Author: LoveWorld UK

One of Britain’s biggest housebuilders, Taylor Wimpey, has warned that the Bank of England’s rate rises to tame high inflation have weakened the housing market and made homes less affordable after a sales slump. Revenue fell 21% to £1.6bn in the six months to 2 July, dragging pre-tax profit down 29% to £237.7m. Its average selling price rose 6.7% to £320,000. In July, the builder’s net sales rate for private homes dropped to 0.47 an outlet per week, compared with 0.57 last year, while the cancellation rate rose to 24% from 19% as more customers pulled out of deals. Jennie…

Fulton County Superior Court Judge Robert McBurney has rejected former President Donald Trump’s bid to disqualify the lead prosecutor investigating allegations he interfered in Georgia’s 2020 presidential election, while also denying Mr. Trump’s attempt to block any indictments stemming from the probe. Mr. McBurney issued his order (pdf) on July 31, dismissing Mr. Trump’s motion to preclude any state prosecuting agency from using evidence derived from the work of the Special Purpose Grand Jury (SPGJ) impaneled in the probe, rejecting a motion to quash the SPGJ final report, and denying a motion to disqualify Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis…

The former Brexit party leader has claimed that the bank – which closed his account over concerns about his political views – has now offered to reinstate his account. The interim chief executive of Coutts, Mohammad Kamal Syed, wrote to Farage to give him the good news. Speaking on his GB News programme, Farage said: ‘He has written to me to say I can keep both my personal and my business accounts. And that’s good and I thank him for it.’ But it seems that might not be the end of the row. Farage said the fallout has caused him…

Attempts have been made to dull Lauren James’s star, to quell the rising excitement around the dynamic forward as she has developed. No more. With two goals and three assists in this victory over China, and a hat-trick denied only by a controversial VAR call, James helped England to make an emphatic statement of intent and announced her arrival on the world stage. The result booked England’s place in the last 16, setting up a tie on Monday against Nigeria, and breathed life into a campaign that had yet to lift off. Many had theorised how Sarina Wiegman would fill…

Federal prosecutors have charged Donald Trump over his efforts to overturn the results of the 2020 election in a desperate attempt to stay in power, the latest criminal case before the former president that comes just weeks after he was charged with retaining national defense information. The indictment, filed in federal district court in Washington, charges Trump with one count of conspiracy to defraud the United States, one count of conspiracy to obstruct an official proceeding, obstruction of and attempt to obstruct an official proceeding, and conspiracy against rights. Over the course of 45 pages, the indictment brought by the special counsel…

China’s slumping economy has dealt a harsh blow to nations and enterprises with significant reliance on its vast market. In addition to China’s economic woes, Hyundai Motor Group was forced to deal with aggressive sanctions from Beijing following the THAAD anti-missile system controversy in 2016. Hyundai was compelled to downsize its dependence on the Chinese market following the controversy. Nonetheless, it managed to navigate the tumultuous period and emerged as a success story. In the past year, against the economic tide, Hyundai rose to third position in worldwide car sales. Moreover, the car company’s second-quarter earnings report, released July 26, showed record…

The President’s Intelligence Advisory Board (PIAB) has unanimously recommended the reauthorization of a controversial section of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) despite the FBI’s flagrant misuse of the program to target U.S. citizens. In a report (pdf) released on July 31, the PIAB recommended more than a dozen reforms to improve the public’s perception of FISA Section 702, a controversial program that authorizes the warrantless surveillance of non-U.S. citizens who are believed to be abroad, although the communications of U.S. citizens are often swept up in the mix. Set to expire on Dec. 31, the program has been scrutinized…

HSBC more than doubled its profits in the first half of the year, as rising interest rates increased returns for the London-headquartered lender. The bank reported pre-tax profits of $21.7bn (£17bn) in the first six months of 2023, up from $8.8bn during the same period last year, despiteputting aside more money to protect against potential defaults, as rising living costs put pressure on customers’ finances. It is now handing more money back to shareholders, who will benefit from dividend payments worth 10p a share, as well as a $2bn share buyback. The move is expected to strengthen HSBC’s battle against…

True to their catchphrase, the “Never Say Die” Matildas were not going to die wondering. In the biggest match in their 45-year history, with the weight of a nation on their shoulders, Australia were in vintage form in Melbourne on Monday night. Showing the composure and attacking flair that had deserted them in their first two matches, the Matildas secured a berth in the last 16 with a four-goal thrashing of the Olympic champions Canada. It was a must-win clash – and the Matildas duly triumphed. Victory was vindication for the head coach, Tony Gustavsson, who had faced increasing criticism after his…

UK house prices fell last month at the fastest annual rate in 14 years, as higher interest rates hamper people’s ability to buy a property with a mortgage. Nationwide building society reported that prices fell 3.8% year on year, the sharpest drop since July 2009 when the global economy was in the grips of financial crisis. It compared with a fall in annual prices of 3.5% in June. The price of a typical home is now £260,828, 4.5% below the peak reached last August. Prices dipped 0.2% in July from the previous month. The Bank of England has raised interest…