The World in Brief
The latest business and financial headlines, updated hourly via RSS from BBC Business, The Guardian, and CNBC.
New Employment Rights Act ‘a huge boost for women in the workplace’
Government says new rights for parental leave and sick pay will increase equality and economic growthWomen will disproportionately benefit from new workers’ rights measures rolled out from next month, according to research.The TUC said approximately 4.7 million women are to benefit from stronger sick pay from April, including more than 830,000 who will receive statutory sick pay for the first time. Continue reading...
Iran vows it won't surrender as war with the U.S. and Israel enters second week
The U.S. and Israel continued their campaign to rid Tehran of its nuclear and ballistic missile capabilities and push for regime change.
Trump joins grieving families during return of soldiers killed in war in the Middle East
The dignified transfer, the return of remains of U.S. service members killed in action, is considered one of the most somber duties of any commander in chief.
One year after Trump’s sovereignty threats, Canadians keep ‘elbows up’
An unusual swell of Canadian patriotism seen after Trump's threats and tariffs last year has evolved into a new social and economic order.
Trump urges Latin American leaders to use military to help the U.S. fight cartels
Trump encouraged regional leaders to take military action against drug trafficking cartels and transnational gangs.
Jan. 6 plaque honoring police officers quietly installed at the Capitol after a 3-year delay
Steps from the Capitol's West Front and where the worst of the fighting occurred, workers quietly have installed a plaque honoring the officers.
FDA vaccine head will step down in April after string of controversial decisions
Vinay Prasad is leaving his post as director of the Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research.
Iran war could make affordability bigger issue in 2026 elections
The 2026 midterm election will determine whether Democrats can win back majorities in both chambers of Congress, and check President Donald Trump's policies.
Trump shouldn’t ease Russia sanctions – they are choking its economy | Phillip Inman
As the US waives its ban on India buying Putin’s oil for 30 days, Europe must bolster its own measures, such as stopping the flow of luxury carsDonald Trump handed Vladimir Putin a financial lifeline last week when he waived a ban on India buying Russian oil for 30 days.Trump found himself in a furious row last year with Narendra Modi over his country’s oil deals with Moscow, only for fences to be partly mended when India’s biggest importer later capitulated. Continue reading...
What does the US military’s feud with Anthropic mean for AI used in war?
Tech policy professor who served in US air force explains how a feud between an AI startup and the US military illuminates ethical fault linesAnthropic’s ongoing fight with the Department of Defense over what safety restrictions it can put on its artificial intelligence models has captivated the tech industry, acting as a test of how AI may be used in war and the government’s power to coerce companies to meet its demands.The negotiations have revolved around Anthropic’s refusal to allow the federal government to use its Claude AI for domestic mass surveillance or autonomous weapons systems, but the dispute also reflects the messy nature of what happens when tech companies have their products integrated into conflict. The Pentagon this week declared Anthropic a supply chain risk for its refusal to agree to the government’s terms, while Anthropic has vowed to challenge the designation in court. Continue reading...
This homebuilding play is one of the most oversold stocks amid this week’s market turmoil
Builders FirstSource posted a double-digit decline on the week as the U.S.-Iran war and higher oil prices rattled the broader market.
Goldman likes these five stocks as market fears intensify
Goldman Sachs named five stocks that the firm says have more room to run as market uncertainty continues
Will Iran war fallout end the bull market? When investors really need to worry
Bank of America says there could be "non-linear" effects on the economy if oil ever stays above $100 a barrel.
Politicians seek meeting with Travelodge CEO after Maidenhead sexual assault case
Call for urgent meeting comes after woman was assaulted by man who had been given her key card by hotel staffMore than 20 MPs have demanded an urgent meeting with the CEO of Travelodge after a woman was sexually assaulted by a man who had been given her room number and a key card by hotel staff.The MPs said the case of Kyran Smith, 29, who was jailed for seven-and-a-half years last month, raised “deeply concerning” questions. He attacked the woman after a party in December 2022. Continue reading...
UK recruiter emerges from insolvency for third time, avoiding millions owed in tax
Hampshire business seems to have benefited from ‘phoenixism’, which costs the taxpayer about £800m a yearA UK recruitment business has been acquired out of administration for a third time in four years as part of a succession of deals that left some of the former management team in place and millions of pounds owed to the public purse.The chain of insolvencies appears to contain more examples of phoenixism – a process when companies are liquidated and directors are able to rise from the ashes with a new entity, free of debts. Continue reading...
Airline groundings expose depth of world travel’s reliance on Gulf corridor
Restart of operations will be a relief to those stranded but may not dispel doubts raised by past week about key transit hubMiddle East crisis – follow liveAfter nearly a week of uncertainty, airspace closures and very limited flights, news that hundreds of thousands of passengers around the world were hanging on for emerged: the Gulf-based carrier Emirates was restarting operations in earnest despite the US-Israel war on Iran.Those relieved by the restart will include the UK’s Foreign Office, after its travails in organising delayed rescue flights out of neighbouring Oman. Continue reading...
‘Mainly, you fast fooded’: Monzo under fire over ‘shaming’ year-end reviews
Bank criticised for tone of spending summaries, with one user complaining to ombudsman over ‘humiliating’ use of dataWhen does lighthearted banter become inappropriate and humiliating?The digital bank Monzo has been accused of overstepping the mark by using the data it holds to tell one customer with a past eating disorder that she eats a lot of fast food, spends “more than most” on Just Eat takeaways, and had banished her life goals thanks to her spending choices. Continue reading...
UK must stockpile food in readiness for climate shocks or war, expert warns
Prof Tim Lang says country produces far less food than it needs to feed population and is particularly vulnerable The British government should be stockpiling food, according to a leading expert on food policy, as it is not prepared for climate shocks or wars that could cause the population to starve.Prof Tim Lang of City St George’s, University of London said the UK produced far less food than it needed to feed itself, and as a small island that relied on a few large companies to feed its giant population, it was particularly vulnerable to shocks. Continue reading...
There’s an inflation wave coming - what does the Iran war mean for the UK economy?
Economic consequences are an intrinsic aspect of the Iran conflict, writes BBC economics editor Faisal Islam.
Oil price at two-year high after Qatar warns all Gulf production could stop within days
Energy Minister Saad al-Kaabi says oil could hit $150 a barrel if the Iran conflict continues over the coming weeks.