A profit boost for Lloyds, working mums and a trade deal with India
Darren is also joined by Lloyds banking boss Charlie Nunn to discuss a rise in the company's profits.
And Sophie Maunder, from maternity coaching provider Matri, talks about why some women aren't going back to work after having children.
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Reuters
10 minutes ago
- Reuters
Several US executives to visit China this week: sources
BEIJING, July 28 (Reuters) - A high-level delegation of American executives will travel to China this week to meet senior Chinese officials in a trip organised by the U.S.-China Business Council (USCBC), two sources with knowledge of the visit told Reuters on Monday. The visit coincides with the latest round of U.S.‑China trade negotiations in Sweden, where China's Vice Premier He Lifeng is meeting U.S. officials from July 27 to July 30 for a new round of economic and trade talks. The delegation will be led by FedEx (FDX.N), opens new tab Chief Executive Rajesh Subramaniam, the council's board chair, one of the sources briefed on the trip said. The South China Morning Post first reported the visit on Sunday, saying that executives from firms including Boeing (BA.N), opens new tab would be part of the delegation. Reuters could not confirm other CEO members of the delegation or which Chinese officials they would meet. Boeing declined to comment on the trip and deferred to USCBC. The U.S. government was not involved in the organisation of the visit, one of the sources said. The trip comes as Beijing and Washington work towards a summit between the two countries' leaders later this year, probably around the time of the APEC forum in South Korea October 26 - November 1, sources previously told Reuters. USCBC did not respond immediately to a request for comment. The business lobby previously organised similar visits to China by American CEO delegations in 2023 and 2024. The 2024 trip, also led by Subramaniam, included meetings with He and Foreign Minister Wang Yi, where executives discussed issues including market access. China faces an August 12 deadline to reach a durable deal with the White House or risk higher U.S. tariffs. U.S. officials are likely to extend the deadline by another 90 days as both sides work towards a more comprehensive deal, sources previously told Reuters. An extension of that length would prevent further escalation and help create conditions for the potential meeting between Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping.
STV News
12 minutes ago
- STV News
Trump to meet Starmer on day three of Scotland visit
Donald Trump is expected to meet with Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer, and potentially Scotland's First Minister John Swinney, on day three of his Scotland visit. On Monday, the leaders are expected to discuss progress on implementing the UK-US trade deal, hopes for a ceasefire in the Middle East and applying pressure on Vladimir Putin to end the war in Ukraine. The start of discussions show the US President getting down to business on what is a private, five-day visit to Scotland. Trump landed at Prestwick Airport on Friday evening for a five-day visit to Scotland and was seen playing golf at his Trump Turnberry resort on Saturday and Sunday. Sir Keir will travel to Scotland to meet the president on his golf course, where he met European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen on Sunday afternoon. The US President said on Sunday night that he struck a trade deal with the European Union following meetings with the European Commission president, Ursula von der Leyen. Mr Trump said the EU deal was the 'biggest deal ever made'. It is understood that he will discuss Washington's work with partners in Qatar and Egypt during his talks with Mr Trump and seek to determine what more can be done to urgently bring about a ceasefire. They will also discuss the recently agreed US-UK trade deal and the war in Ukraine. Mr Swinney announced that he met Ms von der Leyen on Saturday evening in Glasgow and discussed the wars in Ukraine and Gaza. Mr Swinney said: 'I was pleased to welcome the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, to Scotland. 'During our meeting, I outlined Scotland's continued support for the European Union's leadership in demanding free and safe humanitarian aid in Gaza, alongside efforts to bring an end to the unbearable suffering unfolding. 'I also took the opportunity to reiterate Scotland's steadfast commitment to Ukraine and the country's commitment to work with European partners on key issues, including energy.' Speaking ahead of the talks with Trump, Mr Swinney said it was his responsibility to 'raise global and humanitarian issues of significant importance, including the unimaginable suffering we are witnessing in Gaza' with the President. A spokesperson for the UK Government said: 'The UK and the US have one of the closest, most productive alliances the world has ever seen, working together to cooperate on defence, intelligence, technology and trade. 'The UK was the first country to agree a deal with the US that lowered tariffs on key sectors and has received one of the lowest reciprocal tariff rates in the world. 'Businesses in aerospace and autos are already benefiting from the strong relationship the UK has with the US and the deal agreed on May 8. 