2 h. ago UK must seek to ‘rebuild’ trade relationship with EU, says Bank governor

In an interview with the BBC, the Bank’s chief suggested that the UK-US trade deal secured on Thursday could set an example globally.

Politics

6 h. ago Trade deals, global wars and AI Jedi posts: where is Trump’s focus? – podcast

Jonathan Freedland and the senior Washington editor of Semafor, Elana Schor, discuss what the US president is choosing to make a priority, and what he’s neglecting in returnOn Thursday, the White House announced a framework for a US-UK trade deal. Earlier in the week, when asked for his take on India’s missile attack on Pakistan, Donald Trump replied: “I get along with both.” But before all of that, on an otherwise quiet Sunday, the US president announced tariffs on foreign films and the reopening of Alcatraz. Throw in the White House posting another AI-generated image of Trump – this time featuring a lightsabre, muscly arms and two bald eagles – and you have one chaotic week.Archive: BBC News, CBS News, ABC News, NBC News, Sky News, Sky News Australia Continue reading...

Politics

15 h. ago Flattery gets Starmer somewhere as The Donald stays awake to toot tariff deal | John Crace

Sycophancy stops Trump from dozing off as PM and co hail victory – or at least getting what they could getThree days ago, Donald Trump promised an announcement that would be very possibly the greatest announcement in the whole history of announcements. Come Thursday morning, he said the US and the UK had reached a full and comprehensive trade deal.I guess a lot depends on what you mean by the words “greatest announcement” and “full and comprehensive”. As details of the deal began to emerge, it rather looked as if the UK had managed to negotiate a worse deal with the US than we had even two months ago. One that was hardly transformative. Just reversing some of the damage that had been done to the UK by the US starting a global trade war. Tariffs as a protection racket. Continue reading...

Economics

18 h. ago Stocks rise globally on US/UK trade deal optimism, dollar gains

Stocks rise globally on US/UK trade deal optimism, dollar gains  Reuters

Economics

20 h. ago Trump revealing ‘full and comprehensive’ trade deal with UK in first major announcement since starting global trade war

Thursday’s announcement will mark the first major global trade deal since Trump unveiled sweeping tariffs in April

Politics

22 h. ago Interest rates live updates: Bank of England slashes interest rates to 4.25% in boost to homeowners

It marks lowest level for two years as central bank warns escalating global trade war will drag on growth over next three years

Society

26 h. ago Maersk boss says upending global trade with tariffs could take decades

Vincent Clerc says changing supply chains fast using trade war is ‘very unrealistic’

Economics

27 h. ago Stocks rise on trade hopes, London boosted by reports of deal

Stocks rise on trade hopes, London boosted by reports of deal  El Paso Inc.

Economics

49 h. 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

54 h. ago China chides US over ‘serious negative impact’ of Trump tariffs as trade talks set to begin

China’s vice-premier He Lifeng will meet US treasury secretary Scott Bessent in Switzerland between 9 and 12 MayChina has vowed to “safeguard international fairness and justice” in upcoming talks with the United States in Switzerland, the first meeting between the two countries to discuss trade war that has roiled the global economy since US president Donald Trump unveiled sweeping tariffs last month.China’s vice-premier He Lifeng will meet US treasury secretary Scott Bessent on the sidelines of meetings in Switzerland between 9 and 12 May. US trade representative Jamieson Greer will also attend. Continue reading...

Politics

66 h. ago ‘Blood timber’: western firms fuel conflict and ‘slavery’ in Colombia

Trade in uncertified hardwood illegally logged in Chocó rainforest and imported by US and Europe is financing paramilitaries, says Environmental Investigation AgencyThe Atrato River winds through the dense rainforest of Colombia’s Chocó region for nearly 400 miles (600km) before spilling into the Caribbean Sea. Some of these tropical forests are among the wettest on Earth. Their flooded lowlands and swollen rivers are so impenetrable they have acted as an evolutionary barrier, making Chocó a haven for rare and remarkable species found nowhere else on the planet.“We have so many animals that you won’t even know the names of many of them,” says María Mosquera, a community leader in the region, whose name has been changed to protect her identity. Continue reading...

Events

3 d. ago Companies are leaving more jobs unfilled as economic worries hit pause on corporate spending

Trump’s global trade war continues to cause concern about a potential recession

Economics

3 d. ago The Guardian view on Trump’s shock therapy: warehouse and transport workers are the first victims of a class war | Editorial

Behind the slogans and tariffs lies a calculated strategy – fuelled by elite interests, eroding labour rights and stoking global recessionThe White House, eager to win a trade war it barely understands, has yanked the emergency brake on China-US trade without checking who’s inside the vehicle. Donald Trump’s early April trade decree has taken a month to hit the economy – that’s how long Chinese containers need to reach Los Angeles. And on cue, US pacific ports registered a 45% drop in container bookings this week from China. When warehouses fall quiet and trucks idle in California, the silence will creep eastward. Unemployment will surely tick upwards.Even if Washington reverses course by the end of May, and Beijing plays nice, the best-case scenario is delayed damage. Some goods are being rerouted to avoid charges, but you can’t reboot global logistics overnight. This isn’t strategic decoupling – it’s economic self-harm. By the time the Trump administration notices, it will be too ...

Events

3 d. ago Bank of England poised to cut rates as fears grow over impact of Trump tariffs

Markets suggest quarter-point reduction to 4.25% is almost certain but some economists say Bank must go furtherThe Bank of England is poised to cut interest rates on Thursday amid growing concerns over the hit to UK jobs and growth from Donald Trump’s increasingly erratic global trade war.In the Bank’s first intervention since the US president’s “liberation day” tariff policy announcement sent shock waves through the world economy, Threadneedle Street is expected to reduce its key base rate from the current level of 4.5%. Continue reading...

Politics

5 d. ago 'I missed my son's 12th birthday to save Britain's steel industry'

The Manchester Evening News speaks to the man at the centre of the race to save British Steel and deal with Trump's tariffs and a global trade war

Politics

6 d. ago America says it’s Trump’s economy (despite his constant blaming of Biden)

Donald Trump has consistently blamed Joe Biden for the turbulent stock market after the president triggered a global trade war with his tariffs

Politics

6 d. ago HSBC says global trade shift poses ‘serious risks’ to economic growth

Executives at the bank said economic forecasts were more difficult to compile amid uncertainty.

Economics

7 d. ago UK to ban buying bitcoin on credit card; stocks rise on hopes of US

Live, rolling coverage of business, economics and financial markets as Financial Conduct Authority considers restricting use of credit to buy crypto; stock markets gain on hopes of US-China trade thawEurozone unemployment was steady 6.2% in March – unchanged relative to a revised February reading.The youth unemployment rate was 14.2%, down from 14.3% in the previous month. Continue reading...

Politics

7 d. ago London Stock Exchange Group suffers shareholder rebellion over boss's £2.7m pay rise

At the company's AGM, 30% of shareholders voted against plans to raise the pay of chief executive David Schwimmer from £5.1m to £7.8m this year.

Economics

8 d. ago Rolls Royce reveals 'optimism' as Royal Mail takeover rubber

Watch today’s business headlines in less than two minutes as a Birmingham bin strikes deal edges closer, Royal Mail’s takeover is approved and the US and Ukraine sign deal to share mineral sales profits.

Politics