Caroline Hepker

And gold and Bitcoin this morning are both nudging high.

Gold's up 7 tenths, Stephen.

That's news when you want it with Bloomberg News Now.

I'm Caroline Hepkir.

News when you want it with Bloomberg News Now.

I'm Caroline Hepker.

The UK economy grew less than expected in the fourth quarter, adding to the pressure on Prime Minister Keir Starmer as he fights to shore up his leadership.

GDP rose by a modest 0.1% in the final three months of 2025, matching the equally weak growth recorded in the third quarter.

Now, for 2025 as a whole, the UK economy expanded by 1.3%.

UK Treasury Minister Dan Tomlinson says the economy is turning a corner.

Despite Tomlinson's words to Bloomberg, the latest figures deal a further setback to Starmer in a week in which he has faced calls to resign over his decision to appoint Peter Mandelson as ambassador to the US despite his known links to Jeffrey Epstein.

The latest revelations come as the fallout from the release of the Epstein files continues to reach across governments, companies and universities.

During a congressional hearing, US Attorney General Pam Bondi said there are pending investigations by the US Justice Department related to the probe of the late Financia, but she did not elaborate.

Now, during the hearing, New York Congressman Jerry Nadler tried to ask Bondi how many men connected with Epstein have been indicted.

The exchange between Jerry Nadler and Pam Bondi came as Columbia University said that it admitted a student to its dental school via what it called a regular process that coincided with fundraising requests by former faculty and alumni to Jeffrey Epstein.

That revelation came after Bloomberg reported on a years-long chain of communication between Epstein's camp and senior members of the Columbia dental faculty.

Shares in the French luxury giant Hermes have risen at the start of European trading after the company reported stronger sales growth than expected in the fourth quarter of almost 10%.

That's down to robust demand for its Birkin handbags.

Hermes has weathered the demand downturn for luxury products better than its peers.

All divisions performed better than expected in the fourth quarter, except for perfume and beauty, where sales fell by almost 15%.