Everything you need to know about the

Public health experts around the globe are scrambling to understand, track, and contain a new virus that appeared in Wuhan, China, at the beginning of December 2019. The World Health Organization named the disease caused by the virus…

Summary of Budget 2020: Key points

Chancellor Rishi Sunak has delivered his first Budget in the House of Commons, announcing the government's tax and spending plans for the year ahead. Here is a summary of the main points. Coronavirus and public services Image copyright…

Smart motorways plan aims to boost

The government says it wants to "raise the bar" on smart motorway safety, following criticism of the scheme. Under the plan, opening motorway hard shoulders for traffic in busy periods will be scrapped. On those smart motorways where the…

Eurozone bank tries to ease coronavirus

The European Central Bank (ECB) has announced steps to tackle the economic impact of the coronavirus outbreak. It is offering cheap loans to commercial banks to encourage them to lend to small businesses. It is also expanding its…

Budget virus plan ‘substantial’ but

The Budget measures to tackle the coronavirus are substantial, but limited, according to the Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS).The IFS gave its assessment the day after the chancellor announced a £12bn package to mitigate the economic…

Pandemic crashes global stock markets

It's a rout on global stock markets, not far off crash territory. That follows the travel ban speech from US President Donald Trump that triggered a pan-European sell-off. The failure of the European Central Bank to follow the Bank of…

digital future for Bank of England banknotes?

The Bank of England is considering the introduction of electronic banknotes for use by consumers and businesses. Governor Mark Carney said: "We are in the middle of a revolution in payments," saying the Bank must look into how electronic…