Author: LoveWorld UK

Barclays has become the latest UK bank to warn over the impact of the cost of living crisis, saying that its customers were already facing “harder conditions” as a result of surging inflation. It came as the bank put aside an extra £141m to cover potential defaults on its loans in the first quarter, nearly three times the amount put aside during the same period in 2021, but lower than the £299m that analysts had forecast. While Barclays said it was still facing “low delinquencies” so far, it acknowledged uncertainty over the long-term impacts of the war in Ukraine, which…

It is one thing to be the red-hot favourites, another to make it count. Liverpool took a significant stride towards their 10th European Cup final on a night when they refused to lose sight of their plan; what has got them to the point where an unprecedented quadruple is a possibility. Villarreal came to frustrate. It was an approach that had worked in the previous rounds, helping them to stage stunning heists to see off Juventus and Bayern Munich. With the scoreline blank at the interval, Unai Emery, the manager, had to feel he was a part of the way to further…

Dominic Raab has come under pressure over the UK government’s failure to come up with policies to tackle the cost of living, while not ruling out higher defence spending. The deputy prime minister was on Wednesday questioned on the government’s lack of big ideas to deal with the cost of living crisis and high inflation, after a cabinet brainstorming session came up with a string of minor policy tweaks. Pressed on why he could not name any new policies, Raab told Times Radio: “What I would say is, in fairness, it’s quite right that cabinet discusses, thrashes through, these ideas…

Russian energy giant Gazprom (GAZP.MM) on Wednesday halted gas supplies to Poland and Bulgaria for failing to pay for gas in roubles, the Kremlin’s toughest response yet to the crippling sanctions imposed by the West for the invasion of Ukraine. Poland and Bulgaria are the first countries to have their gas cut off by Europe’s main supplier since the Feb. 24 invasion of Ukraine that has killed thousands of people, displaced millions more and raised fears of a broader conflict. “Gazprom has completely suspended gas supplies to Bulgargaz (Bulgaria) and PGNiG (PGN.WA) (Poland) due to absence of payments in roubles,” Gazprom said in a…

A number of prominent conservatives returned to Twitter the day after Tesla CEO Elon Musk reached an agreement to acquire the platform for $44 billion on the promise of protecting freedom of speech. Conservative media personalities such as Tucker Carlson, Mark Levin, Raheem Kassam, and others returned, some after having been previously suspended. Musk secured the deal with the social media company on April 25. In doing so, the self-described “free-speech absolutist” triggered a backlash from far-left activists over the role of social media platforms in regulating the flow of information. Musk clarified his stance in an April 26 tweet, saying, “I am against censorship that goes far beyond…

Pep Guardiola warned Manchester City they must be more ruthless to reach the Champions League final after edging a 4-3 thriller against Real Madrid in the semi-final first leg at the Etihad Stadium on Tuesday. While Guardiola’s team will take a slender advantage to the Santiago Bernabéu for the return next Wednesday, he is conscious the tie is far from over after they spurned a series of chances having taken a 2-0 lead, with Karin Benzema scoring twice either side of a brilliant individual goal from Vinicius Júnior. Guardiola said: “Regardless of the result, if it was 2-0 or 3-0 we would…

Finance sector professionals in Shanghai are preparing to move back to Hong Kong and other offshore centres after spending only a few years in the Chinese city as a harsh COVID-19 lockdown has hurt their business prospects and upended daily lives. Thousands of bankers, traders and investors in the financial hub of the world’s second-largest economy have found themselves confined to their homes, with some even struggling to secure food and other essentials for their families. The four-week-long lockdown, which has forced most of the city’s 26 million people indoors, has started to weigh on prospective financial deals with some…

A senior European Union official said Tuesday that the bloc plans to cut Russian oil and gas imports to zero by the end of 2027, with his remarks coming as EU leaders continue to deliberate on moves to accelerate reducing the region’s dependence on Russian energy. EU Economic Commissioner Paolo Gentiloni told Italian daily Il Messaggero in an interview published Tuesday that European Union aims to reduce its dependence on Russian oil and gas by two-thirds by the end of this year and phase it out completely by the end of 2027. Gentiloni’s remarks provide more clarity around the timeline for the EU’s member…

Real Madrid are close to signing Antonio Rüdiger on a free transfer after reaching a verbal agreement with the Chelsea defender over a lucrative four-year contract. Rüdiger held positive talks with the Bernabéu club’s hierarchy over the weekend and is set to receive a considerable pay rise having decided to leave Chelsea when his contract expires at the end of the season. Real’s manager, Carlo Ancelotti, has identified the Germany international as a key signing and while the move has not been finalised it is should be confirmed soon. The 29-year-old is expected to earn at least £200,000 a week. Chelsea were desperate…

Sue Gray expects to complete her report into Covid law-breaking parties across Westminster at the end of May at the earliest, the Guardian has been told. Sources said that the senior civil servant, who for months has been forced to sit on her findings about illegal gatherings while Scotland Yard carries out its own inquiry, believes the police investigation could drag on for several more weeks. It may then take Gray a further fortnight for her to compile her report, meaning that it is possible the final version will not be delivered to No 10 for at least another month.…