Introduction: Euro hits one-month high after German election Good morning, and welcome to our rolling coverage of business, the financial markets and the world economy. The euro has rallied this morning as European investors express relief over the outcome of Germany’s election – although this is mingled with anxiety over a slump on Wall Street…
Zelenskyy proud of the ‘absolute heroism of Ukrainians’ President Volodymyr Zelenskyy told his country’s people on Monday that he was proud of their ‘absolute heroism’ in fighting and living in the war that Russia started with its full-scale invasion exactly three years ago. “Three years of resistance. Three years of gratitude. Three years of absolute…
More than two-thirds of hospitality businesses will reduce staffing as a result of tax changes taking effect in April, according to research by industry bodiescalling on the government to delay the changes. The survey of pubs, bars, restaurants and hotels found that 70% expected to cut back on employment levels because of the higher costs…
British Gas has again emerged as Britain’s worst energy supplier for customer service after a slide in satisfaction over the last six months, figures from a leading consumer group reveal. A Which? report shared with the Guardian found that the service offered by British Gas has worsened across all its satisfaction measures since its last…
The EU is spending more money on Russian fossil fuels than on financial aid to Ukraine, a report marking the third anniversary of the invasion has found. The EU bought €21.9bn (£18.1bn) of Russian oil and gas in the third year of the war, according to estimates from the Centre for Research on Energy and…
Campaigners have threatened the government with legal action unless it reconsiders its decision to rule out spending £10bn compensating “Waspi” (Women Against State Pension Inequality) women hit by the change in the state pension age. Last March, the parliamentary and health service ombudsman recommended compensation should be paid to women born in the 1950s whose…
The Taliban have arrested a British couple in their 70s for “teaching mothers parenting with children”. Peter Reynolds, 79, and his wife, Barbie, 75, were detained when returning to their home in Bamiyan province on 1 February. The couple have been running projects in schools in Afghanistan for 18 years and decided to stay in…
It was interesting to read that new licences for oil and gas production in the North Sea are being delayed by legal action (Thirteen more oil and gas licences could be cancelled after Rosebank court ruling, 13 February). However, it is a sad fact that, while this issue is receiving much publicity, various communities in the…
Hospitals, schools and prisons are to be urged to buy more British food, as part of a government push to heal a rift with farmers over changes to inheritance tax, the Guardian understands. The environment secretary, Steve Reed, will tell the National Farmers’ Union (NFU) annual conference on Tuesday that the public sector is to…
A person with the Hezbollah flag draped over his shoulders looks on during the day of a public funeral ceremony for late Hezbollah leaders Hassan Nasrallah and Hashem Safieddine, who were killed in Israeli airstrikes last year, in Beirut, Lebanon. Photograph: Mohammed Yassin/Reuters A person with the Hezbollah flag draped over his shoulders looks on…
