‘A whole civilisation will die tonight’: Trump ramps up Iran threats as deadline draws nearer April 7, 2026 Donald Trump has dialled up his threats on Iran warning a “whole civilisation will die tonight” ahead of his latest looming deadline for Iran. The chaotic sentiment has rocked markets across Europe after indexes struggled to find direction during early trading. The FTSE 100 see-sawed between gains and losses as the City market returned from [...]
14 charts reveal the massive challenges facing UK and NATO defence spending April 7, 2026 Defence spending is casting a shadow over Downing Street. Military officers are in a state of despair. The choices facing Sir Keir Starmer are stark. The political calculus for the Chancellor, Rachel Reeves, has become more complicated than ever as the Iran war puts public finances in danger. Their difficulties go back to February 2025 [...]
Trump turmoil in Asia sends chills through Seoul while China keeps its cool April 6, 2026 The war in the Middle East has sent shockwaves through global markets, stoking volatility across exchanges and asset classes everywhere. But one region, Asia, has been particularly exposed, due to its position at the forefront of the daily trading cycle. As the latest on-the-ground headlines line up alongside President Donald Trump’s erratic social media posts [...]
From jet fuel to fertiliser – economic pain is heading West April 6, 2026 A quiet Easter Sunday was abruptly punctured when US President Donald Trump unleashed a brutal, expletive-filled ultimatum to the Iranian regime. In a post on Truth Social, Trump wrote: “Tuesday will be power plant day, and bridge day, all wrapped up in one, in Iran. “There will be nothing like it!!! Open the f***in’ strait [...]
Jamie Dimon eyes high interest rates, uneven lending and IPO dearth in JP Morgan shareholder letter April 6, 2026 One of the biggest names in global banking issued a stark warning about global political uncertainty and the potential threat of higher asset prices on Monday, while pointing to the faltering pipeline for company flotations. Jamie Dimon, the chief executive of JPMorgan Chase, added his voice to a debate raging in world financial centres on [...]
The 2026 tax year has started. Here’s what you need to know April 6, 2026 The tax year countdown has officially ended and a new year has begun on 6 April, bringing with it an ISA allowance reset and silent tax hikes. While many investors and savers will be breathing a sigh of relief, thinking they have completed their financial admin for at least a few months, being proactive at [...]
Private equity buyouts slump amid AI fears and Middle East conflict April 6, 2026 The value of buyouts by private equity groups fell by more than a third in the first quarter of the year, with dealmakers warning that concerns over AI’s impact on software businesses and the ongoing Middle Eastern conflict could hasten the downturn. In the three months to March, private equity groups agreed acquisitions worth $172bn [...]
The UK is in a ‘toxic relationship’ with the government says Badenoch April 5, 2026 Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch has claimed the UK is in a “toxic relationship” with big government, which is stagnating economic growth and holding people and businesses back. In an op-ed in The Times, Badenoch said the relationship is making people “miserable” while proving to some that “Britain is broken”. She wrote: “This isn’t a broken [...]
Labour must reform biodiversity laws to boost housebuilding, trade body says April 3, 2026 Housebuilders are calling on the government to reform its biodiversity quotas for developers to lessen the costs and delays they say it causes to businesses. The Home Builders Federation (HBF), which represents the housebuilding industry, welcomed recent changes to biodiversity laws but said they do not go far enough in lifting the burden on housebuilders. [...]
Mansion tax to hit 165,000 homeowners April 3, 2026 The mansion tax is expected to hit 165,000 homeowners in its first year, more than the 120,000 that was previously thought. The levy will hit 45,000 more properties than had been initially forecast, according to the fiscal watchdog, and thousands could successfully appeal the tax. The mansion tax, introduced at last year’s Budget, will not [...]