Updated at\u00a006.12 EST<\/p>\n
Key events<\/p>\n
Show key events only<\/p>\n
Please turn on JavaScript to use this feature<\/p>\n
The Metro newspaper reports that shopping sites wer affected by the Cloudflare IT problems too \u2013 such as Shopify, Etsy, Wayfair, and H&M.<\/p>\n
H&M\u2019s website is slow to load right now, but the other three seem to be working\u2026<\/p>\n
Share<\/a><\/p>\n Today\u2019s Cloudflare outage is likely to intensify concerns that internet users are relying on too few technology providers.<\/p>\n Tim Wright, technology partner at Fladgate, explains:<\/p>\n \u201cCloudflare\u2019s latest outage is another reminder that much of the internet runs through just a few hands. Businesses betting on \u201calways-on\u201d cloud resilience are discovering its single points of failure. Repeated disruptions will draw tougher scrutiny from regulators given DORA, NIS2, and the UK\u2019s emerging operational resilience regimes.<\/p>\n Dependence on a small set of intermediaries may be efficient but poses a structural risk the digital economy cannot ignore. We can expect regulators to probe the concentration of critical functions in the cloud and edge layers \u2014 while businesses rethink whether convenience has quietly outpaced control.\u201d<\/p>\n Share<\/a>Cloudflare: this was not an attack<\/p>\n Cloudflare\u2019s System Status page<\/a> shows that the problem that knocked many websites offline has been resolved.<\/p>\n Cloudflare insists the problem was not a cyber attack; instead, it appears to have been caused by a deliberate change made by its firewall handles data requests, to fix a security vulnerability.<\/p>\n Cloudflare says:<\/p>\n This incident has been resolved.<\/p>\n A change made to how Cloudflare\u2019s Web Application Firewall parses requests caused Cloudflare\u2019s network to be unavailable for several minutes this morning. This was not an attack; the change was deployed by our team to help mitigate the industry-wide vulnerability disclosed this week in React Server Components. We will share more information as we have it today.<\/p>\n Share<\/a>Edinburgh Airport suspends all flights after IT issue with air traffic control<\/p>\n An IT issue affecting air traffic control has forced Edinburgh Airport to halt all flights today.<\/p>\n Edinburgh Airport said in a statement:<\/p>\n \u201cNo flights are currently operating from Edinburgh Airport.<\/p>\n \u201cTeams are working on the issue and will resolve as soon as possible.\u201d<\/p>\n The Airport\u2019s departure page<\/a> is showing eight flights delayed and five cancelled, but passengers for many other flights are being told to go to the gate.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Reports of problems at Cloudflare peaked at just after 9am UK time:<\/p>\n A chart showing reports of problems with Cloudflare Photograph: DowndetectorShare<\/a><\/p>\n Online video conferencing service Zoom, and Transport for London\u2019s website (used for travel information in the capital), are among the sites hit by the Cloudflare outage.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a005.22 EST<\/p>\n Global websites down as Cloudflare investigates fresh issues<\/p>\n Technical problems at internet infrastructure provider Cloudflare today have taken a host of websites offline this morning.<\/p>\n Cloudflare said shortly after 9am UK time that it \u201cis investigating issues with Cloudflare Dashboard and related APIs [application programming interfaces \u2013 used when apps exchange data with each other].<\/p>\n Cloudflare has also reported it has implemented a potential fix to the issue and is monitoring the results.<\/p>\n But the outage has affected a number of websites and platforms, with reports of problems accessing LinkedIn, X, Canva \u2013 and even the DownDetector site used to monitor online service issues.<\/p>\n Last month, an outage at Cloudflare made many websites inaccessible for about three hours.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a006.12 EST<\/p>\n In a separate cereal supply and demand report, the FAO raised its global cereal production forecast for 2025 to a record 3.003 billion metric tons.<\/p>\n That\u2019s up from 2.990 billion tons projected last month, mainly due to increased estimates for wheat output.<\/p>\n The FAO\u2019s forecast for world cereal stocks at the end of the 2025\/26 season has also been revised up to a record 925.5 million tons, reflecting expectations of expanded wheat stocks in China and India as well as higher coarse grain stocks in exporting countries.