Aston Martin and Rolls-Royce share prices soar as manufacturers welcome US tariff cuts

British manufacturers have welcomed some tariff relief in the new US-UK trade deal, with the share prices of the sportscar brand Aston Martin Lagonda and jet engine maker Rolls-Royce rising.The US has agreed to cut tariffs on cars, jet engines and steel, although the 10% baseline levy will continue to apply to other products exported from the UK, the two governments announced on Thursday.Keir Starmer spoke to Donald Trump from the headquarters of JLR, the UK’s biggest automotive employer and one of the main exporters to the US.The US now has a quota of 100,000 British-made cars per year with a 10% tariff – significantly lower than the 27.5% rate Trump imposed in March, but more than the 2

UK interest rates fall to 4.25% as Bank of England announces a quarter-point cut

Bank of England policymakers have cut interest rates by a quarter point to 4.25% to cushion the UK economy against the impact of rising economic uncertainty.The widely expected move from the Bank’s monetary policy committee (MPC), its fourth cut since last August, also carried a warning that the UK economy would slow by a further 0.3% over the next three years in addition to dramatic cuts to its forecasts made earlier this year.In a blow to the chancellor, Rachel Reeves, the MPC said a combination of uncertainty surrounding the impact of US trade policy on the global economy and clouds hanging over the outlook for the UK meant growth would be almost stagnant for the rest of the year

Wikipedia challenging UK law it says exposes it to ‘manipulation and vandalism’

The charity that hosts Wikipedia is challenging the UK’s online safety legislation in the high court, saying some of its regulations would expose the site to “manipulation and vandalism”.In what could be the first judicial review related to the Online Safety Act, Wikimedia Foundation claims it is at risk of being subjected to the act’s toughest category 1 duties, which impose additional requirements on the biggest sites and apps.The foundation said if category 1 duties were imposed on it, the safety and privacy of Wikipedia’s army of volunteer editors would be undermined, its entries could be manipulated and vandalised, and resources would be diverted from protecting and improving the site.Announcing that it was seeking a judicial review of the categorisation regulations, the foundation’s lead counsel, Phil Bradley-Schmieg, said: “We are taking action now to protect Wikipedia’s volunteer users, as well as the global accessibility and integrity of free knowledge.”The foundation said it was not challenging the act as a whole, nor the existence of the requirements themselves, but the rules that decide how a category 1 platform is designated

Tech giants beat quarterly expectations as Trump’s tariffs hit the sector

Hello, and welcome to TechScape. I’m your host, Blake Montgomery, and this week in tech news: Trump’s tariffs hit tech companies that move physical goods more than their digital-only counterparts. Two stories about AI’s effect on the labor market paint a murky picture. Meta released a standalone AI app, a product it claims already has a billion users through enforced omnipresence. OpenAI dialed back an obsequious version of ChatGPT

Lions squad 2025: Farrell unveils 38-man squad with ‘wiggle room’ to add son Owen

Andy Farrell has left the door open for his son Owen to join the ­British & Irish Lions tour of ­Australia and called on Henry Pollock to showcase his “cocky” streak after Northampton’s rising star was the standout ­selection in his squad.Farrell Jr was among the headline omissions from the 38-man group that will be captained by Maro Itoje, with Finn Russell, Fin Smith and ­Marcus Smith preferred as the fly-half options. ­Pollock’s selection caps a stunning rise for the 20-year-old who made his Test debut against Wales in March as part of a remarkable breakthrough season with Northampton. Marcus Smith benefits from his ability to play full-back despite falling down the England pecking order.The former England captain Jamie George, the Ireland fly-half Sam ­Prendergast and the in-form ­Toulouse flanker Jack Willis are among the other notable absentees from a squad ­featuring 12 Leinster players

Farrell plays the O2 Arena but Lions squad reveal slips up by ripping off fans

When the scores are tied, there is 50 seconds left on the clock and you need someone who is going to step up and take that drop goal, then Andy Farrell was your man. And when the series is all square with one game left to play and you need someone to give the big speech that is exactly what everyone needs to hear in the last hours before the match, you will not find many better. He may very well turn out to be exactly who you need to lead a group of the 38 best players from Britain and Ireland through a six-week tour of Australia, too.Whether any of this means Farrell is someone you want to pay to see play the O2 Arena is another matter. But here he was under the bright lights regardless, sandwiched between Usher and Olly Murs in the (un)coveted Thursday 3pm slot at the Indigo Lounge, front and centre of the British & Irish Lions’ first live squad announcement show