The US has decided - again - to upend the global trading system. With the latest raft of tariffs just beginning to kick in, and after a week in which markets worldwide fell precipitously, the Trump administration announced that it would be suspending high tariffs on nearly 60 countries for 90 days.
"Iron-clad" and "non-negotiable" is how UK prime minister Keir Starmer recently described the country's fiscal rules. The government has been coming under pressure to relax the rules and cut itself some financial slack.
Nominations will open this summer for traditions like Notting Hill Carnival, Hogmanay and artisanal crafts to be officially recognised. New inventory of traditions will champion UK values and heritage.
Bond markets don't often make front-page news but the recent sharp sell-off in US Treasuries appears to have been enough to prompt US president Donald Trump to pause his plans for new tariffs. Traditionally, US Treasuries are seen as one of the world's safest assets for investors.
Donald Trump has partially walked back on his so-called "liberation day" tariffs on nearly all US imports after fears mounted that the move would result in a global recession and much higher borrowing costs for the US government. On Wednesday, April 9, a mere 13 hours after his higher rate of "reciprocal tariffs" had come into effect, Trump announced they would be paused for 90 days.
Prime Minister Keir Starmer's statement on British Steel. As Prime Minister, I will always act in the national interest.
Individuals can take several practical steps to prepare for a potential tariff war, which tends to drive up the prices of imported goods and may ripple through everyday expenses. Reassess Your Budget and Build a Financial Cushion Since tariffs often lead to higher prices on common commodities—from grocery items to household appliances—it's wise to review your monthly budget and identify areas where you can cut back.
There have been reports of a new email scam which appears to have been sent by Openreach. The message refers to a recent broadband upgrade and asks you to digitally sign an attached PDF to allow them to start work.
The government will introduce new fees for passport applications on 10 April 2025. The passport fee increases came into force on 10 April 2025.
After a tough Budget and Spring Statement for low-to-middle income households, the Spending Review could brighten a bleak living standards outlook by prioritising spending on services they use the most, according to new research published by the Resolution Foundation. The research notes that public services are crucial for quality of life, providing ‘in-kind' benefits worth £13,000 per household on average.
New data from the Higher Education Business and Community Interaction (HE-BCI) survey reveals a fall in university-business collaboration and the broader knowledge exchange environment. Headline findings from the 2023-24 data: Knowledge exchange income – which encompasses a variety of collaborative activities between universities, business, and other non-commercial organisations – totaled £5.9 billion, a 3.9% decrease from last year in inflation-adjusted terms.
The Career Development Institute (CDI) today announced the launch of its Technical Education Resource Hub, an online platform designed to transform how career development professionals access news, information and resources about technical education pathways. In an era where technical skills are increasingly vital to the UK's economic growth, resilience and global competitiveness, this centralised hub addresses a critical need - it brings together comprehensive, up-to-date information on T Levels, Higher Technical Qualifications (HTQs), apprenticeships, and ongoing qualifications reform - creating a one-stop resource for careers professionals who are shaping the future workforce.
Nuclear Taskforce lead appointed to accelerate UK's nuclear renaissance. John Fingleton CBE appointed as head of government's nuclear taskforce.
There's been a recent increase in reports of rogue traders who have been contracted to carry out a small repair job to a roof, and then tell the homeowner that they have found further work that needs to be done urgently. One couple were cold called by roofers who said they were offering free inspections.
The food supply chain and agriculture stakeholder group, FAST, met with Scottish Government last week to discuss how to best implement agricultural support. Members of FAST, who were invited as a critical stakeholder group, represent organisations from across the sector, including tenant farmers, young farmers, landowners, crop growers, and the meat supply chain, and many of the representatives in the room are also farmers or closely linked to grass roots agriculture.
British soldiers are to be better shielded from danger as a new high-tech, remote-controlled mine plough system is put through its paces. New remote-controlled mine plough device for safer minefield clearing.
Monthly real gross domestic product (GDP) is estimated to have grown by 0.5% in February 2025, with growths in all main sectors, following January 2025 which showed no growth (revised up from a fall of 0.1% in our previous publication). Real GDP is estimated to have grown by 0.6% in the three months to February 2025, compared with the three months to November 2024, mainly because of growth in the services sector.
This month we are running a new Confident Consumer campaign to increase awareness of consumer rights and ensure consumers know where to find trusted information and how to report issues. Each edition of the bulletin during April will include information about a different subject related to consumer rights.
Funding of £2.6 million will allow National Treatment Centre (NTC) Highland to deliver thousands of additional orthopaedic and ophthalmic operations every year. The additional investment - allocated from £200 million contained in the Budget to tackle waiting times, delayed discharge and improve hospital flow across the country - will support the recruitment of new nurses, anaesthetists and healthcare support workers.
Explore how and where the government spends money, and how this has changed over time, in all regions and nations of the UK. The government spent around £1.1 trillion, or 40.6% of national income, on our behalf in 2023-24.