Political News
Rashford scores victory over Johnson on school meals
Boris Johnson's government has caved in to pressure led by Manchester United star Marcus Rashford by agreeing to fund meals for England's poorest children over the summer.
Johnson says that chances of reaching trade deal with EU are 'very good'
Prime Minister Boris Johnson sounded a confident note on the ability of Brussels and Westminster to clinch a trade deal.
EU responds to Chinese state aid for two Egypt-based exporters with tarriffs
The European Union has announced its first ever levy in response to Chinese state aid for firms exporting to the bloc from outside the Asian giant.
Over 1.0m left out of Covid-19 income support warn MPs
MPs warned the Treasury that over 1. 0m people were being left out of the Covid-10 income support schemes and urged the government to help cover everyone in need of the plan.
Thursday broker round-up
Lancashire Holdings: Barclays upgrades to overweight with a target price of 900p.
UK inequality gap to widen unless government acts - IFS
The inequality gap in the UK is set to widen unless the government decides to act and tackles these differences among the general public said the Institute of Fiscal Studies.
HSBC slammed by Pompeo over support for HK security law
British bank HSBC has been rebuked by US secretary of state Mike Pompeo for supporting Hong Kong's controversial security law, calling it a “show of fealty”.
US-EU trade talks stall
Brussels's attempt to soothe strained transatlantic trade ties have stalled and a successful conclusion to the talks may have to wait until after the upcoming US presidential contest, the European Union's chief trade negotiator said.
UK records 64,000 excess deaths during pandemic - ONS
The UK has recorded about 64,000 more deaths than usual since the start of the coronavirus pandemic, an expert from the Office for National Statistics said on Tuesday.
£36bn of govt-backed loans to turn toxic, report warns
Up to £36bn of government backed business loans issued during the Covid-19 crisis could be unsustainable by early 2021, a City working group has warned.
Business leaders demand details on Irish Sea border checks
Business leaders in Northern Ireland are calling for more clarity on the details regarding the future customs checks on the Irish Sea Border and for a six month delay.
'No real progress' in UK-EU trade talks, German official says
The UK and the EU have made "no real progress" towards a trade deal and Britain must be more flexible to achieve a breakthrough, Germany's ambassador to Brussels said.
BoE asks banks to give estimates on Covid-19 loan losses
UK lenders have been asked to forecast expected loan losses from the coronavirus crisis, the Bank of England said on Thursday.
China's aviation authority to allow more foreign flights after US ban
China’s aviation authority said Thursday it would allow all foreign airlines to choose a city from a pre-approved list to operate one flight a week after the US banned all Chinese carriers from entering the country.
Statistics chief criticises Covid-19 test figures
The UK's chief statistician has criticised the government for presenting misleading and unclear figures about its progress on testing for Covid-19.
Mortgage approvals slump to record low - Bank of England
Mortgage approvals tumbled to a near 30-year low in April as the Covid-19 pandemic and lockdown measures brought the UK property market to a halt, official data showed on Tuesday.
Trump holds call with Mark Zuckerberg over protests
US President Donald Trump and Facebook chief Mark Zuckerberg held a call on Friday over the ongoing protests across the country, revealed a report from Axios late on Sunday.
Small UK businesses shift £10bn of exports away from EU
Small businesses in the UK are diverting over £10bn worth of exports away from the EU claiming that they are “jumping before they are pushed” as concerns over the success of the Brexit negotiations rise again.
EU budget head mulls possible levy to access single market - report
The European Union could charge companies to access the single market, Brussel’s budget commissioner has suggested, as it looks to fund the bloc’s economic recovery from Covid-19.
China halts some agricultural purchases over Washington's response to HK security law
China's two major state-run agricultural firms hit the pause button on purchases of some American agricultural goods, including soybeans, as officials in Beijing assess mounting tensions with the US.