5 d. ago UK and eurozone construction declines slow; European markets fall ahead of Fed rate decision – business live

People’s Bank of China cuts interest rates due to global uncertainty and ‘trade tensions’Matthew Pointon, senior commercial real estate economist at Capital Economics, said:The commercial balance was at its lowest since the height of the Covid lockdowns in May 2020. Early signs of a recovery in construction activity in late 2024 have therefore been snuffed out. Elevated interest rates will be partly responsible, but uncertainty caused by the US tariff announcements may also be weighing on activity.Admittedly, UK property is relatively well insulated from the impact, and some sectors may even benefit. Construction costs may also ease if materials that had been destined for the US are rerouted to the UK. But the rise in overall economic uncertainty may cause some developers to delay plans until the outlook becomes clearer. Indeed, the new orders balance saw a small fall to 44.0, from 44.2 in March. Continue reading...

Society

7 d. ago Trump’s attack on the film industry is a sign of xenophobic contempt | Jesse Hassenger

By insisting tariffs on films at least partly produced outside the US, the president is trying to limit the important worldview of cinemaAdd movies to the ever-expanding list of areas where Donald Trump has no expertise or even passing knowledge, but assumes problems can be solved through tariffs and maybe a little racism, as a treat. Citing a threat to “national security” from movies that aren’t shot in the United States, Trump announced that he would be enacting a 100% tariff on movies made anywhere else.Characteristically, this proclamation was not so bold as to make any sense whatsoever, lacking as it was any sign that Trump understands the difference between movies that are produced (at least partially) by US companies and shot in other locations, and foreign films that are produced elsewhere but released in the US (by, of course, US companies who obtain distribution rights). But the consensus seems to be that Trump is referring mainly to purportedly American productions that a...

Politics

2 w. ago Asian shares inch higher as uncertainty over US tariffs persists

Asian markets have inched higher as investors wait to see what comes of negotiations over U.S. President Donald Trump’s tariffs

Politics

2 w. ago Belgian teenagers found with 5,000 ants to be sentenced in 2 weeks

Two Belgian teenagers who were found with thousands of ants valued at $9,200 and allegedly destined for European and Asian markets will be sentenced in two weeks

Politics

2 w. ago Asian shares jump on hopes tariff war may subside and Trump won't fire Federal Reserve chief

Asian shares are mostly higher, with markets showing relief after President Donald Trump indicated he won’t dismiss the head of the U.S. Federal Reserve

Events

3 w. ago Asian markets are mixed as US tech companies are due to release earnings

Asian shares are mixed following the Easter weekend holiday, with some markets still closed

Economics

3 w. ago Asian markets are mostly higher as Wall Street is stuck in trade war doldrums

Asian shares are mostly higher after a bumpy ride on Wall Street

Events

4 w. ago Stock markets rise on signs of Trump tariff retreat; British Steel races to keep furnaces burning – business live

Chinese exports jump as official says ‘the sky won’t fall,’ despite warning from US officials that smartphone and laptop exemption from import tariffs on China will be short-livedMatt Britzman, senior equity analyst at Hargreaves Lansdown, said:Just when it seemed the tariff chaos couldn’t get any worse, tech investors have spent the weekend scrambling to make sense of a whirlwind of confusing - and at times contradictory - messages coming out of the White House. Despite the drama, European markets have taken an easing stance on US tech components as a positive in a broad-based rally this morning, with the FTSE 100 up 1.5% in early trading.This time, it’s chips, smartphones, and other tech components taking centre stage. While there were early signs on Friday night that some broad exemptions might be in play, it turns out tariffs are still very much on the table. But here’s the twist: despite the messy rollout, what’s caught investors’ attention is the news that these products won’t...

Economics