Bank of England says UK banks can increase riskier mortgage lending; Nvidia becomes first $4tn company – as it happened

Newsflash: The Bank of England is recommending that lending rules are relaxed so that banks and building societies can issue more mortgages at high loan-to-income levels.The BoE’s Financial Policy Committee is recommending that individual lenders should be allowed to increase their share of lending at high LTIs to above the current limit of 15%.This could make it easier for borrowers to stretch themselves to afford a more expensive property.High loan-to-income loans are defined as those at a ratio above 4.5

People in the US: are you delaying major life decisions?

As Donald Trump approaches six months in office as president, his administration’s agenda has shaken every corner of US life.According to research from Harris Poll, Americans are reconsidering major life events including marriage, having children and buying a home amid economic anxiety under the Trump administration.Six in 10 Americans said the economy had affected at least one of their major life goals, citing either lack of affordability or anxiety around the current economy.We want to hear from you. Have you been delaying major life decisions amid economic and political anxieties? When did things begin to feel destabilized? What effect in particular has delaying life decisions had on your household?You can tell us if you are delaying any major life decisions and your reasons why by filling in the form below

UK government’s deal with Google ‘dangerously naive’, say campaigners

Google has agreed a sweeping deal with the UK government to provide free technology to the public sector from the NHS to local councils– a move campaigners have called “dangerously naive”.The US company will be asked to “upskill” tens of thousands of civil servants in technology, including in using artificial intelligence, as part of an agreement that will not require the government to pay. It is considered in Whitehall to be giving Google “a foot in the door” as the digitisation of public services accelerates.However, the agreement prompted concerns about the precariousness of UK public data potentially being held on US servers amid the unpredictable leadership of Donald Trump.The Department of Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT) said Google Cloud, which provides databases, machine learning and computing power, had “agreed to work with the UK government in helping public services use advanced tech to shake off decades old ‘ball and chain’ legacy contracts which leave essential services vulnerable to cyber-attack”

Linda Yaccarino stepping down as CEO of Elon Musk’s X

The CEO of X, Elon Musk’s social network, announced on Wednesday she would resign.“After two incredible years, I’ve decided to step down as CEO of 𝕏,” Linda Yaccarino wrote.Musk replied to her tweet: “Thank you for your contributions.”The outgoing CEO said, “When @elonmusk and I first spoke of his vision for X, I knew it would be the opportunity of a lifetime to carry out the extraordinary mission of this company. I’m immensely grateful to him for entrusting me with the responsibility of protecting free speech, turning the company around, and transforming X into the Everything App

Wimbledon 2025 quarter-finals: Sinner v Shelton, Cobolli v Djokovic, Bencic through – live

I’m not sure what Shelton can do to discomfit Sinner, but he might want to try and shorten the points – against a hitter as consistent and powerful, it makes no sense to thrash away, especially when you consider his ability to create angles. He’s playing solidly enough, just not really displaying the flair that took him to this point. Of course, that partly reflects the level of his opponent, but seeing how this is going, he’s got to forcer the issue. Sinner leads 7-6 3-3.Superb work from Cobolli, who wins three points in a row from 0-30

Blair Kinghorn a doubt for Australia Test series as Andy Farrell urges Lions to improve

The British & Irish Lions are facing renewed injury uncertainty at full-back for the first Test in Brisbane on Saturday week. Having already lost Elliot Daly there are now doubts over Blair Kinghorn’s availability for the Test series after the Scotland player limped off in the first half of the Lions’ 36-24 victory over the Brumbies.Kinghorn, widely expected to start at 15 against the Wallabies, lasted just 25 minutes before leaving the field and the Lions are now awaiting an update further on the injury’s severity. “He got a bang on the knee,” said the Lions head coach, Andy Farrell. “He carried on for quite a bit but there was no need to keep him going