Thames Water secures a £3bn loan to avoid collapse, but high costs and rising customer bills raise concerns over financial mismanagement.

Trump’s tariff tweets still move currencies, though less than before. Crypto remains unaffected, but potential tariffs on mining or stablecoins could change that.

UK wage growth remained strong, BoE warned of weak growth, IHG and BT slumped, while defence stocks gained on spending expectations.

Gold rises to $2,912 as investors seek safety amid tariffs and uncertainty. Futures up 0.7%, with Fed policy in focus.