State Department may require visa applicants to post bond of up to $15,000 for entry
By The Associated Press The State Department is proposing requiring applicants for business and tourist visas to post a bond of up to $15,000 to enter the United States, a move that may make the process unaffordable for many. In a notice to be published in the Federal Register on Tuesday, the department said it…
BP makes major oil and gas discovery off Brazil coast
Company renews focus on fossil fuels and believes Santos basin could be its largest find since 1999 Business live – latest updates BP has made its largest oil and gas discovery of the past 25 years off the coast of Brazil as it continues to shift its focus back to fossil fuels. The Santos basin…
HSBC boss says Rachel Reeves putting up bank taxes would harm UK growth
Georges Elhedery’s comments come amid speculation the chancellor could make such a move in autumn budget Business live – latest updates The boss of HSBC has joined a growing chorus of bankers cautioning Rachel Reeves against increasing taxes on banks in her autumn budget, warning it risked “eroding” investment and ultimately harming UK growth. Georges…
Here’s a puzzling question: Why are stocks at record highs despite looming tariffs?
By Rafael Nam From businesses to Americans across the country, everybody seems worried that the economy will be hit badly if the massive tariffs threatened by President Trump go into effect this week on Aug. 1. Yet anybody who has looked recently at their 401(k) statements or retirement accounts will have noticed something surprising: Stocks…
Trump announces trade deal with Japan that lowers threatened tariff to 15%
By The Associated Press WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump announced a trade framework with Japan on Tuesday, placing a 15% tax on goods imported from that nation. “This Deal will create Hundreds of Thousands of Jobs — There has never been anything like it,” Trump posted on Truth Social, adding that the United States “will…
In Britain, hopes are mounting to finally clean up sewage-polluted waterways
By Willem Marx MARLBOROUGH, England — After years of illegal polluting by Britain’s water industry, an independent report planned for release in the coming days could lead to tightened regulation while also prompting an expensive modernization drive. The report, led by a former deputy governor of the Bank of England, Jon Cunliffe, was commissioned by…
Why the Federal Reserve’s building renovations are attracting the White House’s ire
Scott Horsley A multi-billion dollar makeover of the Federal Reserve’s offices in Washington, D.C., has become the latest skirmish in an ongoing battle between the White House and the central bank. The cost of the building project has soared from $1.9 billion to $2.5 billion in recent years. That’s become a new line of attack…
Rubio in bind as he seeks to reassure south-east Asia, even as it faces Trump tariffs
Rubio meets Chinese counterpart at gathering, as questions remain about US trade polices and commitment to region Even as they face among the most punitive tariffs globally, the US secretary of state, Marco Rubio, has sought to reassure south-east Asian countries of Washington’s commitment to the region, saying they may get “better” trade deals than…
Here’s a list of Trump’s tariff letters so far and the rates they threaten
Danielle Kurtzleben President Trump’s trade policy has been unpredictable, and that continues with letters he’s been writing to foreign leaders informing them of the tariff rates he intends to impose on their countries’ goods on Aug. 1. The letters represent a radical approach to trade policy, with the president setting sizable tariff rates on a…