6 h. ago Deutsche Bank boss calls for ‘fundamental reforms’ from next government, as German business confidence stagnates – business live

Rolling coverage of the latest economic and financial news, as euro rallies and DAX and MDAX indices rise in early tradingGerman election live: Merz says priority is to make Europe independent from US on defence as coalition talks to beginShares in some European weapons makers are rising in early trading too.German tank maker Rheinmetall jumped 3% at the start of trading, while in London BAE Systems are up 1.7%.‘’A dose of more certainty has been injected into European politics, with the Germany’s Conservatives winning the elections. It comes at a crucial time for the continent. Three years on from the invasion of Ukraine, high stakes deal making between the US and Russia continues, Ukraine is out in the cold and the outcome will have huge implications for security in Europe.There is a dawning realisation that European nations will have to pull together and present a more united deterrent force, and Friedrich Merz, the CDU leader, is reading from that script. He has pledged to relax...

Economics

58 h. ago Shiri Bibas remains identified as Israel and Hamas prepare for another hostage

Gaza ceasefire deal still on track amid uproar over fate of two Israeli boys and initial false return of their mother’s bodyThe body of the Israeli hostage Shiri Bibas has been identified, Israel’s army radio reported early on Saturday, adding that Bibas was likely killed in captivity with her children.The confirmation came as Israelis and Palestinians braced for another tense exchange of hostages, prisoners and detainees on Saturday after uproar in Israel over allegations that two child hostages were “brutally murdered” by Hamas, and the group’s initial failure to deliver the body of their mother, instead returning the corpse of an unidentified woman. Continue reading...

Politics

4 d. ago Laverne Cox’s Clean Slate offers a nuanced, hilarious view of Black trans life

The show delivers a refreshing depiction of the relationship between a trans woman and her fatherBlack sitcoms have long featured sincere and thoughtful arcs on myriad issues, including adoption, grief and racial profiling. But many shows have failed to deliver meaningful storylines about transgender characters. Shows such as The Jeffersons and The Parkers, for instance, have leaned on tired, transphobic tropes: the process of transitioning is typically reduced to a single operation that characters get off-screen; trans women are often outed by accident, the punchline in a joke about gender; or trans people are abandoned once a cisgender character who’s initially expressed romantic interest in them suddenly discovers their gender identity and bolts.Across television programs, trans characters (usually played by cis actors) function as punchlines, villains or have no legitimate storyline to begin with. But Clean Slate, a new Prime Video series loosely based on the actor Laverne Cox’s...

Politics

4 d. ago Retirees may have to pay tax on the state pension as early as next year, analysis suggests

Annual state pension payments could soar by 5.5 per cent to £12,631 in April 2026, according to Deutsche Bank forecasts.

Economics

6 d. ago 'Perfect description': Key Rangers player delivers failings truthbomb and addresses 'sad' Celtic situation

Nigerian defender says Ibrox side needs to become more consistent

Events

6 d. ago Deutsche Bank went on hiring spree while failing to deliver on costs

German lender has bulked up on back-office staff who do not generate revenue

Economics