Trump to blame for high cost of living, Americans say in new poll

Americans are struggling financially, grappling with debt and the rising cost of living, and are blaming the Trump administration and corporate interests for worsening economic outlooks for working families, according to a new poll.Six out of 10 Americans place blame on the Trump administration for driving up their cost of living, according to a poll conducted by Morning Consult for the Century Foundation, which asked 2,007 Americans how they are managing the high cost of living in the US economy, who they think is to blame and what are the solutions.Sixty three per cent said Trump had had a negative impact on grocery prices, and 61% said he had had a negative impact on the cost of living. Nearly half, 49%, said the Trump administration had had a negative impact on their finances. Nearly eight out of 10 Americans, including 70% of Republicans, fear that Trump’s tariffs will increase the price of everyday goods

Car finance scandal: UK supreme court poised to rule on hidden commissions

The UK’s highest court is poised to give its verdict on the £44bn car finance scandal, which could pave the way for millions of motorists to claim billions of pounds in compensation for mis-selling.The supreme court judgment, which will be handed down after financial markets close at 4.35pm on Friday, will decide whether or not to uphold a finding by the court of appeal in October that hidden commissions paid to car dealers by lenders were unlawful.That ruling, based on test cases, said making such payments to brokers who arrange car loans without disclosing the sum and terms to borrowers was unlawful. The lenders involved in the case – FirstRand Bank and Close Brothers – appealed against that decision to the supreme court

UK house prices rebound as market recovers from June dip

House prices in the UK returned to growth last month, as the market recovered from a dip in June after the end of a tax break on stamp duty.The average price of a home rose 0.6% in July to £272,664, following the biggest month-on-month fall in more than two years in June, according to Nationwide.Britain’s biggest building society said the annual rate of house price growth also improved to 2.4%, up from 2

Trump threatens drug giants with crackdown over prices

Donald Trump has threatened to use “every tool in our arsenal” to crack down on pharmaceutical giants if they fail to cut drug prices for Americans within 60 days.The president wrote to executives at 17 companies on Thursday, demanding they match their US prices for prescription drugs with the lowest price offered in other developed nations.Current prices were an “unacceptable burden” on US families, Trump said, claiming they could be up to three times higher than in other countries.After returning to the White House earlier this year and pledging to bring down drug prices, the president claimed that “most proposals” from the pharmaceutical industry amounted to “more of the same”, accusing firms of seeking to shift blame and requesting policies that would pave the way for handouts worths billions of dollars for the sector.“Make no mistake: a collaborative effort towards achieving global pricing parity would be the most effective path for companies, the government, and American patients,” Trump wrote

Rolls-Royce hits turbo speed. Now keep going for a decade | Nils Prately

Turbo Tufan strikes again. It’s almost becoming predictable. Every time Tufan Erginbilgiç, chief executive of Rolls-Royce, sets “midterm” financial targets, the aero-engine maker beats them, or looks set to do so, in no time.Back in February, Erginbilgiç was able to declare that the 2027 targets for operating profits would be hit two years early, so he set new ambitions for 2028. Six months on, even the refreshed numbers look conservative

Air traffic control failure an isolated incident, says UK minister after meeting

A radar-related technical failure that led to hundreds of flights being disrupted on Wednesday was an “isolated event” with “no evidence of malign activity”, the transport secretary has said, after summoning the head of the UK air traffic control service, Nats, to account for the disruption.Heidi Alexander said she met Martin Rolfe, the under-fire chief executive of Nats, to understand what happened and what could be done to prevent a reoccurrence in the future after more than 150 flights were cancelled and others delayed by the latest glitch.It is understood that Alexander did not press Rolfe to consider his position, despite fresh calls from Ryanair for him to quit.Most of the disruption from the brief stoppage came at Heathrow. A total of 84 departures and 71 arrivals were cancelled by 10pm on Wednesday, and some inbound flights were diverted to European cities