across the UK, with some regions showing stronger increases.
Key Facts
The average UK house price fell slightly to £277,484 in June from £278,024 in May.
Rising interest rates caused by the war in Iran have reduced buyer demand.
Mortgage rates are higher than before the Iran conflict; the average two-year fixed rate is 5.53%.
Housebuilders’ shares dropped after the price growth stalled.
On a yearly basis, house prices rose 2.2% in June, up from 1.7% in May.
Northern Ireland had the strongest annual house price growth at 8.6%.
Falling oil prices may reduce the need for the Bank of England to raise interest rates further.
Lower inflation in the UK has helped bring fixed mortgage rates down recently.
Read the Original
Want the full story? Tap a source to open the original
article.
A drug used to treat opioid dependency, called Sublocade, will be removed from the Australian market by the end of 2024. The US company Indivior said this decision is due to business reasons, which has raised concern among doctors and pharmacists about patients losing access to this important medicine.
Key Facts
Sublocade is a long-acting monthly injection that helps people with opioid dependency and was added to Australia’s subsidy program (PBS) in 2020.
Indivior, the US company making Sublocade, will stop selling and marketing it in Australia from December 31, 2024.
Doctors say Sublocade is better for some patients than alternatives because it lasts longer and helps them feel more stable.
Another drug, Zoladex, used for breast cancer and endometriosis, has also been recently removed from the Australian market for similar business reasons.
The Australian government said it cannot force companies to keep selling these medicines but wants to keep medicines safe, effective, and affordable.
Changes in US drug pricing policies are affecting how pharmaceutical companies price and sell medicines worldwide, including in Australia.
President Donald Trump has supported US policies aiming to pay the same or less for drugs than other countries, which some say causes companies to withdraw from smaller markets.
Experts expect more drugs might be pulled from Australia because companies are adjusting their strategies due to global pricing pressures.
Read the Original
Want the full story? Tap a source to open the original
article.
Some government ministers in the UK are unhappy because important road projects in their areas are being delayed or canceled to pay for a bigger defence spending plan. The defence budget will increase to nearly £80 billion by 2030, affecting funding for roads, especially in the East Midlands.
Key Facts
Road improvement projects in some parts of the UK, including the East Midlands, are being delayed or cut.
The money saved from these cuts is used to increase the defence budget by £15 billion.
Defence spending will rise from 2.6% of the UK’s economy in 2027 to 2.7% in 2030.
This planned rise still falls short of NATO’s goal of 3.5% defence spending by 2035.
MPs for Lincoln and Newark have expressed anger at cuts to local road schemes.
Local leaders were not told about the cuts until the defence plan was announced publicly.
The defence plan’s cost will add pressure on the next UK prime minister to find extra funding.
Some politicians promise to restore cut road projects if they win future elections.
Read the Original
Want the full story? Tap a source to open the original
article.
Comedian Romesh Ranganathan is disappointed after Coughlans Bakery, an 89-year-old bakery chain he partly owns, closed down. The bakery stopped trading due to financial pressures including higher employer taxes, business rates, rising fuel costs, and poor sales during recent hot weather.
Key Facts
Coughlans Bakery operated shops in Kent, Surrey, West Sussex, and south London.
The business went into voluntary liquidation and stopped trading on a Tuesday.
The closure was blamed on increased national insurance contributions for employers starting in April last year.
High business rates and a rise in fuel prices, partly due to conflict in the Middle East, added £20,000 in costs per week.
Recent heatwaves in southeast England led to much lower sales, about half of normal weekly income.
Romesh Ranganathan became a co-owner in 2024 and supported the bakery because of its vegan products.
Managing director Sean Coughlan thanked Ranganathan for his support and expressed regret that the business let him down.
The liquidation was chosen to ensure the bakery could still pay employees and suppliers.
Read the Original
Want the full story? Tap a source to open the original
article.
California has banned the use of "sell by" labels on food packaging to reduce confusion and food waste. Starting in July 2026, food sellers in California must use standardized labels "Best if Used By" for quality and "Use By" for safety to help consumers know when food is still good to eat.
Key Facts
California passed a law banning “sell by” food labels starting July 1, 2026.
"Sell by" dates were meant for retailers, not consumers, and caused confusion about food safety.
New labels required are "Best if Used By" for best quality and "Use By" for food safety.
Food manufacturers can choose to use either or both labels.
California is the first U.S. state to standardize food date labels by law.
New York passed a similar law, awaiting the governor’s approval.
Other states like Illinois and Maryland have proposed similar laws but have not passed them.
Confusing date labels contribute significantly to household food waste and food bank acceptance issues.
Read the Original
Want the full story? Tap a source to open the original
article.
