Middle East war could ‘bring down the economies of the world’ March 6, 2026 The war in the Middle East could “bring down the economies of the world” as oil prices could surge to $150 per barrel if Gulf energy exporters shut production, Qatar’s energy minister has warned. Saad al-Kaabi said that restarting the production of liquified natural gas (LNG) – after it shut down the largest plant in [...]
Oil on track for biggest weekly jump in 4 years as US mulls intervention March 6, 2026 The oil market is set for its biggest weekly gain in four years after the crisis in the Middle East sent ripples through the energy markets. The price of Brent crude has risen by around 18 per cent in the last week, tipping over $85 a barrel. Should the gains hold up, it would mark [...]
Starmer vows to ‘resist pressure’ over Iran policy amid criticism of UK response March 5, 2026 Sir Keir Starmer has vowed to “resist” pressure on the UK’s response to the conflict with Iran as he defended Britain’s “level-headed” military response. In a press conference on Thursday, Starmer suggested President Trump had left the Middle East “plunged into chaos” with his attack on the Iranian regime over the weekend. He said the [...]
Greg Jackson urges Labour to exploit North Sea oil as UK ‘stares down barrel’ of energy price shock March 5, 2026 Octopus founder and government adviser Greg Jackson has urged Labour to “use what’s available” in the North Sea and rethink its key net zero policies. Jackson said the county was “staring down the barrel” of an energy price shock in light of the conflict in the Middle East. The Octopus chief executive who is also [...]
FTSE 100 Live: Airline shares fall after Wizz Air profit warning; Primark new boss March 5, 2026 Good morning and welcome back to the Morning Wire liveblog. Global markets returned to a touch of stability on Wednesday as energy prices retreated as investors awaited the latest on the events in the Middle East. The FTSE 100 ended the day 0.8 per cent higher at 10,567.65p – still far below it’s level at [...]
Wood Group hit with £13m fine as engineering titan set to exit City March 4, 2026 Scottish engineering titan John Wood Group has been slapped with a hefty fine after it produced inaccurate information in its financial results. The London-listed firm will cough up £13m following an investigation from the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) concluding its “accounting judgements were inappropriately influenced by its desire to maintain previously stated financial results”. The [...]
FTSE 100 Live: Stocks inch back up; UK faces energy bills warning March 4, 2026 Good morning and welcome back to the Morning Wire liveblog. Yesterday, Rachel Reeves delivered her Spring Statement. The Chancellor wheeled out new forecasts from the Office for Budget Responsibility that cut growth for 2026 but – albeit modestly – upgraded it for the years to come. But forecasts were quickly labelled out of date by [...]
UK gas prices spike over 90 per cent amid US-Iran war March 3, 2026 Gas prices in the UK have nearly doubled as the war between US and Iran ramped up since the weekend. The price of UK wholesale gas prices – which reflect the costs energy suppliers pay to producers for natural gas before selling to household and businesses – has rocketed by 93 per cent in just [...]
Oil prices spike as UK base hit by Iranian missile March 2, 2026 Oil prices spiked this morning as tensions continued to escalate in the Middle East, raising concerns that a key shipping route could be halted and an Iranian missile attack on an RAF base could drag the UK into a regional war. The cost of a barrel of brent crude – the international benchmark for oil [...]
Household energy prices to fall by 7 per cent from April 1 February 25, 2026 The price most households pay for energy will fall by 7 per cent from April 1, driven by the Government’s promised £150 cut to the average bill, Ofgem said. The regulator’s price cap will drop from the current £1,758 to £1,641 – a reduction of around £10 a month for the average household using both [...]