US, Europe strike trade deal averting tariff threats
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Times
5 minutes ago
- Times
Big rise in UK bosses warning of extreme weather effects
The number of British companies warning of extreme weather has risen twentyfold since 2015. References to 'extreme weather' occurred just 35 times in filings made by companies on the FTSE 350 in 2015, according to an analysis of company records on Factset. In 2024 this figure had risen to 741 mentions, with 560 references to the phrase in filings by the 350 largest listed companies in the UK so far this year. Companies across a variety of industries have pointed to extreme or unusual weather events as a reason for faltering or unexpected sales. Last month Greggs warned that operating profits at the bakery chain could be 'modestly below' 2024 due to the heatwave in June, which boosted demand for cold drinks but reduced overall shopper numbers, causing a slowdown in sales growth in the first half of the year. Rio Tinto said in April that extreme weather events had affected operations at its Pilbara iron ore mine in Western Australia, though it added last month that production had recovered well since. However, the majority of the increase in references to extreme weather in company filings over the past decade came in the form of companies warning of the risks that such events might pose to their businesses in the future. Currys and Watches of Switzerland recently warned of the potential impact of extreme weather events in their full-year results. The luxury watch seller said that their increasing frequency could lead to significant disruption of retail showrooms, offices and distribution centres through flooding and strong winds, while the electricals retailer said extreme weather events could increase footfall for consumers seeking air-conditioning in some regions during heatwaves, but could also lead consumers to shop online more than in stores. The increasing prevalence of warnings about extreme weather is not specific to the UK either. Research by Sara Mahaffy, a managing director at RBC Capital Markets who runs the bank's sustainability strategy research, found that discussions of physical climate risks on earnings calls has hit new highs in 2025 in the US and Asia. She added that the increasing prevalence of references to extreme weather underscored a wider trend occurring across the private sector, in which a premium was increasingly being placed on adapting to climate change and its impacts, rather than just mitigating them. 'What we noticed when we looked at ESG [environmental, social, and governance] debt issuance and green bond issuance, the private sector is increasingly integrating adaptation as part of the eligible criteria,' Mahaffy said. 'For so long, so much of the focus was on mitigation and renewable energy, energy efficiency, but we're starting to see adaptation creep in more. As the private sector is feeling these impacts directly, they are taking the steps themselves to build resilience.'
The Independent
6 minutes ago
- The Independent
Trump says he ‘didn't know' about Ghislaine Maxwell transfer from prison to Texas Club Fed: ‘I read about it just like you'
Donald Trump says that he was not behind the order directing Ghislaine Maxwell's transfer from a prison facility in Florida to a minimum security facility in Texas dubbed 'Club Fed'. The president claimed on Tuesday that he'd only learned about the prison transfer in news reports. Maxwell remains in prison on a 20-year sentence for crimes committed with Jeffrey Epstein, her former boyfriend. Epstein died in federal custody in 2019 while awaiting charges for sex trafficking children. 'I didn't know about it at all. I read about it just like you did,' Trump told a reporter who asked him if he'd personally approved the transfer. He added: 'It's not a very uncommon thing.' Trump went on to defend the private meeting between his former personal attorney, Deputy Attorney Todd Blanche, and Maxwell — something he also insisted wasn't 'unusual'. The meeting was heavily scrutinized, as the Department of Justice did not explain why Maxwell would have information that the FBI and federal prosecutors didn't uncover during her prosecution, or Epstein's. Blanche met with Maxwell for nine hours over two days, releasing only a short statement on Twitter with no details from the meetings. He hasn't commented publicly on the matter since. Trump has been criticized for his handling of the so-called Epstein files and their non-release by his administration, both among the president's typical critics as well as among members of Trump's own MAGA base. Maxwell, adding fuel to that fire, offered to testify to the bipartisan House Oversight Committee only if she were to receive a clemency deal for her testimony from the government. Trump has repeatedly been asked if he'll pardon Maxwell; the president has hedged that he's 'allowed' to, without indicating whether he was specifically considering it. 'I'm allowed to do it, but nobody's asked me to do it," said Trump during a Newsmax interview on Friday. "I know nothing about it. I don't know anything about the case, but I know I have the right to do it. I have the right to give pardons. I've given pardons to people before, but nobody's even asked me to do it.' Inmates at Maxwell's new digs include Theranos fraudster Elizabeth Holmes and 'Real Housewives of Salt Lake City' star Jen Shah. Nicknamed 'Club Fed,' it's described as a relatively low-security facility with a sports field, a program where inmates can participate in training service animals, and generally does not house offenders with sex crimes on their records, absent a federal waiver. Trump and his administration have now been battling the firestorm over the Epstein investigation for a full month. In early July, the Department of Justice and FBI released a joint memo stating that a list of Epstein's alleged co-conspirators or other evidence linking the powerful men rumored to have taken part in the sexual abuse of minors did not exist within the agencies' files. The memo also concluded that Epstein's 2019 death in federal custody was by suicide. At the same time, the Justice Department told Americans that no further releases of files of the investigations would occur. This infuriated MAGAworld and reignited conversations about the topic across social media and the podcasting spheres, as Trump's associates spent months and in some cases years ginning up speculation around the Epstein case and adding fuel to conspiracy theories involving Joe Biden and the so-called 'Deep State'. Right-wing influencers were even called to the White House at one point this year to receive binders titled 'Phase One' of the administration's Epstein document release plan. Phase two never materialized. The furor proved impossible for Republican members of Congress to ignore, and a number have called on the administration to provide more transparency. House Speaker Mike Johnson called the August recess early to avoid a forced vote on a measure to compel the Justice Department to release documents from the case, but that measure is expected to be a fight Congress wages in September once lawmakers return.
The Independent
6 minutes ago
- The Independent
Karoline Leavitt gives glimpse into family life with personal post
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt has offered a glimpse into her personal life after posting a picture of her newborn son on Instagram. The 27-year-old posted a picture of her one-year-old child, Nicholas "Niko" Robert Riccio, on Monday. Though the child's face was not visible, the picture focused on his babygrow – which featured a picture of a cartoon farm and a sheep. 'Home is where my mama is,' the shirt read. 'This shirt,' Leavitt captioned the photo, alongside a teary-eyed emoji and a blue heart. Leavitt shares her son with her 59-year-old husband Nicholas Riccio, though is not often public with the child. In an Instagram post celebrating her son's first birthday, Leavitt described the child as 'my sweet, happy, sensitive, funny, and handsome baby.' 'What a year it has been. There are no words to describe how much I love this little boy. I thank God every day for making me his mommy.' She has also shared several posts featuring the child previously. The post comes after social media users raised eyebrows about remarks made about Leavitt by Donald Trump, which many described as 'creepy.' In an interview Friday the president offered high, if not slightly uncomfortable, praise for his press secretary, complimenting 'that face' and 'those lips.' The president gave the unorthodox compliments during a sit down with Newsmax in response to Leavitt's claim that he should be awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for his self-claimed success since returning to office. 'She's become a star. It's that face. It's that brain. It's those lips, the way they move. They move like she's a machine gun,' Trump said. 'She's a great person, actually. But she's – I don't think anybody has ever had a better press secretary than Karoline. She's been amazing.' 'Will ANYONE in the MSM ask him or the White House about this incredibly bizarre, creepy, cringey comment? Of course not,' wrote one user. 'It's amazing how his 'super Christian-y' base just love that he's such a creepy old pervert,' added another. A third wrote: 'If any man said this on the job about a fellow employee, they'd be fired instantly, and the company sued.' Leavitt is Trump's fifth press secretary overall, though remains the only one from his second term so far.
