Oil prices ease on hopes of new US-Iran peace talks

The US firm behind the Roomba smart vacuum cleaner, iRobot, has filed for bankruptcy protection after facing competition from Chinese rivals and being hit by tariffs. Under the so-called pre-packaged Chapter 11 process, the main manufacturer of its devices, Shenzhen-based Picea Robotics, will take ownership of the firm. The tough commercial landscape had forced iRobot…

Alex ForsythPolitical correspondent BBC A few weeks ago, I was driving along the M6 late at night, towards the West Midlands, when I came across the orange flashing lights and miles of cones that signify road works. Two lanes were closed and the overhead gantry warned of a 50mph speed limit on the near-empty motorway….

While the office got built, the bonus tax remained and JP Morgan did not, in the end, stop buying gilts, this episode is an incredible live example of the relative power of government and financial markets, of the actual dynamics of the “bond vigilantes”.

Archie MitchellBusiness reporter PA Media The Bank of England has warned of a “sharp correction” in the value of major tech companies with growing fears of an artificial intelligence (AI) bubble. It said share prices in the UK are close to the “most stretched” they have been since the 2008 global financial crisis, while equity…