Over the weekend, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen stepped in to defend the EU- US tariff deal, after sharp criticism from Mario Draghi, economist, former ECB chief and former Italian prime minister who, just last year, was asked by von der Leyen to compile a report with ideas…

Donald Trump has threatened to impose tariffs and export restrictions on countries whose taxes, legislation and regulations target US big tech companies such as Google, Meta, Amazon and Apple. In a post on the US president’s social media platform, Truth Social, Trump said “digital taxes, legislation, rules or regulations are…

French prime minister François Bayrou said on Monday that he would seek parliamentary backing for his unpopular plans to shore up France’s ailing public finances on 8 September, asking deputies to “confirm the scale” of spending cuts he says are needed to save €44bn (£38bn) a year. “We face an…

With parliamentary elections set for October, the political landscape is shifting toward a possible return to power of Andrej Babiš’s ANO (Action of Dissatisfied Citizens). Polls suggest ANO could secure a majority, forming a government that prioritizes growth over austerity—a clear departure from the fiscal discipline of the current SPOLU-led…

Lloyds and Close Brothers surge after Friday’s court decision slashed the expected bill for compensation on mis-sold loans. Shares in UK lenders surged on Monday after a favourable supreme court ruling significantly slashed the anticipated bill for companies engulfed in the car finance scandal. The specialist lender Close Brothers, which…