Messi no-show triggers MLS and Vancouver Whitecaps legal payout March 3, 2026 Major League Soccer and the Vancouver Whitecaps have agreed to pay half a million Canadian dollars to settle a legal claim made because Lionel Messi was withdrawn from a match. A man from the Vancouver area brought the civil class action after paying more than $400 for two tickets to the game between the Whitecaps [...]
Trump laments collapse of special relationship amid brawl with Starmer March 3, 2026 President Trump has described the breakdown of the special relationship as “very sad” amid a spat with Sir Keir Starmer on the UK’s refusal to allow military bases to be used for attacks on the Iranian regime. Trump has hit out at Starmer for the second consecutive day, claiming the Prime Minister had not been [...]
Aberdeen shares slide as outflows widen March 3, 2026 Aberdeen shares slid as its Interactive Investor performance failed to offset persistent outflows elsewhere. The firm’s share price fell 7.3 per cent to 204p in early morning trading, as persistent outflows from its Adviser business dampened overall investor sentiment. Total assets under management and administration (AUMA) grew nine per cent to £556bn from £511.4bn, off [...]
Shop price inflation eases in relief for cash-strapped Brits March 3, 2026 Shop price inflation slowed in February, as retailers introduced a raft of promotions to ease the cash burden on struggling shoppers. The price of goods in UK shops grew at a rate of 1.1 per cent in February year on year, down from the 1.5 per cent rate of inflation seen in January, according to [...]
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 [...]
Greggs profit flakes as baker faces lukewarm start to year March 3, 2026 Profit at Greggs is flaking away as the chain bakery faces a lukewarm 2026, with sales slowing already this year. The chain’s underlying profit before tax fell nine per cent to £171.9m in the financial year to December 2025, though total sales were up seven per cent, the bakery’s preliminary results show. The baker is [...]
Spring Statement Live: UK growth cut for 2026 but Reeves touts future forecasts March 3, 2026 Welcome back to the Morning Wire liveblog. Rachel Reeves delivered her Spring Statement today, as the Office for Budget Responsibility published its updated forecasts for the years ahead. The Chancellor was handed quite a hefty blow with the UK’s growth estimate for 2026 slashed to 1.1 per cent from 1.4 per cent the year prior. [...]
Reeves delivers Spring Statement as war rages and markets tremble March 3, 2026 Spare a thought for Rachel Reeves. She had hoped to make a Spring Statement that nobody noticed and yet today she has to deliver it as war rages in the Middle East, triggering warnings of energy price shocks, instability and inflation. There is a very real prospect that the economic forecasts to which the Chancellor [...]
Greens close gap with Labour in polls after historic by-election win March 3, 2026 The Greens are now biting at the heels of the Labour Party in national polling after its candidate Hannah Spencer stormed to a historic by-election win in Gorton and Denton last week. The latest Morning Wire/Freshwater Strategy poll puts the Greens on 15 per cent, with Labour ahead of them by three points, a smaller [...]
AI-fuelled plumbing boom is luring in private equity March 3, 2026 AI has made trades like plumbing alluring not just to jobseekers, but private equity investors, writes Susannah Streeter.