Business
UK Inflation Rate Drops in June
Prices in the UK are rising at their slowest rate since the end of 2009, official figures have shown.
The annual inflation rate as measured by the Consumer Prices Index fell to 2.4% in June, from 2.8% in May, the office for National Statistics said.ce for National Sta
The rate of inflation, which indicates how fast prices are rising compared with a year earlier, is slowing due to lower food, fuel and clothing prices.
The Retail Prices Index, which includes housing costs, fell to 2.8% from 3.1%.
This is the third month in a row that CPI has fallen.
The biggest contributor to the fall from May was clothing and footwear, which was 4.2% lower. This could be due to retailers starting their summer sales earlier, the ONS said.
The price of football shirts was “a notable exception” to this downward trend, it said.
Alcohol and transport costs were down by 0.5%.
Petrol prices fell by 4.3 pence per litre on the month, to £1.33 a litre on average. Diesel was down 4.7p to an average of £1.39.
Food prices were 0.1% lower. The biggest falls seen were in meat prices, the ONS said, with reports of weather affecting demand. This could be down to the wet weather leading people to cancel summer barbecues.
Kenya made it a clean sweep at the Berlin Marathon with Sabastian Sawe winning the men’s race and Rosemary Wanjiru triumphing in the women’s.
Sawe finished in two hours, two minutes and 16 seconds to make it three wins in his first three marathons.
The 30-year-old, who was victorious at this year’s London Marathon, set a sizzling pace as he left the field behind and ran much of the race surrounded only by his pacesetters.
Japan’s Akasaki Akira came second after a powerful latter half of the race, finishing almost four minutes behind Sawe, while Ethiopia’s Chimdessa Debele followed in third.
“I did my best and I am happy for this performance,” said Sawe.
“I am so happy for this year. I felt well but you cannot change the weather. Next year will be better.”
Sawe had Kelvin Kiptum’s 2023 world record of 2:00:35 in his sights when he reached halfway in 1:00:12, but faded towards the end.
In the women’s race, Wanjiru sped away from the lead pack after 25 kilometers before finishing in 2:21:05.
Ethiopia’s Dera Dida followed three seconds behind Wanjiru, with Azmera Gebru, also of Ethiopia, coming third in 2:21:29.
Wanjiru’s time was 12 minutes slower than compatriot Ruth Chepng’etich’s world record of 2:09:56, which she set in Chicago in 2024.
