Linkeum

London-listed lender announces £500mn share buyback even as it sets aside further £235mn for UK car finance payouts

But more optimistic investors continue to bank on the cavalry arriving if things get really dicey

Alastair King says UK should learn from Sweden, which has encouraged widespread retail ownership of equities

While the region is promising, there are many hidden barriers to growth

Silicon Valley company with links to Trump administration rides wave of investor enthusiasm

Sumaiya Balbale left the venture firm after it decided not to discipline outspoken investor for posts about New York mayoral candidate

Charity that sets voluntary rate says rise reflects increase in cost of essentials and higher expectations for living standards

UK chancellor fleshes out Budget plan to target professionals with ‘broadest shoulders’ including lawyers, doctors and accountants

Landlords are seducing remote workers with golf simulators and rooftop cabanas

Europe readies itself to survive in a world of hostile strongmen

Private military companies come in many different stripes

He could still survive a currency run and knife-edge election

Matthew Holehouse, our British politics correspondent, applauds a change to university-tuition fees

Museum thefts are surprisingly common

Our weekly podcast on China. This week: why China is trying to mend fences with its most troublesome neighbour, and what might happen if it fails

The Bank of England governor says the collapse of two US firms could be a sign of wider problems in the financial sector.

Maybe they are becoming tradwives. Or maybe there is a more straightforward explanation

The chancellor acknowledged that for many people the economy was "not working as it should" and said the reforms would boost growth.

The ancient Japanese sport finds some unlikely fans

Hawkish on security policy, dovish on fiscal policy and traditionalist on social policy, she will move her country to the right

America is getting authoritarianism without the good stuff

Also on the daily podcast: Zero-migration America and German coffee evolves

Higher interest payments offset increased revenue from tax and national insurance, the UK statistics body says.

Our daily political update, featuring the stories that matter

The state borrows to fund day-to-day spending as well as long-term infrastructure projects.

A handpicked article read aloud from the latest issue of The Economist

It’s too soon to declare the death of drinking

The first French ex-head of state to be jailed since Marshal Pétain

J.D. Vance and Jared Kushner arrive to do some Bibisitting

Shashank Joshi, our defence editor, looks at an espionage fiasco in Britain

The king confronts a poor performer inherited from his predecessor

Can anything bring it down?

The sides lack seasoned interlocutors and it shows

Also on the daily podcast: a cycling revolution and left-handed athletes

Our daily political update, featuring the stories that matter

A handpicked article read aloud from the latest issue of The Economist

The task is to shed the all-or-nothing logic of the past and build momentum step by step, writes Majed al-Ansari

Casualties litter the Donbas amid a bloody Kremlin push

Both banks and private-markets giants are on cockroach-watch

Simon Cox, our China economics editor, discusses the impacts of China’s rare-earth controls

A literary genre that changed the world is struggling

Anton La Guardia, our diplomatic editor, hands in his badge

The price of perfection

Hundreds of thousands of Vladimir Putin’s troops are losing their lives for barely any land

It seems so. And it might work for other kinds of depression, too

An exclusive look at how we designed our cover

Our weekly podcast on democracy in America. This week, President Trump has pushed through a historic deal for Israel and Gaza, but can he bring about a lasting peace?

Progress shows that integration isn’t just about membership, argues Amer Kapetanovic

Han Hak-ja, the “True Mother” of the controversial Unification Church, faces bribery charges in South Korea

Our picks examine diplomats, professors—and monsters

Our daily political update, featuring the stories that matter

Also on the daily podcast: Britain’s spy-case fiasco and remembering lord of lox Saul Zabar 

In his latest screen outing, Mary Shelley’s creation is a monster for the times

Donald Trump’s estranged former adviser is accused of releasing classified material

A list of nearly 500 employers fined more than £10m for failing to pay the minimum wage is released.

The chancellor is planning moves to help households with the cost of living in the Budget.

Our podcast on markets, the economy and business. This week, our interviews with Joel Mokyr and Philippe Aghion

Americans’ travel documents aren’t as muscular as they used to be

New York’s most famous lox-smith died on October 7th, aged 97

Lyse Doucet chronicles Afghanistan’s history as it was seen from the InterContinental

Evidence of him is everywhere—or so says Peter Thiel

Our analysis shows how games have changed in the past 40 years

Two memoirs hint at a Supreme Court under siege

Against all odds, the deluge might be good for creators

Of roach motels and countdown clocks

The event organiser heads into ed tech

A fast rising digital-ad firm attracts both enthusiasts and sceptics

The most aggressive move yet in Europe’s effort to save its semiconductor industry

It is desperate to squish online worship

Crooks impersonating party officials promise safety for cash

Politicians are at loggerheads over how to remember the past

Responsive regulation—and lots of experiments

The break-up of the long-time ruling coalition dents her ambitions

It has signed the first new military alliance in Asia since the cold war

The question is, how much will the country change?

