Trump condemns UK net zero push May 23, 2025 Donald Trump has publicly criticised the UK’s net zero policy, saying it is disincentivising oil drilling and needlessly inflating energy prices. In an unusual intervention, the US President said that the UK’s North Sea reserves still had “a century of drilling left”, which if tapped would help bring costs down, “and fast”. “I strongly recommend [...]
Trump threatens Apple with 25 per cent tariff on iPhones May 23, 2025 President Donald Trump issued a warning to Apple on Friday, threatening a 25 per cent tariff on iPhone sales made outside the US. In a Truth Social post, Trump wrote: “I have long ago informed Tim Cook of Apple that I expect their iPhones that will be sold in the US… be manufactured and built [...]
Qinetiq shares soar after £1.5bn extension to Ministry of Defence deal May 22, 2025 Qinetiq, the FTSE 250 defence contractor, has announced a £1.5bn extension to its partnership deal with the UK Ministry of Defence (MoD). The Farnborough-based firm said on Thursday it will extend its Long Term Partnering Agreement (LTPA) with the government by five years to 2033. Qinetiq’s LTPA contract provides UK armed forces with test and [...]
Senior: FTSE 250 aerospace and defence group bags new contracts May 20, 2025 Senior shares edged up on Tuesday after it unveiled £168m worth of new contracts that will stretch into the 2030s. Shares in the FTSE 250 firm have soared nearly 40 per cent over the last month despite the threat of Donald Trump’s tariffs on the wider aerospace industry. The stock edged up nearly two per [...]
Trio of trade deals puts UK in better position “than any other country,” Rachel Reeves says May 20, 2025 Chancellor Rachel Reeves has said the UK is now in a better place on trade “than any other country in the world” after securing new trade agreements with India, the US and the EU this month. Reeves said the agreements have “come along like buses,” and that the government’s next targets for trade deals are [...]
Interest rate cuts need to slow down to curb inflation, says Huw Pill May 20, 2025 Interest rate cuts are fuelling inflation and need to slow down, the Bank of England’s chief economist Huw Pill has warned ahead of the release of fresh data set to show a jump in price growth in April. The Bank‘s Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) voted by a slim majority to cut interest rates to 4.25 [...]
Ryanair profit falls as Boeing delivery delays bite May 19, 2025 Ryanair’s annual profit dipped significantly in its latest financial period despite passenger numbers reaching record levels, as the Irish airline took a swipe at Boeing for aircraft delivery delays. Europe’s largest airline reported a 16 per cent decline in post-tax profit to €1.61bn (£1.4bn) over the 12 months ended 31 March. Ryanair blamed the drop [...]
Trump tells Walmart to ‘eat the tariffs’ instead of raising prices May 17, 2025 US president Donald Trump said on Saturday that Walmart should “eat the tariffs” instead of blaming duties imposed by his administration on imported goods for the retailer’s increased prices. His comments were in response to the world’s largest retailer saying this week it would have to start raising prices later this month due to high tariffs. “Walmart [...]
Moody’s cuts America’s pristine credit rating, citing rising debt May 17, 2025 Moody’s downgraded the US sovereign credit rating on Friday due to concerns about the nation’s growing $36 trillion debt pile, in a move that could complicate President Donald Trump’s efforts to cut taxes and send ripples through global markets. Moody’s first gave the United States its pristine “Aaa” rating in 1919 and is the last [...]
‘Chagos chaos’ continues as deal is put ‘on hold’ May 16, 2025 The government has put the much-contested Chagos islands deal ‘on hold’ after outcry from Labour backbenchers. The deal would see sovereignty over the Chagos islands returned to Mauritius, but with the UK and US paying to continue military operations on the islands. The transfer is reported to cost the UK £9bn. While President Trump has [...]