6 h. ago ‘They’ll have to go home’: Trump’s World Cup task force touts welcome, warns visitors

Trump convenes first meeting of World Cup task forcePresident hails windfall despite questions over readinessUS president Donald Trump convened the first meeting of his administration’s 2026 World Cup task force on Tuesday in a public event in which he revealed that he did not know Russia had been banned from Fifa competitions and insisted the tournament would go off without a hitch.Boasting repeatedly that the 2026 World Cup, due to be co-hosted by the United States, Canada and Mexico, will be the “biggest, safest and most extraordinary soccer tournament in history”, Trump went on to claim that the tournament would generate “tens of billions of dollars in economic activities for local businesses” and “thousands and thousands of jobs for American workers”. Continue reading...

Events

6 h. ago ‘They’ll have to go home’: Trump’s World Cup taskforce dismisses fears but warns visitors

Trump convenes first meeting of World Cup taskforcePresident hails windfall despite questions over readinessUS president Donald Trump convened the first meeting of his administration’s 2026 World Cup taskforce on Tuesday in a public event in which he revealed that he did not know Russia had been banned from Fifa competitions and insisted the tournament would go off without a hitch.Boasting repeatedly that the 2026 World Cup, due to be co-hosted by the United States, Canada and Mexico, will be the “biggest, safest and most extraordinary soccer tournament in history”, Trump went on to claim that the tournament would generate “tens of billions of dollars in economic activities for local businesses” and “thousands and thousands of jobs for American workers”. Continue reading...

Events

21 h. ago UK's powerhouse services sector slips into red for first time since 2023 as Trump tariffs and Labour's raid on business hammers activity

Grim figures from the closely-watched PMI survey of businesses showed a score of 49 for April - with anything below 50 representing contraction.

Politics

21 h. ago UK business activity falls for the first time since October 2023 as trade tensions hurt economy, and car sales slide – business live

Rolling coverage of the latest economic and financial newsTrump’s foreign film tariffs could ‘wipe out’ UK movie industry, ministers toldCar sales across the UK fell by over 10% last month, compared to a year ago.New industry data shows that 120,331 new vehicles were registered in April, 10.4% fewer than in April 2024.In what is traditionally a quieter month following the March plate change, volumes were also impacted by the late timing of Easter, resulting in fewer working days.In addition, the implementation of VED changes affecting all new cars, including the Expensive Car Supplement which became applicable to many new EVs from 1 April, pushed transactions into March as shrewd buyers got ahead of the tax increases. Continue reading...

Economics

6 d. ago Barclays sees profits surge as tariffs turmoil boosts trading activity

The banking group reported a better-than-expected 19% rise in pre-tax profits to £2.72 billion, despite setting aside more cash for bad debts.

Economics

1 week ago Rachel Reeves live: Economists fear more tax hikes in autumn Budget after UK borrowing soars

Rachel Reeves is preparing for crucial talks with her US counterpart as she pushes to secure a trade deal

Economics

1 week ago UK borrowing soars as business activity contracts at fastest rate for 2 years

Overshoot of £15bn puts pressure on Reeves to raise taxes as PMI figures indicate falling private sector confidence

Politics

1 week ago UK government borrowing soars as private sector activity contracts at fastest rate for 2 years

Overshoot of £15bn in public sector borrowing puts pressure on Reeves to raise taxes as PMI figures indicate falling business confidence

Politics

1 week ago Rachel Reeves US talks live: Pressure mounts on chancellor as UK borrowing soars ahead of Trump trade showdown

The chancellor is preparing for crucial Washington talks with Donald Trump's Treasury secretary

Politics

2 w. ago Defiant trans activists and drag queens brag 'where we do our business is none of your business' in video inside women's toilets after Supreme Court ruling

The landmark hearing on Wednesday ruled that the definition of a woman is based on biological sex, meaning transgender women are no longer considered women in the eyes of the law.

Politics

3 w. ago Trump’s tariff mess raises the danger of a US default | Lloyd Green

The US could breach the debt ceiling even sooner than predicted without action from Republicans“Trump backs down on tariffs, again. And it doesn’t look strategic,” a headline blared on Wednesday afternoon.At the end of trading, equities had recovered a portion of their losses. But plenty of damage had been done. Markets were thrown into turmoil, interest rates jumped and business activity took a hit. Beyond that, the possibility of a recession grew – and the possibility of a default by the US inched up to 6%, according to prediction markets. Continue reading...

Politics

3 w. ago Green activist group is pausing work after backlash by investors

Dutch group Follow This says it will not file any resolutions against oil and gas companies this AGM seasonA green shareholder activist group has decided to “pause” its work pushing oil companies to reduce their emissions amid a growing investor backlash against climate action.Follow This has confirmed that it will not file any climate resolutions against oil and gas companies during the forthcoming AGM season for the first time since 2016. Continue reading...

Economics

3 w. ago Keir Starmer vows not to loosen Labour's fiscal rules despite UK borrowing costs soaring to their highest level since 1998 amid Donald Trump's tariffs carnage

The yield on a 30-year gilt, or a UK government bond, hit 5.518 per cent this morning, up 16 basis points and surpassing a previous 27-year high of 5.472 per cent set in January.

Politics

3 w. ago Reeves faces crisis as Trump’s tariffs send cost of government borrowing soaring in blow to her Budget plans

The trade war escalated with China hitting back by imposing 84% levies on imports from the US

Politics