They deserved the Nobel peace prize, even though they didn’t win

Tycoons, gunmen and politicians are eyeing the enclave

A mix of luck, competence and indifference has deterred Sahelian militants

It can remind all Americans what ought to unite them, and make them proud

A second federal office is overdue a Trumpian rebrand

While other states race to enact partisan gerrymanders

Blast walls, drone fences and special combat units are on the way

More batteries are needed

Economically, things don’t look quite so rosy

New decentralised networks are even harder to disrupt than the hierarchical gangs they have replaced

Also this week, extremism on social media, splitting investments, lift operators, Kevin Keegan, opera singers

Forget Greenland; worry about Alaska

Lessons from a $10bn panic on the prairie

They are more inventive and adaptable than ever

But there’s a catch

Its weakest flank isn’t Greenland, but around Alaska

Is it time to think about a new republic?

Pakistan blames terrorists in Afghanistan for surging violence in the country

Can a raft of changes help?

Governments are living far beyond their means. Sadly, inflation is the most likely escape

Chinese criminals are recruiting Malawian orphans into the ivory trade

Our daily political update, featuring the stories that matter

Also on the daily podcast: Late trains in Germany and the World Conker Championships

The 0.1% growth follows a slight contraction in the economy during July, official figures show.

A model that has lifted millions out of poverty is threatened by rising defaults

A postcard from one of America’s youngest towns

The strength of the UK economy helps determine how much tax the government collects to pay for services.

The Institute for Fiscal Studies says the chancellor needs to find £22bn to make up a shortfall.

A handpicked article read aloud from the latest issue of The Economist

By speaking openly about authorising a “covert” CIA operation against the regime, Donald Trump is fanning the flames

But might Dan Gilbert’s project finally run out of steam?

Their latest earnings do not represent unalloyed good news

A balance of economic terror is no basis for stability

As America and China clash over trade, cracks emerge in each side’s position

A thought experiment on the nearest thing to a safe asset

It’s not what you think

A new study looks at ancient exposure to the metal

Why less ice might mean more fire

The island’s unique plants are being preserved in the world’s biggest seed bank

A by-election in Wales reveals Labour’s vulnerability

Men with guns now run the country

As workers start to miss pay, the impact of the shutdown will start to ripple out across industries.

The change is a relaxation of rules that were brought in after the 2008 financial crash.

Our podcast on science and technology. The spread of the highly potent drugs demands a fresh approach to drug policy

Our daily political update, featuring the stories that matter

The world has become dangerously dependent on American stocks, writes the former IMF chief economist

Our Money Talks podcast team is recruiting an experienced producer to help launch a video spin-off

Andrew Ross Sorkin, the author of “Too Big to Fail”, has turned his attention to another financial crisis

Also on the daily podcast: Petrol rationing in Russia and JD Wetherspoon, no small beer

A handpicked article read aloud from the latest issue of The Economist

But the UK is also predicted to suffer the highest rate of inflation in the G7 both this year and next.

Marketing and human-resources departments are key

The YIMBY movement wins a big victory

A spying fiasco and a new London embassy feed accusations that Sir Keir is a red softy

Mitra Taj, our Latin America contributor, weighs up where the country goes from here

Our weekly podcast on China. This week, the women using jokes to raise serious issues

Its investigation of Qualcomm may be the latest example

Our daily political update, featuring the stories that matter

Also on the daily podcast: counting deaths in Africa and is dark chocolate healthy?

A handpicked article read aloud from the latest issue of The Economist

Clashes between Hamas and armed gangs threaten his peace plan

Bringing tactics from the war on terror to America’s backyard

Foreign concerns about a deluge of Chinese goods fall on deaf ears in Beijing

The Nobel committee is belatedly recognising economic history

The effect is still hard to spot in official data. But a study of 300,000 companies suggests where hiring is weakening

Donald Trump has unleashed an M&A bonanza

But a once-ubiquitous autumnal playground pastime is dying out

The actress, who died on October 11th, was also known for her sense of style

To succeed, the process will require new leadership and sustained external pressure, writes the peace-deal veteran

Shashank Joshi, our defence editor, examines whether peace can last

Governments are going bust. Inflation risk looms over long-term debt

Reforms to limit debt accumulation seemed to have worked—in the countries lucky enough to have enacted them

Since 1913, even default has been more common

Immigration only defers the problem. Higher productivity means higher interest rates

The consequences will be profound, argues Henry Curr

Ageing workers are doing better than expected. But they still demand handouts

Interest rates and growth define the threshold for danger

Our daily political update, featuring the stories that matter

Average mortgage rates have increased month-on-month for the first time since February, says Moneyfacts.

