Oil prices rise as Iran tempers optimism around strait of Hormuz reopening – as it happened

European shares mixed; UK employment market shows ‘rays of light’ for jobseekers with upturn in pay, study says

‘It’s very challenging’: how the Duke of Westminster’s farm is taking on the climate crisis

Amid world pressure from heatwaves and fertiliser shortages, billionaire’s business has invested in circular farming and biomethane

Gen Z calls it ‘loud budgeting’ – small business owners have been doing it for decades

The practice of openly proclaiming to the world what you can’t afford can lead to lower fees, reduced prices and better deals

John Lewis managing director Peter Ruis quits job after less than three years

Surprise departure comes after department store chain’s chair warned of ‘really tough trading conditions’

Not your imagination: from backpacks to food, consumer goods are getting worse

Is it possible to avoid the continuing decline in quality of consumer products brought on by corporate greed?

Millions in Great Britain could face emergency power cuts at short notice

Exclusive: Grid operator Neso can now respond with rolling blackouts as last resort without need for government powers

Harvey Nichols warns it could collapse without rescue deal, as bidders circle

Mike Ashley’s Frasers Group is frontrunner to buy Knightsbridge-headquartered department store chain

Harry Potter fans force relocation of £430m undersea cable to avoid Dobby’s ‘grave’

Power cable linking UK and Ireland now passes near Bronze Age human burial remains instead of fictional grave on Welsh beach

Hastings Direct’s failures forced my family out of our home

A leak beneath our fridge-freezer last winter caused extensive damage but there’s still no functioning kitchen

UK manufacturers face rising hacking risk as survey shows 30% were hit last year

Big companies describe being under constant threat but only half have a plan in place to respond to an attack

Cut £175 from energy bills for low-income homes, says thinktank

Resolution Foundation proposes £2bn emergency scheme to help people facing higher costs this winter

Burnham vows crackdown on ‘rip-off’ business practices to ease cost of living

First of PM’s ‘everyday fixes’ to be banning fake discounts and making it easier to cancel unwanted subscriptions

London mayor orders council to drop plan to ban new pubs and bars in Soho and West End

Exclusive: Sadiq Khan urges Westminster council to adopt ‘positive vision of economic growth’ of nightlife

Chinese EV sales surge to new high in Europe putting tariffs under scrutiny

Imports this year now account for 14% of the market amid claims vehicles are being dumped in the EU and UK

Readers reply: What do you wish you could buy in vending machines?

The long-running series in which readers answer other readers’ questions on subjects ranging from trivial flights of fancy to profound scientific and philosophical concepts