<\/p>\n Share<\/a>World food prices fall for third month in a row<\/p>\n Global food prices have fallen for the third month running.<\/p>\n The UN\u2019s Food Price Index, which tracks a basket of food commodities, dropped by 1.2% in November, thanks to a drop in the cost of dairy products, meat, sugar and vegetable oils.<\/p>\n That could help to push down inflation, if these reductions are passed onto consumers.<\/p>\n However, cereal prices rose by 1.8% last month, due to \u201cpotential Chinese interest in supplies from the United States of America, concerns over continuing hostilities in the Black Sea region, and expectations of reduced plantings in the Russian Federation\u201d, the UN\u2019s Food and Agriculture Organisation reports.<\/p>\n Vegetable oil prices fell by 2.6% in the month, to a five-month low, due to prices of palm, rapeseed and sunflower oils.<\/p>\n Meat prices dropped by 0.8%, driven by lower pig and poultry meat prices and the the removal of tariffs on beef imports into the US.<\/p>\n Dairy prices fell by 3.1% in November, thanks to rising milk production and abundant export supplies in key producing regions, supported by ample butter and skim milk powder inventories in the European Union and seasonally higher output in New Zealand.<\/p>\n Sugar prices dropped by 5.9% in the month, and were almost 30% lower than a year ago., as expectations of ample global sugar supplies in the current season pushed down prices. Strong production in Brazil\u2019s key southern growing regions, a good early season start to India\u2019s harvest and favourable crop prospects in Thailand all contributed.<\/p>\n Share<\/a>European shares higher ahead of US PCE inflation report<\/p>\n European stock markets are ending the week on the front foot.<\/p>\n The main European indices are a little higher this morning; Germany\u2019s DAX is up 0.55%, France\u2019s CAC 40 is 0.3% higher, and the UK\u2019s FTSE 100 has risen by 0.14%.<\/p>\n Investors are waiting for new US inflation data later today (1.30pm UK time), which could influence interest rate expectations ahead of next week\u2019s US Federal Reserve meeting.<\/p>\n Kyle Rodda, senior financial market analyst at capital.com, says:<\/p>\n Risk assets are cautiously edging higher to round out the week, with US PCE Index data in focus this afternoon.<\/p>\n Ultimately, the markets appear to be looking for a signal that it\u2019s all clear to keep moving higher again. That signal could come from data. But given the lack of it between now and the middle of next week, it\u2019s more likely to come from the FOMC decision.<\/p>\n The current implied probabilities of a cut are 87%, according to FedWatch \u2013 swaps markets suggest a little higher. The markets won\u2019t just want to see a cut delivered but also some dovish enough language and forecasts about the prospect of future cuts. Another hawkish cut, like that which was seen in October, could upset the apple cart, if it were to occur.<\/p>\n Nevertheless, European stocks have run with a broadly positive lead-in from Asian markets, with US futures also pointing higher<\/p>\n Share<\/a> Warner Bros Discovery has entered exclusive talks to sell its streaming and Hollywood studio business<\/a> to Netflix, a move that would dramatically change the established film and TV landscape.<\/p>\n Netflix is in competition with Paramount Skydance and Comcast, which owns assets including Universal Studios and Sky, to buy the owner of the Hollywood studio Warner Bros<\/a>, HBO and the HBO Max streaming service.<\/p>\n Netflix is offering a $5bn (\u00a33.7bn) breakup fee if the deal fails to gain regulatory approval in the US, according to Bloomberg, which first reported the exclusive talks.<\/p>\n Share<\/a>Ocado shares jump 11% after agreeing $350m payment from Kroger<\/p>\n Shares in Ocado have jumped by over 10% at the start of trading, after it agreed a compensation deal with US grocer Kroger.<\/p>\n Ocado is to receive a one-off $350m cash payment from Kroger, which decided last month to close three robotic warehouses which use the UK company\u2019s high-tech equipment, in Maryland, Wisconsin, and Florida.<\/p>\n That decision, announced in mid-November<\/a>, had knocked 17% off Ocado\u2019s shares.<\/p>\n This morning, though, they\u2019ve jumped to the top of the FTSE<\/a> 250 index, up 11.5% to 206p.<\/p>\n Ocado had previously said it expected to receive more than $250m in compensation from Kroger.