UK’s FTSE 100 share index records best year since 2009 – as it happened

Britain’s stock market has recorded its strongest annual gains since 2009, after a strong year for shares on the London stock exchange and beyond.The FTSE 100 index of blue-chip equities has just closed for the year, down slightly today at 9,931 points, a fall of 9 points or 0.09%.But for 2025 as a whole, the Footsie has gained 21.5%, its highest annual gain in 16 years

Fed up: inside Trump’s unprecedented bid to exert control over the US central bank

The US president and his allies spent 2025 attacking the Federal Reserve amid a rollercoaster year for the US economy In the bowels of the US Federal Reserve this summer, two of the world’s most powerful men, sporting glistening white hard hats, stood before reporters looking like students forced to work together on a group project.Allies of Donald Trump had spent weeks trying to manufacture a scandal around ongoing renovations of the central bank’s Washington headquarters and its costs. Now here was the US president, on a rare visit, examining the project for himself.“It looks like it’s about $3.1bn

How the FTSE 100 ‘dinosaur’ roared back to life | Nils Pratley

It was a bumper year for stock markets globally and the surprise, perhaps, is that the FTSE 100 index more than kept up. The London market has sometimes been derided as lacking dynamism – the hedge fund manager Paul Marshall called it the “Jurassic Park” of exchanges a few years ago – but its main index enjoyed its best 12 months since 2009. The Footsie didn’t quite make it to the round number of 10,000 but still improved by 21.5%, slightly outperforming the S&P 500 index in the US.How did that happen amid weakening UK growth, pre-budget chaos and general gloom? The short answer is that a stock market index reflects only its constituent parts

One pub a day closed permanently in England and Wales in 2025

One pub a day disappeared for good in England and Wales during 2025 as sustained cost pressures continued to weigh heavily on the sector.Analysis of government statistics shows that 366 pubs were demolished or converted for other uses over the year to December.Industry experts said the data highlighted the “drastic” situation for British pubs ahead of higher property tax payments for many from next April.The statistics, which were analysed by tax specialists at Ryan, showed that the overall number of pubs in England and Wales, including those vacant and being offered to let, fell to 38,623 from 38,989 a year earlier.Alex Probyn, a property tax expert at the tax company Ryan, said: “These pubs have closed permanently, not temporarily

China forecast to have sold one in every 10 new cars in UK in 2025

Chinese brands are on course to account for one in every 10 new cars sold in Britain during 2025, a marked increase on last year as sales increase across Europe.Manufacturers led by MG, BYD, and Chery are on track to break the 200,000 mark in UK new car sales in 2025, meaning they are very likely to account for 10% of the market, according to Matthias Schmidt, an analyst tracking electric cars across Europe.Spain and Norway also get a tenth of their new cars from Chinese brands, with the average across western Europe at 6%, Schmidt said.China has taken a commanding lead in the global industry for electric vehicles (EVs) thanks to years of heavy government subsidies, dominance of the supply chain for lithium ion batteries, and cheaper labour. The increase in Chinese sales has alarmed EU countries, particularly Germany and France, who fear losing millions of automotive jobs if the industry shrivels

Is ‘coasting’ the perfect way to enjoy an alcoholic drink this New Year’s Eve?

Christmas and New Year’s Eve celebrations often used to result in a hangover the next day, but with moderation now the order of the day the new drinks industry buzzword is “coasting”.This involves choosing a white wine, lager or even a cocktail that is about half the strength of the traditional version of the drink – meaning you can have the same number of drinks without feeling the worse for wear.Vanessa Pearson, Ocado Retail’s trading manager for beers, wines and spirits, credits “coasting” for a “huge increase in customer interest in mid-strength wine”. In 2025 its sales of these types of wines soared 4,000% as the nascent category gained ground.As the name implies, “mid-strength” drinks occupy the middle ground between no and low-alcohol (nolo) and standard options