1. Inflation jumps to 9% - highest level since 1982
UK consumer price inflation hit 9% in April, which is the highest since current records began, according to new data from the Office for National Statistics, up from 7.0% in March.
2. Darktrace senior executive investigated for involvement in Britain’s largest ever fraud
The mid-cap company’s chief strategy officer Nicole Eagan was investigated by the US Department of Justice for her role in the £8.9bn (US$11bn) sale of software business Autonomy in 2011.
3. Royal Mint Gold ETF more than doubles in five months
Starting the year at US$278mln by April 29, the exchange-traded product's assets topped US$600mln, representing year-to-date growth of 117.6% and the highest assets under management since its launch in 2020.
4. FTSE topples on inflation figures
London's blue-chip index fell 1.1% to 7,438, ending three days of gains, as UK inflation data once again offered "a reminder of the struggles that lie ahead," commented Craig Erlam, a senior market analyst at OANDA.
5. Open Orphan lands £7.3mln influenza challenge study
Under the terms of the deal, the company researchers will carry out a double-blind, placebo-controlled assessment of the drug, which means one cohort will receive the active treatment, while the other half will be administered a substance with no medicinal value.