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Business Today
Business live
UK economy continues to stagnate, confounding forecast of growth
Live  
UK economy continues to stagnate, confounding forecast of growth
Economy showed no growth for second month running but grew by 0.5% in three months to July; UK government to outline £500m rescue deal for Port Talbot steelworks with 2,500 job cuts
Headlines
GDP  
UK economy unexpectedly flatlines for second month in row
UK economy unexpectedly flatlines for second month in row
Manufacturing  
British steel industry braces for 2,500 job cuts at Port Talbot in government deal
Acquisitions  
Rupert Murdoch-owned firm REA makes £5.6bn offer for Rightmove
Television  
UK TV production sector income falls by £400m as programming budgets cut
Amazon  
Reeves announces £8bn UK investment by company’s cloud computing arm
Rights  
Bolt drivers seek to be classed as workers at London employment tribunal
Advertising  
Labour urged to impose stricter controls on gambling ads
Death of the corkscrew?  
Only 27% of young people in UK own one, report says
Environment  
Only 65% of UK firms have plan to cut emissions to net zero, study shows
Housing  
Landlords warn they may raise rents in response to Labour’s renters’ rights bill
UK  
‘People’s futures on the line’ amid surge in youth unemployment, unions warn
Energy  
Critics of winter fuel payment cut to fight on after government wins vote
‘They’ve robbed us’  
UK pensioners on losing the winter fuel payment
Marc Vlessing  
The modular homes mogul seeking a ‘renaissance of the British housing market’
Today's agenda
The UK economy continued to flatline in July but grew by 0.5% in the three months to July, according to the latest official figures.

Economists had expected GDP to rise by 0.2% in July. In June, there was also zero growth.

Services activity picked up by 0.1% after a 0.1% dip in June, but did not show the expected strong pickup, while industrial production declined by 0.8%.

Construction output was down by 0.4% in July.

Services grew by 0.6% in the three months to July. There was also a 1.2% increase in construction output, while production dipped by 0.1% over this period.

The chancellor, Rachel Reeves, said: "I am under no illusion about the scale of the challenge we face and I will be honest with the British people that change will not happen overnight.

"Two quarters of positive economic growth does not make up for 14 years of stagnation. That is why we are taking the long-term decisions now to fix the foundations of our economy."

The dollar fell by more than 1% against the yen to its weakest level of the year, after Kamala Harris put Donald Trump on the defensive in their television debate in the presidential race last night.

The yen also got a boost from the Bank of Japan board member Junko Nakagawa, who reiterated in a speech that the central bank would continue to raise interest rates if inflation and the wider the economy moved in line with its forecasts.

The dollar dropped as much as 1.2% to 140.71 yen, a level not seen since 28 December, before recovering slightly.

It is also US inflation day. The annual headline rate is expected to have fallen to 2.6% from 2.9%, while the core rate, which strips out volatile food and energy costs, is set to have stayed at 3.2%.

The agenda
• 1.30pm BST: US inflation for August (forecast 2.6%, previous 2.9%)

We’ll be tracking all the main events throughout the day ...
Opinion
Analysis  
UK wages figures will affect state pension, interest rates – and Rachel Reeves
UK wages figures will affect state pension, interest rates – and Rachel Reeves
Why did Starmer cut the winter fuel allowance? It’s called Treasury brain – and that spells trouble
Editorial  
The Guardian view on Labour’s strategy: focus on fixing Britain, not fiscal deficits
Media
US elections  
How the Trump-Harris debate played out on social media: ‘Maga mad libs’
How the Trump-Harris debate played out on social media: ‘Maga mad libs’
Sausage rolls and Oasis  
‘Britishcore’ Tiktok trend drives interest in UK culture
Television  
HBO posts casting call for next-generation Harry Potter TV series
BBC  
BBC boss not giving up on pursuit of £200,000 paid to Huw Edwards after arrest
UK  
Inquest rules out Jeremy Kyle Show filming as cause of participant’s death
US elections  
ABC News hosts of Harris-Trump debate praised for keeping candidates on-topic
The Spectator  
GB News investor Paul Marshall seals £100m deal to buy magazine
TV  
French first lady Brigitte Macron to make cameo in Netflix’s Emily in Paris
Technology  
Meta’s AI is scraping users’ photos and posts. Europeans can opt out, but Australians cannot
News  
Internet replaces TV as UK’s most popular source for first time
US  
Succession battle for Murdoch empire to play out in secret in Nevada court
Netherlands  
Broadcaster launches news bulletin in easy-to-understand language
Technology  
Google’s second antitrust suit brought by US begins, over online ads
Pakistan  
The woman standing up for female journalists against rising repression
Janet Watts obituary  
Journalist with the Guardian and Observer for 25 years
Politics  
Deluge of abuse sent on X to prominent UK politicians in election period
Spotlight
A security guard’s take on bodyworn cameras
‘My uniform’s more valuable than I am’  
A security guard’s take on bodyworn cameras
Public-facing staff in shops and frontline services are wearing cameras to help combat abuse and an epidemic of theft
Popular on business
BMW shares fall to four-year low as recall of 1.5m cars announced
BMW shares fall to four-year low as recall of 1.5m cars announced
Reeves urged to make tax changes ‘to raise more than £20bn a year’
Marc Vlessing: the modular homes mogul seeking a ‘renaissance of the British housing market’
UK debt must be steered off unsustainable course, warns Lords committee
Oasis and Ticketmaster urged to refund fans after ‘dynamic pricing’ debacle
Remainder of year’s water bills will pay dividends and service debts, say campaigners
VW slams production into reverse as industry faces battles on all sides
Her cafe offered an opportunity for her daughter – and for others with intellectual disabilities
Brent crude tumbles below $70 per barrel as oversupply fears hit oil price – as it happened
‘Targets are unrealistic’: sacked fruit picker tells of treatment on Kent farm
Labour’s first job shouldn’t be to spend, but to fix the state’s financial plumbing
Energy suppliers told to improve customer service or face firm action
Royal Mail considers bin collection-style website for letter delivery days
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