9 h. ago Budget compromise needed if PM ousted, says French finance minister

Éric Lombard says he hopes François Bayrou will survive vote and dismisses talk of looming debt crisisThe French finance minister, Éric Lombard, has said the government would have to compromise on plans to cut the budget deficit if the prime minister, François Bayrou, is toppled in a confidence vote next week.Lombard told the Financial Times that fresh negotiations would require the government to make concessions to the left to reduce the size of the fiscal package if the government falls. Continue reading...

Politics

3 d. ago Prince Andrew 'remained in contact with Jeffrey Epstein five years longer than he claimed in Newsnight interview', emails suggest

Correspondence in late 2015 between the American financier and former Israeli prime minister Ehud Barak, in which the Duke of York is namechecked.

Politics

6 d. ago Liz Truss backs Trump attacks on Fed and says ‘reckoning’ on way for central banks

Britain’s shortest-serving prime minister also critical of Bank of England and European Central BankBusiness live – latest updatesDonald Trump’s assault on the independence of the US Federal Reserve has been backed by Liz Truss, the shortest-serving British prime minister in history, who was ousted after a meltdown in the financial markets.The former Conservative leader, who during her 49 days in power in late 2022 railed against the “deep state” and the Bank of England for undermining her before she was ejected from office by her own party, said a “reckoning” was coming for the world’s most powerful central banks. Continue reading...

Politics

8 d. ago Botswana’s president declares health emergency over supply shortages

Duma Boko announces urgent funding package for medicines to be distributed with military oversightBotswana’s president has declared a public health emergency due to shortages of essential medicines and equipment, as a downturn in the global diamond market and US aid cuts take a toll on the country’s finances.The announcement came after the Ministry of Health suspended non-urgent surgeries on 4 August, stating that the country was short of medicines to treat hypertension, diabetes, cancer, asthma and eye conditions, as well as supplies including bandages and sutures and those for sexual and reproductive health. Continue reading...

Politics

2 w. ago Minister unveils UK crackdown on Kyrgyz finance to ‘keep pressure on’ Putin

Russian leaders are ‘sorely mistaken’ if they thought they could ‘hide’ their efforts to evade sanctions, Stephen Doughty said.

Politics

2 w. ago Reeves explores reform to capital gains tax on expensive houses

UK Treasury considers overhaul of property levies as ministers confront a hole in the public finances of at least £20bn 

Economics

2 w. ago Reeves explores reform of capital gains tax on expensive houses

UK Treasury considers overhaul of property levies as ministers confront hole in public finances of at least £20bn 

Economics

2 w. ago Several Palestinian people reported injured in overnight attack by Israeli settlers in West Bank – Middle East crisis live

Settlers attacked Palestinian people in village of Susya, south of Hebron, while separately settlers reportedly attacked village of Atara and set fire to vehiclesHere is some more detail on the controversial plan to significantly expand a settlement near occupied East Jerusalem.The decision from the Supreme Planning Council, which meets next week, is expected to support the plan after rejecting objections by Israeli NGOs.The expected decision in favour will come after Israel’s far-right finance minister, Bezalel Smotrich – who backs both the plan and the imposition of Israeli sovereignty through the occupied West Bank – gloated that he believed construction on E1 would “bury the idea of a Palestinian state”. Continue reading...

Events

2 w. ago Bezalel Smotrich outlines plan for 3,000 new housing units in controversial West Bank settlement, reports say – Middle East crisis live

Israel’s far-right finance minister announces plan to advance tenders for housing which international community says would split West Bank in half, reports Times of IsraelThe health ministry in Gaza has just issued a statement, saying four more people have died from famine and malnutrition in the past 24 hours.This brings the total to 239 since the start of the war, including 106 children, according to the health ministry. Continue reading...

Events

2 w. ago Israel announces West Bank settlement that rights groups say could imperil Palestinian state

Israel’s far-right finance minister has announced a contentious new settlement construction in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, which Palestinians and rights groups worry will scuttle plans for a future Palestinian state by effectively cutting the West Bank into two separate parts

Politics

2 w. ago Bezalel Smotrich approves 3,000 new housing units in controversial West Bank settlement, reports say – Middle East crisis live

Israel’s far-right finance minister approves tenders for housing which international community says would split West Bank in half, reports Times of IsraelThe health ministry in Gaza has just issued a statement, saying four more people have died from famine and malnutrition in the past 24 hours.This brings the total to 239 since the start of the war, including 106 children, according to the health ministry. Continue reading...

Events

2 w. ago Israel’s finance minister approves settlement to ‘bury the idea of a Palestinian state’

Israeli gunfire kills at least 25 in Gaza as Netanyahu says he will ‘allow Palestinians to leave’

Politics

3 w. ago Netanyahu’s Gaza war plan will fail, warns Israel’s finance minister

Far-right ultranationalist Bezalel Smotrich says he has ‘lost faith’ that PM can achieve ‘decisive victory’

Events

4 w. ago Norway to review $2tn oil fund’s investments in Israeli companies

Finance minister Jens Stoltenberg orders probe after outcry over allegations that groups have aided Gaza offensive

Economics