Bank of England Live: Interest rates held in first unanimous vote in eight years March 19, 2026 Welcome back to Morning Wire‘s ongoing coverage of the interest rates decision. Interest rates have been held as rate-setters at the Bank of England warned the war in Iran could send prices spiralling as soon as April. In the first totally unanimous vote in eight years, all members of the Monetary Policy Committee voted to [...]
Sun, money and missiles: The dilemma facing British lawyers in the UAE March 19, 2026 The United Arab Emirates (UAE) ranks among the most popular international destinations for British lawyers, to say nothing of influencers, but has the Iranian war burst the bubble? Based on the latest reports from the Law Society and the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) for 2025 and early 2026, there are around 500 to 700 English [...]
‘Panic mode’: FTSE 100 sinks as oil spikes on Iran’s energy threats March 18, 2026 Markets were thrown into “panic mode” on Wednesday as the surging price of oil rattled global equities. The price of Brent crude – the international benchmark for oil – spiked as much as five per cent to $110 per barrel as energy facilities across the Gulf faced evacuation following the latest threats from Iran. The [...]
Trump is in need of a scapegoat – look out Keir Starmer March 17, 2026 Per the Trump playbook, the US President will promptly be in search of a scapegoat over Iran. Starmer better prepare, writes Michael Martins.
Brits fleeing Dubai could trigger ‘surprise’ UK tax bills March 16, 2026 British expats returning to the UK from the Middle East over safety concerns as a result of the war in Iran could face “hidden tax costs”. The British expat population in the UAE is among the largest outside the UK, with estimates of 130,000 to 240,000 British nationals living and working in Dubai and Abu [...]
‘Pressure point’: Oil prices spike as Trump turns up heat on Nato March 16, 2026 The price of oil spiked once more as trading for the new week began after Donald Trump ramped up pressure on his Nato peers to help get supply flowing. Brent crude, the international benchmark for oil prices, jumped 2.9 per cent as trading open after the weekend to near $106.12 a barrel, but later gave [...]
On the Beach shares tumble as it tears up guidance amid bookings slowdown March 12, 2026 On the Beach has torn up its guidance for the forthcoming year after warning that tensions in the Middle East have sparked a sharp slowdown in bookings. The online travel agent previously forecast pre-tax profit of between £39m and £43m. “Whilst the group has limited exposure to destinations in the Middle East, it has experienced [...]
FTSE 100 Live: Iran war ‘certainly not good’ for UK economy, says Rachel Reeves March 11, 2026 Welcome back to the Morning Wire liveblog for continued coverage of a frenzied week in global markets. The Chancellor has told the Treasury select committee that the ongoing fallout from the Middle east is “certainly not good for the British economy”. Following the “most intense” day of fighting in the region – and just a [...]
£9bn World Cup too big to be derailed by Middle East conflict, says Fifa chief March 10, 2026 Fifa has ruled out the prospect of the escalating conflict in the Middle East posing a threat to this summer’s World Cup and is still hopeful that Iran will take up their place. The US and Israel’s attacks and Iran’s retaliatory strikes have caused huge upheaval in the region just three months out from the [...]
World’s top oil producer warns ‘catastrophic consequences’ after Iran threats March 10, 2026 The world’s top oil producer has warned of “catastrophic consequences” for the commodity’s global market after Iran threatened to block key shipping routes. Saudi Aramco – the state-owned national oil company of Saudi Arabia which controls over 270 billion barrels of reserves – has sounded the alarm that the Iran’s blocking of the Strait of [...]