Downing Street has said the small boats situation in the English Channel is “deteriorating”, ahead of a key UK-France summit next month on border security. Meeting on the sidelines of the G7 summit in Canada, Sir Keir Starmer and French President Emmanuel Macron agreed to “work closely” to tackle crossings, a No 10 spokesperson said....
There is no standout lead story across the fronts of Wednesday’s papers. But a handful touch on small boat crossings. “Now it’s good weather to blame for boat surge!” is the headline in the Daily Express. A photo of the “major new search for missing Maddie” appears on the front, as police resume their hunt...
Joshua Nevett Political reporter PA Environmental rules that force developers in England to improve wildlife habitats could be eased under government plans to make it easier to build homes on smaller sites. The government is reviewing Biodiversity Net Gain (BNG) requirements, under which builders must compensate for the loss of any nature on housing developments....
The European Union has proposed a two-euro flat fee on billions of small parcels sent directly to people’s homes, which mainly come from China at the moment. The new tax would mean that packages worth less than 150 euros (£126) are no longer customs-free. Online marketplaces, including Chinese giants Temu and Shein, would be expected...
Peter Hoskins Business reporter Getty Images A duty-free loophole for low-value packages is about to be closed by President Donald Trump, pushing up prices for US customers of firms like Shein and Temu. The Chinese online retail giants relied on the so-called “de minimis” exemption to sell and ship low-value items directly to the US...
Laura Bicker China correspondent The BBC’s Laura Bicker: ”A number of businesses in limbo” in China, after US tariffs on imports “Trump is a crazy man,” says Lionel Xu, who is surrounded by his company’s mosquito repellent kits – many were once best sellers in Walmart stores in the United States. Now those products are...
Getty Images Lloyds Bank business customers and whistleblowers have accused it of failing small firms as it tried to reduce lending after the financial crash of 2008. Business owners who borrowed from Lloyds around that time have told the BBC their firms collapsed after the bank introduced them to its Business Support Unit (BSU), intended...