| British News |
| 100% chance that Bank of England will cut interest rates next month, markets predict |
 |
|
Financial markets have priced in a 100% chance of a Bank of England interest rate cut next month, as the effects of Donald Trump’s evolving trade war continue to play out in the global economy. LSEG data early on Tuesday had shown an 82% likelihood of a reduction from 4.5% to 4.25% on 8 May. But the doubt disappeared shortly after remarks on inflation by a member of the rate-setting committee. |
|
|
|
Advert |
 |
|
|
| Company closures surge amid fears over UK economy |
 |
|
Businesses across Britain are being shut down at a rate not seen since the financial crash, City AM has found, in a major warning sign for the health of the UK economy. More than 1,100 companies have faced winding-up orders in the first fifteen weeks of 2025, according to an analysis of published insolvency notices compiled by City AM, an increase of nearly a quarter compared to last year and the fastest rate of corporate closure since 2010. Nearly 2,200 businesses have also faced winding-up petitions, a legal manoeuvre by creditors to claw back unpaid debts, an increase of more than a fifth since 2024 and the highest rate since 2012. The figures highlight the precarious position many small and medium-sized companies find themselves in as they struggle to pay off debts under the burdens of tax hikes, higher wage bills and sluggish growth. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Housing market faces challenges with the Renters’ Rights Bill and oversupply |
 |
| Renters Bill |
|
The government’s proposed Renters’ Rights Bill has triggered alarm across the private rental sector, with landlords warning that the reforms could lead to an exodus from the market and a drop in rental housing availability. A key feature of the bill is the abolition of Section 21 “no-fault” evictions, meaning landlords must now provide specific legal grounds to evict tenants. The legislation also proposes a national landlord register, stricter rules on property standards, and the creation of a Private Rented Sector Ombudsman to handle disputes. Tenant advocacy groups have welcomed the changes, calling them “long overdue,” while landlords argue the bill makes it harder to manage problematic tenants and increases compliance costs. Recent data shows a 22% rise in rental properties listed across the UK, with experts warning of an emerging oversupply in areas like London and Birmingham. Meanwhile, some regions—like the East Midlands—are still seeing strong rental growth. Landlord associations have urged the government to reconsider key clauses, citing fears of rent increases, longer legal battles, and falling investment in rental housing. As the bill progresses through Parliament, the sector is bracing for major shifts that could reshape the rental landscape for years to come. |
|
|
| World News |
| Harvard University sues over $2.2bn funding freeze after rejecting demands from Donald Trump’s administration |
 |
|
Harvard University is suing Donald Trump’s administration after it rejected a list of demands from the White House and had $2.2bn (£1.6bn) of government funding frozen. It is the first major hurdle the Trump administration faces in its crackdown on “inappropriate” ideologies on campuses. The Ivy League institution, in Cambridge, Massachusetts, is accused of ideological bias and allowing antisemitism during campus protests last year against Israel’s war in Gaza. The Trump administration, which began a review of $9bn (£6.7bn) in federal grants for Harvard in March, had demanded the university screen international students for those “hostile to the American values” and the end of all diversity, equality and inclusion programmes. The university’s president Alan Garber has remained defiant and rejected those and other reforms, prompting the US president to question whether the university should lose its tax-exempt status. Mr Trump accused the institution of pushing what he called “political, ideological, and terrorist inspired/supporting ‘Sickness?'” in a post on Truth Social. Harvard has seen student-led protests in recent days calling on the institution to resist interference by the federal government. Harvard’s lawsuit, filed in Boston, described the research funding as violating its First Amendment rights. “The government has not – and cannot – identify any rational connection between antisemitism concerns and the medical, scientific, technological, and other research it has frozen that aims to save American lives, foster American success, preserve American security, and maintain America’s position as a global leader in innovation,” the court documents revealed. On Monday, White House spokesperson Harrison Fields issued a defiant response to the lawsuit: “The gravy train of federal assistance to institutions like Harvard, which enrich their grossly overpaid bureaucrats with tax dollars from struggling American families is coming to an end. “Taxpayer funds are a privilege, and Harvard fails to meet the basic conditions required to access that privilege.” The Trump administration has also paused some funding for universities including Columbia, Princeton, Cornell, Northwestern and Brown over the campus protests. |
|
|
| Israel News |
| Qatar, Egypt Present New Ceasefire Proposal To Hamas, Including Hostage Release And New Leaders In gaza |
 |
|
Qatari and Egyptian mediators have proposed a new ceasefire framework to Hamas that includes a long-term truce, the release of all Israeli hostages in exchange for Palestinian security prisoners, and a complete Israeli withdrawal from the Gaza Strip, the BBC reported Monday, citing a senior Palestinian source familiar with the negotiations. The reported plan envisions a five- to seven-year truce and the creation of a new governing authority in Gaza, which could replace Hamas. According to the BBC, Hamas has signaled a willingness to hand over control to another Palestinian body, provided it gains approval at both the national and regional levels. There has been no confirmation or comment on the proposal from the Israeli government. A senior Hamas delegation is expected in Cairo in the coming days to deliberate on the initiative. This comes shortly after Hamas rejected an Israeli proposal that included a six-week ceasefire and the return of hostages in exchange for disarmament. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has repeatedly said that the war will not end until Hamas is dismantled and all hostages are released. As of Tuesday, the Prime Minister’s Office has issued no public response to the renewed mediation efforts. |
|
|
| Remains Found In Search Area For Shark Attack Victim |
 |
| The Lahava unit of the Fire and Rescue department searching for the diver who was attacked by a shark on Monday. |
|
Coast District police from the Hadera station arrived at the beach early Tuesday morning and renewed the search for the victim who was attacked by sharks on Monday. The victim is a resident of Petach Tikvah in his 40s, married and a father of four, who stopped to fish on his way home from work in northern Israel on Monday. His identity was confirmed after his possessions were found on the beach and his truck was located nearby. Israel’s Fire and Rescue Services reported on Tuesday afternoon that rescue divers have located remains in the search area and they have been transferred to the Abu Kabir Institute for identification. Along with the police officers, who are deployed along the beach, additional forces participated in the search – the IDF, volunteers, municipal patrol inspectors, ZAKA, MDA, firefighters, the Nature and Parks Authority, and others. The police continue to issue warnings to refrain from entering the water in this area, or from other beaches that were closed following the attack, from Hadera to Poleg beach in Netanya. |
|
|
|
To advertise click here or [email protected]:
|
|
The email was sent to [email protected] |
