33 h. ago US private employers unexpectedly shed 32,000 jobs in November in biggest drop since 2023

Small establishments lost 120,000 jobs last month, which economists attributed to tariffs on imports that have raised costs for businesses

Society

5 d. ago Ed Miliband tells energy companies 'every single penny' of Budget savings must go to consumers

The Energy Secretary Ed Miliband has written to energy companies warning all households must benefit from the Budget’s action on energy costs, saving households £150 a year

Economics

8 d. ago £14,000 handouts to 18,000 families: Reeves's Budget will raise taxes to fund benefits windfall for parents of six or more children

Official figures show the Chancellor's Budget plan to scrap the two-child benefit cap will be worth more than £14,000 a year each to 18,000 low-income families with six or more children.

Economics

8 d. ago Sellers in other countries struggle to maintain US customers as holiday shopping season starts

Small businesses are struggling to adapt since the U.S. ended the "de minimis" exemption on Aug. 29, which allowed imports under $800 to be tariff-free

Economics

9 d. ago £14,000 handouts to 18,000 families: Rachel Reeves's Budget will raise taxes to fund benefits windfall

Official figures show the Chancellor's Budget plan to scrap the two-child benefit cap will be worth more than £14,000 a year each to 18,000 low-income families with six or more children.

Economics

1 week ago Trump warns the Supreme Court off ‘serving hostile foreign interests’ on tariffs in latest Truth Social rant

Trump has repeatedly claimed that tariffs — which are ultimately import taxes paid by Americans — are paid by foreign countries

Events

1 week ago Brazil hails US tariff rollback as ‘significant progress' and seeks more exemptions

Brazil's Vice President Geraldo Alckmin says U.S. President Donald Trump's decision to remove additional import tariffs on some Brazilian agribusiness products marks significant progress

Politics

1 week ago Swiss gold and Rolex gifts to Trump raise questions over personalisation of US presidential power

Italian MEP ‘disgusted’ after US president received $130,000 engraved gold bar weeks before he decided to slash tariffs on Swiss importsA gold Rolex desk clock and a $130,000 engraved gold bar given to Donald Trump by a group of Swiss billionaires have raised questions in Europe and the US about the personalisation of US presidential power.Pasquale Tridico, an Italian MEP and the former head of the country’s national institute for social security said he was “disgusted” by the golden charm offensive, made weeks before Trump decided to slash 39% tariffs on Swiss imports to 15%. Continue reading...

Politics

1 week ago Swiss gold and Rolex gifts to Trump arouse ‘disgust’ in Europe

Billionaires gave desk clock and engraved gold bar weeks before Trump slashed tariffs on imports from SwitzerlandA gold Rolex desk clock and a $130,000 engraved gold bar given to Donald Trump by a group of Swiss billionaires have raised questions in Europe and the US about the personalisation of US presidential power.Pasquale Tridico, an Italian MEP and the former head of the country’s national institute for social security said he was “disgusted” by the golden charm offensive, made weeks before Trump decided to slash 39% tariffs on Swiss imports to 15%. Continue reading...

Politics

2 w. ago U.S. trade deficit drops 24% in August as Trump's tariffs reduce imports

The U.S. trade deficit fell by nearly 24% in August as President Donald Trump’s sweeping global tariffs pushed imports lower

Politics

2 w. ago Reeves could allow holiday tax on English hotel and Airbnb stays

Move to give mayors powers to raise funds through levies, but industry says it will ramp up prices and inflationBusiness live – latest updatesBritish holidaymakers could have to pay a nightly tax on hotel stays and Airbnb-style visits in plans expected to be announced by Rachel Reeves in the budget next week.The chancellor is reportedly preparing to give mayors powers to raise taxes by charging tourists on the cost of an overnight stay in their cities. Continue reading...

Society

2 w. ago Raise personal tax allowance from £12,570 for state pensioners big update as key point hit

A campaign has soared pask a threshold meaning the Treasury will be forced to respond

Economics

2 w. ago Raise personal tax allowance for state pensioners from £12,570 update as key threshold looms

Concerns are growing that Chancellor Rachel Reeves could freeze the threshold for longer - meaning those on basic pensions would pay tax

Economics

2 w. ago Questions raised over community centre costs as council pays for bills

Vineburgh Community Centre costs spark concerns

Economics

3 w. ago The questions raised over agile working, the use of council buildings and maintenance costs

Councillor Andrew Barry said that it doesn’t appear that the council is doing enough to balance the equation between agile working, assets and the maintenance budget.

Economics

3 w. ago ‘What, no ziti now?’: US pasta lovers fear Trump tariffs will cause shortage

A potential 107% tariff on Italian pasta imports could cause companies to withdraw from US market – and for US producers to raise their pricesOn Monday night, Kelly planned to make dinner and spend the night inside with her family. Instead, she told her husband to put the kids to bed so she could get in the car, drive to Wegman’s and “panic buy” $100 worth of Rummo pasta.Kelly, a 42-year-old product manager who lives outside Philadelphia, has celiac disease, which means that eating gluten triggers an immune response that leads to digestive issues. She saw fellow gluten-free people on Reddit and TikTok freaking out over the fact that the US is mulling a 107% tariff on Italian pasta imports. According to the Wall Street Journal, the hike could lead to those companies withdrawing from the US market as early as January. Continue reading...

Politics

3 w. ago Chancellor urged to prioritise lowering electricity bills in Budget

Rachel Reeves should sacrifice planned VAT cuts if necessary, say energy companies and consumer groups

Economics

3 w. ago Covid vaccines may increase the lifespan of cancer patients – this could be a game changer | Devi Sridhar

A study suggesting mRNA vaccines help the body fight malignant cells raises the tantalising prospect of a low-cost, low-risk treatment that could help with all cancersI’m often asked whether we’re better prepared for the next pandemic. It’s a mixed answer, but the bright spot is scientific progress on vaccines. The Covid vaccines were produced faster than any previous effort, and are credited with saving millions of lives from 2021 onwards. The mRNA vaccines – Pfizer/BioNTech and Moderna – were designed within days of the Sars-CoV-2 genome being published in January 2020, and went into safety trials over the following months before finally being approved in the UK at the end of 2020.But could they have additional benefits? According to a recent study published in Nature, mRNA vaccines seem to trigger a powerful immune response that increases the median survival time by about 75% for certain cancer patients. These findings – which are being further developed – could indicate the powe...

Science

3 w. ago Half of employers could raise prices if cost of hiring goes up in Budget

Many businesses have been hit by rising employment fees, packaging costs or rates relief ending this year

Economics

3 w. ago Businesses worldwide brace for extra Trump tariffs on steel imports

Commerce department expected to add about 700 more items with steel content to levy list at request of US firmsBusinesses around the world are steeling themselves for another round of Donald Trump’s tariffs, this time on goods ranging from bicycles to baking trays, as US industry embraces a call for more products to tax on import.Small, medium and large American companies have asked the US Department of Commerce to add about 700 more items to an August list of 407 products already facing extra tariffs because of their steel content, which hit items such as Ikea tables with metal nuts and bolts and German combine harvesters. Continue reading...

Politics