Trade agreements between the US and EU are a primary focus, showcasing efforts to avert trade wars and **how various nations are navigating Trump’s tariff policies and geopolitical alliances**.

• US and EU reach tariff agreement to avert trade war — Financial Times -
• FirstFT: The US and EU reach a trade deal — Financial Times -
• How the EU succumbed to Trump’s tariff steamroller — Financial Times -

• Eleventh-hour US-EU trade talks aim to beat Trump’s tariff deadline — Financial Times -
• The EU doesn’t need a deal with Trump — Financial Times -
• EU-US trade talks down to the wire as von der Leyen heads to Trump meeting — Financial Times -
• Brazil to double down on Brics in defiance of Donald Trump — Financial Times -
• German carmakers set for €10bn cash flow hit as Trump tariffs bite — Financial Times -
• Trump and Erdoğan’s ‘extraordinary’ bond tested by Israel and jet deal — Financial Times -
• Trump wields trade threat in calls to Cambodia and Thailand to end fighting — Financial Times -

Debates around interest rate hikes and cuts dominate, with the Federal Reserve facing pressure from the White House and market questions about its future policy direction.

• Opinion | Don’t Rule Out a Rate Hike — Wall Street Journal -
• White House presses Fed for ‘dramatically lower’ rates as meeting looms — Financial Times -
• What Did Trump’s Hard-Hat Tour of the Fed Accomplish? — The New York Times Business -

• Will the Fed bow to pressure from Trump for a rate cut? — Financial Times -

Luxury brands are experiencing sales shifts, Canada's nuclear group is expanding, China is grappling with deflation, and US industries like lumber are seeking revival while Germany is managing EU budget rules and prominent institutions like Shaolin Temple face investigation.

• China’s Shaolin Temple says head faces criminal investigation — Financial Times -
• Luxury Brands Are Getting Hit by a Vibe Shift — Wall Street Journal -
• Canadian reactor group taps into Trump’s nuclear renaissance — Financial Times -

• China’s battle with deflation isn’t just a demand problem — Financial Times -
• ‘We Have All the Trees We Need.’ Trump Wants to Revive the Lumber Industry — Wall Street Journal -
• Why a $200bn US rail megamerger could still hit the buffers — Financial Times -
• Germany to avoid EU punishment for breaching budget rules — Financial Times -
• Private equity backers refuse to roll over investments as returns dwindle — Financial Times -
• Companies back boomerang CEOs as succession plans falter — Financial Times -

The sector sees surging VPN use due to new online safety rules, cyber attacks on major insurance companies, the growth of real estate tech platforms like Zillow, deployments of AI drone technology, India's push for a quantum valley, and e-commerce platforms like Temu facing pricing power challenges alongside ongoing discussions around cryptocurrency regulation.

• The coming crypto crisis — Financial Times -
• VPN use surges in UK as new online safety rules kick in — Financial Times -
• Allianz’s US life arm hit by cyber attack — Financial Times -

• Zillow Is Growing When the Housing Market Is Frozen — The New York Times Business -
• Modi’s kingmaker aims to build Indian ‘quantum valley’ — Financial Times -
• Temu struggles to rebuild in face of Amazon’s US pricing power — Financial Times -
• Stablecoins craze pits central bank against lawmakers in South Korea — Financial Times -

Entertainment industries are seeing box office successes and resurgent music genres, while fashion and consumer product trends are evolving, personal finance mistakes affect retirement savings, public events like the Euro 2025 final draw attention, and the hospitality sector faces challenges in tipping culture.

• England’s Lionesses win Euro 2025 on penalties — Financial Times -
• ‘The Fantastic Four: First Steps’ Breaks a Box Office Curse — The New York Times Business -
• Ralph Lauren’s Vintage Man of Mystery — The New York Times Business -

• David Bars Have Had Breakout Success. Can the Protein Craze Last? — The New York Times Business -
• Kartik Kumra Was Ready for Indian’s Fashion Moment — The New York Times Business -
• 5 Money Mistakes That Can Put Retirement Farther Off — The New York Times Business -
• Where Did All the Las Vegas Tippers Go? — Wall Street Journal -
• Ozzy Is Gone, but Heavy Metal Lives On, Stronger Than Ever — Wall Street Journal -

Discussions around government media bias and the influence of online right-wing media in stoking culture wars are prominent, alongside reports on anti-immigration riots, scrutiny over millionaire migration data, and public safety incidents at retail locations.

• 11 People Injured in Stabbing at a Michigan Walmart, Officials Say — The New York Times Business -
• Opinion | We Won’t Miss Government Media — Wall Street Journal -
• The Very Online Right has come for Britain too — Financial Times -

• One year on: UK communities count the cost of anti-immigration riots — Financial Times -
• The rightwing media stoking culture wars in Germany — Financial Times -
• Doubt cast on widely quoted millionaire migration numbers — Financial Times -

Addressing UK economic stagnation is a key concern, with calls to rethink the roles of super-CEOs and new regulations requiring companies to disclose supplier payment times.

• The answer to UK stagnation is staring us in the face — Financial Times -
• The UK’s aversion to super-CEOs might be due for a rethink — Financial Times -
• Big UK companies to be forced to reveal how long they take to pay suppliers — Financial Times -

Notable cryptocurrency schemes lead to arrests for alleged fraud, while complex financial cons involving prominent family names highlight ongoing challenges in financial security.

• Denver Pastor and Wife Face Charges in ‘God-Inspired’ Cryptocurrency Scheme — The New York Times Business -
• How to Extract $400 Million From a Billionaire: Use a Gilded Age Family Name — Wall Street Journal -

Humanitarian conditions in Gaza are spotlighted with reports of pauses by the Israeli military and journalists facing starvation, alongside UK political pressure to recognize a Palestinian state.

• Starmer to recall cabinet as calls grow for UK to recognise Palestinian state — Financial Times -
• Israeli military begins ‘pauses’ after uproar over starvation in Gaza — Financial Times -
• Palestinian journalists in Gaza ‘being starved’, media watchdog says — Financial Times -

The business world mourns the passing of pioneers in biotech and food manufacturing, as well as an unsung heroine of toy history.

• Joan Anderson, Unsung Heroine of Hula Hoop History, Dies at 101 — The New York Times Business -
• William J. Rutter, Biotech Pioneer of Gene-Based Medicine, Dies at 97 — The New York Times Business -
• James Leprino, ‘Willy Wonka of Cheese’ Who Revolutionized Pizza, Dies at 87 — The New York Times Business -