Bank of England says UK banks can increase riskier mortgage lending – business live

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

Threat of Trump tariffs ‘puts businesses at risk of going bust’

The looming threat of much higher tariffs amid Donald Trump’s trade war could lead to a fresh wave of companies going bust and cause financial losses for banks, the Bank of England has warned.The Bank’s financial policy committee said a rise in trade levies would compound existing vulnerabilities, with the risks to global growth and inflation having grownas a result of the president’s ever-changing border tax rates and an escalating conflict in the Middle East.In its financial stability report, the committee said the situation puts a range of companies at risk globally, particularly those with large debt piles. “The potential for much higher trade tariffs increases the likelihood of corporate default in the most exposed sectors, and losses for their lenders.”The Bank said UK businesses as a whole appeared largely resilient amid the uncertainty, given relatively stable net debt levels, and that most British companies were able to withstand sharply higher tariffs even if their earnings fell by 10% and their borrowing costs surged

Sony WH-1000XM6 review: raising the bar for noise-cancelling headphones

Sony’s latest top-of-the-range Bluetooth headphones seek to reclaim the throne for the best noise cancellers money can buy with changes inside and out.The Guardian’s journalism is independent. We will earn a commission if you buy something through an affiliate link. Learn more.The Sony 1000X series has long featured some of the best noise cancelling you can buy and has been locked in a battle with rival Bose for the top spot

Futurist Adam Dorr on how robots will take our jobs: ‘We don’t have long to get ready – it’s going to be tumultuous’

If Adam Dorr is correct, robots and artificial intelligence will dominate the global economy within a generation and put virtually the entire human race out of a job. The social scientist doubles up as a futurist and has a stark vision of the scale, speed and unstoppability of a technological transformation that he says will replace virtually all human labour within 20 years.The Guardian’s journalism is independent. We will earn a commission if you buy something through an affiliate link. Learn more

State of Origin 2025 Game 3 live: NSW Blues v Qld Maroons – latest updates

Handshakes and back-pats all round as both sets of players embrace at the end of a series that was always played in a collegiate spirit, never really threatening to spill over into spite.Cameron Munster is crouched, head bowed, in floods of tears. What an effort it’s been from the Queensland skipper. He’s consoled by Maroons and Blues alike, such is the esteemed he’s held in.The Maroons complete a miraculous Origin comeback in Sydney!With their final attack of the series NSW drive into the red zone then Luai belatedly reads the rush defence, grubbering in behind Holmes for To’o to win the chase and dot down

ACT Brumbies v British & Irish Lions: tour match – live

Now it’s the skipper, Maro Itoje.“It’s a step forward,” he says. “We left a few tries out there. We want to be more clinical and ruthless. We’re learning on the go