Opinion

  The UK cost-of-living crisis is becoming increasingly apparent to people, in the growing gap between the wages they earn and what they spend on groceries and fuel bills. But it is also squeezing the most vulnerable in another less visible but no less fundamental part of life — rent. Happily, there are signs both renters and landlords are finding ...

One of the most striking things about the Russo-Ukrainian war of 2022 is the variety of outcomes that both sides could declare as a victory — and the scarcity of outcomes that can last. What will determine the success of any declaration is its intended audience. What matters in the real world, however, is whether the outcome establishes a balance ...

As a general rule, chief executive officers don’t go around calling for one another’s removal. For one, they tend to know one another and are often friends, especially if they work in the same industry. More important, those who live in glass houses shouldn’t throw stones, as the adage goes, and the CEO job is the epitome of a glass ...

  Fitfully, fretfully, the world is beginning to decarbonise. Fossil-fuel demand is likely to peak in the next few years. Solar and wind energy are growing ever cheaper. Related technology, such as battery storage, has improved dramatically. In its most recent report, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change cited “signs of progress” — by its standards, an expression of effusive ...

  The abysmal performance of businesses that have gone public by merging with special purpose acquisition companies (SPAC) has emboldened the US Securities and Exchange Commission to beef up investor protections and disclosure requirements. Spacs were touted as a shortcut to a stock-market listing and a way for retail investors to gain access to promising start-ups. But the hype and ...

All happy families are alike; each unhappy family is unhappy in its own way. Leo Tolstoy’s famous opening in Anna Karenina applies also to alliances. Right now, Nato is unhappy with Turkey, the European Union with Hungary. For the sake of all involved — including cherished relatives such as Sweden and Finland — let’s hope these families sort things out. ...

The remarkable strength of the UK consumer is finally starting to crack. Higher bills for household energy, more expensive fuel, pricier groceries and rising interest rates are beginning to take their toll on shoppers. Consumer confidence slumped in April, as energy prices soared and national insurance contributions rose. GfK’s measure of consumer confidence slumped to -38, a level last seen ...

  Deciphering China has become nearly impossible. Officials continue to insist on the viability of their Covid-zero strategy, curtailing people’s movements and sealing borders even as the rest of the world has all but moved on from the pandemic. Trying to predict when Beijing will give up on this widely criticised policy is pointless. Of key interest now is what’s ...

  For months now, with the US distracted by war in Europe, North Korean dictator Kim Jong-un has largely been free to accelerate his weapons programs. President Joe Biden — along with US allies Japan and South Korea — needs to start making life harder for him. Kim’s scientists have conducted 16 missile tests since the beginning of the year, ...

  Bargain-basement airfares sell themselves to no-frills customers on the hunt for a good deal. Bargain takeover deals? Not so much. JetBlue Airways Corp announced it was going hostile in its effort to acquire Spirit Airlines Inc and thwart the ultra-low-cost carrier’s existing deal to be acquired by the parent company of Frontier Airlines. JetBlue is offering $30 a share ...