Donald Trump has threatened to slap 25% tariffs on the European Union, claiming the 27-country bloc was “formed to screw the United States”. Speaking at his first cabinet meeting on Wednesday, the US president said he would soon release details of the latest tariff threat. “We have made a decision and we’ll be announcing it…

BP has abandoned its green ambitions in favour of ramping up fossil fuel production as its boss claimed that optimism over the pace of the green transition had been “misplaced”. In a major strategy shift, the energy company will increase its investment in oil and gas to $10bn (£7.9bn) a year while slashing more than…

Name: Wealth signifiers. Age: We know from cave paintings and burial sites that Homo sapiens started to live a more settled life about 35,000 years ago – not just hunting and gathering, but trading, too. The ones who had the most tools, weapons, food and baskets were seen as the wealthy ones. A bit of…

England’s most polluting water provider “isn’t good enough” at trying to stop sewage dumping, its boss has admitted to MPs. The chief executive of United Utilities defended her £1.4m pay packet, including a £420k bonus, despite the company behind historic spills in Lake Windermere having been found to have polluted more than any other in…