Nationwide, HSBC, Barclays and Virgin Money customers hit by payments issues

Oracle Corp. presented a positive outlook on future growth and highlighted significant cloud-services contracts to Wall Street on Monday. Despite this, the company's stock continued to decline due to concerns about rising costs related to expanding data centers. Investors remain wary of Oracle's profitability amid the increasing expenses associated with infrastructure development. Full Article

In a joint statement, Ukraine has agreed to a US proposal for a 30-day ceasefire in its conflict with Russia, leading to Washington's resumption of military assistance to Kyiv. The ceasefire, which could be extended with mutual agreement, aims to halt all military activities along the front line, including air and maritime operations. Talks also included discussions on a joint minerals extraction deal postponed after a recent diplomatic clash between Ukrainian President Zelenskyy and US...

Entrepreneur contributors express the importance of "boring" businesses like waste management and property maintenance as steady, low-risk investments due to consistent demand and high barriers to entry. Key lessons include focusing on essential services, mastering local market dominance, prioritizing operational excellence over marketing, leveraging technology strategically, and building value through assets and systems to create lasting value and potential millionaire status, applicable to businesses of all kinds. Full Article

The government is reforming the self-assessment system to potentially exempt up to 300,000 individuals with side hustles from filing tax returns, increasing the trading income threshold from £1,000 to £3,000. This change aims to relieve pressure on HMRC and benefit those with no tax to pay or those able to use a new online service to pay owed taxes, ultimately supporting small businesses and entrepreneurs in the UK. The implementation timeline for these reforms remains...

Markets worldwide are jittery over fears about the global economy, with President Trump's firm stance on tariffs causing concerns about inflation and reduced consumer spending. Asian markets, including Japan, South Korea, and Taiwan, experienced declines, while Chinese shares remained relatively stable. The uncertainty surrounding tariffs and economic policies, coupled with a possible global recession, led to a sell-off in tech stocks and warnings from companies like Delta Air Lines about weakening consumer confidence impacting demand...

The U.S. power grid saw a significant increase in solar energy capacity in 2024, with 50 gigawatts of new solar generation added, surpassing all other sources of electricity. Despite criticism from Energy Secretary Chris Wright and President Trump, solar and battery systems continue to gain momentum, with projections showing them leading new capacity installations this year. While electricity rates have risen, demand is expected to drastically increase, emphasizing the importance of affordability, reliability, and safety...