Also on the daily podcast: luxury travel is thriving and remembering film star Claudia Cardinale

A handpicked article read aloud from the latest issue of The Economist

Xi Jinping’s bet that dramatic escalation is the way to win a trade war

Forget fine wine, great art and glitzy mansions. There are finer things in life

As he arrives in the region Hamas gunmen try to retake control

John Prideaux, our US editor, reflects on the ceasefire between Hamas and Israel

Donald Trump threatens an extra 100% levy as rare-earth minerals prompt a fresh spat

What the return of the show trial means for Russia

What the return of the show trial means for Russia

Climate, culture and eccentricity make British growers the best in the world

Our weekly podcast on democracy in America. This week, will Congress extend healthcare subsidies to reopen the government?

The thinking behind our design about the breakthrough in the Middle East

A national bus-fare cap exposes the government’s fondness of central control

Aficionados swear by them. But the scientific jury is out

The prize is a boost for the country’s democratic opposition

Our six recommendations blur fact and fiction

The Bank of England's independence is "the best way" to lower bills, Sir Ed Davey argues.

Readers of The War Room have their say 

Our daily political update, featuring the stories that matter

Also on the daily podcast: the politics of Finnish icebreakers and the NBA returns to China

In 2001, economist Jim O’Neill wrote a report on countries set to shape the world economy

Federal prosecutors have indicted New York’s attorney-general

Without immigrants America’s medal haul would be much smaller

Kemi Badenoch says a future Conservative government would scrap stamp duty, but what might the impact be?

The Hungarian writer is known for his post-modern dystopian fiction. But his work is not all doom and gloom

Our podcast on markets, the economy and business. This week, why more and more people talk about a bubble

The naturalist and activist died on October 1st, aged 91

They are filthier than an old cowboy boot—and hugely popular

Its meaning has changed markedly over the past 150 years

To gauge the centrality of the AI superstar, we conduct a thought experiment

How office rows escalate

Nestlé and Danone are doubling down on premium brands

Blame sharper and more ruthless criminals, and digital currencies

Pedal power is booming, spinning up a new culture war

America’s loss could be China’s gain in the war for tech talent

A new study points out the pitfalls of economic planning

Wonks are falling over themselves to offer suggestions for spurring growth

The heavy metal aficionado is a fan of Margaret Thatcher

Donald Trump’s trade war has cemented Brazil’s place as the soyabean superpower

Three years after the end of Ethiopia’s civil war, abuses in the region continue

It is about to restart a controversial gas project

It has become a model for the rest of the country

Is using the hiatus to shrink the federal workforce an empty threat?

Why bashing the EU is likely to become ever more popular

A populist oligarch returns to power

“Worse than the worst horror film” says the former mayor of Kherson

Chaos and confusion after Lecornu quits

Britain risks being an unwitting victim of EU-US trade wars

A wise move for a party in a dire position

What the political betting market says

Also this week, nuclear waste, Finland, free speech, humour, ChatGPT, debt

Banning the payment of ransoms would be a start

The pain from trade and immigration restrictions cannot be postponed forever

Also on the daily podcast: “Economist Insider” launches and do red-light masks work

But neither side is fully reconciled to what is supposed to come next

What happens in the event of a slump?

How to survive on the border of war

The prime minister wants a $10trn economy by 2047. He should be bolder

And what should really scare them

Bangalore’s example of local governance could be copied by other Indian cities

But a mining project is fraught with risks

The breakthrough in Gaza could open up a new approach to peace

Ageing autocrats are not a relic of a bygone age. They are a template for the future

Our daily political update, featuring the stories that matter

The longer autocrats stay in power, the worse they become

A handpicked article read aloud from the latest issue of The Economist

Why did the Russian state go after an experimental theatre director?

Trump is embracing crypto, but is he building a new kind of American economy?

A hostage release and Gaza ceasefire are welcome. But they are just the start

Forget debt. Here is something to villainise

Our podcast on science and technology. This week, our correspondents give their guide to this year’s prizes in physics, chemistry and physiology or medicine

There are prizes for chemical cages, new immune cells and the roots of quantum computing

The pollen they carry stirs continent-wide gene pools

A third of Republicans support deporting citizens who disagree with Donald Trump

But it is not clear if it will accept a partial Israeli withdrawal 

Six months on from “Liberation Day”, things look surprisingly rosy

Terrible things have been done in their name

Berlin, Rawls and Nozick put their faith in the sanctity of the individual

Their lives and reputations diverged, but their ideas were rooted in the traumas of their shared birthplace

People should be free to choose. It was their freedom not to choose that troubled him

The gloomiest of the great liberals worried that democracy might not be compatible with liberty

John Stuart Mill’s warning still resonates today

From Locke to Rawls, here are the people, ideas and world-shaking events that made liberalism what it is, and isn’t, today

