Morning Wire — business, markets & finance

Monday 17 August 2026London --:--Frankfurt --:--Zurich --:--

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LatestReform UK proposes £50bn annual cut to disability benefits, sparking political firestormPolitics

Giles Hurley, Aldi UK CEO, stands in a supermarket produce aisle with fresh fruits and vegetables.

Retail

Aldi chief backs government move against misleading supermarket discounts

Bloomsbury has reported results ahead of consensus expectations

Retail

Authors urge Burnham to extend rates relief to independent bookshops

Sir Keir Starmer's government has prioritised investment data centres as a major pillar of its plans to boost economic growth.

Tech

Ofgem flags grid bottleneck as new Heathrow data centre gets planning go‑ahead

Nowadays, headliners are less of a major part of the festival experience

Advisory

BKL expands music‑industry advisory arm with Dales Evans purchase

Andy Burnham speaking at a public event, emphasizing local governance and policy changes, wearing a suit and gesturing pas...

Economics

UK growth beats forecasts but war and tax clouds loom

Thoroughbred racehorses with jockeys galloping on a green track, blurred crowd in foreground

Sport

Thunder Call leads strong British challenge in Shergar Cup Sprint at Ascot

Jockey in green and dark green silks, wearing a green helmet, smiling with goggles around his neck

Sport

Shergar Cup finale puts World Pool betting to the test at Ascot

William Haggas, a man with gray hair and blue eyes, smiling and wearing a tan coat and patterned tie

Sport

Shergar Cup launches World Pool betting as Ascot welcomes Hong Kong team

Market BriefingAs of 13:00 BST

European markets at a glance

FTSE 10010,771.79+0.20%

DAX26,449.79+0.04%

CAC 408,622.31-0.17%

STOXX 506,558.04+0.28%

Full market coverage →

UK & Ireland

Pickleball in Guildhall Yard last year as part of the launch of the London Sports Festival

Lead storyLondon Sports Festival brings pickleball to New Street Square in push to activate City spaces