<\/p>\n But it has also revealed today that Kroger has decided to cancel another tie-up with Ocado \u2013 a planned automated distribution centre run on the UK group\u2019s technology in Charlotte, North Carolina.<\/p>\n Last month, retail analyst Clive Black of Shore Capital said Ocado was \u201cbeing marginalised as most of its customer fulfilment centres do not work economically in the USA\u201d.<\/p>\n Ocado says it continues to \u201cwork closely\u201d with Kroger on five other customer fulfillment centres in US states such as Texas and Michigan.<\/p>\n Tim Steiner, CEO of Ocado Group, has said:<\/p>\n \u201cWe continue to invest significant resources to support our partners at Kroger, and to help them build on our longstanding partnership. Ocado\u2019s technology has evolved significantly to include both the new technologies that Kroger is currently deploying in its CFC network, as well as new fulfilment products that bring Ocado\u2019s technology to a wider range of applications, including Store Based Automation to support \u2018pick up\u2019 and immediacy.\u201d<\/p>\n Our partners around the world have already deployed a wide range of these fulfilment technologies to great effect, enabling them to address a wide spectrum of geographies, population densities and online shopping missions, underpinned by Ocado\u2019s world leading expertise and R&D capabilities. We remain excited about the opportunity for Ocado\u2019s evolving products in the US market.\u201d<\/p>\n Share<\/a>House prices predicted to rise in 2026, after budget uncertainty<\/p>\n Halifax\u2019s Amanda Bryden reckons UK house prices will rise \u201cgradually\u201d next year, saying:<\/p>\n \u201cLooking ahead, with market activity steady and expectations of further interest rate reductions to come, we anticipate property prices will continue to grow gradually into 2026.\u201d<\/p>\n Karen Noye, mortgage expert at Quilter, says affordability remains the biggest hurdle, even though inflation has eased and another interest rate cut is expected later this month, adding:<\/p>\n The outlook for 2026 rests on the path of mortgage rates and the resilience of household incomes. Greater clarity post budget and the prospect of lower borrowing costs give the market a firmer footing, but affordability will remain the defining constraint.\u201d<\/p>\n Tom Bill, head of UK residential research at Knight Frank, blames pre-Budget uncertainty pushed house price growth close to zero, adding:<\/p>\n Clarity has now returned, but an array of tax rises, which include an income tax threshold freeze, will increasingly squeeze demand and prices. Offsetting that is the fact that mortgage rates are expected to drift lower next year as the base rate bottoms out at around 3.25%.\u201d<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Technically, UK house prices did rise slightly last month. On Halifax\u2019s data, the average price was \u00a3299,892, marginally up from \u00a3299,754 in October. That\u2019s a new record high on this index.<\/p>\n Share<\/a>Halifax: a clear North\/South divide on house price changes<\/p>\n Halifax\u2019s regional data continues to show a clear North\/South divide \u2013 prices fell in the south of the UK last month, but were stronger elsewhere.<\/p>\n Northern Ireland remains the strongest performing nation or region in the UK, with average property prices rising by +8.9% over the past year (up from +7.9% last month). The typical home now costs \u00a3220,716.<\/p>\n Scotland recorded annual price growth of +3.7% in November, up to an average of \u00a3216,781. In Wales property values rose +1.9% year-on-year to \u00a3229,430.<\/p>\n In England, the North West recorded the highest annual growth rate, with property prices rising by +3.2% to \u00a3245,070, followed by the North East with growth of +2.9% to \u00a3180,939. Further south, three regions saw prices decrease in November.<\/p>\n In London prices fell by -1.0%, the South East by -0.3% and Eastern England by -0.1%. The capital remains the most expensive part of the UK, with an average property now costing \u00a3539,766.<\/p>\n![\"A](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/426.jpg\")
Photograph: UN FAO<\/p>\n![\"A](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/427.jpg\")
Photograph: UN FAO<\/p>\n![\"Mark](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/mark_sweney_140x140.jpg\")
Mark Sweney<\/p>\n
![\"A](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/465.jpg\")
A chart showing UK house prices Photograph: Halifax<\/p>\n