From ambulance chaser to ministerial Range Rover chaser

Detentions, public shaming and suicides intensify the country’s corporate gloom

MOFs can carry drugs, decontaminate oil spills, and conjure water from thin air

A third museum focused on the artist has just opened in Mexico City

The president’s economic team has decamped to Washington, trying desperately to confirm American support

Jilly Cooper, the author who gave the world sex, horses—and joy—has died

Also on the daily podcast: San Francisco’s driverless taxis and celebrating Jilly Cooper

Our daily political update, featuring the stories that matter

A handpicked article read aloud from the latest issue of The Economist

Our polling of 1,600 people with YouGov suggests which party might blink first

Years of expeditionary operations leave it vulnerable if America abandons the continent

Closed borders will make the country smaller, poorer and less innovative

Tariffs, higher costs and Chinese retaliation hit hard

Our weekly podcast on China. This week, can Chinese biotechs go global?

Matthew Holehouse, our British politics correspondent, reports from the Conservative Party conference

Tunnelling between microscopic and macroscopic worlds

Plans to spend billions of dollars supporting farmers have frustrated many other kinds of businesses that have also been hurt by tariffs.

But in Manchester on Yom Kippur an attacker got through

A ceasefire will not end the region’s troubles

“Shadow Ticket” is as perplexing as it sounds

Takaichi Sanae is a refreshing change—but problems loom

Estonia stands ready to defend itself, he says

Our daily political update, featuring the stories that matter

Also on the daily podcast: shopping addiction is again on the rise and why John Singer Sargent is back in vogue

A handpicked article read aloud from the latest issue of The Economist

Digital surveillance grids are meant to help solve local problems quickly. But they also track potential troublemakers

Even if hostages are released will Hamas disarm?

Liberalise at home and lead a new free-trade revolution

Shashank Joshi, our defence editor, reflects on Donald Trump’s speech to American generals

Paul Thomas Anderson gives a masterclass in making a political film

The next big thing in AI may be pictures, not words

The Whittle Laboratory is extraordinary—and underfunded

Can hospitality firms avoid the mistakes fashion firms made?

The worst excesses seem designed to produce content

The search to understand how the body keeps immunity in check

We are witnessing a turning point in migration, writes Adam Roberts, our digital editor

Another government has collapsed and elections could bring in the hard right

Also on the daily podcast: the pros and cons of New York’s eviction laws, and remembering a renowned North Korean defector

Our daily political update, featuring the stories that matter

A handpicked article read aloud from the latest issue of The Economist

Talks in Egypt could see hostages released and catalyse peace

Sir David Omand on why social cohesion in the face of extremism is a security imperative

Why firms are “delayering”

Will it stay closed to migrants?

Almost half of Russia’s refineries have been hit by drones and missiles

Despite a recent surge in demand, the US is a laggard in EV sales compared to much of the rest of the world.

Andrej Babis, a populist billionaire, looks set to return after a term out of power

So far it has declined to agree to disarm or cede power in the strip 

A hardline right-winger is set to become prime minister

What’s going on in the world’s most secretive country?

How the shutdown is resolved may determine his future

It is more than a bargain boozer

The thinking behind our design about Russia’s hybrid war

Accusations of corruption and conflicts of interest seem not to hinder his campaign

At least one planet is deeply biological in a distinctive and illuminating way: our own

Why finding what defines a species is so fiendishly hard

How autonomous individuals begin life, grow and mate

Like any well-run operation, your body is made up of specialised parts. Here is how they work

Our weekly podcast on democracy in America. This week, how much more power will the Supreme Court grant President Trump this term?

Almost everything you recognise as alive—animal, plant or fungus—is composed of a set of cells

Big complex molecules are the unique stuff of life. This is how they work

An attack on a Manchester synagogue follows a resurgence in antisemitism 

Electronic Arts is part of a multi-billion-dollar bid to dominate gaming

We assess whether that tempting idea is too good to be true

In our recommendations, both actors and characters are performers

Our daily political update, featuring the stories that matter

Also on the daily podcast: America’s slow commercial-property turnaround and Jane Goodall in her own words

Leo Mirani, our Asia correspondent, considers the lessons from 15 years of India’s digital-ID system 

The country’s recent brush with martial law has deep roots

Our podcast on markets, the economy and business. This week, how lab-grown stones have upended the market and what that means for De Beers

The Italian-Tunisian actress died on September 23rd, aged 87

The opera, adapted from a prizewinning novel, brings stunts and sopranos together

Taylor Swift is not the only person fascinated by performers. Social-media users are, too

Messages can be received, even if none have actually been sent

There is a lot more to the Chinese tech giant than its American offshoot

Play private equity on expert mode

He wants his fast-growing German armsmaker to be bigger still

Policymakers hope to shape the thinking of Western elites in new ways