'The Government is working at pace with the US to go further to deliver benefits to working people on both sides of the Atlantic and to give UK industry the security it needs, protect vital jobs, and put more money in people's pockets through the Plan for Change.' After a meeting, the world leaders will travel on together for a further private engagement in Aberdeen. Mr Trump will visit the UK again in September for his second state visit. No protesters were arrested at demonstrations about the US President, according to police. A 50-year-old woman was issued with a recorded police warning in connection with alleged threatening behaviour at a Stop Trump Scotland protest outside the US consulate in Edinburgh on Saturday, but no arrests were made, according to Police Scotland. Former Aberdeenshire councillor Debra Storr was arrested on Friday near the Trump International Golf Links in Menie, Aberdeenshire, for writing a chalk message critical of Donald Trump on a road near the site. She was charged under Section 38 of the Criminal Justice and Licensing (Scotland) Act 2010 and is banned from entering the Menie estate until her court appearance on 22 August. A 'festival of resistance' is set to be held near Donald Trump's Aberdeenshire golf course ahead of meetings with political leaders on Monday. The protest at The White Horse Inn, Balmedie, Aberdeen, is close to the Trump International Scotland golf resort and organisers said they object to it receiving £180,000 of public funding for the Nexo Championship next month. Organiser of Stop Trump Scotland, Alena Ivanova, said: 'As Donald Trump is expected to arrive at his Aberdeenshire golf course, residents and protesters are gathering in Balmedie from 3pm to continue the festival of resistance. 'This message is to Donald Trump but also our elected leaders preparing to meet him: there is no place for Trumpism in Scotland. 'They need to stand up to him instead of kowtowing to this bully – including by handing over hundreds of thousands of pounds of taxpayer money for a golf tournament hosted at Trump International even while he attempts to bully us with tariffs. 'In the vicinity of the golf course people will be making noise and using creative props to bring the message as close to home as possible – Donald Trump is not welcome here.' Get all the latest news from around the country Follow STV News Scan the QR code on your mobile device for all the latest news from around the country
BBC News
12 minutes ago
- BBC News
Geothermal energy: Why NI is a 'Goldilocks' area for renewable home heating
The ground that Emmanuel Burns' County Antrim apartment block is built on has significantly reduced his energy bills since he moved in 18 months Rural Housing Association complex in Randalstown in County Antrim uses the heat of the earth itself to warm rooms and heat water through a geothermal system - pipes dug down into the ground to reach the renewable heat stored Ireland has been identified as one of eight "Goldilocks" regions in the UK with just the right conditions for accessing geothermal energy, thanks to the rocks beneath the only equipment Mr Burns needs is a thermostat on the wall. "It's pretty easy to use, you can adjust the heating to whatever you want - from 14 degrees to 26," he said. "Before I moved in here, I was paying £20, £30, £40 a week for heating, whereas now it's £15 a week."That's your heating day and night, your hot water, your air conditioning and you're making a saving every week, which adds up throughout the year."All nine apartments in the block are connected to six boreholes hidden beneath the car park, via two units located in a separate plant boreholes tap into water that was stored in layers of Sherwood sandstone as the rock formed over water heated up, depending on how deeply it was machines in the apartment block plant room extract the water, compress it to extract the heat, and then pipes feed that heat around the complex. Sherwood sandstone is found across Northern Ireland at different British Geological Survey says that makes it a "Goldilocks" region - just right – for a number of green energy opportunities, including say there is potential for secure, affordable, sustainable energy and skilled job creation as a result."The principle is that the deeper you go into the earth, the warmer it is," said Dr Marie Cowan, director of the Geological Survey of Northern porous nature of Sherwood sandstone makes extracting that heat possible."You can either use a closed loop system and drill into the earth and put it through a heat exchanger to decarbonise a home, a hospital, a school, a public building," she said."Or you can go deeper still, where there's a greater opportunity for warmer temperatures and tap that into a heat network for a town or a bigger estate that needs a greater heat." The technology has been used for decades in parts of Scandinavia, but we are only "catching up a wee bit now", according to Ryan Daly from Daly Renewables, who installed the system at Mr Burns' apartment block."The benefits of this is that the system itself is about 300 to 400% more efficient than a typical gas or oil boiler," he said."Typically it will have less maintenance than a boiler system."The technology has proven to be reliable, it's efficient, it helps save on carbon as well."Pilot geothermal projects were launched in Antrim and at the Stormont Estate in east Belfast in 2023 to test the potential. Can it be scaled up? The question is, can the results of these studies be scaled up across Northern Ireland?Dr Cowan believes they can."Whether it's further drilling, deeper drilling or more studies, the idea is to de-risk that [geothermal] opportunity for the whole of Northern Ireland."So whether you're in the private sector, public sector, a local council and education authority, a health trust, you can use that information and help decarbonise your estate."That also creates potential for skilled jobs in the mechanical, electrical and plumbing Ireland has targets for reducing its greenhouse gas emissions and increasing its renewable energy use, which industry experts have warned are likely to be how we heat our homes has a role to play in meeting those Northern Ireland is the only part of the UK and Ireland not to have a renewable energy support scheme in place for private residential Department for the Economy has consulted on proposals to support the decarbonisation of residential has been a complete turnaround for Dr Cowan over the course of her career."I was coming to look at these rocks for oil and gas exploration," she said."How the world has changed since then."Twenty-five years later, we're looking at the same rocks with a totally different lens - an opportunity to decarbonise the planet and make up for the legacy of that industry."
